National News
French President promises bill for “assisted dying” under “strict conditions” - French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a bill for “assisted dying” under “strict conditions”, which will be presented in April. In an interview with "Libération" and "La Croix", the head of state said he wanted to present the text in April to the Council of Ministers before an examination in Parliament in May. Macron revealed that it will be “neither a new right nor a freedom”, but a “possibility”. The text envisaged aims to allow certain people "to request assistance in dying under certain strict conditions". Patients must be adults, "capable of full and complete discernment", suffering from an "incurable illness" and confronted with suffering "that cannot be relieved”. If the regulations are respected it would then be up to a medical team “to decide, collectively and in transparency, what action to take. In the event of a green light, a lethal substance would be prescribed to the person, which they could administer themselves or, if they "are not physically able to do so", with the help of a professional, loved one, a doctor or a nurse. The procedure could be done at home, in a nursing home or in a care establishment.
Local
Four people missing after bad weather at the weekend - Four people are still missing in the Gard and the Ardèche following bad weather which left three others dead. The body of a man, who had been swept away in his vehicle on Saturday, was found on Sunday in Gagnières and two other people were found in a vehicle in Goudargues. Three people are still missing in the Gard and another in neighbouring Ardèche. The search was suspended on Sunday at nightfall and will begin again this Monday morning. The two departments had been placed on orange flood alert on Saturday evening, before bad weather hit the region. In total, 250 firefighters were mobilized during the night from Saturday to Sunday, and four gendarmerie helicopters.
Heavy rain - Locally heavy rainfall in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes saw several homes flooded in Le Muy and roads blocked with a landslide in Nice on avenue Henry Dunany. Residents in Hyeres had to be evacuated and waters quickly rose in and around Cogolin, with winds bringing down an impressive pine tree in Cannes. 4,500 homes were deprived of electricity in the Alpes-Maritimes and 500 in the Var. Enedis were mobilized with 150 agents carrying out interventions. Firefighters said that despite the number of interventions no injuries were reported.
France’s hunger for frogs legs - Finally, a group of scientists and vets have warned that France’s hunger for frogs’ legs is “destructive to nature” and endangering amphibians in Asia and south-east Europe. More than 500 experts have called on French President Emmanuel Macron, to “end the overexploitation of frogs” and grant the most traded species better protections. The EU imports the equivalent of 80-200 million frogs each year, the majority of which are consumed in France. Most come from wild populations in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania, as well as from farms in Vietnam.
Business
India has signed a free trade agreement with a group of four European countries that are not members of the European Union. The deal with the European Free Trade Association or the EFTA will see investments in India of $100bn. The EFTA is made up of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The announcement comes as the UK and India have been holding negotiations over an FTA for the last two years.
Japan has avoided falling into a technical recession after its official economic growth figures were revised. The revised data shows gross domestic product (GDP) was 0.4% higher in the last three months of 2023 compared to a year earlier. Provisional figures released last month indicated the second consecutive quarter of economic contraction.
Indonesia's transport ministry will launch an investigation into local carrier Batik Air after both pilots onboard were found to have fallen asleep mid-flight. The duo - who have both been temporarily suspended - fell asleep for around 28 minutes during a flight from Sulawesi to the capital Jakarta. The Airbus A320 briefly veered off course but was able to land safely. All 153 passengers and crew members were unharmed.
Sport
Football – It was disappointment for both Liverpool and Manchester City after a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday, but none the less a fantastic performance from both sides. The result means that for the first time since 2015 just one point separates the top three clubs after 28 games played. This evening Chelsea are at home to Newcastle kick off is at 9pm French time.
Rugby Union – France managed to overpower Wales in an eight-try Six Nations thriller in Cardiff winning 45-24. France was looking a little weak in defence before turning the game around. On Saturday Smith kicked a last-gasp drop-goal as England stunned Ireland in a thriller match winning by just one point 23-22 and Italy beat Scotland 31-29.
Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen may have taken a comfortable victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but all eyes were on British driver Oliver Bearman who at just 18 and in his first F1 Grand Prix came seventh for Ferrari. Bearman became the youngest British driver in F1 history and the third youngest ever. Verstappen team-mate Sergio Perez came second, and Charles Leclerc came third.
Cycling – Paris Nice Matteo Jorgenson distanced fellow American Brandon McNulty during the rain-soaked final stage in the Nice hills to secure overall victory.
Weather
Light showers with a gentle breeze. Highs of 13 degrees in Nice and Saint-Tropez, 12 degrees in Monaco, 14 degrees in Cannes and Marseille and 15 degrees in Toulon. This evening going down to 6 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow and Wednesday sunny with clear skies and highs of 15-16 degrees.
Sunrise 06.49am
Sunset 06.32pm
Sea temperature
Monaco 13.8°
Weather elsewhere
London 11° light rain.
Paris 13°light rain.
Dublin 10° drizzle.
And Finally....
Breakfast lovers are divided over whether baked beans should be separated from the rest of a fry-up. Supporters argue they should be kept apart so you can choose whether they mix with the sausages, bacon, eggs and other bits. One said: “Baked beans have to be served a part so as not to pollute the rest of the breakfast.” Apprentice star Tom Skinner though said the beans need to be able to roam free. Tom said: “Anyone has beans in a pot needs to be arrested immediately.” It comes after a recent study found that one-in-five people aren’t a fan of runny elements mixing with other breakfast items on the plate. 60% said they wanted to keep beans separated. Heinz has tried to stay neutral in the “hotly contested” debate, while the English Breakfast Society claims the more “disturbing” trend is breakfast fans choosing streaky bacon.
TGV services across much of France are gradually improving after several arson attacks affected the network in the early hours of this morning....
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Paris is getting ready to shut down it’s city centre and its airspace as well as mobilise 45,000 police and several army units in what has been billed...
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Lucie Castets, the left-wing candidate for Prime Minister, reiterated her desire to lead the government during a media appearance on July 25. A poll s...
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French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to welcome world leaders to the Olympic games opening ceremony tomorrow night and has been visiting key ...
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France will host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the Alpes, conditional on state and regional financial guarantees. President Macron confirmed his full su...
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