News
Macron visits Greenland in powerful signal of European unity - In a historic first, French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Greenland, marking a rare and symbolic visit by a major world leader. Macron’s stop, ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, underscores growing European interest in the Arctic amid rising tensions with the United States and increased global competition over critical minerals and Arctic security. Despite chilly weather, Macron was warmly welcomed in the capita, a city of under 20,000 people. Greenlandic officials called the visit "very welcomed" and a strong show of support from Europe. Experts see the visit as a direct response to recent U.S. pressure on Greenland, particularly President Trump’s interest in buying the mineral-rich island. France has firmly rejected such notions, with Macron recently declaring, "Greenland is not for sale."
Former French President is stripped of his Legion of Honour - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honour following his final conviction to one year in prison for corruption. The decision was published in the Official Journal on Sunday, June 15th, 2025. The exclusion from the Legion of Honour highlights ongoing debates about justice and accountability for public figures in France.
Power outage affects 2,000 homes on the Côte d’Azur Sunday evening – In local news, nearly 2,000 households in the Cannes and Vallauris areas have been left without power. The incident occurred on Sunday evening at around 8.30pm. Electricity supply has been gradually restored as ENEDIS, the regional electricity provider, worked to fix the issue. This incident is a reminder of the much larger blackout which occurred on May 24th, leaving nearly 160,000 homes across the Côte d’Azur without power. Authorities continue to monitor the situation to prevent further disruptions.
Motorhome catches fire – A motorhome has caught fire in Saint-Raphaël in the Var. The blaze broke out shortly after 5.30pm on Sunday and the cause is still unknown. The fire spread to about 600 square meters of nearby vegetation. Thanks to a quick intervention from firefighters, the flames were stopped from spreading further. No injuries have been reported.
UN office - After the recent UN Ocean Summit in Nice, it’s been confirmed by the mayor Christian Estrosi that the city will now host a permanent UN office. The office will be located in the new maritime station at the port of Nice. It will support a group of coastal cities and regions working together to fight rising sea levels caused by climate change. More than 400 leaders from coastal areas met in Nice to form this group. They plan to meet every year to find solutions and funding. The next meeting will be in Morocco in June 2026. Mayor Estrosi said Nice will become a UN city, like Geneva, showing its important role in global climate efforts.
Weekend of Grimaldi celebrations - At the weekend, Prince Albert II of Monaco and his family celebrated with eight towns connected to the history of the Grimaldi family on Monaco’s Palace Square. The event, called the 6th Meeting of Grimaldi Historical Sites, brought together mayors, artisans, and locals from nearly 100 places tied to the Grimaldis. They showcased their local crafts and traditions in a festive atmosphere. Prince Albert II opened the event, emphasizing the importance of these gatherings for friendship, history, and political exchange. The prince explained how his visits to these towns across France and Italy help him understand shared challenges like mobility, environmental sustainability, and cross-border cooperation. The Princely family, including Princess Charlène, Hereditary Prince Jacques, and Princess Gabriella, attended the opening ceremony. Festivities continued through the weekend with cultural performances and displays celebrating the history and traditions of the participating towns.
Study - A recent study has ranked European cities based on their “tranquility index,” revealing which destinations are the most and least peaceful for visitors. According to the June 2025 report, Nice ranks as the second least peaceful city in Europe, just behind Florence. The study examined factors such as noise pollution, light pollution, tourist density, hotel concentration, and crime rates. Nice faces challenges in all these areas, with an average of 190 tourists per square kilometre, 489 hotels in the city, the highest light pollution among the cities surveyed, and the third highest crime rate. These findings contradict an earlier March 2025 survey, which ranked Nice as the least stressful European city. Nearby Èze also appears in the top 10 least peaceful cities, coming in eighth place. The study suggests travelers seeking a quieter experience might consider Saint-Paul-de-Vence or Cassis, though the latter is also a popular tourist destination.
Le Grand Café des Fleurs returns - After being closed for several years, the iconic Café des Fleurs location on Nice’s famous Cours Saleya has come back to life. In May 2025, Le Grand Café des Fleurs opened its doors in this historic space, bringing a new energy to the popular pedestrian street. The restaurant offers a large outdoor terrace and a diverse menu, quickly attracting both locals and tourists. Located in the heart of Nice, Cours Saleya is known for its lively markets and bustling atmosphere. The reopening of this restaurant adds to the charm and appeal of the area, making it once again a must-visit spot for visitors and residents alike.
Euromillions Jackpot - Finally, the Euromillions jackpot has reached its maximum €250 million for the fourth consecutive draw, with no top prize winner on Friday. Seven players won the second-tier prize of €4.493 million, while one French player claimed €1 million via the My Million code. The jackpot will roll over again for the next draw on Tuesday. Meanwhile, recent French lottery winners reveal cautious spending habits. A woman who won €6 million quit her job and spent €1.5 million on a car, a wedding, and a boat, while a 30-year-old winner of €9 million has yet to spend any money and continues to work. The French lottery operator FDJ says it creates a new millionaire every two days and supports winners in managing their wealth. Despite the big sums, many winners choose to handle their fortunes carefully.
Business
Global oil prices surged sharply after Israel announced it had conducted a strike against Iran, marking a dramatic escalation of tensions in the already volatile Middle East region. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, jumped more than 10%, reaching its highest level since January. Although prices later eased slightly, the initial spike reflected traders’ fears over potential disruptions to oil supplies from the energy-rich Middle East. Such disruptions could lead to higher costs not only for fuel but also for a wide range of goods, as energy prices affect transportation and production expenses worldwide. The increase in crude prices has a ripple effect, influencing everything from the price at the petrol pump to the cost of food and other essentials in supermarkets, impacting consumers globally.
And - Leonard Lauder, the visionary businessman who helped build Estee Lauder into one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies, has passed away at the age of 92. Lauder joined his parents’ company in 1958 and served as chief executive for 17 years, during which time he was known for his sharp dealmaking skills. He played a key role in expanding the company by acquiring well-known brands such as Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and MAC, which helped shape the global beauty industry. Born in New York, Lauder built an estimated fortune of $10.1 billion (£7.5 billion), according to the 2025 Forbes rich list, securing his place among the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
Sport
Football - Paris Saint-Germain began their first FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in a scorching 31°C. The extreme conditions prompted two cooling breaks, raising concerns ahead of next year’s World Cup. PSG now face Botafogo on June the 20th, while Atletico meet Seattle Sounders on June 19th.
Formula One - McLaren's Lando Norris has admitted he "made a fool" of himself after crashing into teammate Oscar Piastri during a tense battle in the closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. George Russell won the race. The clash however, cost Norris a podium place and widened the championship gap to Piastri to 22 points. With 14 races still to go, Norris vowed to learn from the setback and refocus for the rest of the season.
Motor racing – Meanwhile, former F1 driver Robert Kubica took victory at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours, driving the privately entered AF Corse Ferrari 499P alongside Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson. They finished just over 14 seconds ahead of the Porsche 963 driven by Kevin Estre. Kubica, once a rising star in Formula 1 who won the 2008 Canadian GP, made a remarkable comeback after a severe rally crash in 2011. He returned to F1 in 2019 and now has his first Le Mans win at age 40.
Golf - America’s JJ Spaun triumphed at the US Open, overcoming a flooded course, a 90-minute rain delay, and a strong challenge from Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre. Spaun, 34, sealed his first major by holing a stunning 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish two strokes clear at one under. MacIntyre, who posted a two-under 68 and set the clubhouse lead at one over, applauded Spaun’s winning putt.
Athletics - Armand “Mondo” Duplantis has set a new pole vault world record of 6.28m at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, his 12th world record, but the first on Swedish soil. The 25-year-old, born in the U.S. but competing for Sweden, cleared the height on his first attempt, having already secured victory. Celebrating with his family and home crowd, Duplantis called it "one of the greatest memories" of his career.
Weather
Hot and humid conditions across the region, with partly sunny skies and the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening. Light winds. Highs of 30 degrees in Nice and Monaco. 28 degrees in Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to a mild low of 22 degrees overnight.
The outlook for tomorrow and Wednesday, remaining fine with highs of 30 degrees and a gentle breeze.
Sunrise 05.47am
Sunset 09.14pm
Weather elsewhere
London 26° sunny
Bordeaux 28° sunny
Oslo 24° sunny.
Beach weather
Cannes – Sea temperature 22°, air temperature 28°. UV level 8.
Saint-Tropez – Sea temperature 22°, air temperature 28°. UV level 8.
A major network outage has affected SFR users across France late Monday morning, including in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments....
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- In a historic first, French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Greenland, marking a rare and symbolic visit by a major world leader. Macron’s sto...
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Hot and humid conditions across the region, with partly sunny skies and the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening. ...
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Following Israeli airstrikes on Iran and threats of retaliation from Tehran, several airlines, including Air France, have suspended flights in the Gul...
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The United Nations Ocean Summit ends today Friday 13th June, unveiling a bold new plan to protect the world’s oceans by 2030. Known as the “Nice Commi...
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