News
Monaco mourns the sudden passing of its Minister of State - Monaco is mourning the sudden passing of the Minister of State Didier Guillaume. HSH Prince Albert has decreed a day of national mourning in the Principality this week, coinciding with his funeral, which will be held at Monaco Cathedral on Thursday 23rd January at 11am. Flags continue to be flown at half-mast on all public buildings following the announcement of his death on Friday January 17th and a minute of silence will be held today Monday 20th January at 11am. The public can pay tribute to Didier Guillaume from today until Wednesday January 22nd, between 10am and 5pm at the Chapel of Mercy on the Place de la Mairie.
Born in the Drome Didier Guillaume was a French politician who served as Minister of State to Monaco from September 2024. He previously served as the minister of agriculture and food in government of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe from 2018 to 2020. HSH Prince Albert expressed his condolences to Guillaume’s family and praised his dedication and achievements since assuming office. Isabelle Berro-Amadeï will continue as interim Minister of State.
Police operation in Nice sees several arrests made - In other news, a police operation carried out in the Bon-Voyage district of Nice on Saturday has seen several people arrested along with weapons and drugs seized. Sadly, it was an all too familiar site for local residents in the area of Nice, which has seen a succession of police operations and arrests made in connection with drug trafficking. Several suspects were placed in police custody at the weekend and are expected to appear in court in the coming days.
A young man wounded by a firearm in Vallauris – Meanwhile, a young resident of the Hauts-de-Vallauris district has been taken to hospital after being shot in the ankle on Saturday night. According to police the shooting took place in a garage. An investigation has been opened to determine if the shooting was intentional or accidental. His life is not in danger.
Skier airlifted to hospital – A skier has been air lifted to hospital following a bad fall in the ski resort of Isola 2000. The forty-year-old man from the region, reportedly injured his back after hitting a rock while off-piste on Sunday lunchtime. He was taken to the Pasteur 2 hospital in Nice where his condition is said to be stable.
How "Dry January" boosts the alcohol-free market – Dry January may be becoming more than a resolution at the beginning of the year as those in the industry claim that “alcohol-free” is becoming a new way of consuming beverages and seeing a boom in a new market. Launched in 2013 by a British association, Dry January is a challenge which aims to not to drink a single drop of alcohol during the month of January. This year, 12% of French people will participate in the challenge. According to a study conducted by the British institute IWSR, the global market for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks grew by 7% in volume in 2022 to reach $11 billion in 2022, compared to $8 billion in 2018. In France, sales of non-alcoholic beverages increased by 5.5% in volume between April 2022 and April 2023, while those of alcoholic beverages (excluding wine) fell by 2.5% over the same period. A few days ago, the former First Lady of France and artist, Carla Bruni, also launched her alcohol-free sparkling wine, made at the Château d'Estoublon estate of which she is co-owner in Provence and in Paris, a few months ago, the first alcohol-free bar opened. Le Déjà Bu? which offers an innovative menu of products that resemble alcoholic classics.
Harry Potter Escape Game coming to Nice - If you’re a fan of Harry Potter then you may be interested in a big event which is soon coming to Nice. The Harry Potter Escape game will be taking place from February 7th to March 30th. Designed around the world of Harry Potter, players are invited to "solve quests, discover secret passages, create alliances, and betray their comrades to complete their missions." To participate in the event, it is already possible to book your tickets by clicking online www.hominum.games
Matisse chapel to become a classified historical monument - The Matisse chapel in Vence (Alpes-Maritimes) will be classified as a historical monument. It was during a visit to Marseille last Thursday, January 16, 2025, that France’s Minister of Culture Rachida Dati made the announcement. The site, which is located in the Alpes Maritimes, was designed and decorated by the famous painter Henri Matisse. Erected in 1951, the building, also known as the Chapel of the Rosary, is a must for cultural tourism in the south of France.
Nice, most filmed city on the Côte d’Azur – Finally, Nice is "the most filmed city on the Côte d'Azur" and according to recent data from the town hall the city has beaten its record for the number of days filming in the Riviera capital. In 2024 the city hosted 610 days of filming. Productions last year included three feature films, several series and documentaries, as well as music video clips, fashion shoots and adverts.
Business
Following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would issue an executive order to postpone the ban on social media app TikTok when he takes office today, the service has resumed for 170 million of its users in the US. Trump, who had previously backed a ban of the platform, promised on Sunday to delay implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of "restoring service". Donald Trump will officially become the next President of the US at 05.47pm French time today, Monday 20th January 2025.
Meanwhile Trump has launched his own cryptocurrency, which quickly soared in market capitalisation to several billion dollars. His release of the coin comes as he prepares to become 47th president of the US.
And - The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates on Friday, a move that would lift short-term borrowing costs to levels unseen since the 2008 global financial crisis. While the rest of the central banking world has been focusing on the pace of cuts, Japan is still heading in the other direction as they look to gradually pull back in the direction of conventional policy settings.
Sport
Tennis - Novak Djokovic is set to play Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-final. He will face Alcaraz in the last eight after the Spaniard progressed when British number one Jack Draper retired with a hip injury on Sunday.
Football – In the Premier League action Everton beat Tottenham 3-2. Things are not going well for Manchester United as they lost 1-3 at home to Brighton with their manager admitting that “the team are possibly at their worst in the club’s history” hitting a new low at Old Trafford. Nottingham Forest beat Southampton 3-2 and Ipswich were thrashed by Manchester City 6-0. This evening Chelsea are at home to Wolves.
Golf - England's Tyrrell Hatton edged out Daniel Hillier to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot. The Hero Dubai Desert Classic carries £7.4m in prize money, with £1.26m going to the champion. Hatton's victory also had some added importance in terms of Ryder Cup qualification with the Englishman gaining some vital points.
Rally Monte-Carlo, 93rd Edition - The WRC Season produces spectacular events with cars from 21 different manufacturers. Driven on surfaces from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice, the timed stages cover around 350 km and the Principality of Monaco has inspired the oldest, most unpredictable and glamorous event on the calendar since 1911. The Monte Carlo Rally, from snow in the mountains to the Mediterranean coast, International Teams prepare and maintain phenomenal cars for the most courageous drivers and co-drivers in the World to handle through varied conditions with total control. Monaco provides unique sustainable opportunities to transfer knowledge from Racing to the Global Motor industry. At the weekend the official launch of the Rally took place here in Monte-Carlo in front of the casino and The full English Breakfast Show was there bringing you plenty of footage and interviews on our Facebook and Instagram. This week during the breakfast show we will be bringing you news from the drivers and the organisers. Don’t forget that official start for this year’s Monte Carlo Rally will be taking place from the Casino Square in Monte-Carlo on Thursday 23rd January at 2.30pm. Everyone is welcome.
Weather
Showers with moderate to strong winds to start with, dying down by this afternoon. The Alpes Maritimes is on a yellow avalanche alert in the hills, with icy conditions expected. Highs of 14 degrees in Nice,12 degrees in Monaco,13 degrees in Saint Tropez and Antibes. This evening going down to 7 degrees along the coast.
The outlook for tomorrow and Wednesday. Showers are forecast to continue with a moderate breeze and highs of 14-15 degrees.
Sunrise 07.57am
Sunset 05.25pm
Weather elsewhere
London 6° light cloud.
Paris 2° light cloud.
Dublin 10° light rain.
Traffic has been heavily impacted at Èze village on the Moyenne Corniche following an accident involving three cars. The accident occurred on the aven...
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Monaco is mourning the sudden passing of the Minister of State Didier Guillaume. HSH Prince Albert has decreed a day of national mourning in the Princ...
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The Matisse chapel in Vence (Alpes-Maritimes) will be classified as a historical monument.
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If you’re a fan of Harry Potter then you may be interested in a big event which is soon coming to Nice. ...
Read More
A police operation carried out in the Bon-Voyage district of Nice on Saturday has seen several people arrested along with weapons and drugs seized. ...
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