News
Monaco marks National Day with ceremony and celebration - Monaco celebrated its National Day on Wednesday with a blend of religious tradition, military honours and public festivities. The day began with a Te Deum at Monaco Cathedral attended by Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and other members of the Princely Family. At the Palace, Prince Albert presided over military ceremonies, awarding promotions, medals and the Order of Saint-Charles. A joint musical performance with Italy’s Carabinieri marked 150 years of Monaco’s diplomatic presence in Italy. Crowds filled Palace Square for the much-anticipated appearance of the Princely Family at the Palace windows, greeted with enthusiastic applause. Residents described the celebration as both joyful and symbolic of the Principality’s strong traditions and close relationship with its Sovereign.
Train services disrupted – In other news, rail services severely disrupted in Nice after incidents on the line. Rail passengers in Nice faced major disruption on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, with services between Nice-Ville and Nice-Saint-Augustin heavily affected. Delays first built up in the afternoon after individuals were reported on the tracks, forcing trains to slow down or stop. Later, SNCF confirmed further issues due to a “fault with equipment at Nice-Ville station”, resulting in additional cancellations and delays.
Millions of French homeowners set for higher property taxes - Millions of homeowners in France are expected to face higher taxe foncière bills in 2026 as the Finance Ministry updates the way property values are calculated. The government is revising decades-old data used to assess whether homes have six key “comfort” features — running water, electricity, a bath, a shower, a sink, and heating or air conditioning. Each feature adds theoretical square metres to a property’s taxable size. The tax office (DGFiP) believes around 7.4 million homes are undervalued because their records are out of date. From 2026, authorities will assume these homes have all six features, automatically updating their files. About a quarter of properties nationwide are expected to see an increase, averaging €63 on top of any local rate rises. The impact will vary by area: more than 60% of homes in Haute-Corse will be revalued, compared with 25% in Paris and around 10% in Isère.
Owners will be informed via impots.gouv.fr or by post if their bill changes significantly. Those whose homes genuinely lack certain features — such as air conditioning or a bath — will be able to contest the update and request a rebate. Local authorities may also choose to raise their own rates, meaning some households could face further increases in 2026.
Water bills set to rise – Meanwhile, water bills could rise by 50% by 2030, consumer group warns. Households in France may see their water bills surge by up to 50% by 2030, according to new warnings from UFC-Que Choisir. Ageing infrastructure, agricultural pollution and the growing impact of climate change are driving costs sharply upward — but the association argues consumers should not be left to shoulder the full burden. France Eau Publique estimates that the extensive clean-up required to deal with current levels of contamination will significantly increase operating expenses. Already, only 85% of drinking-water networks meet regulatory standards in 2025, a drop of ten points since 2021, partly due to health agencies testing for new pesticide residues. The average price per cubic metre has risen by 16% in just two and a half years, and further increases appear likely unless structural issues within the water system are addressed.
Mushroom picker rescued - Eighty-two-year-old mushroom picker rescued overnight in Var hills - An 82-year-old man who went missing on Monday evening while foraging for mushrooms in a woodland area near Néoules, Var, was found safe after a large-scale night-time search led by the Brignoles gendarmerie. The rescue operation mobilised significant technical and human resources, including gendarmes, firefighters, municipal police officers and a dog team from Cuers. After several hours of searching, the man — Hervé Crozat — was located unharmed. He later visited the rescuers to thank them, expressing both gratitude and embarrassment for the effort deployed on his behalf. “It was foolish of me, thank you for everything,” he told the team, who greeted him with good humour and relief.
Beaujolais Nouveau returns amid declining volumes and renewed hope - Beaujolais Nouveau makes its annual return today Thursday, 20 November, greeted as always with a mix of enthusiasm and eye-rolling. Once a global craze, the young wine has seen production fall sharply from its 1990s peak, with volumes in 2025 expected to dip below 100,000 hectolitres. The decline followed years of over-standardisation and mockery over its banana-like flavour, yet recent improvements in winemaking and renewed interest in natural wines have given the style a modest lift. Some producers say demand for small-batch, vibrant primeurs is rising again. Festivities remain popular — from the packed Sarmentelles de Beaujeu to the Beaujolais Marathon — and winemakers insist the wine still has cultural and economic value, offering a rare chance to sell bottles just months after harvest. Whether nostalgia and new-generation curiosity can revive the phenomenon remains to be seen, but for one weekend each November, Beaujolais Nouveau still manages to capture the spotlight.
How children in France can write to Father Christmas - Finally, La Poste has opened its annual Christmas post service, meaning children across France can now send letters to Père Noël — in English or French — until 20 December. Kids can post their wishlists in any postbox, addressed simply to Père Noël. No stamp is needed, and thanks to around 60 dedicated “elves” at the postal service, every child will receive a free reply. The tradition dates back to 1962 and now receives about a million letters each year. Children can also write electronically via the Écrire au Père Noël feature on La Poste’s website. If sending a physical letter, they must include their return address so Santa can answer. They can even add a playful “North Pole” address if they wish. La Poste has also continued its initiative encouraging children to send kind messages and drawings to elderly people in retirement homes, in partnership with the charity 1 Lettre, 1 Sourire.
SPORT:
Italy will find out later who they’ll have to get past to make it to next summer’s men’s football World Cup. The Azzurri who’re four-time World Cup winners - haven’t qualified for the finals since 2014. Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland are also among 16 teams in this afternoon’s play-offs draw, with four European places left.
Manchester United's 100 percent record in the Women's Champions League has been ended by Wolfsburg. They were thrashed in Germany 5-2 by the former two time competition winners.
Roger Federer will become the first member of the so called 'Big Three' to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Swiss great was the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles - a total since surpassed by rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
BUSINESS:
In the UK, consumer confidence has plummeted after weeks of speculation about what's in store in the Budget. Figures from the British Retail Consortium show expectations about the state of the economy have dropped to minus 44. That's down from minus 35 in October.
Nvidia's CEO has shrugged off concerns about an AI bubble - as the company surprised Wall Street with accelerating growth. The chipmaker has faced several quarters of slowing sales. The recovery appears to have calmed investor nerves over concerns an AI boom has outrun fundamentals.
And Google's opened a new AI engineering centre in Taiwan. The country's president says its a show of confidence in the island as a trustworthy tech partner.
WEATHER:
Its getting chilly across the Cote d'Azur. Bright and sunny throughout the day, with some light showers and a chance of snow this afternoon. Highs of 13 degrees in Cannes.
Monaco celebrated its National Day on Wednesday with a blend of religious tradition, military honours and public festivities. The day began with a Te ...
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It’s Monaco’s National Day, with several ceremonies and celebrations happening throughout the Principality today. ...
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Monaco will mark its National Day today, Wednesday 19th November, with a full programme of traditional and ceremonial events, following last night’s f...
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A man has been arrested after making threats to attack a synagogue in our region. In a post on social media, the man threatened to “blow up” the synag...
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A sharp drop in temperatures is expected across Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes as a cold spell moves in during the third week of November. After a rainy...
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