National News
Macron says Biden administration made a “good decision” - French President Emmanuel Macron has said that U.S. Joe Biden's administration made a "good decision" by allowing Ukraine the use of U.S.-made weapons to strike inside Russia. Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, Macron said Biden's administration call was triggered by the engagement of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine.
French farmers protest - In other news, French farmers have demonstrated across the country on Monday following a call from the farmers union the FNSEA. The protests are notably against the free trade agreement of the European Union with Mercosur, which is being discussed at this very moment by the G20 countries meeting in Brazil. Among the demonstrators were many winegrowers who are experiencing a bad year, with poor harvests and sharply falling prices.
Composer of “Non, Je ne regrette rien” dies - The French composer of Édith Piaf’s “Non, Je ne regrette rien”, Charles Dumont has died aged 95. The singer-songwriter also composed melodies for stars including Dalida, Jacques Brel and Barbra Streisand. Dumont composed melodies for French and international stars but the singer-songwriter, will for ever be associated with one song in particular. Dumont, a little-known musician and trumpeter by training, was aged 31 when, he knocked on the door of perhaps France’s best-known singer on the Boulevard Lannes in Paris in October 1960. Non, Je ne regrette rien (No, I Regret Nothing) would go on to sell 800,000 copies, spend seven weeks on the top of the French charts, and become one of the best-known French songs of all time, recorded in at least a dozen languages.
American claims damages from Air France for delayed flight - A 66-year-old American has claimed 600,000 dollars in damages from airline company Air France due to a return flight from New York to Paris being delayed. Nicholas Owoyemi ended up missing a corresponding flight due to the delay and was forced to stay in a hotel at the Paris airport. According to the New York Post Mr Owoyemi claims that due to poor health and a weak heart the experience caused him “distress and great discomfort”.
Local News
Conference of the mayors of France begins in Paris today - The mayor of Cannes and president of the mayor’s association David Lisnard will today Tuesday 19th November, attend the conference of mayors which begins in the French capital and is on until Thursday. The meeting is an opportunity for local elected officials to express their demands and Lisnard has announced plans to denounce the state of public finances as well as the rise in attacks on elected officials and the fight against drug trafficking. According to a study carried out for the AMF, 45% of mayors have already thought about throwing in the towel with 41 mayors resigning each month and 86% of mayors claim to suffer physical or mental health problems during their time in office.
Primary school evacuated - A primary school in Nice has been evacuated due to a suspect odour. 400 children at the Rothschild school in the centre of Nice were taken to nearby Durandy square on Monday afternoon. An investigation into the cause was underway following the incident.
Winter road regulations - Some of our regions ski resorts announced their opening for the 7th of December on Monday, as reported on Riviera Radio and motorists are reminded of some changes to winter road regulations which are in place until 31st March in our region. Ultimately vehicles must be fitted with winter tyres or be carrying snow chains for at least two tyres. For more details on exact requirements, you can go to the government website service-public.fr.
Waste Reduction Week - The 6th Waste Reduction Week kicked off in Monaco on Monday. In line with the 2024 European Week for Waste Reduction. Collections, treasure hunts, anti-waste workshops will take place through until Sunday 24th November. The theme for this year’s European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is “Waste is Out of Taste”. Here in the Principality a special EWWR village has been set up and is open to the public on the 20th and the 21st November, from 9am to 6pm. The village will have stands set up for the event and will host numerous activities. Don’t forget that on Saturday 23rd November, from 3.30pm to 6pm, the popular Mùnegu Repair Café event will return to the Marché de la Condamine allowing visitors an opportunity to get household items repaired for free.
Crown Council of Monaco welcomed at the Princes Palace - HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has officially welcomed the new Crown Council at the Princes Palace. The council has seven members of Monegasque nationality, appointed by the prince for a period of three years and is purely a consultative body. It has no decision-making powers, and its opinions are not binding upon the Sovereign Authority in any way. The prince may consult the Assembly on a mandatory or optional basis.
Monaco best European destination ranking and National day - Finally, for those living on the Riviera you may sometimes feel like pinching yourself at how lucky you are and it would appear that visitors also appreciate its beauty and lifestyle. On Monday, the Full English Breakfast Show reported that Nice had ranked top of a travel agency ranking for the best holiday destination in the world knocking London off the number one spot. Now, a survey by the European best destination organisation has placed Monaco in 2nd place for the “best European destination of 2024”. Based on over one million votes from travellers across 172 countries, the Principality comes just behind Marbella, Spain, and ahead of Malta and Geneva. Monaco certainly boasts a unique blend of sustainability, luxury, and cultural richness. The survey emphasized Monaco’s commitment to sustainable tourism. Monaco has long been a leader in environmental innovation, aligning with the vision of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco who has championed green initiatives globally. And to this end it is today that the Principality celebrates its National Day also known as the Sovereign Prince’s Day. The date of the National day is traditionally determined by the reigning Prince. The previous Princes often chose the day of the saint they were named after. For instance, the late Prince Rainier III chose the 19th of November, the day that celebrates Saint Rainier. When Prince Albert II ascended the throne, he ended this tradition by choosing the same day as his father, instead of the day of St. Albert, 15th November. Today the 19th of November is also the day of Albert II's official ascension to the throne and a time to celebrate! Tune into the Full English Breakfast show to hear the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco talking about the history of Monaco in an interview from 1985.
Business
British Airways passengers have been left stranded at multiple airports in the UK and internationally after a "technical issue" disrupted operations. The problems, which the airline says have now been solved, started at around 5pm on Monday, with passengers posting on social media that they were standing in the cold waiting to find out what was happening to their flights. BA said a problem that affected some of its computer systems had caused the delays.
The online gaming platform Roblox has announced it will block under-13s from messaging others as part of new efforts to safeguard children. Child users will not be able to send direct messages within games by default unless a verified parent or guardian gives them permission. Parents will also be able to view and manage their child's account, including seeing their list of online friends, and setting daily limits on their play time. According to Ofcom research Roblox is the most popular gaming platform for eight- to 12-year-olds in the UK, but it has been urged to make its experiences safer for children.
And – Described by some as “a coding Mozart” 7-year-old Sergey from Russia has been offered a job by a Russian software company as soon as he is old enough to take up paid employment. The young boy from St Peterburg has built a name for himself, uploading videos that explain how to write software since he was five. On the strength of those videos, the information security firm Pro32 sent him a written job offer, for the post of head of corporate training. Under Russian law, Sergey would not be able to take up any paid role until he is 14.
Sport
Football – In the Nations League Scotland snatched a last-minute lifeline after Andy Robertson’s scored a header ending the game 2-1 against Poland. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland threw away a two-goal lead in Luxembourg, but a 2-2 draw was enough to earn promotion to League B in the Nations League and Spain scored a dramatic late winner beating Switzerland 3-2.
Tennis - Rafael Nadal says he will not be distracted by emotion as he aims to help Spain win the Davis Cup in the final tournament of his career after announcing his retirement from the sport. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis after representing his nation at the men's team event in Malaga. Spain plays the Netherlands in the quarterfinals today, but it remains unclear if 38-year-old Nadal will be fit enough to play a significant part.
Formula One - The Canadian Grand Prix will be moved to late May as part of Formula One’s attempt to reduce carbon emissions. Normally held in early June the move allows the event to be run straight after the Miami Grand Prix, which avoids freight being sent back and forth across the Atlantic.
Cricket – Australia have thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets to seal a 3-0 clean sweep in the T20 series.
Weather
A cloudy start with hazy sunshine by this afternoon and strong winds. Highs of 20 degrees in Nice and Cannes. 18 degrees in Monaco and Vence. 17 degrees in Toulon. 15 degrees in Marseille and Saint Tropez. This evening going down to 13 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow, hazy sunshine with strong winds and highs of 18 degrees. Thursday, light rain and a fresh breeze with highs of 15 degrees.
Sunrise 07.30am
Sunset 05.01pm
Weather elsewhere
Palma 23° sunny intervals.
Liverpool 4° sunny intervals.
Cardiff 7° light rain.
And finally
According to reports a Swedish minister's phobia of bananas has led officials to insist rooms are free of the fruit ahead of any meeting or visit. The instructions from Gender Equality Minister Paulina Brandberg's staff were seen in leaked emails published by Expressen. The tabloid quoted one of the leaked messages as saying that she "has a strong allergy to bananas, so it would be appreciated that there are no bananas in the areas where she will be staying". A similar email, reportedly sent to the County Administrative Board, said: "No bananas are allowed on the premises either." Brandberg told Expressen that it was an issue she was "getting professional help with". She is reported to have posted on X in 2020, saying she has the "world's weirdest phobia of bananas". The post has since been deleted. Bananaphobia can cause serious symptoms like anxiety and nausea and can be triggered by seeing or smelling the fruit.
Snowfall in Paris has caused significant disruptions to flights on Friday, the 22nd of November, with delays and cancellations impacting Nice Côte d'A...
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Snow has fallen in our regions ski resorts, ahead of their upcoming opening on December the 7th. A white blanket covered Isola 2000, Valberg and Aur...
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For the first time, Monaco's Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) inaugurated a Casino de Monte-Carlo outside Monaco, aboard the luxury cruise ship Crystal ...
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A 17-year-old boy that had been abducted earlier this week has been found injured at a known drug-dealing spot in Avignon. ...
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The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women's Rights has presented its new campaign for the International Day for the Elimination of Viole...
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