News
French Prime Minister hands in resignation - France's second female prime minister and longest serving, Elizabeth Borne has resigned, leaving office after less than two years in the job. In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron said Borne had shown "courage, commitment and determination" during her time in office. Her resignation comes as President Emmanuel Macron is expected to reshuffle his top team. The 34-year-old education minister Gabriel Attal is considered the frontrunner for the job. He would become France's youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
Macron invites the French to take part in 30 minutes of daily sporting activity – Meanwhile, recently criticised for not backing the “dry January” campaign, it would appear that French President Emmanuel Macron is in favour of promoting “at least 30 minutes of daily sport”. 200 days before the Olympic Games, Macron has encouraged the French to do “at least 30 minutes of daily sport”. Macron posted a video on X, with boxing gloves” encouraging people to take part in a daily sporting activity”.
The Head of State also announced that the Olympic Games being prepared in France, will be “the most carbon-free in history”. According to the French head of State, it will be a “Green Games which respects the Paris agreement”. Invited on RMC on Sunday, France’s Minister of Sports insisted: "France will be ready", however, concerns of the French and particularly that of the residents in the Ile-de-France, are increasing, whether be it with regards to public transport or even security.
Snowfall causes chaos on roads around Paris - Snowfall has caused traffic chaos on the roads in the French Capital, as France’s Transport minister calls for motorists “to take extra care”. 150 kilometres of traffic was reported in the early hours of this morning at 1am. Certain sections of the roads around Paris were affect by traffic jams due to accidents after heavy snow fell on roads which had not been prepared for the icy conditions. Météo-France has placed five departments of Ile-de-France and Normandy on an orange alert for snow and ice today, Tuesday January 9th. The Nord and Pas-de-Calais remains on an orange flood alert.
Nice remembers the winter of 1956 - Meanwhile, as France is experiencing a cold spell, with today expected to be the coldest day of the week, some elder residents of our region have been looking back at memories of the winter of 1956; describing scenes of people skiing on the Promenade des Anglais and Saint-Tropez being cut off due to heavy snowfall. Many people of Nice and the region remember February 1956 due to the exceptionally cold spell which hit Provence with the lowest temperatures of the century being recorded. Several ports were covered in ice from Saint-Raphaël to Saint-Tropez and many of the region’s olive trees were destroyed by frost and snow.
Train strike continues - Strike action by rail workers in the region is expected to continue today after a day of disruptions on Monday. The SNCF has announced that TER traffic will be seriously disrupted on the lines between Nice, Marseille, the Côte d'Azur as well as in the Roya Valley. The SNCF recommends passengers to “postpone their trips where possible or to take an alternative means of transport.” For more information you can go to their website.
Fatal shooting in Corsica - Police in Corsica are investing a fatal shooting which they believe to be linked to a settlement of accounts, as part of a drug trafficking ring. On Monday the bodies of three people who had been shot dead were discovered in an apartment in Bastia and one woman is in a critical condition. The exact circumstance of the shooting remains unknown. The investigation is ongoing, as authorities try to determine the identity of the victims.
Earth tremor - An earth tremor off the coast of Monaco has been felt across the Côte d'Azur. The tremor with a magnitude of 2.4 was recorded on Sunday January 7th at 8:31 p.m. off the coast of Monaco. According to SismoAzur, the epicentre was located at around a hundred kilometres off the coast of the Principality of Monaco and could be felt along the entire Alpes-Maritimes coastline and even in the Nice hinterland. A similar earth tremor had been reported on December 21 also with a magnitude of 2.4, on the Franco-Italian border. Its epicentre was detected in Monterosso Grana, south of the municipality of Cuneo in Italy.
State of natural disaster - A state of natural disaster has been recognized for Toulon in the Var following the floods of October 2023. Residents whose property was affected now have until February 4th, to submit their claim to their insurance company. The decision was published in the Official Journal on January 6th, 2024.
New cycling path in Mandelieu - The city council of Mandelieu has announced plans for a new cycling path on the avenue Gaston-de-Fontmichel. The move comes in an attempt to continue to simplify daily commutes to and from work and to improve "slow tourism". The route will ultimately connect the seaside to the Tourrades industrial zone. It also marks an important improvement of the “Eurovélo 8” cycling route which runs from Spain, to Cyprus, crossing 11 countries.
Cult kissing scene from French film installed on school façade in Cannes - The cult kissing scene from the French film “A Man and a Woman” has been immortalized on the facade of a school in Cannes. The kiss between Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant, immortalized by Claude Lelouch in the film "A Man and a Woman", is displayed on the facade of the Goscinny school, avenue Michel-Jourdan in Cannes. The film from 1966 is a French romantic drama and is known for its photography having won several awards including the Palme d’Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe awards. The work by artist Patrick Commecy was commissioned by Cannes city council for 35,200 euros.
Picasso Museum to under renovation work - Entry to the Picasso Museum in Antibes is currently at a reduced rate ahead of his closure for renovation work. The Château Grimaldi will close its doors to the public from January 15th to January 29th. Before then, visitors will be able to benefit from a reduced rate. The reopening to the public is scheduled for January 30th where visitors will be able to discover a new display with a choice of works drawn from the permanent collection.
Business
According to France’s electricity operator, RTE, France’s electricity production will be sufficient to cover the cold spell expected this week. Speaking to French media the director of operations at RTE assured that electricity production will be sufficient to cover national needs during the cold spell “despite the resumption of economic activity” and “temperatures below seasonal norms”.
Two airlines in the US have discovered “loose bolts” on Boeing 737 Max 9s following inspections. The inspections began in the US after part of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 fell off in midair last Friday, eventually landing in a teacher's back garden. The plane made an emergency landing, but none of the passengers or crew were seriously injured. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates air travel in the US, has grounded 171 planes of the same type.
And - Apple has begun making payments in a long-running class action lawsuit over claims it deliberately slowed down certain iPhones in the US. Apple agreed to settle the lawsuit in 2020, stating at the time it denied any wrongdoing but was concerned with the cost of continuing litigation. A similar case under way in the UK is seeking £1.6bn in compensation.
Sport
Football - Regarded as one of football's greatest players, German legend Franz Beckenbauer has died at the age of 78. Beckenbauer won the World Cup as captain of West Germany in 1974 and lifted the trophy again as manager in 1990. Liverpool and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish said: "It fills me with deep sadness to hear about his passing, a true icon of the game” adding that "It was a privilege for him to share one of his proudest moments with him when he presented his 100th cap for Scotland”. Concluding “My thoughts are with him and his family at this time."
In the FA Cup – Manchester United have cruised past Wigan to reach the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win.
Rugby Union - Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby legend JPR Williams has died at the age of 74. Williams captained Wales and Bridgend, winning 55 caps for his country. During historic triumphant Lions tours to New Zealand in 1971 and 1974 in South Africa, Williams accumulated eight Test caps.
Golf - After more than 27 years Tiger Woods and sportswear giant Nike have ended their long-term partnership. The 15-time major golf champion has used the brand's products and equipment since he turned professional in 1996. Nike said it was an honour to partner with "one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen". Woods, 48, first signed a $40m (£31.5m) five-year contract with Nike upon turning professional as 20-year-old in 1996. The reason for the partnership ending is not known.
Weather
Cloudy with rain expected by this afternoon. Highs of 10 degrees in Nice and Monaco. 12 degrees in Saint-Tropez, with rain forecast by lunchtime. 8 degrees in Marseille. This evening going down to 4 degrees and cloudy.
The outlook for tomorrow and Thursday, remaining cloudy with highs of 8-11 degrees. Sunny skies are expected to return across the region by Friday.
Sunrise 08.03am
Sunset 05.12pm
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