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 Ch&acir
