News
Teacher attacked by a pupil in a college in Pégomas - A teacher at a college in Pégomas has been attacked by a pupil. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the 13-year-old, who had already been described as having behavioural problems, punched his victim several times in the stomach during a lesson. The teacher has since taken legal action and the pupils’ parents were convoked. The mayor of Pégomas and the Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes both condemned the attack.
Remains of two deep sea divers discovered off the coast of Nice - The remains of two deep sea divers who disappeared 30 years ago off the coast of Nice in front of the Maeterlinck have been discovered. It was on December 4th, 1993, that Daniel and Christian went missing whilst exploring the area. The maritime police assisted the delicate operation of retrieving their remains at the end of last year.
Man found dead near tram stop in Nice - A man in his thirties and thought to be homeless, has been found dead near a tram stop in Nice. Emergency services were alerted on Tuesday morning after the individual was found unconscious near the Digue des français tram stop. Unfortunately, when they arrived, the man had died. Tram traffic was temporarily disrupted an investigation is underway.
Homeless woman found dead in the street in Carpentras - Meanwhile, a homeless woman has been found dead in a street in Carpentras in the Vaucluse. The woman in her sixties is believed to have died due to the cold weather and was found underneath a blanket. Forty-eight departments in France were on a yellow “severe cold” weather warning on Tuesday as temperatures fell between -5 and -10 in the northeastern region. Temperatures are expected to slowly rise from today.
Earth tremor - Another earth tremor has been reported in our region just three days after one was reported off the coast of Monaco on Sunday and a second in Saorge on Monday. The tremor with a magnitude of 2.9 was felt at 12.31 lunchtime on Tuesday and is the strongest one since the beginning of the year. Its epicentre was once again on the French Italian border.
Three individuals appear in court in relation to a violent brawl in Monaco over the festive period - Three individuals have appeared in court in the Principality in relation to a violent brawl which broke out on December 30th, 2023, at around 5am near the Portier roundabout. Two groups of individuals confronted each other physically and four people were taken to hospital by emergency services. Police were quick to intervene and video footage was examined as part of the police investigation. All three were handed suspended prison sentences and a fine. The Monaco public prosecutor's office has told local media that the judgment of the criminal court is not final.
Strike action to continue today - Strike action has been renewed today Wednesday 10th January, on our regions rail network. According to unions 90 to 95% of drivers are continuing their strike action. A bus service has been set up on the Côte d'Azur lines, especially between Cannes, Nice and Menton and towards the Roya Valley. Drivers denounce their working conditions and the possible privatisation. For more information go to the SNCF website.
New system to ease the headache for parents enrolling their children in state school in Monaco - A new system has been launched in Monaco for the enrolment of students at state primary and secondary schools in the Principality. The new online service which is user friendly is available as part of the MonGuichet.mc portal. The service aims to make the procedure for parents and administrators more efficient. For more information go to www.monguichet.mc
92nd Monte-Carlo Rally - The Official Entry List for the 92nd Monte-Carlo Rally has been unveiled by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The organisers announced on Monday January 8th, that record holder, 40-year-old, Sébastien Ogier, is back to defend his title. 9-times winner of the Rallye Monte-Carlo, the native of nearby Gap, will be competing in his home territory at the wheel of the Toyota Yaris Rally1 Hybrid. The battle for victory is announced to be as indecisive as it is intense, with his team-mate Elfyn Evans of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team as the main opponent at the start, as well as the Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT drivers Ott Tanäk (2019 World Champion) and Thierry Neuville (2020 Winner). The Monte-Carlo Rally runs from 22nd January to January 28th with the official start at the Place du Casino just before 5pm on Thursday, January 25th, supporters are invited to come and cheer on their rally heroes as they set off from the heart of the Principality.
Who is France’s new Prime Minister - Gabriel Attal France’s Minister of Education has succeeded Élisabeth Borne at Matignon. At 34, Attal one of the most loyal Macronists has become the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Fifth Republic. Described by critics as a mini-Macron he will now be faced with the task of leading the French government into important European Parliament elections in June. Attal’s rise has been rapid. Ten years ago, he was an obscure adviser in the health ministry, and a card-carrying member of the Socialists. The new rising star of French politics is the son of late lawyer and film producer Yves Attal, who took credits on Roberto Benigni’s The Monster and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty. Attal’s mother Marie de Couriss also worked in a production company and as a teenager, Attal had a small role in Christophe Honoré’s 2008 drama The Beautiful Person. But Attal chose not to follow in his parents’ footsteps. The young politician, who is also France’s first openly gay prime minister, is known for his energetic and bold approach and frankness when tackling controversial issues.
Alcohol-free wine - Alcohol-free wine is starting to take off in Provence and it could be down to “dry January”. According to an Ifop study published at the end of 2023, 33% of French people would consider not touching a drink over the first 31 days of 2024. However, in the land of wine, this dampens the mood a bit. So, to meet the needs of this new trend, professionals in the region have been adapting their productions to the demand.
After 3 years of research Château La Coste, a historic estate in Provence, has just launched Nooh, a sparkling vintage along with another more classic rosé. Its development director Jerome Schehr says, “we want to demonstrate that we can make a good alcohol-free product while still being a winemaker”.
New dance studio opens in the Principality - Finally, a beautifully newly furnished dance studio has opened its doors here in the Principality. MC Dance, situated in the Jardin d’Apolline, just behind Starbucks, offers ballet and jazz classes for children from the age of 2. There are also adult classes in ballet, dance fit, heels classes and fitness, toning, stretching as well as private gyro tonic lessons. Created and run by a dedicated and professional team, to find out more you can contact MC Dance by email at mc.dance.monaco@gmail.com and you can also follow them on Instagram.
Business
The French state-owned firm EDF Energy has revealed investment plans to extend the lives of its operational nuclear power plants in the UK. EDF said its proposals, which are subject to regulatory approval and a final investment decision, would bolster energy security at a time when the world is seeking emission-free power amid the battle against climate change. The company said it aimed to make a decision on the viability of its plans by the end of the year. It plans a £1.3bn investment, should the project receive the green light.
A false post which appeared on the Securities and Exchange Commission official X account led to the value of Bitcoin jumping briefly on Tuesday. The post claimed that the regulator has approved new so-called exchange-traded funds in the cryptocurrency. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) later deleted the post and said its account had been "compromised". The social media platform has said the compromised account was not due to a breach of its systems. US regulators are expected to make an announcement on the new ETFs this week.
Tech giant Apple has announced its long-awaited Vision Pro headset will go on sale on 2nd February in the United States. US customers have been given the option to pre-order the $3,499 (£2,749) mixed-reality device from mid-January. It is the first major new product to be released by the firm since the Apple Watch launched in 2015. After years of rumours during development, the company revealed the headset in June 2023. No date has been set for a launch in Europe or the UK.
Sport
Athletics – Former world Champion Paula Radcliffe has slammed the 'viciousness' in the trans athlete debate and said it has made everything 'very complicated'. Speaking on the Performance People podcast Radcliffe said every person deserves respect and no outcome will be met if people continue to throw insults 'from one side to the other'. The athlete said the ongoing debate is making it harder for younger athletes to 'negotiate their way through' growing up - which is already hard enough. Concluding that 'at the end of the day, we are all people”.
Football - Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to watch Manchester United in person for the first time since his proposed 25% purchase of the club was confirmed when they play Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
And – In the semi finals of the EFL Cup Middlesbrough beat Chelsea 1-0. In this evening’s action Liverpool play Fulham.
Rugby Union – A Fijian rugby player has been jailed after sexually assaulting three women in a Cardiff city centre bar. Api Ratuniyarawa, 37, admitted two counts of assault by penetration and one of sexual assault at Revolution between 31 October and 2 November 2023. He was sentenced to two years and 10 months at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday.
Weather
Cloudy with light rain in places and a fresh breeze. Highs of 10 degrees in Monaco, 12 degrees in Nice and Cannes and 11 degrees in Antibes. Strong winds and rain with highs of 10 degrees forecast for Saint-Tropez and the Var. This evening going down to 7 degrees with cloudy skies.
The outlook for Thursday, cloudy to begin with, giving way to sunshine in the afternoon. Highs of 15 degrees. Friday, should be fine and sunny with highs of 14 degrees.
Sunrise 08.03am
Sunet 05.12pm
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