News
French President calls for caution following assassination of a Hamas leader - French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken with the Israeli government just hours after the assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut, calling on Israel to “avoid an escalation”. Israel has insisted that the assassination was not an attack on Lebanon, as its enemies warned of "punishment" for his death.
Macron went on to stress the desperate need “to work towards a lasting ceasefire” expressing his "deepest concern in the face of the heavy civilian death toll and the humanitarian emergency in Gaza”. France’s Head of State at the same time reaffirmed "France's dedication to the security of Israel" and reiterated that the release of all hostages held in Gaza, particularly the French, is an absolute priority for France".
Scam – In other news, authorities in France are warning of a new scam by SMS text messages. Scammers are pretending to be the victim's own children, pretending to have problems with their phone number. They invite you to chat on WhatsApp via a new, unknown number. Authorities said that the texts are aimed at deceiving people and stealing money.
Skiing accident – In local news, a 16-year-old girl has been seriously injured in a skiing accident in Auron. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon and the victim was airlifted to hospital in Nice. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances.
Founder of the CCM Professor Vincent Dor dies at the age of 91 - The Founder of the Cardiothoracic Centre of Monaco, Professor Vincent Dor has died at the age of 91. It was nearly 37 years ago, alongside Doctor Jean Joseph Pastor, that Professor Vincent Dor had instigated the creation of the CCM, whose reputation today transcends borders. The establishment on Avenue d'Ostende provides a unique hospital platform allowing it to accommodate patients of all social, geographical, and cultural origins to enable them to benefit from the expertise of medical-surgical teams all under one roof. Born in 1932 in Marseille Professor Dor became Monegasque in 2002 and led the CCM for 33 years, before being named honorary founding president in 2020 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. Riviera Radio would like to express its sincere condolences to his wife, children and loved ones at this difficult time.
Real estate purchasing power drops in Marseille - According to a study published on Tuesday January 2nd, real estate purchasing power has fallen in the city of Marseille. Marseille ranks in the top 10 French cities having lost the most real estate purchasing power and finds itself in eighth place in the ranking, behind Toulon, in first position, and Nîmes, in second place. According to experts the decline is largely attributed to the significant increase in property loan rates in 2023. The study showed however, that purchasing power in Lyon and Paris remains stable.
Cannes Sports app is recognised at awards ceremony - The free digital service the “Cannes Sports application” has been awarded best application, at the “2023 Marketing Awards” in Paris. Created in 2017 as part of the Cannes, city council capital of outdoor sport programme, the free mobile app has found its place among the Cannes sports community and visitors alike. Awarded "Best application and digital experience" amongst nearly 450 other applications, the award highlights the apps design and offerings. In Cannes there is 420,000m2 of sporting facilities open to the public, with 2,250 sporting events each year in 100 different disciplines as well as 200 clubs and more than 24,000 members for 74,000 inhabitants.
Cycling paths to be developed in along the Var coastline - The Var department has announced plans to extend cycling paths and facilities in the gulf of Saint-Tropez this year. There are planned improvements for Gassin, Cogolin and Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer. Since 2021, the Department has devoted significant resources and funding to the area with the help of 26 million euros over five years, in addition there have been investments made by local councils and the French State also provided an envelope of 2 billion euros.
Renovation work suspended until the end of the holiday period - Renovation work in the centre of the village of Ramatuelle in the Var, has been put on hold until January 8th to avoid disturbances to village life during the holiday period. The major works will resume on January 8th, until then parking will be once again be available and the market will remain moved to the parking lot next to the Sainte-Anne chapel. To allow the locals to follow the progress of the project, a free application called ''Hello Travaux'' has been set up. This app offers an easy and accessible way to obtain detailed information on the progress of the works.
Saint-Tropez Marathon - 1,400 runners have already registered for the Gulf of Saint-Tropez marathon. The flagship race of the year will take place on March 24th. This year’s 4th edition will also be part of, for the first time, the official race of the French marathon championship. Launched in 2019 by the community of municipalities on an initiative by Philippe Leonelli, the marathon has attracted runners from all over Europe. The marathon will run along the coast road between Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez reaching Cavalaire, after passing through the vineyards and hills of Ramatuelle and La Croix-Valmer. For more information go to www.marathondugolfedesainttropez.com
Business
Tax authorities in France have reportedly given up on pursuing legal proceedings against the luxury giant LVMH, which it suspected of tax fraud. The National Tax Investigation Department carried out a search in September 2019 on several sites of the French luxury giant, including their headquarters in Paris, in a case of potential tax fraud. The tax authorities wanted to investigate the role of a Belgian company, LVMH Finance Belgium SA, a treasury centre which has since been repatriated to France. The General Directorate of Public Finances in France has however, according to French media, decided not to pursue the matter. Unrelated to this affair, it was in 2022 that LVMH concluded a “tax partnership” with the tax administration to establish a dialogue between both parties “to clear up in advance situations which could appear to be problematic". According to a spokesperson from the tax authorities this “reflects the group’s good will to be more transparent and an incentive to submit any possible tax difficulties linked to future operations”.
The Chinese electric car company BYD has sold more electric vehicles than Elon Musk's Tesla in the last three months of 2023 yet, Tesla still sold more vehicles for the whole of 2023, as the two battle it out for the top spot in the industry. A record 526,000 battery only vehicles were sold by BYD in the final quarter of last year, marking the first quarter that the company outpaced Tesla.
And - The most famous mouse in the world is already being exploited by gaming developers. Having barely entered the public domain, Mickey Mouse is already the subject of a video game and is seen on screen brandishing a machine gun and shooting at anything that moves. 2024 appears already, to be shaping up to be a challenging year for most famous mouse in the world. With Mickey no long being reserved for Disney, it took just 24 hours for the video game featuring Mickey, as we’ve never seen him before, to be revealed.
Sport
Darts- Sensational 16-year-old Luke Littler has beaten Rob Cross storming into the final of the PDC World Darts Championship tonight where he will face Luke Humphries. Littler won 6-2 in his first world tournament and is the youngest person to reach the final, overtaking Kirk Shepherd who was 21 back in 2008.
Football – Brighton drew 0-0 against West Ham in the Premier League last night. The point moves Brighton into seventh place, above Manchester United, while West Ham are three points further ahead in sixth place.
Cricket – Australia face Pakistan in day one of five, of the Men’s International Test Match series.
Weather
Sunny intervals with a fresh breeze in Nice, windy conditions in Saint-Tropez and the Var. Highs of 16 degrees in Nice and Saint-Tropez, 14 degrees in Monaco, Marseille and Puget Théniers. This evening going down to 11 degrees this evening with cloudy skies.
The outlook for tomorrow, Thursday, sunny with highs of 16 degrees. Friday, rain is forecast with highs of 11 degrees.
Sunrise 08.04am
Sunset 05.05pm
A powerful Mistral storm has swept through Provence, with wind gusts exceeding 150 km/h in some areas. ...
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France’s recently appointed Prime Minister François Bayrou has promised a new government "before Christmas" and reserves the possibility of using 49....
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A four-day strike at DHL has caused delays in package processing, raising concerns about on-time deliveries for Christmas....
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French judges in Avignon will today Thursday 19th December, deliver their verdicts in a mass rape case against 51 men that has appalled France and the...
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Monaco Info and TV Monaco are set to make way for a new television channel on September 1st of 2025. During the debates on the 2025 preliminary budget...
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