By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
Welcome to the France Today and Central Milan bulletin for Tuesday August 11, 2026, on FranceToday.com, in podcasting, via AI chatbot and on Medium Waves at 1575 kHz. In the newsroom in Nice Marco Hugo Barsotti, from Paris Rachel Costa.
News from France
The show is not enjoyed the same way: observing the eclipse at 99 % instead of 100 % is day and night
The solar eclipse scheduled for Wednesday August 12 will appear as a rare and highly localized phenomenon. Only a narrow zone, defined as a “centrality band,” will have the chance to witness the total obscuration of the Sun; it is a strip about 300 km wide that crosses Spain and skims the French border. In that area lunar coverage will reach 100 % and can be observed just before sunset.
In France, the situation will be more limited. According to the French Astronomy Association, the maximum coverage will be 99.5 % in Biarritz, 96 % in Marseille and Brest, 92 % in Paris and 90 % in Strasbourg and Lille. The Paris Observatory has published an interactive map that shows the exact time and degree of occultation for each location.
The difference between 99 % coverage and 100 % coverage, says eclipse hunter Jean‑Marc Lecleire, is more than numerical: “If you observe an eclipse at 99 % you will not enjoy 99 % of the show.” When the Moon fully covers the solar disk, light drops dramatically, the environment approaches night and the solar corona ‑ the bright halo surrounding the Sun ‑ becomes visible. Lecleire likens the jump from 99 % to 100 % to turning off a light, making a few stars appear in the sky.
During totality a rapid temperature drop of ten degrees in a few minutes is also observed, and birds stop singing. “It’s as if time stops for the first time in life,” comments Maxime Piquel, technical director of the Brittany planetarium, while astrophysicist David Elbaz describes the experience as “almost magical.”
Outside the path of totality the phenomenon is less impressive. The corona is no longer visible because the Sun’s surface is still a thousand times brighter, and the light remains intense, though dimmed. At 90 % coverage or lower, temperature will fall only slightly and the light will be weaker, but the excitement will be very different from that of a total eclipse.
Since the eclipse will occur in the late afternoon ‑ the maximum will be around 20:17 in Paris ‑ observers will notice a “red solar crucifix” in the southern regions, where the partially covered Sun will look like a small crescent at sunset.
It is essential to observe the eclipse with proper filtering glasses: looking at the Sun with the naked eye or with uncertified lenses can cause serious retinal damage, up to blindness.
Note: the original article was published on franceinfo on August 9, 2026.
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Gas price sharply rising: more than six million French families will see their bill increase in September
The Energy Regulation Commission (CRE) announced that the reference gas price will rise by 5.6 % starting September 1. The increase will bring the average price to €172.05 per megawatt‑hour, affecting roughly 6 million French households, which corresponds to almost 60 % of residential gas customers.
The rise is attributed to the international context: the military offensive sparked by the Middle‑East conflict on February 28 caused the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, drastically reducing the flow of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Consequently, wholesale market prices surged, prompting the CRE to revise the reference price upward.
At the same time, Asian gas demand, particularly from China and India, further pressured prices. European reserves have fallen to 57 % of the usual 74 % level for this time of year, the lowest value recorded since 2009. The scarcity of stocks, combined with geopolitical uncertainty, makes it likely that prices will remain high in the coming months.
Households that signed fixed‑price contracts will not be affected by the increase; the impact concerns only customers with tariffs indexed to the average gas price.
The article is based on a CRE press release cited by AFP and highlights the consequences of the Middle‑East conflict on the European energy market.
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Rachel’s Editorial – Gas, war and our bill as a thriller
I’ll read you my editorial of the day now.
What a wonderful script: from gasoline price to gas, now the domestic bill is the star of the upcoming end‑of‑season soap opera. The Energy Commission raises an alarm because the reference price jumped 5.6 % in September, and we immediately imagine the “villain” of the Middle‑East conflict as a dark knight who stole our money. But is war really the primary culprit? Or is it easier to point a finger at a distant geopolitical clash, leaving the real director untouched: a market that loves numerical drama.
In the race to find the most sensational figure, the article gives us the “almost doubling” of the gas price since the feverish start of the year, but makes no effort to contextualize. Let’s say the price went from 31 to 61 euros per megawatt‑hour: and who actually paid it? Are we really convinced that the average citizen can decipher the TTF index like a work of art? Or, more likely, journalism decided to replace deep analysis with yet another statistic ready to fill the page with fluff.
Then there’s the deafening silence on national politics. The article tells us that reserves are at 57 % versus the historic 74 % and, as if it were the conclusion of a novel, issues a warning about the impending winter without asking whether France has already begun phasing out regulated‑price contracts. Where are the words of the REPowerEU officials, the efficiency plans, or, heaven forbid, practical advice for those locked into indexed tariffs? The bag is full of forecasts, but the basic notice ‑ “try not to turn off the lights” ‑ has been forgotten.
Finally, the fear narrative continues to paint the future as if every bill were a window onto an imminent apocalypse. The same media that scare us with rising gas will tomorrow celebrate the adoption of solar panels and electric cars, without mentioning that the cost of these “saviours” is constantly climbing. In short, we are spectators of a theater where disbelief is always the protagonist, while the plot is a succession of alarms without a recipe.
Koan of the day
A monk asked the Master: “If gas prices rise because the war blocks Hormuz, is it the fault of the conflict or our energy dependence?”
The Master smiled and replied: “The conflict is the wind, dependence is the sail; both push the boat, but the helm of choice decides where to go.”
The monk persisted: “Then why do the media shout danger and then suggest solutions that cost even more, never teaching us to sail on our own?”
The Master concluded: “They fear people learning to row, because then they will no longer need to sell the echo of the storm. So, the real price is that of our ignorance, which everyone pays to enter. But let’s return to the news.”
Heat wave alert continues in Alpes‑Maritimes and Var
The French regions of Alpes‑Maritimes and Var remain under an orange‑level heat‑wave warning, with temperatures expected to exceed 38 °C in the coming days. According to forecasts, the maximum expected in Saint‑Martin‑du‑Var (Alpes‑Maritimes) is 35 °C, while inland areas range between 30 and 34 °C; along the coast thermometers should read about 35 °C. Var, on the other hand, is bracing for even higher temperatures: up to 38 °C in the department’s centre, 36 °C in Draguignan, 35 °C in Saint‑Tropez and Fréjus, and 32 °C in Toulon. Authorities urge residents and tourists to take precautionary measures, such as staying regularly hydrated, avoiding prolonged sun exposure during the hottest hours, and using air‑conditioned spaces when possible. The warning, issued by the national weather service, will remain in effect until further update.
The alert is valid until further notice from the French meteorological authorities.
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Meta’s AI strategy: the local open‑source attack with Muse Glimmer
Meta unveiled Muse Glimmer, a 30‑billion‑parameter agentic model designed to run entirely on the user’s device. Released under an Apache 2.0 license, the model was compressed via 4‑bit quantization, reducing its memory footprint to under 20 GB and allowing the entire engine, its encoder and contextual cache to be loaded locally. Thanks to this architecture, applications no longer depend on cloud latency or the transfer of sensitive data to external servers.
Muse Glimmer aims to be an autonomous assistant capable of planning, drafting and analyzing documents in real time, even without connectivity. The model can interface with tools and call specific APIs, interpret multimedia content such as screenshots or charts embedded in text, and handle diagnostic errors by attempting alternative solutions independently.
From a technical standpoint, Meta introduced a “speculative decoding” technique called DFlash. It is a lightweight secondary network that generates token blocks in parallel, instantly validated by the main Muse Glimmer model. Early tests show a speed increase of over three times on NVIDIA RTX‑5090 GPUs, nearly double on Apple Silicon M5 Max processors, and a 50 % gain over the previous generation on M4 Max.
The initiative is part of a broader corporate manifesto contained in a 6 500‑word essay signed by Mark Zuckerberg, defending the concept of distributed AI as a response to the concentration of power in the hands of a few proprietary‑model providers, notably OpenAI and Anthropic. To support this vision, Meta announced a $145 billion investment in compute capacity for 2026, a figure slated to grow to $600 billion by 2028.
With Muse Glimmer, Meta launches a “usury war” against proprietary LLM solutions, aiming for open‑weights standards optimized for edge computing. The goal is for 80 % of daily office tasks to be handled locally, reducing dependence on competing cloud offerings. The next release, Muse Spark 1.2, should further expand the open‑source catalog.
Original article published on ZDNet France on August 10, 2026.
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Welcome to the international bulletin from FranceToday and Radio Central Milan for Tuesday August 11 2026 on FranceToday.com in podcasting and on Medium Waves at 1575 kHz.
From Paris I am Rachel Costa.
Magnitude 7.4 earthquake shakes Colombia, causing over a hundred deaths
The strongest seismic shock recorded in recent years struck Colombia yesterday morning, with a magnitude of 7.4 that devastated several cities in the western zone. Initial assessments show the collapse of numerous buildings, power‑line outages and the closure of main roads, while rescuers have launched search‑and‑rescue operations. Authorities declared a national state of emergency and have requested assistance from international relief teams to cope with the huge number of injured and infrastructure damage.
Singapore raises growth forecast, driven by artificial intelligence
The Singaporean government released an upward revision of its gross domestic product for next year, attributing the boost to growing demand for AI‑based solutions in the energy and manufacturing sectors. The new outlook foresees a 3.5 % growth versus the previous estimate, with massive public investment in research and development to cement the island’s position as a regional hub of digital innovation. Analysts predict that sustained growth could attract further foreign capital and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in the global market.
Oil price tops $82 a barrel amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. oil market rose above $82 per barrel, spurred by uncertainty over negotiations between Washington and Tehran to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping companies reported higher operating costs, while investors, awaiting a possible escalation, pushed futures to higher levels. Energy experts warn that persistent tension could keep oil prices elevated for the coming weeks.
Big oil “windfall” reaches record figures
Major oil groups have recorded an extraordinary profit thanks to the rise in crude prices, surpassing analysts’ expectations and generating an unprecedented “windfall.” Companies announced investment plans to expand extraction capacity and fund energy‑transition projects, including initiatives in green‑hydrogen production. However, unions and environmental groups criticised the decision to allocate most of the gains to expand hydrocarbon production, calling for a larger share to be directed toward renewable sources.
Gas price increase in France: average bill will rise by 5.6 %
The Energy Commissioner previewed a rise in the reference gas price for French consumers starting next month, with a projected 5.6 % increase over the current tariff. The hike is attributed to recent global energy‑market tensions caused by the Middle‑East conflict, which have reduced available reserves. The government said it is closely monitoring the situation and evaluating support measures for the most vulnerable population groups, but warned that bills could remain high for the rest of the year.
Nvidia raises $500 billion in funding, betting on artificial intelligence
The chip giant completed a capital‑raising operation worth half a trillion dollars, intended to support the growth of its artificial‑intelligence division. The CEO emphasized that the new‑generation chips represent an “investable asset” for institutional investors, given the rising demand for compute power for advanced models. With these funds, Nvidia plans to accelerate the development of more efficient architectures and expand its presence in global data centers.
AWS urges engineers to cut CPU waste during demand peak
Amazon’s cloud computing service sent an internal memo to its engineers, urging them to optimise central processing unit (CPU) usage to contain costs and improve operational efficiency. The directive arrives amid strong pressure on compute capacity due to rising demand for AI‑driven services. AWS has introduced new guidelines and monitoring tools to help teams identify and correct excessive consumption, aiming to maintain profit margins in an increasingly competitive market.
Weather Paris, Monaco Monte Carlo and Milan for Tuesday August 11 2026
Paris – A scorching day but without surprises
According to expert Régis Crêpet, the morning in Paris will be bright with temperatures around 20 °C, a light wind of 10 km/h and absolutely no rain. In the afternoon the thermometer will quickly climb to 34 °C, with a slight breeze increase to 25 km/h, while the sky stays clear and there will be no risk of showers. Late afternoon and evening will feature a still‑clear sky, temperatures approaching 30 °C and a moderate wind of 15 km/h. At night temperatures will drop to 24 °C, the sky will remain cloud‑free and the wind will ease to 10 km/h, with no precipitation. In summary, a warm, stable day with no rain alert.
Monaco Monte Carlo – Shining sun with a few light clouds
Forecaster Thomas Ponthieu indicates that the morning in Monaco will be 29 °C, feeling like 32 °C because of humidity, with a light wind of 10 km/h that may rise to 15 km/h in gusts. The weather will be mainly clear with a few scattered clouds, and the chance of rain will stay low, around 20 % in the morning. In the afternoon temperatures will reach 31 °C with a perceived heat up to 38 °C, the wind will moderate to 10 km/h with gusts of 20 km/h and the sky will stay largely sunny with no risk of precipitation. In the evening the thermometer will fall to 29 °C, the sky will be partly cloudy, wind will calm to 25 km/h in gusts and the rain risk will be nil. At night temperature will drop to 27 °C, the sky will be clear, wind light at 15 km/h and no precipitation is expected.
Milan – Sweltering, but no thunderstorms
Forecaster Daniele Berlusconi of 3BMeteo notes that the morning in Milan the temperature will hover around 26 °C, with a gentle north‑east breeze of 1 km/h and absolutely no rain. The sky will be clear and the sun will begin warming the city from the early hours. In the afternoon temperatures will rise progressively, reaching 36 °C around noon and in the late afternoon, feeling about 35‑36 °C with almost no wind, but with light south‑south‑west gusts of 4‑6 km/h. The sky will remain mostly clear, without rain events, but with the usual heat‑wave warning. In the evening temperatures will fall to 35 °C, the sky will stay clear with a few scattered clouds, wind will be very light from the south‑south‑west and there will be no precipitation. At night the minimum will be 33 °C, the sky will be partly cloudy, wind light at 3‑4 km/h and humidity will stay low, with no chance of rain. In short, a hot and stable day typical of Lombardy summer.
Rachel’s Weather Editorial – “Climate Change is a Fashion Tug‑of‑War”
But does every few‑degree shift truly deserve the label “climatic catastrophe”? Isn’t it more convenient to blame climate change for the 30 minutes of rain that never arrive? When the thermometer climbs above 34 °C the whole world seems on the brink of evaporating, and we wonder whether a light breeze could save us from a hypothetical thermal apocalypse.
What if we simply listened to the data without dramatizing? If the sun burns hotter than usual, perhaps it’s time to apply a good sunscreen, not to invoke the planet’s final judgment. Rhetorical questions and pithy jokes don’t change the air temperature, but they add some spice to the silent flow of data that, for us experts, remains the same: nature follows its own rhythm, we observe, and the public only takes cues for the next climate meme.
Koan of the day
Monk: “The sky today is almost a canvas of light, but what about a cloud of reflection?”
Zhaozhou: “If the cloud is light, the sun has nothing to fear; if it’s heavy, the wind caresses it.”
Monk: “Then the weather is pure balance, neither more nor less.”
Zhaozhou: “Balance is the way, change is the step, but presence is the true state.”
And that’s today’s weather.
Sign-off.
Online, on X and Mastodon, on all smart speakers and on medium wave, this is FranciaOggi with Centrale Milano 1575 kilohertz.