By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
Welcome to the France Today and Central Milan bulletin for Sunday 16 August 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
Heatwave: 28 departments kept on orange alert Sunday from 6:00
Météo‑France said that, starting at 6 a.m. on the upcoming Sunday 16 August, twenty‑eight departments will remain on orange alert for the heatwave. The list includes Southern Corsica, Haute‑Corse, the Maritime Alps, the Rhône Valleys, Gard, Var, Vaucluse, Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Rhône, Savoy, Haute‑Savoy, Côte‑d’Or, Doubs, Jura, Haute‑Marne, Meurthe‑et‑Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nièvre, Bas‑Rhin, Haute‑Rhin, Haute‑Saône, Saône‑et‑Loire, Vosges and the Territoire de Belfort.
The other 36 regions, so far on orange alert, will be downgraded to yellow or green. All departments of Lorraine, Alsace and Burgundy‑Franche‑Comté (except Saône‑et‑Loire and Jura) will exit the orange alert by 10 p.m. on Sunday, according to Météo‑France forecasts.
On the climate front, temperatures are expected to gradually decrease in the western half of the country on Saturday, but the heatwave will persist over a quarter of the South‑East until mid‑next week. The institute also warned of the possibility of intense thunderstorms in the South‑West starting late Saturday afternoon, with violent storm formation over the Albigeois, in the north‑east of the Toulouse plain and their progression westward, passing through Agenais, Gers, Quercy and Périgord, ending in Landes and Gironde. source: franceinfo, 15 August 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
ZeroBytes breaks the silence: the French state lied about the theft of tax data
The hacker group known as ZeroBytes resurfaced after months of inactivity, announcing a series of intrusions that hit both public entities and large companies. In an interview given to FrenchBreaches, the person behind the nickname said that money and the desire for power are the only motivations, excluding any political intent and describing the operations as an opportunistic activity of selling stolen information.
On 14 August, the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFiP) confirmed the existence of unauthorized accesses to its information system that occurred in June and July. According to the statement, an unidentified individual consulted and downloaded data concerning roughly 678 000 citizens and businesses, including tax income, family quotient, withholding tax rate, company name, SIREN numbers, cadastral information, addresses and property sizes. User credentials, however, would have remained intact.
ZeroBytes disputes the official version, claiming that the attack hit a true internal “tax environment,” where users’ submitted requests were visible. The screenshots provided by the group show an interface called “Tracking of requests by users,” complete with personal, fiscal and historical case data. The hacker asserts that the DGFiP downplayed the size of the incident, stating that it had access to more than six million three hundred sixty‑six thousand tax requests, although the administration has not yet confirmed or quantified the actual data extraction.
The group also announced a second breach: access to the Professional Cadastral Data Service, with the theft of 252 149 rows that, in its view, concern over two million landowners. The DGFiP has neither denied nor confirmed this compromise yet.
Beyond the tax case, ZeroBytes said it attacked the Intermarché Drive delivery service, the EVA platform and the French handball databases, asserting that there is no sector preference: “Everything is for sale, so I take whatever I can find.”
The stolen information can be exploited for targeted phishing campaigns, fake tax notices and identity theft attempts. The combination of addresses and property data, in the case of cadastral data, could facilitate burglaries or robberies, although no concrete incidents linked to this breach have been reported so far.
In response, the DGFiP stopped the anomalous accesses, informed the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) and involved the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) to strengthen protection of critical systems. Authorities said they intend to individually contact the affected people, providing guidance on precautions to take.
Radionizza, 15 August 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Rachel’s Editorial – The great illusion of French‑style security
The French government has just waved the classic script in front of us: “We have discovered a flaw, but sensitive data were not touched.” It’s a phrase as reassuring as it is empty, like telling a thief that the door is closed when he’s already inside. And do we really believe that the DGFiP can distinguish between “consulting” and “stealing” as if they were two different sports?
ZeroBytes, the self‑declared data merchant, reminds us that money is the main motivation and power is an accessory. There’s no doubt that its talk sounds like a politician’s declaration when swearing to serve the public interest. The real amusement, however, is seeing the press announce the “duty to watch” while citizens truly have to watch over their own accounts. Where is internal control, then, if an attacker can access millions of tax requests without the last audit having foreseen it?
The rest is a chorus of complaints: the CNIL and ANSSI step onto the stage, the media shout “national cyber‑security”, and politicians smile as if they just won an Oscar. But where were the penetration tests when the attack had already bypassed the “initial controls”? It’s easier to kill the virtual culprit than to admit an entire bureaucratic structure broken like a ceramic plate.
In the end, while the DGFiP promises to call each of the 678 000 “frightened” individuals to give advice on how to change passwords, the real danger remains the narrative of total security that does not exist. If the press sells us the image of an external enemy, we end up forgetting that the greatest vulnerability is often our own indifference.
Koan of the day
Monk: Master, when a hacker flips through the tax records of millions of people, what becomes of the concept of privacy?
Master: Privacy is like a garment that the wind blows on: if the fabric is light, the wind can pass through, but if you learn to wear it consciously, the wind takes nothing from you.
Monk: And if the wind is powered by those who promise to protect us but then close the window?
Master: Then the wind becomes the lesson that the sky is larger than any window, and true defense is remembering that no structure stands without the light of honesty.
But let’s return to the news.
Éric Ciotti and his partner Olivia: who is the woman who accompanies him in public
The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, was seen next to Olivia Peraldi during the July 14 celebrations for the ten‑year anniversary of the attack that hit the city. Since then the young lawyer has regularly appeared by his side at official events, including the French Cup final at the Stade de France in May and the visit to the polling station on 15 March, where she accompanied Ciotti’s daughter, Jeanne‑Marie. Olivia is enrolled in the Nice bar and, according to Nice‑Matin, practices law. She is also a mother of one child and, according to Gala sources, is a former tennis player. During the victory speech after the March municipal elections, Ciotti publicly thanked Olivia for the support she provided during the campaign. The couple, who had been seeing each other for several months, thus solidified their presence on the local political stage, choosing to keep a discreet yet constantly visible profile. Gala, 19 July 2026 Fact Check by Gemma4.
macOS vulnerability allows hackers to take full control of Macs: actively exploited
A security flaw classified CVE‑2026‑65400, discovered in macOS’s screen sharing mechanism, allows a remote attacker to view the screen and control the keyboard and mouse without needing credentials. The bug, tied to improper handling of the service’s internal state, was rated with a severity of 7.1 out of 10.
The Dutch National Cyber Security Centre warned this week that the vulnerability is already being exploited on multiple systems with port 5900 exposed to the Internet, where attackers have obtained root privileges and installed Monero cryptocurrency miners. The flaw was patched by Apple last week with a security update for macOS Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma versions.
Experts note that port 5900 is normally open when screen sharing is enabled; routers and firewalls often block it unless specifically configured. It is recommended to keep the port closed, use VPN or SSH tunnels for remote connections and enable screen sharing only when strictly necessary, disabling it after the session. Installing the latest security update is imperative.
So far no evidence of exploits geared toward malware beyond miners has emerged, but the risk remains high: the vulnerability could be used to introduce credential‑stealing software or other malicious activities. macOS users should check that screen sharing is enabled in System Settings > General > Sharing and ensure the firewall is properly configured.
Ars Technica, 14 August 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Welcome to the international bulletin from FranceToday and Radio Central Milan for Sunday 16 August 2026 on FranceToday.com in podcasting and on Medium Waves at 1575 kHz.
From Paris, I am Rachel Costa.
Morocco: almost 300 migrants stopped near Ceuta
Moroccan authorities orchestrated an operation yesterday evening, detaining roughly three hundred people attempting to cross the irregular border with Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on Morocco. Security forces warned potential crossers about the risks of the crossing, highlighting warnings spread on social media that encouraged a new migratory flow.
Previous reports of mass migrations have prompted the Rabat government to tighten controls, aiming to curb a humanitarian crisis that has long concerned both Morocco and Spain. Migration geopolitics experts underline that the Tarfaya area on the Atlantic coast remains a critical point for illegal entry attempts, especially during the summer season.
The Arctic route: a new driver for global trade
A recent BFM Business report highlighted how the loss of Arctic ice is opening new maritime routes between Northern Europe and Asia, drastically reducing navigation times for traditional routes. Next autumn, the waters of the Northwest Passage are expected to be ice‑free for almost the entire shipping season, creating opportunities for transporting energy, raw materials and finished goods.
Analysts, however, point out that increased accessibility also brings environmental risks, necessitating regulation of maritime traffic to protect the Arctic’s fragile ecosystems. Shipping companies are already investing in reinforced vessels to face extreme conditions, while neighboring governments prepare to negotiate new trade agreements.
Iran refutes Trump’s statements about the Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian military spokesperson rejected recent statements by the former US president, who claimed an attack on a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Tehran, there is no concrete evidence of any Iranian forces’ involvement in the alleged action and it called the statements “baseless.”
The incident has reignited tensions in the region, where the Strait of Hormuz is a crucial chokepoint for global oil transit. Maritime security experts warn that incendiary remarks risk triggering escalations that could jeopardize the free flow of crude, with repercussions on international energy prices.
The Russian economy resists crisis forecasts
Despite Western sanctions, Russia has shown surprising resilience in the energy and agricultural sectors, thanks to gas and wheat exports that continue to fill global markets. Analyses by a major economic daily indicate that investments in oil extraction projects in the Siberian regions have maintained revenue streams, mitigating the impact of financial restrictions.
However, observers warn that reliance on external capital sources remains vulnerable, especially if diplomatic pressures were to intensify. The future of the Russian economy will depend on its ability to diversify trade partners and manage fluctuations in commodity prices.
Nvidia is considering a $3 billion investment in SB Energy
According to sources close to the negotiations, the chip giant is negotiating a financial contribution of up to three billion dollars to the SB Energy project, a joint venture with SoftBank dedicated to building a massive data center in Ohio intended to host OpenAI’s infrastructure. The deal, still in preliminary stages, could also include a credit package of roughly $100 billion to support the expansion of the AI platform.
Regulatory authorities are monitoring the agreement to assess its impact on the computing power market, at a time when demand for AI capacity far outstrips existing supply. If approved, the investment would strengthen Nvidia’s position as a key hardware supplier for the most advanced artificial intelligence applications.
The United States asks allies to pick a side in the AI race
The US State Department sent a diplomatic note to key NATO partners, urging them to take a clear stance in the global competition for artificial intelligence development. The document emphasizes the need to coordinate research investments, system standardization and defence against cyber threats from strategic rivals.
Foreign policy experts believe the move is an attempt to curb Chinese influence in the technology sector, creating a bloc of alliances that share common rules and regulations.
Anthropic records a 14‑fold revenue growth in Q2
The AI language model maker announced that Q2 revenues topped $11.5 billion, a 14‑fold jump from the same period last year. The result was driven by increased demand for enterprise solutions, which now represent the largest slice of the company’s revenue, overtaking the consumer market.
Analysts foresee a potential stock market listing by year‑end, speculating that Anthropic’s valuation could rival sector leaders. The rapid expansion of its client portfolio, especially in financial and healthcare sectors, suggests the company is consolidating its position as a reference point for generative AI technologies.
Nvidia close to a deal to guarantee $100 billion of credit to OpenAI
Internal sources confirmed that Nvidia is close to finalizing a pact that provides roughly a hundred billion dollars of credit support for OpenAI’s new data‑center campus in the United States. The agreement includes not only a liquidity injection but also access to dedicated credit lines for purchasing next‑generation hardware.
This commitment represents one of the most significant financing deals in the AI sector, demonstrating Nvidia’s intent to cement its leadership in the technology supply chain. Market observers expect the collaboration will further strengthen the Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, accelerating the development of more advanced models and shortening time‑to‑market.
Weather Paris, Monaco Monte Carlo and Milan for Sunday 16 August 2026
Paris – Sunny and muggy
Morning in Paris is clear, temperature 22 °C, light north‑north‑west breezes around 20 km/h and no precipitation at all. In the afternoon the thermometer rises rapidly to 31 °C, the air is drier, the wind intensifies to 15‑25 km/h from the southeast and no rain is expected. In the evening, around 20 °C, the sky remains slightly cloudy, the wind stays moderate (10‑30 km/h) and the chance of rain remains nil. Night cools to 23 °C, light south‑west winds around 10 km/h and cloudy sky with no risk of showers. Daily temperatures range from a low of 21 °C to a high of 31 °C, with winds ranging from 10 to 30 km/h and nothing wet. As expert Régis Crêpet observes, “the humidity is the real protagonist of this Parisian day.”
Monaco Monte Carlo – Mediterranean heat
Morning in Monaco is clear, temperature 28 °C, barely a breeze of 15 km/h from the east, with no trace of rain. Midday brings more intense sun, the thermometer reaches 32 °C, the wind remains gentle (15‑25 km/h) and the sky stays almost entirely clear. Sunset shows a slight cloud cover, 28 °C, south‑west winds of 15‑30 km/h, but still no precipitation. During the night the temperature drops to 26 °C, light winds (around 20 km/h) and a sky almost without clouds, dry atmosphere. In summary, the day ranges from a low of 26 °C to a high of 32 °C, light winds from east to south‑west and no rain in sight.
Milan – Hot and muggy with brief evening showers
Milan’s morning wakes under a mostly clear sky, 25 °C, weak east winds at 1 km/h and absolutely no rain. The afternoon becomes scorching, with temperatures reaching 35 °C, light southeast winds (1‑4 km/h) and humidity that is felt especially between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., reported by the heat alert. Around 7 p.m., clouds thicken and a light shower of 0.5 mm is forecast, west‑north‑west winds of about 6 km/h with a 60 % probability. Night calms, temperature drops to 25 °C, local north winds at 2 km/h and the sky remains variably cloudy but dry. In summary, Milan records lows around 25 °C and highs of 35 °C, weak winds for most of the day and brief evening precipitation, according to expert Daniele Berlusconi of 3BMeteo.
Rachel’s Weather Editorial – The climate is always to blame, right?
It’s truly surprising how every slight temperature variation is immediately blamed on climate change, as if the sun had erred in shining or the cloud had decided to act up. Doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous to attribute a muggy day to centuries of human activity, when the real culprit is often just the usual summer cycle?
Yet, every time a light rain falls or the thermometer rises, the drumbeat of “it’s global warming’s fault!” is heard. Rhetorical question: perhaps we should stop shouting at the sky and start reading some meteorological history? Or maybe it’s more fun to keep pointing fingers at “emissions” when, in reality, people at the market are just trying to sell watermelons.
Koan of the day
A monk asked: “What is the true face of the weather today?”
Zhaozhou replied: “The wind whispers, the sun burns, but the sky remains impassive.”
A monk asked: “And if it rains, is it your fault?”
Zhaozhou concluded: “Rain falls because the clouds have grown tired of watching.”
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.