By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
Welcome to am1575news, the news bulletin of France24 and Radio Centrale Milano for Friday 16 October 2026 in podcasting, on the medium waves and on franciaoggi.com. In the newsroom in Nice Marco Hugo Barsotti, from Paris Rachel Costa.
Barbara Marchand
Before we start, we remind you that this evening at 19:30 on 1575 kHz and streaming (here) we will broadcast the exclusive interview with Barbara Marchand, the second historic voice of RMC Radio Monte‑Carlo in 1966: the first — as she told us — was her literature professor at the Carlone University of Nice.
News from France
France blocks Russian diplomatic visas to limit espionage risk
Paris rejects, on average, one‑third of diplomatic accreditation applications coming from Moscow since February 2022, with the aim of preventing the Kremlin from re‑establishing a spying network on French soil. The control, carried out by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) in total secrecy, concerns every foreign citizen destined to hold a role in an embassy, consulate or international organisation in France, whether for long‑term assignments or temporary missions.
The verification process, which lasts from a few days to several weeks, examines every aspect of the applicant’s résumé, looking for any shadowy areas or suspicious connections. At the end a red stamp (rejection) or a green stamp (approval) is applied. Since February 2022, the number of red stamps for Russian cases has risen unusually: a French diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous, described the situation as “never seen since the end of the Cold War”.
The refusal is based on security reasons: when intelligence services identify vulnerabilities in the profile or environment of the applicant, France takes no risks, blocking the request. This policy fits into a broader context of countering Russian espionage activities, already started with the expulsion of about forty agents under diplomatic cover in spring 2022.
Among the rejected candidates are officials with a problematic past, sanctioned individuals, and even members of the Russian delegation to UNESCO, where the presence of spies is considered especially worrying. Former DGSE official Olivier Mas explained that many diplomats keep a regular façade, but carry out data‑collection, destabilisation or infiltration activities under cover.
Russian visa requests are not limited to diplomats: they also include drivers, cooks and other support staff who, if employed, could serve as cover for intelligence operations. The DGSI had already reported, at the end of 2022, the presence of Russian spies on classified‑ads platforms such as Leboncoin, targeting students and young professionals.
Within UNESCO, the Russian delegation is one of the largest, with multiple hierarchical levels, and represents a potential channel for agent infiltration. Internal witnesses have reported that it is customary to vet every interlocutor and sensitize staff, especially interns, not to reveal sensitive information.
President Emmanuel Macron, on 18 September, warned that the nature of the Russian threat is evolving, describing it as a “hybrid war”. Consequently, France continues to block diplomatic credentials when risks are perceived, while maintaining a balance due to the principle of reciprocity: refusing too many Russian applications could trigger analogous smearing from Moscow.
Despite the tensions, some names manage to obtain accreditation, especially in low‑profile settings, such as UNESCO’s anti‑doping conference in March, where about a dozen Russians were authorised. However, the overall volume of grants is considerably reduced compared to the pre‑Ukraine‑war period, and approvals mainly occur through staff exchanges between embassies.
Source: franceinfo, 7 October 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Why French motorway companies are so profitable and the government intends to increase tax on their earnings
Profits of the companies that operate motorways in France have more than doubled between 2014 and 2024, driven by a continual rise in toll rates. Meanwhile traffic on the whole network has grown by only 15 percent, while annual earnings of concessionaires have risen from €1.9 billion to €4.3 billion, an increase of roughly 126 percent.
The 2027 budget proposal includes an upward revision of the profit tax on motorway companies, already introduced in 2024 by Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire to curb sector “super‑profits”. The tax, called TEITLD, levies 4.6 percent on the profits of firms whose turnover exceeds €120 million and whose profitability exceeds 10 percent, generating €549 million in 2024. The new budget foresees raising the rate to 12.2 percent for the most profitable concessionaires, with the aim of collecting about €1.4 billion.
According to Christophe Boutin, general delegate of the French Motorway Companies Association, the growth of net results is linked not only to traffic increases but also to network expansion, which rose from 9 050 to 9 330 km between 2014 and 2025, a three‑percent rise. Moreover, concession contracts stipulate that toll rates increase by 70 percent of inflation, with possible adjustments for new investments, ensuring price movements mirror cost‑of‑living changes.
Senator Vincent Delahaye points out that concessionaire expenses, such as wages and maintenance costs, are not indexed to inflation, while revenues swell. Economist Marc Ivaldi notes that motorway firms hold a strong bargaining position with suppliers and that the 2005 contracts, resulting from the privatisation pushed by Dominique de Villepin’s government, guaranteed them a particularly advantageous “rent”.
Studies by the Inspection générale des finances and the Transport Regulatory Authority estimate that concessionaires could accumulate between €40 billion and €55 billion of extra profit by the expiry of the contracts, scheduled between 2031 and 2036. Facing a record public debt, the government seeks to capture part of these gains through the TEITLD increase.
Concessionaires, however, warn that the tax will be passed on to tolls, burdening motorists, and have already launched legal disputes against the levy. Some appeals have been dismissed by the Council of State, but the industry threatens further action if the reform is confirmed.
Source: franceinfo, 16 October 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Editorial by Rachel – Super‑profit on the highway: the race for the golden toll
I am now reading you my editorial of the day.
Motorway concessionaires inflate profits as if they had discovered the elixir of inflation, while tolls rise faster than fuel prices in a race on the “who pays more?” tracks. The government, which wants to tax the luxury of their accounts, seems to have grasped the concept of “taking a slice”, but forgets that the cake is already whole. And while protestors gather to demand fairer prices, concessionaires respond with the usual “the contracts provide for the increase”, an argument that sounds like the classic “it’s the wind’s fault” but without poetic grace. In the end, the real payer is the citizen, and the proposed tax is just the encore of a joke that has lasted for decades.
Koan of the day
A monk asked the Master: “If tolls increase every year because the contract says so, is it really unfair or just a matter of law?”
The Master replied: “A law is a rope stretched between the peacock and the rock; if the peacock decides to sing louder, the rock does not complain, but the echo will resonate louder in the pockets of passers‑by.”
The monk persisted: “Then, when the government imposes a new tax on profits, can the concessionaires really shift the burden onto motorists?”
The Master smiled and said: “He who brings water to the fire does not apologise, but the fire knows that its flame burns also those who lit it; the truth is that the price of the journey is, inevitably, the price of our own patience.”
But let’s get back to the news.
Proposal to raise the Livret A ceiling to €30,000: benefits for the wealthier?
LFI deputy Eric Coquerel has proposed an amendment to increase the maximum limit of the Livret A from €22,950 to €30,000, allowing an additional contribution of €7,050. The initiative, approved by the Finance Committee of the National Assembly as part of the 2027 budget bill, aims to “free up €5 billion” to finance loans for social housing renovation.
Coquerel also demands that at least 70 % of Livret A funds, currently managed by the Caisse des Dépôts, be entrusted to that entity, versus the 59.5 % managed by banks, which operate with limited transparency.
The Livret A has been raised only once in history, under President François Hollande: from €15,300 to €19,125 in October 2012, reaching €22,950 on 1 January 2013. At the time, the increase sparked a “run” of savers toward the product, as noted by the Cercle de l’Épargne in a September 2026 report. The institute highlighted that the intervention shifted capital from checking accounts, taxed bank books and life‑insurance policies to regulated products, a phenomenon linked to the sovereign‑debt crisis that had limited life‑insurance contracts.
The same study estimates that a new raise to €30,000 could generate up to €10 billion of additional revenue, creating a substantial resource for the State. However, the measure appears to favour wealthier savers. Only 15 % of Livret A accounts already exceed the current ceiling, thanks solely to interest. For low‑income families, experts suggest more suitable solutions, such as the Livret d’Épargne Populaire (LEP), which offers a higher rate, tax‑free interest and social withdrawals, plus a capital guarantee.
An XTB France analyst warns that “a well‑off couple could accumulate up to €60,000 of guaranteed, untaxed capital”. Moreover, the amount deposited in a Livret A depends on the possibility of opening one for each family member, even from a child’s birth.
Criticism is not lacking. Ecological Transition minister Monique Barbut has already floated the idea, but the president of the Fédération des Banques Françaises (FBF), Olivier Gavalda, stressed that raising the ceiling will boost interest earnings “that would escape tax”. The Cercle de l’Épargne warns of a possible larger “loss of fiscal revenue” if funds come from already‑taxed products.
In the current context, with a Livret A rate of 1.7 %, moving to a €30,000 ceiling would raise annual interest by about €120 per account, from €390 to €510. Yet experts caution that beyond six months of reserve salary, excessive reliance on the Livret A can lead to real returns that are zero or negative relative to inflation, pushing investors toward higher‑yielding assets.
A gray area concerns the taxation of interest generated by capital above the current limit: the amendment does not specify whether it will remain exempt. The Cour des Comptes, in September 2026, proposed subjecting those interests to the single flat‑rate levy (PFU) of 31.4 %.
The amendment still has to face deliberations in the National Assembly and the Senate before being definitively incorporated into the 2027 budget.
Source: Assemblée nationale, 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Welcome to the international bulletin from FranceToday and Radio Centrale Milano for Friday 16 October 2026 on FranceToday.com in podcasting and on the medium waves at 1575 kHz.
From Paris, this is Rachel Costa.
Trump calls Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries a disgrace
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, declared that the resurgence of Ukrainian raids on Russian refineries represents a “disgrace”. The remark was made during a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelensky, to whom Trump stressed the need to curb military actions that, in his view, aggravate global energy tension.
The comment prompted an immediate response from Washington, where officials warned that Western leaders’ political interference could complicate diplomatic efforts for a conflict solution. International analysts fear that such rhetoric could intensify sanctions against Russia and affect global energy prices.
Four children and a teacher killed in a shooting at an Oregon elementary school
A shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, left three children aged five, eight and eleven, and a teacher among the victims. The young perpetrator, a sixteen‑year‑old teenager, was killed by a citizen who surprised him as he entered the school building.
Authorities have launched an investigation to reconstruct the events and assess safety measures in American schools, while the local community remains deeply shaken by the attack. The case reignites the national debate on gun legislation and violence prevention in educational institutions.
Singapore‑flagged vessel sinks in the Strait of Hormuz: consequences for maritime trade
In the sensitive maritime corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, a Singapore‑flagged merchant ship was struck, suffered severe damage and eventually ran aground on the seabed. The attack, part of a series of aggressions against oil traffic in the area, raises fears of a possible disruption to energy supplies between the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Naval security experts warn that the rising threats in the region could push ship‑insurance costs to higher levels, affecting global supply chains. International authorities are weighing diplomatic responses to ensure freedom of navigation in the strategic strait.
Tesla unveils the new Roadster: a sports car capable of flight
Elon Musk revealed the new version of Tesla’s Roadster, an electric supercar able to perform short flights thanks to SpaceX propulsion rockets integrated into the chassis. The event, held in Waco, Texas, showcased vertical take‑off and landing capabilities, along with a top speed exceeding 400 km/h.
The model, anticipated since 2017, is slated for production in 2028 with a starting price of roughly $200,000. Industry observers see the Roadster as a bold signal of Tesla’s competitiveness in the high‑performance luxury car market.
Fed chair says artificial intelligence will revolutionise the economy
The new chair of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, declared that artificial intelligence will have a transformative impact on the entire economic system. In a speech to the International Monetary Fund, Warsh highlighted that AI’s ability to automate production processes and improve financial efficiency could accelerate global growth, while also warning of inequality risks.
The address called for a rethink of regulatory policies, as the rapid diffusion of machine‑learning‑based technologies will require new frameworks to protect consumers and ensure balanced competition.
Private‑equity firms raise debt to return cash to shareholders
In the context of a weak initial public offering (IPO) market, several private‑equity firms have begun to borrow to distribute cash to their investors. The strategy, described by various analysts, allows funds to maintain shareholder confidence even without new stock listings.
Such operations, although they can temporarily improve investor returns, raise concerns about the sector’s overall indebtedness and the ability of firms to sustain the financial load in adverse market conditions.
Anthropic’s rapid but slowing growth could affect its IPO valuation
Anthropic, the artificial‑intelligence company founded by former OpenAI employees, posted $16.8 billion in revenue in the third quarter, but its growth speed is decreasing. Analysts fear that this slowdown could lower investor expectations for the forthcoming IPO planned by year‑end.
The company, which has bolstered its presence in the language‑model arena, is at the centre of a heated competition with other AI players. The final IPO valuation will depend on Anthropic’s ability to sustain revenue expansion and differentiate itself in the market.
CoreWeave CDSs signal stress: investors fear AI‑linked debt
Credit‑default swaps (CDS) on CoreWeave, a cloud‑infrastructure provider specialised in artificial intelligence, have reached difficulty levels comparable to those seen in crisis markets. Investors are concerned about the company’s high debt, which financed the rapid expansion of data centres to meet the compute demand of advanced AI models.
The market responded with a drop in CoreWeave’s share price, while experts warn that a possible saturation of processing capacity could jeopardise the firm’s long‑term profitability. Attention now turns to the risk‑management strategies the company will adopt to stabilise its financial position.
Weather Paris, Monaco Monte Carlo and Milan for Friday 16 October 2026
Paris: changeable sky with temperatures between 14 and 21
In the morning Paris will start with a light mist that will soon give way to low clouds, temperature around 14 °C and wind about 10 km/h with gusts up to 20 km/h. In the afternoon the sky will become very cloudy, temperature rising to 21 °C and wind increasing to 15 km/h with stronger gusts, no significant precipitation but a growing chance of rain towards evening. Late afternoon will see a cloud‑covered sky, temperature dropping to 14 °C and wind remaining moderate, with a slight chance of scattered drizzle. Evening the sky will stay variable, temperatures around 11 °C, wind about 15 km/h and a 50 percent chance of rain. At night the sky will be lightly clouded, temperatures falling to 9 °C, wind easing to 5 km/h and precipitation dropping dramatically. According to expert Régis Crêpet, the day will be 4 °C warmer than normal and there will be no alerts in force.
Monaco Monte Carlo: sun and temperatures between 18 and 22
At sunrise in Monaco the sky will be clear and almost cloud‑free, temperature around 18 °C and wind almost absent, with light breezes of 15 km/h. Mid‑morning the sun will continue to dominate, temperatures rising to 20 °C and a few light clouds appearing on the horizon, wind staying calm. The afternoon will bring slight mid‑sky cloud cover, temperature reaching 22 °C and wind feeling steady at about 10 km/h, with no rain risk. Towards evening the sky will become more variable, temperature dropping to 19 °C and wind remaining light around 10 km/h. During the night the weather will stay mild, temperatures around 17 °C, wind almost absent and no precipitation at all. In summary, a day of fine weather typical of the Mediterranean climate, ideal for outdoor activities.
Milan: clear with temperatures between 15 and 22
In the morning Milan will be characterised by low clouds, temperature 15 °C, wind practically absent with a light north breeze, and no precipitation forecast. Around 10 am cloud cover will lessen, the sky will be lightly clouded, temperature rising to 17 °C and wind staying weak at about 3 km/h from the southwest. In the afternoon the sun will peek through the veils, temperature peaking at 22 °C, wind remaining weak from the southwest and no rain. Evening the clouds will be scattered, temperature staying around 21 °C, wind slightly stronger from the southeast at about 5 km/h, but still no rain. At night temperature will fall to 19 °C, wind becoming steadier from east‑southeast at 5 km/h and the sky staying partly cloudy. According to expert Daniele Berlusconi of 3B Meteo, the anticyclone will ensure atmospheric stability and there will be no weather alert for the evening.
Radio Nizza and France24
You will find all news related to Nice and the French Riviera at radionizza.it
You will find all news related to France at francia24.com and franciaoggi.com
And now for our French-speaking listeners, a brief recap of today’s news in French.
Ce vendredi 16 octobre, am 1575 news a rappelé que, dès 19 h 30, il diffusera l’interview exclusive de Barbara Marchand, deuxième voix historique de RMC Radio Monte‑Carlo en 1966, dont la première était professeure à l’Université Carlone de Nice. En France, le gouvernement poursuit son durcissement face à la Russie : la DGSI, depuis février 2022, rejette en moyenne un tiers des demandes de visas diplomatiques russes, frappant d’un timbre rouge les dossiers jugés à risque, après l’expulsion d’une quarantaine d’agents en 2022, tandis que le président Macron qualifie la menace d’une « guerre hybride ». Le secteur autoroutier, quant à lui, a vu ses bénéfices passer de 1,9 à 4,3 milliards d’euros entre 2014 et 2024, soit +126 %, sur un trafic en hausse de seulement 15 %; le projet de budget 2027 prévoit de porter la taxe TEITLD de 4,6 % à 12,2 % pour récupérer près de 1,4 milliard d’euros. Au parlement, le député LFI Eric Coquerel propose de porter le plafond du Livret A à 30 000 euros, « libérant » 5 milliards d’euros pour la rénovation de logements sociaux, mais suscite des critiques sur l’avantage accordé aux épargnants aisés. Sur la scène internationale, Donald Trump a qualifié d’« une honte » les raids ukrainiens sur les raffineries russes, déclenchant des avertissements de Washington sur les répercussions diplomatiques et énergétiques. Aux États‑Unis, une fusillade à Bend, Oregon, a coûté la vie à trois enfants de 5, 8 et 11 ans et à une enseignante, le jeune tireur de 16 ans étant abattu par un civil. Dans le détroit d’Hormuz, une navire marchande singapourienne a été gravement endommagée et échouée, ravivant les craintes d’interruption du transport pétrolier et une hausse des assurances maritimes. Tesla a dévoilé à Waco la nouvelle Roadster, une super‑car électrique capable de vols courts grâce à des propulseurs SpaceX, prévue pour la production en 2028 à 200 000 dollars. Le nouveau président de la Fed, Kevin Warsh, a déclaré que l’intelligence artificielle transformerait l’économie mondiale, appelant à une régulation adaptée pour éviter les inégalités. Parallèlement, les fonds de private‑equity, confrontés à un marché IPO morose, s’endettent davantage pour restituer des liquidités aux actionnaires, tandis que Anthropic, malgré un chiffre d’affaires de 16,8 milliards de dollars au troisième trimestre, voit son taux de croissance ralentir, ce qui pourrait freiner son IPO prévue avant la fin de l’année. Enfin, les CDS de CoreWeave signalent un stress notable, les investisseurs redoutant le poids du endettement accumulé pour développer des data‑centers dédiés à l’IA.
Sign-off.
Online, on X and Mastodon, on all smart speakers and on medium wave, this is FranciaOggi with Centrale Milano 1575 kilohertz.