French and Riviera News Friday 13th May 2022

News

Monaco lifts mask obligation from today - Monaco is to lift the obligation to wear a mask indoors from today Friday 13th May. Wearing a mask will therefore no longer be compulsory, both for staff and for visitors, in shops and other indoor places open to the public in the Principality. However, wearing a mask remains compulsory in health establishments, accommodation facilities for the elderly, as well as in public transport and taxis for anyone over the age of 5. The use of a mask remains strongly recommended in indoor places for people at risk or during a large gathering.

Drowning prevention - Every year young children drown in private swimming pools in France and in just the month of May this year two 3-year-old children have died and associations are raising the alarm. In the summer of 2021, some 26% of drownings involved children under the age of 6, says Public Health France. It is the most affected age category: 285 drownings, including 20 followed by death.

OGC Nice – The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has proposed that a photo of Emiliano Sala is displayed on the screens of the Allianz Riviera stadium and that applause is started at OGC Nice's match against Lille this Saturday. It's the latest reaction by the mayor to the chanting of insults against the deceased player at a match on Wednesday evening. The club has said that it condemns the chants "in the strongest terms".

Train network - Trains between Nice and Ventimiglia have been severely disrupted due to an accident at Beaulieu-sur-Mer on Thursday afternoon. The SNCF have also said that delays and cancellations were experienced on the line between Grasse and Ventimiglia.

Fire near to TGV station in Aix-en-Provence - Firefighters have been battling a blaze at a travellers' caravan site in Aix-en-Provence. The Bouches-du-Rhone firefighters said that 70 staff and 40 fire appliances were on site on Thursday afternoon. At least ten caravans located close to the TGV station in Aix-en-Provence are thought to have been destroyed and between 200 and 300 people were evacuated. At 7 p.m., the fire was under control, but not yet contained. The difficulties encountered concern the proximity of very high voltage power lines, as well as access to the TGV station.

Eric Zemmour - French far-right politician Eric Zemmour said on Thursday that he would seek a seat in parliament standing in the constituency around Saint-Tropez. The Paris born 63-year-old is seeking to establish his new party, Reconquest, as a national political force in parliamentary elections next month but is expected to struggle. "I will lead our beautiful and major fight along with our 550 candidates," Zemmour wrote on Twitter, announcing his plans to stand in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera where he recorded one of his highest scores nationally in the presidential election last month.

Champs-Elysées - The iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysées, often referred to by the French as “the most beautiful avenue in the world” is to have an eco-makeover ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. Plans will see trees planted and an increase in pedestrian areas. Paris will spend €26 million in the lead up to the games on the works set to begin within weeks.

Clean up campaign - 14,700 cigarette butts, 83 bottles of beer and 46 masks have been collected on a beach in Antibes. Thursday saw the fourth edition of Red Day, together for the Protection of the Antibes Coastline take place, as volunteers rolled up their sleeves and cleaned up the Salis beach. In addition, 48 plastic cups and containers were collected, 23 packets of cigarettes and 17 lighters.

Day of transhumance in Roubion - This Sunday, May 15th, there is a rare opportunity to take part in a day of transhumance of cows in Roubion in the Alpes Maritimes. Open to the public the day has been initiated by the local council to reconnect with nature. The village is located in the Tinée valley, it is one of the 28 municipalities that make up the Mercantour national park. The public is invited to follow the transhumance of a herd of cows. This periodic migration of cattle from the plain to the mountains is essential to find freshness and green grass during the summer. More information and reservations on 06 35 95 78 76.

Expansion for the Savills French Riviera network - Global real estate advisor Savills has announced the opening of its latest office in Cannes. Present within the most prestigious locations on the Côte d'Azur, the opening of Savills Cannes is a logical extension of the agency’s strategy to offer national and international clients professional expertise in a historic and fast paced market. An experienced group of professional agents have joined the team and their knowledge will complement the existing office in Cap d’Antibes, ensuring the Savills network can efficiently and expertly assist clients throughout this sought-after area. You are welcome to visit the team in the new office at 7 rue Commandant André, or they can be contacted on cannes@savills.com or +33 (0) 4 93 68 08 01.

Business

Fears about inflation in the US have seen the Paris Stock Exchange drop with the CAC 40 falling by more than 2%. The Dow Jones fell 1.02% and the S&P 500 1.65% while the Nasdaq dropped another 3.18% after a nightmarish session for technology stocks, in line with fears linked to monetary tightening from the Fed.

Energy giant Shell has agreed to sell more than 400 of its petrol stations in Russia to the country's second largest oil producer, Lukoil. Shell Neft, the firm's subsidiary in Russia, will be sold for an undisclosed sum. Shell said the deal, which includes 411 petrol stations, will protect 350 jobs. Shell announced in February that it would sell its Russian assets because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Two senior Twitter bosses are leaving the social media company in one of the biggest shake-ups since Elon Musk agreed to buy the firm. The executives had been leading Twitter's consumer and revenue operations. From this week, the firm has also paused most hiring, except for "business critical roles".

Crypto-currency markets are being rocked after a popular token lost 99% of its value, dragging down a so-called "stablecoin" with it. The Terra Luna token fell from a high of $118 (£96), last month, to $0.09 on Thursday. The collapse had a knock-on effect on a linked token and spooked investors are now pulling out of major crypto currencies, sending markets plummeting.

Sport

Football - Spurs have beaten ten-man Arsenal, closing in on top four. Tottenham turned up the pressure on arch-rivals Arsenal in the race for a place in next season's Champions League with a north London derby victory 3-0.

In the FA Cup tomorrow Saturday 14th May, Chelsea play Liverpool kick off is at 5.45 French time.

Premier league action on Sunday will see Tottenham play Burnley, Aston Villa face Crystal Palace, Leeds play Brighton, Watford are at home to Leicester, West Ham play Manchester City, Wolverhampton play Norwich and Everton play Brentford.

Tennis - Rafael Nadal appeared to be struggling with a foot injury as he lost in the last 16 of the Italian Open to Denis Shapovalov. The Spaniard dominated the first set before succumbing 1-6 7-5 6-2 to the Canadian world number 16. Nadal was limping towards the end of the match, which will be a concern with the French Open starting on 22 May.

Formula One – Racing driver Sebastian Vettel says the global climate crisis has made him question whether racing in Formula 1 is the right thing to do. The four-time world champion, speaking on BBC Question Time, has become a campaigner on environmental issues in recent times.

Cricket - Brendon McCullum says the challenge of improving a team at "rock bottom" and his love of Test cricket made him want to be England men's Test coach. The New Zealander was appointed on Thursday in his first coaching role in international or red-ball cricket. He takes over a side winless in nine Tests, and who have won only one of their past 17 matches.

Weather
Sunny becoming changeable in the afternoon. Light winds. Highs of 21 degrees along the coast in Beaulieu, Villefranche, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes.  This evening going down to 14 degrees with clear skies. Highs of 23 degrees in Saint-Tropez, La Croix Valmer and Le Lavandou with a moderate breeze. This evening going down to 13 degrees with clear skies.

The weekend - Sunny spells, unsettled on Sunday highs of 21-23 degrees.

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