News
France’s energy saving plan - The French government has unveiled its energy saving plan, which comes with a warning that there is “an urgent need for action” in a fight that will carry on well beyond winter. Following the meeting with ministers and company managers on Thursday, the Minister for Energy Transition said that “the challenge was for the next 30 years”. The cross-sector measures, 15 of which will be introduced ahead of the winter, are in response to the crisis in Ukraine. They are also part of climate change plans to reduce energy production by at least 10% over the next two years, with an overall 40% decrease recommended for 2050.
Households in France will need to consume less electricity during peak hours in the morning and evening. Hot water will be switched off in the restrooms of public buildings and local councils will be told to reduce water temperatures at public swimming pools by 1 degree Celsius. The fixed allowance for teleworking state employees will increase. Employees will be encouraged to travel by train instead of plane for journeys of less than four hours, while those driving should travel at 110 km/h on highways, not 130 km/h. The minister also wants to reduce lighting in public establishments and switch to LED energy-saving lamps.
In supermarkets, light should be reduced by 30 percent, while neon signs and lights are to be switched off once the market is closed. If there are no customers or staff in hotels, the temperature should be turned down to 17°C. Some companies have already announced cost-cutting measures, including Vinci, which manages airports. It announced that all its airports would be capped at 17°C. Large companies are also being urged to comply with energy-saving measures, such as lowering the thermostat in offices to 19°C.
Publicity campaign - A publicity campaign will be launched by the government next Monday to encourage the public to consume energy responsibly.
Illegal Channel crossings - Britain and France have vowed to stop all illegal Channel crossings after a record 33,000 migrants are reported to have made the journey so far this year. The ambitious goal is one of several announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss and President Emmanuel Macron. The two countries revealed they will hold a summit in 2023, dubbed 'La Cooperation', in a bid to 'strengthen cooperation on energy security' while 'tackling illegal migration.'
Part of A8 closed following an accident - An accident on the A8 motorway has led to it being partially closed at Saint-Laurent du Var. The incident occurred on Thursday lunchtime leading to long tail backs and motorists being advised to avoid the area for a good part of the afternoon. A 66-year-old man was injured. An investigation is underway.
Green shuttle project between Nice and Monaco - The “green” shuttle project between Nice and Monaco will, finally not set sail before 2026. The project for a maritime service to Monaco from Nice with a "green" vessel, 100% electric, is at a standstill, for lack of a technical solution. According to the manufacturers “the commissioning of a regular hydrogen or 100% electric shuttle service integrated into public transport” will not be operational until after 2026 with further tests needed.
Yacht sanction lifted for Russian oligarch - A Russian oligarch who had had his yacht seized in Antibes since March, has managed to have the sanction lifted. The move came following a court order this week which confirmed that customs had “carried out a control in defiance of the applicable rules”.
Man gets drunk after getting locked in church - A 28-year-old man who was accidently locked inside a church for more than three hours, after going to confess, has been given 60 hours of community service after getting drunk on the wine used for mass. The incident occurred at the Saint Pierre church on Sunday October 2nd in Nancy. Police arrived after passers-by raised the alarm. The individual reportedly known to police, had attempted to smash two doors to get out after the door closed behind him when he went into confess.
Business
Billionaire Elon Musk has said he aims to complete his purchase of Twitter by the end of the month, but the company "will not take yes for an answer". In a court filing, he said the social media platform had raised concerns about the "theoretical possibility of a future failure to obtain debt financing" to pay for the deal. Twitter said it did not trust that the offer would come through. Twitter sued Mr Musk in July after he tried to back out of buying the firm.
In the UK figures have shown that September saw the slowest retail sales growth since shops reopened post-COVID restrictions due to a combination of inflation, economic crisis and an unexpected bank holiday, figures show. In-store and online sales increased by just 2.8% in September on last year, according to BDO's High Street Sales Tracker (HSST). It comes after a similar poor set of results in August, which was the previous lowest post-COVID performance for retail sales.
And - Adidas says it is reviewing its Yeezy partnership with Kanye West days after he showcased a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week. The company did not mention the controversy but said "successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values". The rapper and fashion designer responded on Instagram, saying the firm "stole" his designs. That post now appears to have been deleted.
Sport
Formula One – Fernando Alonso set the pace in a wet first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix this morning. Championship leader Max Verstappen will be bidding to wrap up a second world title this weekend. The Red Bull driver will become champion if he wins Sunday's race and takes the point for fastest lap.
Football - Lionel Messi says November's World Cup in Qatar will "surely" be his last. The 35-year-old Paris St-Germain forward has played at four World Cups with Argentina, scoring six goals and making five assists in 19 appearances. Messi made his international debut in 2005 and has gone on to make a total of 164 appearances for Argentina, scoring 90 goals.
Premier League action this weekend with a 4pm kick off French time tomorrow; Bournemouth are at home to Leicester, Chelsea play Wolves, Manchester City face Southampton and Newcastle are at home to Brentford. The last match on Saturday at 6.30pm will see Brighton play Tottenham. On Sunday 3pm kick off will see Crystal Palace play Leeds and West Ham face Fulham. 5.30pm Arsenal are at home to Liverpool and the last match with an 8pm kick oof will see Everton play Manchester United.
Rugby Union - Financially stricken Worcester Warriors have been suspended for the rest of the Premiership season and will be relegated from the top tier. The decision was taken by the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) club financial viability group to give time to find an investor and the "best chance for a long-term sustainable future". Worcester players and staff had their contracts terminated on Wednesday when part of the club was wound up.
Weather
Sunny with a gentle breeze and highs of 24 degrees in Antibes and Nice, 25 degrees in Cannes, 23 degrees in Saint Tropez. This evening going down to 14 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes along the coast and 11 degrees in the Var. Inland lows of 7-10 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow and Sunday. Tomorrow sunny intervals with highs of 21-22 degrees. Sunday cloudy with the possibility of some scattered showers. Highs of 20-21 degrees.
Sunrise 07.34hr Sunset 19.00hr
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