French and Riviera News Monday 10th October 2022

News

Petrol supplies expected to improve this week according to France’s Prime Minister - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has said that the petrol shortage in France is expected to “gradually improve this week”. Speaking on Sunday on the side lines of a trip to Algeria, the Prime Minister confirmed that “stocks have been released to supply service stations and that deliveries are gradually taking place”. On Sunday 30% of service station were lacking in petrol supplies. The situation is due to ongoing strike action by refineries and fuel depots.

Rio-Paris crash - Thirteen years after the Rio-Paris crash, Air France and Airbus are to appear this Monday morning before the criminal court for manslaughter. Despite an investigation concluding that the companies were at fault both denied any criminal fault. 228 people of 32 different nationalities, including 73 French, died in the crash. From today until December 8th, the relatives of the victims will be in the Paris court for the trial. 489 civil parties have so far been constituted and hope, after 13 years of waiting, that a "fair" judgment will finally be rendered.

Gynecobus - Due to the lack of gynaecologists in rural areas a “gynecobus” has been circulating in the Var. With three people on board, including a midwife and a gynaecologist, the bus has already 300 women making an appointment. The system has been warmly welcomed by residents who claim that until now it could take “two years to get an appointment with a gynaecologist or have to travel as far as Nice”. The project, led by Brignoles hospital, at a cost of €100,000 euros is financed by the State and local authorities and could be extended to other specialties in the future.

Road accident - There have been two major road accidents in the Vaucluse on Sunday. The first involving a cyclist who was hit by a car on the D956 near Tour d’Aigues. The 60-year-old was taken to hospital in Marseille in a serious condition. The second saw an 84-year-old motorist extracted from her car which tipped over on its roof along the Rhône River in Avignon.

Monaco bus network free for two months - The Principality of Monaco, which accounts for nearly 100,000 daily road entries and exits, is making its bus network free for two months. All buses in the principality are free until November 27th. The two-month experiment hopes to "encourage the use of public transport in order to make traffic more fluid, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the quality of life of Monegasques, residents, commuters and visitors to the Principality".

Real estate - Recent data released by the real estate sector in Nice has shown that while the demand for property is high, the lack of offers is increasing market prices. The port district is one of the city’s most popular followed closely by Liberation. According to the data, people who want to buy come "from all over the place", whether local or from other regions of France there is however a “slight drop in foreign buyers”.

Bruno Latour, French philosopher and social scientist dies aged 75 - French president Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the French philosopher and social scientist Bruno Latour who died on Sunday at the age of 75. Macron praised Latour for his inspirational writings and his inquiring mind. Born in 1947 in Beaune to a family of Burgundy wine merchants, Latour earned his PhD degree in philosophical theology at the University of Tours in 1975.

Weather warning - Meteo France has placed the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var on a yellow storm alert until midday today. The warning was issued on Sunday. Rain is expected until early afternoon along the coast.

Wellness destinations for second homes, the French Riviera tops the charts with international buyers - Discover the latest trends in the Second Home market and how the pandemic has shaped the rise of hybrid living and interest in wellness facilities with the latest report from Savills. The report, on the global destinations for Second Homes, ranks the French Riviera as a top location for Second Home Ownership globally, where the depth of the property market, abundance of wellness activities, and strong connectivity propel the French Riviera to the top of the league table. Also noted is the exceptional quality of life score for the location. Read or download a copy of the report today at savills.fr.  

Business

Beijing and Taipei have spoken out after Tesla boss Elon Musk said Taiwan should become a special administrative zone of China. Speaking to the Financial Times the world's richest man said he believed the two governments could reach a "reasonably palatable" arrangement. While China's ambassador to the US praised Musk his Taiwanese counterpart said freedom was "not for sale". Taiwan rules itself but Beijing claims it as part of its territory. Mr Musk's comments come as the electric car maker hit a monthly record for sales in China.

A public information campaign in the UK, to help people reduce energy bills this winter has been pulled by the government on the grounds of cost. The campaign to encourage household energy saving would have cost up to £15m. Amid concerns about rising household energy costs, the government has said it would limit average bill rises to £2,500 through government borrowing, at a cost of £60bn for six months.

Meanwhile in the coming weeks in France a check for 100 to 200 euros will be sent to half of the households that heat with fuel oil, that’s around 1.6 million households. The amount of the fuel oil energy check will depend on household income and the number of people in the household. For example 200 euros for a single person