French and Riviera News Monday 15th November 2021

News

Mayor of Nice calls for road safety after death of young man during wedding celebrations - The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, has called for the need to respect road safety during wedding celebrations after a 19-year-old died at the weekend. The accident occurred on Saturday November 13th on the boulevard de l'Ariane when a vehicle hit a parked truck. Two other people were injured. As part of celebrations the car had reportedly made several round trips with passengers hanging out of the windows, when it hit the truck. The mayor expressed his condolences and support for the victim's family adding that since 2012 he has called for a charter of marriages in order to prevent this type of tragic accident.

Fire at waste sorting centre in Cannes - A fire has broken out at the waste sorting and recycling centre in Cannes. Firefighters intervened in the early hours of this morning after a large scrap metal container caught fire. A dozen firefighters intervened to prevent the fire from spreading throughout the neighbourhood. The cause of the blaze is still to be determined.

Monaco announces extension of health pass until February next year - Monaco has announced the extension of the use of the health pass until February 25, 2022, because of the health situation. The use of the health pass, or equivalent documentary evidence, is also being made compulsory for access to the terraces of restaurants and bars as of December 1st. This obligation also applies to young people aged 16 to 18. Also, a health pass will be required for gatherings of 300 people, down from the current 1,000. This concerns, in particular, the Opera, the Princess Grace Theatre and the halls of the Grimaldi Forum. 

Monguichet.mc - As part of the Principality's Extended Monaco digital transition programme a new platform monguichet.mc is now available for all administrative procedures. Citizens are now able to benefit from the online platform which offers up to 70 services ranging from booking an MOT to residence applications.

Strong winds see coastal paths and parks closed in Nice – The city of Nice announced the closure of coastal paths and parks on Sunday November 14th due to strong winds. The Alpes Maritimes was placed on a yellow weather alert with violent winds forecast. Coastal paths and parks closed at 6.30pm. The weather warning has been extended into today until 4pm. 

Anniversary of November 13th - France on Saturday marked the sixth anniversary of the night when Islamic State militants killed 130 people in coordinated strikes against a concert hall, bars, restaurants, and a soccer stadium in Paris. French Prime Minister Jean Castex along with other government officials stood in silence to remember the victims of the attacks of November 13, 2015.

Top news anchor accused of rape and sexual assault - Eight women have accused Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, a former top news anchor for the French TV channel TF1, of rape and sexual assault. The accusations which were reported last week have led to more journalists in France taking to social media to denounce the harassment, intimidation and abuse they say they've suffered in the industry.

Teenage jogger lied about kidnapping - A teenage jogger who claimed she escaped a kidnapping in north-west France after disappearing for more than a day last week has admitted she lied. The 17-year-old was found in a state of shock in a takeaway about 10km from where she had gone running in the Mayenne region. She had told police she was held captive by kidnappers but managed to flee. But now the teenager has admitted making the story up and will subject to an investigation for reporting an imaginary crime.

France's Finance Minister says that Austria's decision to re-confine unvaccinated people from today must at all costs be avoided in France - France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has reacted to Austria's decision to re-confine unvaccinated people as of today Monday 15th November saying such a situation must be "avoided" in France. The minister speaking of French television on Sunday, called for the French to get vaccinated saying "do it for others" adding that "everything must be done to avoid a new lockdown". While Le Maire recognised that the health situation was "much better" than a year ago he nevertheless emphasized the risks of contamination which is currently on the rise in France.

French flag - French President Emmanuel Macron has switched to using a darker navy blue on the official French flag, replacing the previous brighter shade. According to French media Macron wanted to bring back the navy-blue flag, a symbol of the French Revolution. However, both the darker and lighter flags have been in use for decades. France's navy