News
Schools closed due to weather warning - All schools in the Alpes-Maritimes will be closed today Thursday 17th October, due to the orange weather alert which is to be reinstated from 9am this morning until 4pm this afternoon, with the risk of heavy rain and flooding. On Wednesday heavy rain fell on the Côte d’Azur especially in the west of the region in the communes of Mandelieu la Napoule, Cannes and Grasse as well as surrounding villages. The heavy rain particularly impacted the village of Pégomas, where rivers overflowed leading to road closures and local shops and schools were evacuated.
French Prime Minister to visit the region tomorrow - France’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier is to travel to Menton in the Alpes-Maritimes and Ventimiglia in Italy this Friday to talk about the fight against illegal immigration. Accompanied by both the French and Italian interior ministers Barnier will start his visit at 1pm tomorrow at the Villa Maria Serena in Menton before visiting the police and customs centre in Ventimiglia. In early October, the French and Italian governments agreed to create a cooperation unit from next year, to exchange information on migrant smuggling networks, based on the model which has been operating since 2020 between France and the United Kingdom. The visit comes at a time when the French government is considering a new immigration law, less than a year after the last one, to extend the maximum period in administrative detention centres for "dangerous" foreigners from 90 to 210 days.
Civil security test postponed - A civil security test which was due to be carried out today Thursday 17th October, near Nice Côte d'Azur airport, has been postponed until November 5th. The Prefecture, in collaboration with Nice Côte d'Azur airport, is organizing the civil security exercise which will involve a loud siren being triggered for a duration of 1 minute and 41 seconds. The sound signal will be audible within a radius of 1.5 kilometres around the test site. The prefecture specifies that the exercise aims "to test the coordination of all emergency services and will not cause any disruption to air or road traffic or public transport”.
Work to be carried out on the Paris Lyon TGV line - The Paris-Lyon TGV line will be closed from November 9th to the 12th due to work being carried out to modernise the line. Trains will therefore run on the classic line, at a reduced speed. The frequency and timetables will therefore be modified, from Paris to Marseille. SNCF has warned passenger that it will mean "a significant increase in travel time" with journeys taking twice as long as normal. Travelling from Paris to Marseille Saint-Charles station will therefore take 7h30 instead of 3h, Lyon-Paris will take 4h30 instead of 2h, Paris-Grenoble 6h instead of 3h. During the four days, only 30% of TGVs will run. Trains from Paris to the south-east will stop in Marseille and Toulon but will not serve Nice. The good news is that the modernization work will lead to an "increase in the frequency of trains and improve the time keeping”.
Stop Stick - Nice's municipal police are equipping its vehicles with "stop stick" devices, which safely deflate a car's tyres to stop fleeing drivers during road checks or refusals to comply. The tool, newly authorized for local police, gradually punctures the tyres, reducing the risk of accidents. Nice is one of the first cities in France to adopt the safety measure, following tragic incidents involving non-compliant drivers.
A gradual return to working in the office - Several companies in our region are moving towards the end of working from home and are asking their employees to return to the office. At the Sophia-Antipolis technology park Amadeus and Orange are two companies which are experimenting with a gradual return to five days in the office by slowly introducing half day returns. Since the global covid pandemic companies have seen a dramatic change in our working habits. The Sophia-Antipolis technology park, which is home to 2,500 companies and more than 43,000 employees has seen some companies split the week into two, with 50% of work being in the office and the other 50% from home. The popular days for teleworking are Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, some prefer Wednesdays and Fridays to avoid the frequent traffic jams in and around the technology park.
Business
You may have no doubt experienced the frustration of trying to end a subscription. Maybe you knew about the subscription at the time of purchase or found out afterwards that you were signed up to one. Well, in the US the Federal Trade Commission has adopted a 'click to cancel' rule, which aims to make it easier for people to end subscriptions. It will force companies to make subscription sign-ups and cancellations equally straightforward. Businesses, including retailers and gyms, will also have to get consent from customers before renewing subscriptions or converting free trials into paid memberships. The new rule is due to come into effect in around six months’ time.
UK inflation fell unexpectedly to 1.7% in the year to September, the lowest rate in three-and-a-half years. It means the annual rate prices are rising at is now below the Bank of England's 2% target, paving the way for further interest rate cuts. Official figures showed that lower airfares and petrol prices were the main drivers behind the surprise slowdown.
As predicted at the beginning of the week the dominant producer of advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, is expected to report a 42% leap in third-quarter profit today due to increasing demand. TSMC is set to report a net profit of T $9.33 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate drawn from 23 analysts.
And - Despite financial difficulties for many households in France the French have been more generous this year compared to last year. The average donation amounts to 206 euros per year, or 15 euros more than last year. For the first time since 2018, the French are more generous than the previous year. The Observatory of Generosity* notes that the French are prioritizing proximity: 64% prefer to directly help people around them rather than contributing to large organizations, and half of the French choose to support local associations. In 2024, medical research remains the most supported cause, followed by animal protection, child protection and the fight against poverty. But like last year, the causes that interest the French have been marked by current events.
Sport
Football - Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba said he is "not a cheater" but accepted responsibility for the failed doping test that led to a ban. His four-year ban was reduced to 18 months earlier this month after it was decided that he did not take the substance intentionally.
Pogba remains under contract with Juventus, his deal is set to expire in the summer of 2026, and is looking forward to getting back to training with the rest of the squad.
Tennis - Britain's Jacob Fearnley saw his 13-match winning streak come to an end with defeat by Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor at the Stockholm Open. Qualifier Fearnley was beaten 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 by world number 37 Griekspoor in the second round of the ATP 250 event.
Weather
Cloudy with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast. An orange weather warning is in place for the Alpes Maritimes and the Var. The warning for possible flooding runs until 4pm this afternoon. Highs of 21 degrees in Nice, Monaco, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 19 degrees with cloudy skies and showers expected.
The outlook for tomorrow, some scattered showers to start with sunny intervals by the afternoon. Highs of 20 degrees. Saturday clear skies and sunshine in the Var, sunny intervals in Nice with highs of 23 degrees.
Sunrise 07.47am
Sunset 06.42pm
Weather elsewhere
Rome 26° light rain
Bordeaux 17° light rain
Oslo 10° light rain
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