French and Riviera News Thursday 22nd August 2019

Local

University Hospital of Nice -  A study published today has shown that the University Hospital of Nice has been ranked 13th in a list of the 50 best public hospitals in France.The University Hospital of Bordeaux came top of the list followed by Lille 2nd and Toulouse 3rd. The University Hospital of Nice gained 5 places compared to its ranking at 18th place last year and is ahead of Dijon and Rouen.

Bicycle accidents – Local authorities have warned of the worrying figures concerning the number of bicycle accidents in the Alpes Maritimes. Database published by the French Interior Ministry has shown that between 2005 and 2017 1,273 bicycle accidents occurred resulting in 24 deaths, 375 were hospitalized and 715 were slightly wounded. In 3 out of 4 accidents, the cyclist killed was over 60 years old.

No mobile phone network - Locals from the rural town of Le Bourguet in the Var have complained of the lack of action following an interruption in the mobile phone network in the area. With no network for at least ten days residents are now calling for action. The incident occurred following a storm on August 12th, which damaged the relay antenna which provides the mobile phone coverage to the town of Bourguet and Brenon.

OGC Nice - France’s competition authority has cleared the purchase of OGC Nice by Ineos, the company controlled by Sir Jim Radcliffe. The decision was announced on Wednesday afternoon. The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has said that the decision is a milestone in the purchase of the club and that the club is about to “enter a new dimension”.

The firework display which was originally due to take place in Antibes on the 1st of August has been re-scheduled for this evening.  The fireworks are due to start at 10.15pm in the bay of Juan-les-Pins. A further display is scheduled for this coming Saturday night at 10pm.  Those fireworks will be launched from a boat positioned between La Siesta and Fort Carré.

A different kind of sausage - A 22-year-old butcher in Marseille has been overwhelmed by the recent success of his cannabis sausages. The young butcher has taken a year to create the chipolata with cannabidiol otherwise know as CBD. A first in France. Since 2011 the marketing of products with CBD with a rate of THC lower than 0,2% is authorized.  To taste the famous chipolata, it will cost 4.50 euros, compared to 2 to 2.30 for a “classic” sausage.

National

Brexit - Boris Johnson is to meet Emmanuel Macron later, hours after the French president seemed to downplay hopes of solving the Irish backstop problem. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested a solution to the backstop - a key Brexit sticking point - might be achievable within 30 days. But later on Wednesday, Mr Macron insisted reopening negotiations on the issue was "not an option".

Gang targets French rapper - Three people have been wounded after shots were fired when a gang armed with guns, iron bars and baseball bats attacked a team filming a video for French rapper Booba in the northern suburbs of Paris. Up to 20 people took part in the attack outside a disused warehouse in Aulnay-sous-Bois. Booba had already left the set by the time of the assault, shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

Business

MPs in the UK have said that people will have to get out of their cars if the UK is to meet its climate change targets.  The Science and Technology Select Committee says technology alone cannot solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions from transport.

MPs are demanding improvements in public transport, walking and cycling, which benefit health as well as the climate. They also criticise the government’s recent policies on the costs of transport.

Ryanair has lost a High Court battle to stop pilots from going on strike - but says flights will go ahead as scheduled on Thursday and Friday. In a statement posted on Twitter, the airline said that it had been able to draft in enough pilots to operate a full schedule. Hitting out at striking pilots, the low-cost airline accused captains of making "unreasonable pay demands" just weeks before the UK is set to leave the EU.

A study conducted by charity Oxfam has shown that taxing the UK's top 1% of earners could raise billions of pounds each year and reduce the country's inequality. If the UK was to introduce a "net wealth tax" on those earning more than £750,000 a year, the Treasury could raise around £10bn of extra revenue. The amount could fund around a third of the UK's £35bn public order and safety budget - which funds the police, courts, and prisons.

A new study suggests that more than 10% of employers would hesitate to hire a woman who they think might get pregnant, showing that "dinosaur bosses" are still found in workplaces. Research by the Young Women's Trust indicated that male managers were more likely than female bosses to be unsure about recruiting women who may have a child later in life.

Sport

Cricket – Captain Joe Root has said that England have to "try to capitalise on the opportunity" of Steve Smith's absence from the third Ashes Test. The Australia batsman is the leading run-scorer in the series with 378 and has helped his side to a 1-0 lead. But he is out of the Headingley Test, starting today, because of a concussion.

Football – Manchester United and Inter Milan are yet to reach an agreement over a deal for forward Alexis Sanchez. The Serie A side were hoping to find out if they had a chance of signing Sanchez, initially on loan, by the middle of this week. But 30-year-old Sanchez's £390,000-a-week salary is proving to be problematic as Inter are only prepared to pay less than half of the amount. United view this offer as unacceptable, while Sanchez himself wants to leave.

Rugby Union - Ben Te'o's England career is over after he signed a short-term deal with French Top 14 side Toulon. The centre, who has 18 caps, was left out of Eddie Jones' World Cup squad last week, but will now be ineligible for a call-up if there was an injury. The Rugby Football Union has reiterated its selection policy with regards to foreign-based players.

Weather

Cloudy with highs of 29 degrees in Nice and Grasse, 30 degrees in Antibes and 31 in Antibes and Saint Tropez. Showers expected inland with possible thunderstorms latre on in the day. Moderate north westerly wind. This evening going down to 22 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes and 19 in the Var with clear skies.

Outlook for Friday clear skies along the coast risk of showers inland with highs of 31 degrees.

Finally 

Research has now suggested doing the mundane household chores may slash your risk of an early death.

Scientists found just five minutes of moderate activity each day halved the risk of adults dying over the next six years.

The researchers in Norway said vacuuming or mowing the lawn can be classed as moderate activity, as well as a brisk walk.

But the experts also found an hour of light activity - such as cleaning the dishes or cooking - slashed the odds of an early death. 

The more exercise, the lower the risk was. And the team now claim physical activity of any intensity 'lowers the risk of death'. 

 

 

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