News
Weather warning - The Alpes-Maritimes and the Var region have been placed on a yellow weather alert due to the risk of heavy rain and flooding. The warning is in place from 2pm this afternoon. Meteo France warns that the equivalent of a month of rain could fall in just a few hours.
Train traffic remains disrupted - Meanwhile, train traffic between Nice and Ventimiglia remains disrupted today after a tree fell on the track in bad weather which hit the region on Tuesday. SNCF say that their teams are on site, but delays and cancellations are to be expected.
Water network – The water network in Saint-Maximin has been interrupted following Tuesday’s storm with drinking water being temporarily cut off while maintenance work is carried out.
In other news locally
Mayor of Nice opposes migrant project - The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has opposed a proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron to allow migrant settlements in rural areas. In a press release published on Wednesday the mayor indicated his "opposition" to the project which, according to him, "would only aggravate problems in rural areas”. Estrosi went on to say that the “door is open to migrants but that there must be a dialogue with local elected officials”.
New law on asylum and immigration - It was on Wednesday that the French government proposed a new law on asylum and immigration introducing a series of measures that would streamline deportations of those who have been ordered to leave France. It comes weeks after a 12-year-old girl was murdered in Paris by an Algerian woman who had been ordered to leave France a few months earlier because she had overstayed a student visa. France delivers about 120,000 removal orders each year, but only deports 10 percent of them – a number that has been particularly criticised by the far-right.
Extraordinary auction - More than 1,200 potential buyers have signed up to take part in an “extraordinary sale” being organised by France’s Finance ministry. The auction, which will be held in Paris will feature platinum bars seized en route to the UK, designer handbags, valuable historic coins, several collections of uncut diamonds and 2,016 bottles of vodka all seized by French customs. There are 350 lots valued collectively at about €1m.
Hotel Negresco initiates children to art - The Hotel Negresco has opened its doors to children to introduce them to art. For the second time this year, the emblematic hotel has organized workshops for children aged 4 to 10. The event is produced in collaboration with Art Kids Company and street artist Jordane Saget. The hotel is this year celebrating its 110th anniversary and is currently home to more than 6,000 works of art.
Loggerhead turtle Calypso - Calypso the loggerhead turtle has been returned to his natural surroundings off the coast of Frejus in the Var. Calypso had spent six months receiving care and had even undergone surgery to her shell.
Coldest village of France - The village of Mouthe in France officially recognised as France’s coldest has reported a frost-free October for the first time in 140 years. Mouthe earned its label as France’s coldest village after recording the lowest temperature in the country on 13 January 1968 when the thermometer dropped to -36.7C.
Business
The US central bank has approved another sharp rise in interest rates as it wrestles to rein in fast rising prices. The Federal Reserve said it was raising its key interest rate by 0.75 percentage points, lifting it to its highest rate since early 2008. The bank hopes pushing up borrowing costs will cool the economy and bring down price inflation.
Meanwhile the Bank of England is expected to unveil the biggest interest rate rise since the 1980s today making it the eighth time in a row that the Bank of England has hiked interest rates. Earlier this month, the markets had predicted that today's increase could be one whole percentage point - but sentiment has calmed since the mini-budget was reversed and Liz Truss resigned as prime minister.
And - Consumers are spending less on everything from video streaming to food shopping as the cost of living rises, but it appears many are not ready to cut back on dating just yet. The owner of Tinder says the number of paid subscriptions to the dating app rose 7% globally in July-September. Match Group, which also owns Hinge and OkCupid, said overall sales rose to $810m (£704m) in the quarter. But it warned the global economic slowdown was starting to take its toll.
Sport
Tennis - Rafael Nadal is out of the Paris Masters after a second-round defeat to American Thomas Paul. World number 31 Paul came from a set down to beat Nadal 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1. Britons Dan Evans and Jack Draper were also eliminated in the second round.
Formula One - Legendary Ferrari designer Mauro Forghieri has died at the age of 87. The Italian was an iconic figure who oversaw four Formula 1 drivers' championships and seven constructors' titles in his 27 years with the team. He designed some of Ferrari's most famous cars.
Football - England left-back Ben Chilwell is a doubt for the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury in Chelsea's Champions League win. England kick off their World Cup campaign in Qatar against Iran on 21 November.
Cricket - India moved to the brink of a semi-final spot with a tense five-run victory over Bangladesh in a rain-affected Men's T20 World Cup match in Adelaide. Today Pakistan play South Africa.
Weather
Heavy rain showers are forecast with a yellow weather alert issued for both the Var and the Alpes Maritimes from 2pm this afternoon. Highs of 19 degrees in Nice, Monaco, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 13 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow and heading into the weekend. Gusty winds and sunshine are forecast in the Var tomorrow. Sunny with a fresh breeze in Nice and the Alpes Maritimes. Weekend fine feeling a cooler with highs of 20 degrees.
Sunrise Sunset
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