National News
French President to commemorate landings in the Var - French President Emmanuel Macron is expected in the Var region for the 80th anniversary of the landing of Provence. The Head of State will be in Saint-Raphaël and Toulon on Thursday August 15th, to preside over the commemorations of the landing in Provence. Five French veterans of the Second World War are to be handed the Legion of Honour by the President of the Republic.
As every year, Macron will also visit Bormes-les-Mimosas on August 17th to attend the commemorations of the liberation of the town, paying tribute to the resistance in the Var in the presence of the regions mayors.
Pollution alert lifted - In other news, good news concerning the level 1 pollution alert which has been lifted this Tuesday in the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes. Several regional procedures were activated in recent days in the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, due to a strong peak in pollution.
Heatwave to continue – Meanwhile, Météo France has renewed the orange heatwave alert in the Alpes-Maritimes region for today Tuesday the 13th of August. 40 departments across France are on a heatwave alert. Temperatures are expected to rise above 30 degrees in the Alpes-Maritimes, with up to 36 degrees in Roquebillière and Saint-Martin-du-Var. 35 degrees in Antibes, 31 in Nice and 33 degrees in Menton.
West Nile virus - Three people have been infected with the West Nile virus in the Toulon area. The cases were reported following bites from a Culex mosquito, one of the most bothersome summertime pests. There are over 3,000 types of mosquitoes in the world and out of the thousands of mosquito species, only a couple are known to feed on human blood, including the Culex. A horse has also been infected.
Petition against Marineland - In other local news. 18,000 people have signed a petition to demand that the tourist offices of the Côte d'Azur stop promoting the Marineland Park in Antibes. To date, 18,345 people have signed the petition published on MCA. Speaking to local media Stéphane Lamart, founding president of the association, claims that « it is time for our view of animals to evolve ». He said that “a few hours of visual daily pleasure counts for how many years of wasted life for these animals, which go around in circles in these water parks?”. Adding that « we shouldn't have to launch a petition, it should be common sense not to applaud the confinement of these animals » concluding that « it is time for man's attitude towards animals to evolve ».
Speeding - A motorist has been flashed driving at 223km an hour on the A8 motorway. The vehicle registered in Holland was at the time near Le Muy in the Var. The stretch of motorway is limited to 130km and hour.
First e-garage in our region - The first "e-garage" in the South-East of France has opened in Vallauris. EV Garage Riviera has been created by professionals in the industry and offers a complete after-sales/maintenance service for electric and hybrid vehicles. Faced with the challenges of the maintenance of electric vehicles, EV Garage Riviera aims to meet the specific needs of owners for electric vehicles. For maintenance, an electric vehicle must be checked every year and for example the braking system will have to be replaced at around 100,000 km compared to the usual 25,000 km. On the other hand, in order to keep your electric vehicle in good working order it is essential to have the traction battery and its cooling system checked. Nearly 60,000 electric vehicles are already circulating in our region without a warranty from the manufacturer.
Private beaches are inspected -Finally, private beaches have been inspected in Juan-les-Pins and Golfe-Juan to check that their sun beds are not too close to the water. The coastal law in France requires beachgoers to have a minimum right of way between the water and the deckchairs. Some private beaches, notably in Juan-les-Pins and Golfe-Juan, have been targeted by the prefecture for sun beds being installed too close to the sea. So, what is your opinion on the matter? Have you ever been in the situation where you wish to put your towel and parasol in front of a private beach, only to be told to leave, despite it being your right? Would you dare? Or maybe you’ve been the one enjoying the privilege of a front row bed for somebody to plant their parasol right in front of you? What do you think? The lines are open on this morning’s Full English Breakfast Show to air your experiences and views on a common summertime problem here on the Riviera. You can What’s App +33680869599
Business
According to an initial assessment by the Paris Tourist Office, 11.2 million visitors took part, with or without a ticket, in activities related to the Olympic Games in the Paris region between July 23rd and August 11th. With a smooth organization, fully booked hotels: tourism professionals have drawn an initial positive assessment of the Olympic Games and hope for an additional influx of spinoffs in the coming days. With 4 million visitors expected at the Paralympic Games both events should therefore attract around 15 million visitors. The Olympic Games welcomes 85% of French visitors, including 45% from the Paris region, and 15% foreigners, led by Americans, Germans and British. All host cities (Lille, Marseille, Châteauroux, etc.) benefited from the sporting event, with overnight stays up 16% for French visitors and 18% for international visitors. Furnished rentals such as Airbnb also benefitted with more than 400,000 bookings in the Paris region.
Meanwhile partner of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Carrefour has confirmed an “Olympic effect" on the sale of sports products, notably volleyballs and table tennis rackets.
Due to the high summer temperatures heated discussions about adjusting the air conditioning in open-plan offices have returned. French employees have spoken of daily battles amongst work colleagues on agreeing on the right temperature. While the Labor Code in France does not specify a specific temperature to be maintained in offices, it is specified that it must be adapted to the human body thanks to air currents or air conditioning and around 30°C is the maximum for a
