News
Luxury villas seized as part of investigation into money laundering - Villas in Grasse and near Saint-Tropez belonging to Russian oligarchs have been seized as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering. The courts have seized more than 70 million euros worth of assets in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes belonging to two businessmen of Russian origin. The Paris prosecutor’s office has told reporters that the “procedure focuses on the methods of acquiring real estate, through the use of loans granted by private companies, domiciled in Cyprus or the British Virgin Islands", specifying that it has carried out various searches. The case concerns several luxury villas as well as two luxury cars, located between the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin passing by Grasse. In addition, according to local media, one of the luxury villas was purchased in 2013 via a SCI based in Monaco, the amount of the transaction was reportedly 12 million euros. The last property seized by the courts is a villa located in Grimaud, in the Var, which was purchased in the summer of 2014.
Restaurant in Nice targeted by gunfire - In other news, a restaurant in the city centre of Nice has been targeted by gunfire. Bullet holes were discovered on the front of the establishment on Saturday October 12th. Two individuals were arrested after abandoning their car in Mont Boron following the incident, but both were later released. The shots were reportedly fired in the early hours of Saturday morning in what is otherwise a quiet neighbourhood on the Avenue de la Republique just a stone’s throw away from Place Garibaldi. The motive behind the incident is not yet known and an investigation has been opened by police to determine the circumstances.
Var prefect inaugurates week of integration - The Var prefect Philippe Mahé has inaugurated the week of integration of newly arrived foreigners, by talking to four young workers who fled their country of origin. The prefect told the press that “we often talk about the incidents along the way, but not enough about the successes, which is important because the integration of foreigners is possible." Mahé was speaking having just returned from Draguignan where he participated in the tributes to Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard, teachers who were victims of terrorist attacks. The prefect of the Var launched the week of integration of new foreigners in Toulon. Other meetings are organized this week, notably via the Face Var foundation and the Agir program. The prefect emphasised that "it's important that there is a partnership between the administration, businesses and associations” concluding “France is a welcoming country, and the Var does not welcome more foreigners than other departments. Despite what some may think", adding, "we are extremely rigorous, confirming that the immigration law has allowed us to expel more". He points out that "language and values are the main obstacles" to overcome.
AtmoSud records air quality at Nice International Airport - According to AtmoSud, which records the quality of air on a daily basis related to the activity of Nice International airport. The airport pollution represents 17% of the total pollution in Nice. With 12 million travellers in 2022, Nice Côte d'Azur airport is the third busiest in France. Nice airport generates 1 million tons of CO2 every year, which is half of what the entire Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis emits in a year. On a daily basis, according to AtmoSud, 17% of NOx emissions (NOx are emissions of nitrogen oxides emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels) are due to Nice Côte d'Azur airport. The rest comes from road traffic with an important contibuting factor being the direction of the wind. The airport has committed, as stated on its website, to aiming for carbon neutrality without offsetting its own emissions by 2030.
Recall - A popular brand of bicycles sold at Decathlon have been recalled throughout France. The danger is that they could break whilst riding. The bikes, sold by Decathlon between August 14th and September 18th, 2024, present “a potential defect on one of the carbon parts of the handlebars”. The alarm was raised by the RappelConso platform concerning XCR bikes throughout France sold by Decathlon. Note that these bikes have been sold by the very popular sports brand Decathlon since this summer. The model code is the same for all bikes recalled by Decathlon: 8772688. You can also find the following barcodes to find out if your bike is one of the recalled products: 3583787294185 / 3583787294208 / 3583787294215 / 3583787294222 / 3583787294307. The product was sold online between August 14 and September 18, 2024. If your bike is affected by this product recall, you can return it to a Decathlon store without delay for a refund or repair. The recall procedure runs until April 10th, 2025.
Riviera Radio Weather Update - More bad weather is on its way with gale force winds and heavy rain forecast this week. Caught in the tail end of Hurricane Leslie, which is on its way from Portugal, the weather is expected to deteriorate from today in parts of France, moving from the west to the east and affecting the PACA region from tomorrow through into Thursday and possibly Friday. Temperatures however are expected to remain mild with highs of 23 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes.
Sahara sand in Marseille – Meanwhile, in Marseille an abnormal high for the season of 30 degrees is expected today, accompanied by sand from the Sahara. So, while this week begins with grey skies, temperatures are expected to reach 30 degrees under a big blue sky today in Marseille. The Sahara sand episodes seem to be increasingly frequent in the region, which could potentially be attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns". According to the European Observatory, global warming could be linked to these episodes.
Christmas decorations – Setting up the Christmas lights has begun in the Principality. A major event, requiring meticulous work the installation always seems to arrive early, but is guaranteed to bring magic and wonder over the festive season. As every year, all the districts of the Principality will be lit up and this year in addition, Christmas illuminations can be admired at the Parc Princesse Antoinette from 4pm until the park closes at 6pm. However, don’t panic, we will have to wait until the end of November to discover the sparkling streets and squares animated by the warmth of the Christmas decorations! The official ceremony and the turning on of the Christmas lights is planned for November 30th, 2024, from the Place du Palais Princier.
French comedian gives a tongue in cheek survival guid to Nice - A French comedian has given her "survival guide" on how to live and integrate in Nice. With 989,000 followers Marie S'Infiltre who is to perform in Nice this month, has posted a short video on social media entitled the "ultimate guide to settling on the Côte d'Azur". She starts by asking "Do you want to integrate quickly? Then it’s not easy!". She goes onto sarcastically list all the places to hang out according to your social background, which she divides into three categories: the rich, the "bobos" and the poor. First, she recommends the neighbourhoods to settle in. For the rich, "you take a house in Mont-Boron, you'll be with your people", for the "bobos", the actress believes that the port area is the most appropriate, finally for the poor, "well, there is Saint-Roch, a real village with lots of scooters", she says ironically. She continues by pointing out that “If you're rich, you're going to get a tan on private beaches like Baia Bella in Villefranche-sur-Mer, or if you really want to stay in Nice, then you're going to Castel! If you're a bourgeois bohemian, you take your bike and go to the promenade and if you're poor, you go to the real Niçois beach. But you have to eat in France's fifth largest city. The rich can go and taste "rigatoni with truffles" at the Plongeoir or maybe they prefer La Petite Maison to "say hello to Nicole, which according to her does not have a great reputation for its cuisine and service. If you're a bourgeois bohemian", head to Voglia, Di Più or Movida and if you’re poor then its Socca, pissaladière and pan bagnat. She continues her tirade on Nice politics asking "How should you vote. The answer according to the comic is if you're rich you vote right-wing. If you're a bourgeois, right- wing and if you're poor you vote right-wing. To finish, she concludes that the “people of Nice are a bit like the Italians of France” ending with not to forget that one of the biggest mistakes is to put mayonnaise in your pan bagnat!"
Birthday celebrations for the oldest woman in the Alpes Maritimes - Finally, the oldest woman in the Alpes-Maritimes has blown out her 111 candles. Samuele Goustille, who everyone calls Sam, celebrated her 111th birthday at the old people’s home the “Ephad Les Restanques” in Biot at the weekend. Originally from Nantes, the city where she was born on October 12, 1913, she moved to Paris, where she settled as a young divorcee in 1960, to end up with her second husband retiring on the Côte d'Azur.
Business
Wall Street ended higher on Monday, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow posting fresh record finishes, as investors bought into technology stocks ahead of a busy week packed with corporate earnings and crucial economic data. On a somewhat subdued day for trading, just 9.55 billion shares changed hands, versus the 12.05 billion shares, which moved on average over the last 20 trading days.
The technology giant Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the deal will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. It is not known how much the deal is worth or where the plants will be built. Technology firms are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by huge data centres that drive AI.
And - The lady behind the first bill signed into law in the US for equal pay Lilly Ledbetter, has died aged 86. Ledbetter’s activism led to the law being introduced by Barack Obama after he became US president in 2009. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act made it easier for workers to sue after discovering they were being discriminated through pay.
Sport
Football - In the Nations League on Monday evening, it was thanks to Harry Wilson’s penalty that Wales beat Montenegro 1-0. Meanwhile, France beat Belgium 2-1. In this evening’s matches Scotland play Portugal and Northern Ireland are at home to Bulgaria.
Sailing – In the America’s Cup New Zealand have taken a 4-0 lead over Great Britain to edge towards retaining their title. New Zealand need only three more wins to take the best-of-13 series for a third consecutive year. Britain have never won the America's Cup in its 173-year history. The fifth and sixth races take place on Wednesday.
Rugby Union - The French Rugby Federation, National Rugby League and Provale have expressed "firm opposition" to the proposed 20-minute red card, saying it is an "unacceptable step backwards" by World Rugby. The new rule which was experimented with in the 2024 Rugby Championship and World Rugby’s Under 20 Championship in South Africa, means a team is able to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes in the sin-bin. This month World Ruby announced successful initial trials. But, in a joint statement, the three French governing bodies say the "data collected remains insufficient" to go through with the proposal.
Golf - American Matt McCarty secured a place at next year's Masters and PGA Championship by winning his first PGA Tour title at the inaugural Black Desert Championship in Utah.
Weather
Cloudy, with winds picking up in Nice and the Alpes Maritimes by this afternoon. Possibility of some sunny spells with sunshine expected to the west of the Var in Toulon and Marseille. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for this evening. Highs of 23 degrees in Monaco, Nice and Menton, 22 degrees in Vence, 21 degrees in Saint-Tropez and 26 degrees in Toulon and 30 degrees in Marseille. This evening going down to 17 degrees along the coast.
The outlook for tomorrow and Thursday, thundery showers across both the Var and the Alpes Maritimes with strong winds forecast for the Var region. Highs of 21 degrees.
Sunrise 07.45am
Sunset 06.46pm
Weather elsewhere
Milan 21° sunny intervals.
Cardiff 17° light rain.
Belfast 14° light rain.
And Finally - In need of a laugh? Well, a free phone number is now open. Launched by the Espace vital association and the French Institute of Laughter Yoga around thirty volunteers are already operational. The idea is that someone who needs a little boost can call 02 72 03 50 51 and immediately, the person who picks up the phone bursts into laughter and laughs out loud. Here at Riviera Radio, we made the call and if the laughter on the other end may seem a little forced at first, there’s no doubt that after a few seconds you will be laughing. The call generally lasts three minutes.
Completely anti-stress, each call is designed to create a moment of lightness and positivity. Let yourself be carried away by this call where laughter has replaced words: laughing is a simple act that becomes a powerful way to elevate your mood on a daily basis. This is a phone call where we laugh for the sake of laughing, without jokes or funny stories. It’s not recorded it is live and with real people. L'appel du rire is the name of the service and the service is operational from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tune into this morning’s Full English Breakfast to hear what happened.
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