News
Strike action - Unions in France have called for national strike action today Tuesday 1st October, in protest against the appointment of a right-wing government and the “approval of the National Rally”. Education and transport are expected to be affected by the movement. While TGV services are expected to be only slightly disrupted, there will be more disruptions on regional trains. On its website, the SNCF specifies that train traffic will be slightly disrupted between Nice and Ventimiglia. To check if your train is running, go to the TER Paca website or the SNCF Connect mobile app.
The strike will also affect National Education. The FSU trade union of the Alpes-Maritimes has said it intends to "stand together for the public education service" and will gather at 10am this Tuesday morning at Place Masséna in Nice. In the Var, two demonstrations are planned for 10:30am in Toulon on Place de la Liberté and Draguignan in front of the prefecture. The demonstrations across France will coincide with the new Prime Minister giving his general policy speech in parliament this afternoon.
Fatal incident at Monaco train station - Monaco train station has reopened following the tragic incident which occurred on Monday morning when a 30-year-old woman was hit and killed by a train coming into the station. An investigation is still underway to determine the exact circumstances. Train traffic was able to resume but there were many delays and cancellations on the Nice-Ventimiglia line. A psychological unit has been set up for shocked passengers. The scene unfortunately took place during Monday morning’s rush hour, unfolding in front of hundreds of passengers. A support unit has also been launched on 0800.120.821.
Hospital fined after patient suffering from Alzheimer’s is found dead - The governing body of public hospitals of Marseille has been ordered to pay 50,000 euros for the death of a lost patient. The AP-HM was sentenced on Monday, September 30th to a suspended fine of 50,000 euros for manslaughter after an outpatient suffering from Alzheimer's was found dead 15 days after he went missing. His body was discovered in a disused wing of the hospital. The incident dates back to August 2019 when 72-year-old Jean Ligonnet was found dead in a disused corridor of the Conception hospital in Marseille, where he was being treated. Admitted to a nursing home in La Seyne sur mer Ligonnet would make regular visits to the Conception hospital for chemotherapy treatment, and it was on August 19th after arriving by taxi for an 11am appointment and after being left waiting in the waiting room following a delay that he went missing.
City council invests in using drones to control mosquitos - Hyeres city council in the Var has invested in using drones to spray anti mosquito treatment. The mosquito control service is mobilized over the marshes in the region and says that using the drones makes operation more precise and efficient than the old microlight method. The town hall, which spends some 350,000 euros per year on the fight against mosquitos, said that the drone budget is between 20,000 and 40,000 euros depending on the number of controls carried out in the year.
Summers are getting hotter on the French Riviera... And it’s not good news! – Climate experts have warned of a possible worsening of the quality of life in our region due to summers in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur becoming increasingly hotter, especially along the coastline. This summer, Nice, for example, multiplied the number of tropical nights with more than 60 of them. According to several reports by climate scientists, the region is set to experience increasingly hot summers, with profound upheavals in our daily lives. Scientists from the Climate Action Network and the GREC - Regional Group of Climate Experts - warn, in reports, of the need to take the increase in temperatures in the PACA region seriously. The region will be the most affected in France with extremely hot summers that could become the norm. By 2050, experts predict an increase of 1.6 to 2.2 degrees for the most optimistic scenario. According to the most pessimistic scenarios, it could increase by 7 degrees by the end of the century. With 80% of the population living on the coast in the PACA region, rising sea levels are another threat to the region. If we take the example of Marseille, projections predict a rise of 40 cm to 1 meter from sea level, which will threaten infrastructure.
The NRJ Music Awards will remain in Cannes for another three years - The Palais des Festivals in Cannes will host the NRJ Music Awards ceremony for the next three years. A partnership agreement was voted by the local council on Monday. The show broadcast live on TF1 and NRJ radio will continue to be held at the Palais des Festivals for the next three years, until 2027. The 2020 edition of the NRJ Music Awards had exceptionally taken place in Paris due to the health crisis. This year, the event will take place on November 1st, broadcast live on TF1, from 9pm. Amongst the list of nominees in the fourteen categories is American Taylor Swift as well as David Guetta. The prizes are awarded according to public voting, on the radio's website or on its application.
According to a new study the more money a woman earns, the greater the risk of separation -Finally, a recent study has shown that couples in which the woman earns more than her male partner are more likely to separate The study carried out by the National Institute of Demographic Studies and published on Monday revealed that if the woman's income exceeded 55% of the couple's total income, the risk of a breakup was at least 11% higher than for couples whose income is fairly distributed. According to the INED study the risk increases by up to 40% depending on the extent of the woman's contribution. Income gaps affect each type of union differently. Among couples in a civil partnership, the association between income gaps and the risk of separation is less pronounced. For common-law couples, a relatively equal sharing of income appears to enhance the stability of the union. In contrast, in married couples, stability is greater when the man is the primary breadwinner in the household. The researchers offer another interpretation of the study suggesting that women who are financially better off than their spouses are more likely to consider breaking up because they have the financial capacity to free themselves from their relationship.
Business
Frasers Group has made a takeover approach for luxury handbag maker Mulberry, adding it was "exceptionally concerned" about the fashion brand's future. Mulberry's sales have fallen sharply following a downturn in the luxury sector, and last week it announced plans to raise nearly £11m to bolster its finances. Frasers Group already holds a 37% stake in Mulberry and its proposed offer values the firm at £83m. Frasers added it wanted to avoid "another Debenhams situation" - referring to the department store chain that collapsed in 2019.
The National Education Union has accepted the UK government's 5.5% pay rise offer for teachers in England. The largest education union in the UK voted to accept the pay rise for teachers. Also, as part of the deal, schools will also receive £1.2bn of additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to help cover the costs.
And - From today Tuesday 1st October, restaurants in the UK will be banned from withholding tips from staff under new rules coming into force. The rules will apply across the hospitality industry and to any business that allows tipping. It means more than two million workers will be able to keep hold of an estimated £200m a year that is paid by customers in tips and service charges. It has been around eight years in the making, but there are fears some restaurants - who can now no longer rely on tips to supplement staff wages - will increase their prices.
Sport
Football – It was a disappointing performance by Southampton in the Premier League on Monday evening after they lost 3-1 to Bournemouth. In the Champions League this evening Arsenal are at home to PSG.
And - France forward Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from international football. The 33-year-old Atletico Madrid player, made 137 appearances for his country, scoring 44 goals, and helped them win the 2018 World Cup, converting a penalty in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow.
Formula One – It’s been announced that French car company Renault will end its Formula 1 engine programme after the 2025 season. The decision means Renault's Alpine team will have to buy engines from another manufacturer, which is expected to be Mercedes, from 2026. The move ends nearly 50 years of history following Renault's pioneering decision to enter F1 in 1977 with the sport's first turbocharged engine.
Basketball - NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer at the age of 58. The eight-time NBA All-Star, who retired in 2009, spent 18 years playing in the league for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. Mutombo began treatment for a brain tumour in October 2022.
Weather
Sunny intervals, becoming increasingly cloudy with a chance of showers inland by this evening. Highs of 21 degrees in Nice and Monaco. 23 degrees in Cannes, 24 degrees in Antibes, Rayol Canadel and Toulon. 27 degrees in Saint-Tropez and Brignoles. This evening going down to 16 degrees and cloudy.
The outlook for tomorrow and Thursday. Tomorrow sunny intervals. Light showers are now forecast for Thursday across the region with sunny intervals and highs of 21 degrees.
Sunrise 07.28am
Sunset 07.10pm
Weather elsewhere
London 14° light cloud.
Dublin 15° sunny intervals.
Paris 18° sunny intervals.
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