French and Riviera News Tuesday 20th September 2022

News

State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II - French journalist and writer Stéphane Bern, has said that the State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II could “possibly be the last time that we see such a spectacle, both solemn and extraordinary". According to the journalist who specializes in royalty, Queen Elizabeth II was able to "bring together an entire nation that was close to disunity". Bern added that “despite the economic situation and the anxieties of the British, who will wake up this morning with the same worries, they were there to thank her, of all ages, from all backgrounds and from all corners of the country”.

HSH Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were present at the ceremony on Monday and in a social media post in English the Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said that “Nice joins the hundred and thousands of people gathered in London and those around the world who have a last thought for Her Majesty the Queen”.

Fashion students in Cannes create hats in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II - Fashion students in Cannes have created hats in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Etched in history, the Queen's style will have marked generations. Throughout her reign, the monarch would have worn more than 5,000. So, when the death of Elizabeth II was announced to the whole world, the twenty-one students of the Cours Aline Buffet fashion school immediately wanted to pay tribute to her by making hats. Now the 21 creations are ready to be sent as a present to King Charles III.

In other news

Record drug seizure in the Var - Three people have been arrested and charged in Toulon after a record drug seizure in the Var. According to reports nearly 180kg of narcotics was seized on Sunday 11th September as part of an ongoing police investigation.

Shortage of GPs - The town hall of Cannes is looking for a solution in the Cannes-la-Bocca district following the retirement of two local GP’s. Unable to find candidates to replace the doctors for a patient database of nearly 4,000 the shortage of general practitioners is a growing problem in France. Today in France, on average, only one out of six retired doctors are replaced. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 56% of the inhabitants live in what’s referred to as a “medical desert”.

Covid incidence rate on the rise again - Meanwhile the covid incidence rate is on the rise again in all departments of the PACA region. The Public Health organization has warned that the indicators suggest a possible 8th wave if the curves continue to rise. The two departments of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region which have experienced the most significant increase are the Alpes Maritimes and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. In the Alpes Maritimes for the week from August 31st to September 6th the incidence rate was 190.66. It rose to 250.92 for the week between September 7th and September 13th. An increase of 31.61%. Meanwhile in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the rate there was 220.43 for the week of August 31st to September 6th and it rose to 306.19 for the week between September 7th and September 13th. An increase of 38.91%. In the Var, the rate is 189.40 for the week of September 1st to September 7th and 228.82 for the week between September 7th and September 13th. An increase of 20.81%.

Energy crisis – Monaco’s Minister of State Pierre Dartout has said that an “increase in energy tariffs is to be expected” and that he and the government are “considering the establishment of a tariff shield as well as other measures to reduce energy consumption”. The Minister of State of Monaco at the same time announced a 3.5% increase in the salaries of civil servants from September in order to help deal with the energy crisis.

Monaco Philosophical Meetings to resume on October 13th - Charlotte Casiraghi, president of the Monaco Philosophical Meetings and daughter to Princess Caroline has talked about the resumption of workshops open to the general public. With a variety of topical themes Casiraghi explained that at “any age one can philosophize”. The Monaco Philosophical Meetings will return on October 13th.

Var Esterel Businesswoman leader trophy awarded to Claire Le Gouill - Claire Le Gouill, founder and director of the Art de Claire gallery, located in Puget-sur-Argens has been awarded the “Var Esterel Businesswoman Leader Trophy”. Members of the FCE gathered in Saint Raphael for the presentation of this year’s trophy. Le Gouill exhibits artists who recycle and wants to show that art is accessible.  A lifelong art lover, Anne Le Gouill used her skills in wealth management, her first profession, to create her own business.

Nice number one - Nice has become the number one tourist destination in France. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, presented the results of the tourist season for this summer on Monday afternoon.

Mediterranean Sea has never been so warm at this time of year - Meanwhile many in the region are still enjoying a swim at the beach in the region thanks to a particularly high-water temperature of 24 degrees. Since surface water temperature records began 40 years ago, the Mediterranean Sea has never been so warm at this time of year. Readings indicate that it is 2°C above seasonal norms, which are between 22°C and 23°C. However, marine biodiversity is suffering from the situation, which is increasing in intensity as well as in duration due to global warming. Several species could be led to disappear and the high temperatures this summer have already led to the death of corals.

Nighttime temperatures have started to drop - Nighttime temperatures have finally started to drop in the Var as Meteo France predicts less than 3°C this weekend in some areas of the region. The highest minimum nighttime temperature recorded recently were in Porquerolles (16°C), Île du Levant (17.2°C) and Cap Camarat (18.4°C).

Business

People suing Johnson & Johnson over the company's talc products have urged an app