News
French President unveils “ecological plan” - French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a national “ecological plan” to reduce France’s greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and end the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Speaking following a special ministerial council at the Elysée, Macron said an extra €10bn would be put towards the 50-point programme, which he described as “ecology à la Française”.
The Head of State added that the plan was aimed at addressing the climate crisis while ensuring that France remained competitive in agriculture and industry. Other measures in the plan include the acceleration of electric car production, new projects for offshore windfarms, the opening of several electric battery factories in northern France and a €700m state investment in the regional train network.
Strike action – There are conflicting reports concerning planned strike action by the SNCF today Tuesday 26th September, while the SNCF says train traffic will be “almost normal” with “slight disruptions”, local reports say that regionally in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes traffic will be impacted due to TER ZOU staff taking part in the action. The Toulon-Hyères-Les Arcs will be disrupted in both directions with cancellations expected and the Nice-Breil-Tende will see all trains cancelled and a bus service put in place. Traffic will however run as normal on the Marseille-Nice line. If you are planning on travelling by train today, then you are advised to check on the SNCF website first. https://www.ter.sncf.com/sud-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/se-deplacer/fiches-horaires
Mayors condemn Macron’s remarks about the increase in property tax in France - The Association of Mayors of France has criticized Macron's comments on property tax. On Monday the AMF condemned Macron, who on Sunday evening blamed local councils for the recent property tax increases or “la taxe foncière”. The property tax, a local tax which benefits communities, is paid by property owners. The determination of the amount payable is made by the local councils, but the calculation and collection of the tax is carried out by the central government tax authority. Speaking on the matter the mayor of Cannes David Lisnard said that “while no local elected official thinks or says that the property tax is a state tax all elected official agree that since the abolition of the housing tax or taxe d’habitation local taxation has been profoundly destabilized by concentrating it solely on the property tax.
Woman and child slightly injured after being hit by a motorist - A woman and her child have been slightly injured after being hit by a car in Nice in front of the Riquier train station. The incident occurred on Monday morning at around 9.30am. The young child was in their buggy at the time of the collision. Both mother and child were taken to hospital suffering minor injuries. Many witnesses and regular commuters in the area were shocked by the scene with one adding how she “almost got hit in the same place last Friday” calling for “the installation of speed bumps” as motorists “drive far too fast in front of the station”.
Don’t panic – According to the prefecture of the Alpes Maritimes members of the public “should not worry” if today, Tuesday September 26th, they receive a flood alert on their phone. Several residents in the hinterland including Puget-Théniers and Villars-sur-Var may receive the notification warning of a “risk of flooding” which is part of a safety exercise to test the device. The notification will be “accompanied by a specific sound signal, even if the phone is on silent mode.
17-year-old to take on wine estate in Saint-Tropez - At just 17 years old, Camille Bonnet is getting ready to take over her grandfather's wine estate in Saint-Tropez in the Var. Motivated and passionate, the teenager intends to continue the work of her grandfather, Marcel Bonnet. For four generations, this family of winegrowers has served the Chevalier Torpez cellar. Since her childhood, Camille has always wanted to reproduce the gestures of her elders. As a child, she already participated in the harvest and was born amongst the vines. Camille is just a few weeks away from her 18th birthday.
Most beautiful villages of France - Three villages on the Riviera have been awarded the title of “most beautiful villages of France”. The first, Saorge, in the Roya valley, is a cliff top village located on the border with Italy. Built on three levels, a maze of alleys and passages, the village is home to an exceptional religious heritage. Meanwhile, in the Var valley, Entrevaux, a preserved medieval town located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, on the edge of the Alpes-Maritimes, also gains the title along with Cotignac located in the interior of the Var standing at the foot of a majestic great rock
Business
Gatwick airport in the UK has said that due to short-term sickness and Covid in the air traffic control tower around 82 departures will be cancelled over the coming week. Airport boss Stewart Wingate said he was "very frustrated" by a series of problems at Gatwick's air traffic control. Around 30% of air traffic control staff are not available. The largest number of cancellations will be on Friday 29 September, with 33 departures affected. No cancellations are expected for Tuesday or Saturday.
The toy giant Lego has scrapped plans to make its bricks from recycled bottles, in a blow to its efforts to cut carbon emissions. The company said in 2021 that it aimed to produce bricks not containing crude oil within two years. But on Monday, it said it had found that using the new material didn't reduce carbon emissions. Lego said it remains "fully committed" to making bricks from sustainable materials.
And - While the UK postpones its 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035, Nissan has announced that all vehicles sold in Europe will be electric by 2030. Nissan's boss said the firm's move was "the right thing to do". Nissan will also introduce new battery technology by the end of the decade that it said will reduce both the charging time and cost of electric vehicles (EVs).
Sport
Rugby World Cup - Despite their troubles at the Rugby World Cup, former captain of Australia Stirling Mortlock, says that sacking Eddie Jones would be "the worst thing" they could do right now. Australia face group-stage elimination at the tournament for the first time after being hammered 40-6 by Wales on Sunday. Having already lost to Fiji, Australia's chances of securing the top-two Pool C spot they need to progress are slim.
And - France captain Antoine Dupont has an appointment with specialist about creating a face mask that may allow him to return for the World Cup quarter finals. The superstar scrum-half fractured his cheekbone last Thursday night and underwent surgery on Friday.
Football - In a recent interview Andros Townsend says he broke down in tears after a free transfer move to Burnley collapsed over the summer. The former England winger had agreed terms after a successful trial but Burnley withdrew the offer as they did not want to stifle the development of some of their younger players. He is still a free agent after leaving Everton last season.
Meanwhile, according to reports John Terry is set to become the latest Englishman to seek out footballing opportunities in Saudi Arabia as he prepares to become a sporting director in the nation. The former Chelsea and England captain will take up his new position on a short-term basis as he pursues a first role outside Europe.
Weather
Sunny with clear skies and a gentle breeze. Cool to begin with, highs of 12-22 degrees in this morning in Nice, Monaco and Cannes. This afternoon between 25-27 degrees along the coast and 23-28 degrees inland. A mild evening with 23 degrees in Nice and Menton. 12 to 14 degrees at night inland in the Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée area and 14 degrees in Tende. 21°C in Nice.
The outlook for Wednesday - Same scenario as today, a beautiful morning with temperatures of between 16 and 20°C on the coast and between 10 and 18°C in the rest of the department. Highs of 30 degrees by the afternoon in Villars-sur-Var, Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée and Saint-Martin-du-Var. 28°C in Antibes and Théoule. In the evening, temperatures will be between 15 and 23 degrees. Thursday cloudy to begin with between 17 and 22°C degrees. Clouds should clear with temperatures ranging between 24 and 28 degrees in the afternoon.
Sunrise 07.21am
Sunset 07.21pm
And Finally
A rather bleak new study has revealed that humans will go extinct on Earth in 250 million years but, that's if we were to stop burning fossil fuels right now. University of Bristol experts report computer simulations which suggest our planet will face a mass extinction that wipes out all mammals. According to the experts any lifeforms still alive on Earth by this time would have to cope with temperatures of between 104°F to 158°F (40°C to 70°C), they say.
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France will host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the Alpes, conditional on state and regional financial guarantees. President Macron confirmed his full su...
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