News
Action against pension reform - While unions in France are calling for a strike this Thursday January 19th, to demonstrate against the pension reform, French President Emmanuel Macron says he does not believe in a “victory of irresponsibility”. Macron reportedly recognizes the weariness and concern of the French, but "considers first of all that France is a political nation, full of common sense, which knows that this reform is in the interest of young people and modest pensioners". The Head of State justifies the reform in the name of the “financial balance”.
Several key sectors in France are expected to be affected by the strike tomorrow, first and foremost transport and education. The reform, which aims to raise the legal retirement age to 64, "is a major concern" for teachers. About 70% of strikers are expected in nursery and elementary schools.
In public transport, traffic will be "severely disrupted" at the SNCF, in particular for regional trains (TER and Transilien), a little less for TGVs and disruptions will not spare the air sector: due to a strike by air traffic controllers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) asked companies to preventively cancel one in five flights at Orly on Thursday.
In our region is it expected to have a significant impact on Lignes d'Azur public transport around the Nice area. No trams will be running and several dozen bus lines will also have no service. Street parking in Nice will be free on Thursday 19th January, due to the demonstrations.
Emergency numbers - In other news, emergency numbers such as the 15,18 and 112 in France have been severely disrupted for at least an hour across the country. Orange announced the breakdown on Tuesday afternoon saying that 40% of calls were routed and the quality of the rest of the calls was degraded". A return to normal was confirmed at 4:45pm however Orange was unable to explain the failure. Last year, Orange had already experienced a breakdown of emergency numbers over a longer period. The numbers dedicated to the Samu (15)and to the police (17), suffered technical problems on June 2nd between 6 p.m. and midnight, when they were restored.
Lycée in Nice evacuated - 1,700 pupils at the Lycée Massena in Nice were ordered to leave school on Tuesday morning due to the presence of a suspect package. The building was evacuated near the start of the school day, and nearby roads closed to traffic, while experts were called in to safely destroy the suspect item.
Accident - A car driver was taken to hospital this lunchtime after a head-on collision with a bus in the Cap Estel tunnel on the Basse Corniche. An eyewitness says the driver of the 607 bus appeared to have become unwell and lost control of their vehicle. The bus's passengers escaped unharmed.
Improvement projects Nice - The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has warned that several planned improvement projects in the area will have to be delayed by a few years due to budgetary constraints. With soaring inflation, high energy bills and the rising cost of debt, the Nice metropolitan area needs to rebalance its budget plans. The extension of the Nice tram network will go ahead as planned. But upgrades to a number of cultural facilities, including the Nice opera house and several museums, will be pushed back from 2025 to 2027 as they’re considered not a priority. Estrosi said these works would be accelerated again if Nice wins its bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2028.
Mayor asks singer Madonna to lend the city an artwork – Meanwhile, the mayor of Amiens has asked American singer Madonna to lend the city an artwork thought to be a masterpiece lost in the war. The superstar bought what is now thought to be Diana And Endymion by Jerome-Martin Langlois for $1.3million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in 1989. The painting was acquired by the French republic in 1873 and exhibited in Amiens but was lost when the city was bombed during the First World War in 1918. After a recent article suggested the painting, or one almost identical, reappeared in 1989 mayor Brigitte Foure issued her plea to Madonna in the hope she’ll lend it to them ahead of the city’s bid to become European capital of culture in 2028.
President of the Monte-Carlo SBM to step down - The president of the Monte-Carlo SBM has announced to staff that he'll step down next week. Jean-Luc Biamonti had served as director of the SBM since 1985, and became chairman of the board of directors 10 years later in 1995. Among the major projects he's overseen include renovations to the Hôtel de Paris, Sporting d'Hiver and Casino Square. He also steered the company through an important restructuring due to the pandemic, which saw more than 200 voluntary redundancies. The SBM is recovering from the coronavirus crisis, with turnover in the past six months up 40% on the same time a year ago. The company is hopeful it's on track to match, or beat, the record financial results seen in 2007.
World’s oldest person dies at nursing home in Toulon - A French nun who held the title of being the world's oldest person has died at the age of 118. Lucile Randon, who was born on February 11th, 1904, passed away less than a month before she was due to turn 119 having survived catching covid last year. Ms Randon, who went by the name Sister Andre after joining a Catholic charitable order in 1944, had taken the title last year after the death of a 119-year-old Japanese woman. Her death was announced on Tuesday by a Toulon nursing home where she had spent the last years of her life on the Mediterranean coast.
Possibility that the Pope could visit the region in October - According to French media a visit by Pope Francis to the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region is being planned for next October. This visit by Pope Francis to Marseille would be historic as the last time a pope visited Marseille was 490 years ago. With the first preparations already underway the Vatican should make an official announcement within a few days. The visit would be
