National News
French President speaks about nuclear escalation - French President Emmanuel Macron has said that China has an important role to play in avoiding nuclear escalation, after Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike. Macron met with China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro as part of the G20 summit, and said he asked him to put pressure on Putin to end the war with Ukraine. He also called for Putin to show "reason." Macron said North Korea's decision to send troops to fight in Ukraine had raised the stakes for China, and that it should push for a de-escalation after Putin's decision to change Russia's nuclear doctrine. Putin approved the change as Ukraine used U.S missiles to strike deeper into Russian territory, taking advantage of newly granted permission from the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden on the war's 1,000th day.
Local News
Weather warning due to strong winds - Corsica has been placed on an orange weather alert by Meteo France this Wednesday due to exceptionally strong winds. The warning is in place until 8pm this evening. Gusts are expected to peak at up to 160 to 200km/h, in Cap Corse. Meanwhile, no warning is announced in the south-east of France, but you may have noticed the wind pick up on Tuesday evening. Strong winds are expected to continue with gusts of 85km/h in Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, 70km/h in Théoule-sur-Mer and 60km/h in Nice. In the Var, peaks of 80km/h are forecast for Saint-Tropez as well as gusts of between 60 and 70km/h in the rest of the department.
SNCF train strike this evening from 7pm - An SNCF rail strike is planned to start this evening Wednesday, November 20th, at 7pm. The strike was called by angry employees following the confirmation in early November of the dismantling of Fret SNCF, the leading company in France for rail freight transport, with the loss of 500 jobs out of 5,000 and also the announcement that on December 14th approximately 1,200 railway workers in Amiens, Nice and Nantes will be relocated.
According to the SNCF Rail traffic will be "almost normal on TGV services" while "some disruptions are to be expected on certain regional lines". In the PACA region, TERZOU traffic is likely to be disrupted and on some regional lines, 7 out of 10 TERs will be running. For more detail passengers are advised to check on the SNCF website which will be regularly updated. The strike is expected to last until 8am tomorrow morning.
Food donations this weekend - Reported at the beginning on the week on Riviera Radio don’t forget that France’s Food Bank is launching its national collection for food and hygiene products this Friday and Saturday. Recent regional figures have revealed that there are 36,000 beneficiaries in the Alpes-Maritimes which represents the equivalent of 3 million meals and also shows a 33% increase in demand in just 2 years. The Food Bank is open all year round. But this weekend makes it easier to make donations with volunteers carrying out collections in your local supermarket.
The organisation points out that life is 5 to 10% more expensive in the Alpes Maritimes compared to other departments of France. The poverty rate in Nice and Cannes is 22%, while in France, before the war in Ukraine and inflation, it was 14.5%. In Nice alone, there are a thousands of homeless people. And according to one association “the leading cause of death among them is food poisoning”. In addition, if you’d like to be a "collection volunteer" at the Alpes-Maritimes Food Bank, you can contact the team by sending an email to BA060.president@banquealimentaire.org or call 06.49.78.32.63.
Reports of new admin fees from high street bank – According to reports in The Connexion newspaper France “one of France’s leading high street banks has introduced new admin fees of up to €300 a year on second-home owners and other non-resident account holders”. The paper also reports that "another bank is also doubling fees for certain clients who live abroad". Meriem Jammali, president of banking consumer association SOS Litiges Banques & Assurances, said banks are free to fix their fees and, while they must communicate changes, this can be via their website before adding that “one must always check statements and annual fees.” Jammali's association has helped some clients to obtain a partial reimbursement of such fees.
Former companion of Commander Cousteau says fear of sharks is totally unjustified - Following the news that a great white shark was recently seen in the waters of the Port-Cros National Park in the Var, François Sarano, former travelling companion of Commander Cousteau has said that “the fear of sharks is totally unjustified”. Sarano, is a specialist in great white sharks and when asked if he is surprised by seeing a great white shark along the Var coast? He answers, “absolutely not” before adding “what surprises me most, is the media hype surrounding it”. Adding “soon, people will be surprised to see birds in the sky.” He concludes that “the presence of a great white shark, is encouraging, but we should not make a big deal of it”.
A sea of red and white flags marked a memorable day for Monaco - The Principality certainly came alive on Tuesday November 19th, as Monegasques and citizens alike celebrated its Fête Nationale. The annual celebration led by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Princely Family was a moving moment of tradition and unity. There was an array of festivities marking the enduring legacy of the Grimaldi family. The day concluded with a sea of Monaco’s emblematic red and white flags from an enthusiastic crowd as they applauded the Princely Family at their traditional appearance on the Palace balcony. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were joined on the balcony by Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, as well as Princess Caroline of Hanover and Princess Stéphanie.
Fancy joining the team a
