News
Fire risk due to mistral forecast for the Bouches-du-Rhône region - Météo France has placed eight departments in the south of France including the Bouches-du-Rhône, the Var and the Vaucluse on an orange alert due to the high risk of forest fires. The prefecture has closed forest areas as the mistral with gusts of up to 65km an hour, is expected from the Rhône to Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Nine out of ten forest fires are of human origin and one in two is linked to carelessness. According to Frances interior minister 4,000 hectares have so far been destroyed in forest fires this year that’s compared to 12,000 last year.
French Canadair’s suffering major maintenance problems according to union – Meanwhile, the flight crew union for French Canadair’s (fire-fighting planes) has denounced a “major maintenance problem”, citing that only half of the Canadair fleet is available in France to fight fires. The union claims that the “problem is not new” and that due to a lack of maintenance staff, breakdowns occur jeopardising the very safety of flights and crews. French President Emmanuel Macron had promised, in October 2022, the replacement of the 12 French Canadair by 2027. On August 12, the Minister of the Interior confirmed the order for two new Canadair’s. The arrival of these two aircraft is planned for 2028.
Mosque in Marseille threatened with closure - In other news, a mosque in Marseille has been threatened with closure after reportedly "legitimizing violence". France’s Interior Ministry has accused the those running the mosque of making remarks "inciting violence and discrimination". The mosque's leaders have ten days to respond to the ministry in an attempt to avoid closure. Some 300 to 350 worshipers attend the mosque located in the north of the city.
Lawyer denounces mayors decree – Meanwhile, the administrative court of Nice has rejected the appeal against a local decree banning swimming in "inappropriate clothing" on the beaches of Mandelieu. As reported on Tuesday on Riviera Radio, a lawyer from Marseille had denounced a "decree on inappropriate clothing" on beaches, which had been introduced by the mayor of Mandelieu. Following a warning issued on a beach in Mandelieu, the lawyer filed an appeal against, what his client considered to be an "anti-burkini decree" and denounced "the stubbornness of the mayor". For the lawyer, it was a new "anti-burkini" order targeting a certain community of bathers.
Apartment fire - Residents have been evacuated after a fire broke out in an apartment in Menton. Firefighters intervened on Tuesday evening at around 10.20pm. The blaze in the apartment located on rue de Sospel is thought to have started in the kitchen. An investigation is currently underway. No casualties were reported.
24-hour pharmacy vending machine - A 24-hour pharmacy vending machine has been installed in Roquefort-les-Pins. Called the MedyBox it allows you to access certain products and pick up orders 24 hours a day. The MedyBox is located in the town’s car park offering 24/7 self-service access to first aid medicines and essential childcare, personal hygiene and parapharmacy products. It is multilingual and easy to use, like any vending machine, you can pay in cash or by credit card. The products are properly stored and refrigerated and protected by a UV filter. The only other one in our region is at Nice airport.
Power cuts - Homes in a neighbourhood of La Seyne have been plunged into darkness following power cuts. The incident which has occurred twice recently is believed to have been due to an Enedis generator running out of fuel. Fifty or so homes which run along the Chemin du Baou Rouge and overlook the beach were affected. The electricity company has since confirmed that the problem has been resolved.
SNCF – Latest results have shown that the SNCF has sold 225,000 rail passes to 700,000 young people. The Rail Pass allows 16–27-year-olds to travel unlimited on Intercités during the day and night and on TER trains from July 1st to August 31st, for 49 euros per month. France’s minister of transport is awaiting the end of the offer period, August 31st to analyse sales figures and to know if overall results of the summer offer are disappointing or not.
Antibes clearance sale - The Antibes annual braderie or clearance sale starts this Thursday August 22nd. The streets will enjoy the hustle and bustle as local business set up stalls outside their shops of items at discount prices. It runs until this Saturday 24th August.
Lions Club flea market in Menton - Cancelled due to bad weather on May 1st, the Lions Club flea market in Menton is finally be held on September 1st. The 36th edition will bring together a hundred exhibitors, including individuals and professionals, who will be spread out between the pedestrian zone of Menton and the Esplanade Francis Palmero. Each stand will offer objects, books, and clothing.
The professionals are more specialized, some in tableware, some in jewellery. While individuals tend to come from the region, the professionals sometimes even come from Italy. Several associations will have a stand, such as the Red Cross and of course the Lions Club.
Free access to the public is from 7 a.m. to 6pm. The flea market is an opportunity to meet local businesses and learn more about the Lions Club. It is still possible to reserve a space to be an exhibitor. The space of approximately 10m² costs €60. The deadline for registrations is August 24th. To find out more you can Email: ansaldo5@wanadoo.fr or visit the Facebook page: Lions Club of Menton.
Business
A partnership between Open AI and the global magazine giant Condé Nast will allow ChatGPT and its search engine SearchGPT to display content from Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ and other well-known publications. The multi-year deal is the latest such agreement struck by OpenAI with major media firms. The content produced by media organisations is sought after by technology companies that use it to train their AI models. Some media firms including the New York Times and the Chic
