French and Riviera News Wednesday 21st September 2022

News

Heavy rain and Mediterranean episode expected by the end of the week - Meteo France has warned that heavy rain is expected at the end of this week in the south of France, along with a Mediterranean episode. After the high temperatures last week, the south of France is about to experience a major stormy episode. Between 50 to 100mm of rainfall is expected in certain regions, such as the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenees. In other regions, between 10 and 50 mm of rain may fall in a few hours, especially in the regions of Lyon, Toulouse and the Alps. The last significant episode in our region dates back to storm Alex in October 2020, when floods destroyed part of the Roya valley in the Alpes-Maritimes and left 21 dead.

Drought – Meanwhile, new drought measures have been introduced in the Alpes-Maritimes which are in force until October 15th. The Prefecture said that rainfall in September is still largely in deficit being down by 35% compared to the average. It said that the localized rainfall in August relieved the levels of certain superficial watercourses on a temporary basis but did not allow the underlying trend to be permanently reversed. Full details of the restrictions, including a map of affected areas, can be found on the prefecture's website www.alpes-maritimes.gouv.fr

Man arrested on suspicion of having killed his partner - A 32-year-old man of Danish nationality, has been taken into custody in Antibes on suspicion of having killed his partner. The prosecutor in Grasse said that the man is suspected of having shot his partner and locked her body in a fridge which he then asked two acquaintances to take to the dump. The prosecutor said that analysis is currently underway to confirm if the body is that of the man's wife. Since the news broke on Tuesday neighbours in the picturesque district of Mandelieu La Napoule have been left in shock. The 32-year-old Dane was reportedly a wealthy drug addict and had been living in the area since December. The investigation continues.

Nursery pupil left on school bus - A 4-year-old child has spent the morning alone in a car park after being forgotten in the school bus. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when 4-year-old Laura was left behind on the school bus in Valdeblore in the hinterland of the Alpes Maritimes.

Nice attack trial - The special court in Paris which is hearing evidence about the Nice attack of 14 July 2016 has started hearing from civil parties. About three hundred people are due to testify over the next five weeks.

New measures to encourage cycling - The French government has announced new measures to encourage cycling. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that 250 million euros will be made available next year to develop cycling paths and secure car parks. One of the aims of the funding is to increase the use of cycling as a means of transport in rural areas.

King Charles III to visit France - According to British media, King Charles III will travel to France for his first state visit. Charles III has reportedly forged a strong link with French President Emmanuel Macron on environmental issues, a subject close to the heart of the new king. During the visit, the King is expected to draw attention to a major tree-planting program in Africa aimed at combating climate change. The ambitious project aims to plant a belt of trees across the entire African continent to halt the advance of the Sahara Desert. Queen Elizabeth II had not travelled abroad for seven years, due to her health.

Business

Clothing retailer Gap will cut roughly 500 office jobs as it pushes to cut costs in the face of falling sales. The move marks the latest shake-up at the company, following the departure of its chief executive this summer after her turnaround efforts flopped. Sales at the company, which also owns Banana Republic and Old Navy, are down roughly 10% from a year ago. Gap confirmed job cuts at its offices in New York, San Francisco and Asia.

It was a campaign promise from Emmanuel Macron and as part of the 2023 budget, presented next Monday, car leasing at 100 euros per month for an electric car will be possible from next year. After the ecological bonus and the conversion bonus, French people who want - or need to go electric with the rise of low-emission zones, nearly 50% of motorists will have to change cars by January 1, 2025,  - will soon be able to turn to a new formula: leasing at 100 euros per month. Maintenance would be included. At this price, the models offered will above all be city cars, such as the Dacia Spring, Renault Twingo, Peugeot e-208 or Fiat 500e. Manufacturers are already offering competitive offers on these models, at around 150 euros per month and banks are also embarking on the leasing of green cars, with current formulas over 7, 8 or 10 years, to lower the amount of the monthly payments as much as possible.

Sport

Football – Barcelona has recorded a profit of £86m for the last financial year and is expected to make a £240m profit next year. This summer the Spanish club were unable to register new players because of La Liga financial regulations having made a loss of £422m the previous year.

And South Africa has announced that it plans to bid to stage the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup. South Africa hosted the men's World Cup in 2010.

Cricket – Hales has led England to a historic T20 win in Pakistan. Chasing 159 to win, Hales hit seven fours in his first England appearance since 2019, when he was dropped from the World Cup squad for off-field issues.

Formula One - A record 24-race calendar has been confirmed by Formula 1's governing body for the 2023 season. The new race in Las Vegas and the return of Qatar and China makes next year the longest ever season despite the loss of the French Grand Prix. The season begins on 5 March and ends in on 26 November. Monaco and Belgium have retained their places after securing new contracts - Monaco's until 2025, Belgium's only for one year. The British Grand Prix will be held on 9 July.

Weather

Sunny intervals with highs of 25 degrees in Monaco, Nice and Antibes. 26 degrees in Saint Tropez with a fresh breeze. This evening going down to 18 degrees with clear skies.

Outlook for tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow mainly fine. Rather unsettled on Friday with rain forecast, highs of 25-26 degrees.

Sunrise     07.16hr              Sunset      19.29hr

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