Natural disaster decree passed after mid-October storms - 32 municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes have been officially recognised as natural disaster zones following the Mediterranean episode which brought severe storms in mid-October. The state of natural disaster, which has been published in a decree in the Official Journal, makes it easier and quicker for property-owners to be compensated by their insurer for damage. The 32 affected towns in the Alpes-Maritimes, including Grasse and Nice, were particularly badly affected by flash-flooding and mudslides during the storms which hit the Riviera between 16th and 20th October. Property-owners now have 10 days to submit the necessary information to their insurer to file a claim. Insurers must reimburse within three months, except in cases of force majeure. Across France, 380 towns have been decreed as natural disaster zones, across 11 different departments in the south and centre of the country. The full list in the Alpes-Maritimes: Aiglun, Ascros, Aspremont, Auribeau-sur-Siagne, Bar-sur-Loup, Bonson, Le Broc, Carros, Châteauneuf-Grasse, Cipières, Coursegoules, Cuébris, Entraunes, Falicon, La Gaude, Gilette, Gourdon, Grasse, Gréolières, Guillaumes, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Mouans-Sartoux, Nice, Opio, Pégomas, Peymeinade, Roquestéron, La Roquette-sur-Siagne, Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Vence
Insurers refuse to protect Breil-sur-Roya - In related news, the mayor of Breil-sur-Roya has spoken of his anger after learning that the town's insurer has refused to carry on insuring the town's buildings after Storm Alex in 2020. At the end of this calendar year, all public buildings will no longer be protected against damage. The town launched a new call for tenders to find a replacement insurance company, but no one came forward.
Donations appeal for Valencia flood victims - Meanwhile, the Alpes-Maritimes branch of the Secours Populaire aid organisation has launched an appeal for donations to help those affected by the severe flooding in Spain, in which at least 217 people have died. Tomorrow afternoon, the charity's volunteers will be asking passers-by to donate money on Place Masséna in Nice. It's also possible to make a donation via the Secours Populaire website. The charity says the images coming out of Valencia are a haunting reminder of Storm Alex, which devastated the Riviera in October 2020.
Former Marseille football boss's home searched - Investigators have searched the home of a former president of Marseille football club as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and misappropriation of public funds. Vincent Labrune, who was Marseille boss from 2011 to 2016, is the current president of the Professional Football League. The league's headquarters in Paris were also searched. The investigation comes a week after the publication of a damning report by the Senate into the governance of French professional football.
Nice five-star hotel opening delayed - The opening of a new five-star hotel in Nice has been delayed by a few days as the finishing touches are not yet completed. The Maison Albar - Le Victoria, on Avenue de Suède, was due to open on Monday. This has now been postponed by a few days - although the exact opening date has not yet been confirmed.
€58,000 jackpot at Antibes casino - A regular at a casino in Antibes has walked away with a jackpot of €58,819. The woman, who has been a loyal customer at La Siesta for 30 years, won her first big jackpot on a slot machine and turned up at the casino this week to be presented with her cheque. It's the second biggest jackpot recorded at the casino this year, after another lucky visitor won €59,513 in early January.
Cannes has most hairdressers per capita - A new ranking has aimed to discover in which French city people have the most stylish hair - by analysing the number of hairdressers per number of inhabitants. A location-based marketing agency has drawn up a ranking of the 50 cities in France with the most hairdressers per capita, using population data from Insee and business data from Sirene. Cannes comes top nationwide, with one hairdresser for every 286 inhabitants. Mandelieu-la-Napoule is seventh nationally, with one hairdresser for every 356 people, followed in eighth place by Six-Four-les-Plages in the Var.
BUSINESS
TikTok is being sued by seven families in France, who accuse the social media giant of exposing their children to harmful content - leading two to take their own lives. The case alleges the video platform's algorithm exposed them to content promoting self-harm, eating disorders and suicide, according to a lawyer for the families. She told French media that the lawsuit was the first of its kind in Europe. TikTok, which is one of the world's most popular social media platforms, said it had not received any notifications of legal proceedings relating to the claims.
Financial markets yesterday were in a state of high excitement over the race to the White House. Market volatility has been picking up in recent days, as investors have tried to assess the winner of the presidential election, and how congressional elections would play out too. Anxiety over the election has already contributed to US government bonds suffering their worst month in two years in October.
A £15bn merger between two of the UK's biggest mobile networks could get the green light - if they stick to their commitments to invest in the country's infrastructure. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the merger of Vodafone and Three had "the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector". Announced last year, the proposed £15bn merger would bring 27 million customers together under a single provider. The watchdog previously warned that tens of millions of mobile phone users could end up paying more if the merger went ahead. However, the two groups recently set out plans to protect consumer pricing and boost network investment.
SPORT
Cycling - Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy has given his first interview since announcing that his cancer was terminal. When the 48-year-old first made the announcement two weeks ago, it prompted a near eight-fold increase in NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms among the public over the following days. In his first TV interview,, Sir Chris told the BBC of the "absolute shock and horror" he felt at his initial diagnosis and having to break the news to their two young children. But he also speaks about how the family are dealing with their situation, the outpouring of support they have received and how he is focusing on the positives and the good he hopes can come from it. The Olympic cycling champion urged men with a family history of prostate cancer to see their GP for a blood test even if they are under 50. The British health secretary has ordered the NHS to review its guidance on testing for prostate cancer in light of Sir Chris Hoy’s “powerful” call for men to be screened in their 40s.
Tennis - Defending champion Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ATP Finals because of an "ongoing injury". The 37-year-old Serb, who has won a record seven titles at the event, had already qualified as the sixth best player on the ATP Tour this season. Djokovic, who has won a record 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles, indicated last month that competing in the tour's year-end finals was not a priority. The former world number one reiterated he wants to focus on the Grand Slams as he looks to prolong his career. It means his next tournament is likely to be the Australian Open, which starts on 12 January.
WEATHER
Sunny spells today, becoming cloudier to the west of the Var later this afternoon. Light variable winds and temperatures reaching 19 degrees Celsius. It'll be a partly cloudy night with light winds and overnight temperatures going down to 14 degrees Celsius on the coast and 10 inland. The outlook for Thursday: again, sunny spells, occasional light cloud, some strong winds on the Var coast in the afternoon and 20 degrees Celsius.
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