Lunchtime News Tuesday 21st December 2021

News

Man dies after falling from his electric scooter - A 47-year-old man has died after falling off his electric scooter. The accident occurred in the early hours of this morning on Avenue Jean Medecin in Nice. Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Level 5 triggered in hospitals in the PACA region as they struggle to cope with the wave of covid patients - The regional health agency for the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region has triggered level 5 in the region's hospitals. This is the highest level triggered in order to cope with hospital admissions and due to the new wave of covid patients all non-urgent intervention have been deprogrammed. The lack of beds, as well as staff has led to the decision and according to Professor Richard Nicollas, medical director of the Covid 19 crisis at the AP-HM (University Hospitals of Marseille) this is a critical situation, reminiscent of the first wave of March 2020.

Investigation opened into health passes - Meanwhile an investigation has been opened after several doctors from Nice have been victims of a vast fraud in health passes. Head of the Nice prosecutor's office Xavier Bonhomme, estimates that several hundred "real fake health passes" have been created, and sold for "several hundred euros". To obtain the fake passes the fraudsters connected to the platform using a real doctor's identification able to provide a "real fake health pass" within hours. According to the latest figures from France's Ministry of the Interior, 182,000 fake health passes have been issued since June throughout France.

Paris cancels New Year celebrations - The city of Paris has announced the cancellation of the fireworks and concerts planned on the Champs-Elysées for New Year's Eve, in order to apply the measures requested by the French government in the fight against the spread of covid. In a statement the town hall said that "in view of the resurgence of the pandemic and the new government announcements, the City of Paris regrets having to cancel all the festivities planned on the Champs-Élysées on December 31st".

Three most expensive cities in France are in the Alpes Maritimes and the Var - According to a recent survey carried out by "MeilleursAgents" the three most expensive cities in France, in terms of real estate, are in the Alpes Maritimes and the Var ahead of the French capital, Paris. With an average price per square metre of 15,142 euros it is Saint Jean Cap Ferrat which comes first followed by Ramatuelle and then Saint Tropez. Paris comes in 7th place with an average of 10,275 euros per square metre.

"Merry Christmas" - The very first message received on a mobile phone on December 3, 1992, will be put up for sale today Tuesday 21st December, by the operator Vodafone in the form of an NFT. "Merry Christmas" is probably what hundreds of thousands of French people will wish via text on Christmas Eve. But it is also the message that appeared in the very first SMS in history, on an Orbitel 901 phone by Richard Jarvis, at the time director of the operator Vodafone. The historic text will be auctioned in France today with an estimated sale price of between 100,000 and 200,000 euros. In a statement, Vodafone pledged to donate the entire amount raised to the UN refugee agency.

 

 

 

 

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