French and Riviera News Wednesday 5th February 2020

Local

School evacuated following strong winds - 90 pupils have been evacuated from a primary school in Grasse after fears that strong winds which hit the region on Tuesday threatened to cause the roof to collapse.

Storm Hérvé hit Corsica on Tuesday with winds of up to 195km/hr leading to a fire ravaging more than 1,000 hectares of vegetation. More than 200 firefighters were deployed. No injuries were reported. The weather warning has since been lifted in Corsica but however remains in place for north eastern France due to the risk of flooding.  

Meanwhile a report has shown that January 2020 was the hottest January ever recorded on the planet with

most areas around the world experiencing above average temperatures. Europe recorded temperatures of 3.1 degrees above the average for the 1981-2010 reference period.

Cigarette trafficking - A docker from the port of Marseille and two other suspects have appeared in court for cigarette trafficking. The docker was arrested while unloading 550 cartons of cigarettes from a van. Two other suspects were also arrested, including a seller at the flea market, already known to the police.

The value of the goods seized is estimated at 27,500 euros. In addition, 3,900 euros in cash was also discovered in the van. Figures show that 6000 cartons have been seized since May last year.

Air France names new plane - In line with tradition Air France has always named its aircrafts after a French city and the most recent addition to its fleet, the 350th model of the A350 recently delivered is to be named after Nice. The aircraft left the manufacturers site in Toulouse on Tuesday and will soon be in operation. The model is considered the flagship of aviation consuming 25% less fuel with a reduced noise pollution footprint of 40%.

Winter sales - Figures published have shown that the winter sales in France have been rather disappointing. This year for the first time in France the time allocated to the sales period was slashed from 6 to 4 weeks. The results have shown an average drop of 4% compared to last year.

Bal de la Rose from Bollywood to Monaco - Bal de la Rose goes Bollywood. This year Monaco’s Bal de la Rose is to take its inspiration from Bollywood. After last year’s tribute to the Riviera this year a theme that promises floods of colour will open the summer season in the Principality on the 21st March. Chaired by Princess Caroline and following the departure of designer Karl Lagerfeld, who had for many years, supervised the artistic direction, Princess Caroline has called on designer Christian Louboutin, famous worldwide for his luxury shoes with red soles. Funds raised at the event will as every year be donated to the Princess Grace Foundation

National

Investigation into sexually assault - Prosecutors in France have opened an investigation after a champion figure skater accused her former coach of sexually assaulting her as a teenager. In an autobiography Sarah Abitbol alleges that Gilles Beyer first raped her when she was aged 15. Mr Beyer has admitted to "intimate" and "inappropriate" relations with her, and said he was "sincerely sorry". As part of their investigation, prosecutors said they would try to establish if anyone else was abused.

Speed limit - As some departments in France are set to reverse the speed limit of 80km/h back to 90 the French government has released figures showing that the number of road deaths in 2019 reached its lowest historic level in mainland France, a figure attributed by the government to lowering the limit.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said with 3,239 killed, road mortality in France has reached a "historically low" figure. Results which are the fruit of "a proactive policy", he insisted, defending the lowering from 90 to 80km / h of the maximum speed on secondary roads.

Food and health agency warn of virus – The French food and health agency has warned that tomatoes, peppers and chilli peppers in France are at “high risk” from a new virus that currently has no cure.

The virus was first identified in the Middle East in 2014 and has since spread worldwide.  In a report published on Tuesday the agency said that although the virus had not yet reached France, it was at “high risk” of the infection spreading, as much among home gardeners as professional producers. Although the virus is not dangerous for humans or animals, or to anyone who consumes it, it does pose a threat to growing fruit and vegetables, and spreads easily between plants, attacking the entire plant from root to leaf.

Outrage in France’s world of wine - Outrage has broken out in France’s wine world after a report from experts recommended that the official wine map for Burgundy be redrawn.

Its most controversial recommendation is that producers in Beaujolais appellation be allowed to produce wines labelled Bourgogne, and that wines around the town of Dijon and the appellation Chablis, long associated with Burgundy wines, be excluded. 

In total 64 communes will no longer be able to call their wines Bourgogne if the report is accepted. The financial implications for producers and traders are apparently huge, as Burgundy wines are some of the most expensive in the world.

Business

Shares in the electric vehicle maker Tesla have risen by 14 percent taking the value of the company to more than 150 billion dollars.

Telsa’s share price has now tripled in the last three months ,vastly outperforming Wall Street predictions and now ranks as the world’s second most valuable car company.

Just two years ago ,Telsa was struggling ,reporting annual losses and facing a cash crunch amid production delays and heavy spending.

The numbers have now improved with the firm reporting two quarters of growth and its new factory in Shanghai up and running quicker than expected.

Buyer demand has remained strong despite fears of a downturn

Some analysts think however ,that investors are buying Tesla over a sense of ‘fear of missing out’ and that the stock may be overvalued.

Claims made by the budget airline Ryanair about its carbon emissions have been banned by the UK advertising watchdog.

Ryanair has been billing itself as Europe’s “lowest emissions airline” and a “low CO2 emissions airline” but the UK Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the firm’s claims in radio and television adverts can’t be backed up.

The airline has hit back and said in a statement that customers could halve their carbon footprint by switching to its services.

Complaints about the advertising campaign said that the adverts were misleading and could not be substantiated.

Ryanair said that it would comply with the ruling but insists that its emissions per passenger are 25 percent lower than other airlines.

And-Ikea has announced that its to shut its Coventry city centre store in the UK this summer.

It’s the first time that the firm has closed a large UK outlet and said that the Coventry store had made consistent losses since it opened in 2007 and that fewer people were visiting it than had been expected.

Ikea said that it would be talking to the 352 workers affected with a view to finding them other positions.

Ikea has 22 stores in the UK and says that it remains committed to growth in the country.

Sport

Football-There were 5 FA Cup 4th round replays in England last night.

Birmingham beat Coventry 4-1 on penalties after the score was tied at 2-2 after extra time.Reading beat Cardiff 4-1 on penalties after the score was tied at 3-3 after extra time.Derby beat Northampton 4-2.Liverpool were 1-0 winners over Shrewsbury Town and Newcastle beat Oxford United 3-2 in extra time.

There’s one 4th round replay tonight.Spurs play Southampton.

Cricket-South Africa have beaten England by 7 wickets in the first one day international in Cape Town.

England were put into bat and made a bright start but were pegged back by some fine bowling and fielding by the home side.They struggled to 258-8 from their 50 overs before South Africa cruised to victory with a total of 259-3 from 47.4 overs.

The second match is being played in Durban on Friday.

Rugby Union-Peter O’Mahony and Robbie Henshaw will return for Ireland in Saturday’s 6 Nations clash against Wales.

Coach Andy Farrell makes the changes with both Garry Ringrose and Caelan Doris out through injury.

Conor Murphy will start at scrum half with John Cooney on the bench.

Formula 1-Max Verstappen says that he can beat Lewis Hamilton if he’s given the right car.

The Red Bull star says that he’s feeling good about the new season and that Lewis is “not god”.

Verstappen said that Mercedes could be beaten if Red Bull can put them under more pressure.

There have been reports that the gaps between the leading cars will be much smaller in the coming season.

Weather.

Clear skies with light easterly or variable winds.

Top temperature 16 degrees.

Overnight lows of 7 degrees on the coast and 4 degrees inland with clear skies.

Thursday and Friday-Hazy sunshine tomorrow ,fine on Friday with highs of 14-15 degrees.

Finally 

Recent study shows that buying fancy stuff might just be making us miserable. Luxury purchases should make us feel like a million bucks, but impostor syndrome is at work even while we’re shopping according to recent research from Boston College and Harvard Business School.

Research has shown that psychological effects of buying a fancy new treat are often neither positive nor neutral. For most, owning luxury items actually make us feel bad.

The study determined that feelings of impostor syndrome are prevalent across age and income demographics.

The one factor researchers determined could reduce feelings of imposter syndrome is “an inherent sense of psychological entitlement”. Entitlement manifested in one-third of research subjects and was evaluated via the psychological entitlement scale, a test that includes items like: “If I were on the Titanic, I’d deserve to be on the first lifeboat,” or “Great things should come my way.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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