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Month: July 2023

Multiple forest fires recorded in the Alpes-Maritimes, one still burns to the north of Nice 

by: Elsa Carpenter
26/07/2023
forest fires alpes-maritimes

Four separate forest fires ignited in the Alpes-Maritimes on Tuesday, another began overnight and one is still causing problems in the Bairols area. Here’s what you need to know. 

The Sapeurs Pompiers 06 were called out to four fires across the region on Tuesday 25th July as high winds swept through the Alpes-Maritimes.  

The two smaller fires in Gréolières and Moulinet appear to have been brought under control fairly quickly, however a site in Cagnes sur Mer caused considerable problems for the firefighting service given the densely populated zone.  

The fire swept through 10 hectares of land near the Moulins du Loup in Cagnes sur Mer during the afternoon and, intensely aware of the urban context of the site, a large deployment of some 100 firefighters was sent to tackle the blaze. Access to the north side of the A8 motorway was temporarily halted and train services were similarly affected. Thankfully, no homes were threatened by the fire, which is now under control.   

The, overnight, a fire started in the Chemin du Faliconnet area of Falicon to the north of Nice. Around 120 firefighters were drafted in to halt the fire, which threatened several homes, and 50 or so personnel were reportedly still on site in the early hours of Wednesday 26th July. The fire appears to have been successfully brought under control by mid-morning.  

However, up in the Bairols commune to the northwest of Nice, an estimated 30 hectares of land has been burned. The complexity of access to this remote and mountainous site meant that firefighters had to be dropped by helicopter near the flames and then proceed on foot on Tuesday 25th July, but as high winds continued into the afternoon, aerial support was also drafted in to drop water on the fire. Around 50 personnel are believed to still be in the area, tackling the remains of the fire.  

 

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Photo source: Département des Alpes-Maritimes

Receipts will cease to be automatically given out in France from August

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/07/2023
receipts france

As part of plans to cut back on unnecessary waste, French vendors will stop giving customers printed register receipts unless specifically asked from 1st August.  

According to the French government, 30 billion receipts from shops, restaurants, cashpoints and vouchers are printed every year in France, and the vast majority are headed straight for the bin.  

As a way to cut back on this colossal waste of paper, the French government has said that, from 1st August, printed register receipts should no longer be automatically given to consumers, though they will be available upon request in certain situations.  

ORIGINS 

This change in policy stems from a law adopted in February 2020, known as the AGEC law. This law contains roughly 50 anti-waste measures and ways to strive for a more circular economy. In addition to the soon-to-be introduced receipt policy, the AGEC covers bans on single-use plastics, increased support for companies with eco-friendly initiatives, and environmental and health awareness raising campaigns.  

HOW IT WORKS 

This is pretty straightforward. No receipts will be automatically printed from: any establishment open to the public; bank card and ticket machine purchases; places issuing vouchers promoting price reductions for future buys; and the like.  

As with any rule, there are exceptions and there are several specific instances where receipts will still be issued as standard. This is in the case of a consumer buying products or services requiring proof such as for products under legal warranty, weighed products, services of an amount greater than or equal to €25, cash within the catering and hotel sector, and for access to goods or services, like at motorway toll booths or for parking. Merchants must also provide a receipt for cancelled or incomplete sales, as well as refunds or transfers of funds.  

 

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Photo source: Simon Kadula, Unsplash

Basketball: NBA legend Kemba Walker signs for Monaco

by: Luke Entwistle
25/07/2023
Kemba Walker for the Charlotte Hornets

AS Monaco Basketball have pulled off the signing of the summer, bringing NBA legend Kemba Walker to the Principality on a one-year deal. 

A four-time NBA all-star, the highest scorer in the history of the Charlotte Hornets, and with  starts in the most prestigious league in the world, Walker will arguably become the most high-profile basketballer to ever grace the French game.

Alongside Mike James, Jordan Loyd and Élie Okobo, the signing of Walker means that the Roca Team now possess the most frightening backline in the Euroleague. Monaco somewhat overperformed in getting to the Euroleague Final Four last season, and it is increasingly clear that they will be gunning for the title this time around.

“I want to help build something”

33-year-old Walker is a stunning addition to the team, although there are doubts over his fitness. The American was limited to just nine games with the Dallas Mavericks last season due to knee issues. A fit and firing Walker would spell danger for Monaco’s rivals, whilst the player’s mere arrival raises the profile of the club globally, and his presence is certain to ensure sell-out crowds at the Salle Gaston Médecin year-long.

Speaking to the club’s official channels, Walker said that Monaco’s “belief” in him was a major factor in trading the NBA for the Euroleague.

“The club were really interested in me. I just wanted to be part of a club that wanted me, that believed in me. I could see that the management thought that I could help them reach another level. That convinced me to join Monaco,” he said. “I want to help build something.”

Walker is joining a blossoming project in the Principality; it was not so long ago that the Roca Team were toiling in France’s lower divisions.

A future return to the NBA?

Whilst Walker has only just left the USA, there is understandable curiosity surrounding his long-term future. For now, however, the American is focusing on his objectives in Monaco before committing to a future return to the NBA.

“I’m not sure [about a return to the NBA]. The NBA is the main objective, but I have played there for many years. For now, I’m fully focused on my new adventure,” he said.

Perhaps Walker is in Monaco for a good time, not for a long time. It is still too early to tell, but he is looking forward to the start of the season and all that that may bring.

“We’re going to have good times. I can’t wait for it to get started,” concluded the Roca Team’s star signing.

 

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Photo credit: Keith Allison

France to plant a billion trees and increase protected sites with new biodiversity pact

by: Elsa Carpenter
25/07/2023
france biodiversity

France has announced a 39-measure National Strategy for Biodiversity that focuses on reducing pressures on the environment and restoring degraded ecosystems. 

A total of 39 new measures are being initiated by the French government in an effort to preserve the country’s biological diversity for future generations and overall environmental wellbeing.  

Mainland France and its oversea territories are home to a staggering 10% of known flora and fauna – that’s 180,000 different species – and in excess of 600 new species are discovered every year, predominantly in the country’s overseas territories.   

To protect these natural treasures, many of which are under threat and considered endangered, the government is now working to preserve the environment with the “National Strategy for Biodiversity” plan that was presented at the most recent meeting of the National Biodiversity Committee on 20th July. 

THE SCHEME 

The plan is centred on four main axes: to reduce pressure on the environment, restore degraded ecosystems, mobilise all players, and to have the ways and means to fulfil these ambitions.  

“An integral part of ecological planning, our national biodiversity strategy follows a strong ambition: to stop and then reverse the collapse of living organisms within a decade,” said Élisabeth Borne, the French prime minister, as she unveiled the project.  

Some of the more proactive measures include strengthening the fight against plastic pollution, combating widespread light pollution, better managing invasive species, and accelerating the country’s agroecological transition. 

ON LAND AND AT SEA

France is also seeking to considerably increased the number and volume of protected sites within its land and sea borders, and around 400 new sites are expected to be within these protections by 2027. 

By 2030, the goal is to have 30% of French territory classed as protected as well as all of its coral reefs. France currently controls about 10% of all coral reefs in the world.  

The government also intends to plant a billion trees by the end of the decade in addition to 50,000 kilometres of native hedgerow species.  

 

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Photo source: Ray Ziak, Unsplash

A breakdown of Monaco’s temporary workforce

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/07/2023

Temporary work still accounts for a large proportion of the jobs on offer in Monaco, according to the latest IMSEE report, and the majority filling those positions are still men. Here are some other interesting facts.

By the end of 2022, temporary employment agencies in Monaco had registered 6,117 employees on their books, a figure which jumped to around 6,700 in the busy month of July. It equates to 11% of the total private sector workforce in the Principality, and generated €244.3 million in turnover.

Male dominated sectors

The report by Monegasque statistics group IMSEE showed that 84.5% of these temporary employees were male. This proportion is much higher than in the private sector as a whole, where 61.1% are men.

Meanwhile, the average age of a temporary worker in Monaco last year was 40.6 years, which is almost two years younger than the overall average.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost all of the 6,117 employees resided outside of the Principality in 2022, including 14% in Italy and 15.3% in one of the four neighbouring French municipalities.

Most of the temporary employees – 4,100 – lived in the Alpes-Maritimes beyond the neighbouring communes. About 100 lived in Monaco.

Less than half are French nationals

Perhaps more surprising is the fact that 42% of temporary workers are French, whereas this nationality accounts for more than 60% of the total workforce in the private sector. Portuguese workers are significantly represented in the temporary work sector, with 1,300 people, or 21.3% of the total, making them the second most common temporary workers in Monaco. 15.9% of temporary workers are Italian, a proportion similar to the overall figure.

“Monegasques are practically absent from the population of employees of temporary work agencies,” said IMSEE in its report.

Construction is biggest sector

While the majority of working contracts were signed at the beginning of the calendar year, May and September also saw the start of a large number of temporary assignments.

Construction remains, by far, the major economic sector that makes the most use of temporary work. 43% of all assignments in 2022 were carried out on behalf of companies whose main activity belongs to this sector, accounting for almost two-thirds of all days worked by temporary staff.

Meanwhile, the accommodation and food service activities sector regained its position as the second-largest provider of temporary jobs, which it held before the Covid crisis.

Financial and insurance activities and information and communication are the two sectors that make the least use of temporary work, each accounting for less than 1% of temporary assignments in 2022.

Who is most in demand?

Qualifications including labourer, waiter/waitress, cleaner, formworker, warehouse worker and bricklayer were most in demand in 2022.

Almost half of all temporary work assignments, 48.1%, lasted between one and seven days, while very short-term assignments of just one day accounted for 28%. The largest number of single-day contracts were in the food and beverage service activities, accounting for more than 86% in 2022.

In contrast, construction accounted for only 7.4% of one-day assignments.

 

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Photo by Monaco Life

 

 

A Michelin star-studded Festival des Etoilés is returning to Monaco this autumn

by: Elsa Carpenter
25/07/2023
festival des etoiles

The biggest haute cuisine names in Monaco will come together this autumn for the Festival des Etoilés, a series of exceptional evenings of gastronomy and art de vivre. Here’s what we know so far. 

The 2023 Festival des Etoilés – or Festival of the Starred – will follow a similar format to the two incredibly popular editions that went before it: a Michelin-starred chef from one of Société des Bains de Mer’s (SBM) top restaurants will partner with another internationally-recognised talent for two nights of glorious haute cuisine dining ahead of a grand finale featuring a number of Monaco’s most iconic chefs.  

Last year saw Yannick Alléno, Alain Ducasse, Dominique Lory and Marcel Ravin put their heads together for the menu of the black-tie closing night – a stunning culmination of weeks of fine dining across the Principality – and several of these chefs will be participating again in the third edition.  

Michelin-starred chefs from across the Principality

Already confirmed is the two Michelin-starred Ravin of the Blue Bay, who will join with three Michelin-starred Julien Royer, a French chef most well-known for his prized Odette in Singapore and for having won Les Grandes Tables’ “Restaurateur of the Year 2022”. Together they will launch the festival on 29th and 30th September at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. Their menu, which will be taking on the theme of “Garden Gastronomy”, will be available on both nights and costs €690 per person with food and the Grand Cru Champagne pairing of La Grande Dame cuvée from Maison Veuve Clicquot.  

Next up on 13th and 14th October is a collaboration between the Hôtel de Paris’ Lory and British chef Jason Atherton. For €450 at Le Grill, the duo will be serving up “a moment of conviviality and generosity” on the eighth floor of this prestigious address.  

Then on 27th and 28th October, Emmanuel Pilon of Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris and Amaury Bouhours, Head Chef at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse in Paris, will host another round of exceptional cookery inspired by the Mediterranean and “cuisine de l’essentiel” in the presence of the celebrated Ducasse. Each seat costs €900, including drinks.

The grand finale gala dinner

This year’s Festival des Etoilés is set to wrap up on 11th November with a gala dinner in the Salle Empire of the Hôtel de Paris. Ducasse himself will be cooking alongside Pilon, Ravin, Alléno and Lory as SBM’s greatest chefs present a menu of their own signature dishes.

The prices and entertainment for the night is yet to be confirmed, but stay tuned as Monaco Life will be giving you the low down as soon as we know all the details. 

Reservations can already be made for the first three occasions via the SBM website, which is available here.

 

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Photo credit: Vergely Benjamin / Monte-Carlo SBM