The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi has asked the Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, to set up a permanent CRS police company in the Liserons area of Nice. The area has been the scene of several violent incidents over the past few days involving a stabbing and the use of firearms. The mayor said that he is also holding a meeting this evening with the Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes and the Nice Prosecutor to discuss security in the area.
The French Labour Ministry has confirmed that there will be no changes to partial unemployment on 1 July despite speculation that the rules would be changed. The ministry said that no changes were envisaged on 1 July to either the 70% level of coverage for employees or the 15% which employers have been obliged to contribute since the beginning of this month.
The French state is expected to give financial support to the SNCF after losses caused by the pandemic. The Minister of Public Accounts, Gerald Darmanin, said "a financial gesture" would be made after the company said the crisis had cost it 4 billion euros. Additional losses of about 1 billion euros also resulted from strikes over pension reforms at the end of last year. The minister said that he would hold a meeting with the head of the SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, in the next few days.
Police reinforcements are being sent to Dijon after violent scenes at the weekend. About one hundred people, some armed with baseball bats, congregated on the Place de la Republique in the centre of Dijon. The local prefect said that the violence appeared to be a settlement of accounts between members of the Chechen community and local residents. The police said that a man from the Chechen community had been assaulted last Wednesday.
A member of the French climbing team has died after falling in the Isere department over the weekend. Sixteen year old Luce Douady fell from a path between Saint-Pancrasse and Crolles, according to a statement from the French Federation of Mountain Climbing.
Another event has been cancelled in our region because of the pandemic. The Ramatuelle Jazz Festival was due to be held in August. Organizers said that multiple scenarios had been examined to try to allow the festival to take place and the decision to cancel had been made with much regret. The next edition is now being planned for 13-21 August 2021.
The Handiplage in Cannes has reopened today for the summer season. Created in 1997 and located on the Bijou Plage, the handiplage features equipment intended for people with disabilities. It's open until 15 September from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Prior appointments can be made on 04 93 06 31 98 or online at cannes.com. On-site registration is also possible. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance.
BUSINESS
BP has said that it sees the prospect of the pandemic having an enduring impact on the global economy, with the potential for weaker demand for energy for a sustained period. It has cut price forecasts by about 30%, and expects Brent crude to average $55 a barrel from now until 2050. As a result BP said that it will revise down the value of its assets by between $13bn and $17.5bn.
EasyJet plans to operate about 300 flights this week to 22 European airports, according to the Company's Chief executive. Speaking to the BBC, Johan Lundgren said that not operating flights since March had been "devastating" and he was not expecting a swift return to normal demand. Last week EasyJet, British Airways and Ryanair filed a formal legal challenge to the UK's 14 day quarantine rules which came into force last Monday.
Non-essential retailers in England have been allowed to re-open from today. Reports said that long queues formed outside some clothing retail chains before opening time this morning. Many major retailers with multiple stores are gradually opening stores on a phased basis. Clothing stores have been closed in England since 23 March because of the pandemic.
SPORT
Football....More than four hundred players have applied for financial assistance under a scheme set up by Fifa. There have been 441 applications so far to a fund that was sent up for players to claim unpaid wages from clubs. 89% of the applications have been from players at clubs in Europe.
The first Premier League pre-match news conferences have been held today since play stopped in March. Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said that goalkeeper Dean Henderson is on the verge of extending his loan deal from Manchester United until the end of the season. Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said that it will be an "honour" to participate in the first Premier League match for three months, when Villa play Sheffield United on Wednesday. He said that a couple of his players had doubts over returning to play but the Premier League "have done everything possible to make it as safe as an environment as possible".
Electric bike-sharing firm Pony says all of its vehicles will be back out on the streets of Nice no later than June, after they were withdrawn last mo...
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Gabriel Attal announced new measures In response to recent acts of violence among young people during a visit to Viry-Châtillon. Attal highlighted the...
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The owners of a vast floating artificial island that had been planned for last summer off the coast of Mandelieu have won a legal battle to be allowed...
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The Monegasque State has successfully conducted its first national voluntary surrender operation, with 123 firearms being handed over by private indiv...
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A hospital in Cannes has had to postpone all non-urgent consultations and operations after falling victim to a cyberattack....
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