Evening Update Wednesday 26 June

Education authorities have said that all schools in the Alpes Maritimes will be open as normal tomorrow and Friday. The Academy Inspector made the announcement this morning. He said that it had been possible to identify the small number of school buildings which are at risk during the heatwave and to take preventative measures, such as installing air conditioning, in those buildings. In the Var, however, several communes have decided to close schools tomorrow and Friday. Nationally, France is closing dozens of schools because of the heatwave. About 50 schools in the Essonne, just south of Paris, are being shut, as they lack sufficient air conditioning. Some schools will also be closed in the Val-de-Marne and Seine-et-Marne.  With temperatures set to reach the 40’s in many parts of France, La Poste has announced that its offering free visits to isolated people in an exceptional measure because of the heatwave.  Postal delivery personnel will be delivering health information about how to keep well in the heatwave, such as by maintaining healthy levels of hydration. They will also be able to call for backup from medical services. To benefit from the service it’s necessary to be entered on the "Prevention Canicule" file kept by local authorities. Also because of the heatwave, in Marseilles, only low pollution vehicles will be allowed into the city tomorrow. It’s the first time that the differentiated traffic plan has been activated in Marseille in an effort to reduce levels of pollutants during the heatwave. Paris has also announced the activation of a similar plan for vehicles entering the capital.

A woman has been airlifted to hospital by helicopter after an accident on the road between Salernes and Aups. The accident, which happened this morning, involved three vehicles and the circumstances are still being investigated.

The staff who operate the bars on TGV trains are on strike today. Despite the heatwave, it won’t be  possible to buy any food or drink on TGVs, so it’s a good idea to take plenty of food and water for your journey if you’re travelling by TGV today.

A court has ruled that the French state failed to take sufficient action to curb air pollution in Paris. The landmark decision concerns the case by a mother and daughter who said their health had deteriorated when living near a busy ring road in the city. According to the Public Health France agency, air pollution is responsible for 48,000 premature deaths every year.

 

BUSINESS

According to new data from professional services firm EY, there was a fall of 13 per cent in the number of new foreign direct investment projects in the UK last year. Despite the fall, the UK still remained the top destination in Europe for inward investment last year. Separate data has shown that the UK population grew at the slowest rate since 2004, that’s according to the ONS. The population was 66.4m in mid-2018, up 0.6% in a year.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has said that a trade deal between the US and China is "about 90% complete". But he did’t commment on the remaining points of disagreement. President Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to meet later this week at the G20 summit.

China has suspended some pork imports from Canada. Chinese authorities say that a banned feed additive was found in a batch of pork products exported from Canada. The move comes as political tensions between China and Canada have grown in recent months following the arrest of an executive of telecoms company Huawei in Vancouver.

The European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into US computer chip maker Broadcom. Broadcom supplies a variety of computer chips used in set-top boxes and modems. The EU suspects Broadcom of putting in place contractual restrictions that hamper rivals. Broadcom said that the accusations are “without merit”.

The Central Bank of Ireland has fined a unit of JP Morgan €1.6m for regulatory breaches. The central bank found what it called "serious failings" in the way JP Morgan Administration Services (Ireland) outsourced the administration of funds.

 

SPORT

Cricket… New Zealand are playing Pakistan in the World Cup today. New Zealand were 237 for 6 after their 50 overs.

Football… Manchester United have reached an agreement with Crystal Palace to sign England Under-21 international Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Reports say that United have offered him a long-term contract and up to £80,000 a week. He was only being paid £10,000 a week at Crystal Palace – the lowest paid member of the team.

Tennis…. World number two Rafael Nadal has been seeded third for Wimbledon this year behind Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Wimbledon seeding for men is different from the other Grand Slams in that it doesn’t always follow world rankings and is affected by grass-court performances. Women’s seeding follows world rankings. Nadal has said that the seeding at Wimbledon “doesn’t seem right”. Meanwhile, British number one Johanna Konta's final tournament before Wimbledon ended in defeat today by world number 62 Ons Jabeur in the third round at Eastbourne.

 

 

 

Last local news

Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024

Seven people have been questioned by police in a fraud investigation relating to the loss of almost half a million euros by Nice university hospital.... Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024

France's prime minister Gabriel Attal has announced that a teenage girl who falsely accused her headteacher of striking her in a heated exchange over... French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has asked for national police reinforcements to help bring the Les Moulins housing estate under control.... Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024

The headmaster of a high school in Paris has resigned after receiving death threats on social media following an altercation with a student, which dat... French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024

More than 20 secondary schools on the Riviera have been targeted by bomb alerts today, forcing some of them to stay closed all day.... Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024 Read More

26/03/2024