Man hit by tram in Nice - A man has been hit by a tram in Nice. The accident occurred on Wednesday evening shortly after 8pm in the Saint-Roch district.
The tram service was severely disrupted while emergency services intervened. The victim was taken to hospital suffering from head injuries.
Coronavirus - According to figures from the Regional Health Agency, five people have died as a result of the coronavirus in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes in the last week. In its weekly report, the agency said that for several weeks the indicators of circulation of the virus have been falling or have remained low in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
However, the number of deaths increased slightly last week. There were four deaths in the Alpes Maritimes and one in the Var. There are currently 66 people in hospital with the virus in the Alpes Maritimes and 106 in the Var. Only one person is in intensive care in the Alpes Maritimes and four in the Var.
Nationwide, the death toll stands at 29,663 deaths in France and 197,251 cases.
The most affected countries are the United States (120,402 deaths), Brazil (51,271), the United Kingdom (42,647), Italy (34,657) and France (29,663).
Monaco - In Monaco one positive case of Covid-19 was reported on Wednesday. The number of cases in the Principality now stands at 102.
The total number of people who have recovered stands at 95 and there are no patients currently hospitalized in connection with the Covid-19 at the Princess Grace Hospital.
Two people are being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre which medically supports people with mild symptoms who are asked to self-isolate at home.
Salary increases for caregivers - France’s Health Minister has announced salary increases for caregivers. One month after the launch of the "Ségur de la santé", Olivier Véran on Wednesday said that six billion euros, is to be shared between hospitals and public nursing homes, as well as part of the private sector.
The sum includes a general increase in the salaries of public service employees in hospitals and nursing homes, a reevaluation of bonuses, as well as targeted increases in certain professions, which could be extended to the private sector taking effect from July 1st.
The French government plans to pay tribute to the caregivers on July 14th which is a national holiday in France, where the traditional military parade will be replaced by a ceremony on the place de la Concorde.
No charge for terrace extension - The mayor of Monaco has announced that the extension of terraces for restaurants in the Principality, due to the social distancing measures, will be free of charge until health measures are lifted.
The town hall of Monaco made the announcement on Tuesday granting free extensions of terraces to catering establishments.
Monaco follows in the footsteps of neighboring towns such as Cap-d'Ail, Beausoleil and La Turbie where mayors have adopted similar measures to facilitate the resumption of commercial activity.
Catering industry - Temporary workers in the catering industry have staged demonstrations in Cannes, Bordeaux and Paris today. They aim to draw attention to their lack of income during the coronavirus crisis and are demanding an extension of unemployment rights. In Paris, the demonstrators, many of whom served at state functions, gathered on the place de l' Hotel de Ville. Most of the protestors were dressed in their formal uniform of dark suit and bow tie or in chef's work attire.
Recall meat product – As a precaution six tonnes of mince meat has been recalled by meat manufacturer Elivia after metallic fragments were found in certain batches which had been marketed between June 17th and 19th.
The lots concerned were distributed in the Auchan, Carrefour, Cora, Casino, U and Lidl supermarkets. The possible fragments could measure "two centimeters" and would be "no thicker than a hair”.
Traffic disruption in Montauroux - Disruption is expected in Montauroux in the Var today as an operation to remove three large chlorine containers from the area around the well reservoir gets underway.
A 300 metre security perimeter will be established and local buildings will be evacuated as a precautionary measure. Nearby roads will be closed to traffic. A special telephone helpline has been set up by the municipality for further information - it's 04 94 50 41 00.
Heatwave - The heatwave is expected to continue over the next couple of days, with temperatures in some inland parts of the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region reaching 35 degrees today and tomorrow.
According to Météo France, the temperatures are two to four degrees above the seasonal norm but two to three degrees below last year's temperatures.
A "heat wave brigade" will be roaming the streets of Nice to encourage people, especially the elderly, to hydrate, while water fountains and mist machines have been set up throughout the city.
The rising temperatures have spurred fears the virus will again take hold as residents who have endured months of lockdown fail to respect social distancing rules.
Britain has instructed residents that face masks are now the “new normal” in Europe and should be considered as essential as a toothbrush when packing for summer holidays.
In France face masks are compulsory on public transport, including the Eurostar, for anyone aged over 11. Anyone caught without a mask risks a fine of €135.
Paris Orly to reopen - Orly airport in Paris is to reopen tomorrow Friday 26th June after shutting down on March 31st due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will be just a fraction of its normal flights operating.
Around 25 destinations are to be served via 70 takeoffs and landings. Officials expect around 8,000 passengers to pass through Orly on Friday, less than 10 percent of the daily average of around 90,000.
Increased traffic in July will depend on whether Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia reopen their borders.
Business
Asian markets have fallen this morning ,bonds are up and the US dollar firmed as surging cases of coronavirus in America ,global trade tensions and a downgrade on global growth from the International Monetary Fund dealt a serious knock to hopes of an economic recovery.
The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down by 0.7 percent on the opening while Australia’s ASX 200 tumbled 1.8 percent and US stock futures also fell. Markets in Hong Kong and mainland China are closed today for a public holiday.
Investors have become alarmed as several US states including Florida ,Oklahoma and South Carolina reported record increases in new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday and Australia reported its biggest daily rise in infections in two months.
The governors of New York ,New Jersey and Connecticut have ordered travellers from nine other states to quarantine on arrival and Texas has said that it’s also facing a “massive outbreak” with authorities considering localised lockdowns.
Meanwhile ,the IMF said on Wednesday that it now expects a deeper global recession with output to shrink by 4.9 percent this year -much sharper than the 3 percent contraction predicted in April.
Qantas is to cut 6,000 jobs as it bids to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
The cuts amount to around a fifth of the airline’s staff as the collapse in international travel devastates revenues.
Qantas says that it expects lower revenues for the next three years and it has been forced to become a smaller operation to survive.
Last week ,the Australian government said that its border will likely remain closed into next year.
A furlough on Qantas staff and its subsidiary Jetstar will continue until there are signs of a recovery. Some 80 percent of staff were placed on furlough in March.
And-The iconic camera maker Olympus is to sell off the photography part of its business after 84 years.
The firm said that despite its best efforts the digital camera market was no longer profitable.
Olympus said that the arrival of smartphones was a major factor in its decision and that it had recorded losses for the last three years.
The Japanese firm made its first camera in 1936 after years of microscope production.
The Semi-Olympus 1 featured an accordion-like fold-out camera bellows and cost more than a month’s wages in Japan.
The 1970’s was a high point in the firm’s history with its cameras advertised on television by David Bailey and Lord Litchfield.
Sport
Football-There were 5 games in the English Premier League last night with Liverpool moving to within 2 points of the title following a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace.
In the other results Manchester United beat Sheffield United 3-0.Newcastle and Aston Villa drew 1-1.Norwich seem doomed after losing 1-0 at home to Everton and Bournemouth are also in deep trouble after losing 1-0 at Wolves.
There are three games tonight.Burnley play Watford.Southampton face Arsenal and Chelsea host Manchester City.
Formula 1-McLaren are set to secure a loan from a Bahraini investment bank to solve the firm’s cash-flow problems.
The loan will come from the National Bank of Bahrain which is part-owned by the Gulf state’s sovereign investment fund which is the majority shareholder in the McLaren Group.
The move does not preclude McLaren continuing with legal action which it’s launched against a group of creditors.
Cricket-The former England captain Clare Connor has been named as the first female president of the MCC in its 233 year history.
The 43 year old will take up her new role in October.
The MCC currently has 18,000 members but only welcomed its first female full member in 2018 ,20 years after a vote to allow women to join.
Golf-The PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship will go ahead despite three individuals testing positive for coronavirus.
Cameron Champ along with caddies of Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka have all contracted the virus and have withdrawn from the event in Cromwell ,Connecticut.
The PGA Tour commissioner says that the news acts “as a stark warning” to comply with safety measures.
There have been 7 positive tests since the Tour resumed. Some players have been seen flouting social distancing rules and new safety measures are to be introduced.
Weather
Clear skies in coastal areas with light variable winds.
Top temperatures 28 degrees in coastal areas 31 degrees inland.
Overnight lows of 20 degrees on the coast and 16 degrees inland with clear skies.
Friday-Mainly fine with highs of 26-30 degrees.
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