Local
Missing person - Police have launched a missing person appeal following the disappearance of 41 year Sébastien Bailet from Nice. Bailet had arranged to meet his brother at Monaco train station on Monday morning but failed to show up. Sébastian is bald with brown eyes and was last seen wearing a blue jacket, jeans and trainers. Anyone with any information is invited to contact the police.
Toddler attacked by dog - A toddler has been hospitalized in Nice after being attacked by a dog. The incident happened in Grasse after a dispute between neighbours degenerated leading to the german shepherd dog biting the young child 56 times. Police have launched an investigation into the attack.
Artisan dies in Cannes - A 47 year old self-employed man from Grasse has died after falling under his utility van. The accident occurred in Cannes on Tuesday morning. Local residents alerted the emergency services. The victim later died from his injuries in hospital.
Security in Nice - Local MP Eric Ciotti has called for action from the state and the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi in order to tackle the “violence on the streets of Nice”. Ciotti evokes “a climate of insecurity in Nice” referring to two recent stabbings.
Wi-fi terminals in the region - It’s been announced that 37 communes in the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region including 18 in the Var are to benefit from a wi-fi terminal. The project will see some 3.400 towns in Europe be given 10,000 from the European Union to install wi-fi terminals in a public area of their choice.
Cost of an MOT - According to figures published on Tuesday the cost of an MOT for motorists has increased by 12% following a government reform implemented in May last year. According to the study the rise varies greatly between different departments in France with the Var being one of the hardest hit showing a rise of more than 16%.
Donation - In a controversial measure, the Nice-Côte d'Azur metropolitan council has voted in favour of donating over half a million euros to the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral. The amount to be donated represents one euro per inhabitant of the Métropole Nice-Côte d'Azur.
Cannes Film Festival - American actress Elle Fanning, 21, the youngest member of the Cannes Festival jury has fainted during the Chopard Trophy. Fanning who stared alongside Angelina Jolie in the blockbuster “Maleficent” was evacuated by security services and later posted on social media that “all was well”. The actress will join Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer in London next week for the filming of the sequel to "Maleficent".
And all’s well that ends well. The giant iconic Magnum stick which went missing at the weekend, during the Cannes Film Festival, has been returned, all be it with a bit missing. It was an antique dealer that spotted the object in a bin not far from the Croisette. The brand has thanked the man, who will no doubt be rewarded with an ice cream or two.
National
European elections - It’s been reported that British expats in France may risk not getting a vote in Thursday's European elections because their postal voting forms have arrived late, or not at all. Reports say that some local councils used a postal service called Adare, rather than Royal Mail, to send them. Voters must have their papers back in the UK by election day. Adare said all ballots were posted "in line with the election and council timetables".
Meanwhile former Trump campaign guru Steve Bannon is making a surprise cameo in France’s European election campaign, to help ally Marine Le Pen win. As Bannon’s controversial visit continued on Monday, Le Pen told franceinfo she only learned about his visit through the media. She said the former Donald Trump aide had “no role in the National Rally campaign” and said she last met with him three months ago. “He is in Paris for business because he is in the process of selling one of his companies to a big French bank, so it has strictly nothing to do with the campaign,”. Bannon, meanwhile, was singing Le Pen’s praises, simultaneously on another channel.
Eiffel Tower - The man who climbed the Eiffel tower on Monday, resulting in the monument being evacuated has been identified as a Russian asylum seeker. The man spent nearly six hours hanging on the Eiffel Tower, having climbed the famous monument with his bare hands, which caused the closure and evacuation of the tourist building.
Business
Some of the world’s largest footwear firms are urging President Trump to end the US trade war with China warning that it will have a “catastrophic” effect on consumers.
A letter signed by 173 firms including Nike and Adidas says that Mr Trump’s decision to hike import tariffs to 25 percent will have a big impact on working class people.
The letter also warns that the higher levies could threaten the future of some businesses and calls for an end to the trade war.
Mr Trump has said that firms can reduce their costs by shifting production to the United States..
China and the United States are due to meet again to discuss trade at the G20 Summit in Japan next month.
The future of British Steel is hanging in the balance this morning after the firm said that it needed 75 million pounds to help it deal with “Brexit related issues”.
5,000 jobs are at risk if the firm doesn’t get the money and another 20,000 who work in the supply chain are also vulnerable.
British Steel has asked the UK government for a loan of 30 million pounds to keep it going and the opposition Labour Party has called on the company to be nationalised.
Last month ,British Steel borrowed 100 million pounds from the government to enable it to pay its EU carbon bill in order to avoid a heavy fine.
The government said on Tuesday that it would leave “no stone unturned” in its support of the steel industry but has appeared to rule out nationalisation.
And-Jamie Oliver has said that he’s “devastated” after his restaurant chain went into administration with the loss of 1,000 jobs.
The group, which includes Jamie’s Italian , Barbecoa and Fifteen has appointed KPMG as administrators.
22 of the 25 restaurants in the chain have now closed.
Mr Oliver has put in 30 million pounds of his own money in a bid to put the chain back on its feet in the past two years but it hasn’t been enough to stave off the administrators.
Many mid-market restaurants in the UK are struggling in the current retail environment amid stiff competition,rising import prices and high rents.
Sports
OYSYER YACHTS MONACO GRAND PRIX REPORT.
Monaco is go for the 77th Formula 1 Grand Prix with the event overshadowed by the death of triple world champion Niki Lauda.
On Tuesday , Lewis Hamilton paid a glowing tribute the Austrian who was 70 ,saying that he was a “bright light in my life”.
Hamilton worked alongside Mr Lauda at the Mercedes team and said that he’d miss the conversations , the laughs and the big hugs after winning races together.
Niki Lauda helped Mercedes to win both the drivers’ and the constructors’s titles in the past 5 seasons.
The teams and drivers have now assembled in Monaco with the first press conferences in the media centre this afternoon.
The key question this weekend is whether Mercedes can take another one-two or whether another car can take the cheqeured flag on Sunday.
First practice for Sunday’s race is tomorrow at 11am tomorrow morning with second practice at 3pm
Qualifying is at 3pm on Saturday with the race at 3.10 on Sunday.
106.5 Riviera Radio will be on air live all weekend with all the action and star interviews in association with Oyster Yachts.
Cricket-The former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that the current one day side have their best ever opportunity to win the World Cup.
England are currently the number one ranked side in the world and go into the tournament on home soil as favourites.
Vaughan says that the current squad is the “best he’s ever seen” and that they’ve earned their right to be favourites.
In World Cup warm-up games on Tuesday Ireland lost by 126 runs to Afghanistan and Scotland were beaten by 35 runs under the Duckworth Lewis Method by Sri Lanka.
Tennis-Andy Murray could play doubles at Wimbledon this year but has effectively ruled out competing in the men’s singles.In an interview with the Times Newspaper ,Murray said that there wasn’t “enough time” to prepare for Wimbledon following his hip operation but that he could play doubles.
The 32 year old is recovering following hip resurfacing surgery in January and says that he’s now “pain free”.
Weather
Partially cloudy with the chance of some showers inland and light to moderare easterly or variable winds.
Top temperature 20 degrees celsius
Overnight lows of 154 degrees on the coast and 11 degrees inland with cloudy skies.
Thursday and Friday-Partially cloudy with scattered showers inland at times.Highs of 19-22 degrees.
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