Evening Update 05 Oct

Strike - Unions have announced a day of widespread strike action for next Tuesday. There will be no tram service in Nice, many busses will be cancelled, and the local TER train service could also be affected.  The CGT union has invited school canteens and pensioners to take part in the day of action, which is protesting government reforms.

Scam - Monagasque authorities have warned of scams being operated by email, SMS and WhatsApp, where attached documents from alleged government sources, require the receiver to make money transfers. The Directorate of Public Security said the scams are being operated by organised criminals, and should be treated with the utmost vigilance.

Slap - A man who slapped a woman outside a cafe in Paris has been jailed for six months. The 25-year-old was caught on CCTV, slapping the woman after she reprimanded him for lewd comments, in a video which was widely shared on social media. The man who has already served time for pimping, as well as violence against his mother, will have to pay a €20,000 fine and attend an anti-sexism course.

Service - More than 2,000 people, led by Presidents Macron,Sarkozy and Hollande,  gathered this morning at Les Invalides in the heart of Paris, to pay tribute to Charles Aznavour, who died on Monday. In Nice, a special remembrance service will be held in St Peters Church, on Rue de la Buffa, tomorrow evening at 6.30.

BUSINESS

US unemployment fell to 3.7% in September, its lowest rate since sixties. The States has seen significant job growth in professional and business services, healthcare and construction, with average hourly earnings rising at an annual rate of 2.8%.

Unilever has scrapped plans to move its joint headquarters from London and Rotterdam, to a single location in the Netherlands. The move has been blocked by a growing tide of opposition by UK shareholders. The company wants to change its Anglo-Dutch structure, following a deep business review sparked by last year's takeover approach by Kraft-Heinz.

SPORT

Football - Cristiano Ronaldo will be back on the pitch for Juventus in their Italian league match tomorrow. It follows a week of controversy where the player was accused of rape, dropped from the Portugal team for their internationals this month, and potentially having his sponsorship agreement with Nike withdrawn. Juventus manager is standing by Ronaldo saying he is a great professional on and off the pitch.

Formula 1 - Lewis Hamilton was in top form as Mercedes dominated todays practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton was 0.833 seconds clear of title rival Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari, and 0.461 seconds faster than team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The race itself starts Sunday morning at 7am French time.

Tennis - Kei Nishikori is into the semi-finals of the Japan Open where he will next play France’s Richard Gasquet. Gasquet, who is the eighth seed, eliminated Kevin Anderson 7-6 7-6 in the quarter finals.

Cycling - Team Sky have made a major statement by signing Colombian Egan Bernal on a five-year deal. The length of the contract is highly unusual, showing Sky's faith both in Bernal and their own future in the sport.