Evening Update 18 June

The French government has announced major reforms to chômage unemployment payments. From November it will be necessary to have worked six of the previous 24 months to claim benefits, while claimants whose working income was over €4,500 a month, will see their chômage cut by 30%.

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas is in Monaco for this evenings Golden Nymph TV Awards where he will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Honour. Afterwards, the Gala Ball will be attended by many of the stars of the Monaco TV Festival, including  Denise Richards, Patricia Arquette, Rob Lowe and others, who’ll dance to entertainment provided by Gloria Gaynor.

FlixTrain, who are affiliated with the FlixBus company, have announced their intention to run a night train where you will board at Nice and wake up in Paris. If their application is successful they intend to run trains from next year.

After almost 2,000 drownings last year in France alone, Princess Charlene of Monaco has welcomed local schoolchildren to a Water Safety Day on Larvotto Beach. During the event, the Maritime Police participated in a rescue demonstration using a new jet ski. The Princess’s Foundation works across the world raising awareness of the dangers of water, prevention measures and to teaching children how to swim.

BUSINESS

Monaco’s largest employer Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) has posted positive financial figures for the first time in seven years, with major investment projects like the Hôtel de Paris and One Monte Carlo expected to help continue the upward trend. In the 2018-19 financial year, the hotel sector recorded an increase of 8%, while the rental sector also performed incredibly well, with a 27% increase.

Donald Trump has gone after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi for opening more monetary stimulus in Europe, which would weaken the euro relative to the dollar. The US President compared Draghi to the Chinese saying a deliberately weakened Euro would make it unfairly easier for EU countries to compete against the USA.

Facebook has unveiled plans to launch a its own new digital crypto-currency, called Libra, next year. It said people would be able to make payments with the currency via its own apps, and firms such as Uber and Visa are likely to accept it. Facebook say the currency will be independently-managed and backed by real assets.
 

SPORT

There are two games in  World Cup Group C today. Italy play Brazil and Jamaica take on Australia. Both matches kick off at 9pm.

However, neither are expected to end as dramatically as France’s win last night, which has provided the most contentious moment of the tournament so far. A last minute penalty to France, which hit the outside right post, had to be re-taken when the VAR Video Assist Referee deemed the Nigerian goalkeeper was 2cm in front of the line when the penalty was taken. On the second go, France’s Wendie Renard hit home, giving France a one-nil win in the 79th minute.  Despite losing, Nigeria could still make it through to the last 16, as one of the best third-placed teams.

Former France captain and UEFA president Michel Platini has been arrested, in relation to a corruption probe surrounding the World Cup. Platini, who is in detention at the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police outside Paris, is being detained as part of an investigation into the awarding of the global tournament to Qatar in 2022.

The former coach for OGC Nice, Luciene Favre, has extended his contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2021. In the last year Favre guided the German team to a second place finish in the league and also brought the team to the Champions League group stage, losing to eventual finalist Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16.