French and Riviera News Wednesday 29th May 2019

Local

Man shot at and stabbed in Toulon - A man has been shot and stabbed after a fight broke out between two rival gangs in the old town of Toulon. Police were deployed shortly after 7pm on Tuesday to the area and an investigation has been launched. The victim is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital.

Disruption to train network - A technical failure resulted in  the region’s train service being  disrupted on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred shortly after 7pm at the station of Carnolès in Roquebrune Cap Martin, when a train traveling to Italy experienced technical problems. Delays of up to 20 minutes were reported by the SNCF.

Grand Prix France - A star studded football match has been announced ahead of the French Grand Prix. The charity match organised by the "Jules-Bianchi" association will be made up of two teams of Formula One drivers, including Charles Leclerc as well as professional footballers, actors and singers. The match will be held on Wednesday, June 19th at the André-Deferrari stadium in Bandol. Funds raised will go towards financing new equipment at Nice University Hospital for heavily cerebral-injured patients. Formula One driver Jules Bianchi, born in 1989 in Nice, was seriously injured at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014. On July 17, 2015, Jules Bianchi died at Nice University Hospital at the age of 25.

Meanwhile the Amber Lounge & Race against Dementia is proud to announce that nearly 450,000 euros was raised during the charity evening held here in the Principality during this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Brewdog - The Scottish  brewer from northern Scotland the Brewdog has announced that it will be opening in Nice this summer. Founded 12 years ago near Aberdeen, the “Brewdog” quickly expanded its fame around the globe. Nice will be its second establishment in France. Following a chain of establishments in the UK the beer bars of the "Dog" have conquered Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Brazil. 

Tennis ace - Elliot Benchetrit from Nice has won the three qualifying rounds to enter the final draw at Roland-Garros. The Niçoise is ranked 243rd in the world. At 20, he will experience the first round of his career Grand Slam, facing Dusan Lajovic (seeded number 30). Benchetrit learnt everything he knows at Beaulieu-sur-Mer tennis club here on the Riviera. 

National

Tourist bus driver placed in custody - The driver of a tourist bus in Paris has been arrested and placed in custody for “intentional homicide”. The incident happened following a traffic related altercation between the bus driver and a motorist on Tuesday afternoon. The bus driver is suspected to have killed the motorist by deliberately reversing into him following the altercation. The investigation continues.

Hospitals in France under threat - A&E staff at hospitals across France have staged a five-minute walk out in protest to the lack of staffing and resources, which they say is putting them under severe strain and putting patients in danger. The walk out was staged at noon on Tuesday with paramedics and other personnel participating marking the latest chapter in a strike campaign that began in Paris’s Saint Antoine hospital in March and has since spread to 65 hospitals across France, according to organisers.

General Electric cuts in France - French President Emmanuel Macron has said in a statement released on Tuesday that the French government would ensure that the commitments made by the American industrial group General Electric in 2015 would be met. The announcement came following news that of the 4000 jobs at the Belfort plant in eastern France, 1044 will be cut. The cuts come as part of a wave of European layoffs. The job losses, long feared by unions, could become a political challenge for President Emmanuel Macron, who promised this month that the French government would follow the matter with “the utmost vigilance”.

Trial of British man - The trial of a British man who was accused of murdering Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Ireland in 1996 has begun in Paris. The former journalist, who maintains his innocence will, according to reports not be attending the court proceedings. Sophie Toscan du Plantier was staying at a holiday home on the southwest coast of Ireland, during the 1996 holiday season. On the morning of 23 December 1996, a neighbour found her body outdoors near the residence. France last year approved for judgement in a Paris court. A verdict is expected on Friday.

Johnny Hallyday - A court in the Paris has ruled that the succession rights of the estate of the late French singer Johnny Hallyday should be decided under French law. The decision announced on Tuesday is a victory for Hallyday's eldest children, Laura Smet and David Hallyday, and a defeat for his widow Laeticia.

Since the Hallyday’s death on 5th December 2017, his estate has been contested by Hallyday's family, concerning the validity of a last will and testament which declared Johnny Hallyday to be a resident of Los Angeles, and therefore subject to US law. According to the will, Laura Smet and David Hallyday were to receive nothing while the musician's entire estate would pass to Hallyday's wife of 21 years, Laeticia. While this is allowed under US law, French succession rights require the deceased's estate to be shared amongst surviving children.

Business

One of the world’s largest drug manufacturers ,Johnson & Johnson has gone on trial in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit brought by the US state of Oklahoma.

Prosecutors allege that the firm deceptively marketed painkillers and downplayed the risk of addiction thus fuelling a so-called “opioid epidemic”.

Johnson & Johnson denies any wrongdoing and says that it marketed products responsibly.

The case is the first of some 2,000 brought by US state  and local governments against pharmaceutical firms in America.

 

More than 200 Boots stores in the UK could be under threat of closure in a cost cutting drive by US owners Wallgreen Boots Alliance.

A review is to take place over the next 12 to 18 months with Boots stores in areas where the firm has more than one outlet under threat.

Last month ,Wallgreens said that it would be taking “decisive steps” to reduce costs as part of company-wide “significant restructuring”.

In February ,Boots said that 350 jobs were at risk at its Nottingham head office amid plans to reduce costs by 20 percent.

 

And-UK government officials have said that “good progress” is being made in finding a buyer for British Steel which collapsed last week.

The official receiver said that it had made contact with more than 80 potential buyers ,60 of whom have been sent non-disclosure agreements.

Expressions of interest are due to be returned in early June.

British Steel was placed in compulsory liquidation on the 22nd of May putting 5,000 jobs at risk and endangering 20,000 more in the supply chain.

Sport

Football-The first of the two all English European cup finals is being played tonight as Chelsea face Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku.

There’s been criticism of the venue for the final and the allocation of tickets with only around 6,000 Arsenal fans and some 3,000 from Chelsea expected to attend.

Kick off is at 9pm.

On Saturday Liverpool play Spurs in the European Cup final in Madrid.

In women’s football Scotland beat Jamaica 3-2 at Hampden Park last night in front of a record crowd of more than 18,000.

It was Scotland’s final warm-up game in preparation for the World Cup in France where they’re due to face England in Nice on the 9th of June.

Tennis-World number one Naomi Osaka avoided a premature end to her French Open campaign as she came from a set down to beat Anna Karolina Schmeidlova of Slovakia 0-6 7-6 6-1 on Tuesday.

Osaka is bidding for a third straight grand slam title and will now face Victoria Azarenka in round 2.

Elsewhere ,the defending champion Simona Halep struggled at times as she beat Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets.

In the men’s event ,Kyle Edmund of Great Britain made round 2 in 5 sets after completing his interrupted match against Jeremy Chardy of France  and the 5th seed Alexander Zrevev made it through in a bad tempered 5 setter against John Millman during which he smashed his racquet several times.

The 8th seed Juan Martin del Potro is also through following a 4 set win over Nicolas Jarry of Chile.

Cricket-There were 2 World Cup warm-up games on Tuesday.

West Indies beat New Zealand by 91 runs and India beat Bangladesh by 95 runs.

The tournament starts at The Oval tomorrow with the hosts England against South Africa.

Rugby Union-The Saracens captain Brad Barritt will have a late fitness test on a hamstring injury ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership playoff final.

Barritt was forced off after 27 minutes in his side’s semi-final win over Gloucester  and was expected to miss the Twickenham final.

Director of rugby Mark McCall says that they want to give him every chance to be fit and that he could yet play.

Weather

Mainly fine with light to moderate south easterly or variable winds.

Top temperatures 20-22 degrees.

Overnight lows of 15 degrees on the coast and 10 degrees inland with clear skies.

Thursday and Friday-Mainly fine with highs of 21-24 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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