President Emmanuel Macron is due to make a TV address at 8.00 this evening in which he’s expected to announce measures in response to demands from the Yellow Vest protestors. The president is meeting trade unions and employers' organisations this afternoon. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe vowed to "restore national unity" after violence broke out during a fourth consecutive weekend of protests. French junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said she expects the unrest to reduce French GDP by 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, occasional disruption has continued in the Alpes Maritmes and the Var today. Yellow vest protesters blocked the entry to an industrial logistics park at Nice St Isadore for several hours this morning. Students at several of the area’s schools attempted to block access to their schools this morning and several arrests were made.
Firefighters made more than a hundred interventions in the Alpes-Maritimes following strong winds which hit the region yesterday. Several flights in and out of Nice International airport were cancelled yesterday with one flight from Marrakech having to abort its landing being diverted to Turin. The promenade in Menton was closed and five people who were visiting the Christmas market in Nice were taken to hospital suffering from injuries after a metal structure fell to the ground. The market was immediately evacuated and closed.
Police in the Var have opened fire after robbers broke into a private home in Cavalaire sur mer yesterday afternoon. The three men reportedly fled by car at which point the police opened fire leading to the criminals fleeing on foot.
Migrant rescue organization SOS Méditerranée has announced its intention to start operations again as soon as possible with a new ship. Their previous ship, the Aquarius, which has been docked in Marseille, has had problems securing a country of registration and has been accused of the "illegal treatment of illegal waste ", a situation that SOS Méditerranée describes as political pressure.
A priest from Antibes who was murdered in the Algerian civil war in the 1990’s has had a street named in his honour. A plaque, dedicated to Christian Chessel, was unveiled at a ceremony in Antibes at the weekend.
BUSINESS
Japanese prosecutors have charged former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn with financial misconduct, accusing him of under-reporting his pay package over a five-year period. He has also been re-arrested on further allegations of under-stating his pay, which reports say is likely to keep him in detention until 30 December. Mr Ghosn has denied the accusations. Prosecutors have also charged Nissan in relation to the case.
The UK economy grew by 0.4% in the three months to October, slower than the 0.6% in the three months to September. The UK's trade deficit also widened as imports grew faster than exports in October.
A North Sea gas pipeline has been announced. It will take gas from the Shearwater platform, operated by Shell, to the St Fergus plant in Aberdeenshire. Shell said the pipeline, which is part of the creation of a gas infrastructure hub in the central North Sea, would reduce costs.
SPORT
Cricket…India have beaten Australia by 31 runs in the first Test in Adelaide. The home side were bowled out for 307 in their second innings on the 5th and final day of the match. The second Test starts in Perth on Friday.
England have named an unchanged 16-man squad for the three-Test series in the West Indies starting next month.
Golf...Open Champion Francesco Molinari has been named European Tour Golfer of the Year. The 36-year-old Italian was a hero of Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the United States at Le Golf National in September. He also won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Football.. There’s one game in the Premier League tonight. Everton play Watford.
American Football.. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has broken the record for the most touchdown passes in NFL history. The 41-year-old beat Peyton Manning's previous record of 579, moving to 582 with three touchdown passes during a 34-33 defeat by the Miami Dolphins.
Another power outage has hit three towns on Friday morning, the 30th of May, affecting 120 homes in the Alpes-Maritimes....
Read More
France’s health minister has announced that France will introduce a nationwide ban on smoking in outdoor public areas commonly visited by children, st...
Read More
The Var department has experienced its first "tropical night" of the season, with temperatures not dropping below 25°C at 3 am, particularly in Hyères...
Read More
The Société des Bains de Mer (S.B.M.) has announced solid financial results for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025, with revenue rising ...
Read More
France is set to experience record-breaking heat over the Ascension Day holiday, with tomorrow, Friday, May 30th, expected to be the hottest day of th...
Read More
