Evening News Update Tuesday 29 January

The Alpes Maritimes is the only department in France which isn’t covered by either a Yellow or Orange weather alert by Meteo France as storm Gabriel hits most of the country. High winds are forecast for much of the west coast, with gusts of 100 to 120 km per hour. Most of the north is under an Orange alert for snow and ice.

One person has died and another has been seriously injured after an avalanche at Les Deux-Alpes in the Isere.  The avalanche was in an off-piste and off-ski area. The person who survived was wearing an avalanche detector and was found several hours later. She was airlifted to hospital and is being treated in intensive care.

France’s National Public Health Agency has published a report today showing the number of smokers in France by region. According to the data the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur has one of the highest levels of smokers, at 32.2 per cent. The national average is 26.9%. The Ile-de-France is the region where people smoke the least with 21.3% of Parisians aged between 18 and 75 saying they smoke on a daily basis.

The public prosecutor's office in Gap has confirmed that several members of far right group Génération Identitaire have been placed in custody in Lyon, following operations conducted at the Col de l'Echelle near Briancon, No further details were given by the prosecutor’s office but it’s reported that the detentions may be related to the organizations anti-migrant campaign last year. Last spring, the group organized border patrols alongside the police, under the banner of "Defend Europe".  Seven migrants were reportedly arrested after being discovered by the group.


About fifty employees of state social security organizations staged a demonstration in front of the prefecture in Marseille this morning.  The employees, who are on strike today, are seeking changes in their salaries, the hiring of more employees to spread their workload and the reconsideration of the decision to reduce employee numbers by 12,000 people nationally.

A farmer in the Var has lost a large amount of livestock after a suspected wolf attack. The farmer, who farms land in the area between Saint Maximin and Aubagne, has reported the loss of about 20 animals in the attack, with another sixty missing.  The attack happened even though his fields are surrounded by an electric fence.

About 130 alleged jihadists are to be repatriated to France from Syria, according to reports. The suspects are currently being held in Syrian camps and are suspected of having links with the so-called Islamic State. The operation, which is believed to be the largest repatriation of suspected terrorists by France, is being put in place because of fears the suspects may escape before facing justice.

 

BUSINESS


Norwe gian Air has said that it’s aiming to raise 3bn Norwegian kroner, that’s about 310 million euros, through a rights issue to improve its finances. The company announced that its preliminary earnings for 2018 showed an operating loss of about 3.8bn kroner. The airline said it was not in talks with any potential buyers after British Airways owner IAG abandoned its plans to buy it last week.

Chinese telecoms company Huawei has denied any wrongdoing after US prosecutors filed a host of criminal charges against the firm. Huawei has also rejected criminal claims against its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada last month. The charges filed against Huawei in the US include bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology.

Ryanair has acquired the remaining shares in Austrian airline Laudamotion.  It previously owned 75 per cent of the company. Ryanair has said it plans to increase the number of planes operated by Laudamotion to 25 planes for the coming summer season from its current 19.

 

SPORT

 

Tennis… Andy Murray has revealed that he underwent hip resurfacing surgery in London on Monday. Murray said that he is feeling “a bit battered and bruised” but expressed the hope that it would be the end of his hip pain. He posted  an X-ray picture of his hip on Instagram.

Football…. The draw has been made for the 5th round of the FA Cup in England with the tie of the round beingChelsea against Manchester United. In other games, League 2 Newport County could host Manchester City if they come through their 4th round replay against Middlesbrough while League 1 Doncaster Rovers will be hoping to cause an upset when they host Crystal Palace of the Premier League. The final tie of the 4th round last night ended in a 3-3 draw between non-league Barnet and Brentford of the Championship.They’ll now replay the match with the winners facing Swansea in the 5th round. In the English Premier League tonight-Arsenal play Cardiff.Fulham host Brighton.Huddersfield play Everton.Wolves host West Ham.Manchester United play Burnley and Newcastle play Manchester City.

Rugby League… Several football stadia have been included in the list of venues announced for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. They include Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Liverpool's Anfield home and Sheffield United's Bramall Lane ground. Newcastle's St James' Park will host the opening ceremony on 23 October 2021 with the men's and women's finals both at Old Trafford on 27 November.

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