Evening Update 05 December

Yellow Vest - With a risk of more violence looming this weekend, President Macron has appealed to all political and union leaders, to call for calm within the yellow vest movement. He said the movement is no longer a political movement against government, but against the Republic itself.

Yesterday, the government suspended plans for new fuel taxes in January, and today there are hints they may even drop tax breaks for high-earners, another key demand of the movement.

On the Riviera, shopkeepers and businesses have warned yellow vests are having a serious affect. The President of the Trade Federation of Nice said that if the movement continues, it will lead to an economic catastrophe.

Priest - A well-known priest from the Nice area has been released from police custody while investigations into paedophilia continue. The priest has been instructed to pay a bail of €50,000 and reside 900km away in Paris. The public prosecutor has slammed the decision to release the priest, but said his short incarceration was successful, in that it brought down the myth of the priest, and has led to two more people coming forward.

Health - Health authorities are warning bronchitis is making an early comeback this winter, with the PACA region officially exceeding epidemic levels already. Small babies are particularly vulnerable and should be brought to a doctor immediately.

Professor - A lecturer in English at a university near Paris was stabbed to death today by a former student. The incident took place in front of the private Leonard De Vinci university when the professor was stabbed repeatedly in the neck by a 37-year-old former student of Pakistani nationality.

BUSINESS

A new regular ‘business-class’ only flight, between Nice and New York, is to commence next May. The Paris based ‘La Compangnie’ airline will offer five flights a week during the festival seasons and four flights weekly for the remainder of the summer. Flights will operate into Newark airport, using a Boeing 757, fitted exclusively with 74 lie-flat business seats, and promotional fares from just €1,000 return.

Investment bank J.P. Morgan has said the chances of Britain calling off Brexit altogether has increased greatly, after the government was forced to publish legal advice, which shows the UK could be locked indefinitely into the European Union’s orbit.

Meanwhile, growth in the UK’s ‘services sector’ has hit its lowest level since July 2016, prompting fears of stagnation. The PMI purchasing managers' index sank to 50.4% this month, down two per cent from October. This month’s growth figure is barely above the 50% required to indicate expansion.

SPORT

Football - AS Monaco scraped their way out of the Ligue 1 relegation zone, as two Falcao penalties gave them a two nil victory at Amiens last night. Thierry Henry's Monaco have now won, two of their past three games, to climb to 17th in the table. Nice remain at 7th position overall despite a nil all draw against Angers last night.

Former Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been appointed Southampton manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Southampton sacked Mark Hughes on Monday, eight months after he took charge of the club.

Athletics - At the IAAF meeting in Monaco yesterday, it was announced that Budapest are to host the 2023 World Championships. The federation has also continued to ban Russian athletes until samples and data from Moscow's former anti-doping agency are made available.

Tennis - Andy Murray will use his ‘protected’ ranking of world number two, to gain entry to next month’s Australian Open. The Scot ended his season early this year to focus on making big improvements, having played in just six events since returning from hip surgery in June. He’ll join last year's semi-finalist Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie in the field for the men's singles. Serena Williams will also return to Melbourne next month, for the first time since winning, while pregnant in 2017.