Students - Thirty students are in custody after demonstrations led to violent clashes with police in Nice, Cannes and Hyères this morning. One of the students in Nice was carrying a can of petrol, while a couple in Cannes set fire to a street bin.
The arrests are seen as a hardening of security policy, after student protestors went as far as invading the A8 motorway earlier this week. The first court convictions following those protests were issued yesterday, ranging from community service to four months in prison.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said exceptional means will be used this Saturday, as 65,000 police officers will be on duty nationwide, to monitor another weekend of yellow vest protests. Mr Philippe will decide on Saturday whether to deploy armoured vehicles to clear roads in Paris if barricades are erected. Such a deployment has not taken place since 1968. The government is also considering mobilising the military, to protect important national monuments.
Abuse - The number of reported cases of sexual abuse in France has jumped by a third in just one year. INSEE say recent #metoo campaigns have encouraged people to speak up about abuse. While reporting rates for burglary or car theft are around 75%, the rate plummets to 30% for sexual abuse, or down to just 15% when it comes to sexual abuse within a household.
BUSINESS
The Minister for Finance Bruno Le Marie says, that if the EU do not introduce a digital tax on global brands such as Google, Amazon and Facebook early next year, France will go ahead and impose a tax nationally. He said the global giants export considerable profits out of France, and pay 14% less tax than French companies.
Oil prices have tumbled nearly 5% after OPEC cut output, less than expected, despite a surging supply. The oil market is experiencing its worst price plunge in ten years, with oil prices crashing around 30% in the last two months.
SPORT
Football - This Friday’s derby match between AS Monaco and OCG Nice has been postponed. It’s at the request of police, who are diverting resources to protect against more potential yellow vest demonstrations this weekend. Ligue 1 have already postponed the Paris St Germain Montpellier and Toulouse Lyon matches.
Barcelona forward Malcom has been ruled out for up to two weeks with a sprained ankle. Malcom, who moved to Barcelona from Bordeaux in the summer, will be out for 10 to 15 days.
Rugby - Veteran Saracens scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth has signed a new deal to keep him with the Premiership champions until the summer of 2020. AND Northampton Saints fly-half James Grayson has signed his first senior contract with the Premiership club. The son of the club's all-time leading points scorer Paul Grayson has agreed a deal until 2021.
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