Court - The case of a man accused of killing two pensioners, in a bid to speed up his lifetime ‘viager’ contract, has concluded at the court in Nice this afternoon. The public prosecutor has demanded a sentence of 20 years for the 49 year-old, who used the drug atropine to poison his elderly residents.
Brexit - French customs agents have started checking lorries transporting goods between France and Britain, in a go-slow movement aimed at drawing attention to low pay and what they say is a lack of preparation for Brexit. Agents have been zealously checking the documents of lorries passing through the ports of Calais and Dunkirk, to show what will happen when greater controls are put in place once Britain leaves the EU. Today, border agents in Paris joined the movement, taking more time to check travellers’ documents on Eurostar trains between Paris and London, causing long lines and delaying trains.
Award - Monaco’s Prince Albert has been presented with an honorary doctorate by the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada. The University described the Prince as a visionary who actively devotes himself, often discreetly, to the preservation of the environment. The Prince’s Foundation, established in 2006, has supported over 400 projects with €51m being granted to organisations taking concrete action to address climate change. One of those is a Canadian branch dedicated to projects in the Arctic and Subarctic regions.
Sex Law - 332 people have been fined under a French law introduced last summer, to ban ‘sexual intimidation’ including wolf-whistling, following someone insistently the street, or making obscene gestures such as imitating a sexual act. The 332 fines ranged from 90 to 750 Euro.
Car - French supercar maker Bugatti has unveiled the world's most expensive car, which it has just sold for at least $11m. The car, built to celebrate Bugatti's 110th anniversary, has a jet-black carbon fibre body, a 1,500 horsepower 16-cylinder engine, and reaches 62mph in 2.4 seconds.
BUSINESS
The French government had introduced a new digital tax today on thirty internet giants including Google, Amazon and Facebook. The tax of 3% had been due to be applied Europe-wide, but concerns from Ireland and Germany meant agreement was not reached, so France is forging ahead on its own.
Lloyd’s Brussels, the Brexit subsidiary of Lloyd’s of London, is now authorised to underwrite insurance and re-insurance risks located in Monaco. The specialist insurance company said the authorisation will allow it to ensure business from the principality will continue to be accessed by Lloyd’s members post-Brexit.
The US trade gap with the rest of the world jumped to a 10-year high of $621bn last year. The gap is seen as a blow to President Trump, who had planned to reduce the deficit as part of his election promises.
SPORT
Football - After last night’s dramatic exit from the Champions League by holders Real Madrid, all eyes are on Parc des Princes for tonights second leg knockout between Paris St Germain and Manchester United. The Parisians have lost just one of their last 16 Champions League games at home, and are already two nil up after the first leg with Manchester, so are tipped to win. The game kicks off at 9pm.
Meanwhile the Spanish press have been demanding resignations from Real Madrid’s new coach, President and even forward Gareth Bale ,who put in a poor performance during last nights ‘four one’ wipe-out by Ajax. The shock result brought Real Madrid’s incredible three year reign as European Champions to a crashing halt.
Tennis - Andy Murray said today he is pain free after hip surgery but his chances of playing singles at Wimbledon this year are less than 50%. The player broke down in Melbourne in January fearing it would be the last Grand Slam tournament of his career.
Police have seized over 25 kg of cannabis and 1.5 kg of cocaine after a sniffer dog led them to an apartment in Vallauris, Alpes-Maritimes. ...
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French President Emmanuel Macron is facing growing calls to resign or call a snap election amid ongoing political chaos that has seen five prime minis...
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France faces a deepening political crisis after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned, triggering high-stakes negotiations to stabilise the govern...
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French President Emmanuel Macron has been seen walking alone by the River Seine in the French capital, just hours after his newly appointed prime mini...
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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned today, just weeks after his appointment.
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