NEWS
François Hollande will Run in the Legislative Elections - Former French President François Hollande will run in the legislative elections with the new Front Populaire. Seven years after halting his political career, he aims to boost household purchasing power, raise the minimum wage, and offer financial aid to students. He also promises to repeal the unemployment benefit reform and combat the rise of the extreme right to restore hope and calm in the country.
Inquiry into Eric Ciotti - An inquiry has been opened into former Republicans party leader Eric Ciotti for alleged misuse of funds, specifically related to parking cards at the Port of Nice. This follows a previous investigation from January regarding suspicions of multiple employment. Ciotti's campaign director denies these allegations. The incumbent MP for the 1st constituency of Alpes-Maritimes caused a rift within his party last week by announcing an electoral agreement with the RN. In response, the Republicans have decided to back a different candidate for the upcoming legislative elections.
Ban for Non-Recyclable Polystyrenes - France issued a ban for non-recyclable polystyrenes in supermarkets starting January 1, 2025. Despite this, the government acknowledges that industry lobbies are not yet prepared for the change. 14 billion yogurt pots, amounting to 105,000 tonnes of polystyrene, are discarded each year. The French association Zero Waste is calling for a parliamentary inquiry after the legislative elections.
Two Tonnes of Drugs Seized in the Mediterranean Sea - Over two tonnes of drugs were seized on Saturday in a significant joint Franco-Spanish operation, in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Catalonia. The culprits, spotted by a helicopter, attempted to flee while discarding their cargo into the sea. A total of 2.44 tonnes of cannabis were recovered and handed over to Spanish authorities. This marks one of the largest drug seizures by French authorities in recent years.
Olympic Flame in Monaco: Road Changes - The Olympic Flame will pass through Monaco tomorrow, prompting several road changes. From 1 to 3 PM, the Rocher will be restricted to buses and pedestrians. The Condamine area will be closed to motorists, and parking will be prohibited throughout the day in the Quartier du Port. F1 pilot Charles Leclerc, alpine skier Alexandra Coletti, table-tennis player Xiaoxin Yang, bobsledder Rudy Rinaldi and the princely couple will bear the Olympic flame.
Old Phone Collection in Nice - The company Ecosystem is organising a collection event until 15 July in Nice. The aim is to give unused phones to people in need. More than 6 out of 10 French people say they are storing an old telephone. There are 22 collection points in the city, but it is also possible to send it free of charge by post with jedonnemontelephone.fr.
BUSINESS
Wells Fargo has fired several employees for faking keyboard activity to appear as if they were working. It’s unclear how the issue was discovered or if it was related to remote work. The bank emphasized it does not tolerate unethical behaviour. This follows new US rules requiring brokers working from home to be inspected every three years. The employees affected had mostly been with the company for less than five years. Despite the popularity of remote work during the pandemic, many firms are pushing for a return to the office.
A judge ordered the liquidation of far-right radio show host Alex Jones' personal assets to potentially pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting victims. However, US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez ruled against liquidating Jones' company, Free Speech Systems, which owns Infowars, a far-right conspiracy theory website. The families won $1.5 billion in defamation judgments against Jones and his company. Jones' assets, worth about $8.6 million, including properties and vehicles, will be sold. Free Speech Systems will continue operating for now, but victims' families can pursue damages in state courts or further bankruptcy hearings. The court authorized the families to start collecting damages immediately.
SPORTS
Tennis - Katie Boulter retained the Nottingham Open title after coming from a set down to beat Karolina Pliskova - just hours after doing the same to topple fellow Briton Emma Raducanu. Home favourite Boulter overcame 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Pliskova to prevail 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the final.
Cycling - British rider Adam Yates held off team-mate Joao Almeida in stage eight to win the Tour de Suisse. Yates finished second in Sunday's time trial, but it was still enough to claim overall victory by 22 seconds. It was the fourth stage in a row in which the Team Emirates riders have occupied the top two places.
Rugby Union - Leinster were narrowly beaten by Bulls in a titanic encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in their United Rugby Championship [URC] semi-final. Leo Cullen's side trailed 10-7 after a scrappy first half, with Johan Goosen cancelling out James Lowe's opening try. Bulls will face Glasgow in the competition's decider on Saturday, 22 June in Pretoria after the Scottish side beat reigning champions Munster 17-10.
TRAFFIC
Night road works on the A8 motorway this week. Maintenance work will occur on the Mougins (n°42), Antibes (n°44), Villeneuve-Loubet plage (n°46), Villeneuve-Loubet (n°47), and Menton (n°59) interchanges from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June.
WEATHER
Cloudy with sunny episodes this afternoon. Highs of 23 degrees in Nice, 25 in Cannes and Toulon, and 27 degrees in Marseille and Saint-Tropez.
Tonight, light clouds with lows of 16 degrees.
Outlook for tomorrow, light clouds in the morning that should clear up in the afternoon. Highs of 28 degrees.
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