NEWS
End-of-Life Bill Reviews - Lawmakers will examine the end-of-life bill today. The bill, adopted in mid-May, introduces assisted dying under strict conditions, sparking debate. Key issues include access criteria, advance directives, and the role of doctors. Patients must be adults with an advanced or terminal phase illness and suffer treatment-resistant or unbearable pain. Patients must clearly express their will. The decision now involves a "multi-professional collegial procedure" rather than a single doctor. The bill allows a doctor, nurse, or designated "voluntary person" to administer the lethal substance if the patient cannot. The vice-president of the French Bishops' Conference (CEF), Vincent Jordy, raised the idea of a referendum on the end of life in an interview with L'Humanité.
Shooting in Grasse Victim - A 15-year-old shot in Grasse on Friday has tragically passed away on Sunday evening at Pasteur 2 Hospital in Nice. The incident occurred around 10 pm near Les Fleurs de Grasse residence, where two individuals on a T Max scooter fired at him, resulting in a fatal 9-millimeter bullet wound to the face. The investigation by Nice judicial police is ongoing, with the perpetrators still at large after abandoning and burning their scooter a few kilometers from the scene.
CRS Officer Injured - Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of the Interior, has announced that CRS officers were injured after a driver refused to obey an order in the Air Bel housing estate in Marseille on Sunday. A 21-year-old driver hit a CRS and drove away. The CRS opened fire and the driver was finally arrested. Neither the driver's life nor that of the CRS officer is in danger.
Two-Wheeler Driver Fell on Railway Tracks - Twelve firefighters were called out to find a lone two-wheeler that had fallen onto the railway tracks in Castagniers. A 28-year-old man was found seriously injured. He was treated and taken to emergency at the Pasteur 2 hospital. Trains were stopped while emergency services intervened. The SNCF and the gendarmerie were on the scene.
New Dishes in Canteens - Chefs and sous-chefs in the Vaucluse's school canteens are currently undergoing training to improve the quality of their dishes. One of these workshops was held on Wednesday 22 May 2024 in Lauris. Above all, the professionals are learning to use less meat and more plant-based proteins, such as cereals and pulses.
Urbain V Polyclinic to Close in Avignon - No more babies will be born in the maternity unit of the Urbain V polyclinic in Avignon from November 2024. Some 900 births a year will have to be transferred to other establishments, such as the Avignon hospital, which is taking steps to adapt.
Parking Reform in Menton - Menton residents are not happy about the reform of parking charges due to come into force on 1 June. Menton town council plans to extend parking charges to 2,300 spaces out of a total of 11,000. An online petition has been launched. It has now attracted more than 450 signatures.
BUSINESS
Singapore Airlines boss Goh Choon Pong thanked staff for their hard work after a severe turbulence incident on a flight from London to Singapore. The turbulence led to the death of British passenger Geoff Kitchen and injuries to others. The flight was diverted to Bangkok, with non-seriously injured passengers flown to Singapore the next day. Goh's memo praised the team's agility and dedication and noted ongoing support for injured passengers and staff. Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau is investigating the incident.
Families of the Uvalde school shooting victims are suing the gun manufacturer, video game maker Activision, and Instagram's parent company Meta. They claim these companies promoted dangerous weapons to vulnerable young men, including the 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers. The lawsuits argue that Meta and Activision "conditioned" the gunman to see violence as a solution. They also claim Daniel Defense aggressively marketed the AR-15 style rifle used in the attack to the teen via Instagram. The families recently settled with the city of Uvalde for $2 million and plan to sue 92 officers for their response failures during the shooting.
Nathan Wilkins moved back with his family in 2019 to save for a home, but rising rents, home prices, and mortgage rates have made it difficult. Despite higher incomes, he and his sister struggle with $2,500 monthly rent. Home prices in the US have surged by 30% since 2019, with mortgage rates now at 7%, up from 3% in 2020. Many need an income of over $100,000 to afford a home, above the median $75,000. Housing costs are fueling economic pessimism ahead of the election. Nearly a third of households spend over a third of their income on housing. President Biden's proposals, like limiting closing costs and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers, face challenges. Many voters, especially younger ones, are disillusioned. The Federal Reserve is under pressure to cut interest rates, but progress is slow. Rising wages and new homes may improve affordability eventually, but significant relief is not expected before the election.
SPORTS
Rugby Union - England head coach Steve Borthwick announced a 19-player training squad for the summer tour against Japan and New Zealand. Seven uncapped players, including Exeter's Greg Fisilau, are named. Props Dan Cole and Joe Marler will join on 4 June, while Ollie Chessum and Ellis Genge are out due to injury.
Athletics - Josh Kerr broke Steve Cram's 39-year-old British mile record at the Diamond League meet in Oregon, beating rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Kerr, who won the 1500m at last year's World Championships, led the final lap and finished in 3min 45.34sec. Fellow Britons Neil Gourley and Jake Wightman placed fourth and fifth.
Formula 1 – Charles Leclerc had tears in his eyes after completing what he described as “the ultimate dream” and winning the Monaco Grand Prix. Born in Monaco, The 26-year-old grew up on the streets on which he drove so consummately through all three days of the event this year. As a child, he watched the race from the balconies of friends whose apartments overlooked the track, and his ambition to become a Formula 1 driver was born.
WEATHER
Cloudy with thunderstorm in most of the region today. Highs of 22 degrees in Nice, Cannes, Toulon and Marseille and 25 degrees in lucky Saint-Topez.
Tonight, the sky is planned to clear on the Côte d’Azur while thunderstorms carry on higher in the PACA region until late evening. Lows of 16 degrees.
Outlook for tomorrow, light clouds throughout the day, highs of 22 degrees.
A powerful Mistral storm has swept through Provence, with wind gusts exceeding 150 km/h in some areas. ...
Read More
France’s recently appointed Prime Minister François Bayrou has promised a new government "before Christmas" and reserves the possibility of using 49....
Read More
A four-day strike at DHL has caused delays in package processing, raising concerns about on-time deliveries for Christmas....
Read More
French judges in Avignon will today Thursday 19th December, deliver their verdicts in a mass rape case against 51 men that has appalled France and the...
Read More
Monaco Info and TV Monaco are set to make way for a new television channel on September 1st of 2025. During the debates on the 2025 preliminary budget...
Read More
