French President Emmanuel Macron is attending a tribute to the French Resistance leader Jean Moulin taking place in Lyon. When Moulin was captured in 1943, he was personally interrogated by the head of German secret police Kaus Barbie also known as the ‘Butcher of Lyon’. President Macron will also visit the jail cell where Barbie was incarcerated after being extradited to France in 1983. The Butcher of Lyon died in jail in 1991. Earlier this morning, the President took part in the traditional parade on the Champs-Elysées and rekindled the flame of the unknown soldier at the base of the Arc de Triomphe.
A man is in critical condition in hospital after attempting to hijack a BlaBlaCar bus with 36 passengers on board near Avignon. During the weekend incident, 14 passengers were injured before the man went on the run. The hijacker was caught 24 hours later when he was shot while attacking two police officers with an iron bar.
Firefighters at Cannes-la-Bocca are in shock today after the death of their staff sergeant at the weekend. 48-year-old Sgt Mickael Bergerand died yesterday after a motorbike accident near the port at Théoule-sur-Mer. His pillion passenger remains in a critical condition in hospital.
A couple in their 80s have been found dead at their home in Grasse. Police suspect the cause of death as being a double suicide. Autopsies will be performed during the week.
The town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer has placed concrete blocks at the entrance of the town, which the travelling community perceives as an act of anti-gipsy racism. The town hosts a pilgrimage each year to honour Saint Sara the patron saint of gypsies. However, this year, concrete blocks have been placed where they typically park and the gipsy market has been relocated outside of the village. The town's mayor has denied any charges of racism.
Business News
Family offices worldwide are planning to buy more stocks and alternative investments this year. The 2023 Family Office Investment Insight Report from Goldman is based on a survey of 166 family offices around the world with at least $500 million in assets. The report found that 48% of family offices plan to buy stocks this year and put ‘cash piles’ to work as inflation, rising rates and falling stocks create new opportunities.
Proposed legislation, designed to protect consumer data culled from smart devices and consumer goods, has been slammed by prominent German companies, including SAP and Siemens. They’ve joined US tech companies in criticizing the EU Data Act, saying it could result in the disclosure of trade secrets.
Warren Buffet has been speaking over the weekend at Berkshires' legendary annual meeting. He told shareholders he expects commercial real estate to struggle with higher borrowing rates, and that banks could face more pressure, but said that deposits were safe. As for the economy, Buffett noted that his businesses will see lower year-on-year earnings as economic activity slows down.
Sport
Monaco E-Prix - Nick Cassidy has said it was a massive moment for him to win in Monaco this weekend. The New Zealander stormed from ninth place on the grid, to take the Monaco title and the e-Prix championship lead on Saturday. The electric race improves every year with faster, more durable cars, now using the principality’s entire Formula 1 circuit. However, in contrast to Formula 1, overtaking is possible with 116 overtaking manoeuvres during the race on Saturday. The next race in Monaco is on Sunday 28th of May.
Football - AS Monaco is back in-form with a 2-1 ‘away’ win over Angers yesterday putting them in fourth place in the League. The principality side next takes on Lille in a home game next Sunday afternoon. It's also been a good weekend for OGC Nice, who killed a streak of home losses, with a convincing 2-1 win over Rennes at the Allianz Riviera. Meanwhile, Paris St-Germain has moved to within three wins of the Ligue 1 title with a routine victory at Troyes. They need just seven more points to win a record 11th French title.
In UK Premier League, big games later this evening include Brighton against Everton with a 6.30pm kick-off and Nottingham Forest faces Southampton at 9pm.
Tennis - This weekend's ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence has been won by Andy Murray. It’s his first title in nearly four years after coming back from a set down against American Tommy Paul to win 2-6 6-1 6-2.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has passed a municipal decree banning the controversial comedian Dieudonné from performing in the city this week...
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French police have charged five soldiers over the deaths of 27 people who sank while trying to cross the English Channel on 24 November 2021. ...
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A kidnapping alert has been triggered by the French government. The alert was issued on Thursday evening May 25th, following the abduction in Fontaine...
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A young man is in a serious condition in hospital after suffering a 10-metre fall from the ferris wheel in Antibes in the early hours of this morning....
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Police in Paris have opened an investigation after a man was shot dead on Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a street in the French capital. ...
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