Enquiries are continuing after a man was fatally shot in Nice in the early hours of this morning. The 30 year old died at the scene of the incident on boulevard Louis Braille in the Saint-Roche district. Alpes-Maritimes deputy Eric Ciotti said that he was offering his support to the inhabitants of the neighborhood who he said "have suffered for several years from the increase in violence in our city" and was listening to their concerns.
Three people have been seriously injured in a head on collision today in Le Muy in the Var. Firefighters attended the scene on the DN7 and the three were airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has written to US President Joe Biden regarding the school shooting in Texas in which nineteen young children and two teachers lost their lives. The Prince said that he learned about the shooting with immense emotion and sadness. He said that in the name of his family and of the people of Monaco, he wished to convey his deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and assured President Biden of profound solidarity.
The national police in the Var have warned that they will be on the department's roads this weekend to stop so-called urban rodeos. The national police carried out control operations in Six-Fours-les-Plage yesterday during which there were several immobilizations and impoundments.
A train has been evacuated at Montpellier station after a hoax bomb threat. Passengers on the train had received a message on their iphones from another passenger via the AirDrop feature on their phones. A search was carried out by bomb disposal personnel and an 18 year old suspect was arrested.
A 45 year old woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of her two children. The court in the Vaucluse department found Sandrine Courvoisier guilty of suffocating her children, who were 4 and 7 years old, in October 2019.
It's expected to be a busy weekend on the roads because of the Ascension holidays. French roads monitor Bison Futé have classified today as red, which means "very difficult" traffic, for the whole of France, in the direction of departures. Friday and Saturday are green for both arrivals and depatures but Sunday is classified as the top level black, or "extremely difficult" traffic for the whole of France in the direction of returns. Motorway operator VINCI Autoroutes is forecasting very heavy traffic on its network, particularly in the Paris region, around the Mediterranean and the Rhône Valley, until Sunday. In our region, the traffic is expected to be particularly dense around urban areas such as Nice and Aix-en-Provence.
The Cannes Lérins Agglomeration are looking for seasonal workers for the summer. Online applications are available on https://cannespaysdelerins.fr/index.php/nous-rejoindre/#candidatures-saisonniers
BUSINESS
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a temporary windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies at a rate of 25%. Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon he said that the measure would raise about five billion pounds. He also said that every household in the UK is will get an energy bill discount of £400. Additional payments were announced for those on the lowest incomes, pensioners and people who receive disability allowance.
The UK government is to review French company Altice's stake in BT under national security legislation. Altice increased its investment in the UK telecoms provider last December. BT said that it has received notification from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that he has considered the increase by Altice UK of its shareholding in BT Group from 12.1% to 18% and is exercising his call-in power under section 1 of the National Security and Investment Act 2021. BT said it will fully cooperate with the review.
MONACO GRAND PRIX
The Monaco Grand Prix weekend is fast approaching and Red Bull's Max Verstappen will be hoping to clinch his fifth win of the season so far, after victory in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. He currently leads the title race with 110 points. His rival, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is second on 104 points after he retired during the Spanish race after being in the lead. The first practice session for the Grand Prix here in Monaco starts at 2pm tomorrow and second practice is at 5pm. The Formula Regional Alpine and the Formula 2 qualifying sessions take place in the morning, with the circuit closing to normal traffic at 6.30am tomorrow and reopening at 7.30pm.
SPORT
Tennis....Former world number one Karolína Plíšková is out of the French Open after being defeated by French player Leolia Jeanjean 6-2 6-2. Spanish player Paula Badosa beat Kaja Juvan. Daniil Medvedev is through to the next round after defeating Laslo Djere three sets to love. Caroline Garcia is out of the tournament after being beaten by American Madison Keys. French player Hugo Gaston is through to the third round after beating Argentinian Pedro Cachin.
Cricket... England's Ollie Robinson has withdrawn from a County XI side playing against New Zealand because of stiffness in his back. The four-day match begins tomorrow in Essex.
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