Nursery school staff staged a demonstration in Nice earlier today. The demonstrators, estimated to number 300 to 400 people, were protesting against new reforms which, in their view, will reduce the quality of childcare and working conditions. Reports say that 20 out of 27 municipal crèches are closed today in Nice while 4 are operating at minimum service, and only 3 are open normally. According to the CGT union, about forty protests against the reforms were held across France today.
Local authorities in Saint Tropez in the Var have announced that large scale inspections on local businesses will be put in place this summer to control illegal work and tax evasion. Tested twice in 2017 and more frequently last summer, several establishments such as beaches, nightclubs and bars were checked.
A 27 year old man has appeared in court in Nice after sending messages to the Elysee glorifying terrorism. He had been arrested in Nice last weekend. The court handed down a six month suspended sentence and eighteen months of probation.
The French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has announced that the planned “Yellow Vest” protests for Saturday 30th March on the Champs-Elysees in Paris will be banned. Meanwhile, the prefect of Vaucluse department announced at a press conference this afternoon that Yellow Vest demonstrations would be banned in Avignon this Saturday, the 30th of March.
Two climbers have been rescued by helicopter near Roquesteron in the Alpes Maritimes. It was necessary to winch the two men over 80 metres because of the inaccessible location on a mountain. One of the climbers had sustained injuries after a fall and was taken to the Pasteur Hospital 2 in Nice.
A motorbike rider has been stopped by police doing 136km per hour in a suburban area of St Raphael. Police set up a speed check to catch the rider on the avenue des Golfes after complaints by a local resident.
BUSINESS
Iceland's Wow Air has stopped flights, stranding thousands of passengers. The airline’s website says Wow Air has ceased operations and cancelled all flights. The carrier, which had been in funding talks with investors, flew from London Stansted and Gatwick in the UK.
UK consumer sentiment fell to its lowest point in over five years in March, according to data from the latest European Commission survey of EU business and consumer confidence. The index dropped from -10.8 in February to -11.7 in March. The reading is the lowest since November 2013.
Goldman Sachs has been fined £34.3m for failures in the way it shared information with the City regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority said the bank did not provide "accurate and timely reporting" relating to some 220 million transactions over a decade. Goldman said it had now improved its processes.
Boeing has issued changes to controversial control systems linked to two fatal crashes of its 737 Max planes in the past five months. The company will install an extra warning system on all 737 Max aircraft which was previously an optional safety feature.
SPORT
Football…Manchester United have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as permanent manager on a three-year contract. He arrived at Old Trafford on an interim basis in December to replace Jose Mourinho.
Rugby Union… Scotland and Leicester Tigers player David Denton will reportedly not play again this season as he recovers from concussion. The 29-year-old has not played since 6 October when he was hurt in Leicester’s Premiership game against Northampton.
Cricket...England paceman Chris Jordan has signed a contract extension with Sussex. The 30-year-old has taken 267 wickets and scored 2,410 runs in all formats since joining the club in 2013. Sussex have not revealed the length of Jordan's contract.
Winter Sports… Another local skier has won a medal at the French Ski Championships in Auron. Margot Bailet from Nice won a bronze medal for the Ciavalet descent at the final event of this year’s championships.
American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first U.S.-born pope and signalling continuity with Pope Francis’...
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A Polish man in his forties has been hospitalized in Valence after enduring a harrowing journey between two TGV carriages from Paris. ...
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Cloudy with sunny intervals. Light rain is forecast for the Var region with moderate to strong winds. Highs of 17 degrees in Monaco and Saint-Tropez, ...
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White smoe Is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning A new pope has just been chosen! 133 cardinals have gathered in the Sistine cha...
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No new pope has been elected yet, as black smoke signalled another inconclusive vote during the conclave in the morning of Thursday the 8th of May. ...
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