Caregivers are staging a national day of action today. Over two hundred rallies have been planned with the aim of improving the working conditions and resources of caregivers in hospitals and nursing homes. Unions also say they are reminding the government of it's commitment to improve the nation's hospitals. The government is in the middle of a consultation period aimed at overhauling the health system. Police in Paris said that they had made sixteen arrests at protests this afternoon. Locally, over 250 nursing staff protested outside the Simone Veil hospital in Cannes. Unions said that their salaries don't correspond with the risks taken or the responsibilities of their jobs. In Menton, staff demonstrated at La Palmosa hospital, protesting at not receiving the bonus of 1,500 euros announced by the government for cerain caregivers, whilst their colleagues in Cannes and Grasse have now been declared eligible for the bonus. Health unions have called for protestors to gather in Nice this evening, on the Place Massena at 7pm.
President Macron has announced that 200 million euros will be made available to finance the production of pharmaceutical products. He was speaking after visiting a pharmaceuticals plant near Lyon today. He said that during the pandemic it became clear that certain basic medication such as paracetomol was not being produced in France or in Europe. The plant is run by Sanofi Pasteur which today announced an investment of 610 million euros in the production of vaccines in France.
The Secretary of State to the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, has been in Dijon today following unrest in the city in the past few days. He announced that almost 150 police and gendarmes will be deployed in the city and said that response to the violence would be "extremely firm". Yesterday evening, on the fourth consecutive day of unrest, forces consisting of sixty gendarmes, forty CRS officers and other reinforcements intervened to quell the violence. Four arrests were made. Members of the Chechen community have clashed with locals following an arrest last week.
The National Rally Party, formerly the National Front, has been fined 18,700 euros by the Paris Criminal Court today. The fine was for the "concealment of abuse of corporate assets". However, the party was acquitted of the main charge involving the setting up of an alleged scam of overcharging of campaign kits from candidates reimbursed by the State in the 2012 election.
A 70 year old man has been rescued from his car in the Var this afternoon. His vehicle went off the D2 near Signes and was balanced precariously over a six metre drop. Firefighters used a winch to secure the car and pull it to safety before removing the driver from the passanger compartment. He didn't suffer any injuries.
A beach in Theoule sur Mer has been closed to swimmers because of a broken waste water pipe. Repairs are being made today to the pipe near the Vallon de l'Autel beach and it's hoped that it will reopen tomorrow.
After a month’s trial the city of Cannes has announced plans to extend the new cycling path which was set up during the lockdown. The path will run from the Croisette to Palm Beach.
BUSINESS
New figures suggest that the number of employees on the payrolls of UK businesses fell by over 600,000 between March and May. The number of people claiming work-related benefits rose by 126% to 2.8 million. 9.1 million workers in the UK have been furloughed. Economists say the full effect on employment will not be felt until wage support schemes end in October.
A survey of German investors and analysts has recorded the highest levels of positive sentiment about the country's economic outlook since 2006. The survey also recorded a rise in sentiment regarding Germany's economy at the moment, showing it's first rise in five months.
A Paris based energy organization has said that demand for oil is likely to fall by the largest amount in history in 2020. However, the International Energy Agency said that it's estimate for this year has been revised upwards due to stronger than expected deliveries during the Covid-19 lockdown. It said that reduced jet and kerosene deliveries will impact total oil demand until at least 2022 owing to what it called the "dire" situation of the aviation sector.
SPORT
Cricket... The Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, Kevin Roberts, has resigned after criticism of his handling of the coronavirus crisis. He's being replaced on an interim basis by Nick Hockley, Chief Executive of the T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Cricket Australia has said that the T20 World Cup is unlikely to take place this year. Earl Eddings said that "trying to get 16 countries into Australia, when most countries are still going through Covid spiking, is unrealistic, or will be very, very difficult." At the moment, the event is still set to tak place in October and Novemeber at seven venues across Australia.
Tennis... Nick Kyrgios has accused the United States Tennis Association of being "selfish" by intending to stage the US Open in August. He said he would get his "hazmat suit ready" for when he travels from Australia and would then have to quarantine for two weeks on his return. Other players, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep have all voiced concerns over the plans to stage the event.
Horse Racing.. Royal Ascot has got underway behind closed doors this afternoon. It's the first time in her 68-years as monarch that the Queen isn't in attendance at the event. Seven races are taking place on the first day today, with Circus Maximus taking the Queen Anne Stakes in a photo finish this afternoon.
A man from Nice used a stolen bank card to make purchases in Monaco, spending over €1,700 in various shops, mostly on airpods that he planned to resel...
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Electric bike-sharing firm Pony says all of its vehicles will be back out on the streets of Nice no later than June, after they were withdrawn last mo...
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Gabriel Attal announced new measures In response to recent acts of violence among young people during a visit to Viry-Châtillon. Attal highlighted the...
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The owners of a vast floating artificial island that had been planned for last summer off the coast of Mandelieu have won a legal battle to be allowed...
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The Monegasque State has successfully conducted its first national voluntary surrender operation, with 123 firearms being handed over by private indiv...
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