There's been another night of violence and tension in two of Nice's most deprived housing estates. In Les Moulins, gunshots were heard around 10pm last night in an ongoing turf war between rival drugs gangs. Police found used bullets around the Place des Amaryllis and made several arrests. No one was injured. Meanwhile, in the L'Ariane district, a trainee police officer was attacked by a group of youths while waiting for a bus home on Tuesday evening. He fled back to the local police station to take refuge and has filed a complaint. Three people were arrested and the officer was not injured. Police unions say they expect the Nice public prosecutor to take firm action.
Meanwhile, a young driver has appeared in court after being arrested on the L'Ariane estate at the weekend for committing half a dozen traffic offences in the space of a few minutes. They include refusing to comply with police orders, running a red light, damaging several parked cars, possession of cannabis, driving without a licence and without insurance. The driver had panicked when he saw a police patrol car and tried to speed away. Seven cases of laughing gas canisters were found in the boot of his car. He was handed an eight-month suspended jail sentence and banned from taking a driving test for six months.
The Nice metropolitan area has unveiled a plan to encourage better recycling - with an emphasis on recycling food waste. All of the city's parks and gardens will be equipped with neighbourhood compost piles, for residents who don't have their own garden to compost organic waste. The city will also work with school canteens and restaurants to find ways to reduce food waste. According to officials, total household waste in Nice has fallen by 20% in the past decade.
Several hundred rail commuters have signed a petition after a busy train service in the peak morning rush hour was scrapped. From next Monday, the 7.57 from Les Arcs-Draguignan to Cannes will no longer be running. It means there will be no trains for commuters heading to work from Les Arcs towards Cannes between 7.30 and 9.15. The SNCF said the cancellation was due to staff shortages. Some drivers have been moved over from operating regular train services into new roles in training. It's to prepare future drivers for 2025, when trains in the Paca region are opened up to competition, with the arrival of new operator Transdev.
The Monegasque government has formally signed the agreement to be the host of the start of the final stage of next summer's Tour de France. Prince Albert II attended the signing of the 30-page contract between Monaco and the Tour's organisers this week. The riders will set off from the principality on 21st July for a time trial crossing Beausoleil, La Turbie, Eze and Villefranche-sur-Mer towards the finish line on Place Masséna in Nice, instead of the traditional sprint finish on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, which will be busy hosting the Olympics. The Tour de France is another addition to an already busy programme of sporting events in Monaco next summer, including the Historic Grand Prix, Formula 1 Grand Prix and the e-Prix.
Meanwhile, details have emerged about the next edition of Monaco's famous Golden Foot Awards, which recognise the world's best footballers over the age of 28. Normally awarded at this time of year, the 21st edition of the Golden Foot will instead be held next summer. Diego Maradona was the first footballer to enter Monaco's football hall of fame in 2003. Each winner leaves a footprint in the cement along the Promenade des Champions on Monaco's seafront. New ideas being tested out for the next edition include a virtual reality element, where the players could appear as holograms.
A big parade is being organised through the streets of Monaco next month to mark the 50th anniversary of the Monte-Carlo circus festival. The procession and open-air show on the Place du Palais was last staged in 2010 and will return on the afternoon of 13th January next year. The show will feature tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, clowns, jugglers, elephants and musicians.
After Auron, Saint-Dalmas and Isola 2000, it's the turn of Valberg ski resort to confirm its winter opening date. While the Mercantour resorts will be open to the public from this coming Saturday, anyone wanting to head to Valberg can do so from the following Saturday, 16th December.
The City of Nice has announced that "pop culture" will be the theme for next year's carnival. The event runs from 17th February to 3rd March and the poster campaign has just been unveiled - a brightly-coloured piece of pop art.
And the village of Biot is encouraging residents to dig out their most garish Christmas jumper for an evening of winter celebrations later this month. It’s organising a fashion parade of festive knitwear on Tuesday 19th December at 6.30pm on the Place de Gaulle. Judges will hand out awards to Mr and Miss Christmas Sweater, for whoever is wearing the most striking Christmas clothing.
BUSINESS
Tui, one of the world's largest travel firms, has said it is considering quitting the London Stock Exchange in favour of a listing in Frankfurt. The holiday giant said some shareholders had asked whether its UK listing was "optimal and advantageous" The move would deal another blow to London's attractiveness as a base for big firms. TUI said it was considering putting the plan to a shareholder vote next year. The firm, which is German, has had its main listing on the London Stock Exchange since 2014, but also has a secondary listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Adverts for three airlines have been banned by the UK's advertising regulator for giving consumers a misleading impression of their environmental credentials. The Advertising Standards Authority said the Google ads seen in July for Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad must not be published again. The ad for Air France had urged consumers to "travel better and sustainably" amid the fight against climate change. Lufthansa had suggested that its customers would "Fly more sustainably" while Etihad's ad claimed its service included "Environmental Advocacy". Lufthansa agreed to remove the phrase "fly more sustainably" from future advertising. Etihad said it had immediately removed all references to "Environmental advocacy" from its paid-for Google search ads in the UK upon receiving the ASA's ruling.
SPORT
Football - The UK government is expected to respond today to a damning report into its handling of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. Relatives of the 97 people killed at the stadium have been pushing for a so-called "Hillsborough law" to outlaw police cover-ups after major incidents Six years ago, a report by James Jones, the former bishop of Liverpool, was commissioned by the then home secretary, Theresa May, after a new inquest determined that the 97 people who died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest had been unlawfully killed. In his report, Jones produced 25 recommendations aimed at preventing cover-ups by police and public authorities and ensuring better conduct towards bereaved people.
Formula 1 - F1 Academy head Susie Wolff has rejected allegations of a conflict of interest involving her and husband, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, in the "strongest possible terms". Business F1 magazine claimed rival team bosses had raised concerns the Wolffs were sharing confidential information from their respective employers. Governing body the FIA has announced an investigation into the claims. Wolff said she was "deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised" by the claims. The FIA has said its compliance unit is looking into the claims, while F1 and Mercedes have rejected the accusations and made clear their frustration with the FIA's handling of the matter.
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