French and Riviera News Friday 1st July 2022

News

Brevet subjects leaked on social media - The subjects for this year’s brevet currently being taken by college students across France have been leaked. On Thursday the Ministry of National Education announced that it would be filing a complaint after the subjects in history-geography and science which were due to be presented today Friday 1st July, were found to be circulating on WhatsApp, TikTok and other social media platforms. It means that emergency back up papers will be presented today to some 850,000 candidates who are sitting the exam. An investigation has been opened into how the subjects were leaked in the first place.

People smuggling ring - Fifteen people have been arrested in France on suspicion of being part of a people-smuggling ring that was involved in one of the deadliest incidents seen in the English Channel. In November, 27 people died when their boat sank near Calais as they tried to make the dangerous journey across the Channel to reach the UK. According to French media, the arrests were made at the start of this week in northern and eastern regions of France, as well as various locations across Paris.

10% flights cancelled at Paris airport - As strike action by firefighters at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport continues today Friday July 1st, about 10% of flights will be cancelled. Due to safety reasons the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked companies to give up one in six aircraft movements between 7am and 2pm this afternoon. Firefighters are asking for a 6% wage increase.

First flight Toulon-Hyères-Geneva - Meanwhile the first flight on the Toulon-Hyères-Geneva line landed on Thursday on the tarmac at Toulon-Hyères airport before taking off again for Geneva.

July 1st changes - As with the first of every month in France certain changes are to come into effect today July 1st. Namely the possibility to take or add the name of another parent rather than being obliged to use just one. Also the daily allowance on “food vouchers” a common employee benefit in France, will be reduced from 38 to 19 euros and will no longer be usable at weekends or on public holidays, there will be a 4% boost to pensions and a ban on the sale of new oil-fired boilers. Finally, as of July 1st, the costs of life insurance contracts and retirement savings plans (PER) will be more transparent.

Local News

Child knocked down by electric scooter has died from his injuries - The child knocked down by an electric scooter in Nice on Wednesday evening has died from his injuries. The five-year-old was hit by the scooter on the cycling path of the Promenade des Anglais and was taken to the Lenval hospital in a serious condition. Reports say that the toddler was of Ukrainian origin. The Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has expressed his "huge emotion" and sent his thoughts to his family and loved ones, wishing them "a lot of courage in this terrible ordeal".

Blood donations - The Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture has put out an urgent appeal for people to donate blood. It said that the level of blood reserves is historically low. To allow each patient to be treated, 110,000 bags are needed by mid-July. Donation centres in our region can be found on https://dondesang.efs.sante.fr/trouver-une-collecte

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco continues his fight to defend the oceans - HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has defended the oceans at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon. After staying in Norway with Princess Charlene in the footsteps of explorer Prince Albert I, Prince Albert II of Monaco headed to Portugal to express his concern about the” number of threats for the Poles” calling for “management, protection and conservation”.

Grand Appartements of Prince’s Palace reopen today – Meanwhile, closed to the public for two years, the Grands Appartements of the Prince's Palace here in Monaco reopen their doors today Friday 1st July. Visitors are invited to discover the story of the Grimaldi dynasty with the first portrait of a lord of Monaco, that of Lucien, sovereign from 1505 to 1523. There is also the Royal Chamber, known as the York Chamber, which is known for having been the scene of the death of the Duke of York in 1767, brother to the King of England George III, who fell ill during a trip.

Business

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that “as of today, Ukraine can export electricity to the EU market”. President Zelensky said it was “an important step in Ukraine’s relationship with the European Union” adding that “Ukrainian electricity can replace a considerable part of the Russian gas consumed by Europeans”. He concluded that "it's not just a question of export revenues for us, it's a question of security for the whole of Europe”. The Ukrainian electricity network had been connected to the European network in mid-March, which should help the country to preserve its functioning despite the war. Ukraine was synchronized with the Russian power grid until its invasion on February 24.

Passengers in the UK have complained of queues and "total chaos" at Heathrow airport after the airport asked airlines to remove 30 flights from Thursday's schedule. The UK's largest airport asked airlines to cut the flights because it was expecting more passenger numbers than it can currently cope with. Some passengers did not know that their flights were cancelled until they arrived at the airport. Heathrow said the cancellations were necessary for safety.

The Paris stock exchange has ended June with a decline of 1.8% and 10% over the month with the semester ending with a heavy drop of almost 18% making the first half of 2022 one of the least flattering in the history of the CAC40.

Sport

Tennis - British wildcard Katie Boulter delighted Wimbledon's Centre Court with a stunning fightback to beat 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova.

Cricket – Rain has ruined England's push for victory over South Africa on the fourth and final day as the one-off Test at Taunton ended in a draw. Two heavy showers meant only 43 overs of play were possible, leaving South Africa 48 ahead and with England denied the opportunity of a run chase.

Football - Brazil international Richarlison is set for a medical at Tottenham after Spurs agreed a deal to sign the forward from Everton. The move will be worth more than £50m but there are some minor issues to be finalised over the exact fee.

Formula One - Lewis Hamilton has called for "older voices" with offensive views to be refused a platform on which to make comments. His plea came after Nelson Piquet made a racist remark about him, and following provocative remarks from Bernie Ecclestone about Vladimir Putin. Mercedes driver Hamilton said: "Discrimination is not something we should be giving a platform”.

Weather

Some light cloud to begin with, giving way to clear skies and sunshine. Highs of 27 degrees in Nice, Cannes and Antibes with a gentle breeze. Highs of 32 degrees in Saint Tropez and the Var. This evening going down to 18 degrees with clear skies.

The outlook for the weekend - Fine with highs of 31-32 degrees.

Sea Temperature:   22                        UV level:           9

Sunrise:             05.52hr                       Sunset:              21.15hr

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