News
Fire - One person has died and two others have been injured after a fire broke out in an apartment in Antibes. The fire broke out on the 3rd floor of a seven-storey building on Boulevard Wilson. Firefighters intervened shortly after 3.30pm after thick black smoke was seen coming from the balcony. 12 people were evacuated and the apartment was completely destroyed by the flames. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
Students in the Var raise money for Ukraine - Students at the Stanislas Institute in Fréjus in the Var have raised €45,000 in donations for the war in Ukraine. The pupils of the primary, middle and high schools of this Catholic establishment took part in a "solidarity race" of several kilometers on Wednesday, April 27th. The proceeds will be donated to the French Red Cross, which is mobilizing to help the victims of the conflict with a single priority: to meet their humanitarian needs.
Man assaulted for his Rolex watch - A man has been assaulted in his home in Antibes for his Rolex watch. The man in his 60s was assaulted on Tuesday evening by two individuals as he returned to his home on avenue Rochat. The two individuals fled with the watch. The victim has filed a complaint with police and an investigation has been opened.
Long covid support system - A “long covid” support system in Nice has allowed patients to make “remarkable improvements in their health”. Since its launch in the spring of 2021, 44 people have benefited from the service which has enabled them to regain "physical fitness but also mental strength". Launched in mid-April 2021, the support program for long covid patients in the city of Nice comes to an end due to a lack of requests. However, Nice Acti’santé, which managed the long Covid support service, is now working on other adapted physical activity projects with other vulnerable groups, such as women who are victims of domestic violence and people suffering from mental illnesses.
French journalist files complaint against rape accusations -French journalist and former presenter of the TF1 eight o’clock news Patrick Poivre d'Arvor has announced that he has filed a complaint against 16 women who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault allegations which he rejects altogether.
Danger on the dancefloor - The Paris prosecutor's office has indicated that following multiple complaints, six investigations have been opened in the French capital since last week, into clubbers being pricked by needles containing harmful substances which lead to “nausea and dizziness”. Since the beginning of April, around sixty incidents have been recorded in nightclubs in France with several regions affected including Rennes, Isère, Haute-Garonne, Dordogne and the Loire-Atlantique.
Ban on toxic and harmful chemicals in Europe - 12,000 potentially toxic and harmful chemicals used in cosmetics, toys and even baby products could soon be banned in Europe. In a “restrictions roadmap” published this week by the European Commission some substances have been indicated as becoming illegal in the coming years. The report shows restrictions for the most harmful substances to human health and the environment, with many linked to infertility, cancer and other diseases. European Commission polls show 84 percent of people are worried about the impact of chemicals of health, while 90 percent worry about their impact on the environment.
Navigation - Anchoring and navigation in an area of water between Cannes and the islands of Lerins has been prohibited. It follows the looting of the wreck of a second-century vessel found on the seafloor in 2017. Well-preserved shipwrecks from this period are particularly rare and hold a treasure trove for archaeologists.
Car suspended above water in port of Cannes – Meanwhile a car has managed to get stuck between the quay and a boat in the Port Canto in Cannes. The image which has since been shared on social media shows the vehicle suspended above the water, fortunately no injuries were reported.
Star ratings for Monaco - In Monaco, the Hôtel de Paris and the Hôtel Hermitage have both won star ratings from the influential Forbes Travel Guide, which lists the world’s most outstanding hotels and restaurants. Forbes incognito inspectors stay at each hotel for three days and two nights, posing as ordinary guests. During the stay, they test up to 900 rigorous standards. This year, the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo was awarded a five-star hotel status, while the Hôtel Hermitage was the Star Award Winner for 2022.
Business
Partly due to trade disruption from the Ukraine war the US economy contracted in the first three months of the year. Figures from the Commerce Department showed that gross domestic product fell at an annualised rate of 1.4%. Slower growth had been expected but the figure was worse than forecast, marking the first fall since the coronavirus-induced recession in 2020.
Uniper one of Germany's biggest energy firms has said it is preparing to buy Russian gas using a payment system that critics say will undermine EU sanctions. The firm says it will pay in euros which will be converted into roubles, meeting a Kremlin demand for all transactions to be made in the Russian currency. Other European energy firms are reportedly preparing to do the same amid concerns about supply cuts.
Online sales at the e-commerce giant Amazon have slipped 3% in the first three months of the year, as the boom to its business from the pandemic starts to fade. However, growth in other parts of its business, including cloud computing and advertising have remained strong. Overall, Amazon reported a loss of $3.8bn.
In the UK businesses that use high levels of energy are to get more support from the government for electricity costs. Ministers said an Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme will be extended for a further three years and its budget will be more than doubled. The support comes as firms and households are being hit by higher energy bills, driven by soaring global wholesale gas prices.
According to a study, French employees who resigned in the past two years are those who regret it the most in Europe. Is the grass greener on the other side? Well for the majority of French people who have changed jobs in the past two years, the answer is no. This is the result of a survey carried out by UKG in several countries around the world. According to the study, 62% of people in France who say they have changed jobs during the period of the pandemic believe that they were more satisfied in their former activity. A much higher rate than our neighbours. 46% in Germany, 39% in the United Kingdom and 34% in the Netherlands. Only 24% of French people believe they are fully satisfied, the lowest rate of the countries studied.
The only point where the Germans, British and Dutch have more regret than the French is with regard to former work colleagues. If 28% of French people regret them, this rate rises to 37% for employees abroad. In total, 95% of employees surveyed regret at least one aspect of their former job compared to 80% of Germans.
Sport
Football – In the Premier League on Manchester United drew 1-1 against Chelsea as Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 17th goal of the season.
In the Premier League action this weekend. Tomorrow Newcastle play Liverpool kick off is at 1.30 French time. In the afternoon matches with a 4pm kick off Aston Villa face Norwich, Southampton play Crystal Palace, Watford are at home to Burnley, Wolverhampton place Brighton and the last match on Saturday with a 6.30pm kick off sees Leeds play Manchester City. On Sunday Everton play Chelsea 3pm kick off, Tottenham play Leicester and West Ham play Arsenal. There is one match on Monday Manchester United are at home to Brentford.
And in other football news Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has agreed a two-year contract extension committing him to the club until 2026.
Cricket - Managing director Rob Key has said that England's new Test captain Ben Stokes wants pace bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad to return to the team. Anderson and Broad, England's top two leading Test wicket-takers, were left out of the West Indies tour in March. But Stokes, who was confirmed as Test skipper on Thursday, wants the duo to return this summer when England play New Zealand, South Africa and India.
Formula One - Both Formula 1 race directors have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of next weekend's Miami Grand Prix. According to US immigration rules they would be unable to travel to the race if they do not return a negative test in time. The FIA says it will not "disclose medical information regarding our personnel unless it is relevant to the running of an event".
Weather
Mostly clear skies with light winds. Highs of 19 degrees in Saint Paul de Vence, 20 degrees in Nice and reaching 22 degrees in Cannes. 21 degrees in Saint Tropez and Toulon in the Var.
This evening going down to 12 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes and 10 degrees in the Var along the coast, with clear skies.
Outlook for the weekend, sunny intervals with a gentle breeze across the region highs of 18-19 degrees.
UV level -7 Sea Temperature Nice - 14.8°
Sunrise: 06.25hr Sunset:20.30hr
And Finally
A new study has suggested that if you ever get the feeling that you're talking to a brick wall when trying to communicate with your children there may be some science to it. Researchers found that teenagers' brains start tuning out their mothers' voices around the age of 13. This is because they no longer find it 'uniquely rewarding', researchers said, and instead tune into unfamiliar voices more.
The study by the Stanford School of Medicine suggests that when your teenagers don't seem to hear you, it's not simply that they don't want to clean their room or finish their homework — their brains aren't registering your voice the way they did in pre-teenage years.
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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