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Foreign military and police officers will be present to reinforce security for the Olympic and Paralympic Games - Poland has announced that its armed forces will "join the international coalition” to help secure the Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris. The French Ministry of Armed Forced has said that "several foreign nations" will send soldiers to reinforce security for the Games. The countries concerned "will strengthen France in certain critical areas, such as sniffer dog capacity, where the needs are enormous”. The ministry, did not specify which nations were concerned but "46 foreign partners" are believed to have been asked with more than 35 partner states having responded favourably”. It is not the first time that France has asked for reinforcements. During the last Rugby World Cup, British police officers in particular came to France, and a total of 160 European officers participated in the event. Germany has already indicated that it will send police officers to the Olympics.
Bank transfers to take longer over Easter weekend - The Bank of France has announced that from today Friday 29th March until Easter Monday included, standard bank transfers will not arrive at their destination for at least four days. Good Friday and Easter Monday are two public holidays in many countries in Europe and as a result making transfers will take longer. Money transfers between euro area banks are channelled through the Target 2 system. However, this service, which handles SEPA transfers, is open every day except weekends and on 1st of January, as well as on Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1st May and 25th and 26th of December. Therefore, for more than 100 hours, between Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, April 2 at 2:30 a.m., Target 2 will be closed. The closure will therefore penalise Europeans wishing to make a transfer quickly and may also delay salaries paid by bank transfer if your company has not anticipated this period. Good Friday actually falls at the end of the month this year and Easter Monday at the very beginning of the following month, a period when many companies pay thier employees. Internal transfers however between two accounts within the same bank will not be affected.
Cyber-attacks on schools in France - France’s Minister of Education, Nicole Belloubet, has announced that due to the recent wave of cyberattacks on the digital workspace the ENT, used by French education establishments, all messaging on the network will be suspended. Some 130 middle and high schools have received messages in recent days threatening an attack after a hack of the ENT, a digital space that serves as a link between teachers, students and parents. Complaints have been lodged and several investigations have been launched.
Weather alert - The Loire and the Rhône Valley have been placed on an orange weather alert today with strong winds forcaster. Gusts may reach between 90 to 110 km / h due to storm Nelson. The alert is in place until 4pm this afternoon. The weather is expected to be turbulent throughout France today from the Grand-Est to Burgundy, the Franche-Comté, the north of Auvergne, the Limousin and the Aquitaine as well as the Pyrenees. The weather will however be drier, but very windy from the Rhône-Alpes to the PACA region and Corsica. The southerly to southeasterly winds will reach 60 to 80 km/h along the Mediterranean coast.
Local
Marseille Criminal Court - The Marseille Criminal Court has handed down several sentences ranging from six months to eight years in prison and fines of up to 100,000 euros against 25 defendants who operated a drug dealing point between 2019 and 21021. Suspected of being "delivery boys", "packers" and suppliers of a major drug trafficking network known as Les Oliviers, named after a housing estate in Marseille, they had been on trial since 11 March. The drug outlet was reputed to be one of the most lucrative in the city with a daily turnover of up to 60,000 to 80,000 euros. Of the 25 defendants, seven were in custody and four others were in pre-trial detention.
Monaco City Hall reinforces the security of its premises with a video surveillance system – The Monaco council have unanimously voted to set up a video surveillance system in the town hall. A building nestled on the Rock and considered an Organization of Vital Importance (OIV). "In order to guarantee the safety of property and people within this building, the Municipality wishes to operate a video surveillance system." Gradually installed in 2023, in accordance with safety and regulatory compliance requirements, the system is expected to soon be operational.
A&E at Gassin hospital to remain closed - The A&E department of Gassin hospital in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in the Var is to remain closed at night over the Easter weekend and for the month of April. While the director had announced that he was working towards a return to normal in April, the service will ultimately continue its adapted service as we head into the summer season. The A&E department will remain closed to the public between 9 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. during which there are alternatives such as the Gassin medical centre on call, at the Health Centre from Monday to Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from 8 a.m. to midnight. (04.98.12.51.14). The CSNP de Sainte-Maxime, Espace Mathias, at 204 route du Plan-de-la-Tour, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (04.28.70.17.00) the Saint-Tropez health centre located on avenue Charles de Gaulle, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (04.23.10.19.05) and finally the emergencies of Fréjus, Hyeres, Brignoles and Toulon remain open 24/7.
Clocks go forward - Finally don’t forget the clocks go forward an hour from 2am on Sunday 31st March as part of daylight-saving time. The same day as Easter Sunday.
Business
Sam Bankman-Fried's legal team have said that will appeal against his conviction. Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the failed crypto exchange FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm. The ruling cements the downfall of the former billionaire, who emerged as a high-profile ch
