French and Riviera News Monday 3rd June 2019

Local

Republican Party leader quits – The Mayor of Antibes Jean Leonetti is to act as president of the Republican Party following Laurent Wauquiez’s resignation. Wauquiez announced he was stepping down as leader of the party on Sunday evening, a week after the defeat of the  party in the European elections. According to reports other members of the party are considering leaving to create their own movement splitting the current organisation.

Road accident - Seven people have been injured, one seriously after a motorist lost control of her vehicle in Cavalaire sur mer in the Var on Sunday morning. The accident occurred on the Avenue des Alliés in the centre of the town. Police have launched an investigation into the accident which saw the vehicle lose control, hitting several pedestrians.

Three year old boy drowns - Police in the Gironde near Bordeaux have launched an investigation into the death of a 3 year old boy who drowned in the family swimming pool on Sunday. Emergency services intervened shortly after midday on Sunday. The boy is thought to have escaped the attention of family and friends who were present at the time of the accident.

Emmanuel Macron - The French President Emmanuel Macron has returned to Paris following a short break with his wife at the Presidential holiday home of Fort Brégançon in the Var. The President and his wife Brigitte had spent the last few days enjoying the region’s sunshine before heading back to capital this morning to attend a meeting with council ministers.

World Bicycle day - “I like to ride my bicycle” and today is World bicycle day. To mark the occasion Mathieu Houlbert from Nice has been displaying his latest creation at Place Massena. The bikes are custom made with a unique wooden frame. The craftsman has set himself the challenge of creating a hundred bikes with a hundred different wooden frames.

Just married - Congratulations to the eldest daughter of Princess Caroline, Charlotte Casiraghi who married her companion of two years Dimitri Rassam here at the Prince’s Palace on Saturday. 32-year-old Charlotte Casiraghi, the daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover and granddaughter of Princess Grace, is the 11th in line to the Monegasque throne. 37 year old Rassam, is the son of French actress and model Carole Bouquet.

National

Yellow vest protests - Nearly 200 yellow vest protestors have staged what they called a “march of the mutilated” through central Paris. Among them were people seriously injured in demonstrations since the movement started last November. Investigations have been launched into 174 incidents; 57 have been completed and are awaiting a decision on whether there should be legal action. The march took place on the 29th weekend of action by the “gilets jaunes”. The interior ministry said there were fewer than 10,000 protesters across the country, the lowest turnout yet.

Medical marijuana - As a nearly unanimous French Senate gave medical marijuana the green light on May 28, France will start experimenting the use of medical marijuana for “about two years”, pending the approval of the health ministry. Therapeutic cannabis may soon be legally available in France to hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from serious pain caused by illness. According to patient groups, somewhere between 300,000 and 1 million patients could be eligible for its use.

Michel Serres dies - The philosopher, writer and academic Michel Serres has at the age of 88. His publishing house Le Pommier made the announcement on Saturday evening. Serres was an extremely prolific writer and public figure in France, and was elected to the Académie française.  Serres was born in 1930 in Agen south western France. He found success in 2012, when his philosophical essay “Petite Poucette” sold over 270,000 copies. It is based on the premise that technology has effectively created a new type of human. Serres was an indefatigable optimist. In 2016, he said, “In comparison to what I experienced in the first third of my life, we’re currently living in a period of peace. I would even go so far as to say that western Europe is going through an era of paradise.”

Business

Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group is facing a crucial week with creditors set to vote on his proposed restructuring plans on Wednesday.

The high street giant could go into administration if landlords and the UK pension regulator don’t back Sir Philip’s plans to shut stores and cut rents.

The Arcadia chain includes brands such as Topshop ,Burton ,Wallis and Dorothy Perkins.

Some 50 stores are set to close and MP’s want the tycoon to use his own money to fund the firm’s pension scheme.

Analysts say that the emergency measures are being seen as a final effort to save the company  which has been losing out to online rivals.

Arcadia has around 560 stores in the UK and employs 22,000 people.

 

A report by Reuters says that Fiat Chrysler has been discussing a special Renault dividend and stronger job guarantees in a bid to persuade the French government to back its proposed merger.

The report says that the improved offer would see the combined firm’s operations headquartered in France and the French state given a seat on the board.

The French government is Renaults biggest shareholder with a 15 percent stake in the firm.

So far there’s been no comment from Renault or the French government.

Last week ,Fiat Chrysler pitched a 35 billion dollar merger plan to Renault which reacted favourably.If it goes ahead then it would create the world’s 3rd largest carmaker behind Volkswagen and Toyota.

 

And-Mexican and US trade officials are preparing for talks aimed at averting a major trade clash after President Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on all Mexican goods in an escalating row over immigration.

The Mexican economy minister is to meet with the US Commerce Secretary in Washington today with the representatives from the two governments holding talks all week in a bid to resolve the dispute.

Mr Trump says that he will apply 5 percent tariffs on Mexican goods starting on the 10th of June if Mexico doesn’t halt the flow of illegal immigration across the border.

The tariffs will gradually rise to 25 percent if Mexico doesn’t comply  and would cause major economic damage to the country which sends around 80 percent of its exports to the United States.

Sport

Football-Around three quarters of a million people lined the streets of Liverpool on Sunday to welcome the team home as they staged a victory parade after winning the European Cup.

Liverpool beat Spurs 2-0 in Madrid to secure their 6th European Cup triumph.

Reports say that the club wants to tie manager Jurgen Klopp to a new extended contract on the back of the Cup win.

It’s Klopp’s first trophy since he joined Liverpool in 2015.He said that he was “amazed” by the scale of the turnout for the victory parade.

Cricket-Bangladesh caused a major upset by beating South Africa in the World Cup at the Oval on Sunday.

Bangladesh batted first and made 330-6 from their 50 overs.They then restricted South Africa to 309-8 from their 50 overs to win the match by 21 runs.

South Africa have now lost both their opening World Cup matches after losing comprehensively to England in their first game.

England are  back in action today.The hosts play Pakistan at Trent Bridge.Play starts at 11.30.

Tennis-Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are on course to meet each other in the semi finals of the French open after both cruised into the last 8.

Nadal beat Juan Igancio Londero in straight sets while Federer beat Leonardo Mayer 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Federer will now play fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka while Nadal will be up against either Kei Nishokori or Benoit Paire.

In the women’s event Great Britain’s Johanna Konta made the last 8 for the first time after beating Donna Vecic in straight sets.She’ll now play last year’s runner up Sloane Stephens.

7 of the top 10 women’s seeds are already out of the competition including world number one Naomi Osaka and the 23 time grand slam winner Serena Williams.

Boxing-Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has vowed to “get his belts back” following his shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden ,New York on Saturday night.

Joshua described the defeat as a “minor setback”.

The referee stopped the fight after Joshua had been floored twice in the third round and two more times in the 7th.

A rematch with Ruiz was written into the contract and the two men will meet again probably in September.

Rugby Union-England beat the Barbarians 51-43 in the traditional end of season international at Twickenham on Sunday.

The England team was made up from mainly young, inexperienced players ,none of whom is expected to make the World Cup squad.

Weather.

Clear skies with light to moderate south westerly  winds.

Top temperatures 22-26 degrees.

Overnight lows of 17 degrees on the coast and 14 degrees inland with clear skies.

Tuesday and Wednesday-Mainly fine with highs of 22-27 degrees.

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