News
Changes for June 1st - As with the 1st of every month in France changes come into effect. From today June 1st these changes will include better protection from bank scams, the termination of an insurance policy will be simplified and the launch of the summer sales on June 28th for a duration of four weeks.
Also, while the deadline for income tax declarations has already passed for those in departments 1 to 9, taxpayers in departments 20 to 54 have until this evening at midnight and those in departments 55 to 974/976 still have until midnight on Thursday, June 8th.
And before June 30th, homeowners are required to declare their property or properties online using the "Manage my properties" form on the website www.impots.gouv.fr
Earth tremors felt in the region – In local news, two consecutive earth tremors have been felt in the Alpes Maritimes and the Var. Wednesday May 31st, saw many residents take to social media saying they had “felt the tremors from Frejus to Nice”. The tremors which occurred at around 3pm were not recorded by official bodies, but the Allquakes site, which is not approved by the French State, identified the epicentre near Fréjus with a depth of 20 kilometres. The magnitude is not known.
In addition, the town hall of Cannes notably indicated on Twitter that "two minor tremors had been felt on the Côte d'Azur". Emergency services received a few calls, but no interventions or damage was recorded.
Violent altercation and gunshots in Nice - Witnesses have compared it to the scene of a western film, after gunshots and a crazy race took place in the Moulins district of Nice. The violent altercation occurred at around 11am on Wednesday morning after a vehicle hit a scooter which was then chased by police into the city centre. Police eventually managed to arrest the motorist. At least three people were injured during the incident.
New anti-fraud plan for transport network in Nice - A new anti-fraud plan is being introduced by transport network Lignes d'Azur. Additional controllers are to be recruited and automatic access gates to underground stations will be activated. Lige d’Azur sees 100 million passengers every year and 300,000 on a daily basis.
House prices in France - House prices in France fell in the first quarter of this year for the first time since 2015. That's according to new figures from the French national statistics office Insee. But Nice appears to be defying the nationwide trend. Nationwide, property prices - excluding new-builds - fell by 0.2% in the first three months of this year, compared to the previous quarter. In the Paris region, the price of apartments fell by 1.1% over the same period. However, in Nice, prices are largely remaining stable, and in the case of high-end properties, prices are continuing to rise. The Riviera's international appeal among second home-owners is the explaining factor.
Half a million euros left to town hall – A deceased resident of Villeneuve-Loubet has left a legacy of almost half a million euros to the town in his will. The man had no immediate relatives - and so opted to give his €473,000 to local authorities in the town where he had come to retire in the 1990s. The donation does not come with any restrictions on what it can be spent on. But as the donor was a fan of sport, Villeneuve-Loubet plans to use some of it to improve sporting facilities, including at the yacht club in the run-up to next year's Olympics.
Celebrations for the centenary of the birth of Prince Rainier III – Finally, celebrations for the Centenary of the birth of Prince Rainier III began on Wednesday with a festival organized on the Rock. 21 cannon shots were fired marking the start of celebrations. The event which was reserved for Monegasques, residents and friends of the Principality saw many take part in the open-air street party with music, parades and a firework display. For footage and photos of the event you can go to our face book page 106.5 riviera radio.
May 31st marked the launch of various up-coming events, exhibitions and concerts taking place throughout the Principality to mark the occasion including an exhibition entitled ‘The Prince at Home’, which will be displayed in the Grand Apartments of the Palais Princier of Monaco. In addition to official events, Monaco institutions and establishments are also organising tributes to mark the occasions.
Business
Just days before the world’s biggest economy is due to start defaulting on its debt, the House of Representatives has approved a deal to allow the US to borrow more money. Despite some defections on both sides the measure easily passed the chamber by a vote of 314-117. The US Senate must vote on the bill later this week before President Joe Biden can sign it into law. The government is forecast to hit its borrowing limit on Monday 5 June.
Amazon is to pay $25 million (£20 million) to settle allegations that it violated children's privacy rights with its Alexa voice assistant. The company agreed to pay the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after it was accused of failing to delete Alexa recordings at the request of parents. It was found to have kept hold of sensitive data for years.
Meanwhile, a one-hour protest by more than 1,000 Amazon staff has taken place at the company’s headquarters in Seattle. Staff gathered against the company’s climate record and its push to bring office staff back to offices. Organisers said that morale at the company was at an “all-time low” because of “short-sighted decisions” by leaders. Amazon reacted by saying that it respected workers’ rights to express opinions however the internet giant disputed the number of participants.
Canada’s health agency has announced plans to soon print warning labels directly on cigarettes in what would be a world-first. The new packaging will feature a warning on each cigarette with phrases like: "Cigarettes cause cancer" and "Poison in every puff". The regulation will come into effect on 1st August and is part of an effort to reduce tobacco use in Canada to less than 5% by 2035.
And – As part of a survey to determine the average weight of a passenger Air New Zealand is weighing passengers before they board international flights. The weight will be anonymously recorded in a database but not be visible to airline staff or other passengers. Air New Zealand said knowing average passenger weight would improve fuel efficiency in the future. Participation in the survey is voluntary. The airline previously weighed domestic passengers in New Zealand in 2021.
Sport
Football - Sevilla have claimed a record-extending seventh Europa League title as they beat Roma on penalties in last night’s Europa League final.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is expected to decide in the coming hours where he will be playing next season.
Cricket - Captain Ben Stokes says the only way he will not take a full part in England's Ashes summer is if he "can't walk". The 31-year-old had a cortisone injection in a persistent knee injury in March. Stokes will lead England in the one-off Test against Ireland which starts today and runs until Sunday.
Rugby Union - The Rugby Football Union has granted a one-week extension to London Irish to complete their takeover. Players and staff at the club requested the extension despite only receiving 50% of their May salaries.
Tennis – France’s sports minister has said that Novak Djokovic’s political stance at Roland Garros this week was “not appropriate” and should not happen again. It was during the French Open that the 36-year-old wrote on a camera lens "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" after his first-round win on Monday. In response Djokovic said that he is "aware people would disagree" with him writing a political message about Kosovo on a French Open camera lens but it is an issue he "stands for".
Meanwhile Briton Cameron Norrie, matched his best Roland Garros run by beating France's Pouille 6-1 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round on Wednesday.
Weather
Mainly fine, Highs of 24 degrees in Nice, Monaco and Marseille. 25 degrees in Cannes and 22 degrees in Saint-Tropez. Moderate breeze across the region. Inland highs of 23 degrees with a risk of showers this afternoon. This evening going down to 16 degrees along the coast with clear skies.
The outlook for tomorrow and heading into the weekend. Sunny intervals on Saturday and Sunday morning. With possibility of scattered showers in the afternoons over the weekend.
Sunrise 05.51am
Sunset 09.05pm
Beach Weather Forecast
Nice – Sea temperature 19 degrees. Air temperature 24 degrees. Sunny intervals and UV level is 8.
Hyeres – Sea temperature 20 degrees. Air temperature 24 degrees. Sunny intervals. UV level 9.
La Ciotat - Sea temperature 20 degrees. Air temperature 24 degrees. Sunny intervals. UV level 8.
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