French and Riviera News Thursday 25th May 2023

News

Paris shooting - Police in Paris have opened an investigation after a man was shot dead on Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a street in the French capital. The victim was targeted by individuals riding motorcycles who managed to escape and are reportedly still on the run. The man, a real estate agent in his thirties, was gunned down as he left his agency located boulevard de Courcelles in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The two motorcycles were found in Châtenay-Malabry, a town located about twelve kilometers south of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine. Police at this point believe it to be a settling of accounts.

Immigration - According to a survey conducted by the Elabe Institute 85% of French people are in favour of restoring the "double penalty" or “double peine” a proposal made by the Republican party. France’s right-wing party is due to consider two bills on immigration this week. When asked about several proposals made by the Republicans, the respondents of the survey showed that they were in favour of several of them. The “double penalty” allows the possibility of convicting and then expelling a foreigner who has committed an offense or crime. Currently, a criminal judge can already ban from French territory, a foreigner who resides in France and who has committed a crime. The President of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti, also suggested that "the offense of illegal residence must be reintroduced". Abolished in 2013 in line with the European Union Court of Justice, it provided in particular, prison sentences for people residing illegally in France. According to the Elabe poll of May 24th, 2023, 81% of French people are in favour of restoring the offense of illegal residence of foreigners.

The survey also revealed that 56% of those questioned feel that there are "too many" immigrants in France today, and 40% felt there were "just enough". But the Elabe survey also shows that the French have an erroneous perception of immigration: half of those questioned overestimated the percentage of the immigrant population among the total population in France.

Mayor reacts strongly against performance of French comedian Dieudonné – Meanwhile, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi has strongly reacted to the announcement of the arrival this Saturday, May 27th in Nice of the controversial humourist and far-right political activist Dieudonné. Telling French media that "he and his hatred are definitely not welcome." The controversial comedian announced on the website a performance this weekend in Nice, in a location which has for the time been kept secret. Estrosi has asked the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes to "take all measures to prevent Dieudonné from performing in Nice”. Dieudonné has been convicted for hate speech, advocating terrorism, and slander in Belgium, France and Switzerland.

Islands of the coast of Hyeres - A popular set of islands off the coast of Hyères in the Var will impose a cap on visitor numbers this summer to try to protect the natural environment. Visitors to the Port-Cros national park, which includes the islands of Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Levant, will be limited to 6,000 per day for the third consecutive summer. The measure comes into effect at the end of June and runs until 31 August. As well as protecting nature, the limit also aims to make the visitor experience more pleasant, with fewer crowds. The islands have suffered for years from a severe lack of drinking water, with the Var authorities having to transport tankers of water out from the mainland to cope with demand each summer.

Man steals 50,000 euros worth of equipment and wine from beach restaurant during Film Festival - A man posing as an employee in uniform, has managed to steal 50,000 euros worth of equipment and wine from a beach in Cannes during the Film Festival. The incident saw the man casually load a trolley with equipment and wine before taking it to a vehicle parked nearby. The individual was later arrested by police, thanks to video surveillance.

Producer graces red carpet in Cannes with her baby - The image of a young baby in the arms of its mother on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival has caused controversy. Julie Viez, the producer of Jim Jarmusch's film "Return to Reason" appeared on the steps of the Palais de Festivals on Tuesday causing quite a stir.  In a red dress and delicate jewellery, the producer was seen holding her baby in her arms. Rather surprised many took to social media with some suggesting that “it was not the place to bring a baby” adding, “it’s not a brooch and would be better off in bed”. Others remarked how the producer was “lucky to have a job which allowed her to take her baby with her” and some even accused her of “holding the young child like a handbag”. According to the Festival and quoted by several media outlets "coming with her baby was a political affirmation by the producer to show that women can have children and work at the same time". It is not known however, where the baby of Julie Viez ended the evening.

Queen of Rock’n’roll Tina Turner dies at 83 - The 'Queen of Rock' n Roll' Tina Turner has died at the age of 83. According to a press release published on Wednesday on the account of the rock legend's official Instagram the author of planetary hits like "What's Love Got To Do With It" and "The Best" died following a long illness. Tina Turner was a familiar face here in the region when in the late 1990s she became an honorary citizen of Villefranche-sur-Mer and at the time owned the Anna Fleur villa which she had had built. Riviera Radio will be paying tribute to the legendary singer throughout this morning’s show.

Falconers to scare away pigeons – Finally, you may have experienced the intrusion of pigeons while sitting on a sunny terrace on the French Riviera, but this however is no longer the case at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, as during the Film Festival the luxury hotel has introduced falconers. Used to scare away pigeons during peak periods, the birds of prey ensure the tranquillity of customers and have not gone unnoticed in the midst of the excitement of the Festival.

Business

It’s been reported that the new owner of Silicon Valley Bank's (SVB) US operations, First Citizens, is cutting around 500 roles held by former SVB workers.  Two months ago, First Citizens bought the business after SVB's collapse. The failure of SVB, along with two other US banks, triggered fears of a more widespread banking crisis, which forced authorities to step in. SVB's business in the UK was bought in March by London-headquartered banking giant HSBC for a nominal £1 ($1.25).

Negotiations to prevent the US government from running out of money are headed down to the wire. The Treasury says Congress must agree to raise the debt ceiling by 1st June or the US will run out of cash to pay its bills, resulting in economic disaster. Republican Kevin McCarthy says his party and the Democrats remain "far apart".

And – The UK Parliament has been urged to investigate "damning evidence" that it may have been misled by the Bank of England over interest rate rigging. Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis said new evidence cast doubt on statements to Parliament by its former deputy governor. In a House of Commons debate he called for a renewed parliamentary inquiry into the scandal. He was supported by former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

Mr Davis cited evidence given by the Bank of England's former deputy governor, Paul Tucker, who told the Treasury in July 2012 he'd only come to learn about interest rate manipulation "in the last few weeks". Mr Davis says " there appears to be damning evidence this was untrue, including meetings, phone calls, and sworn testimony to US authorities”.

Sport

Football – Special times for Brighton, as they matched champions Manchester City in a thrilling 1-1 draw in last nights Premier League, to seal a Europa League spot. In the Premier League this evening Manchester United are at home to Chelsea. Kick off is at 9pm French time.

Formula One – Team Principal Toto Wolff has said that the major car upgrade Mercedes bring in at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix will not be a "silver bullet". It is the result of Mercedes' decision to change design philosophy after starting a second season off the pace. Mercedes had intended to use it at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, but that was cancelled last weekend as a result of flooding in northern Italy.

Wolff said Monaco will "provide an opportunity to learn about the upgrades”.  While Monaco is not normally a track where a team would choose to introduce a major design revision, Mercedes decided to press ahead because the cars had already been modified for Imola.

Tennis - There will be no British women in the French Open main draw after Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Fran Jones exited in the second qualifying round.

Cycling - Italy's Alberto Dainese sprinted to victory on stage 17 at the Giro d'Italia as Britain's Geraint Thomas retained the overall race lead.

Weather

Unsettled with thundery showers forecast in Nice, Cannes and Saint Tropez. Light rain in Toulon. A moderate breeze. Highs of 22 degrees and going down to 15 degrees this evening, with clear skies.

The outlook for tomorrow. Fine with highs of 25 degrees and a gentle breeze which is expected to continue into the weekend.

Sunrise     05.56am

Sunset      08.58pm

Beach weather forecast

Nice – Sea temperature 19 degrees. Air temperature 22 degrees. Sunny spells. UV level 8.

Saint-Tropez – Sea temperature 19 degrees. Air temperature 22 degrees. Sunny intervals. UV level 7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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