News
France’s government collapses - France’s government has collapsed after prime minister Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence vote after just 90 days in power. Barnier has become the first prime minister since 1962 to be forced out by such a vote. The situation plunges France into a period of political chaos. French lawmakers voted 331 out of 574 in support of the motion with the far-left and far-right coming together in an unholy alliance.
French President Emmanuel Macron now faces the task of hiring his fourth Prime Minister in less than a year as opposition politicians call for him to step down. Emmanuel Macron will give a live national television address at 8pm this evening, following the fall of his Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
National Strike action - Due to national strike action across France today, Thursday 5th December, by the civil services, daycare centres, schools and canteens are expected to be closed. Teachers’ unions are reporting a strike rate of 65%. Locally out of the 27 daycare centres and nurseries in Nice four will be open, three closed and the rest will operate a limited service. Of the 149 schools in the city of Nice, 32 will be completely closed and 91 other establishments will be partially affected by the closure of one or more classes. A minimum reception service has been set up by the town hall at the Impératrice-Eugénie center. Registrations can be made online from 8:30 – 9.30am this Thursday morning.
The school canteens of 95 schools will also be closed. As part of the after-school care, morning reception will not be provided in 48 establishments and there will be no evening childcare in 57 schools. For public transport Ligne d'Azur should not be affected by the strike. However, Nice International airport has warned of possible delays and cancellations, advising passengers to check with their airline, or call the airport on 0820 423 333.
Police search following shooting in Mandelieu - Police are actively looking for one or two individuals following a shooting in Mandelieu. One man was slightly wounded by a bullet on Wednesday evening just before 8pm in the Tourrades area, in Mandelieu, after two men were shot at. Both men targeted are said to be brothers and are from Cannes-La Bocca. The incident took place in the car park above the Asian restaurant Le Siècle d'or. According to reports a hooded man had burst into the restaurant ahead of the shooting. Police were deployed.
Marineland to close - Marineland in Antibes plans to close permanently on the 5th of January, due to finanical difficulties and a declining number of visitors. The closure is driven by a 2021 law banning performances, which attracted most of its visitors. Neighbouring attractions like Aqua splash and Adventure Golf will remain open.
Prince Albert II Inaugurates Mareterra - Prince Albert II of Monaco has inaugurated the Mareterra district adding 3% to Monaco's territory and more importantly highlighting a harmony with nature, rigorous environmental standards, and world-class architecture. Thanking contributors on Wednesday Prince Albert called the site a collective achievement symbolizing Monaco's audacity, wisdom, and sustainable vision. Riviera Radio was at the inauguration. You can check out film and photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Ski season – Finally, with two days to go before the opening of some of our regions ski resorts, you may be asking if there is any snow in the Alpes-Maritimes? The first ski resorts are due to open on Saturday and footage from the webcam in Auron has sown a beautiful blanket of snow. Auron, Isola 2000 and La Colmiane will at least partially open their ski area, this Saturday, December 7th. For Valberg, and Gréolières-les-Neiges, an opening date has not yet been communicated.
Business
The French government collapsed on Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote. The euro showed little immediate reaction, trading at around $1.0517 against the dollar, but dipping against other European currencies, such as the Swiss franc and the pound.
Meanwhile, for the first time the price of Bitcoin has broken past the $100,000 mark, hitting a new record high. The value of the world's biggest cryptocurrency has been boosted by hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will adopt crypto-friendly policies. The milestone was reached hours after Trump said he would nominate former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner Paul Atkins to run the Wall Street regulator. Mr Atkins is seen as being far more pro-cryptocurrency than the current head of the SEC. The $100,000 milestone prompted celebrations from cryptocurrency fans around the world.
And - Airbus is to axe 477 jobs in the UK as the plane maker scales back its space business and tries to trim costs. According to forecasts nearly 5% of its workforce will be laid off globally by mid-2026. The cuts come as the firm's profits fall even as its sales rise, with the plane maker admitting in July that it was struggling with bottlenecks in its supply chain.
Sport
Football - It has been described as one of the best games of the season as Premier League leaders Liverpool drew 3-3 with Newcastle on Wednesday evening at St James' Park. The Reds twice trailed and then led and looked set to extend their winning run in the league to five games. But a 90th-minute equaliser earned Newcastle a deserved point at the end of an exhausting encounter. Everton won their match 4-0 against Wolves, Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 3-0, Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0, Aston Villa won 3-1 at home against Brentford and Chelsea thrashed Southampton 5-1
In this evening’s action Fulham are at home to Brighton and Bournemouth face Tottenham.
Tennis – Australian former Wimbledon champion Neale Fraser has died aged 91. Fraser won the Wimbledon singles title in 1960 as well as the US National Championships in 1959 and 1960, when tennis was still an amateur sport. He also claimed 11 men's doubles and five mixed doubles Slam titles and became the men's singles world number one in 1959. Fraser was a member of four triumphant Davis Cup teams as a player before going on to captain Australia in the event for 24 years, winning it four further times.
Cycling - Great Britain's Tom Pidcock has announced that he is to leave the Ineos Grenadiers team at the end of the season. The 25-year-old has been with the team since 2021 and will depart despite having signed a new five-year contract in 2022. Pidcock retained his Olympic mountain bike title when he won gold at the Games in Paris this year.
Vendée Globe - Louis Burton who was ranked in 18th position has had to abandon the Vendée Globe race after serious damage to a mechanical element of his rigging. A ten-hour search was carried out to try and find and solution, but efforts have proven to be in vain. After careful consideration, even with the determination that characterises the skipper who finished third on the 2020-21 race, Burton has had to abandon the race. He is heading towards Cape Town, which he should reach in around 36 hours.
Week four of the Vendee Globe is underway and the race is facing powerful storms. Charlie Dalin is in the lead with Boris Herrman ranking 12th. Herrmann is representing Monaco in the competition, a member of the Monaco Yacht Club he is flying the flag for the Principality and the Prince Albert II Foundation symbolising a strong commitment to protecting the marine environment.
Golf - Transgender women who have gone through male puberty will not be allowed to compete on leading women's golf tours from next year. Updated rules on gender policy will also apply to United States Golf Association events including the US Women's Open and will prevent Scottish-born American Hailey Davidson from seeking membership of the LPGA Tour.
Athletics - World Athletics says it has identified campaigning against gender-based violence as a priority. The World Athletics Athletes' Commission called on World Athletics to take a leadership role and explore partnerships with relevant organisations to push for change.
Weather
Fine start to the day. Clouding over by this afternoon. Lights winds and highs of 16 degrees in Nice, 13 degrees in Monaco and 14 degrees in Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 7 degrees along the coast and 1 degree inland.
The outlook for Friday and heading into the weekend. Hazy sunshine tomorrow, becoming increasingly cloudy, sunny intervals on Saturday with temperatures dropping from Sunday. Highs of 13 degrees heading into next week.
Sunrise 07.48am
Sunset 04.53pm
Weather elsewhere
New York 5° sunny intervals.
Brussels 8° light rain.
Belfast 10° heavy rain.
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