French and Riviera News Tuesday 14th September 2021

Local News

Shooting in Marseille - A 26-year-old man has been shot dead in Marseille. The shooting occurred on Monday 13th September in a snack bar in the city of Bricarde, in the fifteenth arrondissement. There have been three killings in this neighborhood so far this year all are believed to be related to a settlement of accounts as part of a drug trafficking network. In total so far this year, 16 people have lost their lives in shootings related to drug trafficking.

It was only recently that French President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille to discuss the difficulties in the fight against violence linked to drug trafficking, after a summer already marked by a dozen fatal settlements of accounts in the Bouches-du-Rhône.

Macron to visit Nice today Tuesday 14th September - Meanwhile Macron will be visiting Nice today Tuesday 14th September, for the opening of the “Forum of the economy of the sea”. The head of state will be accompanied by Annick Girardin, Minister of the Sea. This is the second time that the Head of State is attending the event after his participation in December 2019 in Montpellier. Macron who is scheduled to arrive at the Acropolis convention centre at 5.30pm today, will discuss with the actors of the maritime world around central themes such as sovereignty, research, maritime transport and new maritime companies.  

The trip will also be an opportunity to take stock of the achievements carried out by the government, such as the Fontenoy du Maritime, the priority research program “Ocean and climate”, the extension of marine protected areas, and the plan “exemplary Mediterranean Sea in 2030”.

Monoprix withdraws product due to anti police slogans - The supermarket chain Monoprix has withdrawn from its stores bottles of “true fruit” smoothies “Back to school” edition after they were found to be tagged with anti-police slogans on the outside of the glass bottles. An investigation has since been opened with the supplier.

New nursery places to meet the demand in the Principality - Faced with an increase in demand, Monaco is to create new nursery places. 440 toddlers returned to school at the beginning of September in one of the 12 nursery structures in the Principality, with some families still on a waiting list for next spring.

Oldest shop in Monaco turns 116 - Meanwhile Monaco’s oldest shop will soon celebrate its 116th birthday. On October 1st the "Bazar Picco" will celebrate its 116th birthday. At 71 and 73 years old, the two Picco brothers are still involved in overseeing the business while passing it onto the next generation.

OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille to replay match - France’s Professional football league has announced that the match between OGC Nice and the Olympique de Marseille, which was interrupted following incidents with supporters, is to be rescheduled for Wednesday, October 27th at 9pm. Where the match will be played has not yet been confirmed.

Jean Dujardin starts filming in the region - French actor Jean Dujardin will today start shooting a new film in the Alpes Maritimes region in the town of Tende, which was badly affected by storm Alex in October of last year. The actor stars in a new film by Denis Imbert, Les Chemins de Pierre, in which he plays the part of author Sylvain Tesson. Speaking to local media the producer Clément Miserez, told Nice-Matin, “it was important to come and support the inhabitants of this region who were victims of this terrible storm” adding "we are very happy to support them". For the mayor of the town, Jean-Pierre Vassallo, it is a way "to make Tende even more known".

National News

France releases financial aid for Afghanistan - France has released 100 million euros in aid for Afghanistan. On Monday France’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that “France will contribute 100 million euros to the emergency plan drawn up by the United Nations to deal with the humanitarian emergency in Afghanistan”. According to the UN, almost the entire Afghan population is at risk of falling below the poverty line next year.

November 13th attacks – As the trial into the November 13th attacks continues. A police report from the Belgian police has revealed major flaws in the surveillance of the Abdeslam brothers, members of the commando team of the attacks.

Parisian winner in EuroMillion draw - A lottery player in Paris has won more than 21 million euros in the 64 million EuroMillions draw on August 31st. The individual validated his ticked in a bar tabac in the French capital. He had played the EuroMillions with a Belgian and a British man. The three men with the winning numbers shared the 64 million jackpot.

The win marks the fifth biggest winner in the French capital remaining behind the first in the ranking, who won more than 66 million euros in 2016.

For more information and to see updated news, click here to go to the news page on our website. 

 

Business

Apple has issued a software patch to block so-called "zero-click" spyware that could infect iPhones and iPads. Independent researchers identified the flaw, which lets hackers access devices through the iMessage service even if users do not click on a link or file. Researchers say that the problem affects all of the technology giant's operating systems.  Apple said it issued the security update in response to a "maliciously crafted" PDF file.

The French economy continues to show strong momentum. According to the Banque de France's new economic report published on Monday, the French economy continues to show strong momentum with GDP growth reaching 6.3% in 2021 exceeding the government's forecast of 6%.

In the US, leading Democrats have released plans for a partial rollback of former US President Donald Trump's tax cuts. Members of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which sets tax policy, propose raising the top rate of corporation tax to 26.5% from 21%. The move would see the income taxes of wealthy individuals jump, as well as higher capital gains and inheritance taxes. The plans are to be debated this week and would help fund the Democrats' $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan.

Primark in the UK says the trend for "comfort wear" has continued through the summer, with strong sales of leisurewear such as leggings and cycle shorts. Demand also rose for seam-free matching separates for women, as many people stayed in the UK for their holidays.

Sport 

Football  In the Premier league on Monday Everton beat Burnley 3-1. The results moved Everton to be level on points with the Premier League's top three Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Formula One - Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen says he is fit to return to racing at the Russian Grand Prix. The 41-year-old Finn, who is retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season, missed the Dutch and Italian races after contracting coronavirus. In an Instagram post on Monday the driver wrote "I am all good. See you at the next GP”.

Cricket - Australia Test captain Tim Paine is confident he will be fit for the Ashes despite needing surgery to treat a pinched nerve in his neck. The 36-year-old, has been suffering pain in his neck and left arm which has been caused by a bulging disc. He expects to be back in full training by next month, with the first Ashes Test against England scheduled to begin in Brisbane on 8 December.

Weather

Sunny intervals with highs of 26 degrees in Nice, Antibes and Cannes. Highs of 27 degrees in Saint Tropez with a gentle breeze. This evening going down to 20 degrees with clear skies.

The outlook for Wednesday and Thursday - Becoming increasingly cloudy tomorrow, with thundery showers forecast for Thursday and highs of 25 degrees.  

And Finally 

The self-described 'UK's dullest man' has outdone himself after creating a calendar of Britain's best roundabouts. Kevin Beresford, has travelled all over the UK photographing thousands of roundabouts and his best snaps have been whittled down for the new 2022 calendar. 

The 69-year-old, who is president of the Roundabout Appreciation Society, spent hours with other members debating which intersections should appear in the final version of the calendar - with an island in Brownhills, West Midlands making the all important cover and December page.

Kevin hopes to sell more than 2,000 of the calendars - available on Amazon - which cost £10 each and feature other roundabouts including those in Bath, Cardiff, Basingstoke and Southport.

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