News
Protests - Protests against the pension reform have been planned in many cities across France today Tuesday, March 21st, following the rejection of a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly on Monday March 20th. Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday following the result denouncing the use of Article 49.3 and the rejection of the vote of no confidence which had led to the passing of the reform.
In Paris, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lille, Toulouse, Saint-Étienne, Brest, Lyon, Rouen and Nancy thousands of demonstrators marched. In Paris and Strasbourg, bins were burned and billboards were smashed. In Abbeville, the town hall was invaded by demonstrators.
Several cases of police violence, particularly in the French capital, were reported on social networks by independent journalists. According to a police source at least 142 people were arrested in Paris. Demonstrators denounced the "coup de force" from the French government and called for the resignation of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron and the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
Meanwhile, the CGT has called for an increase in mobilization and a massive participation for Thursday’s industrial action and beyond if necessary. President Emmanuel Macron is due to meet with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne this morning.
Petrol shortages due to strike action - One out of two service stations in the Bouches-du-Rhone are affected by petrol shortages, due to strike action at three oil refineries in the region. The Bouches-du-Rhone is the most affected department in France with the situation predicted to get worse in the coming days.
About a dozen petrol stations around the Alpes-Maritimes - and more than 60 in the Var - are suffering supply shortages. On Monday there were long queues outside several petrol stations in the Var, where about 40 petrol stations are out of fuel and another 20 have limited stocks, with the area around Toulon worst affected.
Meanwhile, the Vaucluse department has issued restrictions on fuel purchases, capped at 30 litres per person, to stop panic-buying. At this stage, the fuel supply situation nationwide remains stable, with only 6% of service stations nationally lacking one or more types of fuel. In the Alpes-Maritimes, nine service stations have limited stocks, including the Total on the Promenade des Anglais, and several petrol stations around Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Only three petrol stations are totally out of fuel.
Flights - The French civil aviation authority has asked airlines to pre-emptively cancel 20% of their flights to and from Paris-Orly and Marseille airports over the next few days due to ongoing industrial action by air traffic controllers over France's pension reforms. Thursday is likely to see a greater impact to flights. If you're due to fly to Paris any time this week, it's worth checking with your airline before you travel. We already know that the Lignes d'Azur network around Nice will be severely disrupted on Thursday. There will be no trams running at all, and no service on about 25 bus routes. You'll find the details on lignesdazur.com
Wastewater to clean streets and gardens in Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins - This summer, wastewater will clean the streets and gardens of Antibes-Juan-les-Pins town council has announced that this summer wastewater will clean the streets and gardens. As per last summer the city will put its wastewater to good use following a request to the prefect in 2022 for the authorization to use part of the water treated by the Salis wastewater treatment plant.
Fight against bullying - Primary schools around the Alpes-Maritimes are to introduce a "buddy" system to try to prevent cases of bullying. The scheme was launched in secondary schools in 2016 and is now being extended to primary level. Their role is to be a trusted person to turn to, and to warn an adult if they see a classmate is being bullied. Several schools have signed up to the experiment and will launch an awareness campaign among pupils and parents. According to the French education ministry, one in 40 primary school pupils suffers some form of bullying or harassment, and this rises to one in 20 in secondary school. The Alpes-Maritimes also has an anti-bullying helpline for parents and students alike. It's 04 93 53 72 51.
Michelin guide - The town of Tende is celebrating after making into the Michelin guide of 100 places in France that are worth making a detour to go and explore. Tende is the biggest municipality in the Alpes-Maritimes by surface area, stretching over 17,000 hectares, with 28 mountain lakes. It's one of only two places in the Alpes-Maritimes that make the Michelin top 100. The other is Biot.
Villa L’Aiglon for sale - The former house of Grace Kelly is on sale in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin at a record price. The villa l'Aiglon, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, is for sale at a price of 39 million euros. Once inhabited by Grace Kelly, the property offers breathtaking views of Monaco. Built in the Belle Époque style, Villa L'Aiglon is part of the historical architectural heritage of the region. It was the former mayor of Beausoleil Camille Blanc who had the villa built in 1891 with the architect Henri Schmidt, Director General of the architectural works of the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco. The house was also inhabited by Grace Kelly.
Lemon harvest - Finally, it’s good news for this year’s lemon harvest in Menton lemon which is currently in full swing. Despite fears caused by the drought, the current harvest is considered quite good with professionals saying that is should reach at least the same volume of last year, of 70 tons.
Business
Fears in financial markets appeared to ease, a day after regulators agreed a rescue deal for troubled lending giant Credit Suisse. The bank was bought by rival UBS. Along with the collapse of two smaller US banks, its struggles had sparked fears over the global financial system. Hope that the deal would help contain the crisis helped lift shares in Europe and the US.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to bailout Sri Lanka as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence. Sri Lanka has secured the 2.4-billion-pound bailout in a deal which has taken nearly a year to make. Sri Lanka’s Fo
