Lunchtime news Friday 15th January 2021

News

Fatal road accident - Police in the Var have appealed for witnesses as they determine the cause of a fatal road accident which occurred on Thursday evening on the A570 motorway between Hyeres and Toulon. Two young women were killed in accident after the vehicle left the road. Anyone with any information is invited to contact the police.  

Stabbing outside school in Nice port - A 17 year old has been stabbed in front of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul school on Rue Fodéré on the port of Nice, after a fight broke out on Thursday evening around 6pm. The victim was taken to hospital where his condition is reported to be stable.

Shooting in Saint Laurent du Var thought to be a settlement of accounts related to drug trafficking - Meanwhile the victim of the shooting which occurred in Saint Laurent du Var on Thursday evening shortly after 6pm has not yet been identified. According to information released this morning the incident is thought to be a settlement of accounts connected to drug trafficking. The fatal shooting in Saint Laurent follows a similar shooting which broke out in broad daylight last week in the Moulins district of Nice.

Monaco reports new death from Covid - The Monegasque government has announced the death of an 88 year old resident who tested positive for Covid and was being treated at the Princess Grace Hospital. This is the fifth death from Covid in the Principality since the beginning of the year and the eighth   since the start of the pandemic. Thursday’s daily report identified 17 new cases of Covid bringing the total number of residents affected to 1,145.

A record 1.5 million euros to help the victims of Storm Alex - Donations to help the victims of Storm Alex in the Alpes-Maritimes have reached a record 1.5 million euros thanks to "the raffle organized by French singer Julien Doré" and "support from businesses and individuals" as well as auctions of objects belonging to sports personalities. More than 500 individuals have already received food or material assistance from Secours populaire to re-equip themselves with household appliances as well as pay for temporary relocation. The floods of October 3rd, 2020 left nine dead, nine missing and caused two billion euros in damage in the Vésubie and Roya valleys.

Carrefour - Speaking to French media this morning the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire has reiterated that he is firmly opposed to the takeover of the Carrefour group by the Canadian Couche-Tard. Adding that “Carrefour is the leading private employer in France with more than 100,000 employees" representing nearly 20% of food distribution in France”. In his view “France has learnt from the health crisis that food security does not have a price” and that "We do not sell one of the major French distributors". The minister concluded that the government promises to oppose the takeover.

Turnaround towards vaccination in France - According to a recent survey 56% of French people are now in favour of being vaccinated marking a 14 point rise compared to a survey carried out at the end of December. The survey carried out by Odoxa and published on Thursday in the Figaro shows that doubts “have faded” in what has been described as a “spectacular turnaround”. Seniors have been particularly demanding with 77% of those over 65 wanting to be vaccinated. Nevertheless 23% of people said that would feel more encouraged to get vaccinated if more people in France and around them were vaccinated first.

Climate change warning - The UN has warned that the world is heading towards a “catastrophic” global warming in the 21st century after 2020 equalised 2016 on the scale of the warmest year in the world. Experts have warned that the situation is expected to intensify over the next decade, especially if human-made greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.

And Finally

A four-month-old boy has been found alone in the child seat of a trolley at a supermarket in Brazil. Locals who found the child alerted the supermarket’s security guards and the police. However, when the police arrived at the scene, the child's parents had already turned up.The couple told the officers they left the store, loaded their shopping, and drove home without putting their son in the car.

They explained that they rushed back to the car park as soon as they realised they left their little one there. The police decided the parents had already suffered enough and decided not to take the matter further.

 

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