Lunchtime News.Wednesday July 15th 2020

JLP Station-Plans to modernise Juan les Pins train station have been approved unanimously by the Antibes town council.

The work ,which will start at the end of this year at a cost of 4.3 million euros is being financed by the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region and will result in easier access for passengers including the handicapped.

A lift will provide easy access from the neighbouring carpark which will have its capacity increased from 76 to 155 places.

The work should be completed by the summer of next year.

 

Drug problems-Residents at the Villa Majestic in Nice are protesting about squatters who they say have taken over the neighbouring carpark and turned it into a drug den.

Residents are calling on authorities to take action after complaining about frequent assaults and open drug taking.They also say that there is heavy drinking and even people having sex in plain sight.

Toxic waste including used syringes ,empty alcohol bottles and used condoms are being regularly cleaned from the area.

The carpark at the start of the boulevard de Cimiez is judged to be a public area so residents have no authority to ask people to leave.

 

Drowning death-An 8 year old boy has drowned in the sea at Istres in the Bouches du Rhone.

The tragic accident happened on the plage du Ranquet on Tuesday afternoon.Emergency services were unable to revive the boy despite prolonged efforts.

An enquiry is underway.

Thousands of fatal drowning accidents occur in the sea and in private swimming pools every year in France.

 

Gyms struggle-Gyms and fitness centres around the region are struggling with the after effects of the coronavirus lockdown.

Many businesses say that clients have got into the habit of taking alternative forms of exercise or are concerned about the chances of catching Covid-19 in public spaces and have cancelled their contracts.

Some gyms say that they won’t be able to survive for much longer unless clients return and staff are already being laid off at a number of businesses.

 

In National News.

 

Interior Minister-President Macron has defended his appointment of Gerald Darmanin despite the fact that he’s facing a rape allegation.

The new Interior Minister is accused of raping a woman after she sought his help in having a criminal record removed in 2009.

He denies the claims and says that sex was consensual.

Mr Macron says that France should not adopt “the worst of Anglo-Saxon society” and that presumption of innocence laws are sacrosanct.

French feminist groups have been staging a number of protests in recent days and say that Mr Darmanin should resign.

Judges ordered a fresh investigation into the allegations in November last year.

 

Tourism-French tourism chiefs say that the country is facing a tough summer with numbers of visitors expected to fall by 40 percent.

The French government has been urging citizens to take domestic holidays this year but while there are plenty of French tourists ,numbers of overseas visitors are down substantially because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some people are reluctant to travel abroad while others are still facing travel restrictions, notably visitors from the United States.

The shortfall is having a knock-on effect on seasonal employment at hotels ,bars ,restaurants and campsites with many businesses saying that they can’t afford extra staff.

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