Protests across France
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France yesterday in a 12th day of protests against President Emmanuel Macron's contested pension reforms.
In Nice organisers claim up to 15000 people were involved in the demonstrations, although the official figure from the police is 2700. There were also organised protests in Cannes, Draguignan, Brignoles and Toulon
The demonstrations come before today’s much-anticipated verdict by the Constitutional Council on the legality of the bill. President Macron has snubbed calls for talks with union leaders in recent weeks but has said he will invite them for discussions after today’s court ruling.
L'Affaire Galtier
Christophe Galtier, the current coach of PSG and former coach of OGC Nice, has decided to file a lawsuit against Julien Fournier, Daniel Riolo, and Romain Molina. The lawsuit will allege defamation and endangerment caused by the three individuals after Fournier accused Galtier of racist remarks towards PSGs Senegalese goalkeeper while he was still at Nice. The lawsuit will refer to harassment and death threats against Galtier and his son. The incident has caused controversy and outrage, with Galtier denying the accusations and promising to fight to clear his name. Galtier will hold a press conference today at 1 pm.
Fridge Affair
The public prosecutor has requested the ineligibility of the Mayor of Toulon, Hubert Falco over an ongoing corruption case known as the "fridge affair." Falco is accused of having received a luxury fridge as a gift from a real estate developer in exchange for favorable treatment in a construction project. The prosecutor has asked for a one-year ineligibility sentence, which would prevent Falco from holding any public office. Monsieur Falco denies the allegations.
Paris Pollution Levels
Despite a slight improvement, air pollution levels in Paris remain well above recommended limits set by the World Health Organisation, according to air quality watchdog Airparif. The city has been grappling with high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide, linked to respiratory problems and premature deaths. Despite efforts to combat pollution, including measures to reduce traffic and encourage cleaner transport, officials believe that 7,900 premature deaths could have been avoided in the Paris area in 2022 if adequate measures had been taken to limit air pollution.
Anti-Bullying Measures
France has announced new measures to prevent and tackle bullying in schools. One in ten children in France has experienced bullying, leading to depression, withdrawal, and even suicide. The new measures include extending the current anti-bullying plan to secondary schools, teacher training to recognize and act against harassers, and dedicated hotlines for reporting incidents of harassment and cyberbullying. The government also plans to bring parents and students together to resolve conflicts, with school officials given extra powers to remove bullies if necessary.
Drought Risk
There's a high risk of drought this summer in our region despite March's rainfall. Nice-Matin reports that the recent rains were not enough to alleviate the risk of water shortages. The region has experienced a below-average rainfall in recent months, which means that the ground is still dry. According to experts, this could lead to a severe water shortage in the coming months. Water-saving measures have already been implemented in some areas, such as restrictions on watering gardens and washing cars. The authorities are urging everyone to use water carefully and wisely to avoid exacerbating the situation
Cannes Film Festival
In a ground-breaking move, the Cannes Film Festival has selected six female directors to compete in this year's official selection. Three French films are also in the running for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.
The festival is expected to be a star-studded affair with big names like Wes Anderson, Sean Penn, and Leos Carax set to present their latest works. This year’s President of the Jury is the Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund who won 2 Palmes d’Or
Tax Declarations
Yesterday was the first day you can submit your French tax declarations on line.
This year, there’s a 5.4% increase in income tax brackets to account for high inflation, meaning those who received a salary increase may end up paying less taxes. Additionally, commuters who carpool may now deduct their travel expenses from their taxes. Parents who employ domestic help to care for children under six years old are now eligible for a tax credit of up to €600. Finally, property owners must submit an additional tax declaration to the authorities by June 1, 2023, or face a fine of €150 per undeclared property.
The deadline is May 25th in Alpes Maritimes and June 8th in the Var.
Monte Carlo Summer Festival
Robbie Williams, Sting, Norah Jones, Seal, and Mika are set to perform in Monaco this summer as part of this year’s Monte-Carlo Summer Festival this year. The concerts will take place from July 8 to August 31 in the Salle des Etoiles at the Sporting Monte-Carlo. Tickets can be purchased on the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer website. www.montecarlosbm.com
Other highlights will include Ricky Martin backed by a Philharmonic Orchestra on July 11th, the Italian singer Eros Ramazotti on August 8th and Chris Isaak (Wicked Game, Blue Hotel) who will be performing for the very first time in Monaco. There’ll also be a Michael Jackson tribute show on July 21st for the Fight Aids Monaco Gala Dinner, where fans of Michael Jackson are invited to come dressed up.
Monaco Book Fair
This weekend is the The Monaco Book Fair, with the aim of promoting every aspect of literature by bringing together respected writers of great imagination and inviting visitors to interact with them for a mutually rewarding experience. It’s on tomorrow and Sunday from 10:30 to 18:00 at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. Entrance is free
Alter Designs
Also this weekend you can discover the new Alter Designs Collection in a pop-up store in the Hotel de Paris. Founded in 2018 by the daughter of Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Pauline Ducruet, the brand aims to be visionary and ecoresponsible. The luxurious materials are certified ecoresponsible, and all designs are unisex. Alter Designs seeks to highlight individual personality (rather than gender), and celebrate tolerance, respect, freedom of expression and love. It’s open today, tomorrow and Sunday from 11am to 7p
AMAZON AI
Amazon announced yesterday it’s launching its own generative AI service through its cloud computing platform, targeting corporate customers who want to incorporate AI into their businesses. The AI service Amazon Bedrock offers companies tools to build and grow their own artificial intelligence applications designed for their business needs.
The tools offered by Bedrock include two Amazon-designed large language models: Titan Text, which is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT that can create text for things like blog posts and emails, and Titan Embeddings, which helps with search personalization.
Amazon said its goal is “democratizing access” to AI development by offering a secure online service so companies can build their own applications, which the company says can run AI software more efficiently and cheaply than competitors.
LMVH
The French company LVMH is now one of the world’s top 10 companies by market value. A first-quarter sales beat sparked a 5% increase in the share price Thursday, giving the luxury powerhouse a 29% rally for the year. That, along with a gain in the euro against the dollar, lifted LVMH’s market capitalization to $486 billion, briefly ranking it as the world’s 10th-biggest company. Should it reach $500 billion, it would become the first European company to achieve that milestone.
UK Economy
The UK economy saw no growth in February after being hit by the effects of strikes by public sector workers. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that a rise in construction activity had been offset by walkouts by teachers and civil servants. It follows a surprise 0.4% jump in economic growth in January.
Despite February's flat performance the chancellor said the economic outlook was "brighter than expected" and the UK was "set to avoid recession".
Jeremy Hunt noted that GDP had grown by 0.1% in the three months to February.
ROLEX MONTE CARLO TENNIS MASTERS
World number one Novak Djokovic suffered a shock loss in three sets to Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the third round at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic won the opening set but eventually lost 4-6 7-5 6-4 in a match interrupted by a one hour rain delay.
It marked the biggest win of Musetti's career and he will play compatriot Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.
Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner came back from a set and match point down to beat Hubert Hurkacz to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals.
4th seed Casper Ruud was also stunned by German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
Norway's Ruud was beaten 6-1 7-6 ending a nine-match winning run on clay that stretched back to July 2022.
Elsewhere, Miami Open champion Daniil Medvedev saved two match points before winning a third set tie-break in a thrilling victory over former world number two Alexander Zverev
Sixth seed Holger Rune is also through to the last eight as Italian Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the tournament with an abdominal injury.
If you were at the Country Club yesterday, you may have spotted the legendary athlete Usain Bolt who was watching on the central Rainier III and was comfortable signing autographs.
SPORT
Manchester United have been described as arrogant after letting a 2 goal lead slip at home to Seville in the Europa Cup. United seemed to be in complete control of the tie in the first half then 2 deflections in the last 10 minutes meant they had to settle for a draw.
United will be without several key players in the second leg, including Lisandro Martinez who picked up what looks like a serious injury and Bruno Fernandez who will be suspended.
Elsewhere in Europe Nice earnt a 2-2 draw away to Barle, which puts them in a good place for the semi-finals. Their next match is against Brest on Sunday. In the Europa Conference League, West Ham earnt a credible 1-1 draw away to Gent
Premier League
Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season.
However, after the deadline, clubs will still be able to continue featuring gambling brands in areas such as shirt sleeves and LED advertising.
French Football
Former Marseille footballer and billionaire entrepreneur Mathieu Flamini has hinted at the possibility of buying his former club, saying "everything depends on the right opportunity." Flamini made his fortune investing in a biochemical company, and has previously been linked with buying other football clubs, including Arsenal. The sale of Marseille has been a long-standing issue, with rumours of a sale circulating for years. If Flamini were to purchase the club, it would be a significant moment for Marseille, and could mark the start of a new era for the team.
In other tennis news
The Women's Tennis Association will resume tournaments in China this year having accepted an investigation into the sexual assault allegations made by former player Peng Shuai will not be carried out by the Chinese government. Former world number one, Peng had accused former China vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault on social media, but later denied making the allegation after briefly disappearing from public view. The WTA had suspended its end-of-year events in China and called for a "full, fair and transparent" investigation before any tournaments could take place. However, the WTA now says it has "received some respect for the stance taken.
Motor Racing
Irish World Rally Championship driver Craig Breen has died following a pre-event test accident before this weekend's Croatia Rally. The 33-year-old driver, who had rejoined Hyundai on a part-time basis for the new WRC season, was involved in the crash yesterday morning. His co-driver James Fulton was unharmed.
WEATHER
Clearly skies for most of the day in Alpes Maritimes but increasingly cloudy from later this afternoon, although no sign of any rain today. Winds are light to moderate (variable) getting stronger this evening from the West. Temperatures will rise to a high of 20° off the coast of Alpes Maritimes
Mostly sunny this weekend but with a possibility of some light rain tomorrow afternoon. Light east-north-easterly winds.
Temperatures peaking at 19° on Sunday
Sunset/Sunrise 06:51/20:13
UV level peaks at 5 this afternoon
Sea Temperature: 15°
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