Progressive tech-death metal outfit Exocrine have shared a video playthrough of the band's song "Warlock" taken from the group's 2024 Season of Mist release Purchase Legend here.   The band has also lined up a brief EU tour in support of the Legend kicking off later this week with Tempt Fate By 2021-04-28T09:22:00+01:00 FRANCE: The government has agreed a €3∙5bn funding package to launch the first two phases of the long-planned upgrade of the route along the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Nice The main objective of the package of works is to relieve congestion in and around Marseille One of the biggest individual schemes will be the construction of an underground through station in Marseille below the existing Saint-Charles terminus A new station for TGV services will be built close to the airport at Nice and infrastructure provided for a TER shuttle service in the Toulon area Additional consultation was held to discuss the planned remodelling of the junction with the Cannes – Grasse line The agreement announced at a meeting with local representatives on April 19 envisages a 20% contribution from the European Union for what is now termed the Ligne Nouvelle Provence-Côte d’Azur The remaining costs would be shared between the state and local authorities including the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and the métropoles of Aix-Marseille-Provence Nice-Côte d’Azur and Toulon-Provence-Méditerranée which would be matched by a similar contribution from the various local government bodies The local authorities plan to establish an organisation by September or October to manage the project as envisaged in the 2019 Loi d’Orientation des Mobilités preparatory works are underway for a formal public enquiry to begin towards the end of this year The government’s decision to fund the initial part of LNPCA follows periods of consultation on specific issues requested by Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djébbari in June 2020 The first of these covered the stations at Cannes-La Bocca La Pauline and a new station west of Toulon that would act as the terminus of the local shuttle service dealt with the underground station at Marseille and the eastern and northern portals of the associated tunnel the junction with the Cannes – Grasse line a fourth track between La Blancarde and La Penne-sur-Huveaune and works related to the elimination of a level crossing near Saint-André For the moment the third and fourth phases of LNPCA remain unfunded These envisage new construction between Cannes and Nice a section of new line from Aubagne to Toulon running further inland that the existing route and another stretch of new line from Le Muy near Les Arcs to Cannes FRANCE: Funding has been finalised for the first phase of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence d’Azur project to upgrade the busy Marseille - Nice corridor to support a 66% increase in the number of daily services The planned launch of Services Express Régionaux Métropolitains operations around Marseille FRANCE: Transport Minister Clément Beaune has signed the Déclaration d’Utilité Publique enabling the start of work on the first two phases of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d’Azur programme to expand the heavily used Marseille – Nice corridor FRANCE: Upon completion of a public inquiry on February 28 SNCF and the local authorities involved have signed off the €3·5bn funding package for the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d’Azur programme to enhance capacity in the Marseille – Nice corridor Site powered by Webvision Cloud All About The Rock OVERDRIVERS has been tearing through the Northern Lands like a runaway freight train Born from nowhere and fueled by pure rock rebellion these four hard-hitting rockers bring the kind of thunder only cranked-up Marshall amps can deliver quickly earning a reputation for leaving chaos — and converted fans—behind them Once they’d conquered every inch of their homeland the band set their sights on broader horizons unleashing their electric storm on Spain and beyond headbanging energy to rock lovers everywhere proving that in the face of their All-Powerful Rock’N’Roll Armed with three explosive releases—Rockin’ Hell (2016) EP—the band rallied thousands of followers and forged an unbreakable army of die-hard fans OVERDRIVERS prepares to release their most powerful weapon yet: “Glory Or Nothing” This new album is set to drop like a bombshell reigniting their worldwide crusade and solidifying their place as a force in modern rock “Glory Or Nothing” track listing: You must be logged in to post a comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive fresh graffiti scars the old grey stone - its garish scrawl a slash of anger above the pigeons serenely scratching beneath the arch: “Down with caviar long live the kebab!” A lone shout in a breadcrumb-trail of slogans marking the path of protesters through Paris last weekend This boulevard of the French capital became Under vast posters showing the latest releases lines of riot police and armoured vehicles filed past the grand old Rex cinema protesters pulled together barricades from street furniture as trees were set alight and tear gas filled the air A construction worker from the Calais region and came to Paris with four of his friends to join them They were carrying gas masks and other protective gear Franck was prepared for trouble - his friends By the time they arrived on the boulevard near Republique they were part of a group of more than 100 people they set fire to anything they could,” he says “The police charged us - the atmosphere was very tense we all felt like we were in it together.” French protests have often seemed like a dance between demonstrators and police - direct action has a long and cherished history here But these weekly confrontations between people and state are different the “yellow vest” protests have unleashed the worst civil disorder Paris has seen for decades many hundreds injured and billions of euros of damage inflicted on the country’s urban centres The French government at one point warned of “serious violence” and “fears for democracy and its institutions” with at least one protest spokesman calling on people to march on the Elysee Palace There is a difference between legitimate protest and unacceptable violence but in the quiet support of what polls suggest is more than half the country for its basic aims President Emmanuel Macron came to power vowing to face down protesters and drive through long-postponed economic reforms that’s exactly what he did - forcing through changes in the labour law against a backdrop of noisy public protests union-led demonstrations on railway reform This current crisis erupted - not over a flagship issue - but over a fiscal detail in the budget for next year It wasn’t even a policy that the current government had made The commitment to annual tax rises on fuel - and especially diesel - in order to fund eco-friendly projects had been part of the previous government’s legacy to Macron But it was enough to spark a small local rebellion - a handful of motorists who started displaying their regulation hi-vis jackets in the windscreens of their cars and posting their actions on Facebook has forced President Macron into concessions that were unthinkable a few weeks ago Because this is not a confrontation about fuel taxes It’s no accident that cars were the spark that ignited this anger Not needing one has become a status symbol in France Those in city centres have a wealth of public transport to choose from but you need to be rich enough to live in the centre of Paris or Marseille or Bordeaux “Economic growth happens in big globalised cities but the working classes no longer live there,” says Christophe Guilluy an independent researcher specialising in human geography they don’t live where wealth and jobs are created “This economic model creates enormous wealth,” he continues “But it creates it in a concentrated and unequal way what we are seeing is a weakening of all categories of the middle class.” Outside the ring roads that encircle Paris you will find the suburbs and satellite towns where workers like Nouria Benatia live And the gap between the world she works in She commutes into central Paris every day to work as a receptionist in a smart hotel just off the Champs-Elysees After this month’s violent protests in the capital she says the hotel has emptied and bookings have nose-dived But she has little sympathy for business owners here so what does it change for me if the business is working or not?” she says “I [still] have to go outside Paris to live Protesters block a road leading to the Frontignan oil depot those in France who have been priced out of the big cities would struggle to get to work take their children to school and even to shop for groceries Petrol prices here are roughly the same as in Germany or the UK - and French diesel prices generally lie somewhere in between its two neighbours But there is a more general sense of unfairness - a feeling that the struggling middle class are being asked to shoulder more than their fair share of the burden while France’s millionaires have seen their top rate of tax slashed And the pain was felt especially keenly this year because rises in the global oil price had already made fuel more expensive the government announced its planned increase in the eco-taxes levied on petrol and the first motorists began showing off their hi-vis jackets in the windscreens of their cars published a video on social media saying that motorists were being “hunted” the manager of an online cosmetics company from just outside Paris had launched a petition on the website Change.org calling for petrol prices to be lowered quickly gathering a million signatures - but still there’s been no response from the government our opinions are not sought on the big decisions,” she explains “I get the impression that when the president speaks to people in the street suggested on Facebook the idea of a national blockage calling on protesters around the country to block roads in their area on 17 November obstructing and slowing traffic in order to get the government’s attention “The movement started around a tax rise,” says Christophe Guilluy in the same way that Brexit is not fundamentally a confrontation with Europe but first and foremost a way for people to say ‘we exist’ people are using the gilets jaunes as a way to say ‘we exist’ to the elites to those who have forgotten about them for the past 20 years for the simple reason that they no longer live in the same place.” A map of the planned protests to take place on 17 November collated by the group 'Blocage 17 Novembre' A Christmas tree overlooks the motorway toll station at La Ciotat its tinsel and baubles catching the light from braziers flaring in the drizzle Their tents are well stocked with food and drink from local well-wishers and the noise from supporters honking their horns as they pass along the road frequently drowns out conversation More than a dozen people stand around in their hi-vis jackets well wrapped up in hats and gloves against the cold and supplies of basic necessities stacked neatly on wooden pallets there are small rivalries and animated discussions over who should speak for the group Antonin Olles is a retired technology teacher He says social media has played a key role in creating this movement and restoring to people here a role in the national debate “The government wasn’t aware of the power of social media in giving a voice to people who weren’t being heard,” he says beneath the ear-splitting blares of passing lorries “Not only does it let people air their grievances it also lets them communicate with people who feel the same way These people don’t often get to speak to the TV or the newspapers It’s a way for them to mobilise; to show they exist.” Some have questioned whether the movement was helped by a change to Facebook’s algorithms Posts from companies and the media became less prominent with individual contributions given a boost Guilluy says France is no longer just looking at an economic or a social crisis but a democratic one: “You have here groups that have not been represented for a very long time by the big political parties Those who join this movement are those that vote least union leaders and other representatives have all been discounted “People ask themselves - how can this person stand up for me if they don’t know what my life is like They are relocating everything from villages to big cities - there are fewer local schools One woman needed a helicopter ambulance to take her hospital in time to give birth It’s no wonder people feel like they’re being abandoned.” is that he came to power promising to rebuild trust in politics especially among those struggling to thrive in the new he told me on the campaign trail last year - if he was to fail to create wealth in order that it could be shared with those who needed it most It was a policy that aimed to liberalise and protect but many here feel that the social protection for workers has fallen short compared with the liberal reforms enjoyed by businesses President Macron pushed through reforms where previous presidents had feared to tread - reducing the power of the unions in workplace relations ending the special benefits enjoyed by railway workers and making it easier for companies to hire and fire staff He also ended the wealth tax on all assets apart from property meaning a 70% cut in the tax for France’s millionaires It was meant to boost investment in the economy but it was seen by many poorer voters as further proof that this former banker-turned-president was still primarily a friend of business not of the squeezed working and middle class France’s Public Policy Institute recently published a review of who had gained and lost under Macron’s presidency so far It found that the buying power of the poorest in society had slightly shrunk while those in the economic middle had slightly gained But the biggest winners were the richest 1% This sense of unfairness emerges time and again in the graffiti that has appeared on walls and monuments in Paris Much of it calls for the resignation of Macron On the Republic’s famous monument at Republique someone has changed the revolutionary right of “universal suffrage” to read “universal suffering” If the roots of protesters’ frustration lie in the big economic shifts of the 1980s how far did Macron himself encourage it to bloom into open opposition many people voted to change their situation and they still find themselves here so they’ve started to get frustrated,” says protester Antonin Olles “They’ve realised that those who govern them don’t know what real life is like - for them Despite his warnings against populist nationalism there have been times when President Macron seemed unaware of the tensions swirling beneath the surface of French society leading to criticism that he’s aloof and out of touch At a public event at the Elysee Palace earlier this year he told a 25-year-old gardener who complained of not finding work that he would easily find a job if he applied to hotels he addressed the nation in a bid to satisfy demonstrators and drain the movement of momentum What he offered was the most significant climb-down of his presidency so far - a monthly bonus of 100 euros for those on the minimum wage an end to tax and social charges on overtime and workers’ annual bonuses There was also an admission that he had sometimes got things wrong “I know some of the things I’ve said have hurt you,” he said - but there was no formal apology and no change in the government’s economic course Further reforms planned for next year - on pensions and unemployment insurance - are still set to go ahead the president’s response was to look for solutions at the local level He announced an unprecedented national debate - on the environment decentralisation and political disengagement He also said he wanted to meet France’s mayors “region by region” to build the basis of a “new contract with the nation” Three huge French flags hang from the poles above the entrance Dangling from one of them is a hi-vis motorist’s jacket Christine Capdeville is the Communist mayor of La Penne-sur-Huveaune When I ask her what she thinks of President Macron’s solution to the crisis “President Macron has ignored us from the moment he came to power,” she says The idea of a national consultation is “absolute rubbish We’re going to get a piece of paper asking for our grievances Then everything will carry on just like before.” The call has gone out for another day of national protest - the fifth consecutive weekend for the gilets jaunes Franck is already planning to come back to Paris with his friends to see more of the action The violence he saw last week near Republique will stay with him for the rest of his life But he liked the atmosphere: “Everyone is together That sense of unity among the protesters is what has given the movement its energy Sylvie and Christophe arrived on the Champs-Elysees last Saturday by 09:00 I met them walking up the near-empty boulevard towards the Arc de Triomphe with a group of friends “and I’m far-right - and we’re here together for the gilets jaunes!” “That’s what Macron doesn’t like,” he continued He’s brought back solidarity among the French We’re united in combat - at least for now “Our strength is that we’re apolitical,” Sylvie said “Maybe later when there are new presidential elections but for the moment we don’t need a leader - that’s our strength.” Are you scared there might be violence here today President Macron won last year’s election by cannibalising France’s traditional centre-right and centre-left parties It deepened splits within the remaining opposition - and has helped keep the political opposition in check ever since that divided opposition has been replaced by a social movement that has also united people from left and right in the same way that Macron did - along with many of those who are disillusioned with traditional politics altogether Bruno Bonnell is an MP and founder member of the president’s party He says the gilets jaunes could emerge as the new opposition to Emmanuel Macron “This [movement] looks like ours did originally,” he said in the lobby of the National Assembly “I remember En Marche when people were saying we had no programme and we didn’t know where we were going it’s populist like the Five Star movement or Podemos but if they gather effectively with leaders and representatives then we’ll finally face a clearer opposition.” He says he had visited protest sites many times to ask but that every proposal he made was rejected not a conversation about money or compassion.” Some protesters see a future as a political party diversity has been the movement’s appeal - the right of each of its 10,000 members to speak only for themselves Distrust of representatives is so strong that even the few spokespeople to emerge have come under heavy criticism “The leader ought to be the president of France,” Anthony Joubert instead of creating a situation where restaurants can charge 15 euros for a bottle of water As things stand the gilets jaunes are leading ourselves Antonin Olles has gravitated towards the makeshift barbecue as some of the protesters watch a few small piles of sardines crisp on the coals There is talk about the next protest - some in La Ciotat say they’re planning to demonstrate here Many have cautioned against dismissing this movement too quickly even if the level of protest and violence in the capital falls “The absence of a complete eruption last Saturday doesn’t mean the protest is easing,” cautioned the daily Le Figaro earlier this week “[The president] won’t win over the country by pulling out his cheque-book or flaunting his intellect “We want a second French revolution,” Olles says “We want to show the rest of Europe that the people have some power.” France was seen from the outside as having avoided a populist revolution 18 months ago - but the election of Emmanuel Macron simply papered over France’s problems This site is optimised for modern web browsers and does not fully support your version of Internet Explorer Une voie verte continue le long de l’Huveaune de la mer jusqu’à la sortie de Marseille qui doit offrir environ 14 kilomètres d’aménagements des plages jusqu’à La-Penne-sur-Huveaune Avec l’objectif d’aboutir en 2026 C’est ce qu’annonce la société publique locale d’aménagement Soleam, aux manettes du projet pour la Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence. Elle vient de désigner le maître d’œuvre pour ce projet Un accord-cadre de 1,19 million d’euros HT est convenu avec le groupement porté par Artelia d’ingénierie et de management de projet s’associe à l’agence de paysagisme et design urbain Stoa Mais aussi aux architectes urbanistes de TDSO et au bureau d’études environnementales Biotope Ils portent cette opération d’aménagement de berges les loisirs et la restauration écologique dont le montant prévisionnel est de « 13 millions d’euros TTC » Elle ajoute que ce chiffre doit sûrement évoluer et être précisé « à la suite de la validation de l’avant-projet Car il ne comporte pas les acquisitions foncières » nécessaires pour la continuité du cheminement comme la dépollution d’anciennes zones industrielles est l’un des plus complexes du projet le sentier pédestre de l’Huveaune permet déjà de longer le cours d’eau sur environ 2,5 km depuis la mer jusqu’au boulevard Sainte-Marguerite Puis après la station de métro la Métropole entend « améliorer les points qui le peuvent » que le lit de l’Huveaune parcourt jusqu’à la sortie de Marseille au niveau du boulevard de la Millière (11e) D’abord avec la création d’une voie dédiée aux mobilités douces longeant le fleuve Ensuite avec la création de « lieux de pause de parcours pédagogiques » qui jalonneront le trajet « Sans oublier la valorisation du patrimoine écologique et culturel des lieux d’attractivité touristique et d’introduction de la nature en ville… » « C’est ce qui fait toute la singularité la difficulté mais également l’intérêt de ce projet » les habitants devraient avoir leur mot à dire avec « une phase de concertation et de co-construction » les maîtres d’œuvre ont déjà esquissé les premières lignes des futures réalisations Comme en témoignent les premiers visuels de projection que nous vous dévoilons ici du côté de Saint-Marcel et de Saint-Loup Mais les premiers coups de pioche pourraient concerner le tronçon de l’Huveaune au niveau de Pont-de-Vivaux c’est la zone sur laquelle nous sommes le plus opérationnels » nous glisse une technicienne du groupement à la manœuvre Elle se dit « fière que ce projet aboutisse enfin » Puis, en 2021, la présidente de la Métropole, Martine Vassal, précisait l’objectif : la voie verte devait longer l’Huveaune de Borély à Saint-Loup (10e) d’ici 2025 Il faut donc considérer avec précaution ce nouveau calendrier de livraison prévoyant de relier La-Penne-sur-Huveaune en 2026 La Métropole précise que « certains tronçons auront un itinéraire « bis » […] des aménagements cyclables et piétons sur voiries adjacentes et non sur des berges retravaillées Mais il s’agit pour nous d’arriver à une lisibilité et surtout à une practicité totale de l’itinéraire inscrit au plan vélo métropolitain à cet horizon » sur l’agglomération marseillaise l’intercommunalité ajoute : « il s’agit d’un projet mais avec des enjeux supérieurs de protection de gestion de préservation et de valorisation du milieu aquatique de lutte contre les inondations et les pollutions et de protection de la biodiversité » Didier Réault, vice-président délégué au littoral et au cycle de l’eau rappelle en effet que cette opération s’inscrit aussi dans la stratégie de gestion des milieux aquatiques et la prévention des inondations (GEMAPI) Elle y alloue « un budget de 21 millions d’euros par an auquel il faut ajouter 10 à 15 millions de subventions diverses » dont la gestion « a longtemps été oubliée » selon Didier Réault condense les problématiques de santé écologique liées aux cours d’eau urbains Le lit du fleuve doit notamment être retravaillé et élargi pour mieux absorber les débits lors d’épisodes pluvieux les voies piétonnes et cyclables doivent majoritairement prendre place « dans le lit du fleuve juste au-dessus du niveau de l’eau » Cela permet d’élargir le lit du cours d’eau en créant une « zone d’expansion des crues » Pour mieux stocker et absorber le débit et empêcher les inondations » Les premiers « gros travaux » concernant la restauration hydraulique et naturelle du cours d’eau « démarrent en octobre », annonce le vice-président métropolitain. Ils visent le lit du fleuve au niveau de La Pomme (11e), entre l’avenue Heckel et les jardins ouvriers Coder de nombreux autres chantiers de ce type doivent concerner le cours d’eau pour mieux gérer son débit Gémenos… » Une succession d’aménagements dont « l’aboutissement final d’ici 2030 » est de refaire couler l’Huveaune dans son lit naturel sur le dernier kilomètre jusqu’à son estuaire aux plages du Prado Si le cours d’eau retrouve sa santé et son lit naturel le site balnéaire pourrait aussi retrouver son nom originel : la plage de l’Huveaune.