Meteo France has this afternoon placed two additional departments on a top-level red alert for extreme heat. The addition of the Pyrenees-Atlantique and the Hautes-Pyrenees in south-west France brings the total number of red departments to fourteen. Thirty one additional departments have also been placed on an orange alert, bringing the total number of such departments to 56. About nineteen departments are on a lower yellow alert, meaning that only five departments, all of which are in the south-east, are not under heat warnings.
French Health Minister Brigitte Bourgignon has said that cities will have to adapt to increased temperatures and the provision of more shaded locations is necessary. She confirmed that a plan will be put forward shortly by the French government to create spaces in cities which are adapted to deal with high temperatures. She said that the government had not been taken by surprise by the current heatwave and pointed to steps taken such as the activation of a toll-free number to offer advice.
Sante Publique France has said that the circulation of the cornavirus has accelerated throughout mainland France in the period from 6 to 16 June. It said that the incidence rate has increased sharply by 53% at the national level in all age groups, as has the positivity rate, in particular among 20-59 year olds. A slight increase in new hospital admissions was also observed.
The body of a man has been discovered in a burned-out car near Marseille. An investigation is being carried out but it's believed to be another settlement of accounts in the criminal community. Another man was shot dead in the city last night.
The Monaco government and Town Hall have renewed the free use of public roads for the terraces of shops and restaurants until the end of September. The government said that although the spring was marked by an upturn in economic activity and the summer season promises to be positive, the Government and the Municipality wish to continue to support traders and restaurants in the Principality over the coming months.
BUSINESS
Retailer Tesco has said that it is seeing changes in customer behavior as a result of the higher cost of living. It said that consumers are switching to lower cost own-brand items and are putting fewer items in their baskets. In its first quarter trading statement issued today Tesco Chief Executive Ken Murphy said that, although difficult to separate from the impact of last year's lockdowns, the company is seeing some early indications of changing customer behavior as a result of the inflationary environment.
The World Trade Organization has passed a series of agreements including waiving patents for Covid vaccines and aiming to reduce overfishing. The 164 member nations of the
