Several cyclists have been seriously injured in a collision with a vehicle in Sainte-Maxim in the Var today. A group of cyclists, believed to be a family, were hit by at least one car on the Route du Plan-de-la-Tour. About twenty firefighters and a civil security helicopter attended the scene.
Firefighters have been tackling a serious fire in central Nice this afternoon. The blaze broke out on the third floor of a building in rue de Belgique near Nice Ville train station. Reports say one person has been taken to hospital with slight injuries.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has held a planning meeting with government ministers this morning to "define the roadmaps" of her new government. She said that the first matter to be dealt with would be to address the issue of purchasing power. She said that emergency laws would be examined by the new Assembly as soon as it resumes. She added that purchasing power, health and climate change are what she described as the three emergencies that the government must address.
The Var Prefecture has issued a reminder that access to the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve remains prohibited following a fire in the summer of 2021. Reinforced controls are being put in place during the Ascension weekend. A fire which affected two-thirds of the reserve last summer was followed by a prefectural decree regulating access and certain activities in order to allow the restoration of the fauna and flora. Details are available on the Pefecture's website www.var.gouv.fr
At least eight hectares of undergrowth have been burned today in a fire which broke out in an area to the west of Salon-de-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhone. Reports say that over sixty firefighters were on the scene.
Cannes residents are being invited to a showjumping event. The best riders in the equestrian world are back in Cannes from June 2 to 4 for the 39th edition of the Jumping International de Cannes. The Town Hall in Cannes is distributing tickets to Cannes residents on Wednesday June 1 from 9 a.m. at the town hall on a first-come, first-served basis. Two places per person present will be distributed on presentation of an identity document and proof of residence in Cannes, within the limits of available places. More details are available on www.cannes.com
BUSINESS
The UK government is signing its first trade deal with an individual US state. The deal with Indiana seeks to boost the £1.1bn worth of goods the state already buys from the UK. The UK is looking to make similar deals with about 20 states after talks on a broader US-wide agreement stalled.
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has announced a rise in revenue. It said that revenue for the first quarter rose by 9% to 204 billion yuan, which is about 28.3 billion euros. The results were better than analysts expectations.
MONACO GRAND PRIX
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fastest in first practice for the Monaco Grand Prix this afternoon. Red Bull's Sergio Perez was second, only 0.039 seconds behind Leclerc. Carlos Sainz was third, with Max Verstappen in fourth after damaging his tyres on his final run. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were eighth and 10th. There are two more practice sessions - this evening and tomorrow afternoon. The all-important qualifying session takes place from 4.00 to 5.00 tomorrow afternoon and the race starts at 3pm on Sunday.
SPORT
Tennis... British player Dan Evans is out of the French Open. He was beaten by world number 95 Mikael Ymersays. Evans said that he's been dealing with a chest infection for the past week. Diego Schwartzman is out of the tournament after being beaten by Grigor Dimitrov. Amanda Anisimova from the US beat Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic after she retired. Canada's Leylah Annie Fernandez goes through to the next round after beating Belinda Bencic.
Cricket... Tributes have been paid to former Australia player Andrew Symonds at a public memorial service held in Queensland. He played in 238 international matches between 1998 and 2009. The service was held at the Riverway Stadium in Townsville.
Rugby Unon... London Irish player Ollie Hoskins has extended his contract with the club. The 29-year-old Australia international has made 140 appearances since joining in 2016.
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