Evening Update Monday 8 August 2022

Enquiries are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the death of a diver off the coast of Saint Raphael at the weekend. Local reports say that the man in his sixties was diving from his boat on Saturday. He couldn't be revived after being brought to the surface by rescue services.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced an intensification of controls aimed at so-called "urban rodeos". He said that such criminal acts, which often involve driving dangerously at high speed on public roads, very seriously injure people and he anticipated that ten thousand control operations would take place throughout France. Gerald Darmanin has been in Marseille today where he was present at a ceremony to welcome sixty five new national police officers. The increased number of officers is part of an initiative to bolster the police presence in Marseille launched by President Macron during his visit to the city in September last year.

Virtually all of the departments in the south east and south west of France are still on either yellow or orange alerts for heat from Meteo France. Locally, the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes are both on yellow alerts until 4pm tomorrow, which may be extended. Meteo France are saying that the heatwave is due to last until the middle of the month.

A man is in a serious condition after being shot in Marseille at the weekend in an attack believed to be related to drugs trafficking. The attack took place in the 12th arrondissement in the east of the city. Police sources said that the attackers reversed over the victim in their vehicle after shooting him.

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