French Prime Minister François Bayrou has lost the vote of confidence he called in his government. France's National Assembly has voted by 364 votes to 194 to eject him from office and bring down his minority government. M. Bayrou delivered a speech to the National Assembly this afternoon in an attempt to avoid losing a no confidence vote. The Prime Minister appealed to the personal conscience of each deputy in the vote. He put the case for budget cuts, saying that the national debt, which is currently 113.9% of GDP, “has a price”, arguing that “the whole model of our nation needs to be reinvented”. He warned of what he called the country's “vital prognosis” owing to its “over indebtedness”. His speech was frequently interrupted by shouts from opposition parties. The no-confidence vote should take place at about 7pm and is widely expected to go against the government. The Prime Minister has proposed budget cuts of 44 billion euros in an attempt to reduce the country's fiscal deficit, a move which has been opposed by many political parties.
The mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, has received death threats after eating at a couscous festival in the city over the weekend. Threatening words and an image were posted on social media. The mayor said that Marseille is “a city of living together” and he would do everything to ensure that this continues.
A man has died after being stung by a wasp in the Var. The man in his sixties was on a boat anchored off Sainte-Maxime when he was stung by the insect. Another person on the vessel telephoned for help but the victim's condition deteriorated and he was declared dead by emergency services shortly after reaching the shore.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has denounced what he called an “anti-religious act” in Nice over the weekend. A cross, known as the Madeleine cross, on Avenue de la Madeleine, was torn down and thrown to the ground nearby. The mayor said that video from the city's network of security cameras is being used to find the perpetrators.
A Swiss national has been arrested in Nice after allegedly insulting a rabbi in public. The incident took place on the Rue de France. Police intervened and arrested him on the tram after he fled. He was taken into custody. The Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Laurent Hottiaux, said that he strongly condemns such acts and commends the law enforcement officers who arrested the alleged perpetrator less than 15 minutes after the incident.
A French doctor has gone on trial accused of poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died. 53 year old Frédéric Péchier, a former anesthetist, has gone on trial in Besançon, in eastern France. The trial is expected to last several months.
BUSINESS
London Underground services are facing severe disruption today because of industrial action. Members of the Rail, Maritime And Transport union are staging the walkout until Thursday in a dispute over pay and conditions. The Elizabeth line and the Overground are operating but are busier than usual.
Microsoft has said that its Azure cloud services have been disrupted because of damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea. It said that users may experience delays because of problems with internet traffic moving through the Middle East, but added that it had been able to reroute traffic through other paths.
Domino's is launching a new chicken concept in the UK as it seeks to tap into rapidly growing demand for chicken. The pizza delivery company said it will first launch the Chick 'N' Dip sub-brand across the north west of England and Northern Ireland and hopes to roll it out more widely in the longer term
SPORT
Football… The board of Tottenham Hotspur says its owner has "unequivocally rejected" two expressions of interest in the club and that it is "not for sale". The announcement came after the sudden departure of executive chairman Daniel Levy last week
Rugby League… Christian Wade is leaving Wigan Warriors at the end of the season. He's returning to rugby union with Newcastle Red Bulls from December. He joined Wigan on a short-term deal from Gloucester at the end of the 2024-25 Premiership season.
Cricket… England coach Brendon McCullum has said that it's yet to be decided which players will be in the team who will play in the first Ashes Test against Australia. The series begins in Perth on 21 November.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy this evening.
Tomorrow, there is a yellow warning from Meteo France for storms in the Alpes-Maritimes from 2pm to 9pm. There should be sunny intervals in the daytime but showers in the evening and at night. Highs of 25-27 degrees.
Air traffic at Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport is disrupted again today, with several flight delays following an already difficult day yesterday. ...
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France may allow the temporary transfer of eight dolphins from Marineland (Antibes) to a marine park in Spain, but under strict conditions. ...
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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison with a deferred incarceration order. ...
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French unions have announced a new day of strikes and protests for October 2nd, ramping up pressure on newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecorn...
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French and Italian authorities have dismantled a major international money-laundering network tied to the DZ Mafia, which moved over €30 million in le...
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