The holiday home in the Alsace region where 11 people were killed in a fire yesterday morning, was flouting the fire standards required for such a property. The deputy prosecutor for the city of Colmar said the gite had not had any required safety inspection and it was not up to the standards needed to host the public. The owner, who lives opposite the property, is being treated for shock but has not yet been arrested. It’s believed 28 people were in the property, designed for a maximum 16, when the fire broke out at dawn yesterday.
Two people are in police custody in Antibes after a stabbing at an apartment on Boulevard Chancel in the town last night. Police say all those involved in the incident are foreigners, who have no documentation and don’t speak English. A third person, who suffered the knife wound, is recovering at Fontonne Hospital.
There has been a 30% jump in people applying for food aid with Secours Populaire in the Alpes-Maritimes. In real terms, that’s an increase of 20,000 more people who are reaching out to the charity for food basics. Secours Populaire says it is struggling to meet demand and is in particular need of volunteers. For more information on how to volunteer, search Google for Secour Populaire.
The statue of former French president Jacques Chirac in Nice has been vandalized for a third time, with two fingers ripped off the right hand. The City of Nice has denounced it as an unacceptable act of vandalism and vowed to make repairs as soon as possible.
Finally, if you are planning a road trip, Bison Futé are predicting another busy Orange level weekend on the autoroutes, especially with the Assumption holiday due next Tuesday the 15th. Drivers from abroad, including the UK, are reminded they need to display a clean air Crit'Air sticker in their car if they wish to drive in several cities including Paris. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to €180 euros.
Sport
Ralph Lauren has reported a surprise rise in quarterly revenue today, as demand for its high-end clothing saw a strong rebound in China, offsetting a slowdown in the USA. While China only accounts for 6% of Ralph Lauren's revenue, the company saw sales there jump more than 50% in the first quarter, pulling Asia revenues overall up to $378 million. However, the company forecast second-quarter revenues will be flat year-on-year, instead of analysts' expectations of a 3% increase.
Shares in Siemens are down over 3% after the German engineering company said it has missed profit forecasts in its latest quarter. Siemens said it was now seeing a “normalisation of demand” after customers pre-bought last year to avoid shortages. Orders increased by 10% during the three months to the end of June, which is down from the 13% increase in the previous three months.
Sport
Football - Bayern Munich and Tottenham have agreed a deal in principle for England captain Harry Kane worth more than 100m euro. The forward is Spurs all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances. Earlier in the summer, Kane had been linked with Manchester United before Bayern made him their main target.
English midfielder Ross Barkley, who has been playing for OGC Nice for the past year, has announced he is returning to the UK. The player has just been signed by Luton Town who re-enter the Premiere League this weekend.
Rugby - Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie will return in one of six changes to the Scotland team for their World Cup warm-up game against France. The flanker missed the first two matches of Scotland's build-up and will play in the back row with Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey. Game kicks off in St Etienne on Saturday night at 9pm.
Australia flanker Michael Hooper and fly-half Quade Cooper have been left out of Australia's World Cup squad by coach Eddie Jones. Hooper, who has captained the Wallabies for the best part of the last decade, and 80-cap fly-half Cooper were the headline omissions in the 33-man squad. Lock Will Skelton and scrum-half Tate McDermott have been named as co-captains for the tournament, which is being hosted by France next month.
Tennis - Andy Murray fought hard to overcome Australian qualifier Max Purcell to reach the last 16 at the Canadian Open. He won the game 7-6 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes in Toronto. Murray will next face Italian Jannik Sinner for a place in the quarter-finals.
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