A man in his fifties has died after an accident this morning in St-Laurent-du-Var between a car and a motorcycle. The driver of the car is unhurt but is being treated for shock at Pasteur hospital. Meanwhile police are investigating a crash on the A8 between La Turbie and Nice Est last night in which another man, also in his fifties, died. The accident, between a heavy goods lorry and a car, occurred around 7pm yesterday.
The A&E department at Saint-Tropez hospital is to remain closed for the remainder of this evening due to a lack of staff. Patients are advised to go to their doctor, dial one-five or contact local health centres instead. Local hospitals on the Cote d’Azur are reaching critical levels as they struggle to cope with a lack of staff, a coming heatwave and an influx of tourists. Yesterday the Saint-Jean clinic in Cagnes-sur-Mer reported problems after its attendance jumped with nearly 110 patients now admitted each day.
There is anger in Menton at a decision to close private beaches from August 31st. The decision by the mairie is to allow for major works to be carried out. However, it is the beach clubs which have to conduct the works themselves. The owners say it’s ridiculous that they will lose valuable late summer revenue, yet have to pay up to €700,000 each for the works. Local hotels also report clients cancelling or shortening September holidays due to the lack of beach clubs.
The body of a young jet skier who went missing last Thursday off the coast of Châteauneuf-les-Martigues in the Bouches-du-Rhône has been recovered. The 23-year-old had rented a jet-ski from an unlicenced provider who did not supply life-jackets. The owners of the firm are in police custody.
The mairie in Bormes-les-Mimosas has issued a warning against swimming at several beaches in area due to the presence of stingrays. Red or orange flags will fly at beaches where stingrays have been sighted as they come to shore to reproduce. People are warned to say well clear of the fish who are well known for their brutal sting.
Theft of high-end luxury watches continue in Cannes with the latest victim having had his watch stolen while eating dinner at a restaurant on the Croisette. Two men wrestled the watch from the diners wrist before fleeing on a motorbike. It’s the 22nd such theft this summer.
In Nice, a judge has upheld a decision to limit noise levels created by street performers in the city. Performers could face fines of €150 for exceeding noise levels or €750 for obstructing a street. The areas concerned include the Old Town, Place Massena and the Promenade des Anglais.
100,000 people are expected in Cannes for this evening’s fireworks display by France in the international fireworks competition. The company from Northern France has spent the past four nights setting up 2,500 fireworks on 15 floating platforms in the Bay of Cannes. The display begins at 22h00 this evening.
Business
Moody’s has cut the credit ratings on dozens of American banks with several big Wall Street names on negative review. They include Bank of New York Mellon, State Street and Northern Trust. Moody’s has also changed its outlook to negative for 11 banks, including Capital One. The collapse of a number of American banks this year led to panic in Europe and an emergency rescue of Swiss giant Credit Suisse by its domestic rival UBS.
China’s exports have seen the biggest drop in three years as weaker global demand threatens the world’s second-largest economy. Official figures show exports fell by 14.5% in July, while imports dropped 12.4%.
In France, the Champagne region’s exposure to risk caused by heat, drought, floods and frost is set to triple by the 2050s, posing serious problems for the regions vineyards. An S&P Global Sustainable Report out today says the changing conditions could also alter the taste of champagne. Vineyards are taking the report seriously. Moet say they recognize the effects already and are working to adapt, while Taittinger noted the harvest, which used to take place at the end of September 20 years ago, now takes place in late August.
Sport
Football - At the World Cup, France have powered through to the quarter-finals after a convincing 4-0 win over Morocco this afternoon. They next take on hosts Australia for a place in the semi-finals. That game kicking off in Brisbane on Saturday morning at 9am French time. Also at the World Cut, England will face Columbia in their quarter-final match, also on Saturday, after the South American’s beat Jamacia 1–nil earlier today in Melbourne.
In Champions League, tonight’s qualifier between Athens and Zagreb has been postponed after a fan died from stab wounds during clashes between rival fans in Athens. UEFA had banned supporters from both legs over security concerns, with a similar measure in place for Marseille’s game in Greece tomorrow. All of tonight’s other Champions League matches will proceed as planned.
Boxing - Anthony Joshua is to fight Robert Helenius this Saturday as a replacement for his original opponent Dillian Whyte. That match was cancelled after a random anti-doping test returned "adverse analytical findings" on Whyte. The boxer is protesting his innocence complaining the fight was cancelled without giving him any chance to demonstrate his innocence.
Eric Ciotti, leader of Les Républicains, has expressed cautious support for new Prime Minister Michel Barnier if his policies align with law and order...
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France has a new Prime Minister, after 51 days of waiting right-wing politician Michel Barnier was appointed Prime Minister on Thursday. ...
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Michel Barnier has been announced as the new French Prime Minister, tasked with forming a unity government. Barnier, a veteran politician and former B...
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The announcement of France's new Prime Minister is expected before 1 p.m. today, with Michel Barnier emerging as a leading candidate. Bernard Cazeneuv...
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Marseille has been hit by heavy rain with businesses in the old port of the city flooded on Wednesday afternoon. Shopkeepers found themselves taken b...
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