A major rescue operation has been underway off the coast of the Var today after an explosion on a container ship. The Maritime Prefecture said that CROSSMED was alerted to a fire and explosion on the ship off Toulon at about 9.00 this morning. The Panmanian flagged MSC Rachele was about 40 km south of Cape Cépet en route to the port of Fos-sur-mer. Three crew were injured. Two of them are in a serious condition. Resources including two helicopters and a French Navy amphibious helicopter carrier were deployed. The chartered support and assistance vessel Pionnier was mobilized by the maritime prefecture with a view to towing the ship into port if necessary. The maritime prefecture said that no immediate threat exists in terms of pollution or maritime safety.
Thousands of households in Marseille have been affected by power cuts today. About 10,000 properties were reportedly affected in areas of the 7th to 11th arrondissements. Enedis said that the problems were caused by the hot weather and repairs were underway.
The Var Prefecture said this afternoon that the fire which started on Saturday at the Canjuers military camp is still active. Over 1,000 hectares have so far been burned in the blaze. The remains of an artillery shell at the camp exploded yesterday evening. One firefighter was slightly injured by shrapnel and several others suffered from shock and tinnitus after the incident.
The Prefect of the Var has banned outdoor fires on June 24 and 25. The use by individuals of fireworks, firecrackers and pyrotechnic articles is also banned until July 20. The Prefecture said that the decree had been made in view of the drought situation, the rainfall deficit and the current weather conditions, in particular the high heat which greatly increase the risk of fire in the department.
The Monaco government has published its weekly update on Covid-19 numbers. In the week from 13 to 19 June, 161 new positive cases for Covid-19 were detected in the Principality. As at yesterday evening, 19 people were hospitalized at the Princess Grace Hospital. There are no patients being treated in intensive care. 78 people were being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre. The incidence rate fell slightly to 411 per 100,000 people from 467 in the previous week.
BUSINESS
Engineering company Rolls Royce has said it will give thousands of staff a £2,000 one-off payment to help with the rising cost of living. The payment will be for junior management and shop floor staff and will start to be rolled out to 3,000 staff in August. Another 11,000 unionised workers will receive the payment after their union approves the amount.
UK manufacturing output slowed in the three months to June, while total order books and export order books also softened. The CBI Industrial Trends Survey which is based on the response of 212 manufacturers, found that output growth is expected to slow further in the quarter ahead, while expectations for domestic price growth fell back to a nine-month low.
A union representing Easyjet cabin crew based in Spain has reportedly called for industrial action. If it goes ahead, the industrial action would cover three seperate 72 hour periods in July.
SPORT
Football... Sam Johnstone is joining Crystal Palace. He's agreed a four-year deal with the London club. He'll join on a free transfer after his contract with West Brom expires at the end of this month.
Rugby Union...World Rugby has announced that the majority of concussed players will face 12 days out. The change to protocol will come into effect from 1 July. Currently, a player can play a week after a failed head injury assessment, if they pass return-to-play protocols.
TGV services across much of France are gradually improving after several arson attacks affected the network in the early hours of this morning....
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French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to welcome world leaders to the Olympic games opening ceremony tomorrow night and has been visiting key ...
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France will host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the Alpes, conditional on state and regional financial guarantees. President Macron confirmed his full su...
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