NEWS
Fire in Nice, No Casualties – A fire broke out on the 1st floor of Boulevard Gorbella in Nice at around 1.30 am. The fire spread across the 1st and 2nd floors. 30 residents were evacuated in the middle of the night. A couple with a teenager had to be rehoused. There were no casualties.
Two years in prison for the Cimiez arsonist in Nice – The 29-year-old arsonist of Cimiez in Nice was found guilty of deliberately setting fire to thirteen vehicles in March. Arrested on 2 April, he was brought before the Nice magistrates' court Monday afternoon. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, one of which was suspended. His sentence will be served under an electronic bracelet.
In Cannes: A Unique Shelter for Women and Children Victims of Violence – In Cannes, the Villa Batz is a shelter that provides support to women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. Referred by emergency services (115), they can stay for several months as they work to rebuild their lives, with assistance in finding jobs and accommodation. The facility has six small studios, each equipped with basic furnishings, a kitchenette, shower-WC, and beds for one to three people. In 2023, Villa Batz sheltered 29 people, including 17 women and 12 children. However, the demand for such shelters continues to grow, leading to a constant need for more resources to help victims of domestic violence.
Pro-Palestinian Demonstration in Sciences-Po Menton - A pro-Palestinian demonstration was held at Sciences Po Menton, inspired by a similar movement in Paris. Students set up four tents on the forecourt and issued demands to the administration. Yves Juhel, the Mayor of Menton, immediately contacted the Menton police commander and the prefect, seeking police intervention. However, for the police to act, they needed authorization from the director of Sciences Po, who at that moment was on a video conference call with the Paris administration.
Still No Water in Colle-Sur-Loup - The Mayor of La Colle-sur-Loup, Jean-Bernard Mion, has stated that the situation regarding the contaminated water in the town is expected to continue for a few more days. The water was found to be contaminated with cryptosporidium, a parasite known to cause acute diarrhoea and vomiting after an incubation period of one week. The pools in the town are being purged on a daily basis by Veolia until at least Wednesday. The mayor has requested the Regional Health Agency (ARS) to create a question-and-answer form to help people identify the symptoms of the parasite. The latest analyses conducted by Veolia have shown no traces of the parasite, but a few more days will be needed to ensure complete eradication. The ARS has not provided any information on the number of people who have been affected by the contamination.
Care Assistant in Crocs-D'Utelle - Audrey Orsini, a 45-year-old nurse from Levens, has been a care assistant and worked as a locum for 15 years, gaining extensive experience. Recently, she added Cros-d'Utelle to her service route, providing much-needed healthcare support to the local residents, who had been struggling with care needs. Audrey is enthusiastic about offering consistent care and compassion to the people of Cros-d'Utelle, bringing relief to the community. Now, she's seeking a replacement, signaling a change in her role as she transitions to new opportunities.
Cleaning the Port Vauban - At Port Vauban, 13 professional divers and about 30 volunteers collected 1.2 tonnes of rubbish in a clean-up operation. They aimed to assess environmental improvement in the area. Yann Gaucher, director of YDGS, a marine assistance and boat towing service, noted that they have been conducting these clean-ups for around 20 years, previously finding items like bicycles, motorbikes, and even boats. During this clean-up, the most common rubbish included plastic, scrap metal, old batteries, and scooters. Philippe Dalmasso highlighted the educational value of these events, which have been organized by Port Vauban for three years, with about two tonnes of rubbish collected annually. The next clean-up is planned for mid-September, aligning with World Clean-up Day.
14 TER Train Stations Closed - Starting this Wednesday, ticket offices at 14 TER train stations in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments will close. Eight of these will be replaced by SNCF agents with payment terminals. According to Tony Tripoul, a CGT representative for the SNCF's operations branch, these agents will assist travelers with using regional ticket machines and offer digital support, such as navigating the SNCF mobile application.
BUSINESS
Vinted has made its first profit as second-hand fashion continues to grow in popularity. The digital platform, which allows users to sell used clothes directly to others, turned a €20.4m loss in 2022 into a €17.8m profit in 2023. CEO Thomas Plantenga stated that while second-hand fashion is still a "tiny" part of the overall market, Vinted sees great potential. He also mentioned that enabling peer-to-peer selling helps "mitigate the harm of the fashion industry." Vinted's revenue surged by 61% to €596.3m in 2023. The company has rapidly expanded across Europe, now employing about 2,000 people, with most of its staff based in Lithuania. The company plans to balance profitability with investment opportunities to continue its growth.
Chinese car giant BYD saw a drop in profits due to slowing electric vehicle (EV) demand and a price war in China's car market. It reported $630m (£502m) in profits for the first quarter of the year, over 47% lower than the previous quarter. BYD, competing with Elon Musk's Tesla, briefly became the world's top EV seller at the end of 2022, but Tesla reclaimed the title earlier this year. The company, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, has engaged in a price war to attract customers, cutting prices on some models to boost sales. To counter slowing demand in China, BYD is also expanding into new markets, facing resistance in the US and Europe, where governments aim to protect domestic car manufacturers. Along with international expansion, BYD is diversifying its product range, offering higher-end models. At the Beijing auto show this week, BYD displayed its latest luxury vehicles.
SPORTS
Cricket - Champions Surrey needed only 30.2 overs on the final day to wrap up victory by an innings and 11 runs against Hampshire in their County Championship clash at the Kia Oval. Dan Worrall finished with an impressive 5-47 as Hampshire, dismissed first time around for 151, were bowled out again for 197. Ollie Pope equalled the Surrey record for the most outfield catches in a first-class match, pouching three more at second slip to give himself six in the innings and eight in the game.
Tennis - Rafael Nadal is into the last 16 of the Madrid Open after a hard-fought victory over Argentina's Pedro Cachin. The Spaniard, 37, came through 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 after three hours and six minutes on court. Today, Nadal will play 30th seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic for a place in the quarter-finals.
UFC - Heavyweight boxer Francis Ngannou's 15-month-old son Kobe has died. The former UFC champion posted on X on Monday night: "Too soon to leave but yet he's gone. The fighter's manager Marquel Martin posted online saying that he along with "millions of others" will be praying for the Cameroonian. Conor McGregor was among the fighters and fans to send their condolences to the 37-year-old boxer and former mixed martial arts (MMA) star.
Athletics - Mouhamadou Fall will not be taking part in the Olympic Games: after testing positive for a banned stimulant last July, the French sprinter was notified on Monday of his nine-month suspension by the Sanctions Committee of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD).
WEATHER
Rather gray sky today with moderate wind gusts of up to 55km/h. Highs of 21 in Saint-Tropez, 22 in Marseille and Toulon and 24 degrees in Nice and Cannes.
Tonight, the sky will remain cloudy and grey with light rains towards Marseille. Lows of 14 degrees.
Outlook for tomorrow, light rains all across the riviera that should clear up by nighttime. Highs of 17 degrees.
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