Evening Update Tuesday 6th August 2024

NEWS
WWII Explosives in Menton - World War II explosive devices have been discovered near the Hawaï Beach in Menton. Bomb disposal divers have been mobilized, and a safety perimeter has been established on the beach and offshore. The seafront between Garavan harbour and Saint Ludovic station was closed until 2pm.

Doctors on Stike in Avignon - Twelve ER doctors have gone on strike since August 4, demanding more beds, staff, and better working conditions at Aix-en-Provence hospital. They previously issued a strike notice on July 26 but went ahead due to lack of negotiations. The strike aims to address severe shortages, with only 12 doctors serving 585,000 residents. Despite the strike, emergency services remain operational with minimal disruption. 

Barracudas in the Mediterranean - Barracudas have increasingly been spotted in Marseille's waters. Their presence has grown due to warming seas, posing no threat to swimmers but potentially affecting local species. Barracudas are top predators, feeding on small fish. Their presence is a good sign of ecosystem health, and they are even safe to eat.

No Service in Commune Near Marseille - 180 homes have lost internet on July 21 due to a truck damaging a cable in Martigues near Marseille. Residents, including those needing medical assistance, suffer from unreliable connections. The neighbourhood’s outdated infrastructure is blamed, and the local residents' committee is seeking help from authorities to resolve the issue.

Swimming Pool Subscriptions Sky-Rocket - The excitement of the Olympics has filled swimming pools in Alpes-Maritimes. Following France's seven swimming medals at the Paris Games, Antibes' swimming club is fully booked. The newly opened pool in La Colle-sur-Loup, with its modern facilities, attracted 200 visitors within hours of opening. The pool project, costing 12 million euros, took 18 months to complete.

Kittens in Need of Homes - 67 cats, including 29 kittens, had been found on the 26th of July in terrible conditions in an Avignon apartment. The SPA Vaucluse rescued the cats, many of which were sick and in poor health. The shelter is now overwhelmed and urgently needs volunteers to help care for the animals. The owner faces fines and potential confiscation of the cats. Volunteers can sign up by calling 04.90.38.07.89 or emailing poleanimalier@spavaucluse.com.

Speeding - A Monegasque driver was stopped at a toll in the Dordogne after being flashed at 200km/h on the A89. His licence was withdrawn, and his car immobilised. The driver is awaiting a court decision.

 

BUSINESS
Global stock markets have dropped sharply amid fears of a slowing US economy, triggered by worse-than-expected US jobs data for July. US employers created only 114,000 jobs, well below the expected 175,000, and unemployment rose to 4.3%. The Federal Reserve did not cut interest rates, further alarming investors. Technology stocks also fell sharply, with the Nasdaq dropping 10%. However, experts believe a recession is not inevitable, suggesting the labour market is cooling but not collapsing.

And - Elon Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he must relocate the platform's headquarters from San Francisco due to local laws. Employees will move to San Jose and Palo Alto. Musk previously mentioned moving X and SpaceX to Texas because of a new California law on gender identity privacy for children in school. This follows his earlier move of Tesla's headquarters to Texas in 2021.

 

OLYMPICS
So far today, the US and China are tied with 21 gold medals, followed by France and Australia with 13, in 5th place we have Great Britain with 12 golds, South Korea with 11, Japan with 10, Italy in 8th place with 9 golds, and the Netherlands and Germany are still tied at the bottom with 7.
Overall, the US have won 79 medals, followed by China with 53 and France with 48.

Pole Vault - Sweden's Armand Duplantis set a new world record of 6.25m after winning gold in the men's pole vault.

Gymnastics - US superstar Simone Biles said it was "just the right thing to do" after she and team-mate Jordan Chiles bowed down to Olympic gold medallist Rebeca Andrade after the floor final in Paris.

Sprint - Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant kick-started the medal charge in the Paris velodrome by winning Great Britain's first Olympic women's team sprint gold.

Surfing -American Caroline Marks and Kauli Vaast of France have become the 2024 Olympic surfing champions.

 

WEATHER
The Orange heatwave alert is still ongoing in the region until tomorrow. Mostly sunny with risks of thunderstorm inland and a gentle breeze. Highs of 30 degrees in Nice and Marseille, 31 in Cannes and Toulon, and 34 degrees in Saint-Tropez.
Tonight, bit cloudy with lows of 25 degrees.
Outlook for tomorrow, cloudy with some sunny spells and risks of thunderstorms inland, highs of 29 degrees with a gentle breeze.

 

BEACH WEATHER
The skies are mostly clear on the Cote d’Azur today. The sea is particularly warm, reaching 28 degrees.

The UV levels are of 8.

And the air temperature reaches 34 degrees in Saint-Tropez.

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