French Prime Minister Jean Castex is in Nice this evening to attend a ceremony in honour of the victims of the attack of 14 July 2016. A parade is also taking place on the Promenade des Anglais and a tribute concert will take place at 9pm. At 10.34pm, the time of the attack, 86 beams of light will shine into the sky, each beam representing one person who lost their life in the attack. Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said that his thoughts were with "our 86 angels" and "all the victims of barbarism".
Ceremonies have been held throughout France to mark France's National Day, the 14th of July. In Paris, municipal police officers from Nice took part in this morning's traditional 14th of July parade on the Champs Elysees. It was the first time that Municipal Police from anywhere in France had been included in the 14 July parade. There have been many local ceromonies today including in Cannes in front of le Monument aux Morts at the town hall and in Toulon on the Place d'Armes. Renauld Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Council wished everyone a happy national day and said that "we can be proud of belonging to a fantastic country, strong in its traditions, talents and global influence, strong in its territories".
French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari has said that the health pass requirement for long distance transport announced by President Macron on Monday will come into force in the week beginning 2 August. He said that a tolerence would be allowed during the weekend of 31 July and 1 August which is a "crossover weekend" for holiday makers. The minister confirmed yesterday that the health pass requirement will not apply to local TER trains.
Several thousand people have attended a march in Paris this afternoon. Protestors were demonstrating against the Health Pass and mandatory vaccination.
A Covid-19 cluster has been detected on the 'île du Levant in the Var. The prefecture said that following the detection of a high number of cases of the Delta variant on the island, measures have been implemented and are in force until July 26. Wearing a mask is compulsory on the island for anyone over the age of 11, gatherings of more than 10 people on public roads are prohibited and only access to the outdoor spaces of certain establishments such as restaurants, cafes, and bars is authorised. A screening campaign is currently underway on the island and everyone arriving is being informed of the COVID risks and the health measures put in place. A vaccination campaign is also planned by this weekend with the objective of vaccinating 200 people per day.
The City of Cannes has said that 3,000 slots for first injections of a vaccine are available for those aged 12 and over for the period until 30 July. It's inviting people to pre-register online on the municipal website www.cannes.com to obtain their appointment for vaccination at the municipal vaccination center at the Palais des Festivals.
Terminal 2 of Nice airport was evacuated this morning because of suspicious baggage. Bomb disposal experts were called in. The baggage proved to be harmless and passangers were allowed back into the terminal after about an hour.
About two dozen firefighters have been fighting a blaze in undergrowth on the Col de Vence this afternoon. Several water bombing helicopters were also used to tackle the fire which affected at least three hectares. Smoke from the blaze could be seen over a wide area.
Earlier today the Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes reminded residents and visitors of the risk of fire in the current dry and windy conditions. The use of fire is strictly prohibited throughout the department from July 1 to September 30 and the Prefecture said that the greatest caution is recommended in and around the massifs. In the Var today five massifs are at a "Very Severe" fire risk with access prohibited. Four massifs are at a "Severe" fire risk with access not recommended. Links to fire risk maps for the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var as well as several other departments can be found on the website https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.fr
A man has died from gunshot wounds in Levens in the arriere-pays of Nice. Local reports say that one person was arrested in the early hours of this morning in connection with the shooting at premises in the village. The man arrested is believed to be a member of the victim's family. The GIGN National Gendarmerie Intervention Group attended the scene.
The Maison de la Sécurité Routière of the Var has issued a reminder to take cae on the department's roads because of strong gusts today, which can particularly affect vehicles such as motorbikes and bicycles, Heavy Goods Vehicles, coaches, caravans and camper vans.
BUSINESS
Inflation in the UK has risen to its highest level in almost three years. The Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation rose by 2.5% in the 12 months to June, up from 2.1% to May. The Office for National Statistics said that the rise was widespread, for example resulting from rises in the price of food and second hand cars. However, it said that some of the price increases, for example for fuel, are temporary and much of the rise in inflation comes from prices recovering from their lows earlier in the pandemic.
Industrial output in the Eurozone has fallen more than expected in May. EU statistics agency Eurostat said that estimated industrial production was down by 1.0% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the wider EU. In April industrial production had risen by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU
SPORT
Tour de France...Tadej Pogacar has won today's 17th stage and has extended his overall lead. Jonas Vingegaard was second on today's stage and Richard Carapaz was third.
Cricket.... England have named their T20 squad for the upcoming series with Pakistan. The squad includes nine players who were forced to self-isolate during the recent one-day series. Eoin Morgan is captain of the squad which includes Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson. The three-match series begins at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Tennis... Two matches at this year's Wimbledon are under investigation after "possible irregular betting patterns". The matches have been reported to the International Tennis Integrity Agency. A spokesperson from the agency told the BBC that "two alerts" were provided by the betting industry indicating possible irregular betting patterns.
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