A team has left from the Var to help in the rescue of the Titan submarine at the site of the wreck of the Titanic in the Atlantic ocean. French state funded scientific organization Ifremer has dispatched a ship to the scene of the emergency along with a specialised deep sea robot. The team from La Seyne-sur-Mer will be involved in operating the robot.
Train services were severely disrupted during this morning's rush hour between Monaco and Antibes because of a power supply fault in Nice. Services have now returned to normal.
Meanwhile, metro services in Marseille are disrupted today by industrial action. Lines M1 and M2 are affected. Additional busses are being provided by local authorities.
A man has died after being shot by police in Carpentras in the Vaucluse department. Police had been attempting to arrest the man when he opened fire on police, injuring an officer. Police returned fire. An investigation has been opened by the national police.
In Menton, a crane has been used this morning to lift a sail boat which ran aground opposite the Armee des Alpes parking lot. Traffic on the Promenade du Soleil was cut off while the operation was in progress.
Bad weather continues to affect much of France. Meteo France have orange warnings for storms in nineteen departments stretching from the south-west to the north-east. Tomorrow, all French departments are under either a yellow or an orange warning for storms except for the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, the north of Corsica and ten departments in the north-west.
The new French government Vigipirate security plan for summer and autumn 2023 has been activated from today. It maintains the entire national territory at the "reinforced security - risk of attack" level and will apply until further notice. The government said that any situation or behaviour that may appear suspicious should be reported to security forces by dialling 17.
BUSINESS
In the UK, the Consumer Prices Index rose by 8.7% in the 12 months to May. The figure is unchanged from April. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.7%. The Office for National statistics said that rising prices for air travel, recreational and cultural goods and services, and second-hand cars resulted in the largest upward contributions to the monthly change. Falling prices for motor fuel led to the largest downward contribution.
The UK's total government debt has risen above 100% for the first time in over 62 years. Public sector debt excluding public sector banks was just over £2.56 trillion at the end of May, provisionally estimated by the ONS at 100.1% of GDP. The figure was last above 100% in March 1961.
South-east Asian ride-hailing and food delivery company, Grab, has announced that it's cutting 1,000 jobs. The job losses amount to about 11% of its workforce. The company said that the changes were needed to bring down costs and ensure affordable services in the long term. In 2018, Grab took over the operations of Uber in the region.
SPORT
Cricket... Australia and England have both been fined for slow over rates during the first Ashes Test. Both teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets after time allowances were factored in. Both teams have also had two World Test Championship points deducted. All 22 players were docked 40% of their match fees.
Football... Mateo Kovacic is set to join Manchester City after they agreed a deal with Chelsea worth up to £30m. Reports say that the Croatia national player is joining the Premier League champions for an initial fee of £25m, with £5m in potential add-ons.
Tennis... Venus Williams is among the players to receive a wildcard for next month's Wimbledon. Other players given a wildcard include British number one Katie Boulter and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. Liam Broady is one of five British players given men's singles wildcards.
Philippe Mettoux, who was set to become Monaco’s next Minister of State, has withdrawn before taking office, citing opposition and lack of support to ...
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A nationwide ban on smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops – but not café terraces – h...
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The Var and the Alpes-Maritimes are on an orange heatwave alert from midday tomorrow, Saturday. A yellow alert is in force for the rest of Friday unti...
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The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has agreed to remove the Israeli flags outside Nice city hall.
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Three people have died in a serious accident on the A8 motorway this morning. Two cars were involved in a head-on collision near the Mandelieu East in...
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