The Paris 2024 Paralympics are getting underway today, with the opening ceremony due to start at 8.00 this evening. The ceremony will be focused on the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde, with the first competitive events taking place tomorrow. The event will conclude with the closing ceremony at the Stade de France on Sunday, 8 September.
Tribute ceremonies have been held this morning for the policeman killed by a motorist near the A8 motorway on Monday. During a cermony in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, the officer's wife said that France had killed her husband. She criticised what she called the country's "laxity and its excess of tolerance", questioning why a repeat offender "can move around freely". Another tribute was held this morning in Mougins. A ceremony is also being held on the steps of the town hall in Cannes early this evening. Meanwhile the custody of the suspect has been extended.
Renaud Muselier is one of the political leaders being received at the Elysees by President Macron in his attempts to form a new government. The President of the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region is scheduled to meet President Macron tomorrow morning.
A number of new municipalities in the Var have been placed on heightened drought alert by the prefecture. They are in the Argens and Gapeau areas. 85 municipalities are now on high alert, 44 municipalities are on alert and 24 municipalities remain on vigilance. Water usage restrictions are imposed on individuals and professionals in municipalities on high alert and drought alert. You can find full details on the prefecture's website www.var.gouv.fr
A judicial investigation is being opened today into an attack on a synagogue in La Grande-Motte last Saturday, according to the National Anti-Terrosrism Prosecutor's Office. A suspect and two other people have been held in custody for questioning.
Large amounts of illicit drugs have been washed up on two beaches in the Pas de Calais department. Three bales of cocaine totalling 85 kilos were washed up on Monday and Tuesday. Reports say that the street value of the drugs is about 6 million euros. It's thought that the haul may have been thrown overboard by a boat before an inspection was carried out by authorities.
A busy day on French roads is being forecast for this Friday by government roads monitor Bison Fute. A red warning, which is the third highest out of four levels, is being forecast for the whole of the Mediterranean coast in the direction of returns on Friday, with the rest of the country on a lower yellow warning. There are also red areas around Paris and in some eastern areas of the country over the weekend. More details on www.bison-fute.gouv.fr
BUSINESS
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Berlin for meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He announced a deal which the UK government has said is part of an attempt to "turn a corner on Brexit". The government said the agreement would cover areas such as energy security, technology, defence and illegal migration as well as access to each other's markets.
The buy now, pay later firm Klarna has said that it’s aiming to get rid of almost half its employees in the next few years through efficiencies made possible by artificial intelligence. The firm has already cut its workforce from 5,000 to 3,800 in the past year and wants to reduce that to 2,000 employees. In an interview with the BBC the head of the company Sebastian Siemiatkowski said the UK government needed to think about what to do about AI, which he said would have "a dramatic impact" on jobs and society.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has said that introducing alcohol limits at airports would help tackle a rise in disorder on flights. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph he said “we don't allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft." He said that a two drink limit should be enforced at airports.
SPORT
Football...Celtic have signed Barcelona left-back Alex Valle on a season-long loan deal. Celtic sold Matt O'Riley to Brighton this week and manager Brendan Rodgers has previously said that more signings could be expected before Friday's deadline.
In the Netherlands, Sunday's match between Feyenoord and Ajax has been postponed because of a police strike. Police officers were injured during crowd disorder at a match between the two teams last September. Police said they would not work at Sunday's game as part of an ongoing campaign related to early retirement regulations.
Cricket... England batter Dawid Malan has retired from international cricket at the age of 36. He is one of only two men, along with Jos Buttler, to score a century in all three formats for England.
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