Nice removes Israeli flags from city hall - The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has agreed to remove the Israeli flags outside Nice city hall. In a ruling yesterday, Nice administrative court gave the city five days to remove the flags, which have been in place since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Nice will also have to pay back €1,000 in legal costs to the claimants who brought the case to court. The flags were initially intended as a message of support for the victims of terrorism. But as the conflict in Gaza intensified, the flags' presence began to attract strong criticism and protests, on the grounds that local authorities should not be partisan. The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes intervened last month, asking for all foreign flags to be removed from town halls, but Estrosi refused. The mayor has now agreed to comply with the court ruling. Instead, a banner has been displayed outside the city hall demanding the release of all hostages.
Fatal head-on collision on A8 - Three people have died and another is in a critical condition after a head-on collision involving two cars on the A8 motorway near Mandelieu yesterday morning. The incident occurred on the Italy-bound carriageway in the height of the morning rush hour. According to initial reports, a car heading in the other direction hit the central reservation at high speed and ended up on the opposite side of the road. It crashed into a car with two women in their 30s on board. They both lived in the Var, had young children, and worked as nurses at the Tzanck Institute in Mougins, where psychological support is being offered to their colleagues. The nurses both died at the scene, as did the driver of the speeding car, a man in his 20s. A critically injured 18-year-old passenger was airlifted to hospital. The Grasse public prosecutor’s office says blood tests showed that the speeding driver was over the drink-drive limit and under the influence of cocaine. Traffic on the eastbound A8 was paralysed for two hours, causing 20 kilometres of jams, then one lane was cleared while investigators examined the scene. The motorway didn't fully reopen until yesterday afternoon.
Travellers' site in Cagnes-sur-Mer - After Saint-Laurent-du-Var, it's the turn of Cagnes-sur-Mer to accommodate a group of travellers on municipal land. 120 caravans are arriving in Saint-Laurent today, and another 80 will be directed to a plot of land in Cagnes, at Moulin du Loup, near the border with Villeneuve-Loubet. The mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer has not opposed the requisition of the land - but has insisted that national police, not local police, should take responsibility for the site's security.
Bayrou visits Alps ahead of 2030 Winter Games - In other French news, prime minister François Bayrou and four other ministers are visiting the Hautes-Alps today as part of preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. He'll visit a site that will be converted into one of the Olympic villages, and chair an interministerial committee in Briançon alongside ministers for sport, tourism, transport and disability. Also attending are the president of the organising committee, and former French prime minister Michel Barnier, who was heavily involved in organising the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. The 2030 Winter Games will take place in the Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Alpes and the Riviera.
A8 motorway staff plan strike - Two unions representing staff at motorway operator Vinci Autoroutes have filed strike notices during the summer holidays. The CFDT is calling on members working for Escota, the branch of Vinci Autoroutes that manages the A8 from Menton to Gap, to take strike action in July, while the CGT strike notice runs from now until mid-September. They're protesting about deteriorating working conditions, short-staffing and the growing use of sub-contractors to cut costs.
Tende tunnel reopens today - The reopening ceremony for the Tende tunnel, linking France with Italy, is taking place this afternoon. The president of the Alpes-Maritimes Department and the French and Italian transport ministers will be among those attending.
Cagnes sign inspired by #ILoveNice - Cagnes-sur-Mer has installed a new statue on its seafront, heavily inspired by the 'I Love Nice' sign. The blue and white structure at the western entrance to the town reads: "#Cagnes Sur Mer, a town on the move". Local authorities hope that, like the I Love Nice sign, it will become a popular spot for selfies.
BUSINESS
Energy giant Shell has declared it has “no intention” of making an offer for rival BP, after takeover speculation swept the City this week. In a statement to the City, Shell insists it has not approached BP, and that no talks have taken place.
The British government has decided not to go ahead with a £25bn renewable energy project which promised to import enough solar and wind power from Morocco to meet nearly a tenth of the UK's electricity demand. Ed Miliband, the energy security and net zero secretary, has decided not to proceed to formal negotiations with Xlinks, a privately owned company, about a 25-year price guarantee agreement.
Sterling has hit its highest level in three and a half years against the dollar, following reports that Donald Trump could appoint a new head of the US central bank early. The dollar has weakened, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was considering announcing his pick to succeed Jerome Powell – whose term expires next May – earlier than expected. Trump has been increasingly exasperated by Powell, as the Federal Reserve resisted his calls for lower interest rates.
SPORT
Formula One - Ferrari are reported to be preparing updates to their underperforming car during this weekend's Austrian grand prix. Mercedes' win at the Canadian Grand Prix means Ferrari are now the only one of F1's big-four teams without a full race victory so far this season, with the team struggling for consistency with their SF-25 car.
Rugby Union - Ireland's Dan Sheehan will captain the British and Irish Lions in their opening game on Australian soil against the Western Force on Saturday. The hooker is one of five players in the starting line-up who will make their Lions debut in Perth, his Leinster team-mates Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier being the others.
Tennis - Sir Andy Murray says he is trying to keep his children away from "damaging" social media platforms as he backed calls for more action to prevent abuse of sport stars. His appeal comes after British tennis player Katie Boulter spoke out about the scale of unsavoury and hurtful comments she has received online, including death threats. Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray, who retired from professional tennis in August 2024, said the prevalence of social media abuse "hasn't really changed", despite athletes speaking out on the subject for many years.
Football - England Under-21s are one match away from winning back-to-back Euros after Harvey Elliott's brilliant double sent them into this weekend's final. The defending champions face Germany on Saturday in Bratislava after overcoming the Netherlands earlier this week. England won the tournament for the first time in 39 years in 2023, and Lee Carsley's side could now match the feat of successive triumphs in 1982 and 1984.
And Gareth Southgate added his name to an elite footballing list when the former England manager received his knighthood at Windsor Castle this week. The 54-year-old, who stepped down from the England post after almost eight years following defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final, was awarded the honour for services to football. He is only the seventh football manager to be given the honour.
WEATHER
Fine and sunny again today, with a gentle breeze. Temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius on the coast and 34 inland, with the chance of some light rain inland in the Alpes-Maritimes near the Italian border this afternoon. Another warm night with clear skies, temperatures not going below 26 on the Alpes-Maritimes coast, 24 on the Var coast and 21 inland. The outlook for the weekend: fine and sunny on Saturday, staying hot, with 31 degrees Celsius on the coast and up to 36 inland in the Var. More of the same on Sunday, 32 on the coast, 35 inland, with the possibility of some thunderstorms inland in the Alpes-Maritimes on Sunday afternoon.
A 38-year-old man has been fatally struck by a truck early Thursday, the 17th of July, on the A8 motorway near Coudoux, Bouches-du-Rhône. ...
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Tensions are running high in Antibes, where around thirty animal rights activists from the group One Voice have gathered outside the former Marineland...
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Météo-France has extended the yellow heatwave warning in the Var for today Thursday, July 17th. The warning is in place until 10pm this evening with h...
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Due to ongoing drought, the Var department has placed nearly 150 communes under water vigilance and four under official drought alert. ...
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Meteo France have placed the Var on a top-level red alert for forest fires today. Two other nearby departments, the Bouches-du-Rhone and the Vaucluse ...
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