French and Riviera News Friday 7th August 2020

Local

Heat wave - Météo France has warned of a new wave of hot weather in the region from tomorrow Saturday 8th August. The heatwave looks lightly to last between 6 to 8 days and according to forecasts we are in for some very hot nights with temperatures not dropping below between 23-25 degrees until the end of next week.

Gas leak leads to building being evacuated - A building has been evacuated in Cannes following a gas leak on Thursday evening. Emergency services intervened at 10.30pm evacuating residents of the 7-story building located at the Dubouys D’Angers roundabout. The origin of the leak is currently unknown.

Man shot in the Moulin district Nice - There have once again been gunshots in the Moulin district of Nice on Thursday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was injured as emergency services intervened at around 3:30pm taking the victim to hospital in Nice.

The neighborhood has already experienced three shootings last month. The last dates back to July 20th which was followed on July 25th by a visit to the area from the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, alongside Gérald Darmanin and Eric Dupond-Moretti, Ministers of the Interior and Justice. After the visit it was announced that there would be a reinforcement of sixty national police officers in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Forest fire - A forest fire has broken out between Gréoux-les-Bains and Valensole in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on Thursday. Seven hectares have already been destroyed as about fifty firefighters were mobilized.

Several forest areas in the region remain closed to the public due to hot weather and high fire risk.

Missing person - Police in the Haute-Alpes near Risoul have appealed following the worrying disappearance of 82-year-old Marguerite Albert. Suffering from orientation disorder, the 82-year-old woman was reported missing on Wednesday 5th August.

Madame Albert was last seen wearing a white cap, brown trousers and a blue top. Anyone with any information is invited to contact the police on 04 82 45 00 08.

Beach clubs closed - Two beach private beach clubs at Pampelonee Beach, just 15 minutes from St Tropez, have been shut by authorities today for not enforcing social distancing. The two-week closure comes after previous formal notices from the Perfecture were ignored.

National

Coronavirus - France has recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus infections in more than two months. Figures released have shown 1,695 new cases within 24 hours.

With more than 30,000 deaths, France has the third-highest death toll in Europe, behind the UK and Italy.

French President visits Beirut - French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Lebanon's political leaders to enact sweeping reforms following a lethal explosion that killed 157 people. Macron offered Beirut France's help but said he would not be giving "blank checks" to a government with no credibility. Speaking to journalists at the end of a snap visit to Beirut, Emmanuel Macron promised to organise an international aid conference for disaster-hit Lebanon "in the coming days", but warned the country "will continue to sink" if the government does not implement much-needed reforms.

Six people held hostage at a bank in Le Havre - An armed man who took six people hostage in a bank in Le Havre, northern France, has surrendered to police on Thursday after releasing his captives. No weapons were used in the arrest of the man, who had released several of the hostages he was holding over the course of Thursday evening.

A police representative said the hostage-taker was a 34-year-old man with a history of mental health problems.

Business

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban transactions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance. Trump says the US "must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect national security".

Under the order, beginning in 45 days, any US transaction with ByteDance will be prohibited. TikTok denies accusations it is controlled by or shares data with the Chinese government.

People arriving into the UK from Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra will have to quarantine for 14 days. The countries are the latest to have a change in rules, after quarantines were reimposed for Spain and Luxembourg. The UK's Foreign Office is also warning against "all but essential travel" to the three countries.

The transport secretary has previously said he "cannot rule out" other countries being included on the list as the travel advice is kept under review.

People who do not self-isolate when required can be fined up to £1,000 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and those returning to Scotland could be fined £480, with fines up to £5,000 for persistent offenders.

Sport

Football - Inter Milan have completed the permanent signing of Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez on a three-year deal.

The Chile international, 31, joined the Serie A side on a season-long loan in August 2019. He scored four goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.

Formula One - Lewis Hamilton says this is the “most important year” of his life as he chases a seventh world title amid the global campaign against racism.

The Mercedes driver has been outspoken in his campaigning for the Black Lives Matter cause after the death in police custody of George Floyd in May. Hamilton is on target to beat Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 victories this season, and to equal his achievement of seven world titles.

Golf - Tiger Woods shot his lowest opening round in a major since 2012 with a two-under-par 68 at the US PGA Championship in San Francisco. The 15-time major winner played alongside Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who finished level par at the year's first major at TPC Harding Park.

Tennis - Andy Murray has been awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open. The former world number one, who won the title in 2012, will play singles at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2019 Australian Open.

Weather

Clear skies and sunshine in Monaco, Menton, Nice and Antibes with highs of 29 reaching 33 degrees in Saint Tropez and the Var with a light variable breeze.

This evening going down to 22 degrees in Nice and 18 degrees in Saint Raphael with clear skies.

The outlook météo France has warned of a new wave of heat from this weekend which is expected to last into next week with temperatures rising from Saturday with highs of 34 degrees expected in the Var and 31 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes.

 

Last local news

Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024

Seven people have been questioned by police in a fraud investigation relating to the loss of almost half a million euros by Nice university hospital.... Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024

France's prime minister Gabriel Attal has announced that a teenage girl who falsely accused her headteacher of striking her in a heated exchange over... French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has asked for national police reinforcements to help bring the Les Moulins housing estate under control.... Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024

The headmaster of a high school in Paris has resigned after receiving death threats on social media following an altercation with a student, which dat... French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024

More than 20 secondary schools on the Riviera have been targeted by bomb alerts today, forcing some of them to stay closed all day.... Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024 Read More

26/03/2024