French and Riviera News Monday 17th July 2023

News

Je t’aime … moi non plus - The world of culture and politics in France has paid tribute to actress and singer Jane Birkin who has left us at the age of 76. Known to the French as "la plus française des Britanniques" Birkin in the 1960s shared 12 years of her life with the legendary French singer songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and with him became one of the era’s most fêted celebrity couples, gaining international notoriety with the erotic song Je t’aime … moi non plus. Birkin sang, wrote, acted and composed and was regarded in her adopted homeland as an icon of French music in her own right.

French president, Emmanuel Macron, paid tribute to Birkin, saying she “embodied freedom and sang the most beautiful words in our language”. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, said: “She was an unforgettable icon, with a unique voice and a charm.” Le Monde wrote: “Birkin’s life, apart from Gainsbourg, was a seamless adventure – records, films, theatre, love at first sight and hard knocks.”

7-year-old drowns in private pool in Nice - A 7-year-old child has died after drowning in private swimming pool in Nice. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday evening on the Chemin de la Costière. The little girl was pulled out of the water by her parents but, emergency services were unable to save her. According to reports the pool was secured. An investigation has been opened.

Body discovered in the port of Fontvieille - A dead body has been discovered in the port of Fontvieille in Monaco. It was an employee of the Roca Jet Ski Club who made the discovery leading to the maritime police recovering it on Saturday morning. The death of the man in his sixties is being investigated, he is believed to have been homeless and was known to the regulars on the port. An autopsy will take place in the coming days to identify the cause of death.

Man falls ten metres in road accident - A 49-year-old man has fallen ten meters following a road accident in the hinterland of Nice. The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the motorcyclist fell into a ditch next to the departmental road in Rigaud. Emergency services took the individual to hospital suffering from two fractured ankles. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause.

Man saved by lifeguards off the Cap d’Antibes - Lifeguards have saved a man from drowning off the Cap d'Antibes on Sunday. The 59-year-old man got into difficulty after suffering a cardiac arrest near the Cap-Eden Roc hotel despite favourable weather conditions for swimming. He was taken to the hospital centre of La Fontonne in Antibes.

False alarm causes panic on beach in Saint-Tropez – A shark alert which panicked many beach goers of Pampelonne in Saint-Tropez in the Var on Saturday, appears to have been a false alarm. A swimming ban was introduced, the red flag was raised, and patrols were carried for more than two hours after a bather suffered a bite and scratches raising the alarm with lifeguards. It was later declared that the bite and scratches did not correspond to those of a shark. The Gulf Marine Observatory reminded the public that no attack of this type has been recorded in the French Mediterranean.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Finally, it was not only shark alerts causing a stir in the area as American actor Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted enjoying the nightlife of Saint-Tropez after an appearance at the Caves du Roy, a famous Saint-Tropez nightclub, at the weekend following by lunch the next day at the popular Club 55 in Pampelonne.

Business

Following rules introduced by Moscow earlier this year, Russia has taken control of the Russian subsidiaries of yoghurt maker Danone and beer company Carlsberg. Under a new order signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin the units have been put in "temporary management" of the state. The rule which allows Russia to seize the assets of firms from "unfriendly" countries came after many companies halted business in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Elon Musk has revealed that Twitter has lost almost half of its advertising revenue since he brought the company for $44 billion last October. Musk said the company had not seen the increase in receipts that had been expected in June, but added that July was a "bit more promising." Mr Musk sacked about half of Twitter's 7,500 staff when he took over in 2022 in a effort to cut costs. According to some estimates rival app Threads now has 150 million users.

And - In a deal between Sony and Microsoft Call of Duty will stay on PlayStation. Microsoft's Phil Spencer said the tech giants agreed to a "binding agreement" to keep Call of Duty on the gaming platform. Adding that players would have "more choice".

Sport

Tennis - After just over four hours Carlos Alcaraz managed to claim the Wimbledon men’s singles title for the first time by ending Novak Djokovic’s recent dominance.  A packed Centre Court, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales, actor Brad Pitt and two-time winner Andy Murray, rose to their feet to acclaim the new champion.  Alcaraz, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, celebrated by falling flat on his face after taking his first match point and kicking a ball into the crowd. Alcaraz is the third youngest man to win the Wimbledon title in the Open era after 17-year-old Boris Becker in 1985 and 20-year-old Bjorn Borg in 1976.

Cycling – Fans have been asked to take more care by the organisers of the Tour de France after a spectator taking a selfie caused a crash of about 20 riders on stage 15 of the Tour at the weekend. All the riders who crashed completed the 179km stage. One of the Tour's worst crashes involving a spectator occurred in 2021, when a woman holding a sign with a message in German to her grandparents clipped rider Tony Martin on the first stage.

Rugby Union - Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been given a three-match ban that will see him miss his country's three World Cup warm-up matches. Sexton, 38, is not allowed to play in the fixtures against Italy, England and Samoa, but will be available for Ireland's World Cup opener against Romania on 9 September.

Football - Harry Maguire says he has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy by the club’s manager. The England centre-back says he is "extremely disappointed" but will "continue to give my all" in the shirt. The 30-year-old made eight starts in the Premier League last season and is linked with a move to West Ham.

Weather

Mainly clear skies with some cloudy patches with a gentle breeze. An orange heatwave alert is in place in the Alpes Maritimes and a yellow one for the Var and the Bouches du Rhone. Temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees by the afternoon along the coast of the Alpes Maritimes in Monaco, Nice, Menton and Antibes. Inland highs of 37 degrees for Puget-Theniers and Draguignan. This evening going down to 22 degrees with clear skies.

The outlook for tomorrow and Wednesday is expected to be much the same with tempertaures remaining high.

Sunrise                06.03am

Sunset                 09.08pm

Beach weather

Nice – Clear skies, sea temperature 27 degrees. Air temperature 28 degrees. UV level 11.

Marseille – Sunny, sea tempertaure 24 degrees. Air tempertareu 31 degrees. UV level 11.

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