News
France to stand united with Ukraine – Speaking in Bormes les Mimosas in the Var on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Europe will stand united with Ukraine at today’s talks in Washington with American President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. EU leaders will also join the meeting, as Zelensky ruled out giving up territory to Russia, while Trump claimed “major progress” with Putin.
Heatwave alert extended – Locally, authorities have extended the orange-level heatwave warning in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes for today, Monday, August 18th, as high temperatures persist across our region.
Heat causes wall cracks in millions of French homes - Meanwhile, up to 10 million homes in France risk cracks from clay soils that swell when wet and shrink in the heat. New buildings have protections, but many older homes don’t. If your home is damaged, your insurance may help, but only if a natural disaster is officially declared in your area. You can check risk zones at the georisques.gouv.fr website.
Tourist robbed of €50,000 watch – In Cannes, an American tourist has been robbed of a luxury Breguet watch worth €50,000 near the Croisette. The robbery occurred on Saturday night. Police are investigating and have asked for any witnesses to come forward.
New app lets beachgoers rent beach equipment from locals – Meanwhile, launched in July, the app BeachNJoy now allows people to rent beach equipment, from paddles to parasols, directly from locals in Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Nice, and Cannes. The platform promotes convenience and environmentally friendly tourism by reducing waste. Rentals cost from €5 for rackets to €20 for a paddleboard. Currently in a test phase until the end of summer, the project could expand internationally.
Nice ranks among France’s top cultural cities - Known for its seaside walks, Nice has now been recognized as a cultural hotspot. A study by SumUp places the city 8th among France’s most cultural destinations, thanks to its museums, monuments, and free activities. Nice leads the country with 106 free cultural options, while Marseille tops the overall ranking and Toulon comes 4th. Paris, despite its 765 initiatives, ranks only 12th.
Île du Levant battles wild boar surge - Residents of Île du Levant in the Var are struggling with a growing wild boar population overturning bins and damaging property. Annual culls are no longer effective, with 23 animals killed last winter. Authorities are now looking into using a private hunting society to allow trained locals to trap or shoot the animals. At present the island’s military zone already eliminates about 200 boars a year.
Sport
Football – In the Premier League action on Sunday Arsenal have kicked off their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 win against Manchester United, taking all three points despite a rather poor performance. This evening Leeds are at home to Everton, kick off is at 9pm French time.
Golf - Jon Rahm has been crowned LIV Golf’s individual champion for the second year running. His success has been founded on consistency.
Rugby - New Zealand opened their Rugby Championship campaign with a 41–24 win over Argentina. The result, combined with South Africa’s 38–22 loss to Australia, lifts New Zealand above the reigning world champions in the global standings.
Business
Qantas has been fined A$90 million by an Australian court for illegally sacking over 1,800 ground workers during the Covid-19 pandemic—marking the largest employer penalty in the country’s history. The court found the airline outsourced jobs in part to avoid industrial action. Qantas has accepted the ruling and apologised, acknowledging the "real harm" caused to workers and their families. The airline had already agreed to pay A$120 million in compensation and now must also pay A$50 million directly to the Transport Workers' Union.
Meanwhile, after nearly 40 years, the Airbus A320 is set to become the most-delivered commercial aircraft in history, overtaking the iconic Boeing 737. According to aerospace data the European jet is just 20 deliveries behind its American rival and is expected to claim the record by September. The milestone highlights Airbus’s growing dominance in the single-aisle aircraft market, even as both manufacturers look ahead to next-generation designs and new competition from China.
And - Artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, currently free to use at a basic level, may not remain so for much longer. According to industry experts, the cost of developing and maintaining these technologies is becoming unsustainable. OpenAI, for example, reportedly lost billions in 2024 despite generating over $10 billion in subscription revenue. Most AI firms operate on a free model, offering free access with charges for premium features. But with rising costs and only a small share of users paying, experts warn that the days of widely available, no-cost AI may soon be over.
Weather
The Alpes Maritimes and Var region remain on an orange heatwave alert. Sunny with a gentle breeze. Highs of 31 degrees in Monaco and Nice, 33 degrees in Saint-Tropez and Toulon. This evening going down to 22 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for tomorrow, the heatwave is expected to ease with the warning being lifted. A cloudy start with storms inland and highs of 29 degrees in Nice. Wednesday, showers are forecast for the Alpes Maritimes and Nice. Thunderstorms in the Var with moderate to strong winds. Highs of 28-29 degrees.
Sunrise 06.38am
Sunset 08.29pm
Weather elsewhere
London 23° light cloud, Paris 28° sunny, New York 24° light cloud.
Beach weather
Expect hot and sunny beach weather across the region. Temperatures will rise to a high of 32 degrees Celsius. The UV index is high at 7, so sun protection is essential. The sea is warm and inviting at 25 degrees, perfect for swimming. Stay hydrated, avoid the midday sun, and enjoy a beautiful day by the water.
And Finally
A recent study suggests that how you take your tea might reveal more about your personality than you realise. Whether you prefer your tea black, milky, or somewhere in between could be linked to traits ranging from confidence to even psychopathy. Professor Michelle Francl of Bryn Mawr College cites research showing that those who drink very strong, bitter tea with little milk may exhibit traits associated with psychopathy and “everyday sadism.” Conversely, people who prefer very milky, pale tea tend to be calmer and more relaxed. A 2024 survey found that most Brits favour a medium brown tea, neither too strong nor too weak, reflecting a dependable and confident personality. Meanwhile, those who opt for extremely dark or pale shades often display strong opinions or laid-back attitudes respectively.
Speaking in Bormes les Mimosas in the Var on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Europe will stand united with Ukraine at today’s t...
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The Var and the Alpes-Maritimes are on orange level alerts for heat until midnight tomorrow night. An orange level alert is the third highest out of t...
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The drought in the Alpes-Maritimes has worsened with 25 more towns now under reinforced water restrictions, bringing the total to 30. River levels hav...
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Chikungunya cases are rising sharply in southern France as the tiger mosquito spreads, with 23 locally transmitted cases in Vitrolles and 13 in Salon-...
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Orange-level heatwave warnings remain in effect today for the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments. While high temperatures are expected, storms could ...
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