French and Riviera News Monday 26th August 2024

National News 

Arson attack on synagogue - Police in France have arrested a man suspected of an attempted arson attack against a synagogue in the southern city of La Grande-Motte. A police officer was injured in the explosion and the incident is being investigated by France’s specialist antiterrorism prosecutor. France’s Ministers have called for more security around Jewish schools and places of worship. French President Emmanuel Macron said the synagogue attack was a “terrorist act” and assured that “everything is being done to find the perpetrator”.

Terrorist threat - According to France’s Interior Minister anti-Semitic acts in France have increased by "almost 200%" since the beginning of the year. The ministry also added however, that there was “no particular terrorist threat, ahead of the Paralympic Games which start in Paris on Wednesday”.

Local News 

Paralympic flame - Meanwhile locally, thousands of people came to see the Paralympic flame in Antibes. On Sunday people gathered in the city centre to applaud the torchbearers. Antibes was the only town in the Alpes Maritimes region to be chosen as one of 12 cities in France to host the Paralympic flame.

Fire breaks out along the banks of the river Var - In other news, a fire has broken out along the banks of the river Var in Nice. Two water-bombing helicopters and firefighters intervened on Sunday afternoon. The blaze destroyed 800 square meters of vegetation before being put out and was visible from the motorway.

Two people injured after fight breaks out -Two people have been injured after a fight broke out between illegal immigrants in Grimaud on Sunday evening. The incident involving knives broke out at around 9pm in the Saint-Pierre district. One individual was seriously injured and airlifted to hospital. The road between Grimaud and Cogolin was closed to motorists while emergency services intervened. According to reports the suspect who stabbed the victim is on the run.

Bad weekend on the region’s roads - Meanwhile, this weekend was marked by several road accidents in the Var region one being fatal when a 55-year-old motorcyclist was killed on the RD4 in Fréjus on Saturday afternoon. He reportedly hit an oncoming car and died at the scene. Meanwhile, two people were seriously injured in a road accident between Cogolin-Grimaud on Saturday evening and a motorcyclist was seriously injured in Hyères after a collision with a car on the road to Pierrefeu.

Challenge abandoned - After swimming nearly 100 kilometres in the Mediterranean from Calvi, Noam Yaron, has sadly had to abandon his challenge to reach Monaco. Yaron had wanted to accomplish the longest swim in history in a wetsuit without leaving the water. Having left Calvi on the morning of August 23rd, the young Swiss swimmer had the ambition to cover 180 kilometres between Corsica and Monaco. Unfortunately, though from the start of his journey, he had had to face unfavourable weather conditions, contrary to the forecasts. Due to these conditions, his team and experts recommended that he ended his challenge.

Boules carrées World Championship - Finally, a team of three men from Italy and France have managed to beat a Danish team in the World Championship final of “boules carrées” (square bowling). The unusual event was held at the weekend in the town of Haut-de-Cagnes, in Cagnes-sur-Mer. For many it was the first time they had participated in the event with the winners being congratulated by the mayor.

Business

Australians have been given the “right to disconnect” after the introduction of a new law. People who feel forced to take calls or read messages from employers after they finish their day’s work will be allowed to ignore after hours communications if they choose to, without fear of being punished by their bosses. A survey published last year estimated that Australians worked on average two hundred and eighty-one hours of unpaid overtime annually. More than 20 countries, mainly in Europe and Latin America, have similar rules. The law, however, does not ban employers from contacting workers after hours. Instead, it gives staff the right not to reply unless their refusal is deemed unreasonable.

Two Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. The Starliner experienced problems on its way to the International Space Station with several thrusters not working properly.

And – Supermarkets in Icelandic have been left in a pickle, after a viral TikTok trend saw an unprecedented surge in demand for cucumbers - leaving suppliers racing to keep up. Social media influencers in Iceland began sharing a salad recipe of grated cucumbers, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar and chilli oil. The recipe has been such a hit that farmers in the country have been unable to keep up with spiralling demand.

Sport

Football - It was a home 2-0 win for Liverpool against Brentford on Sunday as the Reds continue their winning start to the season. In other matches Chelsea thrashed Wolves 6-2 and Bournemouth missed out on a win with a last-minute goal from Newcastle with the match ending 1-1. Brighton beat Manchester United 2-1 while Manchester City beat Ipswich 4-1 and both Tottenham and Arsenal won their matches.

Formula One – It was McLaren's Lando Norris weekend as his fought back to take a dominant victory in the Dutch Grand Prix despite losing the lead to Max Verstappen's Red Bull at the start. Verstappen came 2nd with Monaco’s Charles Leclerc taking the final podium position.

Cycling - Britain's Adam Yates has claimed a sensational victory on stage nine of the Vuelta a Espana to revive his hopes of clinching the general classification title.

Paralympics -