France bans smoking on beaches and in parks - A nationwide ban on smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops – but not café terraces – has come into force. The decree, published in the official journal, also covers public gardens and outside libraries, swimming pools and schools. The measure is aimed at protecting children from passive smoking. The decree does not mention electronic cigarettes. Anyone flouting the ban could face a fine of €135. Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban. Some 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France. According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people favour a smoking ban in public places.
Parliament to discuss budget before summer recess - In other French news, while MPs usually break up for the summer at the end of June, they will remain in Paris for a while longer after the French president Emmanuel Macron issued a decree calling for an extra session in parliament. Prime minister François Bayrou is set to present plans for the 2026 budget, aimed at tackling France's deficit, in the coming days.
84 departments on heatwave alert - France is currently experiencing its first heatwave of the summer, with all but five of France's mainland departments on a heatwave alert from Météo France today. 84 departments across the country have been issued with an orange alert, with another seven in the north on yellow alert. Only some parts of Brittany and Normandy remain green. It comes as temperatures in some parts of France reached 38°C yesterday.
€50,000 raised for families of A8 crash victims - In local news, a fundraising campaign in support of the families of the two nurses who were killed in a head-on collision on the A8 motorway last week has raised more than €50,000. Ambre and Clémence, who lived in the Var and worked at a private hospital in Mougins, were struck by a speeding driver on Thursday, leaving behind five bereaved children. The driver who caused the crash was over the drink-drive limit and had taken cocaine.
Cannes moves to limit cruise ship moorings - Cannes has become the latest seaside town on the Riviera to introduce limits on large cruise ships. Starting next year, cruise ship moorings in the Bay of Cannes will be limited to one per day. The aim is to limit pollution and avoid over-tourism. The quota applies to ships carrying 3,000 passengers or more. Local officials estimate that it will result in an almost 50% drop in cruise tourism in Cannes. Smaller ships, with fewer than 1,000 passengers will still be encouraged - up to a daily cap of 6,000 cruise passengers per day. Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer have also recently introduced limits on cruise ships.
Bikers injured in Vesubie - Three motorcyclists have been airlifted to hospital and treated for serious injuries in two separate road accidents in the Alpes-Maritimes village of Utelle, in the Vésubie. Both incidents happened on the RM6202, near the Mescla tunnel. The victims were all men in their 40s and early 50s. Several dozen firefighters were called out and local gendarmes were deployed to regulate traffic.
Ligue 1 schedule unveiled - The Riviera's local football clubs have learnt who they'll be playing in the coming season. OGC Nice will kick off their Ligue 1 season at home against Toulouse on 17th August. AS Monaco will face Le Havre at the Stade Louis II on the same date. The first local derby between Nice and Monaco will be in the principality on 5th October.
BUSINESS
Sportscar maker Lotus is considering ending production at its home in the UK in favour of setting up a new plant in the US. Such a move would put 1,300 jobs at risk at its headquarters in Norfolk. Lotus refused to comment when asked about any plans, which were first reported by the Financial Times, but sources within the company said the situation is under review and taking production to the US was under consideration. It comes after production in the UK was temporarily suspended due to disruption caused by the introduction of tariffs on cars being imported to the US. America is a major market for Lotus but tariffs threaten its business, with US sellers required to pay taxes of 25% on imports of cars and car parts.
SPORT
Formula One - Lando Norris fought off McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to win the Austrian Grand Prix. Norris' third victory of the year, leading home a McLaren one-two, reduced his deficit in the championship to 15 points heading into the British Grand Prix next weekend. The McLarens dominated the race - Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took the final podium place 17 seconds behind, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton fourth a further nine seconds behind.
Cricket - Former England and Northamptonshire batter Wayne Larkins has died at the age of 71. Larkins, nicknamed Ned, played 13 Tests and 25 one-day internationals for England between 1979 and 1991, and was part of the side that reached the 1979 World Cup final.
Football - England Under-21s dramatically defended their European title with a thrilling 3-2 win in extra time over Germany. Substitute Jonathan Rowe's header, two minutes after coming on, clinched the Euro 2025 crown in Bratislava as Lee Carsley's side retained the trophy they won two years ago.
Chelsea beat 10-man Benfica thanks to three late extra-time goals in an extraordinary Club World Cup last-16 match that lasted more than four hours and included a near two-hour delay for extreme weather in North Carolina. With just four minutes left, and Chelsea leading 1-0, players were taken off the pitch due to thunderstorms in the area. When the teams eventually returned after nearly two hours, Benfica scored with their first shot on target to take the game into extra time. Three Chelsea goals in extra time brought the score to 4-1, securing their place in the quarter finals.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the decision to suspend the Club World Cup last-16 tie with Benfica for two hours because of extreme weather was "a joke" and said the US is "probably not the right place to do the competition". It was the sixth game of the tournament that has been suspended because of seasonal summer thunderstorms. Players, staff and supporters were immediately pulled indoors because of extreme weather, in this case because thunderstorms were detected within an eight-mile radius of the venue, in line with US safety regulations. The weather has been one of the Club World Cup talking points a year out from the US co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, with extreme heat also affecting games.
In related news, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the Club World Cup is "the worst idea ever implemented in football" because of "serious fears" over player welfare. The German is now Red Bull's head of global soccer and one of their teams, Red Bull Salzburg, qualified for this summer's tournament in the United States, before being knocked out in the group stage. Klopp has often complained about players' workload and fixture congestion, and days before the Club World Cup, global players' union Fifpro released a report saying players should be allowed at least a four-week off-season break.
WEATHER
Another hot day across the Riviera with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius on the Alpes-Maritimes coast, 34 on the Var coast and up to 36 inland in the Var. There's a chance of some thundery showers this afternoon in western parts of the Var and inland in the Alpes-Maritimes. Clear skies tonight, staying exceptionally warm with overnight temperatures staying around 27 degrees Celsius on the coast tonight and 23 inland. The outlook for Tuesday: hazy sunshine on the coast, thunderstorms inland, 31 degrees Celsius on the Alpes-Maritimes coast, 33 on the Var coast and 35 inland in the Var.
A nationwide ban on smoking in all outdoor places that can be accessed by children, including beaches, parks and bus stops – but not café terraces – h...
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The Var and the Alpes-Maritimes are on an orange heatwave alert from midday tomorrow, Saturday. A yellow alert is in force for the rest of Friday unti...
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The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has agreed to remove the Israeli flags outside Nice city hall.
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Three people have died in a serious accident on the A8 motorway this morning. Two cars were involved in a head-on collision near the Mandelieu East in...
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A silent march will be held through Nice on Saturday in memory of a firefighter who was killed in a hit-and-run on the Promenade des Anglais this time...
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