French and Riviera News Monday 4th July 2022

News

Fatal avalanche in Italian Alps - Six people have been killed and eight others injured in an avalanche after the largest glacier in the Italian Alps collapsed due to higher-than-average temperatures. According to Italian emergency services an avalanche of snow, ice and rock hit an access path at a time when there were several roped parties, some of whom were swept away. The glacier was located on Marmolada and the avalanche struck the day after record-high temperatures of 10 degrees Celcius were recorded at the glacier’s summit.

Tour de France gives support after fatal shooting in Copenhagen - The Tour de France has given its support to Copenhagen after three people were shot dead and several other were injured at one of Denmark’s biggest shopping malls. Organisers of this year’s competition, which started in the Danish capital, have expressed their “compassion with the people of Denmark and offered its most sincere condolences to the victims and their families. “Several” people were hit by gunfire late on Sunday afternoon in the shopping centre in Copenhagen. A 22-year-old Dane has since been arrested.

Woman commits suicide in Nice - A woman has committed suicide after jumping from the 7th floor of an apartment block on Rue Fulconis in Nice. Emergency services intervened on Sunday morning shortly after 9am after being alerted by an employee of the Ligne d’Azur network at the tram terminus in Pasteur.

Diver hospitalised in Toulon - A 69-year-old diver has been hospitalised in Toulon in the Var after an accident on the island of Port-Cros. The incident occurred during a supervised diving outing by a club, in the Port-Cros sector on Sunday morning.

Man seriously injured in mountain bike competition in Valberg – Meanwhile, an English engineer in his thirties has been seriously injured in a mountain bike accident in Valberg in the Alpes Maritimes. The incident occurred shortly after 11am on Sunday during an electric mountain bike competition. The victim was air lifted to hospital by emergency services. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances.

Unions refuse wage increase - Unions in France have called for further strike action at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport after rejecting the latest salary increase proposed by management. A call to strike has been issued from July 8th to 10th and another for July 13th to 17th. On Friday, employees refused a 4% wage increase calling for a general wage increase of 6%.

Theatre director Peter Brook dies - British-born, Paris resident for more than 50 years, theatre director Peter Brook has died aged 97. Considered one of the most influential theatre directors of the 20th century, Brook’s work was showcased at the Bouffes du Nord theatre in Paris where he was based. Brook was born in London on 21 March,1925, to a family of Jewish scientists who had emigrated from Latvia. He began directing at age 17 and was considered gifted in the theatrical arts from the very start of his career, becoming an acclaimed director in London’s West End by his mid-20s, directing hits on Broadway before he turned 30.

Business

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has renewed his dispute with the White House over the weekend, as the world's third-richest person criticized President Joe Biden for calling on companies running gasoline stations to lower their prices. In a tweet on Saturday, Biden said, "this is a time of war and global peril," and demanded the companies lower gasoline prices, which have soared to about $5 a gallon in many parts of the country. Bezos has locked horns with Biden's administration in the past. In May, he accused Biden of misleading the public and blamed his administration for a spike in inflation.

Argentina's economy minister, Martin Guzmán, has resigned as the country's economic crisis intensifies. Mr Guzmán had been in office since late 2019 and led negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the restructuring of Argentina's debt. Argentina is struggling with 60% inflation and a weak currency, as well as global food and energy price rises.

According to new research the number of pubs in England and Wales continues to fall, hitting its lowest level on record this year.  There were 39,970 pubs in June, down by more than 7,000 since 2012.  After struggling through Covid the industry now faced soaring prices and higher energy costs. The government said it had slashed taxes to help, but industry groups urged it to do more.

Sport

Formula One - Ferrari's Carlos Sainz has taken his first Formula 1 victory at the end of an extraordinary British Grand Prix packed full of incident and drama. Lewis Hamilton was in the battle for victory but finished third behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez after a frantic final nine laps following a late safety car. Leclerc could finish only fourth and Ferrari missed the opportunity to make up significant ground in the title race on a bad day for championship leader Max Verstappen.

Tennis- Cameron Norrie has urged the British public to give him even more vocal support after he became the last home player left in the Wimbledon singles draw. Norrie was backed by an enthusiastic crowd on Court One as he beat American Tommy Paul 6-4 7-5 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter final.

Football - The next Africa Cup of Nations will be played in Ivory Coast in 2024, and not 2023. The tournament was to be hosted in June-July 2023, which is the height of the rainy season in Ivory Coast. It means the Nations Cup will be held in January and February for the second time in a row, after this year's tournament in Cameroon.

Weather

Cloudy with sunny intervals. Highs of 29 degrees in Nice, Cannes and Antibes. 31 degrees in Saint Tropez and the Var with a moderate breeze. This evening going down to 21 degrees with clear skies.

The outlook for tomorrow and Wednesday - Mainly fine with highs of 31-32 degrees.

Sea Temperature:   22 degrees                 UV level:           9

Sunrise:    05.54hr                                           Sunset:     21.15hr

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