National News
French President calls for political parties to “rise to the occasion and work together” - French president Emmanuel Macron has called on political parties in France to “rise to the occasion and work together” to build a mainstream coalition with a solid majority after voters last Sunday returned a hung parliament with no obvious way forward for the government. Macron who has not spoken publicly since the second-round vote, said in a letter to the country that nobody had won the election, in which a left alliance come top, but fell far short of an absolute majority. He called on all parties “that identify with republican institutions, rule of law, parliamentarianism, a pro-European stance and French independence to have a sincere, loyal dialogue to build a solid majority for the country.”
Survey shows “a wave of antisemitism” in Europe – In other news, a survey carried out by the EU’s leading rights agency has shown that Europe is experiencing “a wave of antisemitism” caused partly by the conflict in the Middle East. Nearly all respondents of the survey reported recent anti-Jewish prejudice. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights found that 96% of respondents had experienced antisemitism in the year before the survey, which was carried out between January and June of last year. A total of 84% considered antisemitism to be a “very big” or “fairly big problem” in their country, while fewer than one in five (18%) thought governments were handling it effectively.
Number of scams in France on the rise - France’s Ministry of Interior has claimed that the number of scams carried out in France between 2016 and 2023 have increased by 64%. The study shows a rapid increase in scams with 250,900 victims reported in 2016 compared to 411,700 victims last year. The study includes all scams and payment frauds recorded by the national police and gendarmerie services, excluding fines. More often adults between 25 and 54 years old are the victims, with just one in ten victims filing a complaint.
Local
Victim dies from knife attack - A 30-year-old man who had his throat slit during an attack has since died from his injuries. The dispute which broke out in Cannes at around 8pm on Wednesday is believed to be due to a family dispute. The victim has died, and the attacker has since been arrested. In circumstances which remain to be determined, the victim had an altercation with his father-in-law. The investigation continues.
Major gas leak - A major gas leak has occurred in Saint-Raphaël in the Var. Part of a building was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon. The cause is believed to be due to an incident which occurred whilst work was being carried out by the gas board. A free phone number 0800.473.333 has been set up for residents to obtain additional information.
Mayor of Nice resigns as president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis - The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has resigned from his position as president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. Estrosi announced his resignation from the presidency during a council meeting in Nice on Wednesday. A new election is scheduled for July 19th in which he will be a candidate. Re-elected several times since 2012, Christian Estrosi announced that he “wishes to clear things up, claiming that there has been a recent lack of support from certain elected officials of the metropolitan council since the parliamentary elections”. Indeed, like the French President Christian Estrosi is evoking a need for clarification in his assembly, which is torn between him and his best enemy Eric Ciotti.
Reacting to his announcement Eric Ciotti has said that “the real strength would have been for Estrosi to resign from his seat as mayor of Nice”. The open conflict and Ciotti’s desire to be mayor of Nice is no secret with the situation between the two greatly deteriorating following the results of the parliamentary elections.
Former mayor of Sanary-sur-mer accused of interfering in a public function – Meanwhile, the former mayor of Sanary-sur-Mer, in the Var, Ferdinand Bernhard has been charged for interfering with a public function, accused of having continued to run the town hall through the current mayor despite his 2021 conviction for embezzlement of public funds and favouritism. At the time of his conviction, a sentence of 5 years exclusion was imposed. He is now accused of violating this. On Wednesday he was placed under judicial supervision and prohibited from going to the premises of the town hall of Sanary-sur-Mer and from encountering town hall employees.
Partnership to protect the Mediterranean - Finally, the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco and the Foundation for Biodiversity Research have joined forces to work together to preserve the Mediterranean. The partnership agreement has been signed formalizing the launch of a joint research program, initiated by the Oceanographic Institute and managed by the FRB. This scientific cooperation is part of the new multi-annual program on the Mediterranean which will be launched in spring 2025 by the Oceanographic Institute. In addition to raise awareness among as many people as possible, the Oceanographic Museum will unveil its new major immersive exhibition dedicated to the Deep Blue and its marine mammals in next spring.
Business
An investigation has been launched by the Chinese government following allegations that fuel tankers have been used to transport cooking oil after carrying toxic chemicals without being cleaned properly between loads. The controversy has spread online as social media users’ express concerns about potential food contamination. The case is the latest blow to public trust in the Chinese government's ability to enforce food safety standards. The controversy has been the top trending topic on Chinese social media in recent days.
A case by former staff from Twitter in which they had accused billionaire Elon Musk of unlawfully denying roughly $500m in severance payments owed to workers fired after his takeover of the company has been dismissed by a US judge. Judge Trina Thompson said the employees had not proven that their claims were protected by federal law. The ruling is a win for Mr Musk, who purchased Twitter in 2022 and immediately set about making changes, including sacking thousands of staff.
And - Scotland’s most powerful charging "super-hub" for electric vehicles is being opened in Dundee. The site is made up of 24 ultra-rapid charging bays, eight of which can provide up to 60 miles of driving range in three minutes. The body representing drivers, EVA Scotland, says rural charging is still a challenge, but the situation is improving.
Sport
Football - England have beaten the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday evening. The Three Lions will face Spain in the final on Sunday. England’s victory over the Netherlands came after a last-minute strike from substitute Ollie Watkins.
Tennis - Lorenzo Musetti has called it a "magic day" as he beat Taylor Fritz in five sets to secure a Wimbledon semi-final with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Cycling - Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard has won stage 11 of the Tour de France following a sprint to the line with rival and overall leader Tadej Pogacar.
Weather
Sunny with a gentle breeze. Highs of 28 degrees in Nice and Antibes, 27 degrees in Monaco and Saint Tropez. This evening going down to 20 degrees along the coast with clear skies.
The outlook for Friday, sunny intervals in the Alpes Maritimes, light showers forecast for Nice and Toulon. Highs of 29 degrees. The weekend fine and sunny, highs of 29 degrees.
Sunrise 05.59am
Sunset 09.12pm
Sea temperature
Monaco 23.7 degrees
UV level 9
Weather elsewhere
London 23 sunny intervals
Copenhagen 22 thundery showers
Paris 25 light rain
The Alpes-Maritimes department is tackling "ghost fishing nets," abandoned plastic nets that harm marine ecosystems. ...
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The French government has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants which have been issued by the international criminal court...
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A criminal network that cloned payment cards to steal "hundreds of thousands of euros" from trucking companies across France, including the Côte d’Azu...
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The CGT has released a map detailing nearly 200,000 jobs threatened across France due to layoffs and industrial restructuring since September 2023, wi...
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The A8 motorway was temporarily closed at the La Barque toll plaza toward Nice due to a vehicle driving the wrong way near Aix-en-Provence....
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