National News
Two pilots die following collision - Two French pilots have died after their Rafale jets collided in mid-air in eastern France, in a rare accident involving cutting-edge military aircraft. One pilot ejected after the crash over northeastern France on Wednesday, but authorities had launched a desperate search for a missing instructor and a student pilot on the second jet. It was not immediately clear what caused the collision an investigation is underway President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that “the nation shares the grief of victims’ families and brothers in arms at airbase 113 in Saint-Dizier”.
Local News
Lightning strikes - Several lightning strikes have triggered fires inland in the Var region. Shortly before 4pm on Wednesday, August 14th, a fire broke out in forest land near Brignoles. Nearly thirty firefighters were deployed, with the blaze being brought under control by early evening.
Weather warning - Meanwhile, Météo France has forecast violent winds and heavy rain with localized hailstorms and the risk of flooding for the Var today Thursday 15th August, placing the region on an orange weather alert. After a long heatwave the weather warning is in place until 3pm this afternoon. Campsites have taken precautions in preparation for the bad weather and water activities are not recommended. The bad weather expected has also shed uncertainty over planned ceremonies in the Var today to mark the 80th anniversary of the landings in Provence.
80th anniversary of the landings in Provence - French President Emmanuel Macron is to attend events in the Var to mark the 80th anniversary of the landing in Provence. Ceremonies have been planned in two stages starting in Saint-Raphael and ending in Toulon this afternoon. Despite uncertainty over some celebrations due to the weather warning the firework display scheduled for this evening in Toulon is expected to go ahead as the weather is forecast to improve.
Investigation into the recent pollution which has seen beaches have to close to swimmers – In other news, Maritimes authorities along the coast have denounced the recent closure of several beaches due to pollution as "unacceptable", and "intolerable" as they investigate who is to blame. In recent weeks, some of the most beautiful beaches on our coastline have been closed due to pollution. Every time seaside activity and holidays have been ruined for thousands of locals and tourists. Many have pointed the finger at the super yachts that cruise offshore, but there is no evidence to confirm this. While in the La Croix-Valmer, the suspect is the discharge of wastewater. In Cagnes-sur-Mer, the blame has been aimed towards the open sea, such as the yachts and commercial ships. Many point to the luxury units that cruise off the beaches. But, according to the maritime prefecture, nothing in the current situation allows authorities to incriminate them more than others. One thing is certain: traces of hydrocarbons have been detected and bathers have complained of feeling an oily sensation on their skin. Which has in turn led to Louis Nègre, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, deploring an "unacceptable" situation and filing a complaint with State services. According to him, these traces come from boats. However, it will probably be very difficult, if not impossible, to trace the polluter. Last year, 234 reports of marine pollution were recorded along our coasts by Cross Med. 41 were confirmed, 124 remained undetermined (53%). For 69 of them, it was not a question of pollution. It should be noted that none of the confirmed cases caused a significant impact on the marine environment. According to the NGO WWF, one million tons of hydrocarbons are illegally dumped each year in the Mediterranean.
Paralympics - The Olympic flame, which was extinguished on Sunday, August 11th, during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games is to be rekindled on August 25th in England. It will then cross the channel through the Channel Tunnel and travel across France from August 25th to August 28th, passing through 50 different cities, including Antibes, and being held by 1,000 different bearers. The first official edition of the Paralympic Games took place in 1960 in Rome.
Eric Clapton's Yacht in Saint-Laurent-Du-Var - Eric Clapton’s Yacht ‘Va Bene’ has been spotted off the coast of Saint-Laurent-Du-Var. The 50m long yacht can welcome 12 people in six separate cabins in addition to 14 crew members. Including kayaks, wake board, water skis, a gym and jacuzzi Clapton bought ‘Va Bene’ in 2005. Nothing confirms the star is on board the yacht however, it is possible to rent it for 150.000 euros per week.
Business
The budget airline Wizz Air has launched an 'all you can fly' subscription, which offers customers unlimited flights for an annual fee of 499 euros. While airlines have offered a variety of multi-flight packages for some time, unlimited deals are a relatively new concept. The scheme is similar to those being offered by Frontier Airlines in the US and Malaysia-based AirAsia. Wizz Air has faced criticism in the UK for its customer service and flight delays.
Healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson is reportedly set to unveil widespread support in the coming days for a $6.48 billion offer to settle tens of thousands of legal actions alleging its Baby Powder and other talc products caused cancer. The company plans to disclose before the end of this week, that 75% or more of claimants alleging J&J talc sickened them have voted in favour of a bankruptcy settlement that would halt current and future cases.
And – In the UK according to the Department for Transport there has been a "major breakthrough" in the long-running pay row involving train drivers, which could signal the end of national rail strikes. Following a series of "positive" talks led by the government, the drivers' union ASLEF has agreed to recommend a new pay proposal to its members.
Sport
Football – France captain Kylian Mbappe has said that there is "no limit" to what he and Real Madrid can achieve together after he scored on his debut against Atalanta to help the club win a record sixth Uefa Super Cup.
Cycling - Dutch rider Puck Pieterse has won stage four of the Women’s Tour de France as the overall leader Demi Vollering took second place in a photo finish. Pieterse finished the 122.7km ride from Valkenburg to Liege in a time of three hours 12 minutes 28 seconds, as she pipped Vollering on the line. The 22-year-old's victory was her first in a road race and lifted her to second in the standings - 22 seconds behind her compatriot.
Cricket - Cricket Ireland has described the Irish government's decision to grant approval to develop a national cricket stadium as "up there in terms of significance with the day we became a full member of the ICC". The Irish government said on Wednesday that "approval has been given to commence the planning and design phase of this exciting project".
Weather
Thundery showers are forecast. The Var region has been placed on an orange storm alert due to strong winds, thundery showers and possibly hail. Highs of 29 degrees. This evening going down to 23 degrees along the coast.
The outlook for tomorrow and heading into the weekend, sunny intervals rain is forecast for Saturday with highs of 29 degrees.
Sunrise 06.35am
Sunset 08.33pm
Beach weather
Sea temperature Saint-Tropez 29°
UV level 7
Air temperature 29
Thundery storms with strong winds and a risk of hail.
Weather elsewhere
London 23° sunny intervals.
Paris 27° sunny intervals.
Cardiff 23° light rain.
And Finally
Is your job killing you? A recent study has found that work stress and feeling under-valued increases the risk of a deadly health problem by up to 83 per cent. Stress at work could quite literally be killing you, according to researchers who found a link between job strain and a serious irregular heart rhythm condition. Someone working a job with high stress and low reward may face a 97 per cent increased risk for developing the problem, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers examined medical database records for nearly 6,000 office workers, in Canada. It revealed high job strain alone was associated with an 83 per cent higher risk of developing the heart condition. Plus not being rewarded for your hard work alone, such as having a low salary or little recognition, was associated with a 44 per cent greater risk.
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