News
Heat wave - The Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes has called for vigilance in the coming days due to the heat wave. Four people have drowned in the last two days in the Alpes Maritimes and with the current high temperatures many of us are heading to the beach to cool down or making use of private pools. The victims were mainly seniors; however, authorities are reminding the public to pay particular attention to young children who should always bath in supervised areas. Figures show that in periods of extreme heat, the risk of drowning is multiplied by three.
Météo France – Meanwhile twenty-one departments in the west of France have been placed on an orange level alert for high temperatures by Meteo France, along with the Ardeche and Drome departments in south central France. An orange alert is the third out of the four Meteo France alert levels. The organisation said that the peak of the heatwave is expected tomorrow Friday 17th June and Saturday.
Two women arrested for shoplifting in Cannes - Two young women have been arrested in Cannes for shoplifting at Galleries Lafayette, suspected of stealing more than 400 euros in perfumes and leather goods. Police made the arrests on Wednesday morning when the two residents of Le Cannet aged 37 and 36 returned to the store.
Leclerc greets customers and local producers - Michel-Edouard Leclerc has greeted customers and local producers in his Leclerc store in Hyères in the Var. The visit came following the announcement of government measures to help with purchasing power. Leclerc said that he hoped the State would “leave more freedom to fight inflation” adding that the “supermarket chain was doing its best and was working on fixing the price of between 100 and 300 consumer items” as well as the possible introduction of “compensation tickets at the till to make up the price difference”.
Car chase - Police have opened fire on a vehicle allegedly carrying illegal immigrants in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The van was pursued by police from close to the Italian border near Sospel all the way to the Moulins district of Nice. Police said that the vehicle was being driven at officers who then opened fire. Two people in the van were taken to hospital, one of whom is in a serious condition. The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said that "police and gendarmes were deliberately put in danger by criminals exploiting human misery" and expresses his full support to the force. He added that he deplored the injuries caused to two people in the van, but added that they are "the result of a criminal act which had to be stopped for the safety of our police and gendarmes and to avoid other tragedies".
Fine for McDonald’s - McDonald's is ready to pay more than a billion euros in fines in France to avoid prosecution. The fast-food giant has agreed to pay more than a billion euros in fines in France to avoid criminal prosecution for tax evasion, as part of a agreement which must still be validated this Thursday morning. The French justice suspects the brand, of having artificially reduced its profits in France since 2014 by means of royalties paid to its European parent company based in Luxembourg. Unions for McDonald's Paris and Ile-de-France hailed in a press release a "historic victory" against a system that has enabled McDonald's "to avoid the allocation of profit-sharing bonuses to employees, in the absence of profits, and avoiding paying tax due”. Their lawyers have indicated that the employees could take civil action to obtain compensation for their damage.
Monaco - A new system to reduce waste in the packaging of take away meals has been introduced in Monaco. Instead of non-reusable containers, 25 partner points of sale will offer returnable glass containers of 4 different sizes. After use, the glass containers can be deposited within 14 days at 20 collection boxes across the Principality. The Monaco government is continuing its commitment to a policy of “Zero single-use plastic by 2030” by gradually eliminating single-use packaging.
Food truck part of drug trafficking ring - Five people have been placed in police custody in La Seyne in the Var suspected of selling cannabis and cocaine from a food truck. According to police the dealers had organised an undercover drug trafficking ring while selling roast chicken from the truck. Several vehicles were seized along with 130,000 euros and firearms.
Business
The US central bank has announced its biggest interest rate rise in nearly 30 years as it ramps up its fight to rein in soaring consumer prices. The Federal Reserve said it would increase its key interest rate by three quarters of a percentage point to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. The rise, the third since March, comes after inflation in the US surged unexpectedly last month. More hikes are expected, adding to the uncertainty facing the economy.
Germany has accused Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom of attempting to push up energy prices by sharply reducing supplies. Gazprom said it was limiting the amount of gas to Germany. The reason it gave was to service equipment in the Nord Stream pipeline. But German economy minister Robert Habeck said it was "a political decision" and not a technical one.
In the UK grocery analysts have predicted that food prices will quickly rise this summer due to soaring costs. Prices will rise at a rate of 15% as households pay more for bread, meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables. The institute warned that this would lead to the more vulnerable skipping meals. It also predicted that prices would rise faster for longer than Bank of England estimates. The IGD said the UK was facing the highest cost of living pressures since the 1970s, mainly down to the Ukraine war. Both Ukraine and Russia are major global grain producers - the countries together account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies.
Sport
Football - The 2022-23 Premier League fixtures are being released this morning with Nottingham Forest's first top-flight game since 1998-99 will be one of the most eagerly anticipated, while Fulham and Bournemouth also return to the division. The season will begin a week earlier than normal on the weekend of Saturday, 6th August and finish a week later on the 28th May. There will be no games between 13 November and 26 December because of the World Cup.
Formula One - Formula 1 has struck a new contract to race at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne until 2035. The deal is a 10-year extension on the existing contract, which had been due to expire in 2025. It will extend the race's stay on the calendar to nearly 40 years. Melbourne faced opposition from rival bids, including Sydney, but won out because of the commercial deal on offer and its status as an established successful event. Melbourne's Albert Park track made its debut on the F1 schedule in 1996.
Cricket - Charges have been brought against "a number of individuals" by English cricket's governing body in relation to allegations of racism at Yorkshire. The accused, who have not been named, could be banned or fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Yorkshire itself has also been charged with breaching the anti-racism rules. Yorkshire said the "allegations relate to charges as far back as 2004 up until 2021".
Weather
Clear skies with some hazy patches at times. Highs of 28 degrees in Menton, Monaco and Nice. 29 degrees in Saint Tropez and along the coast in the Var. This evening going down to 19 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for the weekend sunny with highs of 29-31 degrees.
Sea Temperature 22 UV Level 9
Sunrise 05.47hr Sunset 21.14hr
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