National News
Car ploughs into café terrace in Paris killing one - One person has been killed and several others are injured after a car ploughed into the terrace of a cafe in Paris on Wednesday. The incident occurred at around 7.30pm in the 20th arrondissement. The driver initially fled the scene but was later arrested. A possible motive was not immediately clear, but a police source told AFP news agency that it may have been a traffic accident. France is on high security alert ahead of the Olympic Games, which kick off in Paris in eight days.
High stakes vote in France’s National Assembly - In other news nationally in France this Thursday, the newly elected 577 MPs in France's National Assembly are to elect the president of the lower house of parliament today. A vote which could be decisive in nominating the country's future prime minister. It's set to be a high-stakes vote that will determine the balance of power between the three main political blocs, the left wing NFP, the presidential alliance and the far-right National Rally (RN), none of which have an absolute majority.
Local News
Young English tourist drowns in Lake Como - A young English tourist has drowned in Lake Como in northern Italy. The incident occurred on Wednesday. The victims’ girlfriend was reportedly rescued by a passing boat. The young couple were spending a holiday in the area when they rented a small boat to take a trip on the lake and later got into difficulty. According to Italian media both were students from Liverpool. An investigation has been opened into the circumstances of the accident.
Fatal fire in Nice this Thursday morning - A fatal fire in the Moulins district of Nice has claimed at least seven lives and left one person in a critical condition. The blaze broke out at 4am this Thursday morning on rue de la Santoline in the Moulins district of Nice. The flames engulfed the top floors of the apartment block. Firefighters and medical teams are still at the scene, the cause of the blaze is not yet known.
Building in Porquerolles tagged with the Palestinian flag - A technical building in the Port-Cros national park on the island of Porquerolles in the Var has been tagged with the Palestinian flag. Located in a busy area of the park tourists and residents discovered the tag on Wednesday morning. The management of the national park has since announced that it will file a “complaint against X for damage to a public building”.
Heatwave alert - The Var region has been placed on yellow heatwave alert today with up to 39°C expected. It is the first heatwave alert of the season and is in place until Friday evening. Authorities have reminded people to drink plenty of water and to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day.
Tour de France - The prefect of the Alpes Maritimes has advised people to limit their travel ahead of the Tour de France arriving on the Côte d’Azur this weekend. Nearly 4,000 personnel will be mobilized to secure the event which includes two stage and the final stage on Sunday. The public is advised to avoid using private vehicles from Friday to Sunday, and to favour public transport.
Business
Following fears about the global computer chip industry technology stocks around the world have slumped. The slump came after a report that the Biden administration could be set to further tighten restrictions on China concerning exports of semiconductor equipment. In the US, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index closed 2.7% lower, while chip stocks have also tumbled in Europe and Asia. In Asia, chip making giant TSMC was trading more than 3% lower in morning trade on Thursday, while semiconductor equipment maker Tokyo Electron was down by around 9.5%.
It’s been reported that beauty retailer The Body Shop is set to be rescued by British tycoon Mike Jatania. The Body Shop has been hanging in the balance since February when its administration triggered 759 job losses and the closure of 82 shops in the UK. But now cosmetics millionaire Jatania is in talks over a deal via his investment firm Aurea. The news has raised hopes that the remaining 116 stores and around 1,400 staff will be saved.
And - While unexpectedly high inflation data in the UK is bad news for anyone borrowing money it's good for the value of the pound, which means also for people going on holidays to the US or a Eurozone. Figures show that one pound equals a high not seen in more than a year.
Sport
Cycling - Richard Carapaz has earned his first Tour de France stage win on Wednesday in the Alps. The Education-EasyPost rider also becomes the first man from Ecuador to win a stage at the Tour. Carapaz,beat Britain's Simon Yates who came second. Today’s18th stage follows another hilly route before two days in the mountains, which will effectively decide the race ahead of the arrival on Sunday to Monaco. The last two stages between Monaco and Nice will cover a distance of 35 kms. This is the eighth time that the Principality is a stage of the Tour. For more information go to www.letour.fr
Football - Chelsea football club have begun disciplinary proceedings against midfielder Enzo Fernandez after he posted a video on social media that the French Football Federation said included an alleged "racist and discriminatory" chant. This week the FFF said it would file a complaint to world governing body Fifa over the video featuring a song sung by some of the Argentina squad about France's black players. Fernandez said he is "truly sorry" for the video he posted.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are closing in on signing 18-year-old Lille defender Leny Yoro. According to reports United have agreed a 62m-euro fee for Yoro, who is due to fly to Manchester today for a medical. Yoro has attracted significant interest from a number of top European clubs, with Real Madrid repeatedly mentioned as one of the sides keen to sign the player.
And Mason Greenwood has landed in France ahead of a medical after Marseille reached an agreement to sign him from Manchester United for £27million plus £3.2m in add-ons. Fans greeted the forward with flares and chants of his name as he waved to them at the airport.
Formula One - Images have revealed how the Hungarian Grand Prix pit lane has been flooded less than 48 hours before the first qualifying session. The first practice is scheduled to take place just after midday on Friday, but severe weather has led to some serious doubts as to whether this can go ahead. The weather is expected to brighten up, with warm weather forecast in Hungary on the weekend.
Weather
Temperatures are expected to rise in our region from today, with highs of 34 degrees inland and between 29 and 32-degrees along the coast from Antibes to Nice. Highs of 31 degrees in Saint-Tropez with moderate winds. This evening going down to 22 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for Friday, highs of 37 degrees in Puget Théniers and 35 degrees in Saint-Sauveur sur Tinée. Saturday the good weather will continue, but with a risk of thunderstorms inland and temperatures dropping slightly to 30 degrees. Sunday, with the arrival of the Tour de France the weather looks set to be fine and sunny with highs of between 28 and 31 degrees from Menton to Nice.
Sunrise 06.05am
Sunset 09.07pm
Beach weather forecast
Sea temperature in Saint-Tropez – 25 degrees.
Air temperature 34 feels like 43 degrees.
UV level 9
Weather elsewhere
London 27° sunny intervals.
Palma 31° sunny.
Dublin 20° light rain.
New York 30° light rain.
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