National News France
Historic ruling for crimes-against humanity - France's top appeals court has ruled that an arrest warrant hailed as “historic” for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad which was issued for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes is valid. In 2023 investigative judges sought the arrest of Mr Assad and three others over a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria in 2013, in which he denied any involvement. Anti-terrorism prosecutors challenged the French warrant’s validity, saying he had immunity as a sitting foreign head of state. It's the first time a national court has recognised that a sitting head of state does not have total personal immunity. France is among the countries that allows the filing of crimes-against-humanity cases in its courts.
French film maker warned of “rampant racism in France - Alice Diop the award-winning French film-maker has warned of “rampant racism” in France and launched a collective to mobilise residents of housing estates to vote in the snap election in an attempt to hold back the far right. “For people like me it’s life or death,” said the acclaimed director, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right anti-immigration National Rally is forecast by the polls to take the largest number of seats in the French parliament on 7th July and is seeking an absolute majority to form a government. Diop won top prizes at the Venice film festival and in 2022 became the first black woman film-maker chosen to represent France for the foreign-film Oscar nominations. She is considered one of France’s foremost documentary makers and feature directors.
Local News
Two people die in helicopter crash near campsite in the Var - Two people have died in a helicopter crash near a campsite in the Var. The tourist helicopter which had taken off from Cannes-Mandelieu airport crashed at around 6pm on Wednesday not far from the Estérel-Caravaning campsite in Saint-Raphaël. The identities of the passengers have not been communicated. For the moment, the circumstances of the accident remain to be determined.
Road accident - Two people have been seriously injured after their vehicle left the road falling 50 metres from the route de Peine Haute in Sospel on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred at around 7.30pm. One of the occupants of the car, a 30-year-old was airlifted to hospital in Nice while a second victim was taken to hospital in Menton.
Motorist advised to avoid part of the Moyenne Corniche this Thursday - Also on the region’s roads traffic on part of the Moyenne corniche was paralysed due to a water leak in Beausoleil on Wednesday afternoon. Drivers are being told to be careful on this stretch of road this Thursday morning and are being advised to not take motorway exits 57 and 58 via La Turbie and Beausoleil. Repair work is underway, and traffic is reduced to one lane regulated by an alternating traffic lights. The situation should return to normal by the end of the day according to the local council.
Parliamentary elections - With the first round of the parliamentary elections fast approaching French people in Monaco will be able to vote at the French embassy or on the Internet. In Monaco, the polling stations will be located within the French Embassy and are accessible from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. French voters residing abroad will have the possibility of voting via the Internet. The internet voting website is open until today Thursday June 27th, 2024, for the 1st round and from Tuesday 2nd to Thursday July 4th, 2024 for the 2nd round. More details are available on www.diplomatie.gouv.fr
Passport checks – Meanwhile, the Monaco princely government has explained that an issue with some Monegasque biometric passports which can mean at certain airports Monegasques identity papers must be checked manually, is due to data on the chip notably fingerprints. With many travelling over the summer period it is advised to allow extra time for manual checks at certain airports. The issue is being dealt with and updates to systems at the airports concerned should improve the process.
High temperatures – Finally, according to Météo-France temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees today Thursday 27th June in the PACA region with storms breaking out in certain regions. 36°C is forecast in Avignon, 35°C in Arles, and 34°C in Aix-en-Provence and Montélimar. Further north, 32°C is expected in Lyon and 31°C in Dijon and 30 degrees in Bordeaux, Orléans and Paris. However, from tomorrow Friday 28th June, temperatures are expected to drop significantly between 20 and 28 degrees over a large part of the country. The weather could also be disrupted this weekend, with showers on Sunday.
Rainbow - Meanwhile, with both bright sunshine and heavy rain in Nice on Wednesday evening many of you took to social media to post superb photos of a rainbow which lit up the sky over the city. It can be seen on our facebook page 106.5 riviera radio.
Business
Junior doctors in England are set to begin a five-day strike marking the the 11th walkout in their long-running pay dispute. British Medical Association (BMA) members will walk out today Thursday 27th June, with NHS England warning of significant disruption to routine hospital services. The union said it was taking action as there had been no credible new offer. The last walkout was in February. NHS bosses have criticised the timing of the latest action - in the week running up to a general election.
And - An aircraft mechanic who was contracted to repair Boeing planes has alleged he was labelled a "snitch" and then sacked for speaking up over safety concerns. The individual claimed he witnessed substandard manufacturing and maintenance work on a crucial section of Boeing 787 aircraft. However, Boeing said that the issues raised were found not to present a safety concern and had been addressed.
Sport
Football - Turkey beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in a fiery final group game to secure a last-16 tie against Austria in the Euro 2024. The Czechs needed to win Wednesday's final group game to avoid being eliminated, and they pushed for victory in the tense closing stages.
Meanwhile Georgia reached the Euro 2024 knockout stage stunning Portugal with a 2-0 win.
Cricket - South Africa ended their run of semi-final heartache by thrashing Afghanistan to reach their first men's T20 World Cup final.
Swimming - One of Australia's most celebrated swimmers has announced her retirement from the sport after failing to qualify for this year's Olympics in Paris. Cate Campbell announced that it was “time to officially say goodbye to the dream I have had since I was 9 years old”. A veteran of four Olympics, she has won eight Olympic medals, broke seven world records and is one of the most recognisable faces in Australian sport.
Weather
Some light cloud to start, giving way to clear skies and sunshine. A gentle breeze. Highs of 24 degrees in Nice and Monaco. 25 degrees in Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 17 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for Friday. Fine and sunny along the coast with highs of 25 degrees.
Sunrise 05.50am
Sunset 09.16pm
Sea temperatures
Cannes 22° UV level 7
Weather elsewhere
Paris 30° sunny.
London 24° sunny intervals.
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