News
Motorist pleads not guilty - The motorist accused of killing police officer Eric Comyn in Mougins on Monday evening has pleaded not guilty saying it was an accdient. After being charged on Wednesday Louis Mendes Vaz defended himself by claiming an “involuntary act” saying “he did not see the police officer and unintentionally hit him, fleeing the scene in panic”. Since Monday, video surveillance images of the tragic incident have been illegally broadcast on social networks. They show a black BMW moving from the left lane to the right lane on Avenue de Campon in Mougins, just before the A8 motorway slip road. Officer Eric Comyn, is in the middle of the road, wearing a safety vest and signals to the driver to stop. He is hit head-on and thrown into the air. The car continues as if nothing had happened. A witness says that the hit-and-run driver was speeding. The investigation continues.
Weather warning - The Alpes-Maritimes has been placed on a yellow heatwave and storm alert for today Thursday 29th August, with highs of 34 degrees forecast. The storm alert is in place for inland from 3pm this afternoon until 9pm this evening.
Drought - Meanwhile, the Var prefecture has placed several towns on a high drought alert. In total, 85 towns are on an orange alert and 44 remain on a yellow alert. Restrictions are in place to help limit water consumption in the area. You can find full details on the prefecture's website www.var.gouv.fr
Former French President - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has given his opinion on the current political situation in France during a book signing in Six-Fours in the Var on Wednesday. Meeting with members of the public Sarkozy declared “I hate chaos and that is exactly what we currently have” before warning of possibly another financial crisis similar to that of 2008 and concluding that “the situation is not easy”.
Busy day on French roads - A busy day on French roads is being forecast for this Friday by government roads monitor Bison Fute. A red warning, which is the third highest out of four levels, is being forecast for the whole of the Mediterranean coast in the direction of returns on Friday, with the rest of the country on a lower yellow warning. There are also red areas around Paris and in some eastern areas of the country over the weekend. More details on www.bison-fute.gouv.fr
Museum welcomes naked visitors – Finally, a new exhibition in Marseille has made nudes its major feature. Marseille’s Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations is not only exhibiting nudes on the walls but, is also open to nude visitors wearing nothing but their shoes. The exhibition features 600 photographs, films, magazines, paintings, sculptures and other artworks from naturist communities as well as public and private collections in France and Switzerland. When asked by reporters whether it was obligatory for visitors to be naked at the once-a-month naturist viewing, a spokesperson for the museum said it was “logical” for those reserving tickets to be in some state of undress. Before adding that “anyone wanting to visit fully dressed during those hours might be considered a little odd”.
Business
Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice has ordered billionaire Elon Musk to name a legal representative for his messaging platform X in Brazil within 24 hours or face the site's suspension in the country by this evening. Earlier this month, X announced that it would close its operations and fire its staff in Brazil due to what it called "censorship orders" from the Supreme Court Justice, while adding that the firm's service would remain available for users in Brazil.
Danish toymaker Lego has said that a drive to remove fossil fuels from its Lego bricks is making progress but that the alternatives, while better for the environment, are more expensive. Lego said it remained on track to meet its 2032 target of removing climate-damaging products from its ranges while revealing half-year results. Lego said that stronger profits had allowed it to invest to increase the amount of resin purchased from sustainable sources.
And - A hotel chain in Manchester has been accused of trying to cash in on Oasis reunion tour planned for next summer in the UK by cancelling bookings which customers had made before the tour was announced. A spokesman for the chain has said that there was "an overbooking issue" at two of its locations and it was not an attempt to "resell rooms at inflated prices". An apology has been issued by the hotel, which is not taking any new reservations while it investigates the problem.
Sport
Paralympic Games – The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were marked by a spectacular opening ceremony on Wednesday evening as athletes paraded along the iconic Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde. The main ceremony was staged at Place de la Concorde, on a perfect summer evening in the heart of the city, following a parade along the Avenue des Champs-Elysees from the iconic Arc de Triomphe. France is hosting a summer Paralympic Games for the first time and about 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations are set to take part in the 22 Paralympic sports, competing for a total of 549 gold medals. The president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet, said the opening ceremony represented the start of "the Paralympic revolution" led by the athletes. Today the games kick off with 22 medal events.
Football - Lee Carsley will announce his first England squad today after being named interim head coach earlier this month. It will be the first time the Three Lions squad has got together since the loss in the final of Euro 2024 to Spain and the first time in eight years that a manager other than Gareth Southgate has named a squad.
Cricket – England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope wants to &quo
