News
Teenager dies from injuries after being shot at - A teenager has died from his injuries after being shot and wounded on Tuesday in Villeneuve-Loubet. The incident, believed to be a settlement of accounts, occurred near the Intermarché supermarket on the N7. The 16-year-old boy was taken to Pasteur hospital. The investigation into the exact circumstances continues.
Road Accident - Two people have been injured, one seriously after a car hit a wall in Grimaud in the Var. The accident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 7.30pm at La Chapelle Notre Dame de la Queste in Grimaud. The victim reportedly seriously injured was taken to the Sainte-Anne hospital in Toulon.
Pile-up on A8 motorway – Meanwhile, the A8 motorway has been completely paralysed after a pile-up involving four vehicles. A ten kilometres tail back occurred on Wednesday afternoon between Saint-Laurent and Antibes westbound. The incident did not cause any serious injuries.
Var placed on heatwave alert - The Var region has been placed on a yellow heatwave alert today Thursday 4th August, with highs of 37 degrees expected. The Var joins the 43 other departments in southern France placed on a yellow heatwave alert and 26 in orange.
Drought - The prefect of upper Corsica has warned that "there will be no more water in 25 days" at the current rate of water consumption and given the expected weather changes. The prefect said that "each of us can act to save water and reduce the consequences of drought".
Eight people injured following explosion in factory in France - Eight people have been injured, including one seriously following an explosion in a factory in Bergerac in the Dordogne. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at around 2pm. According to the Dordogne prefecture, the explosions took place inside a storage building. An investigation to determine the cause is currently underway.
Monkeypox - A total of 2,171 people have been infected with monkeypox in France as a nationwide vaccination programme is currently underway. France’s Health Minister François Braun told the National Assembly that France had been one of the first countries to start offering free vaccinations against the disease. The minister confirmed that 42,000 doses have been delivered so far. The minister added that France has sufficient stocks to vaccinate a target population of about 250,000 people.
Vote in favour - The French National Assembly has voted in favour of the purchasing power bill which aims to ease the effects of recent high inflation. It goes before the senate this evening where it is expected to be definitively adopted.
Bullfighting - A far-left French MP has announced his intention to present a bill to the National Assembly to put an end to bullfighting. As the bullfighting season gets into full swing across southern France, Aymeric Caron, a Parisian MP with the left-wing France Unbowed party (LFI) has bid to put the final nail in the coffin of a spectacle that he deems "immoral".
French President enjoys a spot of canoeing - French President Emmanuel Macron has been spotted enjoying a spot of canoeing here in the South of France. The President who is currently on holiday at Fort de Brégançon in the Var, was seen out at sea on Wednesday for a short canoe trip. It was the first public sighting of Emmanuel Macron since he arrived in the Var last Friday.
Business
Surging energy prices sparked by the war in Ukraine have pushed oil and gas industry profits to new highs. Leading to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres call in for oil and gas companies to face special taxes. Mr Guterres said it was "immoral" for firms to be profiting from the crisis. While households are grappling with higher energy bills, companies are reaping the benefits.
Meanwhile housebuilder Taylor Wimpey will give most of its employees £1,000 on top of their salaries to help them cope with rising fuel costs this winter. The payments will be given to workers on salaries of up to £70,000, meaning that about 90% of the workforce is eligible. Lloyds, Rolls-Royce and HSBC are also among the big companies to have given workers bonuses to help them cope with the rising cost of living.
Marks & Spencer has stopped selling disposable barbecues in its stores across the UK. The supermarket said it wanted "to help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires".
London Fire Brigade, which has been calling for a ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, said the move was "good news". It comes after the UK experienced its hottest day ever, with 40C exceeded for the first time.
A woman in north London says she feels victimised after dozens of tourists turned up at her home when her private address was placed on the Booking.com accommodation website. Travellers from Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles turned up at her home. She had to turn them away and told Booking.com it was a scam. The firm said her home had now been "completely removed" from its site.
Sport
Football - Chelsea are on the verge of a deal to sign Spain international full-back Marc Cucurella from Brighton. Chelsea sources are confident of concluding the transfer, however Brighton said "no agreement has been reached with any club" in a statement.
And - Premier League players will stop the pre-match anti-racism gesture of taking the knee before every match. Top-flight clubs started taking a knee to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Premier League captains took the decision after consulting with players.
Premier League action kicks off tomorrow evening with Crystal Palace against Arsenal. Chelsea’s first match will be on Saturday when they face Everton.
Tennis - British number one Emma Raducanu's preparations to defend her US Open title got under way with a first-round win over Louisa Chirico in Washington. The 19-year-old came through 6-4 6-2 in 87 minutes to earn her first victory of the North American hard-court season.
Golf - Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter are among 11 LIV Golf players who have filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour in order to challenge their suspensions. The PGA Tour has suspended all of its members who have signed up to the controversial Saudi-backed LIV series, which is in its inaugural season. The group argue that the PGA Tour is trying to harm their careers.
Weather
Both the Alpes Maritimes and the Var are on a heatwave alert with temperatures expected to reach highs of 37 degrees in some parts. Clear skies with a gentle breeze. Highs of 33 degrees in Cannes and Antibes, 36 degrees in Saint-Tropez and Draguignan. 31 degrees in Nice and 35 degrees in Puget Théniers. Risk of showers inland in the Alpes Maritimes is forecast for later today.
This evening going down to 24 degrees with clear skies.
Outlook for Friday and the weekend remaining sunny with highs of 29-31 degrees.
Sea temperature 27 degrees UV level 9
Sunrise 06.22hr Sunset 20.49hr
And Finally
A recent poll in the UK has found that 46 per cent of Britons feel they are quite lucky in life however, 54 per cent claim to know someone who gets all the luck.
39 per cent reckon you make your own luck, 42 per cent believe some are simply more fortunate than others. Asked what constitutes being lucky, the top answer included being in good health (42 per cent), having a job you love (38 per cent) and having a bit of disposable cash in the bank (33 per cent).
Other signs of ‘winning’ are being academically gifted (26 per cent), having good skin (20 per cent), being naturally sporty (19 per cent) and being able to holiday twice a year (19 per cent). Having a good sex life, well-behaved children, a thick head of hair and a ‘hot’ partner also feature in the list.
It was Londoners that felt the most fortunate in the UK, with 17 per cent there saying they are very lucky, ahead of those in Leicester (16 per cent), Birmingham (14 per cent), Leeds (13 per cent) and Liverpool (13 per cent). More than a fifth – 21 per cent, of those polled have carried a lucky charm.
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The post-mortem will take place next Monday for a 33-year-old man whose body was recently found in the Var after being missing for more than a month....
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French scientists have been developing technological tools for the past four years to help athletes optimize their training for the Paris 2024 Olympic...
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Nice airport says as many as 60% of flights will be cancelled tomorrow due to a nationwide strike by air traffic controllers....
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