National News
Climate policy of the National Rally - Experts have warned that a far-right victory in the French elections this Sunday could deal a serious blow to climate policy in France, with consequences that could ripple through the European Union and beyond. The second round could result in Marine Le Pen’s party securing a majority in the French parliament on Sunday, although nationwide efforts to form a “republican front” may prevent that. However, climate action has barely featured in the election campaign, but the National Rally plans to roll back some policies if it wins power. It has indicated it wants to overturn a 2035 ban on combustion engine cars, block new wind turbines, scrap low-emissions zones and rip up rules on energy efficiency. France is the EU’s third-biggest polluter of planet-heating gases and has been a vocal champion of EU-wide industrial policies to support clean technologies with Emmanuel Macron pushing for Europe to build up a green manufacturing base that can hold its own against subsidised competition in the US and China.
Satirical paper delves into far right leader's studies - Meanwhile, "Le Canard Enchaîné" a satirical weekly newspaper in France. has revealed Jordan Bardella’s “chaotic academic results” highlighting his what they call “inexperience”. The newspaper highlights the fact that he has never worked outside the political world and only completed his first year of college. Devling into the archives of the Sorbonne the paper claims that Jordan Bardella, the president of the Naitonal rally party and potential future Prime Minister of France “was one of the dunces,” during his school year and that after obtaining a "very good" mention in the bac ES at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-la-Salle private high school in Saint-Denis, Bardella attempted to join Sciences-Po Paris with a subject on the Algerian war, but failed the entrance exam. He then enrolled in the first year of geography and a double degree in history and Spanish. However, its first grades were very low with 5/20 on average. "Le Canard Enchaîné" paper was founded in 1915 during World War I, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and cartoons.
Roland Dumas dies at the age of 101 - François Mitterand's former foreign minister, Roland Dumas, has died at the age of 101. Dumas was Minister of Foreign Affairs under François Mitterrand and president of the Constitutional Council between 1995 and 2000. Paying tribute following the news of his passing France’s Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said, “Dumas left his mark on the history of the Fifth Republic,” while Jacques Attali, former special advisor to François Mitterrand at the Elysée, recalled that “after having seen his father be shot by the Nazis, Roland Dumas was a great actor in Franco-German relations adding “he was a character from a novel, when you met him, you learnt something”.
Local News
Police arrest man in possession of drugs at La Turbie pay toll - A Spanish national has been arrested at the La Turbie pay toll on the A8 motorway with 6 kilos of drugs worth more than 139,000 euros hidden in the floor of his Mercedes. The fifty-three-year-old was on his way to Verona when he was stopped last Sunday by police. He has since been handed a 30-month prison sentence.
Heat wave on its way - According to meteo France the first heat wave is set to arrive in France this month with temperatures of above 30 degrees expected. The coming week is forecast to be much hotter than anything we’ve experienced since the start of the summer with a peak in temperatures by mid-July.
Princesse Charlene Foundation Video Campaign - The Princesse Charlène Foundation has initiated a video campaign aimed at raising awareness about drowning risks in Monaco and the Alpes-Maritimes. These video clips depict various everyday scenarios, whether at the pool, beach, or even at home. Through this initiative, the foundation aims to educate a broad audience and promote crucial safety practices. The videos will be broadcasted across multiple platforms including local news, digital bus shelters, the open-air cinema on the Rock of Monaco, as well as Polygone Riviera, Cap3000, and Nice etoile.
Jellysfish in the Cote d'Azur - Jellyfish have been sighted along the Côte-D’Azur coast from Roquebrune to Antibes. The company Acri-ST advises the following safety measures in case of a sting: rinse the affected area with sea water, clean it without rubbing, and remove any remaining tentacles.
World Pétanque Championships – Finally, thousands of people have this week gathered in a park in Marseilles, taking their minds off France’s political divisions and focusing instead on the beloved local sport of pétanque. The quarter finals match at the World Pétanque Championships is an annual televised event held on France’s Mediterranean coast, and overlapping this year with the nation’s unexpected parliamentary elections.
Business
Greece has become the first EU country to introduce a six-day working week. The legislation, which came into force at the beginning of July, aims to boost productivity and employment. Employees of private businesses that provide around-the-clock services will have the option of working an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. The change means, a traditional 40-hour week could be extended to 48 hours per week for some companies.
According to new research younger adults find financial jargon harder to learn than a foreign language. The survey revealed that 64% of Gen Z (people born from 1997 onwards) consider picking up basic foreign words easier than understanding terms such as "APR", "capital gains" and "compound interest". When it came to millennials (people aged between 28 and 43 in 2024), 57% said learning a new language was harder. Survey respondents said the top three most confusing finance terms were "AMC" (asset management company), "IFA" (independent financial adviser) and "adverse credit". "AER" and "compound interest rate" also made the list of the jargon people find most baffling.
And - Nike plans to launch a cheaper trainer line in an effort to boost sales. The sporting company's new range will be priced at around £79 or less and will be available in stores across the world. Nike has seen sales growth slow as it battles competition. Last Thursday the company reported a sales decline in its latest quarter. Nike shares also slumped last Friday, ending the day down 19.98%, the biggest one-day percentage drop in the stock's history.
Sport
Cycling – Manx professional racing cyclist Mark Cavendish has broken the Tour de France stage wins record. Taking his 35th victory in cycling's greatest race on Tuesday’s stage five with a sensational sprint finish in Saint Vulbas. 39-year-old Cavendish burst clear in a dramatic finale and raised his arms in celebration as he crossed the line, before being embraced by his team. The historic achievement comes one year after Cavendish suffered a race-ending crash on stage eight, one day after being pipped to a record-breaking victory by Jasper Philipsen who had been the favourite to win Tuesday’s stage five.
Today, Thursday 4th July, Stage six provides the sprinters with another opportunity on a flat 163.5km route from Macon to Dijon, which concludes with an 800m-straight finish.
Tennis – Italian Jannik Sinner was the winner on Centre Court as he defeated Matteo Berrettini to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray begins his Wimbledon farewell today as he teams up with brother Jamie in the men's doubles. Tomorrow Andy Murray will also play with Emma Raducanu in a mixed doubles partnership as part of his Wimbledon farewell.
First game today in the Men’s singles at 2.30pm on centre court will see Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley face Novak Djokovic.
Football – England’s Phil Foden has said the players "need to take some of the blame" for the team's performances at Euro 2024 and that he "feels sorry" for under-pressure manager Gareth Southgate. Southgate's side reached the knockout stages of the tournament by finishing top of their group before beating Slovakia after extra time in the last 16. However, the manner of their play has been criticised with questions asked about team selection and tactics.
Meanwhile, in other football news Manchester United are to cut 250 jobs as part of a determination to slash costs and scrap some "non-essential" activities.
Rugby Union - Former England and Bath head coach Jack Rowell has died at the age of 87. Rowell took charge of England from 1994 to 1997, winning 21 of his 29 Tests. They won the Five Nations Grand Slam in 1995 and 1996 and reached the World Cup semi-final in 1995.
And French rugby club Toulon have been fined €500,000 by French Top 14 rugby bosses over the signing of former Wales captain Dan Biggar from English side Northampton Saints in November 2022. Following a disciplinary commission investigation the three-time European Cup winners are accused of a lack of transparency by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby.
Weather
Fine and sunny. Remaining windy in the Var region with gust of up to 55km/hr. Highs of 28 degrees in Nice, 27 degrees in Monaco and Mougins. 29 degrees in Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 20 degrees along the coast and 15 degrees inland.
The outlook for Friday and heading into the weekend, fine and sunny with moderate to strong winds in the Var tomorrow. Highs of 28-29 degrees.
Sunrise 05.54am
Sunset 09.15pm
Sea temperature
Nice 22 degrees
Air temperature 25 degrees feels like 30 degrees.
UV level 9
Weather elsewhere
London 20° sunny intervals.
Paris 22° sunny intervals.
Rome 29° sunny.
The Alpes-Maritimes department is tackling "ghost fishing nets," abandoned plastic nets that harm marine ecosystems. ...
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The French government has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants which have been issued by the international criminal court...
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A criminal network that cloned payment cards to steal "hundreds of thousands of euros" from trucking companies across France, including the Côte d’Azu...
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The CGT has released a map detailing nearly 200,000 jobs threatened across France due to layoffs and industrial restructuring since September 2023, wi...
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The A8 motorway was temporarily closed at the La Barque toll plaza toward Nice due to a vehicle driving the wrong way near Aix-en-Provence....
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