Estrosi couple questioned in embezzlement investigation - The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and his wife Laura Tenoudji have been questioned as part of an investigation into suspected misappropriation of public funds. The case centres around two major events held in Nice in 2023 - the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the Nice Climate Summit, which were subsidised by Nice city hall. Tenoudji, a journalist for France 2 television, co-hosted the Junior Eurovision opening ceremony and was scheduled to lead two roundtable discussions at the climate summit before pulling out amid claims of conflict of interest. The president of France Télévisions and several employees have also been issued with a summons. The Estrosi couple deny any wrongdoing and the case continues.
Memorial service for nurses killed on A8 - A memorial service has been held at the private hospital in Mougins for the two nurses who were killed in last week's crash on the A8 near Mandelieu. A minute's silence was held at the Arnault Tzanck hospital to remember Ambre and Clémence, who worked in intensive care and post-operative care. The mayor of Mougins and the director of the regional health authority were also in attendance. A book of condolences has been opened in the hospital chapel and a garden on the site will be redesigned and renamed after them. The online collection for the victims’ families has now exceeded €90,000.
Towns take measures as heatwave continues - In other French news, wildfires have broken out in the Corbières area of the Aude department in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40°C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. An interministerial crisis meeting on the heatwave was convened on Sunday evening to review all the guidelines. Some cities have already closed schools for the beginning of the week as a protective measure. Schools in Nice are allowing parents to take their children home at 11.30 this morning or at 1.30pm if they wish. Education minister Elisabeth Borne said the last week of school would go ahead as planned and the start of the holidays would not be brought forward due to the heat. Locally, the city of Marseille has made all of its municipal swimming pools free to use for the duration of the heatwave and the city has published an online map showing free drinking water fountains. Authorities in Cannes will make daily phone calls to vulnerable and isolated people and provide them with free bottled water.
Drivers stuck inside Cap 3000 car park - Shoppers at Cap 3000 have taken to social media to complain about chaotic scenes at the shopping centre on Sunday afternoon. Some customers were stuck in their hot cars for up to four hours as the exit to the car park was blocked. Cap 3000 had opened exceptionally on Sunday for the start of the summer sales. But because the Promenade des Anglais was closed due to the Ironman race, the only way out of the shopping centre by car was via the A8 motorway slip road - which was blocked on Sunday afternoon due to an accident. Municipal police had to be called in to deal with the traffic and the backlog of cars was cleared by the evening.
Transdev begins new Riviera rail service - The Riviera's first privatised train service has begun, as a result of the main rail line through the Paca region being opened up to competition. Transdev will run 14 round trips per day between Nice and Marseille using brand-new trains, stopping only at major stations, with a three-hour journey time between the two cities. The first train set off from Marseille to Nice at 6am on Sunday. Railway unions fear the arrival of competition will lead to a worsening in working conditions. About 30 former SNCF staff have moved over to work for Transdev, which has hired 210 staff in total. Unions held demonstrations outside Marseille Saint-Charles and Toulon railway stations yesterday.
BUSINESS
A deal to cut import tariffs between the US and UK has come into force, giving British car makers preferential access to the world's biggest consumer market. It will allow UK motor manufacturers to sell up to 100,000 vehicles to the US at a tariff of 10% - a big advantage over international competitors - while tariffs on UK aerospace exports have been cut to zero. In return, the UK will scrap tariffs on beef and US ethanol imports - a move which the British bioethanol industry says will make it impossible for it to compete. However, UK steel and aluminium remain subject to a 25% tariff, which could double to 50% if the UK and US do not reach a deal by deadline day on 9 July. The agreement, which was signed at the G7 summit earlier this month, cuts some of the sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump that sent global markets into chaos in April.
China has lifted a ban on seafood imports from most regions of Japan, which was imposed two years ago due to concerns over the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Beijing said it will "conditionally resume" the imports from Japan with the exception of 10 of the country's 47 regions, including Tokyo and Fukushima.
British supermarkets could be fined if they don't meet new health targets to try to tackle obesity. Big retailers will be expected to make the average shopping basket healthier by changing recipes, shop layouts, or offering more discounts on healthy food under a new government plan. The "healthy food standard" will apply to shops and manufacturers in England as part of a 10-year strategy to cut diet-related diseases.
And the number of new entry-level UK jobs has dropped by almost a third since the launch of ChatGPT, according to new figures, as companies use artificial intelligence to cut back the size of their workforces. Vacancies for graduate jobs, apprenticeships, internships and junior jobs with no degree requirement have dropped 32% since the launch of the AI chatbot in November 2022, according to research by a job site. Businesses are increasingly using AI as a route to improve efficiency and reduce staff numbers.
SPORT
Rugby Union - Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the rest of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia with Scotland's Ben White called up. Gloucester's Williams was forced off the field with a hamstring injury after scoring a try in the 54-7 win over Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
Formula One - Lando Norris said his victory in the Austrian Grand Prix was "fulfilling" and gives him good confidence as he heads into his home race at Silverstone. Norris' win in Austria still leaves him two victories short of Piastri's tally in 2025, and the Australian still has four pole positions to his team-mate's three.
Tennis - Fans have camped out for days to bag a spot at the front of the famous Wimbledon queue as the tennis tournament begins in south-west London. The Wimbledon queue has become a tradition unlike any other in sport, with hundreds lining up to buy on-the-day tickets to the tournament's show courts, as well as grounds passes. Entry is permitted until the 42,000 capacity is reached and the All England Club advised people to stop travelling once the queue exceeded 10,000 on Monday morning.
Football - A decision on whether Crystal Palace can compete in next season's Europa League has been delayed by Uefa. The Eagles' place, earned by winning the FA Cup last season, has been under threat because of Uefa's multi-club ownership rules, which prevents teams under the same ownership from competing in the same European competition. Co-owner John Textor, who also co-owns French club Lyon, has agreed to sell his 44% stake in Palace in a bid to help their case. A decision on Palace's participation had been expected on Monday. However, Lyon were demoted to Ligue 2 last week by the French football authorities on account of their poor finances. The club are appealing against the decision but should they fail, they have agreed to relinquish their Europa League spot. Uefa has therefore opted to wait until the outcome of the appeal before making a decision on Palace's participation.
WEATHER
Hot and sunny on the coast today. Inland, there's some strong gusts of wind and the possibility of thunderstorms inland in both the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var later today. Temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius on the Alpes-Maritimes coast, 33 on the Var coast and 34 inland in the Var. Another warm night with clear skies, 28 degrees Celsius on the Alpes-Maritimes coast tonight, 26 on the Var coast and 23 inland. The outlook for Wednesday: thunderstorms through the region, rain inland in the Alpes-Maritimes. Temperatures tomorrow again around 31 degrees Celsius in the Alpes-Maritimes and up to 33 in the Var.
This week will bring unstable weather to the Alpes-Maritimes and Var, with cooler temperatures, scattered showers, and isolated storms, especially mid...
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Violent storms have swept through eastern France leaving one person dead. The bad weather on Sunday caused significant damage. Météo-France placed 13 ...
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Some low cloud to start with, along with scattered showers in places, clearing to give way to sunshine. Strong winds expected in Nice and the Alpes Ma...
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A major wildfire broke out Thursday evening burning 240 hectares and prompting the evacuation of 104 people in Martigues, Bouches-du-Rhône. Meanwhile,...
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Train traffic between Hyères and Toulon has been halted following a serious incident. Trains were affected on Thursday, July 17th, shortly after 1pm a...
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