News
Wildfires - At least six firefighters have been injured, one seriously after wildfires destroyed over 370 hectares of pine forest in France's southern Gard department. The wildfire which broke out south of the city of Nîmes was brought under control overnight on Monday. Around 400 fire fighters are still reportedly engaged in fighting the blaze, with helicopters assisting in "treating the edges" of the fire with aerial surveillance work continuing throughout the day.
Forest fire in upper Corsica-Meanwhile, a Forest fire has destroyed 450 hectares land in upper Corsica. The fire broke out at around 8.30am on Monday morning, about twenty kilometres from Saint-Florent, a seaside village popular with tourists. Firefighters were still on site on Monday evening and had reported that due to the difficulty in accessing the area all the air resources had been deployed with reinforcements expected this morning from firefighters in Brignoles in the Var. At the weekend several forests in upper Corsica had been closed due to a severe risk of fire.
Peak in heatwave - The peak in the new episode of a heat wave in south-eastern France is expected tomorrow Wednesday 3rd August. Five departments have been placed on an orange alert by Météo France with between 35 and 39 degrees forecast.
Man in his twenties falls from Boulevard Maeterlinck in Nice - A man in his twenties has been hospitalised in a critical condition after falling from Boulevard Maeterlinck along the coast road between Nice and Villefranche. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon and the victim was airlifted to hospital. According to eye witnesses the man “suddenly ran across the road and jumped, falling about 40 metres onto the rocks below.” An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances.
Woman taken ill while swimming in the sea in Antibes - A 78-year-old woman from Antibes has been rescued by emergency services after being taken ill while swimming in the sea near the Gravette beach on Monday evening. Emergency services intervened pulling the victim from the water and transferring her to the local hospital.
Speed limit - While nearly half of the departments in France have decided to raise the speed limit from 80 to 90 km/h the Var, Alpes Maritimes and the Bouches du Rhone will maintain the 80km speed limit which was introduced in July 2018 on departmental roads. According to the authorities on July 29, 41 departments had returned to 90 km / h on part of their network, compared to 54 departments remaining at 80 km / h.
Shipwreck of the Madrague revisited - Divers have once again been exploring the secrets of the Madrague shipwreck still buried off the coastline of Hyères in the Var. Discovered in 1967 by the French Navy the Roman ship had been lying on the Mediterranean bed for more than 2,000 years. 40 meters long, the Roman trading ship was carrying 6,000 amphorae of red wine and tableware when it inexplicably sank off the coast of Hyères in the 1st century BC.
Business
A crucial meeting is to be held tomorrow Wednesday 3rd August, between the world’s biggest oil producers to decide how much oil they might add to the market from September. It follows just weeks after US President, Joe Biden, travelled to Saudi Arabia in a bid to personally convince the country to pump more barrels and help cool soaring prices. Crude has consistently traded at more than $100 a barrel since February, driving up the cost of living in many countries.
As disruption to air travel continues British Airways has halted sales of tickets on short-haul flights from Heathrow Airport until 8 August. The move is due to the cap on daily passenger numbers that the UK's largest airport has imposed over the summer. The sales suspension will affect BA's flights to domestic and European destinations. Thousands of air travellers have been hit by disruption in recent weeks, including last-minute cancellations.
A new register is to come into force in the UK to target oligarchs who use property in the UK to launder illegal wealth. Any anonymous foreign company seeking to buy UK land or property will need to reveal the true owners. Foreign companies that refuse to disclose their true owner could face fines of up to £2,500 per day or up to five years in prison. The register comes amid economic sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A right-wing majority in the upper house of the French parliament has rejected on Monday the idea of a tax on the "superprofits" or "exceptional profits" of large groups. Amendments to the draft amending budget for 2022 to try to introduce such taxation, already applied in Great Britain or Italy, have all been rejected. France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire immediately reiterated his opposition arguing that large companies "must participate in the collective effort, by returning the money directly to the French rather than to the public treasury". The amendment was rejected by 155 votes in favour and 177 against.
Sport
Football - In the Championship Watford made a winning start beating Sheffield United 1-0 on Monday.
Meanwhile Captain Leah Williamson said her England side have "changed the game in UK" as she celebrated their historic Euro 2022 victory. The Lionesses won their first major trophyas they beat Germany 2-1 in extra time at Wembley on Sunday. They lifted the trophy and sang Sweet Caroline in front of thousands of fans at Trafalgar Square on Monday.
And - Premier League captains are in talks over the future of the pre-match anti-racism gesture of taking a knee before the new season begins on Friday. The captains have already held one meeting on the subject without reaching a resolution. Another will take place when they have consulted with their team-mates. Players have been taking a knee before kick-off since the league restarted in June 2020 following the initial shutdown due to the Covid pandemic.
Cycling - England's Laura Kenny won a stunning track cycling scratch race gold at the Commonwealth Games, a day after thinking it would be her final race amid a "serious confidence crisis". It is England's first cycling gold of the Birmingham Games, and Kenny's first Commonwealth title since 2014.
Weather
Sunny, highs of 29 degrees with a moderate breeze in Monaco and Nice. 31 degrees in Cannes and Saint Tropez. 30 degrees in Antibes. Reaching highs of 35 degrees inland in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes. This evening going down to 22 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for Wednesday and Thursday sunny with highs of 29-31 degrees.
Sea Temperature 27 degrees UV level 9
Sunrise 06.20hr Sunset 20.52hr
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