News
France welcomes King Charles III and Queen Camilla - France is to welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla, today Wednesday September 20th, as they start their three-day state visit on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will rekindle the flame of the unknown soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. Then aboard a Citroën DS 7 convertible, the royal couple, accompanied by the French president and his wife, will descend the Champs-Elysées. This evening, a state dinner is planned at the Château de Versailles (Yvelines) with lobster on the menu. It was on Tuesday lunchtime that journalists from French television channel TF1 met with the exceptional master cheesemaker, 80-year-old Bernard Antony, who has been responsible for providing the cheese for the dinner in honour of King Charles III in Versailles. Two French cheeses and one English cheese will be on the table of King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron, the work of a father and a son, both cheese refiners had been chosen by the Élysée to represent an important symbol of France, after all, it was Charles de Gaulle who famously said of France 'how can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese? '. But the General had underestimated – France actually has closer to 1,000 different types of cheese.
Tomorrow Thursday September 21st, King Charles III will deliver a speech to the Senate, followed by a visit to the Notre-Dame construction site and the flower market on the Île de la Cité, a place cherished by his mother. In the afternoon King Charles III will visit the National Museum of Natural History, to meet, along with Emmanuel Macron, entrepreneurs and creators specializing in sustainable development.
On Friday, the royal couple will travel to Bordeaux which was once under the rule of the English King Henry II, and where 39,000 Britons now reside. They will visit a vineyard and meet firefighters who took part in the fight against the devastating forest fires which ravaged the region last year.
French Interior Minister says France will not welcome migrants - In other news, France’s Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin has said that “France will not welcome migrants present in Lampedusa”. Speaking on national television on Tuesday evening the minister said “We must distinguish migrants from people who are political refugees,” adding that "60% of the people who arrived in Lampedusa are French-speaking who have not requested asylum in Europe." Concluding that France has told its Italian friends that it is ready to help them to return people to countries with which we have good diplomatic relations,” citing the Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Three-day diplomatic marathon for HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco - HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has been in New York for a three-day diplomatic marathon as part of the United Nations General Assembly and its Climate Ambition Summit. Prince Albert arrived on Monday and participated in the opening of the Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, before co-chairing with the President of Seychelles an event on the theme of ocean sciences. Today Wednesday September 20th, the sovereign who, at the invitation of the Belgian Prime Minister, will sign a declaration "to create a political dynamic to accelerate the ratification of the treaty on the high seas (signed last June)". After a private audience, Prince Albert II of Monaco will attend the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit to deliver his speech.
Local transport network advises people to avoid using public transport today – In local news, due to the Rugby World Cup match taking place today in Nice between Italy and Uruguay the transport network Lignes d'Azur has advised people in Nice to avoid taking public transport. A large number of visitors are expected on the network ahead of the match which will take place at the Allianz Riviera, at 5.45pm.
Energy boost - Finally, our region is today launching its “250-euro energy boost” scheme to help local residents cope with rising energy prices. The South Region has released 25 million euros in European funds allowing some households to receive a fixed aid of 250 euros. A dedicated platform has been set up from open from September 19th to November 22nd to find out more go to www.maregionsud.fr/vos-aides/detail/coup-de-pouce-energie-de-250eur
Business
French Apple Stores are to strike on Friday and Saturday to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 15. Unions are demanding a 7% increase in salaries, while management is proposing an increase of 4.5%, accompanied by an increase in restaurant vouchers. The movement in Apple Stores could involve one-hour walkouts, and up to two full days of strike action including a demonstration at the Place de l'Opéra in Paris on Friday, just a few steps away, from one of the capital’s Apple stores.
The parents of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are being sued for money they allegedly received from the crypto firm ahead of its collapse. Managers at the bankrupt firm accuse the couple of holding millions of dollars and of turning a blind eye to misconduct at the company. The action was filed on behalf of those owed money after the firm's failure. The fall of the company led to the arrest of Mr Bankman-Fried last year. US prosecutors have accused the former billionaire, once dubbed the "King of Crypto", of illegally transferring millions from the exchange to plug losses at his trading firm, make political donations and buy property. He has denied the charges and is in jail awaiting trial next month.
Sport
Rugby World Cup – In pool A of the Rugby World Cup, Italy play Uruguay today at 5.45pm French time. Meanwhile Jonathan Danty is fit again and will make his Rugby World Cup debut in France's pool game against Namibia in Marseille on Thursday. The centre missed the hosts' first two pool games with a hamstring injury picked up in their final warm-up game against Australia.
Football - In the Champions League last night Newcastle United drew 0-0 against Milan. Manchester City came from behind to beat Red Star Belgrade 3-1. Meanwhile their manager Pep Guardiola says his side are "in trouble" with a mounting injury list that threatens to disrupt the club's perfect start to the season.
Cricket – Ahead of the England v Ireland, first one day international today at Headingley, Zak Crawley says he wants to "lead from the front" when he captains England for the first time. With almost the entire World Cup squad rested, Crawley takes charge of a group containing four uncapped players. Joe Root is set to play in the opener to the three-match series.
Tennis - Great Britain have been drawn to play Serbia in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in Malaga. The knockout stage of the competition, which GB last won in 2015, will be played between 21 and 26 November. Dan Evans and Neal Skupski had to save four match points to beat France in a decisive doubles match in Manchester on Sunday to qualify for the last eight. Serbian Novak Djokovic, who won with Serbia in 2010, says the competition is his top priority for the rest of the season.
Golf - Former US Open champion Gary Woodland has undergone surgery to remove a tumour on his brain. The 39-year-old American, who won the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach, revealed the diagnosis last month. He said he had decided to have surgery after consulting specialists and talking with his family.
Weather
A yellow weather warning has been issued for the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region with storms forecast for this afternoon. Mostly cloudy to begin with showers forecast. Highs of 25 in Monaco, Nice and Toulon. 26 degrees in Saint Tropez and 23 degrees in Tende. A moderate breeze. This evening going down to 19 degrees along the coast and 13 degrees inland with rain.
The outlook for tomorrow and Friday. Unsettled with sunny intervals and showers and highs of 24 degrees.
Sunrise 07.14am
Sunset 07.32pm
And Finally
A recent study has suggested that a Mediterranean diet high in vegetables, nuts and seafood could reduce the risk of getting dementia by almost a quarter. Researchers looked at almost 60,300 people aged over 40 in the UK who were asked about their typical diet over 24 hours. Their answers were rated for closeness to the healthy Mediterranean diet, popular in countries like France, Italy and Spain.
The third of people who scored most highly for a Mediterranean-style diet were 23 per cent less likely to develop dementia than the third who scored most poorly. A Mediterranean diet is believed to reduce inflammation in the body and brain, which is linked to dementia.
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