The mayor of Marseille has said that there has been a “clear decline” in the fire which affected northern areas of the city yesterday afternoon and evening. Benoit Payan also said that the lock-down imposed on the 16th arrondissement has now been lifted. The fire reportedly started when a vehicle caught fire next to a motorway around lunchtime yesterday. Several hundred firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze and police had advised residents of the 16th arrondissement to stay inside and close windows and doors. Authorities said early yesterday evening that the fire had been brought under control and was not spreading. Over 900 hectares was burned, according to local reports. Marseille-Provence airport was closed during the afternoon and early evening, but flights resumed at about 9.30 last night. Parts of the A55 motorway were closed and several bus lines were also affected. However, the SNCF have said that TGV trains are now running through the area again. Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said that 110 people were slightly injured by the fire, about ten homes had burned down and sixty homes were affected in total.
President Macron addressed Parliament in London on the first day of his state visit to the UK yesterday. The Macrons were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales as they arrived at RAF Northolt in west London. The President and his wife Brigitte also met the King and Queen in Windsor and had lunch at Windsor Castle. President Macron held a meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer before returning to Windsor for a state banquet last night. It is the first state visit by a French president since 2008. The President is spending a total of three days in the UK and today will see a horse that he gave to the Queen Elizabeth II, to mark her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The president and his wife are also set to visit the grave of the Queen during their stay in Windsor.
A man has drowned in the sea at Nice. The 70 year old had been swimming in the sea near La Reserve yesterday afternoon. Emergency services attended the scene but he couldn't be resuscitated.
The prefect of the Var has reminded residents and visitors to beware of the risk of fire especially in high winds. No cigarette butts may be thrown on the ground, there must be no barbecues near forests and no work involving sparks near dry grass. There are strict regulations regarding activities and access to the Var massifs. A map detailing access and permitted activities is updated every day on the prefecture's website www.var.gouv.fr
After nine years of planning and works, a new electricity substation has been inaugurated in Rocbaron in the Var. Local officials said that the new installation will resolve voltage issues for the local municipalities and will have the capacity to inject locally produced electricity from solar panels into the grid.
Three people remain in critical but stable condition after an attack by a swarm of bees in a village in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The incident in Auri-llac injured 24 people, including a 78-year-old woman, who was stung 25 times, suffered cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. The local Mayor suggested Asian hornets may have provoked the bees, but a local beekeepers' union leader doubted this, pointing instead to an overcrowded hive possibly made overactive during handling. Emergency services secured the area, and a beekeeper was sent in to calm the bees with smoke.
BUSINESS
Germany's Finance Minister has said that the EU is ready to retaliate against US tariffs. Speaking to the German parliament he said that the EU is ready to take countermeasures if a fair agreement on tariffs can't be secured. The EU has recently said that it is working “flat out” to secure a deal.
Meanwhile, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized the US decision to impose a new 30% tariff on South African imports, calling it "unilateral" and unjustified. US President Donald Trump announced the tariff, which is apparently effective August 1, citing an alleged imbalanced trade relationship and persistent trade deficits caused by South Africa's tariff and non-tariff barriers. Trump's move threatens South Africa's key export sectors—automobiles, farming, and textiles—which previously benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. President Ramaphosa said that US trade data has been misinterpreted.
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to join investment bank Goldman Sachs as a senior adviser, according to the Financial Times. He will continue to serve as a back bench MP, representing the constituency of Richmond and Northallerton. Sunak previously worked for Goldman Sachs before he entered politics.
The Chairman of Marks & Spencer has been appearing before a House of Commons Committee regarding the recent cyber-attack against the company. Archie Norman said that the company believes that the attack was carried out by a group called “DragonForce”. He refused to answer a question on whether the company had paid a ransom to the attackers, but said that it had fully shared information on that subject with the relevant authorities. Norman added that the company had “reason to believe” that there had been two major cyber attacks on “large British companies” in the past four months which had gone unreported.
SPORT
Tennis…At Wimbledon yesterday, Carlos Alcaraz beat Cameron Norrie, world number one Aryna Sabalenka fought back to beat Laura Siegemund and reach the semi-finals. Sabalenka had to twice come back from a break down in the deciding set to win the match 4-6 6-2 6-4. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz beat Karen Khach-anov to reach the semi-finals for the first time. Amanda Anisimova is through to the semis after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Football… The Wales Women's Euro 2025 team bus has been involved in an accident on the way to their training session at Arena St Gallen ahead of their match against France. The Football Association of Wales said that all players and staff who were on the bus were uninjured, although an ambulance was at the scene attending to the driver of another vehicle.
Newcastle United have agreed a £55m fee with Nottingham Forest for Anthony Elanga. The 23-year-old scored six goals and produced 11 assists for Forest during last season. He plays for Sweden at national level.
A tsunami is possible on the French Riviera, even if most occur in the Pacific.
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An earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale has been recorded in the Val d’Allos. According to SismoAzur, the tremor struck at 4:31am on Thursday...
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Sunshine with clear skies throughout the day. Highs of 27 degrees in Nice and Saint-Tropez, 26 degrees in Monaco, 28 degrees in Vence and reaching 30 ...
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A new scam called "carding" is worrying cybersecurity experts. Fraudsters steal banking details, often via phishing, and then make small, discreet tra...
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Regional health officials have confirmed the first locally transmitted West Nile virus (WNV) case in France this year, diagnosed in mid-July in Hyères...
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