Local
Number of intensive care patients has doubled in the last week - The Regional Health Agency has warned that the health situation in the Alpes Maritimes continues “to deteriorate” due to the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases.
The number of people being admitted to intensive care has doubled in the last week according to the latest figures.
The medical profession has reminded the public to respect barrier gestures in order to contain what is considered to be an “unfavourable curve” in the number of cases of Covid-19.
Monaco - Meanwhile in Monaco three new cases were reported on Tuesday bringing the total number of residents which have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Principality to 156.
One resident is hospitalised in intensive care and 43 people are currently being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre.
National - On a national level more than 6,500 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in France over the past 24 hours.
Measures to control spread of coronavirus - New measures aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus will take effect as of today in the Var. All restaurants and bars in the department will be required to close at 1am. In addition, the general requirement to wear a mask is being brought into force in six further towns - in Ramatuelle, Grimaud, Cavalaire, Sainte-Maxime, Le Plan-de-la-Tour and Le Rayol-Canadel. The Prefect has also renewed the obligation to wear a mask in Toulon and Saint-Tropez.
Book Festival - In local news, it's been confirmed that the Mouans-Sartoux book festival will go ahead next month. Organizers said they have received authorization for the festival after arrangements were scrutinised by several public bodies including the Regional Health Agency. The festival will take place outdoors in the town on October 2, 3 and 4 and will be subject to a strict health protocol.
Weather warning - Meteo France has issued a Yellow weather warning for storms in the Var today. The warning is in place until 4pm this afternoon.
National
Tour de France - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19. He said he's leaving the Tour for eight days and is asymptomatic. The latest tests on all the current riders in the Tour have been negative but a member of team management has tested positive in four of the teams. All teams are still able to race because no team has more than one positive test amongst its staff.
The Elysees has said that today’s government meeting will take place by videoconference because Prime Minister Jean Castex had been in prolonged contact with Christian Prudhomme. The Prime Minister has tested negative but is expected to be retested today.
Meanwhile French President Emmanuel Macron has faced criticism from some journalists after he was filmed on Tuesday removing his mask and coughing in his hand, before grabbing and drinking a glass of water, during a visit to a professional high school in Clermont-Ferrand.
The Head of State later explained that he had “choked on the fabric of his mask” and had immediately put the mask back on again.
Horse mutilations - French police have released a suspect detained during an investigation into a series of mystery horse mutilations across the country in recent months.
The 50-year-old had earlier been arrested at his home in Alsace. Dozens of horses have been killed or maimed this year. The latest attack occurred south of Dijon on Sunday.
“Moi les hommes, je les deteste” - The sales of a feminist pamphlet entitled “Moi les hommes, je les deteste” I hate men, have skyrocketed after French government officials attempted to ban the essay.
France’s ministry for gender equality declared that the book was an “incitement to hatred on the grounds of gender, which is a criminal offence”.
« Moi led hommes, je les déteste » explores whether women “have good reason to hate men”, and whether “anger towards men is actually a joyful and emancipatory path, if it is allowed to be expressed”.
The books author, a 25-year-old activist from Lille, said the book is an invitation to women “to imagine a new way of being, to take less account of the often unsupported opinions of men, to consider the saying ‘it is better to be alone than in bad company’ seriously, and to rediscover the strength of female relationships full of, gentleness and strength”.
Business
The pound is continuing to slide on the foreign exchanges with the British government renewing the threat of a no deal Brexit.
On Tuesday ,the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the UK would “prosper mightily” with or without a deal.
Markets disagree with the pound falling by 1.6 percent against the dollar to 1 dollar 30 cents and by a similar amount against the euro to 1 euro 10 cents.
British government statements suggesting that its prepared to break international law by rewriting parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Bill have also dismayed legal experts and even a number of MPs from the ruling Conservative party including former Prime Minister Theresa May.
There is concern that the abandonment of a legally binding international treaty would hurt Britain’s future attempts to secure trade agreements.
The government’s senior legal advisor Jonathan Jones resigned from his post on Tuesday as the row intensified while the Director General at the Attorney General’s office has also left her post.
The electric vehicle maker Tesla has shed around 80 billion dollars of its market value following its surprise exclusion from the S&P 500 index.
Tuesday’s losses amounted to the combined value of Ford and General Motors and comes as the firm continues to experience a market rollercoaster.
Wall Street analysts had widely expected Tesla to join the S&P 500 after the firm posted its fourth consecutive profitable quarter in July but the index decided to include the online craft seller Etsy ,semiconductor equipment maker Teradyne and the pharmaceutical technology firm Catalent instead.
Experts say that the decline in the Tesla share price is both a result of its non-inclusion in the S&P and the normalisation of the firm’s valuation.
Bets against Tesla stock have also increased slightly over the past month.
And-Oil prices have fallen to their lowest level since June on concerns over weak global energy demand and excess supply.
Brent Crude was down by more than half a percent a little earlier this morning to 39 dollars 57 with US crude down by nearly 0.7 percent to 36 dollars 51.
Analysts say that the dramatic 7.6 percent fall in oil prices over the past couple of days will be seen as a proxy for global growth expectations.
A price cut by Saudi Arabia has also been taking its toll on the market while the wider ramifications of the slide in equities and particularly technology stocks is also being factored in.
Sport
Cycling-Sam Bennett of Ireland has won his maiden Tour de France stage with victory on stage 10 between the Ile d’Oleron and the Ile de Rey on Tuesday.
Bennett edged out Caleb Ewan of Australia in a sprint finish at the end of the 168.5 kilometer flat stage.
Primo Roglic retains the Yellow Jersey with a 21 second overall lead over Egan Bernal with Guillaume Martin of France in third place.
Today’s 11th stage is 167.5 kilometers between Chatelaillon and Poitiers.
It’s mainly on the flat with a couple of small climbs along the way which should once again benefit the sprinters.
Football-France beat World Cup finalists Croatia 4-2 in Group A3 of the Nations League last night while England shared a disappointing 0-0 draw away against Denmark in Group A2.
Cricket-Australia have beaten England by 5 wickets in the final T20 international in Southampton last night.
England batted first and made an under par 145-6 from their 20 overs with Australia getting to the target in 19.3 overs in a total of 146-5.
England win the series 2-1 with the one day international series starting in Manchester on Friday.
Tennis-The 5th seed Alexander Zverev is through to the semi finals of the US Open.
The 23 year old German beat Borna Coric in four sets.
In the women’s event Naomi Osaka is through to the last four after beating world number 93 Shelby Rogers in straight sets.She’ll now play the 28th seed Jennifer Brady of the United States.
Rugby Union-Owen Farrell has been banned for 5 matches after being sent off for a high tackle in last weekend’s Premiership match between Saracens and Wasps.
The disciplinary panel ruled that Farrell’s challenge had been “totally unacceptable”.
He’ll miss a series of matches for Saracens but will be free to play again on the 5th of October and will be available for England’s 6 Nations match against Italy in Rome on October the 31st.
Weather
Sunshine and scattered showers with light to moderate south easterly winds.
Top temperatures 26-28 degrees.
Overnight lows of 22 degrees on the coast and 19 degrees inland with partially cloudy skies.
Thursday and Friday-Sunshine and thundery showers tomorrow ,more rain and thunderstorms across the region on Friday.
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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Clear skies with a gentle breeze. Highs of 30 degrees in Monaco and Antibes, 31 degrees in Nice and 29 degrees in Menton and Saint-Tropez. This evenin...
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A 38-year-old man has been fatally struck by a truck early Thursday, the 17th of July, on the A8 motorway near Coudoux, Bouches-du-Rhône. ...
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Tensions are running high in Antibes, where around thirty animal rights activists from the group One Voice have gathered outside the former Marineland...
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