News
Accident on the Promenade des Anglais - Two people have been seriously injured following an accident on the Promenade des Anglais in the early hours of this morning. A 26-year-old woman was hit by a two-wheeler shortly after 1am, in circumstances that are still to be determined. Emergency services transported both the woman and the 35-year-old driver in a serious condition to the Pasteur hospital.
Investigation into cause of fire in the Var - According to French media this morning, the investigation into the cause of the fire which has ravaged the Var is favouring the cause to be that of a “discarded cigarette butt”. No further detail on the investigation into the cause has been given by the prefect; it’s simply been pointed out the fire started at a motorway rest area.
Meanwhile the prefect of the Var has said that the situation in the region remains "very unstable". After covering more than 8,000 hectares, the fire is not yet under control and weather conditions risk complicating the situation at least until Sunday.
More than 72 hours after it started, the fire continues to progress in the Var, in spite of some temporary lulls. The prefecture has warned that “until the end of the weekend, the weather will remain unfavorable” and has asked for “everyone to be very careful”.
As a result of the bad forecasts, the prefecture has chosen to classify all the forest areas of the department as "very severe" fire risk. Today Friday 20th August, the firefighters will work "hard" to drown the remaining edges of fire. A race against time before "a change of wind" expected this afternoon, and the mistral forecast for Sunday.
The fire has claimed two lives and seven fire-fighters, and 22 other people have been slightly injured.
Vaccination campaign - To date 40,508,406 people in France have completed vaccination against covid and 47,127,195 have received at least one injection, or 69.9% of the total population.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health in its daily update announced that the milestone of 60% of French people with complete vaccination against Covid-19 had been reached.
By the end of August, the government has set a target of 50 million primary vaccinated.
Health pass to be extended from Monday in Monaco - The compulsory health pass in Monaco is to be extended from Monday 23rd August, the obligation to present a health pass to enter restaurants and bars will be extended to Monegasques, residents and employees of the Principality aged over 18.
Meanwhile in Monaco on Thursday six new positive cases of covid were reported bringing the total number of residents affected to 3,105. Seventeen people are currently in hospital and 65 are being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre.
Afghanistan - France has said that it will not recognise Taliban militants as the legitimate leaders of Afghanistan. Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune told France Info radio "there will be no political contact with the Taliban”. Beaune was defending Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who earlier came under fire for saying he hoped to see the Taliban form an "inclusive" government in Afghanistan.
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