We're behind the Cannes power cut, boast French anarchists
Power was lost for five hours on the final day of the festival on Saturday, knocking out traffic lights and ATMs and forcing organisers to use backup generators. Local officials said the causes behind the power cut were a suspected arson attack on a substation and vandalism of an electricity pylon.
The headquarters of the festival switched to a backup power supply. Full power was subsequently restored, allowing Saturday night's closing ceremony to go ahead as planned.
In an anonymous letter published online on Sunday, the two groups said they were behind the outage.
'The aim of the action was not only to disrupt the festival, but also to deprive all industrial establishments of electricity,' the anarchist groups reportedly wrote in their letter.
'We're not on a film set, but 'cut!' seemed to sum up our desire to turn off this deadly system,' they added, according to a police source.
Damien Savarzeix, the public prosecutor in Grasse, said on Saturday that three of the four pillars of a pylon on the high-voltage line in Villeneuve-Loubet, which supplies power to part of the area, including Cannes, 'were sawn off' in a 'malicious act'.
Electricity workers then switched off the line to allow the work to be carried out, indirectly causing a power cut that left 160,000 homes without electricity throughout the day.
Following the Cannes incident, a blaze then hit an electricity transformer in the west of the city of Nice on Saturday night, knocking out power to 45,000 homes in the city and the surrounding region, the offices of the mayor and local prosecutors said.
'I vigorously condemn these criminal acts hitting our country,' said Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, on X. 'In the coming days, we are reinforcing the [security camera] network around the city's strategic electric sites.'
Power was restored around dawn, officials and the Enedis grid company said.
At Cannes, the Palme d'Or went to A Simple Accident directed by Jafar Panahi, an Iranian filmmaker who was barred from leaving the state in 2018 when he earned a best screenplay prize.
Mr Panahi has been imprisoned several times and went on a hunger strike in 2023 amid a state ban on his filmmaking.
Jean-Noel Barrot, France's foreign minister, said his Cannes award was a further 'gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression'.
On Sunday, Iran summoned the French charge d'affaires in Tehran over what it called the minister's 'insulting remarks and unfounded allegations'.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Five Dudley Borough pubs named among top 500 in England
FIVE pubs from across the borough have featured in the top 500 pubs in England, according to a guide published in a national newspaper. The Telegraph has published its list of the 500 best pubs in England, with five of them hailing from Dudley. Expert Will Hawkes curated the list based on their charming character, welcoming staff, history and award-winning beer, The Telegraph says. With drinking holes from Sedgley, Dudley, Brierley Hill and Stourbridge featured, Dudley boozers counted for one per cent of all the pubs in the list – quite a feat when considering the size of the borough compared to England as a country. One of the five was The Robin Hood in Amblecote, described by Hawkes as 'probably the best of the town's pubs in terms of atmosphere and beer, which is invariably in peak condition.' He said: 'The Black Country can be a bit confusing, geography-wise, but things are simple when it comes to pubs. 'They tend to be good, and they're particularly good in Amblecote.' A stone's throw away lies The Unicorn in Wollaston, which also features on the list. Highlighted for being a 'small and cosy' spot, Hawkes said visitors to The Unicorn should expect 'robust and often entertaining conversation, filled cobs (roast pork on Saturdays), and a deep sense of contentment'. The Beacon Hotel in Sedgley is perhaps one of the most well-known in the whole Black Country, so it is unsurprising that it too featured in the top 500 guide. Home of the award winning Sarah Huges Brewery, this historic drinking hole was described as 'a Black Country pub that doesn't feel like it's changed much since the Victorian era', creating an atmosphere like not many others. From being crowned the Best Pub in the West Midlands by The Telegraph earlier this year to winning the CAMRA Dudley Pub of the Year for 2025, The Bull and Bladder (or as it is known to the rest of the country officially, The Vine), has been basking in well deserved success this year, so it was to be expected for it to feature in the list. Hawkes said: 'The Black Country has more high-quality pubs than pretty much any other bit of Britain. 'The Vine Inn (known locally as the Bull and Bladder) is perhaps the best because it's handsome, good value, and, most importantly, is attached to one of England's great old breweries, Batham's.' The fifth and final local boozer to make the cut was the historic Old Swan Inn in Netherton, known for its beer brewed on site and its beautiful, ornate enamel ceiling. In his description, Hawkes called it an 'unmissable' pub which has a charm that 'feels more authentically Victorian than any other you'll find in England'. To view the full list of pubs, visit
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Cooked: Celebrated Chef exits new venture after allegedly balking at free food for influencer because she wasn't famous enough
A prominent San Francisco chef threw in the apron at his newly opened cafe after allegedly belittling a TikTok influencer during a tense exchange over her follower count aired out in a viral video. The incident unfolded Wednesday at Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley, when 'micro-influencer' @itskarlabb described how she had pre-arranged a collab with the restaurant's team and showed up early to film content, according to a video she posted to her platform. 3 Influencer @itskarlabb was allegedly belittled by top chef Luke Sung over her supposedly low follower count, leaving her running from his new California restaurant in tears. itskarlabb/tiktok The influencer, known as Karla, claimed that a man — later identified as celebrated James Beard Award-nominated chef and co-owner Luke Sung — questioned her 15,000-follower count and told staff it was a 'mistake' to invite an influencer so small. 'I know they're talking about me, because I can hear them saying 'TikTok, views, followers' ,' she said in a later video, which has racked up more than 20 million views. The influencer said that when she introduced herself, Sung grilled her over whether she had researched the restaurant, a wine bar serving small bites. She insisted she knew the menu and the vibe, but Sung disagreed and began scrolling through her TikTok feed at full volume within earshot, the influencer said. 'After scrolling like, two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level which he wants his restaurant represented,' she recalled. 'It seemed like he was insinuating that my followers would not be able to afford to eat at this restaurant.' 3 Sung couldn't take the heat after the pair's alleged exchange went viral and left his new venture. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images Sung then reportedly asked, 'Do you know who I am?' and told Karla he was a two-time James Beard Award finalist and that his daughter is Big Apple vlogger, Isa Sung, who has 600,000 TikTok followers. He also dismissed the influencer's cooking videos she posted to her platform, dissing them as 'homey,' Karla said. The belittling exchange left her in tears, she said. 'I told him I felt disrespected and didn't want to collaborate anymore,' the influencer said. Karla's follower count has since skyrocketed to more than 350,000 since she shared the story on TikTok. The influencer said she wants to 'be an advocate for micro influencers' who don't receive as many handouts. 'You don't need to have a million followers to be respected or feel like you're making a difference,' she said. 3 Kis Cafe, which opened in May, announced that Sung had left as chef and co-owner. FOX By Friday, Kis Cafe's was getting cooked on Yelp, where its rating plunged from four to five stars to just over two stars, and reviews for 'Isa '– a 'pioneering' Cal-French restaurant that Sung previously opened and named after his influencer daughter — grew with haters lambasting the chef for his behavior. Kis Cafe, which opened in May, soon announced that Sung had left as a chef and co-owner, later clarifying he had done so of his 'own accord' and was not technically fired. 'Our chef's behavior was unacceptable, and he is no longer a part of the team,' Kis Cafe wrote in an Instagram post Thursday. The restaurant said it has now temporarily closed to 'restructure.' 'We want to create a space that's welcoming and respectful to everyone. In this instance, we failed to do so,' Kis Cafe said in a statement.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Inside Qatar's Michelin-star revolution led by Alain Ducasse
French culinary legend Alain Ducasse has opened two restaurants in Doha, and one of them, Idam, just earned Qatar's first Michelin star. We take a look at how he's bringing fine dining to the desert.
