Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts Threatening MarseillesFires whipped by high winds tore through southern France creeping toward the Mediterranean port city of Marseille A plane sprays fire extinguisher on a fire in Vitrolles A fire burns next to a road near Vitrolles the blaze has spread over 5,600 acres of scrubland The blaze -- comes after low rainfall in winter and spring that left southeast France extremely dry French police stand at a roadblock as smoke fills the sky and blocks the sun north of Marseille France mobilized 1,500 firefighters 6 to deal with wildfires that have gutted buildings and forced more than 1,000 people to flee their homes A fire blazes at Les Pennes-Mirabeau on Aug The largest fire was burning in the Rognac area Motorists drive on the highway as a fire spreads on a hill near Vitrolles on Aug 10 Hundreds of children and adults were evacuated from recreation centers and homes in the town of Vitrolles The Marseille airport said it was rerouting incoming flights to make way for firefighting aircraft while officials in the city were bracing for flames that risked lapping at its doors Firefighters battle a fire near Marseille on Aug People watch and others run away from a fire near Vitrolles on Aug Firefighters try to contain a blaze near the village of Gabian on Aug Smoke rises around burned trees following a fire which has devastated some 3,300 hectares in Les Pennes-Mirabeau on Aug PHOTOS: Fires Rage in Portugal You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed A fifth commune in the south of France has brought in a curfew banning children from wandering the streets unaccompanied at night.  near Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) announced the ban on children under the age of 13 from being out unaccompanied between 23:00 and 06:00 from April 25 "Banning our youngest citizens from going out alone at night is a way to prevent anti-social behaviour while encouraging their parents to take responsibility for them,” wrote Michel Amiel “It’s really about protecting young people from themselves.” Under French law children under 13 are exempt from criminal liability for their actions.  the law considers that a minor does not have the capacity to understand the consequences of his or her actions and cannot be found guilty of an offence The mayor of the commune of 21,000 inhabitants claims the measure is in line with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s calls “to boost authority” following a spate of anti-social behaviour perpetrated by minors in Nice “There is a real problem of violence among young people,” announced Mr Attal during a visit to a state boarding school in Nice on April 22 “Addressing this problem is one of the key priorities of my government.” Ban on children younger than 13 from going out unaccompanied between 23:00 and 06:00 “We first implemented this measure in 2009,” Nice mayor Christian Estrosi told BFMTV This is a resumption of the previous measure.” “It is effective at reducing anti-social behaviour.” Ban on children younger than 13 from going out unaccompanied in the town centre and the Iranget Grangette and Devèze parts of town between 23:00 and 06:00 Started April 22 and ends on September 30 The measure hopes to stem the “growing number of underaged youths on the streets at night,” who according to mayor Robert Ménard in Le Monde contribute to an “increasing insecurity and urban violence” he points to the burning of a school in 2019 and the riots of July 2023 Mr Ménard could not say precisely how the under-13 age group contributes to urban crime calling it a “blind spot” for law enforcement Ban on children younger than 13 from going out unaccompanied in the town centre The ban lasts until October 31 and has been renewed each year since 2004 “This isn’t about anti-social behaviour,” mayor Louis Nègre told Var Matin “The measure is just in place as a question of common sense and prevention” Ban on people younger than 18 from going out unaccompanied between 23:00 and 06:00 The curfew has been in place since 2022 when the village of 1,300 inhabitants faced a spate of antisocial behaviour.  “Teens were messing about, deliberately chopping down trees planted by the mairie,” mayor Olivier Robelet told BFM. “It was costing us a lot of money… we had to find a way to stop them.” Police are reported to be concentrating on people likely to wish direct ill of Karen Carter who was fatally stabbed on April 29 Karen Carter, 65, was stabbed at her home on April 29 Teaching staff may soon be able to search students’ belongings Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The Chinese say the Low Altitude Sentinel system has a 100% success rate I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Engineers in China have successfully developed a laser weapon able to shoot down low-flying according to the country’s state media on Tuesday Citing a statement from the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) the China Daily newspaper reported that the Low Altitude Sentinel system can locate small aircraft within a 1.2-mile radius and shoot it down within five seconds The system can destroy small drones flying under 110mph and below 1,600ft China is not the only country investigating a sophisticated anti-drone laser system: the United States has deployed a prototype laser on a navy ship that would help defend against drones and small aircraft told the China Daily said that the new system would be a major achievement for the country in strengthening its air defence Lasers have the advantage of being able to fire continuously and running on electricity – a much cheaper alternative to missiles a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said in an email to the AP that the weapon China had developed would have to concentrate enough energy on one spot for long enough to burn through any surface material the laser system shot down more than 30 drones in a recent test Drones - or unmanned aerial vehicles - have become increasingly popular in recent years President Barack Obama has come under criticism for his frequent use of drone strikes drone killed at least 10 suspected al Qaeda militants in central Yemen Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Marseille n’a rien à envier à l’Italie C’est ce qu’illustre Yvan Cotta qui a remporté pour la deuxième fois d’affilée le titre de champion du monde de pizza Le pizzaiole est né à Marseille il déménage aux Pennes-Mirabeau où il vit depuis 50 ans C’est dans cette petite ville qu’il régale ses clients avec son épouse Son établissement Pizza by Cotta est installé au sein des Halles des Sybilles qui regroupe plusieurs corners gastronomiques Mais le chef est aussi propriétaire d’Allo Pizza à Saint-Victoret et de La Cloche d’or aux Pennes-Mirabeau Il est également membre de l’association Gourméditerranée Une publication partagée par Pizza by cotta (@pizzabycotta) Yvan Cotta avait déjà été sacré champion du monde lors de la Pizza World Cup à Rome dans la catégorie « padellino gourmet » une pizza plus épaisse comme une foccacia qu’il avait préparé avec de la brousse du Rove et du figatelli corse formé durant ses 20 années d’expérience aux côtés des plus grands maîtres français et italiens a donc remis le couvert pour une seconde fois pas en individuel mais avec l’équipe de France aux côtés de My Pizza à Nîmes et Pizza and Co à la Cadière d’Azur Une pizza napolitaine à base de sauce tomate jaune noisettes concassées et fleur de courgette Il la propose désormais à la carte de son établissement Pizza By Cotta sous le nom de « La Championne »