The Prefect of the Var has this evening activated a maritime pollution plan after oil was washed up on the coast of the Var today. The maritime prefecture has said that the oil appears to have come from the collision of the two ships off Corsica on the 7th of October. St Tropez and Ramatuelle are reportedly worst affected. The Prefecture has reminded people not to touch or pick up any oil patches they find on the beaches but to inform their mayor, the gendarmerie or the pompiers. Several beaches in St Tropez, Ramatuelle and Sainte-Maxime are reportedly closed to the public because of the pollution.
Residents of the Aude Department are today attempting to recover from the recent extreme flooding in the area in which eleven people lost their lives. Three people are still missing. Meteo France has this evening lowered its alert level for flooding in the lower plane of the Aude river from a red warning to an orange warning. Meanwhile, the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, has announced that the Cannes City Hall will be sending six municipal officers and equipment including three trucks to the area. He said he will also submit a vote to the next city council meeting to send 10,000 euros of financial aid to affected communities. The recent floods in the Aude come almost exactly three years after Cannes suffered its own devastating floods in October 2015.
A woman in her twenties has died after being hit by a TGV train near the railway station in Avignon. Investigations are continuing into the circumstances of the incident which occurred at about 4pm yesterday.
Nice Airport has won a global award for user experience. France’s second airport has been rewarded for its global sales strategy, including the renovation of its terminals, sales outlets, customer satisfaction ratings and its strategic vision with brands and operators. The jury of the 2018 Frontier Awards rewarded the work that Nice Côte d’Azur airport has done over the past four years to rethink passenger journeys and to renew its entire commercial offer.
A 33 year old woman has received a jail sentence after passing herself off as one of the victims of the 2015 Paris terror attacks. Alexandra Damien was sentenced to six months in prison for fraud and perjury after receiving up to 20,000 euros from funds set up for victims in the aftermath of the attacks.
The former head of the Socialist Party for the 2015 regional elections in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Christophe Castaner, has been appointed head of the Ministry of the Interior, according to reports in the French media. Born in the Var he was a deputy for the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and head of the list of the Socialist Party in the 2015 regional elections in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. He joined Emmanuel Macron's Movement in 2016. Castaner will replace Gérard Collomb
BUSINESS
Carmaker Audi has been fined €800m as part of a settlement with German prosecutors into breaches of diesel emissions rules. The premium car brand, owned by Volkswagen, said it accepts the fine and admits responsibility.
In the UK, new figures released today show wages, excluding bonuses, have risen at their fastest pace in nearly 10 years. Pay rose by 3.1% in the three months to August compared with a year ago.
Goldman Sachs has reported third quarter net profits of $2.5bn up 19% from $2.1bn in the same quarter last year. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley has reported third quarter sales of $9.9bn up 7% on the same period last year, and net income up 16%.
SPORT
Football… Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association over comments he made in his native Portuguese to a television camera after his side's win over Newcastle. The FA claims Mourinho used "abusive, insulting or improper language" after the match at Old Trafford on 6 October. The Football Association reportedly used a lip reader to obtain what was said.
There’s more Nations League action tonight with France against Germany and the Republic of Ireland against Wales.
Cricket… Sanath Jayasuriya says he has acted with "integrity" after being charged with corruption. The ICC charged the former Sri Lanka captain yesterday with two breaches of its anti-corruption code. He’s accused of failing to co-operate with an investigation and "concealing, tampering with or destroying evidence".
Rugby Union… Wales have named uncapped Leicester wing Jonah Holmes in their squad for their November Tests. Coach Warren Gatland has also called up uncapped Ospreys wing Luke Morgan.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
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A judge has authorised a dive to inspect the wreckage of a plane in the sea off Antibes. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean on September 11 1968...
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In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
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The trial of the Tunisian man accused of the murder of three people in the Nice Basilica attack is continuing in Paris. Yesterday the families of the ...
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Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
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