Evening Update 17 Jan

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said France is activating laws published last October to deal with a no-deal Brexit. The law says that in the event of a hard Brexit, British people will become third country nationals and required to have a residency permit to stay in France. A one year grace period will apply to March 2020. The Interior Ministry is encouraging Britons living here, to apply for a Carte de Séjour as soon as possible, regardless of what happens in the coming weeks.

Traffic is recovering on the A8 motorway after a collision between two heavy-goods vehicles caused  several kilometres of tailbacks near Mougins around lunchtime. Meanwhile, the inclusion of the new 80 km/h speed limit on secondary roads in the national debate, has been welcomed by the President of the Hautes-Alpes Department Jean-Marie Bernard. In a statement he said its inclusion was better late than never.

It’s been announced that this years Datacloud Awards in Monaco, will be hosted by actress, model and charity campaigner, Joanna Lumley. The event will also include entertainment for an expected international audience of 900 guests.

BUSINESS

The Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn to be replaced as chief executive of Renault. Ghosn, who has been charged with under-declaring his income, denies the charges but faces a lengthy spell in custody until his case is heard. In the meantime the French state, as Renault's biggest shareholder, has called for a new CEO to be appointed to lead the company.

IBM and Vodafone are to launch a new $550 million venture aimed at boosting Europe's 5G, A.I. and cloud capabilities. The deal allows Vodafone to access IBM's cloud services, while the telecommunications giant will provide mobile infrastructure like 5G to Big Blue.

SPORT

Tennis - In Melbourne, Garbine Muguruza and Johanna Konta have finally wrapped up a thrilling marathon which didn’t finish until just after 3am local time. It was so late, there was only 250 people left in the stadium!.In the end, it was Johanna Konta who saw defeat, being beaten 4-6 6-7 5-7. At the end of the game Mu.guruza praised her opponent, wrote the time on the tv camera lens and said she was going for breakfast!

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was knocked out by world No.1 Novak Djokovic in a game which ended 6-3 7-5 6-4.

Womens World No.1 Simona Halep is also through after a scare with American Sofia Kenin. The Romanian had been cruising to victory after leading by a set and a break, before finding herself a break down in the third. She kept her composure to break back in the seventh game of the decider before going on to win.

Also today, Serena Williams beat Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets, to continue her quest for a record 24th Grand Slam title.  

Football - Thiery Henri and Patrick Vieira, who have played 313 games together at Arsenal, put their former loyalties to one side last night as the respective teams they now manage, OGC Nice and AS Monaco, faced off at Stade Louis II.

Although the one all draw meant nobody won the actual match itself, the result is not good for Monaco who are left second from bottom with 15 points while Nice, who played the second half with 10 men, stay in  sixth place in the league on 30 points.

Last local news

Evening Update Thursday 28th August 2025

The massive wildfire in the Aude’s Corbières massif, has now been fully extinguished after three weeks. ... Evening Update Thursday 28th August 2025 Read More

28/08/2025

French and Riviera News Thursday 28th August 2025

It’s been reported that Uber plans to launch high-speed trains between London, Paris, Lille, and Brussels by 2029, partnering with Gemini Trains. ... French and Riviera News Thursday 28th August 2025 Read More

28/08/2025

Evening Update Wednesday 27th August 2025

Éric Ciotti has officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Nice in the March 2026 municipal elections, challenging current mayor Christian Estros... Evening Update Wednesday 27th August 2025 Read More

27/08/2025

French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th August 2025

As 12 million students return to class in France on the 1st of September, several key changes are being introduced. These include mandatory sex educat... French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th August 2025 Read More

27/08/2025

Evening Update Tuesday 26th August 2025

A stormy and rainy episode is expected tomorrow in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var, with heavy rainfall possibly reaching 100mm along the coast.... Evening Update Tuesday 26th August 2025 Read More

26/08/2025