The commune of Puget Theniers and several elected officials and municipal employees are appearing in court today. They are accused of dumping waste collected by a road sweeping machine into the Var river in contravention of regulations. The hearing was initially due to take place last May but was postponed until today.
Unsettled weather is expected in our region on Friday night and much of Saturday. Meteo France yellow warnings for storms, snowy and icy conditions and heavy rain and flooding are in place for the Alpes Maritimes until 6am Saturday. In the Var, yellow warnings for storms are in place tonight and yellow warnings for storms and for heavy rain and flooding are in place for virtually the whole of Saturday. Full details are available on www.meteofrance.com
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco sends a message to President Trump following the air crash in Washington, DC In his message, the Prince said that it is "with profound sadness" that he learned of the accident. He said that on behalf of the people of Monaco, he wishes to express "our deepest condolences to you, the families of the victims, and all those affected by this devastating event". He added that "our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. We stand in solidarity with the people of the United States as you navigate this profound loss".
The new Menton interchange on the A8 motorway has been officially inaugurated. The new extended slip road at the junction in the direction of Nice has taken 20 months of work to construct. The project required the relocation of the RD22, the repositioning of the slip road on the A8, and the widening of the viaduct to accommodate a new lane over 300 meters long. A range of local dignitaries and local political figures attended the inauguration.
A meeting has taken place, organized by the Prefect of the Var, to take stock of the development of flood prevention measures in the department. Since the development of the flood prevention program during the 2010s, 21 flood prevention actions have been carried out, which is about 20% of the total. 244 million euros is being spent on the measures.
The grave of Jean Marie Le Pen has been vandalized. The controversial right-wing politician was buried in the village of Trinite-sur-Mer in the Morbihan department in north-west France after a private funeral in the village on 11 January. Local sources say that the act of vandalism took place overnight last night.
Inflation in France declined slightly in January according to data released today by government statistics office INSEE. Annual consumer price inflation stood at 1.4% in January, up from 1.3% in December.
Rail services are being disrupted in north-west France because of flooding. Three departments are still on top-level Meteo France red warnings for flooding. They are Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique and Ille-et-Vilaine. Several other departments in the north-west are on orange alerts. Speaking to French media, the mayor of Redon, one of the worst affected towns, said that he expected the water level to recede over the weekend.
Reconstruction in the French Overseas Department of Mayotte is likely to cost over one billion euros, according to Manuel Valls. The Overseas Minister is visiting the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which was devastated by a cyclone in December.
BUSINESS
US President Donald Trump has said he will follow through with his threat to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico from tomorrow. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said the move was aimed at addressing the large amounts of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl that come from the two countries as well as trade deficits. But he said that a decision on whether to impose tariffs on oil hadn't been made yet.
Unemployment in Germany rose slightly in January, according to government data. An additional 11,000 people were unemployed in January from December, meaning the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 6.1 to 6.2%
FTSE 100 engineering company Smiths Group has said that it will spin off parts of its business and increase share buybacks. It said that it would spin off its airport baggage scanning business and another part of the group which makes electronic components. The moves follow recent pressure from activist investors in the company.
SPORT
Rugby Union… The Six Nations gets underway this evening with France playing Wales in Paris. The match at the Stade de France starts at 9.15pm French time.
Football…. Monaco are taking on Benfica in the Champions League play-off round. In the draw made today, it will be Brest v Paris St-Germain, Club Brugge v Atalanta, Manchester City v Real Madrid, Juventus v PSV Eindhoven, Sporting v Borussia Dortmund, Celtic v Bayern Munich and Feyenoord v AC Milan.
In the Premier League tomorrow Nottingham Forest play Brighton, Bournemouth play Liverpool, Everton face Leicester, Ipswich are at home to Southampton, Newcastle face Fulham and Wolves play Aston Villa.
Cricket…India have beaten England by 15 runs to win the fourth T20 and series with a game to spare. England were all out for 166. India made 181-9 with Hardik and Dube both making 53.
Australia are leading England by 252 runs in the one-off Women's Ashes Test in Melbourne. At the end of day two, Australia were 422-5. England had scored 171.
The commune of Puget Theniers and several elected officials and municipal employees are appearing in court today. They are accused of dumping waste co...
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Three Departments Remain on Red Alert, Five on Orange as Weather Conditions Improve
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The Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments have been placed on orange alert for heavy rain and flooding, with ongoing yellow alerts for thunderstorms. ...
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Police Commissioner Eric Arella led the traditional Police Department New Year Address on Wednesday morning, chaired by H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince, w...
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A seabed cleanup operation began in Cagnes-sur-Mer on January 29, 2025, to remove debris from a former fish farm. ...
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