Evening Update Monday 11 November

A strong earthquake was felt over much of south-east France just before midday today. The epicenter of the 5.4 magnitude quake was just south of Montélimar in the Drôme department. Reports say that four people have been injured, one seriously. The town of Teil in the Ardeche has said that several hundred properties have been seriously damaged and the bell towers of two churches are threatening to collapse. Earlier this afternoon the prefecture in the Drôme said that there had been "no major damage at this stage". It’s the strongest earthquake to be recorded in mainland France since 2003. Pompiers in the South-East area, which includes the Var and the Alpes Maritimes have entered a “standby” state to ensure that they are prepared in case of further earthquakes.

Armistice Day has been commemorated in many municipalities on the Riviera this morning and this afternoon. The Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes, Bernard Gonzalez attended a ceremony in Nice at the Monument aux Morts. Ceremonies were also held in Cannes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Villeneuve-Loubet, Carros, Saint-Jeannet and Vence. French president Emmanuel Macron attended a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to mark Armistice Day. 1.3 million French soldiers lost their lives during the First World War.

A 37-year-old man has been stabbed in Nice. The incident occurred on Sunday midday not far from the Pathé-Massena cinema on Avenue Jean-Médecin. The victim was taken to hospital by emergency services in a critical condition. Police have opened an investigation to determine the reason behind the attack.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a serious road accident in La Seyne. A woman lost control of her vehicle at about 4am on Sunday at a junction on the avenue Henri-Petin. The 22 year old driver is in a serious condition in hospital in Toulon.

A homeless man is recovering in hospital in Cannes after being stabbed in the thigh yesterday afternoon. The man in his thirties was reportedly involved in a dispute on rue Clemenceau.

Several hundred kilograms of cocaine has washed up on the west coast of France. According to a local prosecutor, a total of about 760kg of the drug contained in small packets has been recovered in the area from the Loire-Atlantique to the Landes departments. Several municipalities have banned access to beaches because of the dangers posed by the drugs. It’s thought at this stage that the packets have come from a smuggler’s vessel which was either damaged or affected by bad weather.

The Turkish government has said that it is returning 11 French jihadists to France in the coming days. Turkey said that it was also repatriating American and German jihadists.

BUSINESS

The UK economy grew 0.3% between July and September according to data from the Office for National Statistics. It means the economy narrowly avoided falling into recession, following its 0.2% contraction in the second quarter.

The sale of British Steel to China's Jingye Steel has been agreed, according to the Official Receiver who said that completion of the contract is conditional on a number of matters, including gaining the necessary regulatory approvals.

Rugby fans travelling to the World Cup in Japan helped Heathrow to see its busiest October on record. Nearly 7 million passengers used the airport last month.

Sainsbury's has struck a deal with Australian retailer Coles to sell packaged groceries. Own-brand products will be sold under the Coles name from next year, according to Sainsbury’s.

SPORT

Football.. Liam Cooper has withdrawn through injury from the Scotland squad for their Euro 2020 qualifiers with Cyprus and Kazakhstan. Midfielder Scott McTominay is also expected to withdraw after being carried off during Manchester United's 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Scotland, who can’t qualify from Group I but may do through a Nations League play-off, are away to Cyprus on Saturday then host Kazakhstan three days later.

Motorsports… Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff is to miss this week's Brazilian Grand Prix, the first time he has been absent from a race since joining them in 2013. Wolff said that he was staying in Europe "to focus on other open topics".

Cricket… England Lions international Matthew Carter has signed a new contract which extends his stay at Nottinghamshire until the end of the 2021 season. Carter took 14 wickets in the T20 Blast last summer.

Rugby Union… Saracens player Ralph Adams-Hale is out for the rest of the season. The 22-year-old prop left the field on a stretcher after suffering an ankle injury in Saturday's win at Gloucester.