NEWS
No New Pope Yet - No new pope has been elected yet, as black smoke signalled another inconclusive vote during the conclave in the morning of Thursday the 8th of May. The 133 cardinal electors have not reached the two-thirds majority needed, with more voting rounds scheduled for the afternoon. Several candidates are in the running, including Italians Pietro Parolin and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, but the conclave remains wide open.
Shooting - A man in his thirties has been shot dead Wednesday night in front of a snack bar in the Croix des Oiseaux district of Avignon, Vaucluse. A burnt-out vehicle was later found in Monteux, possibly used by the shooter(s) to escape. This is the second fatal shooting in Vaucluse in 24 hours, following the killing of a night shop owner in Valréas on Tuesday.
Stabbing - A 35-year-old man has been fatally stabbed, reportedly with a katana, in the middle of the night at a residence in Roquefort-les-Pins, Alpes-Maritimes. A woman in her fifties, described by neighbours as unstable and eccentric, was arrested and is now in custody as investigators probe the nature of their relationship. Residents were shocked by the scene, with blood in the hallways and the woman screaming for help before emergency services arrived too late.
Wolf Sighting - A family dining outdoors has been surprised to see a hungry wolf appear on their terrace, staring at their cat and its bowl of food on the 1st of May in Cadenet, Vaucluse. The wolf, thin and clearly starving, didn’t attack but fled when someone opened the door. Though some online doubters claim it might have been a wolf-dog, the family is convinced it was a wild wolf—another sign of how these animals are venturing closer to urban areas.
Fossilized Tree Discovered - A 28-million-year-old fossilized tree trunk has been discovered by volunteer geologists at the Natura 2000 site of the Biot dome in the Alpes-Maritimes. Preserved by a volcanic eruption that buried an ancient forest in ash, the wood slowly transformed into stone over millennia through a process involving silica. After four years of monitoring and careful excavation, the rare silicified trunk will be displayed at the Biot Museum of History and Ceramics.
Les Cookies de Juju - Sylvie Bernard, who began selling cookies at local markets in Menton in 2023, has opened a cozy tearoom called "Les Cookies de Juju" in honour of her late daughter, Justine. Following Justine's sudden passing from meningitis in 2021, Sylvie and her family relocated to Menton to start a new life and fulfil their daughter’s dream. Now, alongside her handmade cookies and treats, Sylvie will soon release a heartfelt book titled Mon étoile préférée, keeping her daughter’s memory alive.
NEWS UPDATE
Car Crash - A major crash involving five cars and a motorcycle has occurred on the 8th of May at 3pm near the Saint-Philippe exit of the voie Pierre Mathis in Nice. Emergency services, including 31 firefighters and 10 vehicles, responded swiftly to the scene, with several victims being assessed. Police are also on site, and authorities advise avoiding the area if possible.
BUSINESS
Nice Airport is undergoing a €130–140 million expansion of Terminal 2 to address overcapacity, having already exceeded its theoretical limit with nearly 15 million passengers in 2024. While the project aims to improve passenger comfort and reduce emissions with eco-friendly technologies, it faces strong public opposition, mainly over environmental and noise concerns. Airport officials insist the extension won’t generate extra flights but will accommodate inevitable traffic growth, claiming the environmental impact is minimal and employment will increase.
Foxconn, best known for making iPhones, plans to build electric vehicles for Mitsubishi in Taiwan through its joint venture, Foxtron. The first model is expected by late 2025, with launches in Australia and New Zealand in 2026, though the deal is currently non-binding. This move marks Foxconn’s major entry into the EV market, as Japanese carmakers face stiff competition from fast-growing Chinese rivals.
And - Disney will open its first Middle East theme park on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, in partnership with UAE company Miral. The new Disneyland will blend Disney magic with Emirati culture and aims to attract global tourists, being just four hours away from a third of the world’s population. This announcement comes alongside strong Q1 results for Disney in 2025, with rising theme park attendance, streaming growth, and cruise bookings.
SPORTS
Football - David Beckham and Gary Neville have completed a takeover of Salford City as part of a new consortium, buying out the rest of the Class of '92. Their former Manchester United team-mates Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville are no longer shareholders as part of the new ownership group, which includes former banker Lord Mervyn Davies and businessman Declan Kelly.
Cricket - Uncapped Somerset batter James Rew has replaced the injured Jordan Cox in the England squad for their one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month. The 21-year-old has been in fine form in the County Championship so far this season, averaging 54.21 with a top score of 152.
Tennis - Britain's Emma Raducanu and Cameron Norrie won their first-round matches at the Italian Open as Katie Boulter failed to progress in Rome. Raducanu had to dig deep to win 7-5 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 against Australian Maya Joint. Norrie booked his second-round place with a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over Christopher O'Connell. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Boulter lost 3-6 3-6 to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy with sunny intervals on the cote d’azur today though thunderstorms are planned to return inland later this afternoon. We’ll have gentle to moderate winds in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments and strong winds in the Bouches-Du-Rhone accompanied by mild temperatures of 18 degrees in Nice, and 19 degrees in Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Toulon and Marseille
Tonight, cloudy across the region with temperatures dropping to 11 degrees.
Outlook for tomorrow, mostly cloudy throughout the day with showers and thunderstorms planned for the whole afternoon inland with highs of 19 degrees. Goin into the weekend the coast should be cloudy and dry as showers continue inland into next week
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