The Court of Appeal in Lyon has confirmed the sentences of a retired couple from Mouans-Sartoux who were in possession of 271 works by Pablo Picasso. The couple claimed to have received the works as a gift from the artist’s wife. The court today confirmed the two year suspended prison sentence handed down by a court in Grasse in 2015. The works, which are being held by the Banque de France, will now be given to Picasso’s heirs.
A French government official has said yesterday’s bridge collapse in the Haute-Garonne may have been caused by the weight of the truck crossing the bridge being in excess of that which was permitted. But the Secretary of State to the Minister of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition, Emmanuelle Wargon, said that it will be the public prosecutor who will establish the facts surrounding the collapse. She said that the correct maintenance procedures for the bridge appear to have been followed. She also said that central government would come to the aid of local municipalities across France who may have concerns about the safety of bridges in their area.
Five people have been injured in a head on collision in the Var this morning. Two cars collided and a third vehicle was unable to avoid the crash on the departmental road 97 in Puget-Ville. One of the victims, in her seventies, is in a critical condition with multiple fractures.
A car park in Nice was briefly closed this morning after concrete fell on to a parked car. Pompier were called to l’Arénas parking but declared the structure to be safe and the area was reopened.
Household refuse collections have been suspended in parts of the Var. Towns and villages in the Provence Verte and Coeur du Var areas including Brignoles, Saint-Maximin and Le Luc are affected but collections of sorted waste are continuing as normal.
A man who had been missing in Breil-sur-Roya has been found. André Bergonzi, who had disappeared from a home on Sunday was located nearby. He has been taken to hospital for examination and is reported to be suffering from hypothermia.
The Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, has announced that an esplanade will be renamed in honour of Jacques Chirac. The central island of the Jardin de la Roseraie will bear the name of the former French president.
BUSINESS
Easyjet has reported a 26% fall in pre-tax profits to £427m for the year to 30 September. Revenues rose 8.3% to £6.4bn due to an increase in capacity. The airline also announced that it is relaunching its package holiday business and said that it would become the world's first major net zero carbon airline by offsetting carbon emissions.
The US has issued a new 90-day extension to Huawei, meaning American companies can continue doing business with the firm. Huawei was put on a US trade blacklist in May over concerns it may pose a risk to national security.
SPORT
Football... Wales are hoping for a win in their final group game against Hungary tonight, which would take them through automatically to the Euro2020 finals. Also tonight, Northern Ireland visit Germany in Group C. Scotland are at home against Kazakhstan in Group I.
Luis Enrique is returning as Spain manager five months after stepping down for personal reasons. Enrique resigned in June after 11 months in the job and announced in August that his nine-year-old daughter had died from bone cancer. He had been replaced by his assistant, Robert Moreno.
Formula 1… Both Ferrari drivers have been called to a meeting at the team’s headquarters in Maranello to explain why they collided while contesting 4th place in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Team principal Mattia Binotto described the incident as “silly” and will now have to find a way to reinstall some discipline into the pair’s behaviour. Both drivers put the tangle down to a racing incident but will be expected to explain their actions at the meeting later this week.
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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