Evening Update Wednesday 21 August

France’s competition authority has cleared the purchase of OGC Nice by Ineos, the company controlled by Sir Jim Radcliffe. l'Autorité de la Concurrence announced its decision this afternoon. The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has said that the decision is a milestone in the purchase of the club and that the club is about to “enter a new dimension”.

A woman has been seriously injured after falling from a cliff in the Var earlier today. The 45 year old apparently fell about 20 metres near Carqueiranne, between Hyeres and Toulon. Reports say that eleven firefighters and a helicopter were involved in the rescue operation.

A 26 year old man is in a serious condition in hospital after being shot in Marseille. The incident happened after a chase between two vehicles in the early hours of this morning on the A55 motorway near Cap Janet in the 15th arrondissement.

Police in Pierrefeu du Var have asked the public for information about a missing person. 47 year old Laurent Philip was last seen leaving his home in Carnoules last Friday evening. He’s described at being 1.8 metres tall, slim with brown eyes and long salt and pepper hair and a beard. Anyone with information is asked to contact the gendarmerie in Pierrefeu du Var on 04 94 28 60 27.

The firework display which was originally due to take place in Antibes on the 1st of August has been re-scheduled for tomorrow night.  The fireworks are due to start at 10.15pm tomorrow in the bay of Juan-les-Pins. A further display is scheduled for this coming Saturday night at 10pm.  Those fireworks will be launched from a boat positioned between La Siesta and Fort Carré.

The Chamber of Agriculture for the Alpes-Maritimes has estimated that the production of olives in the region has fallen by 60% this year due to the heatwave. The hot and dry conditions have been catastrophic for olive growers. The Chamber of Agriculture plans to make a complete assessment of the situation for olive growers in the region in the coming days.

The manager of a bar has died after being punched by a customer. A man entered the bar in the Seine-Saint-Denis department near Paris just after midnight last night.  The manager refused to serve the man a drink because he was intoxicated. The suspect then hit the 66 year old manger who died at the scene shortly afterwards. 


BUSINESS

The High Court in Dublin has blocked a planned strike by Ireland based Ryanair pilots on Thursday and Friday.  Ryanair welcomed the judgement and said all Ryanair flights from Irish airports would now take off as normal. A London court is still hearing an urgent attempt by the airline to block a  larger strike by British pilots.

The UK government is launching a review of the highly controversial HS2 high-speed rail link. The government has said it will give a decision on whether or not to proceed with the project by the end of this year.

UK tech companies secured a record £5.5bn in foreign investment in the first seven months of this year. US and Asian firms invested most in the period, according to new research. However, overall foreign direct investment in the UK is falling, amid uncertainty over Britain's future relationship with the EU. Foreign direct investment hit a six-year low in June.

The UK posted a lower-than-expected budget surplus in July. The surplus fell to £1.3bn compared with £3.6bn last year. UK government borrowing so far this year has grown to £16bn, an increase of 60% on last year. 

 

SPORT

Cricket… England have called up Surrey batsman Ollie Pope to be on standby for the third ashes test if Jason Roy suffers a delayed concussion. Roy was struck in the head during net practice yesterday but is available to play at the moment after passing a concussion test. It was announced yesterday that Australia batsman Steve Smith will miss the third Test because of concussion. The test gets underway tomorrow at Headingley 

Football… Winger Jadon Sancho has agreed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund. The 19-year-old scored 13 goals last season for the club as they finished second behind Bayern Munich.

Juventus have called for more early kick-offs to help the club grow in Asia. The Italian top level season begins on Saturday and every game in the first two weeks starts at midnight or later in Beijing. Juventus reportedly see China as a major area for growth.

Former Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has joined Fiorentina on a free transfer. Ribery, who is 36 years old, became a free agent in the summer after 12 years at the Munich club.

 

Last local news

Evening Update Friday 9th May 2025

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first U.S.-born pope and signalling continuity with Pope Francis’... Evening Update Friday 9th May 2025 Read More

09/05/2025

French and Riviera News Friday 9th May 2025

A Polish man in his forties has been hospitalized in Valence after enduring a harrowing journey between two TGV carriages from Paris. ... French and Riviera News Friday 9th May 2025 Read More

09/05/2025

Weather Forecast - Friday 9th May 2025

Cloudy with sunny intervals. Light rain is forecast for the Var region with moderate to strong winds. Highs of 17 degrees in Monaco and Saint-Tropez, ... Weather Forecast - Friday 9th May 2025 Read More

09/05/2025

Habemus Papam

White smoe Is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning A new pope has just been chosen! 133 cardinals have gathered in the Sistine cha... Habemus Papam Read More

08/05/2025

Evening Update Thursday 8th May 2025

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. ... Evening Update Thursday 8th May 2025 Read More

08/05/2025