A teenager died after being shot in Marseille last night. The 17 year old lost his life and two other people were injured in the shooting in the 14th arrondissement. They were reportedly sitting in a car when gunmen opened fire.
It's a busy few days coming up on French roads. Government roads monitor Bison Fute has said that the Ascension Day holiday and the four days of school closures will lead to a large number of trips throughout France. “Significant traffic difficulties” are expected on all major roads in the country. In particular, Sunday, June 1st is expected to be very busy for return trips, especially in the Grand-Ouest and the North of the country. It said that most commuters will head to resorts and coastal areas located within short or medium distances from home. Routes connecting major cities to the nearest beaches will experience heavy traffic, not only at the beginning and end of the weekend, but also on other days of the period for day trips if weather conditions are favorable. Bison Fute have said that today is a red day in the direction of departures for the whole country and yellow in the direction of returns.
A court has rejected an appeal by the former mayor of Toulon, Hubert Falco, in the so-called "fridge affair". Falco had been sentenced by a lower court for alleged embezzlement of public funds. The rejection of his appeal means that he is banned from participating in elections for five years and will therefore not be able to run in the upcoming municipal elections. He was also sentenced to a fine of 30,000 euros and an 18 month suspended prison sentence.
The outgoing Prefect of the Var, Philippe Mahé, has paid tribute to all departmental employees. At a gathering of state service agents he said that they had worked together on countless issues, including security, housing, education, rural areas, and attention to the most vulnerable. The Prefecture had supported more than 1,000 projects for the development of the Var in collaboration with the mayors and elected officials of the region. He added that everyone present was also proud of the ceremonies and all the events related to the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the landings and the liberation.
There are thousands of premature deaths in France as a result of the so-called "dieselgate" affair, according to new research. The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air said that across the EU and UK, excess emissions are projected to cause severe public health and economic consequences over the period of 2009 to 2040, including about 205,000 premature deaths. In 2015 car manufacturer Volkswagen was found to have rigged emissions tests of many diesel powered cars.
BUSINESS
Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD and two of its contractors. Prosecutors allege that they were responsible for human trafficking and conditions "analogous to slavery" at a factory construction site in Brazil. BYD has previously said it has "zero tolerance for violations of human rights and labor laws."
UK water regulator Ofwat as fined Thames Water £122.7m for breaching rules relating to its sewage operations and shareholder payouts. It is the largest penalty issued by the regulator and comes after what it called its "biggest and most complex investigation". A Thames Water spokesperson said: "We take our responsibility towards the environment very seriously."
Elon Musk has criticized one of the major policies of Donald Trump. In a TV interview he said that he was "disappointed" by the President's budget plans, which he felt "undermines" the work he did on reducing government spending. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill which includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a pledge to increase defense spending.
SPORT
Football… Ronan Kpakio has been named in the Wales squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium. The 18 year old is included for the first time. He took part in Wales' training camp in Spain earlier this month.
Cricket... It's been announced that Jamie Smith will open for England in the upcoming one-day international against West Indies. He'll open alongside Ben Duckett. Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks are all in the side.
Rugby Union… England player Sam Underhill will miss the rest of the season for his club Bath after being given a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle. The incident happened during the club's European Challenge Cup final match against Lyon.
France’s health minister has announced that France will introduce a nationwide ban on smoking in outdoor public areas commonly visited by children, st...
Read More
The Var department has experienced its first "tropical night" of the season, with temperatures not dropping below 25°C at 3 am, particularly in Hyères...
Read More
The Société des Bains de Mer (S.B.M.) has announced solid financial results for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025, with revenue rising ...
Read More
France is set to experience record-breaking heat over the Ascension Day holiday, with tomorrow, Friday, May 30th, expected to be the hottest day of th...
Read More
Sunshine with a gentle breeze in the Alpes Maritimes. Moderate to strong winds in the Var. Highs of 25 degrees in Monaco, 25 degrees in Nice, 26 degre...
Read More
