An Uber driver has been attacked in Marseille. The incident happened last night in the 15th arrondissement. According to local reports, the passengers demanded the evening's takings and the driver's mobile phone. The driver was hit with a weapon, forced into the boot of the car and shot as he tried to escape. He was taken to hospital but his life isn't in danger.
An 18 year old has received a suspended sentence of 8 months for looting a shop in Nice. He was involved in protests after the death of 17 year old Nahel in Nanterre and was part of a group which looted a shop on rue Alphonse Karr on the night of 1 July. He was also required to compensate the shop for its losses.
A 21 year old has died after being shot in Beziers in the Herault department. An 18 year old was also injured in the same incident in which two people apparently opened fire on the victims' vehicle. The local mayor said that the incident happened at a well known drugs dealing point.
French economy minister Bruno Le Maire has held discussions with food distributors. The minister has asked them to continue their price reduction operations which began last March in the face of rising inflation. Speaking to French media, food distributors have said that a fall in prices isn't likely until around next March when negotiations with manufactures take place.
The Basse Corniche has reopened at Cap d'Ail. Geologists visited the area this morning at 7 a.m. and then carried out a purge of rocks and an inspection of the cliff. The road had been closed since a landslide.
The Var Prefecture has said that the State provides more than 3.4 million euros to Var firefighters and communities in the Var to prevent and fight against fires. About 1.75 million euros in subsidies was allocated in 2023, mainly from the Green Fund. 1.65 million euros will also be allocated from the National Support Fund, as announced by the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin last week. The prefecture said those funds will enable the SDIS in the Var to purchase six vehicles to fight forest fires.
BUSINESS
18.5 million passengers travelled through Gatwick airport in the first six months of this year, which is up 41% compared to the same period in 2022 but that period was when traffic was still heavily impacted by COVID-19 travel restrictions. Revenue at the airport was £423.3 million for the half year, up 45% compared to 2022 with net profit for the period up 56%. Air traffic movements at Gatwick remain below pre-pandemic levels at 86% for the half year.
Meanwhile, former BA boss and director general of travel body IATA, Willie Walsh, has said that the airline industry may end up bearing costs of up to 100 million pounds as a result of yesterday’s air traffic control problems in the UK.
Marks & Spencer has returned to the UK FTSE 100 index of listed companies for the first time in four years after a surge in its share price. M&S was relegated from the index in 2019 as it faced falling sales and intense competition.
Shares in clothing company Superdry have been temporarily suspended on the London Stock Exchange at the company’s request. It said that publication of its audited full year results for 2023 has been delayed. The board said that the delay “is a result of normal procedures taking longer than anticipated” and that it expects to announce the results later this week.
SPORT
Cricket… England women's match fees for internationals have been increased to equal the men's fees with immediate effect. The change was recommended in a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket. It said women were paid 25% of men's fees for white-ball and 15% for Tests by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Football.. Manchester United player Raphael Varane is expected to be out for a few weeks because of the injury he sustained against Nottingham Forest at the weekend. According to the BBC, club sources have played down suggestions he could miss as many as six weeks, and say that the forthcoming international break will limit the number of matches in which he doesn’t play.
A red weather alert issued on Thursday evening saw train travel suspended between Les Arcs Draguignan and Ventimiglia and Cap 3000 shopping centre abr...
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Train traffic is completely halted after 5:30pm today, Thursday 17th of October.
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A 26-year-old biker has died following a road accident behind the Eze-Village tunnel.
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Thirteen departments in southern France are under orange weather alert for rain, flooding, thunderstorms, and/or river surges. ...
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All schools in the Alpes-Maritimes will be closed today Thursday 17th October, due to the orange weather alert which is to be reinstated from 9am this...
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