French and Riviera News Thursday 14th November 2024

Body found of missing Cannes woman in Saint-Raphaël - A murder investigation has been opened after the body was found of a woman who went missing earlier this month in Saint-Raphaël. The 41-year-old, from Cannes, was attending a party at the Cap Esterel holiday village when she disappeared in the early hours of Sunday 3rd November. Her body was found this week at the bottom of a pit, not far from where she was last seen. One man was taken into custody on Tuesday and later released without charge. The investigation continues. A possible accidental death has not been ruled out at this stage.

Footballer to appeal against conviction - A former AS Monaco captain and French international footballer has said he will appeal against a two-year suspended prison sentence for sexual assault. 34-year-old Wissam Ben Yedder, who was the second highest scorer in AS Monaco history, was sentenced by a court in Nice earlier this week. He was on trial accused of assaulting a 23-year-old woman in his car in Cap d'Ail in early September. He was also sentenced for drink-driving and refusing to comply with police orders.

Four luxury watches stolen in armed raid - A suspect has been arrested in Beausoleil following an armed raid on a jewellery store in Monaco in which four luxury watches were stolen. The robbery, at The Watch Project on Boulevard Princesse Charlotte, lasted barely five minutes. The thief posed as a potential customer and took advantage of a moment when the shop's manager went to find a certificate of authenticity to follow them and threaten them with a gun and a taser. The loss is estimated at €40,000. The suspect was arrested two hours later. Back in May, an armed robbery at the Monaco Watch Company saw 80 second-hand luxury watches stolen, at an estimated loss of €4 million.

Roadside checks on vehicles in Grasse - National police have carried out a coordinated series of spot checks on vehicles in Grasse. 30 police officers with sniffer dogs pulled over more than 100 vehicles at three exits of the Cannes-Grasse pénetrante. Over the space of just two hours, they issued 25 fines for speeding.  Nine drivers tested positive for drugs and four were over the drink-drive limit. Other offences that attracted a fine included driving without wearing a seat belt, using a mobile phone, driving without a valid licence, four cars that were uninsured and nine cars that didn't have a valid roadworthiness certificate.

Test out Cannes driverless shuttle - A driverless electric minibus shuttle is being tested out in Cannes this week and next - with passengers asked to give their opinion after taking it for a test ride. The five-person autonomous shuttle is carrying out test journeys daily from 10am to midday around the tip of the Croisette, near Palm Beach, from now until 22nd November. During the test phase, a security guard is on board at all times and can take control of the vehicle if needed. Passengers are asked to fill out a questionnaire about their experience. If the experiment is considered a success, driverless shuttles could be deployed along the whole length of the Croisette.

Lenny Kravitz video filmed on Riviera - Lenny Kravitz has filmed his latest music video in a villa in Théoule-sur-Mer belonging to the late fashion designer Pierre Cardin. In the video for his single, called Honey, he can be seen dancing around the luxury villa and driving the winding roads of the Esterel in a classic car.

Celebrating France's PMU local bars - A little neighbourhood bar in Cannes has been featured in a new book showcasing 100 of the most typically French cafes throughout the country. "PMU, 100 bars that make France what it is" celebrates local bars that typically attract regulars and also serve as betting shops, tobacconists and newsagents. The PMU Le Petit Majestic, a few hundred metres away from the Croisette, is the only cafe in the Alpes-Maritimes to make it into the guide. While most of the time it attracts a loyal local clientele, the bar's visitor numbers surge during the Cannes film festival and numerous film stars have stopped by for a drink or a meal over the years.

BUSINESS

Volkswagen Group (VW) and Tesla rival Rivian have launched a joint venture, with the German car giant increasing its investment in the partnership. The two companies say the deal is now worth $5.8bn (£4.55bn) - up from an initial pledge from VW of $5bn. Shares in the US electric vehicle (EV) maker jumped more than 9% in after-hours trading following the announcement. The tie-up will see the firms sharing critical technology at a time of slowing global demand for electric cars and increased competition from Chinese rivals.

Crisis-hit Thames Water says it has received enough support from its creditors to potentially secure up to £3bn in emergency funding. The UK's biggest water firm revealed that those holding more than 75% of its less risky debt had agreed to the staged funding, saying that the deal should tide it over until at least October 2025.

SPORT

Tennis - Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz’s participation in the ATP Finals in Turin has been cast into doubt after he pulled out of practice with illness. His coach Juan Carlos Ferrero told Spanish media the 21-year-old cut short his session after just five minutes as a chest complaint was making breathing difficult.

Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev won his first indoor match since last year’s finals with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alex de Minaur.

Football - Ecuador international Marco Angulo has died at the age of 22 just over a month after being seriously injured in a car crash, his club have announced. The Quito midfielder had been in hospital since the incident on 7 October in the Ecuadorian capital. Reports in Ecuador said he underwent several operations and spent over a week in intensive care, before passing away on Monday night.

England are preparing for tonight's Nations League match with Greece. Also in group 2 of the Nations League, Belgium face Italy, France play Israel and the Republic of Ireland meet Finland. All four matches have an