MPs debate medical check-ups for drivers over 70 - France's national assembly is debating a bill this week that would require drivers over the age of 70 to undergo a medical examination every five years to make sure they're still fit to drive. The bill has cross-party support from more than 100 MPs. 14 EU member states already require medical check-ups for older drivers, including Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Macron responds to Le Pen's claim that conviction was 'political' - French president Emmanuel Macron has sought to reiterate the independence of France's justice system, after right-wing outrage this week over the conviction of Marine Le Pen for embezzling EU funds. Macron said threats made to judges and magistrates were unacceptable and that everyone in France has the right to equal justice. Le Pen has publicly criticised the court ruling that bans her from running for public office as a "political decision" and says she will appeal. The French far-right politician was barred from standing in an election for five years, with immediate effect. The decision means that, unless she can get her sentence overturned before the 2027 presidential election, Le Pen will likely not be able to stand.
Prison overcrowding worsens - The number of people serving time in French prisons has hit record levels. New figures from the justice ministry show France had more than 82,000 prison inmates on 1st March - that's 131% of total prison capacity. This time last year the figure was 124%. Prison overcrowding is an ongoing issue in France, with almost 5,000 inmates having to sleep on mattresses on the floor.
Nantes fans banned from tomorrow's Nice match - In local news, FC Nantes football fans have been banned from travelling to the Riviera for tomorrow's Ligue 1 match against OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera. An interior ministry decree cites a "real and serious risk of confrontation" between rival supporters during the match, which kicks off at 8.45 on Friday. The order says that relations between Nice and Nantes have been marked by animosity for many years. In December 2023, a large-scale brawl broke out in Nice city centre between fans from each side.
Swimming bans due to dirty water - A ban on swimming, sailing and watersports off the coast of Saint-Laurent-du-Var has been extended after tests found there were still unacceptable levels of sewage in the water. The ban on swimming came into force last July, and in January this year it was extended to sailing. Both bans have now been extended to at least the end of April - and could remain in place all summer long. The Eau d'Azur wastewater treatment plant, which is owned by the Nice metropolitan area, is still discharging polluted water into the Med due to a malfunction with some of its filters. Meanwhile, Cagnes-sur-Mer has also temporarily banned swimming and watersports at five beaches because of a high discharge of wastewater into the sea from the local water treatment plant. It said the ban would be lifted as soon as water analyses come back with acceptable levels.
Brit's luxury watch snatched in Cannes - A British tourist has become the victim of a luxury watch theft near the Croisette in Cannes. The man's Patek Philippe watch, with a declared value of €100,000, was snatched while he was walking along Rue du Canada on Tuesday evening. The victim gave chase but the thief managed to escape. CCTV footage allowed a municipal police patrol to arrest the suspect some time later - but he did not have the watch on him.
Notary fees to increase in Var - The cost of buying a home in the Var is set to become more expensive after the department voted to increase its tax on notary fees. Under the 2025 Finance Act, local authorities have the freedom to increase the departmental element of the duty paid when buying a house. Among those departments opting for the move, the increase is typically in the region of 4% to 5%. In the Var, which voted unanimously in favour, it means a €250,000 property would cost about an extra €1,250 to buy. The Alpes-Maritimes has opted not to put up its taxes on property sales.
Le Lavandou does it bit in war effort - A small seaside town in the Var has taken the unusual step of approving a €10 levy on every resident to fund any future war effort by France. The mayor of Le Lavandou added the last-minute proposal to the agenda of a municipal council meeting this week. A lengthy discussion about international politics and Le Lavandou's role in geopolitical affairs reportedly followed. The resolution was adopted - meaning €68,000 of local tax revenue will go to the state to bolster French defences. Mayor Gil Bernardi says that, while a small gesture, if every municipality in France chose to do the same, it'd raise more than €600 million each year.
BUSINESS
Heathrow Airport was warned about the "resilience" of its power supply in the days before a fire which shut down the airport for more than a day last month. The boss of a group representing airlines told a group of MPs on Wednesday that he spoke to Heathrow on 15 March about his concerns and again on 19 March. Heathrow Airline Operators' Committee boss Nigel Wicking said he raised cases of "theft of wire and cable around some of the power supply" which he said temporarily took out runway lights, which are critical to passenger safety, Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye apologised to the nearly 300,000 passengers whose journeys were disrupted by the closure on 21 March.
The sell-off in European stock markets gathered pace yesterday, and pharmaceutical stocks were among the biggest fallers ahead of Donald Trump’s tariff announcement. The UK government has said it will not engage in a “kneejerk” response to tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, as it warned there would be a “difficult period” ahead in trade relations with the US and called for calm.
And an online travel content platform backed by a fund which counts the England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes among its investors will this week unveil a $7m funding injection. Unravel, which combines TikTok-style video content with an artificial intelligence-powered booking assistant to enhance users' experience, will announce the Series A round today. The platform partners with travel influencers to identify distinctive overseas experiences, and says it facilitates transactions within banking apps, airline loyalty programmes and digital marketplaces.
SPORT
Football - Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says Jadon Sancho "could do better" but insists it is "not the moment" to discuss the player's future. His comments follow reports the forward could return to Manchester United once his loan spell with the Blues is over at the end of the season. The 25-year-old winger joined Chelsea on loan with a £25m obligation to buy but it has since emerged that there is a £5m penalty clause if they opt against signing him. Sancho has scored just twice in 29 games since joining Chelsea and is on an 18-game goal drought in all competitions.
Mikel Arteta faces an anxious wait over the fitness of four defenders ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid next week. Although the Gunners were boosted by the goalscoring return of Bukayo Saka, during Tuesday's 2-1 home win over Fulham, they lost Gabriel Magalhaes to a hamstring injury. The centre-back was seen grimacing as he laid on the turf clutching the back of his right leg, and was substituted just 16 minutes into the game. Jurrien Timber was forced off with a knee injury. Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori were already sidelined.
Formula One - Liam Lawson has revealed his "shock" at being dropped by Red Bull, as team principal Christian Horner explained the reasons for making the decision. Red Bull last week remarkably decided to demote Lawson to their junior squad Racing Bulls just two races into his first campaign with the team, with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda promoted ahead of his home race this weekend. The decision was made little more than three months after Lawson had been selected over Tsunoda as reigning world champion Max Verstappen's team-mate, and it follows poor performances from the New Zealander in Australia and China.
Rugby Union - The UK House of Commons’ public accounts committee has warned that there remains a “high degree of uncertainty” over whether tens of millions of pounds paid to rugby union clubs and other sports teams during the Covid-19 pandemic will ever be repaid. In a report published on Wednesday, the committee also criticised the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for being “overly optimistic” in believing it will recover most of the £474m it paid out to 120 organisations in the sport and culture sectors to help them survive the impact of the pandemic. The report also highlighted what it said was a “gap in oversight and accountability” in the £123m loaned to rugby clubs.
WEATHER
Hazy sunshine today, temperatures reaching 19 degrees Celsius on the coast and 20 inland. More light cloud overnight with a gentle breeze and temperatures going down to 13 on the coast and 8 inland. The outlook for Friday: sunny spells, some light cloud here and there and again temperatures around 19 degrees Celsius on the coast and 20 inland. The outlook for the weekend: fine and sunny on Saturday, the possibility of some light rain on Sunday.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi is under scrutiny for multiple legal cases, including corruption, favouritism, and financial mismanagement. ...
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France's national assembly is debating a bill this week that would require drivers over the age of 70 to undergo a medical examination every five year...
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Monaco’s new central postal sorting facility will open on the 12th of May at Îlot Pasteur, merging the existing sites for improved efficiency. ...
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French president Emmanuel Macron has set out the key objectives for this summer's United Nations Ocean Conference, which will take place in Nice from ...
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Two Marseille drug enforcement officers are in custody over the disappearance of 350 kg of cocaine during a 2023 undercover operation. ...
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