NEWS
Potential presence of broken glass in pizzas. A recall has been issued for several pizzas distributed by Auchan Avallon in France due to the potential presence of broken glass in the oregano leaf ingredient. Supplied by Laboratoire Herboristerie Générale between the 8th and 12th April, the pizzas include Reine, Chevre-Miel, Alsatienne, Franc-Comtoise, and Tuna varieties. There is a risk of injury and undesirable side effects if these products are consumed. Consumers are advised to stop consuming the pizzas, return them to the point of sale, or destroy them. The products may be reimbursed, and consumers can contact 03.86.34.92.92 for more information. The recall procedure will end on 15th May 2024.
56 cartons of cigarettes have been seized from a motorbike by Nice customs officers. During a check at the La Turbie toll plaza, the officers inspected a motorbike. The passenger (a resident of Nice) and rider were traveling from Italy. Customs officers discovered 56 cartons of cigarettes of various brands, bearing Italian tax stickers. In addition, a check on a resident of the Var region, also traveling from Italy, led to the seizure of 12 cartons of cigarettes. The goods were seized, and the individuals were required to pay a penalty.
A man has gone on trial accused of raping a young woman in the lobby of his apartment block in Nice. The woman was returning home from a night out celebrating her sister's birthday in August 2021. She says she was approached by a man on Place Massena. CCTV footage shows a man following her from a distance. She can then be seen entering the code to access her building, and just as the door opened, a man rushed in from behind a car. She told court that her attacker put a belt around her, threw her to the ground, threatened her with an unidentified object, and raped her in the hall of the building. The defendant, who's 36, has pleaded not guilty. He argues that the encounter was consensual. The verdict is expected this evening.
Boats, sofas, and other furniture littering the road, The Chemin des Iscles in Saint-Laurent-du-Var has become a hotspot for illegal dumping. This problem has been growing over the years, causing concern for both the town council and local residents. The presence of unauthorized rubbish disposal poses risks, as certain pollutants can escape and contaminate the soil. People are even disposing of their trash in plain sight during the day. The mayor of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Joseph Segura, describes the situation as a "daily battle." To combat this issue, an environmental brigade consisting of municipal police officers and highway patrol officers has been established. Their responsibilities include monitoring dumping sites, issuing fines, and catching offenders in the act.
The body of a young man was found on the terrace of a house in the Saint-Aygulf district of Fréjus yesterday night. The body was probably that of Camille, 33, who had been actively sought since March 9. the body was discovered by the owners of a holiday home on the terrace of their house. An autopsy is due to be carried out in the next few days at the forensic medical institute in Nice. For the time being, the public prosecutor's office is refusing to release any information, preferring to await the results of the autopsy, which should determine the cause of death.
BUSINESS
Despite worsening crisis in the property sector, the Chinese economy grew by 5.3% in Q1 2024, exceeding expectations of a 4.6% growth. Property investment fell by 9.5%, and retail sales, a key indicator of consumer confidence, also fell to 3.1% in the first quarter. The property sector accounts for around 20% of the Chinese economy, according to the IMF. Additionally, new house prices in China decreased at the fastest rate in over eight years in March. Meanwhile, Beijing has set an ambitious growth target of around 5% for the year. For decades the Chinese economy expanded at a stellar rate, with official figures putting its GDP growing at an average of close to 10% a year.
The French market for electric scooters experienced a slowdown in 2023, with fewer units sold and a decrease in the purchase budget after the euphoria that followed the pandemic. The market saw a decline of 10.7% from the previous year, with 678,000 new electric scooters sold. The market had already experienced a 16% decrease in 2022, breaking a five-year period of strong growth. The value of the market also contracted by almost 20%, decreasing from €345 million in 2022 to €277 million in 2023. This was mainly due to a decrease in the average selling price, which fell by 11% year-on-year to €408. Despite the decline, the average selling price remained higher than the prices in 2020 and 2021. Since the Covid period, from 2020 to 2023, over 3.25 million units of electric scooters have been sold in France, generating sales of €1.14 billion.
SPORTS
Cricket - England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt and Australia captain Pat Cummins have been named as the leading cricketers in the world by Wisden. Sciver-Brunt became the first English woman to be given the honour, while Cummins led her side to the World Test Championship and 50-over World Cup. England's Harry Brook and Mark Wood are among the five Cricketers of the Year.
Rugby Union - A £3m grant will aim to ensure the first British & Irish Lions women's team are not England in all but name. The Lions will go on a historic first tour, to New Zealand, in 2027. But there are concerns over the potential balance of the squad, with England having won 17 of the last 25 Five or Six Nations titles. As a result, Lions sponsors are to provide funding to try to develop players and coaches in all the home nations. Funding will be given to Wales, Scotland and Ireland, as well as England, to try to "level the playing field".
Athletics - Ben Pattison: Britain's world 800m medallist eyes Paris 2024 Olympic title bid. It took less than 105 seconds for Pattison to propel himself from relative unknown to Olympic medal threat. Achieving World Championship bronze in August was a moment of wide-mouthed disbelief long in the making for the then 21-year-old, whose setbacks include a potentially life-threatening heart condition. In spite of that, Pattison told doctors stopping running was not an option, which led to a successful surgery during the pandemic - which involved burning away a part of his heart. He qualified for the Worlds at the very last opportunity, running a personal best one minute 44.02 seconds on home soil at the London Diamond League.
WEATHER
Bright and sunny this afternoon, strong winds with gusts of up to 80 km/h. Highs of 19 degrees in Marseille, 20 in Toulon, 21 in Nice, 23 in Saint-Tropez and a very warm 25 degrees in Cannes.
Tonight, clear skies with lows of 13 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow, clear and sunny in the morning and risks of thunderstorm in the afternoon in Nice Cannes and Saint Tropez. Highs of 17 degrees.
Bordeaux, France's largest AOC vineyard, is tackling a crisis in the wine industry by grubbing up 8,000 hectares of vines by 31 May, with up to 1,500 ...
Read More
8,000 residents in La-Colle-sur-Loup have been told not to drink their tap water after a parasite was discovered in the mains supply....
Read More
A Self-service rental system for paddle boards has been implemented on the Larvotto beach in Monaco. Users can access the equipment through a paying a...
Read More
French president Emmanuel Macron has called for stronger, more integrated European defences as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Un...
Read More
The Côte d'Azur is on alert for a surge in imported cases of dengue fever. Since the beginning of 2024, a record 1,679 imported cases have been record...
Read More
