A Second World War rocket was discovered in Antibes this morning. Municipal cleaning staff made the discovery near the Paul-Arena school. A bomb disposal unit examined and removed the device. An investigation is now underway to determine its origin.
The local prosecutor has confirmed that the death of a woman at Les Arc railway station last week was suicide. The woman, who lived in Paris, got off the Paris to Nice TGV and jumped from a bridge at the station last Wednesday. Authorities launched an investigation to establish if the death was the result of criminal activity but have concluded that the woman took her own life.
A six storey apartment building in Vallauris was evacuated in the early hours of this morning because of a fire. A faulty air conditioner is thought to be the cause of a blaze breaking out in one of the apartments. A couple in their sixties have been rehoused.
The Plage des Ondes in Cap d'Antibes has been re-opened to bathers this afternoon. The beach had been closed since Monday because of pollution.
The head of the Opera Plage in Nice, Michel Maiffret, has passed away at the age of 75. The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, expressed “deep sadness” at the death of his friend, paying tribute to the head of the oldest beach in the city. Monsieur Maiffret was also heavily involved in several different sporting associations in Nice.
There was severe disruption to traffic in central Nice this afternoon after a pile-up on the Voie Mathis. A collision involving 3 cars occurred at about 1.30pm on the side of the road going towards the city centre. The vehicles were cleared about an hour later. One person suffered slight injuries.
An 89 year old man has been saved from drowning in Cannes this afternoon. He became ill whilst swimming at a beach on the Boulevard du Midi at about 3pm. He was taken to La Fontonne hospital in Antibes.
A tank at a water treatment plant in Corsica has exploded causing injuries to eight people. The tank at the plant in Ajaccio was being filled with chlorine at the time of the incident earlier today, according to the Mayor of Ajaccio. Local residents were being advised to stay indoors.
The municipality of St Paul de Vence has announced plans to give names to roads in the village which are currently un-named. Local residents were told of the plans at a meeting and have been invited to submit proposed names. The municipality has suggested that the names of plants or plant species might be appropriate. The current situation, which affects about 300 homes, has arisen because of new development in areas of the village which are un-named and potentially causes difficulties with emergency services locating properties.
Two million euros in cash has been found in a car stopped by authorities on the France-Spain border. The vehicle was searched at a toll booth in connection with an investigation into drugs trafficking. The two million euros was packed into bags in the boot of the car. The two men in the vehicle were arrested and have been kept in custody after appearing before a judge yesterday. A further 200,000 euros was also seized in the Vaucluse department as a result of further investigations after the arrests.
BUSINESS
New figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that average house prices in the UK increased by 0.7% in the year to July, down from 1.4% in June. It’s the lowest annual rate since September 2012. The latest UK inflation numbers have also been released by the ONS. The Consumer Prices Index, which includes owner occupiers’ housing costs, was 1.7% in August, down from 2.0% in July. The Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation was 1.7% in August, down from 2.1% in July.
DIY group Kingfisher has reported a 6.4% fall in pre-tax profits to £353m for the six months to the end of July. The company operates over 1,300 stores in 10 countries, including B&Q in the UK and Brico Dépôt in France.
Scotland's economy shrank between April and June, according to the latest official figures. Data released by the Scottish government shows output contracted by 0.3% over the period. Construction saw a sharp reduction in activity.
The Lloyd's of London insurance market has reported a profit before tax of £2.3bn for the first half of the year, up from £600m a year earlier.
Facebook has revealed details on its plan to create an independent "oversight" board to make decisions over how the network is moderated. Facebook said the panel will have power to override decisions it makes over contentious material and influence new policy.
Japan's exports have dropped for the ninth month in a row in August. Exports in August fell 8.2% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, South Korea is dropping Japan from its so-called "white list" of trusted trade partners. The move appears to be in response to Japan's decision earlier this month to do the same to South Korea. A long-running diplomatic dispute between the two countries has evolved into a trade fight, which includes curbs on technology goods.
SPORT
Football… In the European Champions League there are 8 games in Groups A ,B,C and D tonight with Spurs getting their campaign underway with an away game at Olympiakos in Group B. Manchester City are away at Shakhtar Donetsk in Group C while Paris St Germain host Real Madrid in Group A.
Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has signed a new contract with the club through to 2024, with the option of a further year. The Sweden international has made 74 appearances for Manchester United since joining from Benfica in June 2017.
Former Rangers player Fernando Ricksen has died at the age of 43. The Netherlands international had been suffering from motor neurone disease. Ricksen spent 6 years at Rangers after being signed by fellow Dutchman Dick Advocaat back in 2000.
Rugby Union… Ireland's Rob Kearney has been passed fit to face Scotland in Sunday's World Cup match, but injured Robbie Henshaw will miss out. Backs Keith Earls and Joey Carbery have both trained today after sustaining injuries in warm-up fixtures.
Cricket… India are playing South Africa in an International Twenty20 match. South Africa were 149 for 5 at the end of their innings early this evening.
Judo… Iran has been banned by the International Judo Federation after it ordered one of its players to pull out of the World Championships to avoid the prospect of a match against a judo player from Israel. Iran prohibits its athletes from competing in any sport against Israel. Iran can appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Nice airport says as many as 60% of flights will be cancelled tomorrow due to a nationwide strike by air traffic controllers....
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After eight months of work and several sea trials, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has begun a six-week operation in the Mediterranean, ...
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A group of experts have come up with more than 150 recommendations for how Nice can deal with the increasing effects of climate change....
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Some communes in the Alpes-Maritimes will be plunged into darkness this Monday evening. For the third year running to mark Earth Day, mayors in the Al...
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Gendarmes in the Var have appealed for information after a 34-year-old man went missing in Cavalaire-sur-Mer....
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