Evening Update Monday 17 November 2025
France and Ukraine have signed a major new arms deal. President Zelinsky and President Macron signed the agreement, under which France committed to provide about one hundred new fighter jets over the next ten years, at a ceremony this morning in the Yvelines department. President Zelinsky said that the agreement was “historic”. The leaders have also has a working lunch at the Elysee Palace.
Customs officers have made a major drugs seizure in the Doubs department near the Swiss border. 47 kilos of cocaine and over 200 kilos of cannabis resin were found concealed in the roof of a truck which was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
A chemicals factory in the Seine-Maritime was blockaded by protestors this morning. According to local reports, several hundred farmers were present and about a hundred people entered the plant. The operator of the plant condemned the protest saying that equipment had been damaged, staff had been intimidated and safety had been compromised. Protestors accuse the plant of releasing chemicals which damage the environment.
Plans for a new data centre in the Seine-et-Marne department have been announced. Four billion euros will be invested to create one of the largest data centres in Europe on a former EDF site. It’s expected to be operational by 2027.
A teenager is in a coma after being shot in Grenoble. The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday in an area in which drugs dealing has taken place. The victim, who is believed to be about 13 years old, was shot once in the back and twice in the legs, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
The body of a seventeen year old has been found in an apartment in Roubaix in northern France. Several canisters of nitrous oxide gas were reportedly found nearby. An investigation has been opened to establish the cause of death.
A major new business park is about to open in the Var. The area in Le Cannet-des-Maures is located near the A57 and A8 motorways and will soon welcome businesses, including defence firms which will benefit from its proximity to the Army Light Aviation School, the Canjuers military camp, and the Toulon naval base. The Prefecture has said that the aim of the new business park is to increase local employment and boost the economy of the Cœur du Var region.
A young farmer in the Var is one of the candidates for Miss France Agricole 2026. 24 year old Lisa Herbomez is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Gabrielle Priolo, another young farmer from the department, who won the award this year.