-
France urges flu vaccination after 17,000 deaths last winter
Last year’s season was particularly severe due to ‘low vaccination coverage’, experts say
-
Air traffic controller defends colleagues over near-fatal air crash at Nice
He blames airport lighting issues and claims ‘staff are deeply affected’ over the incident
-
Dordogne runs anti-mosquito operation after chikungunya outbreak
The campaign is ‘preventative’, with affected residents asked to stay indoors and bring in pets and washing
300 luxury items up for auction as French customs sell seized goods
Confiscated Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari cars, jewellery, designer handbags and fine wines are included in the Paris sale

More than 300 luxury items – all of which have been confiscated as a result of legal processes – are to be auctioned off in a French customs sale in Paris on November 5.
The items are being sold to mark the 10th anniversary of the creation of confiscation agency l’Agence de recouvrement des avoirs saisis et confisqués (Agrasc).
They include luxury vehicles, jewellery, leather goods, fine wine and high-tech products, all of which are being sold to show that criminals “should not be able to profit from their crimes”, Agrasc said.
Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior handbags and shoes included in sale
Among the lots are five gold franc coins from the 1800s, which are expected to sell for €2,000; a 3.02 carat diamond expected to sell for up to €60,000; and a gold medallion signed by the artist Salvador Dalí, valued at €1,500.
The sale also features luxury handbags and shoes by designers including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, and Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari cars.
Among the wines is a case of six bottles of Grand Vin Pauillac from Château Latour from 2000 valued at €2,200.
There is also a single bottle of Romanée-Conti Grand Cru 2000 from Domaine de La Romanée-Conti expected to sell for €7,000.
This is significantly lower than market price. Industry website iDealwine lists the current cost for a newly purchased bottle of the same wine at €12,034.
Items will go on display in a showroom in Bercy, in the 12th arrondissement, at 10:00, before bidding starts at 10:30. Registration to bid on items should be done tomorrow (November 4).
The first lots featuring cars, motorbikes and bikes will last from 10:30-11:30, followed by gold, jewellery and watches from 11:30-14:30, leather goods and wine from 14:30-16:45, and high-tech goods from 16:45-17:30.
Tickets for the event are available online.
Related stories
US collector pays €6.6m for Big John dinosaur skeleton at Paris sale
Rare coins found at Breton manor exceed auction hopes and sell for €1m
Hat belonging to Napoleon and containing his DNA up for auction