Police in Strasbourg have carried out a security operation this afternoon in the district of Neudorf as they continue their hunt for the gunman who killed three people on Tuesday. Cherif Chekatt, 29, has been on the run since the attack at the city's Christmas market. He was dropped off in Neudorf area by a taxi which he commandeered to leave the city centre. Police say he is highly dangerous and should not be approached. Authorities announced earlier today that a third person has died in the aftermath of the attack. They said that five people were seriously wounded, including a man described as brain dead.
French government ministers have appealed for the nationwide yellow jacket protests to stop in the wake of the attack to allow police resources to be redeployed. Many protesters had vowed to stage a fifth Paris street march this Saturday, insisting President Macron had not done enough to address social inequality. According to local reports, several demonstrations are planned in Nice this weekend, including a protest tomorrow afternoon at Magnan at the inauguration of the tramline. A meeting is planned for 11.00 Saturday morning at the Place Massena followed by a march around the centre of Nice. Action by the yellow vests is also reportedly planned for Saturday afternoon in Antibes.
A TGV train from Paris to Nice was hit by a bullet near Avignon yesterday evening. The bullet, which was apparently of the type used for hunting, lodged in the headrest of a seat. It’s not clear at this stage if the shot was fired accidentally or deliberately. No injuries were reported.
Two employees of motorway operator Vinci Autoroutes were seriously injured this morning when a truck hit their van on the A8 motorway. The truck apparently entered a marked area where the employees were working between junction 41, Cannes La Bocca and Junction 42, Cannes Mougins, on the carriageway towards Italy.
A 66 year old woman has died in an accident in Nice today. Reports say that the woman was crushed by a truck in rue de Roquebillière near the Nice TNL shopping centre. Police are currently trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Autobleue car sharing service in Nice is being replaced by a different service in the New Year. The public Autobleue cars will disappear from the city’s roads on the 31st of December and will be replaced on the 1st of January by fifty Renault Zoe electric cars operated by Renault Mobility.
A French court has overturned the sentencing of farmer Cedric Herrou who helped migrants cross the Franco-Italian border. It's the first decision of its kind since France's Constitutional Court ruled in July that people cannot be charged for helping migrants, as this went against the basic French "principle of fraternity". Herrou was given a four-month suspended prison sentence in August 2017 by an appeals court in Aix en Provence for helping about 150 migrants trying cross the Franco-Italian border. His sentence was also overturned on Wednesday.
The regions train network has announced delays and cancellations tomorrow Friday 14th December due to national strike action. Passengers are advised to check timetables at sncf.fr Industrial action may also affect flights at Nice Cote d'Azur airport on Friday.
BUSINESS
The European Central Bank has confirmed it will end Quantative Easing this month. The bank first announced in June that it planned to end its net asset purchase programme designed to stimulate the eurozone economy. It also said today that it would keep interest rates on hold.
EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici has said that a new 2019 budget plan from the Italian government is still not enough to secure EU backing. He said the plan to reduce Italy’s deficit to 2.04% of GDP was "a step in the right direction". If an agreement isn’t reached, Rome could be the target of an EU excessive deficit procedure, which could ultimately lead to fines of up to 0.2% of GDP.
Apple has announced an investment of one billion dollars to build a new campus in Austin, Texas. The company said it expected the campus would eventually make it the Austin's biggest private employer.
SPORT
Cricket… India's Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma are out of the second Test against Australia, who are unchanged for the game which starts tomorrow. Ashwin has an abdominal strain while Sharma has a lower back injury.
Football… It’s been announced that Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn will step down at the end of the season after four years in the role. In a statement the FA credited him with creating the "culture around St George's Park and the England teams which has led to an unprecedented period of success".
Winter Sports… Women will be allowed to race down the iconic Cresta Run toboggan track in Switzerland this season after an 89-year ban was overturned. It was deemed to be too medically dangerous in the 1920’s. St Moritz Tobogganing Club members voted by a two-thirds majority to allow women to ride the Cresta Run again and become members of the club.
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