Evening Update 05 March

Trial The trial continues today of a 49 year-old man accused of poisoning two pensioners. Today the court heard from specialists who described what the poison atropine is and how it was found in the blood of two victims, with an investigation underway into a third. The trial is expected to conclude tomorrow.

Bus Monaco has begun the roll-out ‘smart shelters’ for bus passengers across the principality. The shelters will provide free wi-fi, usb plugs for charging phones, real-time information on the arrival of busses and a 32 inch information touchscreen. The first shelter is located at Place d’Armes with 32 more shelters to be rolled out between now and September.

Alarm Residents along the coast are warned not to panic tomorrow when a test of the area’s emergency sirens takes place. Sirens, in nine towns from Cannes to Grasse and St-Laurent-du-Var are due to sound at 12.15 tomorrow for approximately one and a half mintues.

Weather Strong Mistral winds today have led to some delays at Nice Cote d’Azur airport. Winds of up to 55km/h blowing across the runway are hampering landings with at least one flight being diverted.

Meanwhile Meteó France has confirmed that the last two months have set records by being the sunniest in ten years. Since January 1st, we’ve had 440 hours of good sunshine across 39 days, which is 24% higher than average. The figures are a stark contrast to this time last year when it was snowing!

Driving Test La Poste has opened its first test site in Cannes, where drivers can take their theory test in a local post office. The exams are given by postmen who have been especially trained for the task. If the test is successful, it will be rolled out nationally.

BUSINESS

German carmakers say potentially punitive US tariffs on European cars are casting a large shadow over the industry. CEOs at the Geneva Motor Show say geopolitical tensions and trade wars were the biggest threat facing the industry right now.

Meanwhile in the UK, Toyota and BMW have become the latest car manufacturers to warn that a no-deal Brexit threatens the production of their cars in the UK. BMW said it would consider moving production from the UK in a no-deal scenario, while Toyota said a negative outcome could put future investment into its UK factory near Derby at risk.

Mark Zuckerberg's wealth has shrunk by $8.7bn in the past year, as his shares in Facebook lost a third of their value due to privacy scandals. That’s according to the latest Forbes billionaires' list which is once again topped by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who increased is net worth to $131bn. However, the total combined net worth of this year's billionaires' list has fallen, from $9.1 trillion to $8.7tn.

SPORT

Rugby France have named an unchanged side for Sundays Six Nations match against holders Ireland in Dublin. After losing at home to England, Ireland have won in Scotland and Italy, while France beat Scotland after losing their opener to Wales and suffering a heavy defeat by England. Kick-off on Sunday is 4pm.

Football Chelsea have appealed against FIFA's decision to ban them from signing players in the next two transfer windows. It follows an investigation into Chelsea's signing of foreign under-18 players. Chelsea have also been fined £460,000, while the Football Association has been fined £390,000.

Tennis Australian Nick Kyrgios says he wants to emulate Andy Murray by winning the Queen's title as he targets grass-court success this year. The player confirmed he will return to Queen's in June saying the courts suit his game, and if it goes well, it will set him up perfectly for Wimbledon.

Last local news

Evening Update Friday 19th of April 2024

A man from Nice used a stolen bank card to make purchases in Monaco, spending over €1,700 in various shops, mostly on airpods that he planned to resel... Evening Update Friday 19th of April 2024 Read More

19/04/2024

French and Riviera News Friday 19th April 2024

Electric bike-sharing firm Pony says all of its vehicles will be back out on the streets of Nice no later than June, after they were withdrawn last mo... French and Riviera News Friday 19th April 2024 Read More

19/04/2024

Evening Update Thursday 18th of April

Gabriel Attal announced new measures In response to recent acts of violence among young people during a visit to Viry-Châtillon. Attal highlighted the... Evening Update Thursday 18th of April Read More

18/04/2024

French and Riviera News Thursday 18th April

The owners of a vast floating artificial island that had been planned for last summer off the coast of Mandelieu have won a legal battle to be allowed... French and Riviera News Thursday 18th April Read More

18/04/2024

Evening Update Wednesday 17th of April

The Monegasque State has successfully conducted its first national voluntary surrender operation, with 123 firearms being handed over by private indiv... Evening Update Wednesday 17th of April Read More

17/04/2024