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.