One person has died and two have been injured after an apartment fire in Antibes this morning. The fire, in the Badine area, apparently started just before 7.00 this morning. According to reports, 30 firefighters arrived at the apartment but the fire was already extinguished when they arrived. It’s believed that the three victims were all from the same family. The father lost his life in the fire, his son is seriously injured and was airlifted to Sainte-Anne Hospital in Toulon. His wife is being treated at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice.
An estimated fifty yellow vest protestors blocked Amazon’s distribution centre in St Laurent du Var this morning. Reports say they were protesting about working conditions of delivery personnel, Amazon’s tax practices, and the waste they allege is caused by the company’s destruction of products. After negotiations, the protestors lifted their blockade at about midday.
A man who barricaded himself in his apartment in Entrevaux earlier today has surrendered to the authorities. Reports say that the man, who had a firearm with him, was arrested by elite forces after two hours of negotiations. He is believed to be suffering from a psychiatric illness. Twenty pompiers and police officers had been on standby in the village as negotiations took place.
It’s been announced that Ryanair will be operating new routes from Marseille Provence airport. 90 new Ryanair jobs will be created as part of a significant investment in the airline’s operations at the airport. The new flights for the Winter 2019 schedule include Manchester, Copenhagen, Milan and Prague. The investment is part of a significant expansion in France announced by Ryanair today, including a new base for the airline at Toulouse.
In a ceremony in Cannes today, David Lisnard, the Mayor of Cannes, laid the foundation stone for a new cinema complex. Many personalities from the world of cinema were present for the ceremony. The “Cineum Cannes” is set to open in May 2020 and will have what is said to be the largest screen on the French Riviera and will be able to seat over 2,400 cinema goers.
The director of the Nice Carnival has apologized to nearly 300 spectators who were left disappointed yesterday after being unable to access the event due to long queues and security measures. A refund has been offered with the possibility to return at a later date. Those concerned need to go to the Nice Carnival website.
BUSINESS
Standard Chartered is putting aside $900m for potential fines involving investigations in the UK and the US. The amount includes a £102.2m fine from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority related to financial crime controls. The provision was disclosed in a filing the bank made to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The UK government has recorded an unusually high January borrowing surplus last month. Government finances were in surplus by £14.9bn last month, the largest January surplus since records began in 1993. The figure was £5.6bn greater than a year ago.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to meet the UK’s culture secretary at the company’s headquarters in California today. The Facebook founder has refused to address a parliamentary committee investigating accusations of significant failings at the social network. Mr Wright told the BBC he hoped to discuss ways to prevent online harm.
SPORT
Rugby Union… Prop Ben Moon and wing Jack Nowell both start for England as head coach Eddie Jones makes two changes for Saturday's Six Nations showdown with Wales in Cardiff. Meanwhile, Gareth Anscombe has edged out Dan Biggar to be Wales fly-half. Wales coach Warren Gatland has also recalled Gareth Davies to partner Anscombe while Cory Hill takes over from Adam Beard at lock.
Scotland are aiming for their first win in France since 1999 in their Six Nations encounter. Peter Horne replaces the injured Finn Russell at fly-half. Blair Kinghorn starts at full-back. Nick Grigg wins his seventh cap at centre in place of injured Huw Jones, while Magnus Bradbury starts at blind-side flanker with Ryan Wilson also out.
Football… Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been fined £45,000 after accepting a Football Association charge for comments he made about referee Kevin Friend. The comments were made after the team’s 1-1 draw against West Ham earlier this month.
A Manchester City fan is in a critical condition in hospital after he was assaulted following their Champions League win over Schalke in Germany. German police said the 32-year-old man suffered a serious head injury in a violent confrontation with two Schalke supporters inside the stadium.
Formula 1… It’s day 3 of testing in Barcelona today and in the morning session Alex Albon was the quickest in the Toro Rosso, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
Read More
A judge has authorised a dive to inspect the wreckage of a plane in the sea off Antibes. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean on September 11 1968...
Read More
In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
Read More
The trial of the Tunisian man accused of the murder of three people in the Nice Basilica attack is continuing in Paris. Yesterday the families of the ...
Read More
Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
Read More
