Evening Update 23 April

Police are hunting two armed men who carried out a violent daylight burglary, at the home of a shooting instructor, near Marseilles. The men tied up the victim and his two guests, before stealing weapons, jewellery and the man’s car. The victims are said to be shaken but not injured.

The Cote d’Azur remains under a Meteó France ‘yellow’ weather alert, as rain continues to belt the coast. The weather is part of storm system moving from Mediterranean, north towards the UK. The alert, officially in place until 6am, is expected to be extended throughout tomorrow, and warns people to be aware of potential thunderstorms and dangerous waves near the coast.

A brand new ‘virtual tourist’ guide has been launched in Monaco.  The new smartphone app will allow users to experience 3D models of Monaco’s most famous landmarks, and through augmented reality, they can learn more about the attractions through an audio guide, photos, and videos, making their visit more dynamic and interactive. The app called CardMap was developed in Monaco as a collaboration between Monaco’s Tourist and Convention Authority and the company K-RMA Tech.

In a health drive across the region this week, people are encouraged to take a free test for diabetes. Three million people in France are currently being treated for the disease, but early diagnosis and simple lifestyle changes, such as taking regular exercise can help to alleviate symptoms or even put the disease into remission. Free testing will be available this Saturday at Antibes, Cannes, Nice, Menton, Draguignan and St Raphael.

BUSINESS

The Casino supermarket group have announced the sale of the walls of several of its stores to Apollo Global Fund Management, as part of a sale of non-strategic assets. The sale, valued at €470 million euro, will be completed by July.

Twitter’s first-quarter earnings report this morning has exceeded all expectations, sending stock surging more than 14%. The boost added around $3.8 billion to Twitter’s market value bringing it over $30 billion.

US President Donald Trump has pledged to retaliate against unfair European Union tariffs that Harley Davidson are partially blaming for their near 27% drop in first-quarter profits. Trump claims the EU tariffs have forced Harley to move U.S. jobs overseas.

SPORT

Football - Legendary former Celtic captain Billy McNeill - the first Briton to lift the European Cup - has died aged 79.  McNeill led Celtic when they beat Inter Milan
2-1 in 1967 and captained the club to nine successive titles, seven Scottish Cups and six League Cups. He had been suffering from dementia since 2010.

Tennis - World number two Simona Halep has withdrawn from the Stuttgart Open with a hip injury. The 27-year-old suffered the injury during her win over Caroline Garcia in Romania's ‘Fed Cup’ defeat by France on Sunday. Halep is hopeful she will be fit for next month's tournaments, in Madrid and Rome, before defending her French Open title at the end of May.

Formula 1 - Ferrari say they need a strong performance at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a disappointing start to the season. Ferrari were outpaced by Mercedes at the races in Australia and China, but had a performance advantage at the second race in Bahrain. The expectation is that the Baku street track may suit Ferrari's car more than China's Shanghai circuit.

Rugby - The RFU says four Premiership players, who tested positive for cocaine last season, reflects increasing drug use in society. The RFU's Dr Simon Kemp says they are trying to have a policy which continues to protect the game, but recognises illicit drug use in society is becoming increasingly common.