Three people have been taken to hospital after a fire broke out early this morning at an apartment block in the Cimiez district of Nice. 40 firefighters and 14 fire trucks were called out to the major fire on the Avenue des Arènes just after 1am. Fifteen adults and five children were evacuated from their homes.
A bomb alert forced the evacuation of a secondary school in Antibes this morning. A security perimeter was set up around the Lycée Jacques Dolle. Bomb disposal specialists were called to the site shortly after 8am. Nearby roads were closed for several hours.
Trade unions in France have called another day of nationwide strike action for this Friday, 13th October. They're protesting for what they call an end to austerity and for wage and gender equality. Several sectors are taking part, including transport, healthcare, education and other public services. Disruption is very likely on public transport here on the Riviera, including on the SNCF train network, with possible cancellations at Nice airport as well. We should know more sometime between 24 and 48 hours before the strike begins.
A silent rally was held in front of the préfecture in Marseille yesterday evening in solidarity for the victims of the Hamas terror attack on Israel. About 900 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched its attack on Saturday, with a further 700 having died in Gaza in retaliatory air strikes. Marseille has the second largest Jewish community in France, after Paris, with nearly 80,000 Jews. A 25-year-old Franco-Israeli man from Marseille is reported to be among several hundred
