Train services were severely disrupted between Nice and Ventimiglia during this morning’s rush hour. Five illegal immigrants were attempting to enter France on a freight train in a tunnel near Cap d’Ail. The immigrants were arrested by police on the train tracks. Normal train services were resumed after about three hours.
An inquiry has begun after a virulent fire destroyed an apartment in Cannes this afternoon. Fifty pompiers are reported to have been involved in fighting the fire on the Avenue des Buissons Ardents in La Bocca. The fire spread to two nearby apartments but no injuries have been reported.
Pompiers are still fighting a fire near Clans in the arriere pays of Nice. The fire started last Wednesday and flared up again yesterday. About one hectare was affected by the latest fire, which is thought to have been the result of strong winds affecting embers of the original fire. Fifty five hectares of undergrowth were burned by the fire last week.
The Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has announced the opening of a police station on Rue Trachel in Nice. 30 officers will be present at the location working between the Liberation district and Nice’s main train station. The move comes in an attempt to reassure local residents and combat the recent rise in drug trafficking and anti social behavior in the area.
The City of Marseille is to undergo a major makeover, which will see the city’s centre and port area pedestrianized and hundreds of trees planted. The three-year project was officially launched last week and will cost a total of €60 million. Its first phase, is due to be completed this summer.
Two of the closest ski resorts to the coast have decided to close their slopes for the season. Gréolières-les-Neiges and Turini Camp d'Argent have closed their skiing areas because of lack of snow and high temperatures recently. Gréolières-les-Neiges added that they could re-open in the eventuality that snow fell in the coming days.
French aviation regulators have decided to ban Boeing 737 Max aeroplanes in French airspace. The decision comes as many other countries, including the UK and Germany, have introduced a ban on the plane following the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash in which 157 people lost their lives.
The French government has announced an additional pay package for customs officers. Officers have been carrying out industrial action for the last ten days and have demanded additional resources because of Brexit. The package, which has yet to be put to union members, amounts to an additional 14 million euros.
BUSINESS
The UK economy grew by 0.2% in the three months to January, matching the growth of the previous three months. The report from the Office for National Statistics showed a pick-up in activity in the month of January when the economy expanded by 0.5%.
Nissan has announced that it plans to end the production of two of its Infiniti cars at Sunderland. It's part of a bigger plan that involves pulling the Infiniti brand out of Western Europe. As a result the Q30 car and QX30 sports-utility vehicle will no longer be made in the UK. Nissan didn’t say how many jobs will be affected, but said it will discuss any impact with employees.
SPORT
Rugby Union…Dan Leavy has been recalled to the Ireland squad for their Six Nations match against Wales on Saturday. Leavy hasn’t played in this year's championship so far because of a calf injury. He will replace Leinster team-mate Josh van der Flier, who has been ruled out with a groin injury. Fly-half Ross Byrne has been omitted from the squad.
Tennis…Alexander Zverev and Anastasija Sevastova have become the latest players to be hampered by illness during third-round exits at Indian Wells yesterday. On Sunday, Serena Williams retired from her third-round match, citing "extreme dizziness and extreme fatigue".
Football.. The Football Association has said that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino's "aggressive" actions were the reason he was given a ban for confronting referee Mike Dean. He accepted an FA charge of improper conduct for his actions after his side's defeat at Burnley last month. The FA said Pochettino's "repetitive and aggressive" actions merited what it called a "sporting sanction".
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