Train services along the coast are severely disrupted early this evening because of an incident at Nice Saint-Augustin railway station. A man is believed to have taken his own life by throwing himself in front of a train as it was entering the station just after 5.00 this evening. Police and pompiers rushed to the scene but the man could not be saved.
The administrative court of Nice has confirmed the banning of heavy goods vehicles from a road in the Roya valley after a long-running dispute. The mayors of the valley had originally prohibited the trucks in 2017 but their decision had been opposed by several road haulage companies. The administrative court has now confirmed that trucks of over 19 tonnes are banned from the RD6204.
Police are calling for witnesses to the serious accident on the A8 motorway early yesterday morning. A truck and a motorcycle were in collision at Junction 44, the Antibes turnoff, about 5.40 on Monday morning. Police are asking witnesses to get in touch by calling 04 92 19 42 20.
The Nice Administrative Court has ruled against a claim for compensation made by several campsites in Biot and Antibes. The campsites had claimed 10 million euros in damages from local municipalities after they were ordered to close after floods in October 2015. The lawyer for the businesses has reportedly indicated that they plan to appeal the decision.
Two elderly people have died in a house fire this morning in Marseille. The fire broke out shortly after 9am in one of the bedrooms. When firefighters arrived, it was too late to save the two women aged 92 and 62, who were trapped in the fire. 40 Firefighters and 12 vehicles were dispatched to the site. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the blaze.
The Alpes Maritimes has been placed on an Orange level alert for high levels of pollen. The RNSA Surveillance Network says that the risk of pollen allergies is currently high for cypress pollens on the Mediterranean coastal rim. The situation has been made worse by the recent warm and dry weather.
Traffic was disrupted in Monaco this afternoon after a vehicle fire. A Ferrari caught fire on Avenue Princesse Grace opposite the Grimaldi Forum just before 4pm but was quickly brought under control by pompiers. There were no injuries.
Unions have announced a demonstration in central Nice on Thursday as part of another day of action against pension reforms. The march will leave the Theatre de Verdure at 10.30am to the Place Garibaldi. Disruption to public transport is expected on Thursday and no trams will be running in Nice.
Police in the Var are appealing for information regarding a missing person. Paul Grosso disappeared from La Croix-Valmer on Sunday. He is about 1.60 metres tall with partially receding hair and was driving a white Renault Twingo, registration number AD 641 CV. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 04 98 11 84 50.
SOS Méditerranée have announced the rescue of 84 people off the coast of Libya. The refugees from Bangladesh, Morocco and Somalia were taken on board the organization’s ship Ocean Viking which had just completed a technical stopover of several days in Marseille.
BUSINESS
UK unemployment went down by 16,000 to 1.29 million in the three months to December, according to official figures. The data also showed that the South West of the UK had the highest employment rate at 80.1% and the lowest was in the North East at 71.1%.
HSBC has announced that it will cut around 35,000 jobs. The bank also announced that profits for 2019 fell by about a third.
Asda has said its sales fell over the crucial Christmas trading period, with shoppers remaining "highly budget conscious". Like-for-like sales in the final three months of 2019 fell 1.3% as the retailer experienced what it said were challenging market conditions, particularly in clothing. However, its core food business had "proved more stable".
SPORT
Rugby Union… England prop Mako Vunipola will miss this weekend’s Six Nations game against Ireland after returning to Tonga for family reasons. Beno Obano has been drafted into the squad as cover. Joe Marler is set to return at loose head prop.
Football…Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho doesn’t expect Son Heung-min to play again this season and says the club's injury situation "couldn't be worse". The forward fractured his arm during the recent match against Aston Villa. The South Korea international will have surgery this week. Tottenham are already without England striker Harry Kane, who tore his hamstring last month.
Cricket…. England spinner Adil Rashid has agreed a one-year limited-overs deal with Yorkshire. The 32-year-old, has suffered with a persistent shoulder injury. Rashid has spent his entire English domestic career with Yorkshire and has taken 190 wickets in domestic Twenty20 cricket since his debut in 2008.
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