Evening Update Tuesday 31 December

The extension of Terminal 2 at Nice Airport has been officially approved by the Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes. Bernard Gonzalez issued a press release earlier today saying that the issuance of a building permit had been approved for the 25,000 square metre extension. The permit comes with restrictions regarding noise pollution and integration into the surrounding landscape.

A gathering has been held in Mougins to pay tribute to the 37 year old woman whose body was discovered on Christmas Day. About fifty people were present at the gathering in Mougins at midday today.

The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has issued restrictions on the consumption of alcohol around the New Year period. The consumption of alcohol in the street is prohibited in the 30 main municipalities of the department, including Antibes, Nice, Cannes, Isola 2000, Valberg and Auron. The ban applies from 11pm this evening until 5am tomorrow. Consumption is banned in the streets but it’s still possible to drink on the terraces of bars and restaurants. The Prefect also issued various restrictions on the possession and use of various fireworks until the 2nd of January. The Prefect added that police, soldiers and firefighters will be fully mobilized tonight to ensure safety throughout the department.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Cannes after refusing to stop at a police check point in the early hours of this morning. The motorcyclist refused to stop on avenue du Vert Coteau in Cannes injuring a police officer. The officer was taken to hospital and the man was later arrested.

New figures show that the population of the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region has increased slightly over the last 10 years with small municipalities experiencing a strong demographic growth. The region has just over five million inhabitants, according to the latest figures published yesterday. Since 2012, the Var has experienced the strongest growth in the region, with the population up by 0.7%.

President Emmanuel Macron has put his strained Brexit relationship with Boris Johnson to one side by deciding to award France’s  highest honour - the Legion d'honneur - to London. President Macron plans to bestow the highest order of merit on the capital to commemorate how it acted as a base for exiled French leader Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War.

BUSINESS

The former head of Nissan Carlos Ghosn has travelled to Lebanon after fleeing Japan, where he faces a trial over allegations of financial misconduct. In a statement, Mr Ghosn said he had not fled justice but "escaped injustice and political persecution". It is unclear how he managed to leave Japan as he was barred from travelling abroad. Mr Ghosn was one of the most powerful figures in the global car industry until his arrest in November 2018. He denies any wrongdoing.

The UK government has announced that the national living wage is to rise by 6.2% in what the government says is "the biggest cash increase ever". The rise is more than four times the rate of inflation and takes pay for people over 25 to £8.72 per hour as from April. However, businesses warned that a sharp increase in wages would put pressure on companies and urged the government to reduce costs elsewhere for firms.

SPORT

Tennis... Maria Sharapova will compete at the Brisbane International in January after receiving a wildcard. The former world number one played just 15 matches in 2019 because of a long-term shoulder injury. Karolina Pliskova, world number one Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams will also be competing at the event, which begins on the 6th of January.

Cricket... Ollie Pope says that he's "ready to go" if selected for England's second Test against South Africa which starts on Friday. The Surrey batsman has recovered from the illness which ruled him out of the first-Test defeat in Centurion. The illness has now affected 11 players in the camp.

Football... David Beckham's new Major League Soccer team Inter Miami have appointed their first manager. Diego Alonso was last at Mexican side Monterrey. Beckham is owner and president of the new franchise, who have their first MLS match at Los Angeles FC on 1 March.