The French High Authority of Health has recommended extending vaccination against Covid-19 to children aged 6 months to 4 years old at risk of serious form of the disease and death. It said that this primary vaccination is now possible with the Comirnaty vaccine from Pfizer, which on November 25 obtained an extension of indication for this age group for which there was currently no vaccine available. The HAS also said that it recommends vaccinating children in this age group living with people who are immuno-compromised or who do not respond to vaccination.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has called for the age of criminal repsonsibility to be lowered to 16 after last night's disturbances in Nice following the World Cup final. The mayor said that he wanted to thank the national police, the gendarmerie and the municipal police whose actions he said made it possible to arrest 33 individuals, including members of youth gangs. He also stated that he believes that "we must engage in a great reflection on the role of social networks", saying that "most of these thugs film themselves to spread their facts and think of themselves as heroes" of Tiktok or Snapchat.
Yesterday's World Cup final between France and Argentina set a new viewing record for French television. Just over 24 million people were estimated to have tuned into TF1 to watch the match. The figure beats the 22.2 million people who tuned in to see the France against Portugal semi-final in the 2006 World Cup. A rally is scheduled to take place in Paris this evening to welcome home the French World Cup squad. The team are currently flying back to Charles de Gaulle airport and the rally is expected to take place in the Place de la Concorde from about 8.30pm.
Fifteen people have been slightly injured after a bus crashed into a shop window in Marseille. The accident happened just before lunchtime today in the 15th arrondissement. An investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A motorcyclist has died after crashing on the boulevard de Cimiez in Nice. The man in his thirties apparently crashed into a parked car. An investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.
It's been announced that President Macron will be spending Christmas on board the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The ship, which is normally based in Toulon, left the port on November 15 for a mission in areas including the eastern Meditterranean.
French retailer Auchan has recalled a ham product because of the possible presence of listeria. The product affected is Auchan Jambon Superieur Decouenne Degraisse 4 tranches with a use by date of 31 December 2022. More details are available on https://rappel.conso.gouv.fr/fiche-rappel/8861/Interne
BUSINESS
Twitter users have voted in favour of Elon Musk stepping down as chief executive after he ran a poll on his future. A total of 57.5% voted "yes" after he asked his 122 million followers whether he should stand down. He said before the poll closed that he would abide by the result.
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said that he will deliver the next budget on 15 March next year. He said that he had asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to prepare a forecast to accompany the budget.
UK manufacturers reported a fall in output volumes in the three months to December, at the fastest pace since the three months to September 2020, according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey. Output fell in 11 out of 17 sectors in the three months to December. The decrease in overall output reported this quarter was driven by the food, drink & tobacco; paper, printing and media, and mechanical engineering sectors. Total order books as well as export order books were reported as below normal.
SPORT
Rugby Union... England have appointed Steve Borthwick as new head coach of the men's team. The 43-year-old Leicester coach is joined by defence coach Kevin Sinfield, who he has also worked with at Leicester. The appointments come nine months before the World Cup begins in France. Borthwick, who replaces Eddie Jones, joins on a five-year contract.
Cricket.... Rehan Ahmed has taken five wickets to leave England on the verge of victory after day three of the third Test against Pakistan. England now need 55 runs to win.
Football... In Australia, police have charged three men after a pitch invasion forced the Melbourne A-League derby to be abandoned. Victoria Police said the arrests included a 23-year-old, who is alleged to have struck Melbourne City keeper Tom Glover with a bucket. The three men have been bailed to appear in court on 27 February.
A Self-service rental system for paddle boards has been implemented on the Larvotto beach in Monaco. Users can access the equipment through a paying a...
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French president Emmanuel Macron has called for stronger, more integrated European defences as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Un...
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The Côte d'Azur is on alert for a surge in imported cases of dengue fever. Since the beginning of 2024, a record 1,679 imported cases have been record...
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The post-mortem will take place next Monday for a 33-year-old man whose body was recently found in the Var after being missing for more than a month....
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French scientists have been developing technological tools for the past four years to help athletes optimize their training for the Paris 2024 Olympic...
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