One man has been arrested after an egg was thrown at President Macron during a walkabout today. The President was in Lyon for the opening of a trade fair for the restaurant, catering and hotel sector. The hard boiled egg appeared to hit the President's shoulder. The person who threw it was heard to shout "Vive la Revolution". The President responded by saying that "if he has someting to tell me, let him come and tell me, I'll go and see him afterwards". The man was taken away by the President's security detail.
During a dinner in Lyon yesterday, President Macron announced the creation of a centre of excellence for French gastronomy, which he suggested may be located in the city.
The French energy regulator has announced that regulated natural gas tarrifs will increase by 12.6% including tax on 1 October due to rising imported gas prices. The CRE said that regulated tarrifs affect around 3 million residential consumers, including 2.77 million at Engie, and represent only 7.5% of national gas consumption. It said that more than half of residential consumers "have entered into fixed-price market offer contracts over several years and are not affected in the short term by this increase". France imports 99% of its natural gas consumption and is therefore exposed to price fluctuations in European and world markets.
New French government data released today shows that there were just over 5.88 million job seekers registered with the Pôle Emploi in August. The figure is slightly less than that recorded in July but is still 3.7% higher than in February 2020 before the epidemic began in France. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced the immediate release of 600 million euros aimed at training 350,000 additional employees. He was speaking during a visit to the Vienne department in central France today where he was presenting the government's new skills investment programme.
The obligation to have snow chains or to fit your vehicle with winter tires will apply in 28 municipalities in the north of the Var from November 1 until 31 March next year. Road signs will be put in place to warn drivers when they are entering a mandatory area. Full details of the municipalities concerned and the requirements can be found on the Var prefecture's website http://www.var.gouv.fr/obligation-d-equipements-de-certains-vehicules-en-a10190.html
A two day Mental health and psychiatry conference organized by the French government has begun today. The conference brings together those involved in the area and aims to draw up an inventory of the management of mental health in France and the availability of psychiatric care and support. President Macron will give the closing address tomorrow.
The circus is returning to the big top in Fontvieille in January. The Organizing Committee of the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival has announced that the 45th edition of the event will take place in January 2022 along with the 10th edition of New Generation. The Festival will last 9 days instead of the usual 11 but with the same number of shows and will take place from Saturday 22 to Sunday January 30 2022. The show in January this year was cancelled because of the pandemic.
Vinci Autoroutes are doing renovation work on the toll booths at Les Adret, Junction 39, on the A8 until this Friday, meaning that traffic changes will be put in place from 9pm to 5am on the carriageway going towards Aix-en-Provence. Work is also being carried out between those hours at the Mandelieu and Saint-Laurent-du-Var interchanges, that's junctions 41 and 49, requiring traffic changes on both carriageways.
BUSINESS
The UK government has said that it will temporarily suspend certain competition laws to allow fuel businesses to share data in an effort to resolve the UK's fuel delivery crisis. The Petrol Retailers Association has said that the majority of its membership of over 5,000 independent outlets are out of fuel, with the rest of them "partly dry and running out soon". Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called for drivers from the army to be called in to alleviate the problems, but this afternoon Environment Secretary George Eustice said that there were currently no plans to do that. The fuel shortages have been caused by a lack of vehicle drivers partly as a result of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Discount retailer Aldi has announced its intention to invest £1.3 billion in the UK over the next two years. The plans are expected to create more than 2,000 new jobs next year, adding to the 7,000 permanent roles already created over the past two years. 100 new stores across the UK are planned over the next two years, as well as expansions to its logistics infrastructure. In its annual trading update, Aldi said sales in the UK and Ireland had grown by 10.2% to a record £13.5 billion in the year to 31st December 2020.
SPORT
Cricket... England all-rounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from Test cricket, but will continue to play in limited-overs internationals. He said that he'd enjoyed Test cricket "but that intensity can be too much sometimes". He scored 2,914 runs and took 195 wickets in 64 Tests.
Tennis..Naomi Osaka has said that she intends to return to playing soon. She had announced earlier this month that she would be taking a break from tennis after exiting the US Open.
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