The SNCF have said that two out of three TGV trains should run on Mediterranean lines on Friday despite the strike notice filed by unions for this weekend and the New Year weekend. The company said that on Saturday and Sunday, it's expected that the situation will be similar to Friday but perhaps slightly worse. Further details for Friday's trains are expected to be released tomorrow evening. Two out of three TGVs should also run on Friday on the Atlantic route, one in two on the northern routes and three out of four in the east. Inter city trains should be unaffected. Three out of Four Ouigo trains should operate.
French Prime Minister Ellisabeth Borne has said that the so-called "triple epidemic" of Covid-19, influenza and bronchiolitis is putting "very strong pressure" on health services and health personnel. She called for masks to be worn in enclosed spaces but ruled out the obligatory wearing of masks. Meanwhile, COVARS, the French Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks, called for the amplification of barrier gestures and vaccination.
There's been a sharp fall in the Covid-19 incidence rate in Monaco. The number of positive cases per 100,000 people over the seven days to last Sunday was 258, down from 452 the previous week. According to the weekly government update, 101 new positive cases of Covid-19 were detected in the week. As of Sunday December 18, 34 people, including 21 residents, were hospitalized at the Princess Grace Hospital. One non-resident person was treated in intensive care. 48 people were being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre.
French electricity network operator RTE has lowered the risk of stress on its network from high to medium for the next four weeks. However, the operator said that risks to the electricity supply can't be ruled out in the event of very unfavourable weather.
President of the Nice Cote d'Azur Metropolis, Christian Estrosi, has inaugurated a new water treatment facility in St Etienne de Tinée. The 200 square metre building cost 600,000 euros.
The Cannes town hall has extended the lease of a municipal building to an association representing people with disabilities. The lease of Villa Morava on avenue Coste Belle in Cannes, to the Departmental Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Handicapped Persons of the Alpes-Maritimes, has been extended by twelve years. This building accommodates disabled workers in adapted working conditions.
BUSINESS
In the UK, Aslef has said that train drivers across fifteen rail companies will stage a new strike on 5 January in a long-running dispute over pay. The industrial action will add to major disruption in the first week of January, with the RMT rail union already planning strikes at Network Rail on 3-4 and 6-7 January.
Ryanair has agreed a new pay deal with its Irish pilots. The Forsa trade union said that the proposals include the immediate restoration of pay cuts made during the Covid-19 pandemic, and 3 years of pay increases over the next four years until March 2027. The union said that it will now ballot its members on the new deal.
Export orders in Taiwan have fallen by the largest amount in over a decade. Export orders were 23.4% lower in November than in the same month last year as the country's manufacturers suffered from the effects of Covid outbreaks and policies in China.
SPORT
Cricket... England have beaten Pakistan in the third Test in Karachi. Starting the day needing 55 more runs, England took only 11.1 overs to reach their target and complete a historic 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan.
Rugby Union...British and Irish Lions player Finn Russell will be joining Bath after the 2023 World Cup. He's currently in his fifth season with Racing 92.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
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A judge has authorised a dive to inspect the wreckage of a plane in the sea off Antibes. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean on September 11 1968...
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In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
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The trial of the Tunisian man accused of the murder of three people in the Nice Basilica attack is continuing in Paris. Yesterday the families of the ...
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Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
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