Annual inflation in France rose slightly to 6.2% in February according to initial estimates from government statistics agency INSEE. It said that price rises in food and services were responsible for the increase but that there had been a slowdown in the rate of increase of energy costs. Energy inflation stood at 14% in February, down from 16.3% in January.
Train services are disrupted in our region today because of industrial action with services not expected to return to normal until 8am tomorrow morning. Several Lignes d'Azur bus lines and Zou network services are also disrupted. Details of specific trains running are available on the SNCF Assistant app and on https://www.ter.sncf.com/sud-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/se-deplacer/fiches-horaires
The weekly Covid-19 update from the Monaco government has shown that Covid numbers continue to be very low in the Principality. In the week to 26 February, only 7 new positive cases of Covid-19 were reported. As at Sunday, one person was hospitalized at the Princess Grace hospital and no one was being treated in intensive care. 5 people were being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre. The incidence rate was still very low at 18 per 100,000 people, up slightly from 15 the previous week.
President Macron has announced that HPV vaccinations will be made available to all students from the 5th year as from the beginning of the new school year. Vaccination will be on a voluntary basis. The aim of the measure is to fight against the HPV virus which is responsible for several thousand cancer cases each year in France.
Sentences have been handed down by a court in Marseille in a long running case regarding the sale of horse meat unfit for human consumption. Those sentenced had been involved in a scheme to sell meat from horses which had been used for drugs testing by a pharmaceutical company.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has inaugurated the new Institute of Oral Medicine at the CHU hospital. The new premises, located at 28 boulevard de Riquier, are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment.
BUSINESS
Grocery prices in the UK have risen sharply according to new research. Grocery prices in the four weeks to 19 February rose 17.1% from a year ago, according to research firm Kantar, which is the highest rate since its records began in 2008. It said that one in four shoppers were now struggling financially.
Union members at an Amazon distribution centre in the UK have begun a second day of industrial action. Workers at the depot in Coventry took strike action for the first time in January in a dispute over pay. Amazon said it offered competitive pay which had risen by 29% since 2018 as well as other benefits.
SPORT
Rugby Union... Marcus Smith has been left out of England's training squad before next week's Six Nations match against France. George Ford returns for the first time since March last year.
Details of next year's Six Nations Tournament have been released. France will host Ireland in the first match and England face France in the tournament's last game. Ireland host Italy. England face away matches in Italy and Scotland and home games against Wales and Ireland.
Football.. Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is out with knee ligament damage sustained during last weekend's match against Tottenham. The club have not said how long the Brazil captain is likely to be out of action.
Speed restrictions are in place on all major roads in the Alpes-Maritimes today because of a smog alert....
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A Marseille magistrate has been sentenced on the 17th of June in Nîmes for repeatedly avoiding motorway tolls using fake license plates. ...
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A major police stop-and-search operation along France's borders is being carried out today, involving 4,000 police officers, gendarmes and customs off...
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SFR has announced automatic compensation of 100GB of free mobile data for affected customers following a major network outage on the 16th of June....
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French President Emmanuel Macron will chair a high-level Security and Defence Council meeting at the Élysée Palace today Wednesday, June 18th at 4pm, ...
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