French Health Minister Olivier Veran has said that 47,000 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in France in the past 24 hours. Speaking in the National Assembly he said that "the situation is worsening" and if the current trend of a 60% increase per week is maintained then the daily numbers could be higher than the peak of the third wave by the end of the week. He said that vaccination and also the health pass currently protect the country and make it possible to limit the number of serious cases. However, he said that the number of serious cases continues to rise, with 1,700 patients being in intensive care or critical care which is why the booster campaign needs to be intensified.
Controversial French political commentator Eric Zemmour has announced that he is running in next year's presidential election. Zemmour is a former journalist who is know for his anti-immigration views. He is scheduled to appear on TF1 television this evening.
A man in his thirties has died in a fire in La Crau in the Var. The fire broke out in the early hours of this morning. Reports say that the man lived with his partner and their child in an apartment above business premises. His partner and child suffered from smoke inhalation but their lives are not believed to be in danger.
A ceremony has taken place this afternoon in honour of the mountaineer from Nice who lost his life in an avalanche. Thomas Arfi died in the avalanche in Nepal in October. The ceremony was held at the Prefecture and was attended by his family and local elected officials.
The muncipality of Antibes Juan-les-Pins has reminded local people that those aged 18 and over, without comorbidities, who wish to receive their booster injection, can now make an appointment. Appointments can be made at the Maison des Associations, 288, chemin de Saint-Claude, by calling 0805 020 445 or online at doctolib.fr. The municipality said that booster injections can be performed no earlier than five months after the last injection or four weeks after the single injection of the Janssen vaccine.
The French government has published details of the number of people in France who have been charged with drug offences. It's the first time such data has been released. The reports said that on average, between 2016 and 2020, 208,000 people are implicated each year for offenses against narcotics legislation, which includes 44,000 for trafficking offences, 179,000 for use offences and 2,000 for other offences relating to the legislation on narcotics. 17,000 people are implicated for offences related to more than one of these categories.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has inaugurated a new geothermal power plant, which draws its energy from the Var river. It's the first of it's kind in Europe. Twelve geothermal wells draw water from the Var at a depth of 50m and the energy is recovered and injected into the network without loss. The mayor said that such efficient management of power resources will ultimately make it possible to reduce the electricity bills of the local population.
BUSINESS
EasyJet has said that it has seen "some weakening" in bookings amid concern about the new Covid variant. Speaking to the BBC, CEO Johan Lundgren said it was too early to assess what the full impact might be and that "we need to see how things settle down." He said that customer booking changes had mostly been people moving imminent trips to early next year and that bookings for next summer were largely unaffected.
Canadian GDP rose by 1.3% in real terms in the third quarter, driven by household spending and exports. Statistics Canada said that as pandemic restrictions were phased out, households and businesses, in Canada and elsewhere resumed normal operations. This raised household spending and created a greater demand for exports.
The company which owns fashion retailer Zara has appointed the founder's daughter as its new chairwoman. Marta Ortega has been with Inditex for 15 years, starting out as an assistant at its Bershka brand. She said that she was deeply honoured by the trust the firm was placing in her. Inditex was founded by Amancio Ortega with his ex-wife Rosalia in 1975 in Spain.
SPORT
Cricket... The first day of England's four-day warm-up match against the Lions has been washed out without a ball being bowled. England's first warm up match last week was also affected by rain, with only 29 overs being possible during three days. The first Test begins at the Gabba on 8 December.
Pakistan have secured an eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh on day five of the first Test of the two-Test series. The win means that Pakistan are second in the current World Test Championship table.
Football... Former Coventry City manager John Sillett, , has died at the age of 85. Sillett managed the club from 1986 to 1990 and his tenure saw them win the FA Cup when they beat Tottenham at Wembley in 1987.
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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