The Covid-19 incidence rate has risen in Monaco. Numbers have also risen significantly recently in the surrounding Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region. In its weekly update on Covid numbers the Monaco government said that the incidence rate per 100,000 people in the week to last Sunday evening was 197, up from 138 the previous week. The positive rate of tests performed on residents and non-residents was 13.2%. In the week ending the 2nd of October, 77 new positive cases of Covid-19 were detected in the Principality. As at that date 4 people, including 1 resident, were hospitalized at the Princess Grace Hospital but nobody was being treated in intensive care. 39 people were being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre.
The French Secretary of State for Europe, Laurence Boone, has been in Nice today. She held a meeting with Mayor Christian Estrosi who said that they had discussed Nice's cross-border strategy and the Nice Cote d'Azur Metropole including economic and climate issues, the energy crisis and the consequences for communities.
Trains to and from Marseille have been disrupted this afternoon because of a power failure at the Saint Charles station in the city. Services are now beginning to return to normal but SNCF have said that some disruption can be expected to the end of the evening.
Prince Albert II of Monaco has written to US President Joe Biden regarding Hurricane Ian which recently devastated parts of Florida and South Carolina. The Prince said that along with his family and the people of Monaco, he wished to convey his "heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and our support and compassion to the injured, the displaced people and the many that had to be evacuated". The Prince also saluted the emergency efforts underway in both states. Over 100 people are estimated to have lost their lives in the hurricane during which wind speeds of over 240 km per hour were recorded.
A French scientist has been awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics. Alain Aspect was awarded the prize for "revolutionary experiments" in quantum mechanics along with an American and an Austrian scientist. In a social media post Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi was amongst those offering their congratulations.
BUSINESS
There's been further uncertainty around the date of the presentation of the UK government's medium term fiscal plan. UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said in a TV interview this afternoon that it will still be announced on 23 November as originally planned. Prime Minister Liz Truss also said recently that the statement would be on that date. However, government sources have reportedly said it will be brought forward in order to reassure financial markets.
The head of energy company Shell has said that taxes on oil and gas industry business are "inevitable" to help the poorest people. Speaking at an oil industry event Ben van Beurden said that energy markets cannot behave in a way that "damage a significant part of society".
SPORT
Cricket.... West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer will not play at the Men's T20 World Cup after he missed a flight to Australia before the tournament. His original flight was moved from Saturday to Monday for family reasons, but he then missed the flight on Monday. He's been replaced by Shamarh Brooks. Cricket West Indies said it had "no choice but to replace him".
Winter Sports... Saudi Arabia has won the right to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029. The Games will take place in a planned mountain resort which is due to be completed in 2026. There will be natural snow on the mountains but some artificial snow will also reportedly be used.
TGV services across much of France are gradually improving after several arson attacks affected the network in the early hours of this morning....
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Paris is getting ready to shut down it’s city centre and its airspace as well as mobilise 45,000 police and several army units in what has been billed...
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Lucie Castets, the left-wing candidate for Prime Minister, reiterated her desire to lead the government during a media appearance on July 25. A poll s...
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French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to welcome world leaders to the Olympic games opening ceremony tomorrow night and has been visiting key ...
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France will host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the Alpes, conditional on state and regional financial guarantees. President Macron confirmed his full su...
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