After disruption to trains between Nice and Ventimiglia yesterday, SNCF have said that the damage to equipment at Eze is significant and that rail traffic between Nice and Ventimiglia remains disrupted today and will still be disrupted tomorrow in both directions. SNCF say that their teams are on site but delays and cancellations are to be expected. A tree fell on the tracks during yesterday's storm breaking the power supply cables. The tree was removed last night and since this morning teams have been repairing the damage caused by the weather.
Meanwhile, the circulation of certain ZOU! bus lines in the Alpes-Maritimes is severely disrupted today because of strike action. Some depots are being blocked meaning buses are unable to leave. The lines affected are the 200, 210, 230, 250, 400, 500, 530, 600, 610. The other lines of the ZOU! Alpes Maritimes network are running normally. More information can be found on https://zou.maregionsud.fr/
The French government has announced an increase in health funding. Health Minister Francois Braun said that the planned 150 million euros of funding would be increased to 400 million euros. Amongst various measures, he said that the emergency plan to alleviate the crisis in emergency services over the summer will be extended.
A large drugs trial has got underway at the Marseille criminal court today. Twenty defendants are facing charges connected with the alleged trafficking of drugs between South America and France. The trial is expected to last about seven weeks.
A meeting has been held this afternoon between the French culture minister and the organizers of twenty of the largest festivals in France. The meeting with Rima Abdul-Malak will discuss the impact of the 2024 Paris Olympics on the holding of various summer festivals. Speaking to French media the minister said that she intends to speak to local prefects where the largest festivals are being held on a case by case basis in the hope of finding a solution but some may have to be cancelled.
BUSINESS
In the UK, costs for tea bags, milk and sugar all rose as food price inflation jumped from 10.6% in September to 11.6% in October according to the British Retail Consortium. The rise in shop prices was partly due to higher costs for ingredients and energy as well as shortages of workers.
Global shipping company Maersk has said that demand for containers is expected to fall by 4% this year because of economic conditions. Speaking to Bloomberg television, the company's CEO Soren Skou said that "it's quite likely that we either are, or soon will be, in a recession, certainly in Europe but also potentially in the US".
Automaker Ford has said that its sales in the United S
