French government spokesperson Olivier Veran has said that there is "no shortage of fuel" at French service stations. Speaking after a Council of Ministers meeting this morning, he said that 12% of services stations are encountering difficulties with at least one type of fuel but in the Hauts-de-France almost 30% of stations are experiencing difficulties. He said that there are "tensions" but they are temporary and "we believe that everything is on the table to ensure that they are resolved". Explaining the situation, he said that some service stations had been victims of their own success with the recent fall in fuel prices boosting demand and secondly, there is a strike which is affecting a certain number of refineries.
The Monaco government has announced that the Pfizer-BioNTech bi-valent vaccine, adapted to the variants currently in circulation will be available next week in the Principality. This vaccine is accessible to people with a complete vaccination schedule including at least two vaccine injections or one injection and a documented infection. The Comir-naty mono-valent vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech remains available for the primary vaccination of people aged 12 and over. People wishing to receive the bi-valent booster dose are invited to contact the Covid19 Call Centre on Monaco 92.05.55.00, reachable 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or on https://vaccination-covid19.gouv.mc or to make an appointment directly online on the Monaco Santé website https://patient.monacosante.mc/fr/vaccination-covid-19/monaco .
Five people have been arrested in connection with the violence at the Allianz Riviera stadium on 8 September before the Nice against Cologne match. The arrests were made by police in Germany. In total the German police searched the homes of sixteen suspects during which items including mobile phones were seized.
The route of the marathon in the Paris Olympics has been unveiled. The race will pass in front of many of the iconic landmarks in Paris including the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Chateau de Versailles and the Opera Garnier. The Paris Olymics are scheduled to start on 26 July 2024.
The mayor of a town in the Vaucluse department has launched a campaign to encourage residents to write to President Macron. Under the campaign, called "Operation I write to the President", the town hall has duplicated 30,000 letters ready for locals to sign which outline the town hall's request to obtain more funding and personnel for the police, gendarmerie and justice department.
BUSINESS
Supermarket operator Tesco has announced a fall in profits for the first half of its financial year and warned full-year earnings would be at the lower end of guidance. It said customers are looking for ways to make their money go further, including switching from branded products and eating out less. Tesco said consumers were already spending less as shopping habits normalised after the pandemic, but they are cutting back even more now because of inflation.
The UK new car market recorded its second successive month of growth in September, with registrations rising 4.6%, according to industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. During what is typically the second biggest month of the year for the sector, just over 225,000 cars joined Britain’s roads. It was an increase of about 10,000 cars compared to the same month last year. Overall registrations for the month are still some 34% below pre-pandemic levels as the industry continues to battle supply issues to fulfil a backlog of orders.
A group of offshore oil workers in the North Sea have backed strike action over pay. The Unite union said that 300 offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers have backed strike action after rejecting a pay offer. The action, which covers several North Sea installations, is due to start later this month, with more strikes planned in November and December.
SPORT
Rugby Union...Worcester Warriors players and staff are to have their contracts terminated, following part of the club being wound up in the High Court. HMRC had been pursuing the club for unpaid tax of about £6m.
Rugby League... England have called up four players from outside England's World Cup squad to face Fiji in their final warm-up game on Friday. Liam Marshall, Sam Powell and Harry Smith, who all play for Wigan, are included in the squad for the match, as is centre Jake Wardle.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
Read More
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...
Read More
In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
Read More
