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News Don’t panic - French President Emmanuel Macron has said that there is “no reason to panic about possible power cuts this winter”, but he did however call on citizens to use less energy and on the state utility EDF to restart nuclear reactors to prevent power cuts in case of cold weather. Macron denied that the risk of rolling blackouts was due to inadequate management of EDF's nuclear reactor restart programme. Meanwhile the head of French power grid operator RTE said last week that France may face "some days" of power cuts this winter and that the government has started briefing local authorities on how to handle any outages. 9th wave of covid - France’s health minister has called on the population to act responsibly in the face of a ninth wave of covid leading up to the festive season. Speaking to French media François Braun, evoked a possible return to making it compulsory to wear a mask due to the rise in cases. Motorists trapped by heavy snowfall - Hundreds of motorists have been left trapped in their vehicles after heavy snowfall in the Lozère region in southern France. Images posted on social networks show hundreds of cars blocked by snow on the A75. The department had been placed on yellow weather warning since Saturday due to the risk of snowfall. Since November 1st, it is compulsory to equip your vehicle with winter tyres or to have snow chains in certain mountainous areas. Police in Nice shoot and wound suspect - Police have shot and wounded an individual suspected of murdering two homeless people. The incident happened in Nice city centre on Sunday afternoon when the man, an Iranian national, was neutralised in the city centre brandishing a knife and a machete. The injured suspect was taken to the Pasteur hospital and placed in police custody. Election for the presidency of the Republicans – Local MP Éric Ciotti is in the lead following the weekend’s first round of internal elections for the presidency of the Republican party. Ciotti claimed 42.7% of the vote and will next Sunday face in the second round, his opponent Bruno Retailleau. The participation rate at the weekend was 72.7%. Tony Parker shows support for people with disabilities - Tony Parker, icon of French basketball has shown his support for people with disabilities. While passing through the Principality and as part of the World Day for People with Disabilities, the Yacht Club here in Monaco organized a Navicap day, dedicated to the discovery of Handivoile. Parker was seen taking the opportunity to greet children and adults with disabilities. Telethon 2022 ends on a high - This year’s Telethon ended with a record 78 million euros raised; a figure higher than last year. Donations were seen to be on the rise in the Var with more than 333,000 euros and in nearly 390,000 euros in the Alpes-Maritimes. Launched on Friday evening, the 36th edition of the charity marathon ended in the early hours of Sunday morning however, donations can still be made until Friday, December 9th either by telephone 3637 or on the internet at www.téléthon.fr |
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Business Oil prices rose on Monday following an agreement by the G7 group of nations and its allies to cap the price of Russian oil at $60 (£49) a barrel. Brent crude added around 1% to above $86 in Asia trading. The move - which could come into force on Monday - raises Western pressure on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. In the UK the RMT union has rejected an offer from train operators aimed at preventing strikes over the Christmas period. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said its proposed framework would have supported pay increases of up to 8%, covering 2022 and 2023 pay awards, while delivering much-needed reforms. But the RMT, led by secretary general Mick Lynch, has turned it down. It means rail strikes planned during December and early January are still scheduled to go ahead, with commuters facing severe disruption on 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 December, and 3, 4, 6 and 7 January. Mr Lynch previously insisted "I'm not the Grinch" as he defended the industrial action. The McLaren Group, the supercar manufacturer and Formula One team-owner, is in talks to raise hundreds of millions of pounds in new funding aimed at steering the British-based company into the electric vehicle era. According to reports McLaren has opened talks with existing shareholders including the sovereign wealth funds of Bahrain a |
