Smokers, drivers and talkers taxed

France raised the price of cigarettes, petrol and telephone calls, Reuter writes from Paris.

Smokers faced a 13 per cent rise on cigarettes and tobacco yesterday, drivers face petrol price increases of 2.3 per cent today, and from the weekend, domestic telephone calls will be charged on the basis of a three-minute call, instead of the previous six-minutes. International call prices will be cut.