Monaco has lifted the obligation to wear a mask indoors from today. The wearing of a mask will no longer be compulsory, both for staff and for visitors, in shops and other closed places open to the public in the Principality. However, wearing a mask remains compulsory in health establishments, accommodation facilities for the elderly, as well as on public transport, in taxis and people carriers, for anyone over 5 years old. The government said that the use of a mask remains strongly recommended in closed places for people at risk or during a large gathering. Fifteen new positive cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday. The Principality's health toll stands at 12,000 people affected by the coronavirus since the start of the health crisis. As at yesterday evening, 4 people, including 2 residents, were hospitalized at the Princess Grace Hospital. There are no patients being treated in intensive care.
It appears that Jean Castex will remain as French Prime Minister until Monday. The government confirmed today that he will be making a trip to the Vatican on Sunday as Prime Minister. Jean Castex held a dinner last night for all the ministers in his government at which he reportedly said "for my part, the adventure is over".
A man has been charged and demanded in custody in connection with a knife attack in Marseilles. A parent was attacked outside a school in the 13th arrondissement on Tuesday evening and is still in hospital in a critical condition.
Four Ukrainians have been taken into police custody after squatting in a villa in Nice. The property, on Mont Boron, is owned by a Russian national. Reports say that the four had changed the locks but the villa was otherwise undamaged.
The Monaco government has issued a response to a threat by French taxi drivers to disrupt the Monaco Grand Prix. French taxi drivers are requesting reciprocity for French and Monegasque taxis. The Monaco government said it has been in constant dialogue for several weeks with the French Embassy in Monaco and the Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes in order to find a balance between the expectations of French professionals and the preservation of the legitimate interests of professionals in the Principality. It said that the government takes note of the declarations of the Côte d'Azur VTC Committee and the French Federation of Provincial Taxis and invites them to favor the path of consultation and dialogue.
BUSINESS
Elon Musk has said that his proposed $44bn deal to buy Twitter is "temporarily on hold" after he queried the number of fake or spam accounts on the social media platform. In a Tweet today he said he was waiting for information "supporting [the] calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users". Some analysts speculated he could be seeking to renegotiate the price or even walk away from the takeover but Musk later Tweeted that he is "still committed" to the acquisition.
Eurozone industrial production fell by 1.8% in March compared to February. Industrial production in Germany fell by 5%. The EU's statistics agency Eurostat said that Eurozone production was down 0.8% compared to March last year. Rising factory input prices and disrupted supply chains, largely because of the war in Ukraine, affected production in the month.
SPORT
Cycling...Dutch rider Koen Bouwman has won stage seven of the the Giro d'Italia today. Another Dutchman, Bauke Mollema was second, with Italy's Davide Formolo in third.
Rugby Union...Leinster have announced an unchanged starting team for their Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse in Dublin. Ciaran Frawley replaces Tommy O'Brien on the bench. Toulouse have announced three changes.
Football... It's the FA Cup final tomorrow. Chelsea are playing Liverpool at Wembley. Kick off is at 5.45pm French time.
Premier League action on Sunday will see Tottenham play Burnley, Aston Villa face Crystal Palace, Leeds play Brighton, Watford are at home to Leicester, West Ham play Manchester City, Wolverhampton play Norwich and Everton play Brentford.
The massive wildfire in the Aude’s Corbières massif, has now been fully extinguished after three weeks. ...
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It’s been reported that Uber plans to launch high-speed trains between London, Paris, Lille, and Brussels by 2029, partnering with Gemini Trains. ...
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Éric Ciotti has officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Nice in the March 2026 municipal elections, challenging current mayor Christian Estros...
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As 12 million students return to class in France on the 1st of September, several key changes are being introduced. These include mandatory sex educat...
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A stormy and rainy episode is expected tomorrow in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var, with heavy rainfall possibly reaching 100mm along the coast....
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