President Macron has paid tribute to Pope Francis who died today at the age of 88. The President expressed his condolences to “Catholics around the world” and said that “throughout his life” he had “fought for greater justice”. Bells at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris rank 88 times this morning, one chime for each year of the Pope's life. A prayer vigil is due to start at the cathedral at 7pm this evening. Services are also being arranged at Catholic churches across our region.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said that he "will forever be marked by the audience of September 23, 2016, when the Pope received us with the families of the victims of July 14, 2016".
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said "his leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the Church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility". The prime minister also said he "was a Pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten".
A body has been retrieved from the sea off the Herault department which may be that of a 13 year old boy swept out to sea yesterday afternoon. The Maritime Prefecture said that CROSS MED coordinated a rescue operation following the disappearance of the teenager in Pala-vas-les-Flots. Having gone swimming around 4:20 pm yesterday, the teenager's disappearance was reported at 4:40 pm by his relatives after he failed to return. Authorities deployed a rescue operation including air, sea, and land resources. The Maritime Prefecture said that a body that may match the description of the 13-year-old boy was found around 12:15 pm today in a depth of 2 meters, at the entrance to the town's port. A judicial investigation is now being conducted by the Hérault Gendarmerie, under the authority of the Montpellier prosecutor's office.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that prison and detention center officers were targeted with violence once again last night. The incidents occurred in the Rhone and Isere departments. In a social media post he said that there were no injuries, “but these incidents constitute intimidation against the Republic at a time when we are restoring authority and order in our prisons”. He said that he can count on the firmness of the Ministry of the Interior to quickly arrest the perpetrators.
An earth tremor has been felt early this morning in the Alpes-Martimes. Tremors were reportedly felt in villages including Tourette Levens, Utelle and Saint Martin Vesubie as well as in parts of Nice. There have been no reports of injuries or damage to property.
The Monaco government has announced a major update to the "Monaco Bus" mobile app. It now includes innovative features that have been popular with users including access to maps and timetables for all lines and all bus stops, real-time information on upcoming buses such as arrival times at each stop, bus geolocation, and boarding capacity. Real-time bus network notifications and announcements are also included.
President Macron has started a five day visit to the Indian Ocean region. He arrived in the French overseas territory of Mayotte earlier today where he announced a budget of 3.2 billion euros over six years for reconstruction. The archipeligo was devastaed by a cyclone last December. He's also visiting Reunion, Mauritius and Madagascar.
Five departments in western France are on Orange level alerts for flooding. They are the Dordogne, Gironde, Correze, Charent and Charente-Maritime. The Prefecture in the Dordogne said this morning that 8 campsites have been evacuated and 100 people brought to safety but earlier today 1,100 homes were without power in the department.
BUSINESS
US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Delhi, where he is due to hold talks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It's expected that talks will involve discussion of a bilateral trade deal between the two countries. Many countries are trying to negotiate trade deals with the US before President Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, which he has said will end on 9 July.
Meanwhile, China has warned it will hit back at countries that make deals with the US that hurt China's interests. The move comes after reports that the US plans to pressure governments to restrict trade with China in exchange for exemptions to US tariffs.
SPORT
Tennis... Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko has defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win the Stuttgart Open. The final score was 6-4 6-1.
Football... The four scheduled matches in the top flight of Italian football have been postponed following the death of Pope Francis. The governing body which oversees Serie A said the games would be rearranged in due course. Players at Real Madrid held a minute's silence before training today to mark the Pope's death.
Snooker... Chinese player Zhao Xintong has defeated Jak Jones to knock the 2024 runner-up out of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. Zhao will meet fellow Chinese player Lei Peifan in his next match for a place in the quarter-finals. The turning point is on at the Crucible until 5 May.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that France is in talks with allies about possibly supporting Ukraine with troops, amid its ongoing war...
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Thundery showers are forecast in Nice and the Alpes Maritimes. Some sunny intervals as the day progresses. Highs of 20 degrees. ...
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American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first U.S.-born pope and signalling continuity with Pope Francis’...
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A Polish man in his forties has been hospitalized in Valence after enduring a harrowing journey between two TGV carriages from Paris. ...
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