The French government has instructed local prefects across France to immediately reinforce surveillance and protection of prisons and their staff. The instructions were sent in a joint communique from Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. Measures to be taken include dynamic police patrols coordinated with prison administrations. The move comes after several attacks on prisons and prison officers in recent days.
A case of equine infectious anemia has been detected in a horse in the northeastern area of the Var. The incurable viral disease affects only equines such as horses, donkeys, and mules. It is not transmissible to humans. The twelve year old horse was euthanised to prevent transmission to other animals.
Residents of the resort of Tignes in the Savoie department have been urged to stay in their homes because of heavy snowfall. Such extreme weather is highly unusual for that area in the middle of April. Local schools have been closed and the department is under a Meteo France Orange alert for avalanches.
Monaco Special Olympics athletes have been received at the Residence of the Minister of State in Monaco. Returning from the World Winter Games in Turin, the Special Olympics Monaco athletes, accompanied by their coaches, were received at the Residence of the Minister of State by Isabelle Berro-Amadei, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Acting Minister of State. The Minister congratulated all the members of the delegation.
At the initiative of HSH Prince Albert II, the Principality of Monaco is mobilizing to respond to an appeal to help victims of the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake which struck Myanmar recently. The Monaco Red Cross and the Prince's Government will contribute €50,000 respectively to assist those affected. The appeal is being organised by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. More than ten days after the earthquake, the human toll continues to rise, with more than 3,500 deaths and nearly 5,000 injured.
BUSINESS
Chinese online discount retailers Shein and Temu have warned US customers that their products will become more expensive from 25 April after Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs on goods from China. The companies said they have seen operating expenses rise "due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs".
US Vice-President JD Vance is scheduled to have a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vance will be on a four-day visit to India next week. The two countries are negotiating a bilateral trade deal.
The UK government has introduced a temporary ban on bringing in cheese and meat products from the EU. The aim is to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease. Travellers are not allowed to bring back items such as cured meat and cheese, including in sandwiches. The restrictions apply regardless of whether the goods are packed or packaged, or bought from duty free. The restrictions apply to people arriving in Great Britain, not Northern Ireland.
SPORT
Football... Virgil van Dijk has signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool. His existing contract had been due to expire at the end of this season. He's made 314 appearances for the club and was made captain in 2023.
Rugby Union...Johnny Sexton is joining the British and Irish Lions coaching team for this summer's tour of Australia. Sexton retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He's been working with Ireland in a casual coaching capacity since the Autumn Nations Series and will take up a full-time position with the Irish Rugby Football Union from 1 August.
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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Cloudy with sunny intervals. Light rain is forecast for the Var region with moderate to strong winds. Highs of 17 degrees in Monaco and Saint-Tropez, ...
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White smoe Is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning A new pope has just been chosen! 133 cardinals have gathered in the Sistine cha...
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No new pope has been elected yet, as black smoke signalled another inconclusive vote during the conclave in the morning of Thursday the 8th of May. ...
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