President Macron is cutting short his visit to Indian Ocean territories in order to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. He was due to be in Mauritius on Friday but will now meet the Prime Minister of Mauritius at the Indian Ocean Commission Summit. President Macron is visiting the French overseas territory of Reunion today as part of his tour of the region. He announced emergency measures to help the island recover from a devastating cyclone which struck the area in December. It's thought that about 100,000 people out of the population of about 900,000 is infected with a virus spread by mosquitoes which the president called "a huge public health problem".
The French government has announced that flags will be flown at half mast on public buildings across the country on Saturday, the day of the the funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican announced earlier today that the funeral will take place at 10am on Saturday in St Peters Square.
The French Minister of Justice, Gerald Darmanin, has said that authorities have arrested several individuals who were targeting prison officers. He said that "the mobilization and vigilance of prison officers and law enforcement" had unearthed several attacks, "such as in Isère, where individuals were arrested near a prison in the middle of the night with cans of petrol". Further incidents targeting prison officers also reportedly occurred last night in the Calvados and Oise departments. The government announced this afternoon that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and Gerald Darmanin will be visiting a prison in the Isere tomorrow to show support for prison officers. They'll be accompanied by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
A truck carrying 22 tons of baking soda has caught fire in the Vaucluse department. The serious blaze was brought under control by firefighters specializing in hazardous chemicals. The only injuries were those suffered by the driver, which reports say were minor in nature.
Trains between Monaco and Ventimiglia were briefly suspended this afternoon after an abandoned bag was discovered at Menton station. A perimeter cord was put in place but the bag proved to be harmless and trains have now returned to normal.
A reminder that as part of the preparation for the United Nations Ocean Conference in June, a public meeting is taking place outlining practical issues for locals such as traffic diversions and parking during the conference. The public meeting starts at 6.30 this evening at the Tente Croisière on the Quai du Commerce on Port Lympia in Nice.
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled two posters for this year's event. It's the first time two posters have been issued. They both depict a scene from the 1966 Palme d'Or winner "A Man and a Woman". Both posters show the stars of the film embracing, with one shot being from the front and the other from the back. The Film Festival runs from 13 to 24 May.
The Natural History Museum in Nice is getting a makeover. There will be a new educational trail, redesigned reception area, restored façade, improved accessibility, a meditation corner and reading room as well as a 250 square meter garden on the Promenade du Paillon. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi was present at a presentation of the plans this morning. The renovations will continue until the end of October.
BUSINESS
The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3.521% on imports into the US of solar panels from several countries. Solar equipment manufacturers had asked the administration of Joe Biden to protect their US operations. The proposed levies which are aimed at companies in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, are in response to allegations of subsidies from China and the dumping of unfairly cheap products in the US market.
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to meet US Trade Secretary Scott Bessent during a visit to Washington, DC. She is expected to put the case for removal of US tariffs on steel and cars produced in the UK and a potential US/UK trade deal is also expected to be discussed. The Chancellor is in the US for a meeting of the International Monetary Fund.
SPORT
Football... Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Wolves player Matheus Cunha this summer. The BBC are reporting that multiple club sources have told them that the 25-year-old is one of a number of options on United's shortlist, with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap also apparently of interest.
Golf... R&A chief executive Mark Darbon has said that a feasibility study is under way to establish whether Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course can once again host the Open Championship. He said that the main issue is not ownership of the course but whether the venue and town are able to cope with the number of people expected to attend the event.
Rugby Union... Ben Youngs has announced he will retire at the end of this season. The 35 year old has played in 127 Tests for England and won four Six Nations titles, as well as five Premiership titles with Leicester Tigers.
Meanwhile, New Zealand women's team player Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has announced that she plans to come back from retirement. She announced the end of her career with New Zealand after winning rugby sevens gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, she said that she thought about the possibility of how she could potentially play in the World Cup. Woodman-Wickliffe is the record try-scorer in the history of the women's World Cup.
President Macron is cutting short his visit to Indian Ocean territories in order to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. He was due to be i...
Read More
Emmanuel Macron has returned to the French overseas territory of Mayotte, four months after it was devastated by a cyclone which killed 40 people and ...
Read More
President Macron has paid tribute to Pope Francis who has died today at the age of 88. The President expressed his condolences to “Catholics around th...
Read More
French prime minister François Bayrou has announced plans for a consultation on proportional representation in the country's legislative elections....
Read More
A British man has died in an avalanche in the Savoie department. According to local reports, the man in his twenties was on a road near the ski resort...
Read More
