France

PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron and some senior cabinet ministers will review the COVID-19 situation on Wednesday, the Elysee said on Monday, amid another surge in cases that has spurred fears of a third lockdown in France.

The European Union rolled out a massive COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday to try to rein in a pandemic that has crippled economies worldwide and claimed more than 1.7 million lives.

France reported 8,822 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, sharply up from Saturday’s 3,093.

24 Dec 2020; MEMO: The French National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) has launched a preliminary investigation into possible "embezzlement" and "illegal gains" by the family of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, French Libération newspaper reported.

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron’s health is showing signs of improvement after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 17, his office said on Wednesday.

Macron has been has been self-isolating at Versailles, and BFM TV this week broadcast live images of him chairing a government ministerial meeting via an audiovisual link.

He has said that although he will be working at a slower pace as he recovers, he will continue to tackle top-priority issues such as France’s response to the COVID pandemic and Brexit.

PARIS (AP) — A gunman who had beaten and threatened his wife in southern France killed three policemen who came to the woman’s aid and then fled, prompting a wide manhunt, authorities said. The suspected assailant was later found dead.

The unusual killing of three police officers on duty drew national concern Wednesday, notably from French leaders who are under pressure from police to do more to protect them. President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “They are our heros.”

CALAIS, France (AP) — Freight from Britain and passengers with a negative virus test began arriving on French shores Wednesday, after France relaxed a two-day blockade over a new virus variant that had isolated Britain, stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of shortages.

Associated Press reporters witnessed a ferry pulling into the French port of Calais before dawn and trains carrying freight and car passengers were allowed to cross to the continent beneath the English Channel again.

PARIS (Reuters) - France aims to establish Europe-wide sanitary protocol measures “in the coming hours” to allow the resumption of traffic flows with the United Kingdom, transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said on Monday.

PARIS (Reuters) - France needs to step up its vigilance regarding the COVID-19 situation in the country, given the emergence of a new strain of the virus in the United Kingdom, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

BFM TV broadcast live images of Macron chairing a government ministerial meeting via an audiovisual conference. Macron is working remotely and self-isolating as he recovers after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

19 Dec 2020; MEMO: Thousands of migrants in France on Friday staged demonstrations demanding permission to stay, Anadolu Agency reports.

Coinciding the International Day of Migrants on Dec. 18, activists had gathered in Richelieu-Drouot Square in the capital Paris and marched to the perimeter of the city's municipal building.

Police, who placed intensive security measures, did not allow the crowd to approach the municipality.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday blamed his COVID-19 on a combination of negligence and bad luck, urging his compatriots to stay safe as critics called out slip-ups in his behavior to prevent infection, from a close-quarters handshake to repeated big-group meals over the past week.

PARIS (AP) — As French President Emmanuel Macron rides out the coronavirus in a presidential retreat at Versailles, French doctors are warning families who are heading for the holidays to remain cautious because of an uptick in infections — especially at the dinner table.

While Macron routinely wears a mask and adheres to social distancing rules, he hosted or took part in multiple group meals in the days before testing positive Thursday. Critics say that’s a bad example for compatriots advised to keep their gatherings to six people.