France

”, which both came from Noumea and stopped over in Port-Moresby at this occasion, participated a few days ago in a regional fisheries policing operation in the PNG Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Several buildings were set ablaze on both sides of a street in the seaside town of St Laurent-de-la-Salanque after a blast was heard at 01:30 local time (00:30 GMT) on Monday.

Firefighters are still searching for victims in two small blocks of flats damaged by the fire.

The cause of the original explosion is not yet known.

France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who visited the scene of the accident on Monday afternoon, said the current death toll of seven was only provisional while emergency services continued to search for survivors.

The Prime Minister returned a positive test result for COVID-19 upon arrival in Beijing on Thursday 3^rd January, 2022.

Nonetheless, he has hailed the visit to the People’s Republic of China, a successful one.

The Prime Minister met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in an historic Saturday evening virtual meeting.

During this meeting the two leaders reaffirmed and announced a significant list of deliverables which included:

But France, with its 179,807 cases on Tuesday, was not alone in breaking records, as Italy, Greece, Portugal and England all reported record highs too.

The figures could be due in part to reporting delays over Christmas.

Countries had been reporting rises running up the festive period, driven by the more contagious Omicron variant.

More than 96 percent of New Caledonians voted against independence in a referendum boycotted by Kanaks. It was the last of three referendums, which concluded the 1998 Noumea Accord on the territory's decolonisation.

The Accord's provisions on the territory's institutional make-up remain in place until a new statute has been adopted.

While the anti-independence camp and Paris welcomed the referendum result, the pro-independence parties said the vote was bogus and they would not recognise its outcome.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected accusations that Australia had lied, saying France should have been aware it was prepared to break the deal.

France says the Aukus pact has led to a "serious crisis" between the allies.

In an unprecedented move, it has recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia as a sign of protest.

Under the Aukus pact, Australia will be given the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines as a way of countering China's influence in the contested South China Sea.

This is to assist PNG in its fight against the transmission of COVID-19.

It is the first part of France’s assistance to PNG.

These supplies were sourced from France’s prepositioned strategic stock in Noumea.

Another shipment will arrive from Paris, with other supplies, equipment and materials that include PPE, antigen tests and oxygen therapy related devices.

France is also working on proposing to PNG authorities some logistic solution to deliver the equipment, medical teams and vaccines to places in PNG that are hard to reach by road or plane. 

People will not be allowed out the house between 20:00 and 06:00 without an authorisation form.

Christmas Eve will be exempt, but the rule will stay in place for New Year's Eve. Bars and restaurants are to remain closed until at least 20 January.

The number of people in France who have died from coronavirus infections rose by 790 on Tuesday to a total of 59,072.

People in France are no longer required to print or download an official justification for leaving their homes during the day.

He said France would not surrender its core values after visiting the Notre-Dame basilica in the southern city. An extra 4,000 troops are being deployed to protect churches and schools.

In Nice, one elderly victim was "virtually beheaded", officials said. Another woman and a man also died.

A male suspect was shot and detained.

Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attack and France has raised its national security alert to its highest level.

Mr Macron said that under the new measures, starting on Friday, people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.

Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories will remain open.

Covid daily deaths in France are at the highest level since April. On Tuesday, 33,000 new cases were confirmed.

Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first".