This is News from France, a weekly review for Sunday 25 April
This week’s main news was:
Covid-19 cases remaining above 30,000 per day
French fishermen taking direct action concerning UK waters
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet arriving on the International Space Station
The number of new daily cases of Covid-19 was reported as 32,633 on Sunday.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Castex said there had been a “genuine fall in the virus circulation” over the previous ten days and that schools would reopen from Monday.
The 7pm to 6am curfew is to remain in place but the 10 kilometre travel limit for people from their homes is to be lifted from the start of May.
Over 13 million people have received at least a first dose of vaccine.
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About 80 fishermen blocked two trucks carrying UK-landed fish at the Boulogne docks in northern France on Thursday to protest post-Brexit restrictions on fishing in UK waters.
The Brexit trade deal allowed EU fishermen to keep fishing into British waters – but only if they have a licence.
Four months after the deal was signed, 80 percent of the French fishing fleet is still waiting for the permits, the protesters said.
About two-thirds of UK-landed fish are exported to Europe – including mackerel, whiting, squid.
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Astronaut Thomas Pesquet arrived on board the International Space Station late Saturday morning French time to start his second mission, four years after his first one.
He was one of four crew onboard the second operational flight of the recycled SpaceX capsule, which was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
There are currently 11 astronauts on board the space station but four will return to earth on Wednesday. Pesquet and his team will spend the next six months onboard.
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This has been News from France, a weekly review in English, today Sunday 25 April 2021
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