This is news from France for Sunday 6 June, 2021:

This week:

• new travel conditions for international visitors

• consequences of a failure in emergency numbers

• the Cannes film festival gets ready for a July opening

• the Pompidou plans a Jersey City satellite museum.

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From next Wednesday, international visitors should face fewer restrictions in consequence of Covid when they arrive in France.

In measures announced on Friday, people who have been vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine on arrival, or justify their reasons for visiting. However, they will have to present a negative test taken within the previous 72 hours.

The government has classified countries within red, orange and green areas. Europe is green while the US is orange and India red. Different conditions relate to each designation.

The number of new Covid cases reported in the previous 24 hours on Sunday was 6,654.

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Telecom operator Orange blamed a software failure for a network outage which left people unable to reach emergency services on Wednesday into Thursday.

Starting on Wednesday afternoon, people were unable to access emergency services and calls were either not getting through, or breaking down mid-way through a conversation. The problem was resolved by Thursday.

The head of France’s biggest telecom company was summoned by the Interior Ministry to explain the situation. The state is the biggest shareholder of Orange.

Orange told Agence France Press (AFP) that a “technical incident on a router had greatly disrupted ‘voice over internet protocol’ (VoIP) calls in some regions”.

Belgium’s largest operator Proximus reported similar problems in January when emergency numbers were disrupted overnight.

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After a break due to Covid last year, the Cannes film festival returns – in July.

Usually held in May, this year the dates are July 6 to 17.

The jury is headed by Spike Lee and organizers received 2,000 movies for their selection, built up from last year’s missed edition. The list has been reduced to a final 24 for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

American actor Jodie Foster is to be presented with an honorary award of France’s top cinema prize.

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The Pompidou modern arts centre is planning is first satellite museum in the United States.

It’s to be housed in a renovated industrial building in Jersey City, 3 miles from New York’s Manhattan district.

Along with a permanent collection of contemporary art, space will be set aside for rotating exhibitions, community events, and educational projects.