- 'Windmill love' sees Dutch artist become mill operator
- US defends law forcing sale of TikTok app
- Messi out for defending champ Miami as Leagues Cup begins
- Australia bans uranium mining at Indigenous site
- Divers attempt to reach sunken Philippine oil tanker
- Trump accuses Harris of anti-Semitism in overblown speech
- Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
- Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
- Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
- What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
- Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
- Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
- 'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
- 'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
- Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
- Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
- Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
- The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
- Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
- Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
- Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
- Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
- New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
- NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
- Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
- Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
- Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
- Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
- Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
- West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
- Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
- Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
- Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
- S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
- Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
- Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
- G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
- European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
- Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
- Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
- Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
- Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
- Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
- Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
- Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
- Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
- Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
- Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
- Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
- French Rugby's Jaminet suspended 34 weeks after racist video: Federation
France lifts Covid restrictions as case numbers ease
France on Wednesday loosened several of the restrictions imposed to curb the latest Covid surge, with authorities hoping a recent decline in daily cases will soon ease pressure on overburdened hospitals.
The move has divided experts after authorities reported record coronavirus infections just last month, with critics accusing the government of making a hasty bet on a return to normality.
But President Emmanuel Macron is betting that widespread vaccinations will curb the pandemic, with proof of inoculation now required for the health pass used to access everything from bars and restaurants to cinemas and long-distance public transport.
The government says more than 90 percent of adults are vaccinated, and booster shots or proof of recovery from Covid will be required to retain the new health pass -- a recent negative test result is no longer accepted.
From Wednesday, wearing face masks outdoors will no longer be mandatory, and audience capacity limits have been lifted for theatres, concerts, sporting matches and other events.
Working from home is also no longer required, though it remains strongly recommended.
A second stage of easing is set for February 16, when nightclubs can reopen after being shut in December, and standing areas will again be allowed at concerts, sporting events and bars.
Eating and drinking will also be permitted in stadiums, cinemas and public transport from that date.
Macron also suggested in a press interview published Tuesday that restrictions imposed for schools, which include face mask requirements, could be eased after the winter breaks scheduled for later this month.
- Cautious optimism -
Authorities view the threat of the Omicron variant as less dangerous than previous strains of the virus, even though it is more contagious.
"We have seen a weak reversal of the trend over the past few days, with fewer cases declared each day than seven days earlier," government spokesman Gabriel Attal told France Info radio Tuesday.
An average of 322,256 cases were recorded over the previous seven days, according to latest figures, down from 366,179 a week ago.
Attal called it a "very encouraging signal" but said officials "remain cautious" because of a "very contagious" sub-variant of Omicron, BA.1, that appears to have delayed the peak of infections in other countries.
France also still has some 3,750 Covid patients in intensive care, above the government's target of 3,000, and on average the country is seeing 261 Covid deaths at hospitals every day.
"We've clearly passed the peak, we hope the decline will be quick. But we're coming from stratospheric levels, so this wave is still far from over," the epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik told French daily Le Parisien on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, France had recorded 131,312 Covid deaths since the beginning of the outbreak.
P.Serra--PC