In France

On Jan. 22, we are celebrating 60 years of French-German friendship! On this day in 1963, then-French President Charles de Gaulle and German chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed the Élysée treaty. This treaty marks reconciliation between our two countries, after centuries of enmity and just 18 years after the end of World War II.

Air France and aircraft maker Airbus go on trial in Paris today on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 crash of a flight from Brazil, killing all 228 people aboard.

The case focuses on alleged insufficient pilot training and a defective speed monitoring probe, which was quickly replaced on planes worldwide in the months after the accident.

France today began lifting Covid restrictions, including mandatory masks outside, in a bid to make everyday life easier for citizens, after only last month the country announced a record number of new coronavirus infections, AFP reported.

However, during the interview, it emerged that in at least one case, prosecutors have acknowledged that they should have taken action but have not done so since they were first asked to do so in 2018.

In a second case, which was opened back in 2010, prosecutors have shelved the matter, leaving unidentified human remains that have already been exhumed.

Several ceremonies were being held Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

The kitschy glamour of Eurovision is back, with the Dutch hosting a scaled-down, coronavirus-safe version this week after the song contest was canceled last year.

Around 3,500 COVID-tested fans will be allowed to attend the May 22 final in Rotterdam as the return of the pageant injects some glitz into Europe's cautious reopening.

Ljubljana – All secondary school students who have been learning remotely will return to in-person teaching on Monday, while primary school students in grades six to nine will have to wear masks at all time in class, the government decided as it conducted its weekly review of coronavirus restrictions.

French police used tear gas to disperse protesters in front of President Emmanuel Macron's party headquarters, DPA and BTA reported. The protest was held against the background of the ongoing strike against the pension reform.

Dozens of protesters fled after being covered by thick clouds of tear gas in the narrow streets near the Paris Opera House. 

Fourteen member countries of the European Union have agreed to a new "solidarity mechanism" proposed by Germany and France to allocate migrants across the bloc, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

Foreign affairs and Interior ministers of the EU had earlier gathered in Paris to discuss immigration and security issues following a first gathering in Finland last week.