Monaco's Princess Charlene Tests Positive for COVID

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco pose on the red carpet ahead of the 2020 Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health in Monaco September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco pose on the red carpet ahead of the 2020 Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health in Monaco September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
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Monaco's Princess Charlene Tests Positive for COVID

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco pose on the red carpet ahead of the 2020 Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health in Monaco September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco pose on the red carpet ahead of the 2020 Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health in Monaco September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Princess Charlene of Monaco, who had been away from the principality for months due to health issues, has tested positive for COVID-19, the palace said in a statement, as the number of cases in neighboring France begin to rise again.

The 44-year-old former Olympics champion, who married Prince Albert in 2011, returned to Monaco in March as her health improved, the royal palace said at the time. She only recently resumed official duties.

The palace said there were no concerns about her condition and she would isolate according to health protocols.

The positive test comes a day after France's Public Health Authority said it had seen a rebound in cases this week for the first time in months with a 7-day average of about 20,000 daily cases, Reuters reported.

Guillaume Spaccaferri, epidemiologist at the Public Health Authority, told a news conference on Friday the rise in numbers was likely down to a new Omicron variant and the end of all COVID restrictions in the country.

So far, there was not a notable impact on hospitalizations or intensive care units, he said.



Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)

Dozens of US ice cream producers are planning to remove artificial colors from their products by 2028, a dairy industry group and government officials said on Monday.

The producers, which together represent more than 90% of ice cream sold in the US, are the latest food companies to take voluntary steps to remove dyes since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April said the US aimed to phase out many synthetic dyes from the country's food supply.

Several major food manufacturers, including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker, Hershey and Nestle USA, have previously announced their plans to phase out synthetic food coloring.

The 40 ice cream companies will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail products, excluding non-dairy products, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

The IDFA announced the plan at an event at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday with Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

"We know that our current health outcomes, especially for our children, are unsustainable and that American agriculture is at the heart of the solution to make America healthy again," Rollins said at the event, referencing a slogan aligned with Kennedy.

Rollins and Kennedy have worked closely together on food sector efforts like encouraging states to ban soda from the nation's largest food aid program.

Kennedy has blamed food dyes for rising rates of ADHD and cancer, an area many scientists say requires more research.

The IDFA said artificial dyes are safe, but that ice cream makers are taking the step in part to avoid disruption to sales from state efforts to phase out dyes from school foods and West Virginia's recent food dye ban.