French Children Head Back to School

A teacher, wearing a protective face mask, teaches to schoolchildren in a classroom at a private school during its reopening in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire near Nantes as a small part of French children head back to their schools with new rules and social distancing during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France. (Image: Reuters)
A teacher, wearing a protective face mask, teaches to schoolchildren in a classroom at a private school during its reopening in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire near Nantes as a small part of French children head back to their schools with new rules and social distancing during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France. (Image: Reuters)
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French Children Head Back to School

A teacher, wearing a protective face mask, teaches to schoolchildren in a classroom at a private school during its reopening in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire near Nantes as a small part of French children head back to their schools with new rules and social distancing during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France. (Image: Reuters)
A teacher, wearing a protective face mask, teaches to schoolchildren in a classroom at a private school during its reopening in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire near Nantes as a small part of French children head back to their schools with new rules and social distancing during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France. (Image: Reuters)

Millions of French children starting going back to school Tuesday despite a recent rise in virus infections, in a nationwide experiment aimed at bridging inequalities and reviving the economy.

"The virus is still there, and you have to protect yourself," President Emmanuel Macron said in an Instagram video aimed at France´s more than 12 million schoolchildren on their first day back.

He spoke masked. Masks are required throughout the school day for all students 11 and over, and all teachers and school staff.

Masks are also mandatory starting Tuesday in all French workplaces, as the government encourages parents to return to the job while trying to keep infections under control. France reported 3,082 new coronavirus cases Monday, down from recent days but still higher than European neighbors and well above the few hundred daily cases reported in May and June, before summer vacations sent infections rising again. France has reported more than 30,600 deaths related to the virus.



Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

Pope Francis, who began his fifth day in hospital on Tuesday for what doctors have described as a "complex" respiratory infection, will not take part in this weekend's Holy Year events, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday.

A planned public papal audience set for Saturday had been cancelled "due to the health condition of the Holy Father", the Vatican said in a brief statement.

A papal mass scheduled for Sunday will still take place, but will be led instead by a senior Vatican official, it added.

The Vatican said on Monday that doctors had changed the pope's drug therapy for the second time during his hospital stay to tackle a "complex clinical situation". They described it as a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract".

Doctors say polymicrobial diseases can be caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed, and in recent times has been prone to lung infections.