Day: 8 January 2021

Prince Albert says that President Donald Trump “has to be held accountable” for his role in the riots at the Capitol in Washington that left five dead, including a police officer who succumbed to injuries on Friday morning.
Not only is Prince Albert the reigning Sovereign of Monaco, he is also half American, so it is no surprise that he has an opinion on what happened at the Capitol building on Wednesday.
“This is not the America I know — the one I partially grew up in, went to school in,” Prince Albert told People on Thursday. “President Trump has to be held accountable.”
The Prince said he watched on “in shock” as pro-Trump rioters breached security while the United States Congress was voting to certify the Electoral College votes that secured the White House for President-elect Joe Biden.
It took several hours for authorities to regain control of the building, but not before four people were killed and many others were injured. A fifth victim, a police officer, died of his injuries in the early morning hours of 8^th January.
“I was up at our country house, Roc Agel, so as soon as I put on the news before going to bed, there it was, live from the streets of Washington,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable. I’m still in shock, but at the same time, I’m not totally surprised because, unfortunately, this is where we were heading.”
The Prince’s American roots are well-known. His mother was American actress Grace Kelly turned princess, and he spent significant time in the country of his mother’s birth, even going to university there.
“My wife had already retired, and I told her afterward. It was shock and disbelief and then it kind of quickly turned into disgust, really,” said Prince Albert. “But also anger about how this could have happened and how this was fuelled by President Trump.”
Prince Albert is a long-time detractor of the American President and was one of the few who publicly spoke out against him before and after his election.
“I felt months ago that there would be big problems whichever way the election went. It is a very sombre moment, not only in the U.S. but in contemporary world history: a president still in office who has, directly and indirectly, spurred a revolt like this. I agree with those who have said that President Trump has to be held accountable for this.”
Many Americans agree and the fallout is likely to be far-reaching, even after Trump has left office. There is talk of removing the sitting president from office before the 20^th January handover, either by impeachment or by invoking the 25^th Amendment which strips him of power.
The number of those in Trump’s own Republican party who are publicly turning against him is growing, and staffers are jumping ship in disgust or in a last-ditch effort to distance themselves from their political leader.
The president was also temporarily locked-out of his favourite forum Twitter, and has had his Facebook and Instagram pages blocked. When Trump was allowed Twitter privileges again on Thursday, he posted a video in which he finally acknowledged that his reign would come to an end on 20^th January – two months after the election was decided.
 
 
 

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has said the borders with the UK will remain closed to keep a Covid variant at bay and the vaccination programme will be stepped up with a target of one million inoculations by the end of January.
In his televised speech on Thursday evening, French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that borders with the United Kingdom will remain shut “until further notice” due in part to the deteriorating health situation in France and after two clusters of the variant strain of the virus were detected in Paris and Brittany.
At least nine players and a staff member of the Bayonne rugby team tested positive for the variant during a European Challenge match against the Leicester Tigers on 19^th December. The news was reported last week after the players were tested ahead of a match on Thursday. Another case was confirmed when a French citizen in Corsica returning from London was found to have it.
The border with the UK has been closed since 20^th December, causing havoc at ports just prior to Christmas as lorry drivers were trapped on either side of the Channel with nowhere to go. France and the UK found a solution and now transporters and French and EU citizens are allowed to enter France, but only with a valid negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of entry. Second home-owners, tourists and those visiting family are not permitted to come at present.
Health Minister Olivier Véran said Thursday that labs around the country were tracking the strain.
The government has also vowed to up the vaccination programme, which has seen only 50,000 jabs given since 27^th December. France has pre-ordered 200 million doses of the various vaccines. This will more than give blanket coverage to the country’s 67 million inhabitants, with the over 75’s and disabled people in care homes next up for eligibility.
The country will remain under light-lockdown with restaurants, bars, gyms, theatres, cinemas, and cultural institutions remaining closed until “at least” mid-February, whilst ski resorts are looking at closures to persist into the February half-term break.
The nightly curfew will remain in place until at least 20^th January with the stricter 6pm to 6am curfew extending to 10 more departments, making the total number under the harsher rules 25, including the Aples-Maritimes.
The government has also warned that additional restrictions could be enacted if the situation does not improve.
“The time has not come to return to normal,” said the PM. “We still admit one person to hospital every seven minutes and one in two people in intensive care are there for Covid-19.”
New cases in France are still topping 20,000 per day, far from the threshold set by the government of 5,000, and until the numbers go down dramatically, the French can expect measures to continue.
 
Photo: Screenshot of Prime Minister Jean Castex during Thursday evening’s televised address
 
 

Controls will be stepped up throughout Monaco this Saturday as authorities anticipate a wave of visitors crossing the border for the winter sales.
This Saturday 9th January marks the second weekend of winter sales in the Principality of Monaco. Meanwhile in France, the sales have been pushed back to 20^th January because of Covid.
As a result, authorities in Monaco are expecting an influx of visitors looking to take advantage of retailer’s discounts.
“The gap between the sales period in Monaco and in France should call for the greatest vigilance,” said the government in a statement released on Friday.
Authorities are anticipating a “strong mixing of the population with crowds in parking lots, shops or public spaces, and therefore a situation that could be considered favourable to a sustained spread of the virus.”
As a result, there will be a significant police presence at the border as officers step up road checks. The government warns this will lead to major traffic disruption.
Passengers travelling into Monaco on the train will also be subject to checks.
While the government has stopped short of a blanket ban on visitor access to the Principality, it says “Public Security Officers will regulate, or even be able to restrict, access to the Principality to non-residents (excluding nationals, people working in the Principality or those who can prove a hotel reservation) who are unable to justify a compelling reason to enter the national territory.”
It is also appealing for responsible behaviour from both traders and customers.
“The Monegasque authorities invite visitors to show good citizenship and responsibility by avoiding queues in front of stores. If necessary, the Public Security will disperse the line and invite customers to circulate in town while waiting for easier access to the store,” said the government.
“The Princely Government is implementing measures that ensure a balance between health security and the economic activity that guarantees jobs. This relies on a committed respect of the measures by everyone. Protecting yourself also means protecting others, particularly in this period when the circulation of the virus is gaining in force in the Principality and in the Alpes-Maritimes.”
Visitors are reminded of the restrictions currently in place in Monaco: that only residents, workers or those staying in the Principality are able to eat at local restaurants, and that masks are mandatory at all times throughout the entire territory.