Evening Update Monday 04th March 2024

France is making history this afternoon by becoming the first country in the world to enshrine the right to terminate a pregnancy in the country’s constitution. A rare congress of both houses is meeting right now in Versailles for a final vote, where it’s expected to carry the motion with at least 60% in favour.  If successful, the right to IVG (Interruption Volontaire de Grossesse) as it's known in France, will be inscribed into the constitution. Abortion was first legalised in France in 1975 by the then Health Minister Simone Veil. Born in Nice, Madame Veil was a women's rights icon who was granted the rare honour of burial at the Pantheon after her death in 2018.

A young driver is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter after speeding on the A8 during yesterday’s severe weather and crashing into a road crew assisting a motorist, killing a 54-year-old officer from Cagnes-sur-Mer. Two other patrol men were seriously injured at the incident near the toll at La Turbie just outside Monaco. Vinci Autoroute workers are said to be speechless today over the death of their colleague. The front page of the companies webpage has been blacked out as a mark of respect. The driver, who has not been named, is recovering in hospital, where prosecutors are waiting on toxicology reports to establish if they were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.

New French laws are being proposed to target "fast fashion". A new bill is considering financial penalties of up 10 euro per item by 2030, to encourage sustainable consumer behaviour