Evening Update Thursday 27 April 2023

Four people have been charged in connection with an alleged kidnapping in Marseille. Last Saturday three men assaulted a man in the 5th arrondissement and attempted to bundle him into the boot of a car. It's believed the incident is related to drugs trafficking. The three men and one woman have been charged with offences including kidnapping and forcible confinement.

The French government has said that a frigate which is normally based in Toulon is taking part in a rescue mission in Sudan. The ship was involved in an operation in which about 400 people were evacuated from the country after recent violence. Clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces began on 15 April. Hundreds of people have since died and thousands have been injured in the conflict.

Some of the residents of rue Tivoli in Marseille are being allowed to return to their homes after the gas explosion earlier this month in which eight people lost their lives. 138 people are being allowed to return to 19 buildings as from tomorrow morning after authorities gave the all clear to the structures on safety grounds.

The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has said that it's appealing against a court decision in which Airbus and Air France were exonerated in the case involving the crash of Air France flight 447. 228 people died in the crash of the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in 2009. In its decision, the court said that no "certain causal link" between any fault and the crash could be demonstrated.

The funeral of the former mayor of Frejus Francois Leotard is set to take place on