News
France shocked by horrific rape case which has gone on trial in Avignon - A husband who allegedly drugged his wife and invited more than 80 strangers to rape her at their home for almost a decade has gone on trial in Avignon. The case which has shocked France was revealed by French media on Monday, when more than a dozen feminists dressed in black protested outside the courthouse as the trial opened.
According to police Dominique Pélicot crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication and mixed it into his wife Gisèle’s evening meal or in her wine at their home in Mazan, near Carpentras in Provence. The father of three recruited men to rape and sexually abuse her from an online chatroom. The case was discovered after Pélicot was arrested on 2 November 2020, when a security guard caught him filming up the skirts of women in the local supermarket. Police found a file on a USB drive connected to his computer that contained 20,000 of images and films of his wife being raped almost 100 times. Since his arrest he “always declared himself guilty”.
Health records reportedly show he obtained 450 sleeping pills in one year alone. Investigators said she was devastated to learn of the abuse, saying she had no recollection whatsoever of being raped. She had been drugged “almost to a state of coma”. The trial in Avignon is expected to last four months. 71-year-old Pélicot and the 50 other defendants face 20 years in prison if convicted of aggravated rape.
Missing person – In other news, police have launched a missing person appeal following the disappearance of 34-year-old Samson Selle who has not been seen for four and a half months. The father has been missing since the night of April 15th. He was seen last seen on CCTV cameras near the Maison de la Mer and the port of Cavalaire-sur-Mer. At the time of his disappearance, Samson Selle was dressed "in black trousers and a black jacket; Anyone with any information can contact police on 04.98.11.84.50.
National tribute – A national tribute to the police officer killed during a road check in Mougins has been held in Nice. During the ceremony France’s interior minister Gerald Darmanin declared that the death of Eric Comyn was “not acceptable” promising support to his widow and family saying that “no speech, no ceremony or honours will replace your husband and father to your two children” concluding to the victim’s family that Eric Comyn was indeed a hero.
New Minister of State for Monaco - Didier Guillaume has officially taken office here in the Principality as the new Minister of State. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday at the Prince’s Palace, where Guillaume pledged his oath before HSH Prince Albert. The ceremony was attended by several notable figures. Didier Guillaume is a French politician who served as Minister of Agriculture and Food in the government of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe from 2018 to 2020. Didier Guillaume will focus on several key objectives during his time in office in Monaco including the Principality’s energy transition and rethinking urban planning and mobility strategies for sustainability as well as adapting public safety policies to address future challenges. Another priority will be to strengthen Monaco’s international standing on major global issues.
Mosquito control campaign - A mosquito control campaign is to take place in Monaco-Ville following a suspected case of dengue fever concerning a person residing in a neighbouring department with professional ties to Monaco. The control started on Monday and Tuesday and will continue this Thursday and Friday between 2am and 4am. Residents of Monaco-Ville are advised to keep their windows closed and to avoid walking around the Rock during these hours. Additionally, all residents of the Principality are asked to not visit the Rock during these hours. The products used for mosquito control are not toxic to humans, however, they may cause temporary discomfort and irritation.
Bad weather - The bad weather on Monday caused several trees to fall in Villeneuve-Loubet. Strong winds caused a tree to fall between the tennis club and the campsite on the Route de Grasse causing major traffic delays. Meanwhile, in the hills behind Cap d’Ail a lightning strike reportedly started a fire which was soon extinguished by the local firefighters.
Meteo France has issued another yellow storm alert for the Alpes Maritimes this afternoon. Temperatures are expected to drop by 5 degrees over a large part of the region as the heatwave alert has been lifted.
Business
In theory French President Emmanuel Macron is to appoint a new Prime Minister by the end of this week in order to meet budgetary deadlines and while Macron on Monday welcomed several candidates to the Elysee, including his predecessors François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as Xavier Bertrand and Bernard Cazeneuve, the head of state could shift the timetable by two more weeks. According to a government source the usual budgetary deadlines could still be met, however “the timing would be tight”.
Airliner Cathay Pacific has cancelled dozens of flights after a plane heading from Hong Kong to Zurich was forced to turn around due to a problem with its engine. The company says it is now inspecting all 48 of its aircraft and has found that a faulty part in some of the engines needs to be replaced. The airline expects the inspection of its fleet to be completed later today. Cathay Pacific took delivery of its Airbus A350 aircraft in 2016, which are equipped with fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.
And - Brazil's Supreme Court has upheld a ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform X. The judges voted unanimously in favour of the measure, meaning the ban will stay in place. X has been suspended in Brazil since the early hours of Saturday after it failed to appoint a new legal representative. Brazil is said to be one of the largest markets for Mr Musk's social media network. With access to X blocked, many Brazilians have been turning to microblogging platform Bluesky as an alternative. Bluesky announced on Saturday that it had registered half a million new users in the South American country over the two previous days alone.
