Latest news with #MidiLibre
Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Reports: Ex-Montpellier defender Congré rushed to hospital with stab wound near heart
MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Former Montpellier player Daniel Congré was found unconscious with a serious stab wound at his home in southern France and hospitalized, local media reported on Tuesday. Congré, who works as sports coordinator at Ligue 1 club Lyon, was found with a wound near his heart at his home in the town of Pérols, close to Montpellier, according to L'Equipe sports daily and regional newspaper Midi Libre. A police investigation is ongoing. Midi Libre reported Congré's wife called emergency services after the former defender injured himself on Monday evening. It was not clear whether the injury was an accident. Congré was rushed to the university hospital of Montpellier. Midi Libre, quoting an unnamed source, said his condition has stabilized. Congré played for nine seasons for Montpellier, playing 325 matches. ___ AP soccer:
Local France
03-06-2025
- Business
- Local France
Delays, chaos and no contact - Is this the worst préfecture in France?
For foreigners in France, the préfecture looms large - as it is the place that processes those crucial documents that allow you to be legally resident in France and might, one day, approve your application to become French. It's also the place that can cause the most stress for foreigners if those crucial applications for a new or renewed carte de séjour, or a citizenship application, are delayed or messed up. To add to the frustration is the fact that waiting times vary hugely between different préfectures. Foreigners in France have been sharing their frustrations with one particular préfecture - Hérault which covers the southern city of Montpellier and the surrounding area - with local paper Midi Libre . Advertisement They cite long delays during which existing residency permits expire, applications refused on technicalities and the impossibility of getting in touch with préfecture staff. Cases cited included that of Yves, 61, whose residency card expired while he was waiting for the renewal and ended up being de-registered from France Travail, where he is registered as a jobseeker, and Ukrainian woman Ludmilla who was unable to travel to Germany for a family funeral because her card had expired while she was waiting for a renewal. Lawyer Julie Moulin told the paper: "It's totally dysfunctional, it seems that the préfecture can no longer process applications - they're totally saturated and the administrative court is drowning because so many people are filing appeals against the préfecture. "Sometimes the préfecture will give a récépissé for one, two or three months but then it's just radio silence." Thierry Lerch, who works for the refugee charity Cimade, added: "Even those of us who know the procedures never know which site to go to and the préfecture sometimes offers appointments after the permit has expired. What worries me is the renewal of 10-year permits for the elderly." In response, Hérault préfecture said it was in a "transition phase" as residency paperwork is moved onto the new ANEF website. It told Midi Libre that the changeover "leads to an increase in the services' workload, but is a necessary medium-term reform". Although both users and rights organisations have flagged serious problems and glitches with the ANEF site , in truth problems at préfectures, especially long delays, are nothing new. Data previously reported in The Local, comparing the waiting times between préfectures for getting or renewing a carte de séjour, and for applying for citizenship. Although not all préfectures make their data available, Hérault had one of the longest waiting times with self-reported waits of between seven and eight months for a request for the first carte de séjour.. The average was 7 months for the fourth quarter of 2023, and then 7.5 months for the first quarter of 2024, 8 months for the second quarter and 8 months for the third quarter. Advertisement For a card renewal the préfecture reported an average wait of between four and five months. The average was 4 months for the fourth quarter of 2023, and then 4.5 months for the first quarter of 2024, 5 months for the second, and 5 months for the third. REVEALED: The préfectures with the longest waiting times in France Préfectures including Alpes-Maritime (covering the city of Nice), Bouches du Rhône (covering Marseille) and Seine-Saint-Denis in the Paris suburbs also reported long wait times. Have you had dealings with Hérault or any other French préfecture? Please share your experiences in the comment section below - or fill in our short survey on préfecture waiting times
The Independent
10-02-2025
- The Independent
Death of British couple in south of France leaves town's residents ‘traumatised'
The sudden death of a British couple at their home in the south of France has left the town 'completely devastated and traumatised', a local has said. Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, a married British couple aged in their 60s, were found dead at their home address in the hamlet of Les Pesquies in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, in the early afternoon of February 6 by a neighbour who used to go on walks with them, local newspaper Midi Libre reported. A local woman and acquaintance of the couple, who wanted to remain anonymous, described them as 'exceptional people' who were well-known and loved in the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, where they had been living for about a decade, according to the newspaper. Just talking about it, I am crying and shaking. I want to throw up. It just hurts too much. People here are disgusted - especially knowing they (Dawn and Andrew) were a mother and a father, a grandmother and a grandfather ... Local woman She told the PA news agency: 'We are devastated. The whole of Villefranche is shocked. There aren't even words for it, we are traumatised. 'They were people whom we loved, they were part of Villefranche, they were part of us. These people were exceptional.' The woman explained that the British couple used to prepare a meal for all their neighbours once a year, when 'everyone went to eat at theirs', adding that the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue was usually 'very quiet'. She said: 'Just talking about it, I am crying and shaking. I want to throw up. It just hurts too much. ' People here are disgusted – especially knowing they (Dawn and Andrew) were a mother and a father, a grandmother and a grandfather … ' The woman added that the national police and the army appeared to 'be hard at work' as she described a heavy presence in the area around Les Pesquies. Neither the prosecutor in charge of the case, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, nor the police had yet confirmed whether the case was being investigated as a murder. It is understood Ms Kerr and Mr Searle were the mother and stepfather of actor and musician Callum Kerr, who played Pc George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, and appeared in Netflix's Virgin River, according to a statement published on Mr Kerr's social media accounts on February 8. The statement read: 'At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle. 'No family member is available for media interviews or comments. 'We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. 'We will provide updates as appropriate.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Death of British couple in south of France leaves town's residents ‘traumatised'
The sudden death of a British couple at their home in the south of France has left the town 'completely devastated and traumatised', a local has said. Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, a married British couple aged in their 60s, were found dead at their home address in the hamlet of Les Pesquies in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, in the early afternoon of February 6 by a neighbour who used to go on walks with them, local newspaper Midi Libre reported. A local woman and acquaintance of the couple, who wanted to remain anonymous, described them as 'exceptional people' who were well-known and loved in the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, where they had been living for about a decade, according to the newspaper. She told the PA news agency: 'We are devastated. The whole of Villefranche is shocked. There aren't even words for it, we are traumatised. 'They were people whom we loved, they were part of Villefranche, they were part of us. These people were exceptional.' The woman explained that the British couple used to prepare a meal for all their neighbours once a year, when 'everyone went to eat at theirs', adding that the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue was usually 'very quiet'. She said: 'Just talking about it, I am crying and shaking. I want to throw up. It just hurts too much. 'People here are disgusted – especially knowing they (Dawn and Andrew) were a mother and a father, a grandmother and a grandfather … ' The woman added that the national police and the army appeared to 'be hard at work' as she described a heavy presence in the area around Les Pesquies. Neither the prosecutor in charge of the case, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, nor the police had yet confirmed whether the case was being investigated as a murder. It is understood Ms Kerr and Mr Searle were the mother and stepfather of actor and musician Callum Kerr, who played Pc George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, and appeared in Netflix's Virgin River, according to a statement published on Mr Kerr's social media accounts on February 8. The statement read: 'At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle. 'No family member is available for media interviews or comments. 'We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. 'We will provide updates as appropriate.'
Sky News
08-02-2025
- Sky News
Musician and actor Callum Kerr tells of family mourning over deaths of Dawn and Andrew Searle - as investigation details emerge in France
A musician and actor has shared a statement about his family's grieving following the deaths of a British couple in rural France. Dawn and Andrew Searle, who have not been officially identified but have been named by French news sites, were found at their home in the hamlet of Les Pesquies, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday. Investigations into how they died are still ongoing. Country musician and former Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr shared a statement about his mum on Instagram on Saturday. "At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle," the statement said. It went on to ask for privacy "during this difficult period" and said further updates would be provided "as appropriate". Several local media outlets have reported Ms Searle's body was found outside their home, while Mr Searle's body was discovered inside. Ms Searle was seen by a neighbour, according to La Depeche and Midi Libre. La Depeche also reports she was naked, with jewellery found scattered nearby. A source "close to the investigation" told Midi Libre she had suffered a major head wound. The neighbour who found her initially thought she was unwell, it said, before calling emergency services. Mr Searle was found hanged inside the house and had been gagged, both publications reported. Investigators are reportedly looking at whether the British couple were killed during a burglary, but all lines of inquiry are said to remain open following the discovery of their bodies on Thursday. Mr Searle is said to have previously worked as an organised crime financial investigator in the UK. A LinkedIn profile in his name says he retired in 2015 after working for Barclays and Standard Life, and was "enjoying life in rural France". His page talks about "over 20 years experience specialising in Financial Crime Prevention (AML, Fraud and Anti-Bribery) with a high profile in the industry and an extensive network of contacts". The mayor of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Jean-Sebastien Orcibal, who also lives in Les Pesquies, told broadcaster France 3 the deaths were"something criminal, a homicide very clearly". However, the public prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller said that while both "died violent deaths... all hypotheses remain open" while investigations continue. Postmortems are expected to take place on Monday.
