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Local France
2 days ago
- Politics
- Local France
French towns impose curfews on children after youth violence
National curfews have not been seen in France since the days of the Covid pandemic, but this summer several towns have opted to impose a curfew for minors, claiming it is needed to avoid youth violence or to protect young people from getting involved with drug gangs. The southern towns of Limoges, Béziers and Nîmes now have night-time curfews with varying conditions on young people, as well as two communes in the greater Paris area. The southern town of Limoges has had a curfew in place since the start of the school holidays on July 5th - children under the age of 13 are not allowed out between 11pm and 6am, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. The curfew covers the neighbourhoods of Beaubreuil, Val de l'Aurence Sud et Nord, Les Coutures, Bellevue, Le Vigenal, La Bastide, les Portes-Ferrées and Le Sablard, plus the town centre. Local authorities said it was intended to cut youth crime and anti-social behaviour. Advertisement However, this does not appear to have had the desired effect and may have been among the triggers for serious violence over the weekend , in which masked rioters attacked police and cars on a highway. The rioters, armed with iron bars and Molotov cocktails, descended on the RN141 highway and tried to block it during a battle with police, according to officials. Limoges' right-wing mayor Emile Roger Lombertie, told BFMTV : "The results of the curfew so far are not good. We've had demonstrations by young people, but no one has been able to intercept and arrest them, so the curfew has been useless. If we don't have the police to enforce it, it's useless." Other authorities say that it is working better for them. The commune of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, just outside Paris, has had an 11.30pm-6am curfew for under 16s in place since July 17th. Socialist mayor Karim Bouamrane says that: "Mums and dads are saying 'thank you, we fully support this decision'. "Unfortunately, many working-class and middle-class families no longer have the means to fulfil their educational ambitions. That's why public authorities need to support them." Triel-sur-Seine, in the greater Paris Yvelines area, has also decided to bring in a curfew for under 18s, which independent mayor Cédric Aoun says will empower parents to "ask where their children are really going". In the southern city of Bezièrs, the far-right mayor Robert Menard introduced a curfew for unaccompanied under 13s in 2024, and this summer has extended that to include children aged 15 and under in selected neighbourhoods of the town. Bezièrs was also hit by serious violence over the weekend - an apartment fire turning into an ambush for police and fire crews, with around 50 young people launching fireworks and mortars at police and setting small fires in the Devèze neighbourhood. Advertisement Local police say the violence is linked to drug gangs. The south-west town of Nîmes, which has seen several shootings believed to be linked to drug gangs in recent weeks, plans to introduce a curfew from Monday evening. The curfew will cover the neighbourhoods of Pissevin, Valdegour, Mas de Mingue, Vistre, Clos d'Orville and Chemin Bas and will ban under 16s from being out unaccompanied by a parent or guardian between the hours of 9pm and 6am. The initial curfew will last for 15 days, with the option to renew. Curfews or similar measures can be imposed on a local level by mayors and town councils, although these measures can be challenged at the Conseil d'Etat if they are judged to be contrary to the French constitution or the rights and freedoms of individuals. The Conseil d'Etat has the right to strike down local measures - as happened when various mayors tried to ban the full-body 'burkini' swimsuit on public beaches.
Libya Review
5 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
France & UK Call on Libya to Investigate Attacks on Diplomatic Staff
Foreign diplomatic missions in Libya have found themselves increasingly exposed to the country's volatile security environment, as recent armed clashes in Tripoli brought their operations directly into the line of fire. Both the French Embassy and a British diplomatic convoy came under attack in separate incidents amid ongoing power struggles between rival security groups aligned with or opposed to the interim Libyan government. According to French media, the French Embassy in Tripoli was hit four times by mortar fire on May 14, during some of the fiercest clashes the city has seen this year. The shelling, which occurred while embassy personnel were on site, caused structural damage and struck mere centimeters from staff areas, as confirmed by senior diplomatic officials. The ambassador's residence was also targeted, with one shell damaging its main gate. Despite the attack, French diplomatic operations continue, shielded by elite security personnel from the GIGN. However, officials acknowledge that the risks remain high, and contingency evacuation plans via air, land, or sea are in place. Since 2011, the French mission has evacuated Libya on three separate occasions due to instability. BFMTV, which documented embassy security operations on the ground, reported growing concern within French diplomatic circles about the vulnerability of foreign missions in Tripoli, especially as armed groups remain highly active and loosely regulated. While French officials did not conclusively state that the embassy was intentionally targeted, the nature of the attack raises significant questions about motive and the safety of diplomatic personnel. In a separate incident in June, a British diplomatic convoy was ambushed while returning from Mitiga Airport. The attack occurred in the Qargour district, where a group in a white Toyota Land Cruiser deliberately struck the convoy and opened fire. Although two vehicles were damaged, all British staff escaped unharmed. The embassy later ruled out an attempted kidnapping but denounced the incident as a severe threat to diplomatic security. The United Kingdom has demanded an official explanation from Libyan authorities and called for a full investigation. The attack comes amid wider concerns about the proliferation of armed groups in Tripoli and the deteriorating ability of the state to control them or protect international missions. These events coincide with the United States raising its travel advisory for Libya to Level 4, the highest category, citing heightened risks from terrorism, armed conflict, crime, and the possibility of sudden outbreaks of violence. The advisory warns of threats including kidnappings for ransom or political leverage, and underscores the danger of unexploded ordnance and limited emergency support. Tags: ClashesEmbassyfrancelibyatripoliUK
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
French court approves release of Lebanese activist Georges Abdallah
A French court has approved the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese man who has spent almost four decades behind bars for attacks targeting American and 'Israeli' diplomats in the 1980s, French broadcaster BFM TV reported on Thursday. Abdallah, the founder of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB), was convicted in 1987 and handed a life sentence for his involvement in the 1982 assassinations of US military attaché Charles Ray and 'Israeli' diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of US Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
Metro
15-07-2025
- Metro
Inmate escapes prison by hiding in pal's laundry bag - but it didn't last long
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Gone are the days of scaling prison walls or digging holes out of Alcatraz. If a prisoner wants to escape their cell, the best method appears to be climbing into a plastic bag. At least that how one creative inmate found freedom in France last week – before he was quickly tracked down and locked up again. Elyazid A, 20, known as 'the Joker' or 'the Equaliser', hid in a large laundry bag filled with clothes. He was then wheeled out of Lyon-Corbas prison on a trolley by one of his jail buddies, as he was released last Friday. A video circulating on social media even appears to show the blue and white stripped bag in question – it must have been a tight squeeze! It took 24 hours for officers to realise 'the Joker' had played a trick on them. They eventually tracked Elyazid A down and arrested him on Monday morning as he left a cellar on the outskirts of Lyon. He had been serving at least two prison sentences and was under investigation for alleged criminal association and conspiracy to murder. His cellmate is still being sought by police. Escape from Alcatraz Three inmates in the notorious island prison of Alcatraz, off the coast of San Francisco, went missing in June 1972. They had spent two years digging an escape route through cell walls and constructing a raft to sail to freedom. Dummies were even placed in the prisoners' beds – meaning guards didn't notice their absence until the next morning. Investigators later concluded the three men had drowned as they sailed to freedom. The Great Escape. Seventy-six prisoners escaped a Nazi war camp in March 1944 by digging tunnels underneath it. More than 600 captees were involved in constructing the 30 foot deep and 2 foot wide tunnels. Of the 76 who got out, 73 were recaptured. Hitler ordered half of them executed as an example. Maze Prison escape One of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe fell victim to biggest prison escape since the Second World War. After months of planning and smuggling in hand guns, prisoners belonging to the IRA simultaneously held prison officers hostage in September 1983 in Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. Inmates highjacked a lorry and most escaped over a fence. Thirty-eight got out in total. The director of France's prison administration Sebastien Cauwel said the escape was 'extremely rare' and pointed to overcrowding in the prison. More Trending He told BFMTV: 'This is an extremely rare event that we have never experienced in this administration and which clearly reveals a whole series of serious dysfunctions. 'This facility has an occupancy rate of 170%. This clearly makes working conditions more difficult for our staff. 'What this incident reveals is rather an accumulation of material errors, possibly faults, which the investigation will bring to light.' Investigations into the escape has been ordered by the justice minister Gérald Darmanin, with Lyon public prosecutors, the French prison service and Lyon-Corbas jail itself doing the same. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Middle class parties hit by lumpy skin disease MORE: Charles Bronson says 'now you're in hell' in new message to people viewing his art MORE: Feminist hero Gisele Pelicot receives France's highest civilian honour
LeMonde
15-07-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
How the French government came up with a contested goal of €40 billion in savings
It's a €40 billion savings effort. This impressive rounded sum has become a political slogan for French Prime Minister François Bayrou and his cabinet, who have cited it repeatedly over the last three months. They brandish it as evidence of both the severity of the budget situation and their own determination. Bayrou is set to unveil his plan for achieving that goal in the 2026 budget on Tuesday, July 15. However, the figure warrants closer scrutiny. The objective is rather an artificial political construct that is highly debatable and has been criticized by public finance specialists. Nevertheless, it has gained acceptance in the media and among the public. It all began on April 13. Ahead of a major public finance conference organized by the prime minister's office, Economy Minister Eric Lombard set the tone. He told French news channel BFMTV that returning the public deficit to 4.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026, as the government pledged, "will require an additional €40 billion effort," which he described as "very considerable." He added that it would mainly be savings, but that "it could also be increased revenues linked to growth."
