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French HR murders: Man on trial for killing three female job managers

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A man named Gabriel Fortin, aged 48, is currently standing trial in France for the alleged murder of three women whom he believed were responsible for ruining his career. Fortin was arrested in 2021 in Valence, a city in southern France. The victims include two human resources managers who were involved in his dismissal years ago, as well as a benefits director at a job center. Fortin is also accused of attempting to murder another manager.

The first killing took place on January 26, 2021, in the Alsace region of eastern France, where Estelle Luce, a human resources manager, was shot in the head in her company’s parking lot. Later that evening, another HR manager, Bertrand Meichel, was shot at his home by someone pretending to be a pizza delivery person. Fortunately, Meichel survived the attack. Two days later, in Valence, a masked man entered a local job center, pulled out a gun from a plastic bag, and killed the benefits director, Patricia Pasquion. Shortly after, the same individual shot and killed another HR manager, Géraldine Caclin, at an environmental services company near Valence.

Police identified Gabriel Fortin as the suspect based on the license plate of the car used by the gunman when leaving the job center. Investigations revealed that Fortin had a history of resentment and grudges towards the victims. In 2009, Caclin had been involved in his dismissal from a company, and he had registered with the Valence job center afterward. Although Pasquion had no direct involvement with him, investigators believe he held animosity towards the center’s staff.

Police spent over two years analyzing Fortin’s computer data, finding substantial evidence of his lasting bitterness and indications that he had been monitoring the movements of his eventual victims. Fortin, an unemployed engineer at the time of his arrest, has remained silent and refused to cooperate with investigators since then.

Gabriel Fortin appeared in court in Valence on Tuesday, where he faced charges of three murders and one count of attempted murder. Prior to the trial, the sister of Patricia Pasquion expressed her outrage, describing Fortin’s actions as cowardly and emphasizing his refusal to communicate during the attacks.

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News Trending War

Ursula von der Leyen: EU’s ‘general’ nears endgame of turbulent first term

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For years, the European Union (EU) has faced criticism for lacking a single voice on the world stage. However, many in Brussels now see Ursula von der Leyen, the first female President of the European Commission, as someone who can fill that role. Von der Leyen has been involved in various high-profile meetings, such as visiting Kyiv and attending an EU summit with Ukraine’s president, meeting Joe Biden at the White House to address tensions over green subsidies, and joining French President Emmanuel Macron to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping amid deteriorating EU-China relations.

During her tenure as the head of the European Commission, which shapes and enforces policies for 450 million Europeans, von der Leyen has faced significant challenges. She took office in 2019 with a focus on addressing the climate emergency but soon had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, which marked the largest war on European soil since World War II. Despite these crises, von der Leyen has been praised for her leadership, with one EU official noting that the EU now has a central command and a leader for crisis management.

Von der Leyen follows a disciplined routine, starting her day early and living in her office at the Berlaymont, the commission’s headquarters, to avoid traffic. Her living space is a modest room on the 13th floor, originally designed as a restroom, for which she pays €18,000 in rent deducted from her salary and housing allowance. Known for her work ethic, the 64-year-old former medical doctor spends much of her time at her desk and avoids social events. She leads a frugal lifestyle, abstaining from alcohol and maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Von der Leyen rarely gives interviews and prefers to deliver carefully scripted video messages in English, French, and German. She is known for her punctuality and efficiency, with meetings starting and ending on time. While her predecessor, Jean-Claude Juncker, was known for his wit and spontaneity, von der Leyen prefers to stick to prepared remarks.

Overall, von der Leyen’s leadership has been marked by her ability to navigate crises and provide a more unified voice for the EU on the global stage.

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Crime News Trending

Police in Nottingham have discovered the bodies of three persons

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According to police, a suspect has been apprehended for murder after at least three persons were discovered dead in Nottingham.

Officers said in a statement on Tuesday that a 31-year-old man was detained in the city on suspicion of murder after a van attempted to run over three others.

Initially, two persons were discovered dead in the city core. Police were summoned to another incident near where a van attempted to run over three persons shortly after 4 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT). They are receiving medical attention in a hospital.

Another man was discovered dead in a different road close outside the city core.

“This is a horrific and tragic incident that has taken three lives,” Chief Constable Kate Meynell said in a statement.

“We believe these three incidents are connected, and we have a suspect in custody.” “This investigation is still in its early stages, and a team of detectives is working to determine exactly what happened,” she continued.

“At this time, a number of roads in the city will remain closed as this investigation progresses,” she added.

According to Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba, reporting from London, the local tram network has ceased all operations, however other modes of transportation remain operational.

“The police have not given us any more details about any motives of the suspect,” he added.

“Awful news for our city to wake up to today,” Nottingham politician Alex Norris tweeted. “Our community’s thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected.”

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News Trending War

‘Massive’ Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

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At least six people were killed and more than 30 were injured in a Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine.

According to Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Kryvyi Rih is located, a multistory residential building was among the civilian infrastructure targeted in the early morning attack on Tuesday.

“A five-story building was demolished. Three of its occupants perished, according to preliminary accounts. “25 people were injured,” Lisak claimed early Tuesday morning on the Telegram chat service. “A massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih,” he announced.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the city’s mayor, subsequently upped the death toll to six, despite previously warning that people were likely buried beneath the wreckage of buildings damaged in the attack.

“Unfortunately, six people have already died. “The rescue operation is still ongoing,” Vilkul wrote on the Telegram chat service.

Ukraine’s senior military command claimed air forces destroyed ten of the fourteen cruise missiles fired by Russia on Ukraine on Tuesday, as well as one of four Iranian-made drones.

It was unclear how many missiles targeted Kryvyi Rih or where the drones hit their objectives.

A drone struck civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

“According to preliminary reports, a utility company in the Kyivskyi district and a warehouse in the Saltivskyi district were both damaged.” “As a result of the explosion on the latter, a fire broke out,” he explained.

The current round of airstrikes comes as Ukraine claims to have retaken numerous villages and made significant progress in its counteroffensive against Russian soldiers.

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News Sports Trending

Kylian Mbappe notifies PSG that he will not be extending his contract: Media

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According to reports, Paris Saint-Germain was hoping Mbappe would trigger a contract extension.

According to French sports weekly L’Equipe and foreign media outlets, French football sensation Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that he will leave the Ligue 1 winners when his contract expires next year.

According to reports, Mbappe stunned the PSG hierarchy by declining the option of a 12-month contract extension, which he presented in a formal letter, and follows Lionel Messi’s recent announcement of his departure from PSG to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami in the United States.

According to press sources, PSG will have to decide whether to sell the 24-year-old attacker, who scored a hat-trick for France against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, or let him depart for nothing when his current contract expires in June 2024.

According to reports in France, PSG is hoping to extend Mbappe’s contract.

Mbappe’s departure would be the most significant for PSG, as he is a national symbol in France and largely regarded as one of the few players capable of dethroning Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as football’s biggest stars.

Mbappe wanted to help PSG win its first Champions League trophy, but the club experienced yet another setback in Europe’s premier competition, which Manchester City won by defeating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final on Saturday.

Mbappe has five French league titles with PSG and was France’s World Cup winner in 2018.

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News Trending War

Radio New Zealand apologises for broadcasting “pro-Kremlin garbage.”

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The leader of Radio New Zealand has apologised for airing “pro-Kremlin garbage.”

A journalist has been placed on leave after it was revealed that many web pieces regarding the Ukrainian war had been changed to benefit Russia.

Since personnel were notified on Friday, roughly 250 stories have been forensically investigated, according to CEO Paul Thompson.

Sixteen articles have been edited, with hundreds more to be reviewed.

“It’s quite frustrating. I’m devastated. It’s excruciating. “It’s shocking,” he said on RNZ’s Nine to Noon. “We need to figure out how this happened.”

Mr Thompson indicated that the organization’s editing practises will be subjected to an external examination.

The journalist in issue claims to have spent years editing news agency text for the RNZ website.

According to a statement by the state-owned RNZ, the 16 pieces had been reprinted with corrections and editor’s comments when flaws were discovered.

Mr Thompson apologised to the audience, readers, workers, and the Ukrainian community.

“It’s very disappointing that this pro-Kremlin garbage has ended up in our stories,” Mr Thompson said on Nine to Noon. “It’s inexcusable.”

The edited articles claimed that Russia unlawfully acquired Crimea following a vote, while Ukraine and the international community do not acknowledge Russia’s possession of Ukraine’s southern peninsula.

The United Nations has endorsed a resolution highlighting the referendum’s illegitimacy.

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News Politics Trending Uncategorized

More than 600 persons cross the channel in a single day. 

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The Home Office reported that on Sunday, more than 600 migrants made it across the English Channel, the most in a single day thus far this year.

Twelve small boats carrying approximately 616 people from France were spotted making the journey. The previous record for this year’s daily high was 497 people on April 22. This year, more than 8,000 migrants have made the journey, which is about 2,000 fewer than at the same time last year. Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a speech in Dover that his plan to reduce the number of migrant boats crossing the Channel was working, and that for the first time, numbers were down.

According to Chris Mason, a political editor at the BBC, crossings into the UK had decreased by a fifth, and the number of Albanians travelling to Britain had decreased by ninety per cent. As of now last year, the total figure had recently passed 10,000. This past year, there were 45,755 crossings all together. Mr Sunak has made lessening the quantity of Channel intersections a vital piece of his prevalence, including by means of the Unlawful Relocation Bill.

Those who attempted to enter the UK without permission would be detained and promptly deported, either to their home country or to a third nation like Rwanda, according to the plans.

Migrants would be prohibited from claiming asylum, and the bill would establish extensive new powers for detention and search. It would still apply to someone who claims to have been a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking.

Campaigners have criticized it severely, and earlier this week, the Joint Committee on Human Rights, made up of MPs and peers, stated that it would violate “a number of the UK’s human rights obligations.”

Despite the fact that the bill has already been approved by the Commons, it was harshly criticized on Monday during a debate in the House of Lords that lasted into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Liberal Leftist Aristocrat Ludford said peers had been “abused, bullied and intimidated” by the public authority over the plans.

But Mr. Sunak and ministers from the government say that tough measures are needed to stop people-smuggling networks from making money off of the risky Channel route. Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister for Labour, stated that the PM “needs to roll up his sleeves and start doing the hard graft, rather than ploughing on with the headline-chasing, government-by-gimmick approach.” Kinnock was referring to the PM’s strategy.

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News Trending

Brittany: Girl from British family shot dead in France named

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Solaine Thornton, an 11-year-old British girl, was tragically shot and killed while playing on a swing in her family’s garden in the village of Saint-Herbot, north of Quimper in Brittany, France. The incident occurred during a barbecue that the family was hosting on a Saturday evening. Solaine’s parents, Adrian and Rachel Thornton, were also injured in the shooting and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. Adrian Thornton sustained serious injuries as reported by local media.

The mayor of the commune where the family resided, Marguerite Bleuzen, identified the family. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated that they are offering support and assistance to the affected British family.

According to reports, Solaine and her eight-year-old sister were playing on a swing while their parents were tending to the barbecue. It was during this time that a neighbor, described as a 71-year-old Dutch national, began shooting at them with a shotgun through a hedge. The younger sister, in a state of shock, ran to a neighbor’s house to seek help and raise the alarm, shouting that her sister was dead.

The suspect barricaded himself in his house following the incident, but he eventually surrendered to the police and was arrested along with his wife. Local residents mentioned that the man had a reclusive nature and was involved in a dispute with the British family regarding a piece of land adjacent to their properties.

The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, and Prosecutor Carine Halley stated that the circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being investigated. The mayor and other local residents expressed shock and disbelief over the tragic event, emphasizing that the family was well-known and regularly participated in village events.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that they are in contact with the local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the British family affected by the shooting.

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News Trending

Silvio Berlusconi’s death leaves ‘huge void’, allies say

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Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, has passed away at the age of 86. He died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan after being treated for a lung infection related to chronic leukemia. Berlusconi, a flamboyant billionaire media tycoon, served as Prime Minister from 1994 to 2011 and led four governments during his time in office.

His death has been met with sorrow and tributes from various political figures in Italy. Giorgia Meloni, the current Prime Minister, described him as a “fighter” and one of the most influential men in Italy’s history. Matteo Salvini, the deputy Prime Minister, expressed his grief and gratitude for Berlusconi’s friendship, advice, and generosity. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated that his passing marked the end of an era and left a significant void.

Berlusconi had been battling a rare form of blood cancer, chronic myelomonocyte leukemia, and had faced health issues since contracting COVID-19 in 2020. He began his career as a businessman, eventually building a vast empire that included television networks, publishing companies, and advertising agencies. He also owned the renowned football club AC Milan.

Berlusconi was a polarizing figure in Italian politics, admired by supporters for his business acumen and charismatic style, but criticized by opponents for his disregard for the rule of law. He faced numerous legal challenges throughout his career, including charges of bribery, tax fraud, and involvement with an underage prostitute. Although convicted on multiple occasions, he avoided serving jail time due to his age and the expiration of statutes of limitations.

Berlusconi’s death marks the end of an era in Italian politics and media. His complex and controversial legacy is expected to be a subject of ongoing debate and discussion in the years to come.

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News Trending War

Ukraine counter-offensive actions have begun, Zelensky says

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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that the country’s long-awaited counter-offensive against Russia has begun. He acknowledged the occurrence of counter-offensive and defensive actions but refrained from providing specific details about the stage or state of the operation. Recent escalation of fighting in Ukraine’s south and east, along with speculation about the anticipated push, has contributed to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

Reports suggest that Ukrainian troops have made advancements in the east near Bakhmut and in the south near Zaporizhzhia. They have also conducted long-range strikes on Russian targets. However, assessing the actual developments on the front lines is challenging as both sides present contrasting narratives. While Ukraine claims progress, Russia asserts that it is repelling attacks.

In Russia’s Kaluga region, which borders the southern districts around Moscow, the governor, Vladislav Shapsha, reported a drone crash near the village of Strelkovk. The accuracy of this report has not been independently verified by the BBC.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a video interview that Ukrainian forces have indeed initiated their offensive, but their attempts to advance have been unsuccessful and resulted in heavy casualties.

Following discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, President Zelensky described Putin’s remarks as “interesting.” He shrugged his shoulders, raised his eyebrows, and pretended not to know who Putin was, emphasizing the importance of conveying to Russia that their time is running out. Zelensky also mentioned that Ukraine’s military commanders are in a positive mood and urged Trudeau to relay this message to Putin. During Trudeau’s visit, Canada announced a new military aid package of 500 million Canadian dollars (£297m) for Ukraine.

A joint statement issued after the talks affirmed Canada’s support for Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations, stating that it should be pursued as soon as conditions permit. The matter is expected to be discussed at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.

Fighting has intensified in the strategic southern Zaporizhzhia region, with Ukrainian forces aiming to push south and divide Russian forces, thus disrupting the occupied territory that links Russia to Crimea. However, Ukraine’s progress in the region may be impeded by significant flooding caused by the destruction of the Nova Khakovka dam. The flooding has affected approximately 230 square miles (596 sq km) on both sides of the Dnipro River.

President Zelensky reported that 3,000 individuals have been evacuated from the flooded Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. While water levels have receded by 27cm, over 30 settlements on the right bank of the river, within Ukrainian-held territory, remain flooded, with nearly 4,000 residential buildings still submerged.

NATO and Ukraine’s military have accused Russia of detonating the dam, while Russia has placed the blame on Ukraine. However, it is highly likely that Russian forces, who controlled the dam, deliberately destroyed it to impede Ukrainian forces from crossing the river as part of their ongoing counter-offensive, according to the BBC’s Paul Adams.

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