The week promises to be busy with news. Already convicted of two murders, Nordahl Lelandais will appear Monday before the Charleville-Mézières court for the attack on one of his little cousins, aged 14. From Tuesday, it is Monique Olivier, the partner of Michel Fourniret, who will be tried for three crimes: complicity in the kidnapping and sequestration of Estelle Mouzin in 2003, the kidnapping and murder of Marie-Angèle Domèce in 1988 and that of Joanna Parrish in 1990. Finally, this Monday, the first trial of the cyberstalkers of the “popess of influencers” Magali Berdah also begins. But before diving into these thrilling trials, let’s get back to the news of the weekend… spoiler alert, for once we’re not talking about football but Collomb and biathlon.
1. Hostages and prisoners released
A four-day, renewable humanitarian truce came into force Friday morning after an agreement between Israel and Hamas concluded under the aegis of Qatar, and still held on Sunday, the 51st day of war between Israel and Hamas. The agreement provides for the release of 50 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as well as the daily entry of aid into Gaza.
This Sunday saw the third exchange of prisoners: 13 hostages arrived in Israel, the army announced in the evening, specifying that four others were on the way. Among them were four Israeli women and nine children, as well as a Russian-Israeli and three Thais who were not part of the deal. In return, 39 Palestinian prisoners must be released on Sunday evening, according to Qatar and Egypt. As a reminder, on Friday, 24 hostages – 13 Israelis as well as ten Thais and a Filipino who are not part of the agreement – and 39 Palestinians were released. On Saturday, 17 hostages – 13 Israelis and four Thais who were also not part of the deal – and 39 Palestinians were released.
2. Gérard Collomb, the Lyon baron, has died
The former mayor of Lyon Gérard Collomb, ex-Minister of the Interior in the first Macron government, “passed away peacefully with his family” on Saturday evening at the age of 76, in the words of his wife Caroline. Suffering from stomach cancer, “when it became clear that his illness could not be improved by any anti-cancer treatment, he wanted to benefit from deep sedation which allowed him to pass away peacefully” around 9 p.m. Saturday, Caroline Collomb said in a brief message to AFP.
His state of health had deteriorated considerably in recent days and he had been taken care of by the oncology department of Lyon Sud hospital. His death occurred “during a short period of coma”, according to his wife. President Macron and his wife greeted in a press release “a dear friend”, “a mayor who dedicated his exceptional talents of dialogue and imagination to building a city in his image”, a “statesman who embodied the Republican ascension and authority. Flags at half mast, Lyon also paid tribute this Sunday to the memory of its former mayor. The politician’s coffin will be on display at City Hall from 1 p.m. on Monday and his public funeral will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Saint-Jean Cathedral.
3. Tensions rise with the ultra-right
The investigation has not yet made it possible to fully elucidate the circumstances of the death of young Thomas during a ball in Drôme. A drama which provokes violent reactions from the ultra-right and tensions in Romans-sur-Isère. Since Friday evening, the right and far right have multiplied tweets and statements linking this act and immigration. They spoke of “scum”, “anti-white racism”, “daily jihad” or even, like Marine Le Pen, “an organized attack, emanating from a certain number of criminogenic suburbs in which find armed militias carrying out raids.” Voices were raised on the left to denounce, for its part, the “political recovery” and “the return of the ratonnades”.
On Sunday, around forty identity activists gathered in small groups in the center of Romans-sur-Isère. The prefecture reported seven arrests. All carrying weapons or weapons by destination, the activists were placed in police custody. As a reminder, on Friday evening, around a hundred ultra-right activists from different cities across the country marched hooded through the streets of Romans-sur-Isère with the aim of “fighting” with the young people of the working-class district of La Monnaie, from which some of the suspects allegedly come. Finally, around 80 hooded activists dressed in black demonstrated on Saturday evening in the streets of the same neighborhood.
4. Ammunition at tobacconists
“A canister of Marlboro and ten 12-gauges, please.” » Tobacconists want to take advantage of the reduction in certifications necessary for carrying out activities peripheral to the gunsmith profession, scheduled for January 1, 2024, to sell hunting ammunition. They “have already declared themselves interested in this new system through their confederation”, confirmed the Ministry of the Interior in a statement to AFP on Saturday.
Tobacco shop managers have long been engaged in a process of diversifying their activity, encouraged by the government: parcel relays, concierge services, snacking, newspaper sales, management of postal parcels, etc. They will therefore be able to add a new string to their bow from January 1 by first obtaining an “exclusive sale of ammunition” certification then an approval for the sale of ammunition from the prefect as well as an authorization to open a business, also issued by the prefect after advice from the mayor of the municipality. Xavier Regnier explains everything to you here.
5. Junior Eurovision in blue white red
A second victory in a row for France! With his song Heart, Zoé Clauzure won the 21st edition of Junior Eurovision which was held this Sunday afternoon at the Palais Nikaïa in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes). She succeeds Lissandro who won during the 2022 edition. Since her return in 2018, in this competition reserved for child artists aged 9 to 14, France has always appeared in the Top 5 and has triumphed. three times in the last four years.
Zoé Clauzure collected 136 points from the national juries and 92 points from the public votes, for a total of 228 points. Spain and Armenia complete the podium with 201 points and 180 points respectively. Fabien Randanne, special correspondent in Nice, tells you more here.
Additional information: The “comeback” of biathlon
We expect it from the first drop in temperature. The biathlon returned this weekend and, as we sat comfortably on our sofa, we were excited for Simon, Braisaz-Bouchet and Fillon Maillet. Outside the top 30 of the first individual race of the winter, Julia Simon, holder of the big crystal globe in the summer preparation disrupted by the legal conflict with her partner in the French team Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, admitted to being “blunt mentally” on Sunday in Östersund (Sweden). Precisely 31st, more than 3 min 30 sec behind the winner of the day, the Italian Lisa Vittozzi (19/20), after collapsing on the last shot standing, with three missed targets (16/20 in total): c This is the 27-year-old Savoyard’s worst World Cup result since March 2022.
The day before, on the track one after the other for the opening of the biathlon season, Julia Simon, on the podium in the single mixed relay, and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, victorious with the French mixed relay for her return from maternity , took turns responding. Finally, despite good ski times, Emilien Jacquelin and QFM made too many errors with the rifle to hope for anything this Sunday for the first individual of the season… All the results here.