Paris, May 21 – In a significant legal reversal, the Paris Court of Appeal today found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 Rio-Paris flight crash. The court declared the two companies “solely and entirely responsible” for the deadliest accident in French aviation history. Both companies, which had been acquitted in the initial trial and denied any criminal fault, were sentenced to the maximum fine of 225,000 euros for the crash that claimed 228 lives. Airbus immediately announced its intention to appeal to the Court of Cassation.
Government Announces New Fuel Aid Package
In other news, the Prime Minister presented a “new package” of aid for June, targeting sectors most affected by rising fuel prices. The government, reiterating that it does not plan “tax increases” in the 2027 budget, announced “710 million euros in new aid” to combat the surge in fuel costs. Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transport, also announced the extension of the flat-rate aid scheme for an additional three months. Furthermore, an “purchase aid” for electric cars will be provided to taxi drivers. Aid for fishermen and farmers has also been extended.
Foreign Flotilla Activists Expelled from Israel
All 430 individuals, including 37 French citizens, intercepted off Cyprus on Monday aboard the Global Sumud flotilla vessels, were released today before being expelled from Israel. This release follows widespread indignation sparked by a video showing the humiliation of the activists. Free since this morning, they are gradually returning to their respective countries and beginning to recount the violence they endured. Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani reported receiving “kicks in the back,” while “others were beaten much more violently,” according to La Repubblica.
Senate Denounces “Abusive” Supermarket Practices on Prices
After six months of investigation, a report unveiled today by a Senate inquiry commission, launched in December to shed light on price setting in stores, denounced “abusive” practices by supermarkets. The commission “found predatory practices by distributors, both towards industrialists and farmers.” For their part, distributors criticized the report as “biased.”
Two French Children Abandoned in Portugal
The Colmar public prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation for “abandonment of minors” after two young French boys, aged three and five, were found alone on Tuesday evening on a road in southern Portugal, the prosecutor announced today. The children’s mother, a 41-year-old woman residing in Colmar who “disappeared without explanation” with the two boys, was found in the evening in Fatima, less than 200 km from where they were abandoned. The children are safe and were initially placed under the protection of Portuguese child welfare services.
Further Reading from Libération:
- Ghost Shark, Translucent Worm, Carnivorous Sponge… Over 1,100 Unknown Marine Species Recorded in One Year: From the surface to the abyss, the global marine animal census program “Ocean Census” has been scouring the world’s most remote oceans for three years in search of never-before-seen species.
- Patrick Bruel Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault: The Itinerary of an All-Powerful Idol with Multiple Gray Areas: In recent weeks, some thirty women have spoken out against the singer and actor, whose career is now threatened. Libé spoke with many of his close associates and delved into archives to trace the artist’s journey, which reflects a patriarchal era.
- Ebola Epidemic in DRC: “A New Danger Added to Other Sufferings”: Less than a week after the deadly virus returned to the Ituri region, 136 “suspected” deaths, including 33 linked to the virus, and at least 543 “suspected” cases of illness were reported on Wednesday. As the population faces the disease with anxiety and incredulity, this health episode “is coupled with a serious humanitarian and security crisis.”
