Christmas Eve in France

VATRY, France (AP) — A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation departed Monday for India with 276 Indians aboard, authorities said. The passengers had been heading to Nicaragua but were instead blocked inside a rural French airport for four days in an exceptional holiday ordeal. Associated Press reporters outside the Vatry Airport in Champagne country saw the unmarked Legend Airlines A340 take off after the crew and passengers boarded the plane. The regional administration said that 276 of the original 303 passengers were en route to Mumbai, and that 25 others requested asylum in France. Those who remained were transferred to a special zone in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport for asylum-seekers, it said. The passengers…

MEAUX, France (AP) — Four children between nine months and 10 years old and their mother were killed in their apartment east of Paris, in what local authorities called an exceptionally violent crime. The children’s father was arrested Tuesday and is the primary suspect. Neighbors spotted a pool of blood outside the family’s door on Christmas Day and alerted police, who discovered the five bodies, Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier told reporters in the city of Meaux. The mother and two daughters, ages 7 and 10, were stabbed several times overnight from Sunday to Monday, he said. The couple’s two sons, ages 9 months and 4-years-old, were suffocated or drowned. The prosecutor described a small, blood-stained apartment in extreme disarray. Flowers, a…

PARIS, Jan 18 — Sales of champagne and smoked salmon declined this past holiday season in France as frugal consumers opted for cheaper alternatives, market researchers NielsenIQ said yesterday. Sales of champagne in mid and large-size supermarkets fell 14 per cent in volume terms in the final two months of 2023 compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, sales of other varieties of sparkling wine rose 4.6 per cent. “Downgrading is a reality, even at Christmas,” NielsenIQ said. Food prices in France have risen 20 per cent overall during the past two years. Smoked salmon sales fell 6.7 per cent in volume terms during the last two months of the year while smoked trout, generally less expensive, rose 11 per cent.…

PARIS, Jan 16 — What is going on with teenagers these days? While their reluctance to pose with the rest of the family for a photo on a festive occasion is nothing new, many of them are now taking things further and deciding to spoil the picture by covering up part of their face. A “nose cover pose” is showing up in more and more family pictures, and the reason these teens are doing it may surprise you. The holiday season is synonymous with family photos. But many photos get spoiled by a nephew, cousin or even your own offspring, unwilling to smile as is customary. But during the most recent festivities, they’re not just sulking, grimacing or looking bored…

PARIS, Jan 16, 2024 (BSS/AFP) – More than 7,000 people were hospitalised or died from Covid-19 in the UK during the summer of 2022 because they had not received the recommended number of vaccine doses, according to a study released Tuesday that was the first to cover Britain’s entire population. The researchers said the “landmark” population-wide study showed how important it is for people to keep getting booster jabs as Covid continues to pose a major health threat. More than 90 percent of the UK’s adult population were vaccinated during the earlier stages of the pandemic. However, between June to September 2022, after the pandemic’s emergency phase was declared over and attention turned elsewhere, around 44 percent of Britons were…

PARIS – Accessible luxury jewelry brand Pandora continued its steady growth momentum. The Danish company released its preliminary results Sunday evening, nearly a month ahead of schedule, on strong revenue boosted by the holiday period. Organic growth hit 12 percent for revenue of 10.8 billion Danish kroner, or $1.58 billion, while like-for-like sales were up 9 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31. The strong fourth-quarter performance lifted full-year organic growth to 8 percent, above the previously communicated guidance. That had been raised twice last year, most recently Nov. 8, as the company’s strategy started to see results and had been expected in the 5 to 6 percent range. The early release was due to exceeding the guidance by…

PARIS, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Flooding in a railway tunnel near London forced the cancellation of more than a dozen trains linking Britain with the European mainland early on Saturday, international rail operator Eurostar said. “Eurostar services to and from London are being cancelled and there are severe delays to services due to infrastructure issues caused by flooding in one of the Thames tunnels located between St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet”, the company said. The cancellations, which so far concern at least 14 trips between London and Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels, are the second blow for Eurostar customers during this year’s holiday season. On Dec. 21, a French surprise strike action thwarted Christmas travel plans for thousands. It was not…

PARIS — The forecourt of Paris City Hall buzzes with activity this holiday season: Children spinning on a sparkling carousel, shoppers browsing a Christmas market, tourists posing in front of huge signs advertising the 2024 Olympics — and dozens of migrant families searching for a roof over their heads. About 50 families with children between three months and 10 years old gathered on City Hall plaza on Christmas evening, to meet members of aid groups who distribute food, blankets and diapers and help find temporary lodging. A similar scene plays out most nights beneath the ornate facade of the Paris monument. Some sat on pieces of cardboard with their suitcases. A toddler who arrived in socks was given shoes, and…

PARIS (AP) – The forecourt of Paris City Hall buzzes with activity this holiday season: Children spinning on a sparkling carousel, shoppers browsing a Christmas market, tourists posing in front of huge signs advertising the 2024 Olympics – and dozens of migrant families searching for a roof over their heads. About 50 families with children between three months and 10 years old gathered on City Hall plaza on Christmas evening, to meet members of aid groups who distribute food, blankets and diapers and help find temporary lodging. A similar scene plays out most nights beneath the ornate facade of the Paris monument. Some sat on pieces of cardboard with their suitcases. A toddler who arrived in socks was given shoes,…

PARIS – Four children between nine months and 10 years old and their mother were killed in their apartment east of Paris, in what local authorities called an exceptionally violent crime. The children’s father was arrested Tuesday and is the primary suspect. Neighbors spotted a pool of blood outside the family’s door on Christmas Day and alerted police, who discovered the five bodies, Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier told reporters in the city of Meaux. The mother and two daughters, ages 7 and 10, were stabbed several times overnight from Sunday to Monday, he said. The couple’s two sons, ages 9 months and 4 years old, were suffocated or drowned. The prosecutor described a small, blood-stained apartment in extreme disarray. Flowers, a…

VATRY, France — A charter plane that was grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation arrived in India with 276 Indians aboard early Tuesday, authorities said. The passengers had been heading to Nicaragua but were instead blocked inside the Vatry Airport for four days in an exceptional holiday ordeal. The regional administration said that 276 of the original 303 passengers were en route to Mumbai, and that 25 others requested asylum in France. Those who remained were transferred to a special zone in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport for asylum-seekers, it said. The passengers grounded in France had included a 21-month-old child and several unaccompanied minors. The remaining two passengers were initially detained as part of a human trafficking…

PARIS (AP) — About 300 Indian citizens heading to Central America were sequestered in a French airport for a third day Saturday because of an investigation into suspected human trafficking, authorities said. The 15 crew members of the Legend Airlines charter flight en route from United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua were questioned and released, according to a lawyer for the small Romania-based airline. She said they are deeply shaken by what happened. The flight stopped Thursday at the Vatry Airport in Champagne country for refueling, and was grounded by French police based on an anonymous tip that it could be carrying victims of human trafficking, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. It said two people have been detained and special investigators…

VATRY, France (AP) — About 300 Indian citizens heading to Central America were sequestered in a French airport for a third day Saturday after a dramatic police operation prompted by a tip that those aboard might be victims of human trafficking, authorities said. Those aboard included children and families. The youngest passenger is a toddler of 21 months, and among the children are several unaccompanied minors, according to the local civil protection agency. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in Switch accounts Two of the passengers have been detained as part of a special investigation into suspected human trafficking by an organized criminal group, according the Paris prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors wouldn’t comment on what kind of trafficking…

PARIS: A Nicaragua-bound flight carrying 303 passengers, mostly Indians, was allowed to resume its journey on Monday three days after they were detained by the French authorities at an airport near Paris over suspected “human trafficking”, according to local media reports on Sunday. After authorising the A340 aircraft, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, to leave, the French judges chose to cancel the hearings of the over 300 passengers due to irregularities in the procedure, BFM TV, a French news broadcast television and radio network, reported. Four French judges earlier in the day began questioning the passengers detained by the French authorities at Vatry airport, 150 km east of Paris, since Thursday over suspected “human trafficking”. The hearings were conducted…

Paris, December 24: A Nicaragua-bound flight carrying 303 passengers, mostly Indians, was allowed to resume its journey on Monday three days after they were detained by the French authorities at an airport near Paris over suspected “human trafficking”, according to local media reports on Sunday. After authorising the A340 aircraft, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, to leave, the French judges chose to cancel the hearings of the over 300 passengers due to irregularities in the procedure, BFM TV, a French news broadcast television and radio network, reported. Four French judges earlier in the day began questioning the passengers detained by the French authorities at Vatry airport, 150 km east of Paris, since Thursday over suspected “human trafficking”. The hearings…

PARIS: Four French judges on Sunday began questioning 303 passengers, mostly Indians, of a Nicaragua-bound flight detained by French authorities at Vatry airport, 150 km east of Paris, since Thursday over suspected “human trafficking”, according to local media reports. “The judges have the authority to extend the detention order being used by border police by eight days initially and for another eight if required. They have two days to complete speaking to the passengers. The judges are being helped by translators, said a report in local newspaper. According to the French media, some of the passengers spoke Hindi and others Tamil and are believed to have contacted their families by telephone. Ten of the passengers have requested asylum, the newspaper…

VATRY, France (AP) – A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation is scheduled to leave Monday for India, after an exceptional holiday ordeal that left some 300 Indians en route for Central America blocked inside a rural French airport for four days. A lawyer for the airline says most of the passengers will be aboard. French authorities are still investigating the aim of the original flight, en route from the United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua, and two passengers have been detained. Prosecutors wouldn´t comment on what kind of human trafficking was alleged, or whether the passengers´ ultimate destination could have been the U.S., which has seen a surge in Indians crossing the Mexico-U.S. border this year.…

Vatry, France: A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation is scheduled to leave Monday for India, after an exceptional holiday ordeal that left some 300 Indians en route for Central America blocked inside a rural French airport for four days. A lawyer for the airline says most of the passengers will be aboard. French authorities are still investigating the aim of the original flight, en route from the United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua, and two passengers have been detained. Prosecutors wouldn’t comment on what kind of human trafficking was alleged, or whether the passengers’ ultimate destination could have been the US, which has seen a surge in Indians crossing the Mexico-US border this year. French authorities…

VATRY, France (AP) — A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation departed Monday for India with 276 Indians aboard, authorities said. The passengers had been heading to Nicaragua but were instead blocked inside a rural French airport for four days in an exceptional holiday ordeal. WATCH: Freed political prisoner discusses Nicaragua’s slide toward authoritarianism Associated Press reporters outside the Vatry Airport in Champagne country saw the unmarked Legend Airlines A340 take off after the crew and passengers boarded the plane. The regional administration said that 276 of the original 303 passengers were en route to Mumbai, and that 25 others requested asylum in France. Those who remained were transferred to a special zone in Paris’ Charles…

PARIS (AFP): People donned Santa caps on beaches, ski slopes and streets around the globe on Monday to celebrate Christmas, with Israel’s war on Hamas and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine casting a shadow over one of the world’s favourite holidays. Red and white Santa outfits appeared on surfers from Australia to Florida, on bicyclists in the smog-filled streets of New Delhi and intrepid souls braving chilly Channel waters for a holiday dip near Britain’s Dover. Pope Francis kicked off the global celebrations with a sombre call for peace during Christmas Eve mass at the Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. “Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of…