logo
French prisoner escapes from Lyon jail by hiding in cellmate's luggage

French prisoner escapes from Lyon jail by hiding in cellmate's luggage

France 242 days ago
France 's prison service said Saturday it had launched an investigation after a man escaped by smuggling himself into his cellmate's bag as he left jail, having served his sentence.
The 20-year-old prisoner escaped on Friday from Corbas prison, near the city of Lyon in southeast France, broadcaster BFMTV reported.
The inmate was serving several sentences, the prison service said in a statement to AFP.
He "took advantage of the liberation of his fellow inmate to hide himself in his luggage and get out", the statement said.
The escaped prisoner was also under investigation in a case linked to organised crime, a source close to the affair told AFP.
An internal investigation is underway and Lyon prosecutors had opened their own investigations, the prison service added.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage
Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

France 24

time4 hours ago

  • France 24

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

Instead they spoke of executions, looting and arson as government troops and their allies rampaged through Druze neighbourhoods, prompting thousands from the religious minority to flee. "Government forces entered the city on the pretext of restoring order... but unfortunately they indulged in savage practices," said Rayan Maarouf, editor in chief of the Suwayda 24 news website. "There have been cases of civilians being killed... dozens of them... but we don't have precise figures," he added, blaming government fighters and their allies. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces executed 12 civilians in a guesthouse in the city, in just one incident among many said to have taken place in the area. Syria's defence minister had declared a "complete ceasefire" in the city late Tuesday morning, but locals said the announcement had little effect on the ground. An AFP correspondent who entered Sweida shortly after government forces reported dead bodies left lying on deserted streets as sporadic gunfire rang out. "I'm in the centre of Sweida. There are executions, houses and shops that have been torched, and robberies and looting," one Sweida resident holed up in his home told AFP by phone. "One of my friends who lives in the west of the city told me that they entered his home, chased out his family after taking their mobile phones and then set fire to it," added the resident, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. AFP correspondents saw smoke rising over several areas of the city of some 150,000 people. Another resident said he had seen armed men in civilian clothes "looting shops and setting fire to them". "They're firing indiscriminately, I am afraid to leave the house," he said, adding that he regretted "not leaving before they arrived". Civilians killed It is a scenario that has played out multiple times since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad by Islamist rebels in December. In each case, former rebels recruited into the new Syrian army were joined by fighters without any clear uniform, and violence against civilians ensued. The worst episode was in March, when more than 1,700 civilians were killed along Syria's Mediterranean coast -- most of them members of the ousted president's Alawite community -- in attacks carried out by government forces and their allies. On Tuesday, government forces entered Sweida with the stated aim of ending the sectarian violence that had claimed more than 100 lives earlier this week. But the Observatory, Druze leaders and witnesses said they entered the city accompanied by Bedouin fighters, and joined with them in attacking the Druze. One AFP video showed Bedouin fighters riding through the streets on a government tank, brandishing their weapons in celebration. Statues destroyed The fighters toppled several statues in public squares, AFP images showed. Hardline Islamists believe such representations of the human form to be idolatrous. Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed armed men forcibly shaving off the moustache of an elderly Druze, a grave insult in the community. The Israeli military said it had carried out several air strikes on the forces that entered Sweida. An AFP correspondent saw one Syrian army vehicle in the city centre that had taken a direct hit. Several bodies were left dangling over its sides. The Israeli military said it was acting to protect the Druze, although some analysts have said that was a pretext for pursuing its own military goals. Thousands of the city's residents fled, seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border, Maarouf said. In the nearby village of Walgha, an AFP correspondent found a group of displaced civilians sheltering in a mosque. © 2025 AFP

Ukraine covers frontline roads with anti-drone nets
Ukraine covers frontline roads with anti-drone nets

France 24

time13 hours ago

  • France 24

Ukraine covers frontline roads with anti-drone nets

Hit by a small, remote-controlled drone, the mangled chassis was a stark reminder of why Ukraine is hurrying to mount netting over supply routes behind the sprawling front line to thwart Russian aerial attacks. As Russia's invasion grinds through its fourth year, Moscow and Kyiv are both menacing each other's armies with swarms of cheap drones, easily found on the market and rigged with deadly explosives. AFP reporters saw Ukrainian soldiers installing green nets on four-metre (13-foot) poles spanning kilometres (miles) of road in the eastern Donetsk region, where some of the war's most intense fighting has taken place. "When a drone hits the net, it short-circuits and it cannot target vehicles," said 27-year-old engineering brigade commander Denis, working under the blazing sun. Threat from above "We are shifting into a so-called drone war," Denis told AFP. FPV (first-person view) drones have already seriously wounded a few of his men. Some are armed with shotguns to shoot them down. The Russian army has also been deploying nets. "We weave nets like spiders! For extremely dangerous birds without feathers," the Russian defence ministry quoted a soldier with the call sign "Ares" as saying in April. An earlier article by pro-Kremlin media outlet Izvestia also showed soldiers mounting netting close to the front. Everyone is in danger Drones are also a worry for towns and cities. Since early July, the town of Dobropillia, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front line, has become a target for Russian FPV drone attacks. During a recent visit to the civilian hub -- where some 28,000 people lived before the war -- AFP journalists saw residents on the streets rush for cover in shops when a drone began buzzing overhead. When the high-pitched whirring had died down and the threat disappeared, one woman exiting a shelter picked up her shopping bags and glanced upwards, returning to her routine. Every day, victims come to the small town's hospital. According to the hospital's director, Vadym Babkov, the enemy FPVs "spare neither medical workers nor civilians". "We are all under threat," Babkov added. In Russia's Belgorod border region, which frequently comes under Ukrainian fire, authorities have retrofitted ambulances with metal anti-drone cages -- a technology once reserved for tanks and personnel carrier vehicles. New habits "Civilians have got used to it," Denis told AFP. Olga, a waitress in a small cafe and mini-market in Dobropillia, has devised her own way to cope with the constant drone threat. "When I drive and feel that a drone is going to attack me, I open all the windows to avoid glass shards hitting me," the 45-year-old told AFP. The atmosphere in the town had become "frightening", Olga said. The shop next to Olga's was recently hit by an FPV drone, leaving its owner in a coma. "Now we jump at every gust of wind," Olga said. "The day has passed -- thank God. The night has passed and we wake up with all our arms and legs intact -- thank God." But she doesn't know for how long. "Everything hangs in the air now," she said. We're living day by day." © 2025 AFP

Video shows jets in northern Malaysia, not Thai patrol on Cambodian frontier
Video shows jets in northern Malaysia, not Thai patrol on Cambodian frontier

AFP

time14 hours ago

  • AFP

Video shows jets in northern Malaysia, not Thai patrol on Cambodian frontier

"Cambodia in shock as Thai army showcases its jets along the border," reads Thai-language text superimposed on a video shared on YouTube on June 26, 2025. A Khmer-language voiceover says: "Hi all, please watch these Thai army jets that are flying along the border back and forth. I don't know about their intentions towards Cambodia. Please be careful -- our people, our troops." Image Screenshot of the false YouTube post captured on July 9, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The clip also circulated with a similar Khmer-language caption as a diplomatic feud between Bangkok and Phnom Penh continued to fester. The Southeast Asian neighbours have been at loggerheads since a Cambodian soldier was killed in late May as troops exchanged fire in a disputed border region (archived link). Numerous border crossings have been closed as Cambodia banned some Thai products, and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended last week pending an ethics probe into her conduct during the spat. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on July 14 that the military will begin conscripting civilians from 2026, citing the rising tensions with Thailand as the reason for activating a long-dormant mandatory enlistment law (archived link). Thailand already has military conscription for young and able-bodied men, who enter a lottery to determine whether they have to serve. The circulating clip, however, was filmed in Malaysia. A combination of keyword and reverse image searches on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a horizontally flipped version of the clip in a Facebook post on May 13 (archived link). Its Malay-language caption reads: "The last running me. Three pairs of Sukhoi & Hornet fighter jets flying over Sultan Abdul Halim Airport, Alor Setar" (archived link). The airport is in northern Malaysia's Kedah state. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the video posted on May 13 (right) Camera shutters can also be heard in this higher quality version. The clip was posted by Safuan Salahudin, a Malaysia-based photographer, who often shares his work on his social media accounts. Metadata from Salahudin's original video file confirmed it was recorded on the same date it was posted on Facebook. . He also pointed out that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)'s F/A-18D Hornet seen in the video was decorated in Pikachu-themed livery, which is used on special occasions (LIMA 25) (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the May 13 video, magnified by AFP (left), and a clip posted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (right) Malaysian media reported the air force jets were training in Kedah ahead of LIMA 25, which was held between May 20 and 24 (archived here and here). The air force also reassured local residents there was no need to be anxious or worried by low-flying aircraft or the sound of explosions during the training period. AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store