Unusual bee attack in French town leaves 24 injured
The Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France, said passers-by were stung over about 30 minutes on Sunday morning.
Firefighters and medical teams were rushed to the scene to treat the victims while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack.
The three people in a critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital.
Aurillac Mayor Pierre Mathonier told broadcaster France 3 the incident might have been related to Asian hornets threatening beehives that had been installed on the roof terrace of a downtown hotel more than 10 years ago.
He said this had likely caused the bees to become aggressive.
'All ended well,' he said.
'The emergency services were perfectly co-ordinated.
'There was no panic in Aurillac, but a number of people were stung.'
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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Russia was behind downing of MH17: EU rights court
Europe's top human rights court has ruled that Russia was responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, marking the first time an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights abuses related to the conflict there. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday delivered decisions on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia since the start of the conflict in 2014. The allegations include murder, torture, rape, destroying civilian infrastructure, kidnapping Ukrainian children and shooting down the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, Flight MH17, by Ukrainian separatists who side with Russia. Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, Court President Mattias Guyomar said Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that "killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror". The judges found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale, the French judge said. "The use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture," Guyomar said. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. The decisions are largely symbolic since Moscow says it plans to ignore them. "We won't abide by it, we consider it void," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters. Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australians. In May, the UN's aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Russia was expelled from the council over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. In 2023, the judges sided with Ukraine and the Netherlands in a challenge over jurisdiction, finding there was sufficient evidence to show areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were "under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation", including providing weapons, and giving political and economic support. Wednesday's rulings will not be the last from the EHCR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin. The decisions in Strasbourg are separate from a criminal prosecution in the Netherlands in which two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia of multiple murders for their roles in the downing of Flight MH17. In 2022, the United Nations' top court ordered Russia to stop military operations in Ukraine while a case is heard, a process that takes years. Russia has flouted the order by the International Court of Justice. In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy formally approved plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Europe's top human rights court has ruled that Russia was responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, marking the first time an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights abuses related to the conflict there. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday delivered decisions on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia since the start of the conflict in 2014. The allegations include murder, torture, rape, destroying civilian infrastructure, kidnapping Ukrainian children and shooting down the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, Flight MH17, by Ukrainian separatists who side with Russia. Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, Court President Mattias Guyomar said Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that "killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror". The judges found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale, the French judge said. "The use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture," Guyomar said. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. The decisions are largely symbolic since Moscow says it plans to ignore them. "We won't abide by it, we consider it void," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters. Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australians. In May, the UN's aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Russia was expelled from the council over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. In 2023, the judges sided with Ukraine and the Netherlands in a challenge over jurisdiction, finding there was sufficient evidence to show areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were "under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation", including providing weapons, and giving political and economic support. Wednesday's rulings will not be the last from the EHCR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin. The decisions in Strasbourg are separate from a criminal prosecution in the Netherlands in which two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia of multiple murders for their roles in the downing of Flight MH17. In 2022, the United Nations' top court ordered Russia to stop military operations in Ukraine while a case is heard, a process that takes years. Russia has flouted the order by the International Court of Justice. In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy formally approved plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Europe's top human rights court has ruled that Russia was responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, marking the first time an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights abuses related to the conflict there. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday delivered decisions on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia since the start of the conflict in 2014. The allegations include murder, torture, rape, destroying civilian infrastructure, kidnapping Ukrainian children and shooting down the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, Flight MH17, by Ukrainian separatists who side with Russia. Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, Court President Mattias Guyomar said Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that "killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror". The judges found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale, the French judge said. "The use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture," Guyomar said. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. The decisions are largely symbolic since Moscow says it plans to ignore them. "We won't abide by it, we consider it void," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters. Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australians. In May, the UN's aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Russia was expelled from the council over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. In 2023, the judges sided with Ukraine and the Netherlands in a challenge over jurisdiction, finding there was sufficient evidence to show areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were "under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation", including providing weapons, and giving political and economic support. Wednesday's rulings will not be the last from the EHCR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin. The decisions in Strasbourg are separate from a criminal prosecution in the Netherlands in which two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia of multiple murders for their roles in the downing of Flight MH17. In 2022, the United Nations' top court ordered Russia to stop military operations in Ukraine while a case is heard, a process that takes years. Russia has flouted the order by the International Court of Justice. In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy formally approved plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Europe's top human rights court has ruled that Russia was responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, marking the first time an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights abuses related to the conflict there. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday delivered decisions on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia since the start of the conflict in 2014. The allegations include murder, torture, rape, destroying civilian infrastructure, kidnapping Ukrainian children and shooting down the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, Flight MH17, by Ukrainian separatists who side with Russia. Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, Court President Mattias Guyomar said Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that "killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror". The judges found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale, the French judge said. "The use of rape as a weapon of war was an act of extreme atrocity that amounted to torture," Guyomar said. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. The decisions are largely symbolic since Moscow says it plans to ignore them. "We won't abide by it, we consider it void," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters. Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australians. In May, the UN's aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Russia was expelled from the council over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. In 2023, the judges sided with Ukraine and the Netherlands in a challenge over jurisdiction, finding there was sufficient evidence to show areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were "under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation", including providing weapons, and giving political and economic support. Wednesday's rulings will not be the last from the EHCR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin. The decisions in Strasbourg are separate from a criminal prosecution in the Netherlands in which two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia of multiple murders for their roles in the downing of Flight MH17. In 2022, the United Nations' top court ordered Russia to stop military operations in Ukraine while a case is heard, a process that takes years. Russia has flouted the order by the International Court of Justice. In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy formally approved plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Man, 62, charged as police allege Sydneysiders lost $3m to ‘spiritual blessing scam'
A man has been extradited from Queensland and another seven people are wanted by police in connection with a 'Chinese blessing scam', which has allegedly stripped Sydneysiders of more than $3m. Police allege those involved in the scam targeted elderly Chinese women and exploited their cultural fears, convincing them their families were at risk from spirits and they needed to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curse or illness. 'Once the (alleged) scammers are in possession of their money and valuables, including jewellery, the items are swapped with items of no value and the women are encouraged to not open the bags for an extended time,' NSW Police said in a statement. Police say the alleged scam dates back to July 2023. Since police began investigating in April, they have received more than 80 reports from across Sydney – including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta, and Hornsby – with more than $3m in cash and valuables alleged to have been stolen. A 62-year-old man was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers at Brisbane Airport on Friday and has since been extradited to NSW. Last week, Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said the man was arrested while attempting to flee to China. 'Just this morning at 8am, a male was arrested (while) trying to leave via Brisbane Airport back to China,' he said on Friday. He was brought to Sydney on Tuesday and charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception, participate criminal group contribute criminal activity and demand property in company with menaces with intent to steal. It's alleged he was involved in the defrauding of a 77-year-old of a large sum and jewellery in Parramatta last month. He was refused bail and is expected to front Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. Police are also searching for seven others in connection to the scam, issuing warrants for their arrest. They are searching for Yuefen Su, a 51-year-old woman of Asian appearance, about 150cm tall with long black hair and brown eyes. Police are also searching for Yueping Wen, a 50-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with shoulder length curly black hair and brown eyes. There is a an outstanding arrest warrant for Xiaokun Gu, a 55-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police are also searching for Xuebing Chen, a 55-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with shoulder length curly black hair and brown eyes. An outstanding arrest warrant has been issued for Zuping Huang, a 55-year-old man of Asian appearance, with short black hair and brown eyes. Police are searching for Mingzhen Liu, a 71-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. They are also searching for Weining Ren, a 39-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with long black hair and brown eyes. Superintendent Magee told reporters last week the alleged scammers were 'FIFO criminals', flying in and out of Australia in an attempt to defraud a vulnerable community. He described the alleged offenders as working like a 'pack of hyenas'. 'It's a robbery by stealth,' he said. 'These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females. 'They swarm like a pack of hyenas to be frank.' He explained the scammers were 'capitalising' on their 'own culture' by convincing the alleged victims they had 'come across bad luck'. 'They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery – I'm talking hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time,' Superintendent Magee told reporters. 'They'll convince (the alleged victims) to put (their belongings) into a bag. They will convince them that it's been blessed, and they'll tell them not to open that bag for a period of time – up to months. 'And if they do (open the bag), they will come across bad fortune.' Police have urged the public to be vigilant of the alleged scammers and to avoid following people to a doctor or letting strangers into a home. 'Beware of people you don't know and can't identify seeking access to money and valuables,' they said. 'Beware of people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. 'Do not follow people you have just met to a doctor or healer. Do not continue conversation with strangers and leave the location. 'Do not bring strangers home. 'Do not hand over money, jewellery, or valuable items to stranger, and do not put money or jewellery in a bag for any blessing ritual.'
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
New details of $3m ‘blessing scam' revealed
A man has been extradited from Queensland and another seven people are wanted by police in connection with a 'Chinese blessing scam', which has allegedly stripped Sydneysiders of more than $3m. Police allege those involved in the scam targeted elderly Chinese women and exploited their cultural fears, convincing them their families were at risk from spirits and they needed to have their wealth blessed to protect them from curse or illness. 'Once the (alleged) scammers are in possession of their money and valuables, including jewellery, the items are swapped with items of no value and the women are encouraged to not open the bags for an extended time,' NSW Police said in a statement. Police say the alleged scam dates back to July 2023. A man has been extradited from Queensland for allegedly targeting elderly Asian women in a blessing scam. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire Since police began investigating in April, they have received more than 80 reports from across Sydney – including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta, and Hornsby – with more than $3m in cash and valuables alleged to have been stolen. A 62-year-old man was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers at Brisbane Airport on Friday and has since been extradited to NSW. Last week, Detective Superintendent Guy Magee said the man was arrested while attempting to flee to China. 'Just this morning at 8am, a male was arrested (while) trying to leave via Brisbane Airport back to China,' he said on Friday. The man was at Brisbane Airport allegedly attempting to flee to China. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire He was brought to Sydney on Tuesday and charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception, participate criminal group contribute criminal activity and demand property in company with menaces with intent to steal. It's alleged he was involved in the defrauding of a 77-year-old of a large sum and jewellery in Parramatta last month. He was refused bail and is expected to front Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. Police are also searching for seven others in connection to the scam, issuing warrants for their arrest. Police are searching for Zuping Huang, who is of Asian appearance, with short black hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire Police are searching for Yueping Wen, who is of Asian appearance, with shoulder-length curly black hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire They are searching for Yuefen Su, a 51-year-old woman of Asian appearance, about 150cm tall with long black hair and brown eyes. Police are also searching for Yueping Wen, a 50-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with shoulder length curly black hair and brown eyes. There is a an outstanding arrest warrant for Xiaokun Gu, a 55-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police are also searching for Xuebing Chen, a 55-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with shoulder length curly black hair and brown eyes. An arrest warrant has been issued for Yuefen Su, who is described as being of Asian appearance, about 150cm tall with long black hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire They are also searching for Weining Ren, who is described as being of Asian appearance, with long black hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire An outstanding arrest warrant has been issued for Zuping Huang, a 55-year-old man of Asian appearance, with short black hair and brown eyes. Police are searching for Mingzhen Liu, a 71-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. They are also searching for Weining Ren, a 39-year-old woman of Asian appearance, with long black hair and brown eyes. Police are looking for Xiaokun Gu, a woman of Asian appearance, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire Police are searching for Mingzhen Liu, a woman of Asian appearance, with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire There is an outstanding arrest warrant for Xuebing Chen, a woman of Asian appearance, with shoulder length curly black hair and brown eyes. NewsWire Handout Credit: NewsWire Superintendent Magee told reporters last week the alleged scammers were 'FIFO criminals', flying in and out of Australia in an attempt to defraud a vulnerable community. He described the alleged offenders as working like a 'pack of hyenas'. 'It's a robbery by stealth,' he said. 'These offenders swarm these vulnerable victims, usually Asian older females. 'They swarm like a pack of hyenas to be frank.' He explained the scammers were 'capitalising' on their 'own culture' by convincing the alleged victims they had 'come across bad luck'. 'They will convince them to go and speak to a spiritual healer, to go to their home and retrieve their life savings, all their jewellery – I'm talking hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time,' Superintendent Magee told reporters. 'They'll convince (the alleged victims) to put (their belongings) into a bag. They will convince them that it's been blessed, and they'll tell them not to open that bag for a period of time – up to months. 'And if they do (open the bag), they will come across bad fortune.' Last week, a 63-year-old woman was charged with scamming elderly people of more than $3m. NSW Police Credit: Supplied Police have urged the public to be vigilant of the alleged scammers and to avoid following people to a doctor or letting strangers into a home. 'Beware of people you don't know and can't identify seeking access to money and valuables,' they said. 'Beware of people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. 'Do not follow people you have just met to a doctor or healer. Do not continue conversation with strangers and leave the location. 'Do not bring strangers home. 'Do not hand over money, jewellery, or valuable items to stranger, and do not put money or jewellery in a bag for any blessing ritual.'
