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La police serbe arrête un tireur présumé lors d’une deuxième fusillade de masse

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La police a arrêté un homme armé présumé responsable d’avoir tué huit personnes et blessé 13 autres, ont rapporté les médias d’État vendredi matin, à la suite d’une chasse à l’homme de plusieurs heures toute la nuit lors de la deuxième fusillade de masse dans le pays cette semaine.

“La RTS a appris que le meurtrier avait été arrêté près de Kragujevac”, a déclaré la chaîne de télévision publique, faisant référence à une ville du centre de la Serbie.

Près de Mladenovac jeudi, un assaillant armé d’une arme automatique avait ouvert le feu depuis un véhicule en mouvement avant de prendre la fuite, a rapporté la RTS.

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Une forte présence sécuritaire a été déployée tandis que des hélicoptères survolaient la zone, selon un photographe de l’AFP sur place.

La police avait bloqué la route menant aux villages de Malo Orasje et Dubona.

Des proches inquiets se sont rassemblés devant le centre médical d’urgence de Belgrade où au moins huit blessés ont été hospitalisés, a rapporté la télévision N1.

La ministre de la Santé, Danica Grujicic, a brièvement visité le centre.

Le ministre de l’Intérieur Bratislav Gasic a qualifié la fusillade d’”acte terroriste”, a rapporté la RTS.

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La nation des Balkans est déjà sous le choc d’une rare fusillade meurtrière dans une école mercredi, lorsqu’un élève de 13 ans a tué huit pairs et un agent de sécurité à l’école primaire Vladislav Ribnikar du centre-ville de Belgrade.

Six autres élèves et un enseignant ont été blessés lors de cet incident, tandis que les responsables de la santé ont déclaré que deux blessés restaient dans un état critique.

Alors que le printemps est normalement une période de fête en Serbie avec des gens qui affluent à l’extérieur, une période de deuil de trois jours commencera vendredi.

“Journées difficiles”

Les fusillades de masse dans les écoles sont extrêmement rares en Serbie et le président Aleksandar Vucic a qualifié la tragédie de mercredi de “l’un des jours les plus difficiles” de l’histoire récente.

Dans un discours national après la fusillade dans l’école, Vucic a proposé des mesures de contrôle des armes à feu plus strictes, notamment un moratoire de deux ans sur la délivrance de permis d’armes à feu.

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Le ministère de l’Intérieur a appelé tous les propriétaires d’armes à feu à garder leurs armes enfermées dans des coffres-forts – avertissant que ceux qui ne respectent pas verront leurs armes saisies.

L’école primaire Vladislav Ribnikar est restée bouclée jeudi, la police gardant l’entrée du bâtiment.

Des centaines de personnes ont continué à affluer vers l’école pour lui rendre hommage, déposant des fleurs, des jouets et des bougies sur un mémorial de fortune.

Les habitants de la capitale croate Zagreb et de la capitale administrative des Serbes de Bosnie, Banja Luka, ont également allumé des bougies et déposé des fleurs pour les victimes.

Des messes pour les victimes ont eu lieu dans les églises de Belgrade tandis que le chef de l’Église orthodoxe serbe (CPS), le patriarche Porfirije, a qualifié la fusillade de “catastrophe, comme cela ne s’est jamais produit dans notre nation et notre patrie”.

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Dans la région de Mladenovac, un villageois a tué 13 parents et voisins lors d’une fusillade en avril 2013.

(FRANCE 24 avec AFP)

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Macron, Lula show unity on global issues despite Ukraine shadow

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French President Emmanuel Macron and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday displayed their unity on major global issues, while skirting differences on the war in Ukraine.

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Macron wrapped up his three-day tour of the Latin American giant with a solemn, but warm, trip to the presidential palace in the modernist capital Brasilia.

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The French leader paid tribute to “the spirit of resistance” of Lula’s government for “restoring democracy” after a crowd of extreme-right supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the seats of power in the city in January 2023.

Lula hailed a relationship between the two countries as one that created “a bridge between the global South and the developed world.”

While the two men firmly reset the frosty ties of the Bolsonaro years, they retain deep differences over the war in Ukraine, a subject which only briefly reared its head.

While France and the West support Kyiv wholeheartedly, Lula has in the past said that Ukraine and Russia share responsibility over the conflict and has refused to isolate Moscow.

Putin at G20 meet? 

Responding to a question from a journalist, Macron said that Brazil, as the current chair of the G20, could invite Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to a summit in Rio de Janeiro in November if other members agreed.

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“The meaning of this club is that there must be consensus with the 19 others. That will be a job for Brazilian diplomacy,” he said.

If such a meeting can be “useful, it must be done,” Macron said.

Lula responded only that “diversity” must be accepted in organisations like the G20.

Putin missed last year’s G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, avoiding possible political opprobrium and any risk of criminal detention under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

In September 2023, Lula said there was “no way” that Putin would be arrested if he attended the Rio de Janeiro summit.

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Shortly after, he backtracked and said that it would be up to the justice system to decide on Putin’s eventual arrest and not his government.

Lula’s only remarks on the conflict were that “the two stubborn” leaders will “have to get along,” referring to Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Unity on Venezuela 

However, he highlighted that Ukraine was not Brazil’s priority, and turned to a crisis in his own neighborhood, that he and Macron agreed upon: Venezuela.

Both leaders condemned the exclusion of the main opposition coalition’s chosen candidate, Corina Yoris, 80, from July 28 elections.

“We very firmly condemn the exclusion of a serious and credible candidate from this process,” Macron said.

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Lula described the situation as “serious” and said there was “no legal or political explanation for banning an opponent from being a candidate.”

“I told Maduro that the most important thing to restore normality in Venezuela was to avoid any problems in the electoral process, that the elections be held in the most democratic way possible.”

From the protection of the Amazon to cooperation in the building of submarines and economic ties, the two leaders showed off the broad Franco-Brazilian partnership over the three-day visit.

Macron and Lula also brushed over tensions about the long-delayed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, which Brazil has pushed for and France has blocked.

Macron blasted the deal as “a really bad agreement” and said it should be buried in favor of a new one that “is responsible from a development, climate and biodiversity point of view.”

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Lula said he was “very calm” and noted only that Brazil “does not negotiate with France” but with the EU.

The two leaders’ close relationship was highlighted by a warm meeting in the Amazon, in which they were pictured beaming and clasping hands, to the delight of Brazilians who spawned a raft of memes comparing the images to a wedding album.

(AFP)

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Dogs can detect onset of PTSD flashbacks in BREATH with over 70% accuracy, study shows

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Is there anything a good dog can’t do? New research continues to discover new benefits to cognitive health, stress relief, allergy reduction and more — all accruing to the grateful owner of a faithful pooch.

Now a new study has found evidence that our canine companions can identify when someone is experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just by smell.

Canadian scientists ran two skilled and disciplined dogs, Ivy and Callie, through a battery of scent-based lab tests, finding that both dogs could differentiate between stressed out PTSD sweat and ordinary human sweat with 90 percent accuracy.

The dogs also fared well smelling isolated samples that they did not have the chance to compare and contrast: Ivy managed 74 percent and Callie 81 percent accuracy.

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‘Both Ivy and Callie found this work inherently motivating,’ the study’s lead author said. ‘Their limitless appetite for delicious treats was also an asset.’

A new study has found evidence that dogs can identify when someone is experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just by how the person smells. Above, test dog Ivy points to, compares and contrasts between an 'calm' human sweat and a PTSD stressed human odor

A new study has found evidence that dogs can identify when someone is experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just by how the person smells. Above, test dog Ivy points to, compares and contrasts between an 'calm' human sweat and a PTSD stressed human odor

A new study has found evidence that dogs can identify when someone is experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just by how the person smells. Above, test dog Ivy points to, compares and contrasts between an ‘calm’ human sweat and a PTSD stressed human odor

The dogs also fared well smelling isolated samples they could not compare. Above, test dog Callie signals that the solitary sample does not contain the odor she was asked to detect. These tests were 'double blind' - neither dog, nor experimenter in the room knew the answer

The dogs also fared well smelling isolated samples they could not compare. Above, test dog Callie signals that the solitary sample does not contain the odor she was asked to detect. These tests were 'double blind' - neither dog, nor experimenter in the room knew the answer

The dogs also fared well smelling isolated samples they could not compare. Above, test dog Callie signals that the solitary sample does not contain the odor she was asked to detect. These tests were ‘double blind’ – neither dog, nor experimenter in the room knew the answer

‘It was much harder to convince them to take a break than to commence work,’ lead author Laura Kiiroja, a doctoral candidate with the department of psychology and neuroscience at Canada’s Dalhousie University, said in a statement. 

‘Callie in particular made sure there was no dilly-dallying.’

Each human produces what the researchers described as a ‘scent profile’ of volatile organic compounds (VOCs): molecules produced by the human body that vaporize at ordinary room temperature, including isoprene and monoterpenes.

Prior to Kiiroja and her colleagues’ new study, it was already well known that dogs can detect VOCs in human breath, urine and sweat — and especially breath. 

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These myriad VOCs secreted by the human body can prove to be evidence of traits related to age, diet, genetics, life activities and mood, like stress level. 

But, according to Kiiroja, no prior studies had looked into whether or not dogs could be trained to detect VOCs linked to episodes of PTSD, be they from flashbacks or more mild triggers. 

‘PTSD service dogs are already trained to assist people during episodes of distress,’ Kiiroja said. ‘However, dogs are currently trained to respond to behavioral and physical cues.’ 

‘Our study,’ she said, ‘showed that at least some dogs can also detect these episodes via breath.’

Not unlike law enforcement’s quest for truly talented bomb-sniffing dogs, a star search of 25 canine candidates was conducted to see which could be trained in scent detection. 

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Ivy and Callie proved to be the best for the Dalhousie researchers’ work.

The team also recruited 26 human volunteers as ‘scent donors’ for the new study, which was published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Allergy.

Every participant was sourced from another study investigating how people with experience of trauma react to reminders of that trauma. 

A slim majority of that study’s volunteers, 54 percent, met the diagnostically testable medical definition of PTSD. 

These volunteers donated their scents by sitting in on therapy sessions where they were reminded of their past traumatic experiences, while they breathed into a protective facemask. Those facemasks, and masks from their more trauma-free sessions, were then deposited into individual glass storage containers for the dog experiments later on.

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These volunteers were also asked to fill out surveys on their feelings and stress level.

The team’s experimental PTSD-sniffing dogs, Ivy and Callie, were then trained off of both the ‘calm breath’ control facemasks and the PTSD-stressed test facemasks.

The team recruited 26 human volunteers as 'scent donors' for the new study, which was published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Allergy. A slim majority of that study's volunteers, 54 percent, met the diagnostically testable medical definition of PTSD

The team recruited 26 human volunteers as 'scent donors' for the new study, which was published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Allergy. A slim majority of that study's volunteers, 54 percent, met the diagnostically testable medical definition of PTSD

The team recruited 26 human volunteers as ‘scent donors’ for the new study, which was published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Allergy. A slim majority of that study’s volunteers, 54 percent, met the diagnostically testable medical definition of PTSD 

Above, face masks containing relaxed and PTSD-influenced human odors for future testing in the glass sample jars (left) and pieces of those masks in glass vials for active testing (right)

Above, face masks containing relaxed and PTSD-influenced human odors for future testing in the glass sample jars (left) and pieces of those masks in glass vials for active testing (right)

Above, face masks containing relaxed and PTSD-influenced human odors for future testing in the glass sample jars (left) and pieces of those masks in glass vials for active testing (right) 

In all tests, scented material was isolated under 4.7in. mouth-diameter, stainless-steel funnels

In all tests, scented material was isolated under 4.7in. mouth-diameter, stainless-steel funnels

In all tests, scented material was isolated under 4.7in. mouth-diameter, stainless-steel funnels

But the key tests were whether the dogs could detect stress from scents without having the ‘multiple choice’ option of two different human odors to choose from.

The tests were double blind, meaning neither the dog nor the person conducting the experiment knew which scents were being used. Only another researcher had that knowledge. 

Ivy proved to be about equal at detecting both positive samples (76.19 percent accuracy) and negative samples (71.43 percent accuracy) of anything she was asked to look for. 

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Callie proved much better at identifying negative samples (90.48 percent accuracy) compared to positive samples in (71.43 percent accuracy) in these trials.

Most importantly, however, once either of the dogs got good at detecting a specific volunteer’s scene, that knowledge appeared to stick with them from test to test.

‘This is a multidisciplinary collaboration between Dr. Sherry Stewart’s clinical psychology lab and Dr. Simon Gadbois’ canine olfaction lab, both at Dalhousie University,’ Kiiroja noted. 

‘Neither lab could have done this work on their own. We brought together two distinct sets of expertise.’ 

Outside observers voiced an interest in further study into what the exact chemicals and human hormones produced by humans experiencing PTSD actually are.

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‘The study underscores the need for larger-scale research,’ according to the site Neuroscience News, ‘[to] explore the specific hormonal pathways dogs may be responding to in stressed breath samples.’

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Humanitarian groups urge leaders to act on threat from extreme heat

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Extreme heat is one of the most deadly problems from climate change even though it receives less attention than other knock-on effects like hurricanes and flooding, two of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations warned Thursday.

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The year 2023 was the hottest on record, with rising temperatures affecting the most vulnerable populations in particular — the elderly, outdoor workers and those without access to cooling systems such as air conditioners.

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The Red Cross and the US Agency for International Development delivered their warnings against the “invisible killer” of extreme heat at a virtual summit, on the heels of the United States exiting its warmest-ever winter on record.

“We are calling on governments, civil societies, young people and all the stakeholders to take concrete steps around the globe to help prepare countries and communities for extreme heat,” said Jagan Chapagain, secretary general for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

USAID chief Samantha Power warned that in the United States, “heat is already deadlier than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined.”

“We are calling on development agencies, philanthropies and other donors to recognize the threat that extreme heat poses to humanity, and to put resources towards helping communities withstand that threat,” she said.

Highlighting ongoing efforts addressing extreme temperatures, Power said USAID was supporting a program to build “heat resilient schools” in Jordan, using “passive heating and cooling systems, thermal insulation, double glazed windows and air conditioning.”

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Climate change’s effects aren’t limited to already hot places like the Middle East: in Europe, the fastest-warming continent in the world, more than 60,000 people were estimated to have died in heat waves in 2022, noted US climate envoy John Podesta.

“Climate information and services including early warnings can save lives and assets,” he added. “But one-third of the world’s population doesn’t have access to this life-saving information.”

Other efforts include those in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, where nearly a million trees have been planted since 2020.

“But we mustn’t allow this conversation to let anyone off the hook when it comes to reducing emissions,” Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said.

(AFP)

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MARKET REPORT: North Sea oil producer Enquest posts loss after hit from windfall tax

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North Sea oil producer Enquest is to buy back shares from investors for the first time, claiming the windfall tax is hurting the industry.

The energy firm, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12million repurchase programme this year.

Enquest’s finances improved in 2023 as debt fell to £381million, from £567million the year before. It has since fallen to £324million.

Revenue was hit by lower oil and gas prices while its losses narrowed to £24million from £33million.

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Yesterday its shares rose 0.7 per cent, or 0.1p, to 14.1p. 

Tax squeeze: Energy firm Enquest, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12m repurchase programme this year

Tax squeeze: Energy firm Enquest, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12m repurchase programme this year

Tax squeeze: Energy firm Enquest, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12m repurchase programme this year

But it warned that it is operating in a ‘challenging UK fiscal environment’ as the Chancellor’s decision to extend the energy profits levy by a year to 2029 represented the fourth change in the last two years.

Chief executive Amjad Bseisu said the levy ‘has resulted in a number of industry participants accelerating their shift in focus away from the UK North Sea’.

The windfall tax was introduced in 2022. Oil and gas firms pay a 40 per cent tax rate. With the levy raised to 35 per cent in January last year, they now pay 75 per cent.

Capricorn Energy also wants to return cash to its shareholders.

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It has proposed paying a special £40million dividend by the end of June. Shares rose 4.8 per cent, or 8p, to 175p.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.3 per cent, or 20.64 points, to 7952.62 and the FTSE 250 was up 0.4 per cent, or 74.07 points, to 19,884.73.

Stock Watch – Northamber

Shares in a technology distributor plunged 22.8 per cent, or 10.5p, to 35.5p after an industry-wide downturn.

Northamber, which sells laptops, keyboards and memory cards, said industry data showed that UK distribution sales fell 10pc in the six months to the end of December.

Stock levels increased as demand weakened. Revenues fell 14 per cent to £29million in the first half of its financial year while losses rose from £250,000 to £413,000.

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AO World also had a stellar day after the online electrical retailer said its profit for the year to the end of March should be at the top end of its £28million to £33million range.

Shares surged 12.2 per cent, or 10.95p, to 100.8p.

Investors in Direct Line should be comforted by new boss Adam Winslow whose appointment is a ‘useful step in re-establishing credibility’, according to Deutsche Bank Research, which urged its clients to buy the insurer’s stock – it climbed 0.3 per cent, or 0.65p, to 195.05p.

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Vodafone chairman Jean-Francois van Boxmeer bought more than £500,000 worth of shares in the telecoms giant, snapping up 823,500 at 69p each. Vodafone rose 1.5 per cent, or 1.04p, to 70.46p.

Troubled music firm Hipgnosis, which owns the rights to songs by artists such as Shakira and Blondie, said that its portfolio has been independently valued at nearly £1.6billion, lifting it 8.3 per cent, or 5.3p, to 69p.

It will be outlining proposals for its future by April 26 and will ask shareholders to vote on any decision.

Molecular diagnostics firm Genedrive is hoping its genetic kit that can prevent babies going deaf will be approved by US regulators. It added that it need to raise fresh funds, as shares rose 3.9 per cent, or 0.13p, to 3p.

Podcast publisher Audioboom has added six shows to its network, including one hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter Katherine – and gained 5.4 per cent, or 12.5p, to 245p.

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Kitwave, which sells and delivers goods, bought wholesaler Total Foodservice for £21million, and rose 4.2 per cent, or 15p, to 371p.

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Live like a French aristocrat… from just £41 a night each: Book a grand chateau with friends and family this summer and you may be in for a bargain

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Just the word ‘chateau’ sounds expensive, but staying in the castles and large country houses that were once home to French nobility doesn’t have to blow your holiday budget.

Gather the clan for a booking of up to a week and you’ll be surprised at how reasonable it can be.

BRITTANY FROM £41

Four-poster luxury awaits at the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle

Four-poster luxury awaits at the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle

Four-poster luxury awaits at the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle

Only the west wing of the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle has so far been restored, but the accommodation is far from medieval.

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Eat in the shabby-chic kitchen-diner before moving to the elegant sitting room with marble fireplace and windows looking out to 40 acres of wooded grounds.

Among the five bedrooms, one with a wooden four-poster bed is reached via a spiral staircase. The Breton coast beaches are just 15 minutes away.

How to do it: A week in September costs from £2,896 for ten (Airbnb property reference 45252876; also see chateaudequeblen.com). Take the car ferry to St Malo from £349 return (brittany-ferries.co.uk).

NORMANDY FROM £69

Grand: Chateau du Mont in Normandy is an 'imposing' property with formal and Italian gardens

Grand: Chateau du Mont in Normandy is an 'imposing' property with formal and Italian gardens

Grand: Chateau du Mont in Normandy is an ‘imposing’ property with formal and Italian gardens 

A fountain plays outside the imposing Chateau du Mont, with its formal and Italian gardens. Within, rooms are full of original features and wood panelling, the nine bedrooms have a refined period air about them, and the bathrooms have been nicely modernised.

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The thatched, beamed poolhouse has been converted from former stables. Bayeux and its tapestry are just 15 minutes away from this house whose guests have included the Dalai Lama and the Aga Khan.

How to do it: A week in May or September costs from £8,772 for 18 (chateaudumont-normandy.com). Take the car ferry to Le Havre from £146 return (brittany-ferries.co.uk).

BURGUNDY FROM £54

Chateau Bourgogne, half an hour from Chablis, boasts ten bedrooms and a saltwater swimming pool (above)

Chateau Bourgogne, half an hour from Chablis, boasts ten bedrooms and a saltwater swimming pool (above)

Chateau Bourgogne, half an hour from Chablis, boasts ten bedrooms and a saltwater swimming pool (above)

The decor at Chateau Bourgogne is 'farmhouse chic' with beamed ceilings and stone floors. Pictured is the library

The decor at Chateau Bourgogne is 'farmhouse chic' with beamed ceilings and stone floors. Pictured is the library

The decor at Chateau Bourgogne is ‘farmhouse chic’ with beamed ceilings and stone floors. Pictured is the library 

Just half an hour from Chablis, Chateau Bourgogne comes with its own wine library, and you can arrange for a sommelier to advise you which vineyards to visit. This creeper-clad property with crenelated turret and ten bedrooms has steep staircases, thick walls and a watchtower terrace.

The decor is farmhouse chic, with beamed ceilings and stone floors. A saltwater pool can be found in the grounds, and you can walk to the village to use the tennis court for free. Book a chef to rustle up something on the range cooker while you sip a glass or two.

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How to do it: A week in May is from £6,004 for 16 (oliverstravels.com). Take the train to Montbard via Paris from £219 return (thetrainline.com).

LOT-ET-GARONNE FROM £48

Chateau de Galaup, near the hilltop village of Beauville, may be new to Vintage Travel’s portfolio this year, but it holds plenty of history within its thick walls, with an old archway, square keep and two stone spiral staircases.

The 15th Century property with five bedrooms has been converted into a comfortable living space that exudes relaxed elegance, with timbered ceilings and terracotta floors. Outside, a pool has far-reaching views over the rolling countryside of France’s South West. There is also a tennis court.

How to do it: A week in May is from £3,358 for ten or £2,786 for six (vintagetravel.co.uk). Fly to Bergerac from £119 return (ryanair.com).

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DORDOGNE FROM £63

Chateau de la Forge in the Dordogne is a classic Perigord country house set within a 32-acre estate

Chateau de la Forge in the Dordogne is a classic Perigord country house set within a 32-acre estate

Chateau de la Forge in the Dordogne is a classic Perigord country house set within a 32-acre estate

You can really make an entrance at the 32-acre estate at Chateau de la Forge, where wrought-iron gates open on to an avenue of trees. It leads to a classic Perigord country house with blue shutters against pale stone walls.

Expect polished wood floors, panelled walls and high ceilings in the downstairs rooms; there’s also a billiard room. Upstairs, the six bedrooms have a more modern feel, with colourful fabrics. There’s a pool in the grounds, and you can hire kayaks to paddle along the Dordogne in nearby Mussidan.

How to do it: A week in September is from £5,295 for 12 (simpsontravel.com). Fly to Bergerac from £119 return (ryanair.com).

CHAMPAGNE FROM £50

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There’s surely no better place to party than in Champagne. Chateau de Mairy is just ten minutes from Chalons-en-Champagne and half an hour from Reims and Epernay, with as many cellars as you care to visit.

A historic monument, the 17th Century building with a private chapel has a genteel feel to its public rooms and 15 bedrooms, with chandeliers, panelled walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. Bathrooms and the kitchen aren’t of the same standard. Not that you need to cook here: it’s a short walk to the local restaurant, or you can book a local chef.

How to do it: A week costs from £7,145 for 20, or from £10,427 for 30 (chateaudemairy.com). Take the Eurotunnel to Calais from £232 (eurotunnel.com).

PAS DE CALAIS FROM £47

Chateau d’Hallines offers entertainment in abundance, from an indoor trampoline room and home cinema to a heated outdoor pool and a tennis court

Chateau d’Hallines offers entertainment in abundance, from an indoor trampoline room and home cinema to a heated outdoor pool and a tennis court

Chateau d’Hallines offers entertainment in abundance, from an indoor trampoline room and home cinema to a heated outdoor pool and a tennis court

You’re unlikely to get bored at Chateau d’Hallines, which is just 30 minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais. Its indoor attractions alone include a trampoline room (yes, really), mini tennis court, games room, home cinema and snooker room. Outdoors you will find a heated pool and a tennis court.

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The entrance hall leading from the exterior has a grand staircase leading to 12 colourful bedrooms sharing 11 bathrooms. Cook in the contemporary kitchen and serve dinner in the wood-panelled dining room, with its table for 30.

How to do it: A week in May is from £8,489 for 26 (holidaylettings.co.uk; ref 9074565). Take the Eurotunnel to Calais from £232 (eurotunnel.com).

PROVENCE FROM £71

A former retreat for French royalty, Chateau Aubenas near Forcalquier has an elevated view over the rolling hills of the Luberon. In gated grounds with a pool amid the pine trees, an olive grove and a sun terrace with barbecue, this cream-stone mansion is all about outdoor living.

Not that the interiors have been neglected; huge rooms with high ceilings have been decorated in a light palette, the modern, minimalist look rubbing shoulders with original features.

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A dormitory for four children is in the tower, and there are four other bedrooms for eight adults.

How to do it: A week in August costs from £6,015 for 12 (cvvillas.com). Fly to Marseille from £92 return (ryanair.com).

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British Dignitas membership soars by 24% as Scotland could be the first UK nation to legalise assisted dying

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  • 1,900 registered British members in 2023, a rise of 372 on the previous year  
  • The UK ranks second behind Germany in the number of its nationals registered 

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Dignitas membership in the UK soared by 24 per cent last year – as assisted dying legislation yesterday came closer in Scotland.

There were 1,900 registered British members in 2023, a rise of 372 on the previous year, according to figures.

Also last year, there were 40 UK residents who travelled to its clinic in Switzerland to die, Dignitas revealed.

The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip. 

Overall, 1,454 people had travelled from Germany, while there were 571 from the UK and 549 from France.

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The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip to Dignitas assisted suicide clinic (pictured)

The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip to Dignitas assisted suicide clinic (pictured)

The UK ranks second behind Germany both in the number of its nationals registered as members and the total number of people who have made the trip to Dignitas assisted suicide clinic (pictured)

The figures cover 1998 to 2023. However, fewer from Germany have opted to die at Dignitas, dropping into the single digits in recent years.

But the number travelling from the UK has risen, as has that of France which saw 50 citizens make the journey for an assisted death last year. It comes as legislation was published at Holyrood that looks to begin the process of Scotland becoming the first nation in the UK to legalise assisted dying.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Bill which is likely to be voted on by MSPs later this year – it came after a consultation found 76 per cent of Scots supported the proposals.

A vote would be the third time the issue of assisted dying has come before the Scottish parliament – two previous attempts to change the law have been resoundingly defeated. 

The Bill sets out conditions under which assisted dying would be legalised in a bid to provide ‘robust safeguards’.

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Under the legislation, only those over the age of 16 with an advanced terminal illness would have the option of an assisted death. 

They would need to have the mental capacity to make the request and the Bill sets out a 14-day mandatory ‘reflection’ period. The patient would also be required to administer the life-ending treatment themselves.

Those eligible would also be required to have been resident in Scotland for at least 12 months and be registered with a medical practice. 

Mr McArthur said: ‘Currently in Scotland assisted dying is illegal, a situation that I believe is failing too many terminally ill Scots at the end of life. 

‘It is leaving them facing traumatic deaths that impact not just them, but those that they leave behind. We can and must do better.

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‘The provisions… would be robustly safeguarded to ensure the process works as intended.’

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Bill which is likely to be voted on by MSPs later this year – it came after a consultation found 76 per cent of Scots supported the proposals

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Bill which is likely to be voted on by MSPs later this year – it came after a consultation found 76 per cent of Scots supported the proposals

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced the Bill which is likely to be voted on by MSPs later this year – it came after a consultation found 76 per cent of Scots supported the proposals

The Bill has been praised by campaigners, led by Dame Esther Rantzen who is herself a member of Dignitas, having been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

 ‘The current law is cruel, complicated and causes terrible suffering to vulnerable people,’ she said.

‘I have received dozens of letters from people describing the agonising deaths of those they loved. This is literally a life and death issue.’

But Bishop of Paisley John Keenan said the Bill ‘attacks human dignity’ and introduces a dangerous idea that a citizen can lose their value and worth. 

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‘Assisted suicide sends a message that there are situations when suicide is an appropriate response to one’s individual circumstances, worries, anxieties,’ he said.

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International

Senegal’s Sall holds ‘courteous’ meeting with president-elect Faye

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Senegal’s anti-establishment leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose weekend election victory could be officially confirmed within days, was welcomed at the presidential palace Thursday by outgoing leader Macky Sall.

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The meeting, which came after weeks of crisis surrounding the vote, suggested a swift and peaceful handover in the West African nation that prides itself on democratic stability in a coup-hit region.

Faye, 44, was only freed from prison 10 days before the election, along with his mentor Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running following a criminal conviction he says was politically motivated.

The outgoing president received both men in what his office called “a courteous meeting where they discussed at length the major issues for the state, as well as the inauguration ceremony”.

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According to provisional results, Faye won the first round of the vote outright with 54.3 percent, far ahead of Sall’s hand-picked candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba.

He came second with 35.8 percent of the vote.

Senegal’s Constitutional Court could declare Faye the official winner before the weekend, which would make a handover possible before April 2, the official end of Sall’s term.

This handout picture distributed by the Senegalese Presidency on March 28, 2024 shows Ousmane Sonko (2nd R), outgoing President Macky Sall (R) and president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko (second from right) pictured in between outgoing president Macky Sall (right) and the country’s president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye. © Senegalese Presidency handout via AFP

Sall provoked a political crisis in February by suspending the presidential election just days before polls were to open, citing security concerns.

The move sparked protests and clashes that left four people dead, before the Constitutional Court ordered him to set the date for March 24.

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Faye, who has never held elected office, is set to become the fifth president of the West African country of around 18 million people.

He has promised to restore national “sovereignty” and implement a programme of “left-wing pan-Africanism”.

(AFP)

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International

Xabi Alonso will NOT succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool with Anfield icon set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen as Ruben Amorim emerges as new favourite

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  • Xabi Alonso will likely stay at Bayer Leverkusen in a blow to Liverpool and Bayern
  • Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is now the leading candidate for Liverpool
  • Why a defeat against Arsenal will be curtains for Man City’s title defence – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast 

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Liverpool and Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow in their search for a new manager after both received strong discouragement in their quest to appoint Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard now likely to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Alonso had been strongly mooted as a Jurgen Klopp successor since the German announced he was to leave the club this summer, but Liverpool had been given no reason to believe the former midfielder wanted to leave the Bundesliga leaders.

It now appears Alonso, 42, is out of the running for the Anfield job, which makes Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim the leading candidate alongside Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. 

Amorim, 39, will likely get an interview at Liverpool and it is believed he scored well on internal data tests.

Bayern had been public in their desire to recruit Alonso, perhaps a tactic to unsettle Leverkusen’s title tilt, but president Uli Hoeness on Thursday said it would be ‘probably impossible’ to lure him to Munich this year.

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Xabi Alonso will not be Liverpool's next manager after Jurgen Klopp because he wishes to stay in Germany

Xabi Alonso will not be Liverpool's next manager after Jurgen Klopp because he wishes to stay in Germany

Xabi Alonso will not be Liverpool’s next manager after Jurgen Klopp because he wishes to stay in Germany

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has emerged as the new favourite for the Liverpool job

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has emerged as the new favourite for the Liverpool job

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has emerged as the new favourite for the Liverpool job

He added: ‘Alonso is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their current successes, because he would not want to leave them behind. Let’s say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to bring him out of there.’

Liverpool had never been confident on appointing Alonso despite strong external links. 

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Their recruitment drive, led by new sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of Football Michael Edwards, now turns to Amorim and De Zerbi, whose Brighton side come to Anfield on Sunday.

Alonso, who was seen as Liverpool’s dream target, has overseen a revolution at Bayer Leverkusen since joining in October 2022.

When he signed up, they were in the relegation zone but he steered them into the top six.

This campaign, they are 10 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, unbeaten all season, and into the last eight of the Europa League for a second year running. 

It has been a historic season, with Leverkusen on course to lift their first Bundesliga title barring an almighty breakdown, and they have only conceded 18 goals in the process.  

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Liverpool were expected to compete with Bayern Munich for his signature, given that Thomas Tuchel will depart the latter in the summer. 

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sits behind leading candidate Amorim for the job

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sits behind leading candidate Amorim for the job

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sits behind leading candidate Amorim for the job 

Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness said on Thursday that it would be 'probably impossible' to lure away Alonso

Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness said on Thursday that it would be 'probably impossible' to lure away Alonso

Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeness said on Thursday that it would be ‘probably impossible’ to lure away Alonso

Bayern are facing the prospect of their first season without winning a trophy since 2011-12 – following 11 consecutive title wins – and have thus deemed Tuchel surplus to requirements.

Alonso could still manage against Liverpool this season, with the Merseyside outfit and Leverkusen both through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

They are on opposite sides of the draw, meaning they could meet in the final on May 22.

Reports in Germany this month had claimed that Bayern were ahead of Liverpool in the race to hire Alonso, while former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys claimed earlier this week that the 42-year-old manager had decided to move to Liverpool.

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Yet it now appears that neither Bayern or Liverpool will get their man.

Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: ‘I personally, we all, extremely appreciate Xabi Alonso, but you mustn’t forget that he is now training at a club that is currently in the process of becoming German champions.’

Bayern could reportedly turn to Ralf Rangnick as their successor to Tuchel – something Manchester United fans might have a thing or two to say about. 

Rangnick, the current Austria manager, spent six months as United’s interim boss in the 2021/22 season, steering them to sixth and the worst points total in their Premier League history.

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International

Horror bus crash leaves 45 dead with girl, eight, as the sole survivor after South African coach plunged off a bridge into a ravine before bursting into flames

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  • The bus driver lost control and collided with the bridge barriers, authorities said 

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A horror bus crash in South Africa has left 45 dead and only one survivor, an eight-year-old girl, who is being treated in hospital.

South Africa’s Department of Transport said that the driver lost control and collided with barriers on a bridge near Mamatlakala in the northeast province of Limpopo.

The bus then plunged over the bridge onto a rocky surface some 50 metres below before catching fire, according to reports.

The passenger bus was transporting pilgrims from Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, to Moria, a town in Limpopo, for an Easter weekend church service.

Rescue operations continued late into this evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and scattered on the scene, Limpopo’s Department of Transport said.

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Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash on the R518 in the Waterberg district in Limpopo

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash on the R518 in the Waterberg district in Limpopo

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash on the R518 in the Waterberg district in Limpopo

Pictures show the wreckage of the bus in flames after it plunged off the bridge

Pictures show the wreckage of the bus in flames after it plunged off the bridge

Pictures show the wreckage of the bus in flames after it plunged off the bridge

Black smoke engulfed the passenger bus and firefighters were pictured at the scene

Black smoke engulfed the passenger bus and firefighters were pictured at the scene

Black smoke engulfed the passenger bus and firefighters were pictured at the scene

A view of the bridge, known as the Mamatlakala Pass, located in the northeast province of Limpopo

A view of the bridge, known as the Mamatlakala Pass, located in the northeast province of Limpopo

A view of the bridge, known as the Mamatlakala Pass, located in the northeast province of Limpopo

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the crash site, sent her condolences to the bereaved families and the Botswana government.

‘I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash, near Mamatlakala. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. With heightened alertness, we continue to urge responsible driving at all times as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend,’ Chikunga said.

The minister added that the cause of the crash is under investigation. 

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International

France seeks help from allies to bolster security during Paris Olympics

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France has asked its foreign allies to send several thousand members of their security forces to help guard the Paris Olympics, officials said Thursday, underlining the strains caused by the sporting extravaganza which begins in July.

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“Several foreign nations are going to reinforce us in certain critical areas, such as dog-handling capabilities where the needs are enormous,” an official at the defence ministry told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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The official did not say how many foreign soldiers would be on French soil, but Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed his country was joining “an international coalition established by France” for the Olympics.

An official in the French interior ministry said separately that Paris had asked 46 allies to send 2,185 police reinforcements.

Both officials played down the significance of the requests for foreign assistance.

“It’s a classic move for host countries ahead of the organisation of major events,” the interior ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

For the rugby World Cup in France last year, European allies sent 160 police officers to help with security, the official added, with some of them visible to fans as they patrolled the streets.

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Securing the Paris Olympics is stretching France’s domestic forces, however, with an attack last Friday on a concert hall in Moscow, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, underlining the stakes.


“The terrorist threat is real, it’s strong,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told reporters on Monday, adding that two plots by suspected Islamic extremists had been thwarted already this year.

Up to 45,000 French police and gendarmes are set to be deployed each day during the Olympics, while 18,000 troops are also expected to be mobilised, according to government figures.

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Another 18,000-22,000 private security guards will be on the ground for the Games, which run from July 26-August 11.

The request for foreign help was “for the spectators’ experience, to respond to the capacity challenge of the Games and to reinforce international cooperation,” the French interior ministry official said.

Germany said in March that it would send an unspecified number of police to France for the Olympics, while French forces are set to travel to Germany when it holds the Euro 2024 football tournament in June and July.

Unprecedented opening ceremony

The Olympics have been attacked in the past – most infamously in 1972 in Munich and again in 1996 in Atlanta – with the thousands of athletes, huge crowds and live global television audience making it a target.

French organisers have faced persistent questioning over their decision to hold the opening ceremony outside of the athletics stadium for the first time.

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Athletes are instead set to sail down the river Seine in a flotilla of boats in a made-for-TV extravaganza. The choice has been resisted by some security officials because of the challenges for police.

The crowd size for the ceremony has been significantly reduced, but 326,000 are set to attend with tickets while hundreds of thousands more are expected on the streets or watching from windows overlooking the waterway.

French security forces are screening up to a million people before the Games, including athletes and people living close to key infrastructure, according to the interior ministry.

France was placed on its highest terror alert on Sunday following the attack in Moscow.

(AFP)

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