Sarah Halimi: How killer on drugs escaped French trial for anti-Semitic murder
By Hugh Schofield
image copyrightAFP
image captionThousands of protesters demanded justice for Sarah Halimi and the government says it will work to change the law
Can an anti-Semitic killer be declared insane because his mind was affected by regular consumption of cannabis? That is the question at the heart of an explosive legal row in France following the decision not to prosecute the man who killed Sarah Halimi.
Sarah Halimi was a Jewish, 65-year-old, former kindergarten director, who in April 2017 was beaten, then thrown to her death from her flat in north-east Paris.
La colère contre d anciens généraux qui mettent en garde contre une guerre civile en France bbc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Anger as ex-generals warn of deadly civil war in France
Published
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Controversy is growing in France over an open letter signed by former and serving members of the military, warning of the threat of civil war.
About 1,000 servicemen and women, including some 20 retired generals, put their names to the letter.
They blame a certain anti-racism for creating divisions between communities, and say Islamists are taking over whole parts of the nation s territory.
Ministers have condemned the message published by a right-wing magazine.
The letter was first published on 21 April - the 60th anniversary of a failed coup d état.
اختبارات عذرية ببرنامج لتلفزيون الواقع تُغضب الحكومة في فرنسا bbc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
BBC News
By Hugh Schofield
image captionCitizenship Minister Marlène Schiappa has spoken out against the programme
A French reality TV series has been condemned by the government over its treatment of so-called handkerchief ceremonies in which young brides are supposed to prove their virginity.
The Minister for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa has written to the country s broadcast watchdog the CSA, saying she was outraged by Incredible Gypsy Weddings uncritical handling of the rite, which sees the bride being examined by female relatives just before the marriage takes place.
Inspired by Channel 4 s Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, the French series on the free-to-view TFX channel follows the courtship and marriage traditions of the Catalan gitan community living in the southern town of Perpignan.