French Car Murder Sparks Unusual Interest

In a mystery straight out of an Inspector Maigret novel, Normandy’s state prosecutor has appealed to the public to help discover who it is that might be dead.

“In my 23 years as a magistrate, I have never seen a situation like this,” said Rémi Coutin.

“We don’t have a body,” he said.

“And we don’t have an identity for the person who we believe to have been killed.”

Police think that on 9 March, the suspect, driving a black Audi under the influence of alcohol, knocked over a woman cyclist on a road near the town of Grand Bourgtheroulde, 140km (85 miles) north-west of Paris.

The only piece of evidence generated by the police right now is an account from the 46-year-old suspect’s girlfriend. The girlfriend narrated the offense to police officials and mentioned that her bf had knocked someone over with their car and later went to knock them out with a spade. 

The entire accident was narrated by the suspect himself, who first confessed to the murder while drunk, but later narrated the entire series of events when in his senses. 

Police are confused as well, since no missing person report has been filed during the period and no one is sure who the victim was.  

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoqTxcieUQo

France announces it will withdraw from controversial Energy Treaty

The country of France is the latest European nation to back out of a controversial energy treaty on Friday. The treaty is believed to be incompatible with the Paris climate accord. 

President Emmanuel Macron revealed that France would be withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels.

“We have decided to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, first because it’s in line with the positions we’ve taken, notably the Paris Accord and what it implies,” he said at a press conference.

“The war on European soil must not make us forget our climatic requirements and our imperative to reduce CO2 emissions,” he added.

The Energy Charter Treaty was signed in 1994 and has more than 50 signatories, including the European Union, and is meant to promote “international cooperation in the energy sector.”

Previously, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Germany had all backed away from the treaty. Italy was the first to back out in 2016 after it felt the treaty wasn’t in the best interests of the industry. 

The Dutch climate minister believes that the treaty can prove harmful to fossil fuels. Macron’s decision may prove detrimental to the French car industry but can open doors to collaboration between European countries when it comes to the climate. 

YouTube Link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HBwLT73K40

French Car Sales Fall 10th Month on the Row

French car sales have plummeted to new lows, as they fell for the 10th month of the row. The car sales for French car in France fell by 10 percent during the month of May. This is the 10th month on the trot that car sales within France have failed to register any significant gain. 

The spring season is supposed to be good for the sales of new cars, but this year, we haven’t seen any such trends. The year 2022 hasn’t been good for car sales in the nation of France, as car sales have only been going down. 

The semiconductor shortage across the world has led to slow deliveries in the country. The market for French cars has fallen down by over 16.92 percent during the year alone. Additionally light commercial vehicles have seen a fall of 25 percent, which is unprecedented. No other year saw such depleting levels of financial activity, besides 2020, which was marred by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The falling sales can be accredited to rising costs of living, with many people shying away from luxuries. Automobile manufacturers also predict that consumers are waiting for better options in the hybrid market to invest in them. 

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kjokRL3MQ

Renault Looks to Employ More People in Split Off Electrical Unit

French car maker Renault has been stealing the headlines for long now, and has promised now that the move to make two business units for electronic and conventional car production could each employ over 10,000 staff members by the end of 2023.

Renault recently released a statement and mentioned that it was currently assessing options and was in the move towards fossil-free vehicles.

“The aim of these strategic reflections is to adapt each technology, drawing on the group’s strengths and expertise on its various markets and within the Alliance”, Renault said.

Managers at Renault reiterated that jobs for EV production within France will bundle up, while workers for the production of conventional cars will be located abroad. Sources from earlier in the year had revealed that Chief Executive Luca de Meo was interested in splitting up the group, despite the potential cost overruns that it would lead to.

Renault is currently playing catch with rivals like Volkswagen and Tesla, both of whom have shot up ahead in the electric vehicle market. Several groups of workers are already being outlined for the shift in operations. There will be thermal, as well as hybrid and electric productions.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSH983zUNIo

Renault Shuts Down Operations in Russia

French Car manufacturer and automotive giant Renault has shut down its operations in the city of Moscow, Russia after officials in Kyiv called for a boycott of Russia and the company. The current presence of Renault in Russia was brought to the fore multiple times and has been a matter of contention since long. 

The growing tensions go to prove that it is time for Renault to shut down operations in Russia and side with Ukraine. 

“Renault Group has to revise its 2022 financial outlook with a Group operating margin of around 3 percent versus at least 4 percent previously,” it said.

Ukraine’s foreign minister on Wednesday called for a global boycott of Renault over its earlier refusal to leave the Russian market in the aftermath of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Renault refuses to pull out of Russia,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter ahead of the company’s announcement. “I call on customers and businesses around the globe to boycott Group Renault.”

Renault is particularly exposed as it invested in AvtoVAZ alongside Rostec, a state-owned defence conglomerate run by a sanctioned close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Regarding its stake in AvtoVAZ, Renault Group is assessing the available options, taking into account the current environment, while acting responsibly towards its 45,000 employees in Russia,” the statement said.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cYnA9I5tHY

Sebastian Vettel Supports Michael Masi After Controversial Grand Prix Call

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has defended Formula One race director Michael Masi, after his controversial call decided Max Verstappen as the winner of the 2021 season over Lewis Hamilton.

“For Michael, it has been a pity,” said Vettel, speaking at the launch of Aston Martin’s car for the 2022 season.

“There are two interests clashing — one is the sport and the other is the show. I don’t care so much about the show because what I look at is a sport and from a competitive point of view.”

The 34-year-old German added: “Michael has been very focused and determined to do a good job. I don’t know what is in store for his future but I hope he sticks around because overall he has done a very good job.

“There was a lot of controversy surrounding the last race but that shouldn’t be, because if you look at the bigger picture he has done really well.

“The main thing moving forward is that there is clarity in these situations so no further questions are asked.”

Hamilton still believes that the decision was manipulated and has appealed against it in front of the relevant authorities.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTe12fH2xtQ

Tesla Comes Under Fire for New Showroom in China

Tesla recently opened its new showroom in Xinjiang province in China. The company manufacturing electric cars has been subjected to extreme comments ever since due to the controversial nature of the move and the fact that the Xinjiang province is host to religious discrimination of Uyghurs and other minorities in the region. 

The genocide of Uyghur Muslims in the region goes way back in history but has only recently been documented in the media. While China has vehemently denied these allegations, there is substantial reason to believe that religious minorities are discriminated against in the region. 

The American car manufacturer had announced the opening of its new showroom in the Xinjiang province through its Weibo account. 

The Council on American Islamic Relations took a rigid stance on the matter and mentioned that the auto manufacturer was supporting the genocide of Muslims through this move. The United States has had a strict stance on the ethnic cleansing of Uyghur Muslims as well and has called this an ethnic genocide of sorts. There were calls to boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics as well. 

Tesla and Elon Musk haven’t commented on the criticism yet. The car manufacturer has seen a surge in sales within China and considers this to be a purely business move. 

YouTube Link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuuUFFar2e8

Citroen Removes Egyptian Commercial for Being Insensitive Towards Sexual Harassment

French car manufacturer Citroen has removed an Egyptian commercial starring actress and pop star Amr Diab for being insensitive towards sexual harassment. 

The French carmaker has a zero tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and reiterated that the commercial was removed in line of the same. 

The advertisement showed Diab using the car’s camera to photograph a woman crossing the streets, apparently without the consent of that woman. There was constant criticism on the advertisement online, with journalist Reem Abdellatif calling it to be creepy. 

“Who thought it would be a good idea to make an ad that enables sexual harassment in a country where 98% of women reported getting harassed at some point in their lives?”

Another user said, “What’s painful about Amr Diab’s advert is that the entire crew did not realise the mistake. No-one in the crew objected to taking pictures of girls in the streets without their consent. This is so sad.”

Citroen reacted to the negative feedback immediately and removed the advertisement from their social and streaming pages. The car manufacturer apologized for the negative interpretation in the film, which escaped their eyes at the time of formulation. 

“Citroën cares for all communities in the countries where we operate and we do not tolerate any form of harassment.”

It added: “We deeply regret and understand the negative interpretation of this part of this film. With our business partner in Egypt, we took the decision to withdraw this commercial from all Citroën channels and we present our sincere apologies to all offended communities by this film.”

Amr Diab has so far not commented on the criticism. The news of the advertisement being removed was welcomed by Netizens who were previously surprised at the message being highlighted and displayed within it. 

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_c2yNylxi8

Red Bull Threaten to Protest over Controversy Surrounding Mercedes’s Rear Wing

Red Bull are in the process of protesting in front of the F1 authorities, against fierce rivals Mercedes for knowingly implementing a cheat in the rear wing. 

Team boss Christian Horner, from Red Bull, has mentioned that Mercedes have knowingly added a hidden way of boosting straight-line speed within their vehicle. 

Both Red Bull and Mercedes are currently in a tough battle on and off the field, as they look to close the season in style and get their hands on the laurels on offer. 

Red Bull, who rank ahead in individual driver standings, are behind Mercedes in the official team standings. The Red Bull team believes that Mercedes has rear score marks that can increase top speed on the circuit. 

“Make no bones about it, if we see it on the car here it will be protested,” Horner told Sky F1. “It’s probably less of a factor here, than particularly Jeddah and Abu Dhabi,” he said. “But you could have a situation like in Brazil where the car is quite literally un-raceable.”

Mercedes team and boss have no concerns over allegations and comments made by Horner. “I think that’s his opinion, his perspective, and absolutely fine within the regulations to seek clarification or protest,” said Wolff of Horner’s comments.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFDGz7afFKw

Lars Vilks: Muhammad cartoonist killed in traffic collision

Swedish Artist Lars Vilks, who created a storm back in 2007 for sketching a picture of Prophet Muhammad’s head on a dog’s body, has died in a recent traffic accident. 

Vilks, who was provided police protection to safeguard him against possible threats, died in a car collision near the southern Swedish town of Markaryd. Investigators have revealed that they suspect no signs of foul play as part of the initial investigations related to the accident. 

A statement from police said it was still unclear how the collision occurred, but initially, there was nothing to suggest that anyone else was involved.

“This is being investigated like any other road accident. Because two policemen were involved, an investigation has been assigned to a special section of the prosecutor’s office,” a police spokesperson told news agency AFP, adding that there was no suspicion of foul play.

“We don’t know yet the reason why the bodyguard car was on the wrong side of the road,” he said. “But we’re talking to witnesses; we have found remnants of tires on the E4 road before the accident so we’re looking into the possibility that it could have been a tire explosion or something similar.”

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8s97exUaFE