Daily News Roundup

July 2, 2018

Monday, July 2

A NOTORIOUS French criminal serving 25 years for murder has made an audacious escape from prison after a helicopter carrying several heavily armed commandos landed in a courtyard, freed him from a visiting room and carried him away, reports the ABC.

It was the second daring escape by Redoine Faid, who once blasted his way out.

His latest escape, from Reau Prison, took only “a few minutes,” France’s Justice Ministry said. Unarmed guards said they could do nothing to prevent it.

Dressed all in black, two commandos wearing balaclavas and police armbands entered the prison to look for Faid.

They used a grinding machine to open the door to the visiting room, Martial Delabroye, a representative of the guards’ union, told BFMtelevision.

The commandos set off smoke canisters to hide from video cameras, and the helicopter touched down in the only part of the complex that was not covered by anti-helicopter netting, said another union member, Loic Delbroc.

When the chopper arrived, Faid was meeting with his brother in the visiting room.

A third commando was holding the pilot at gunpoint, union members said.

French media reported that the three men took the pilot hostage at a flying club in the Paris region.

He was later released with no physical injuries. The helicopter was found burned in the town of Garges-les-Gonesse, in the northern suburbs of Paris. Faid was believed to have left by car along with his accomplices.

French prosecutors opened an investigation into the escape. Investigators were questioning Faid’s brother on Sunday afternoon (local time).

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The Northern Territory’s famous ‘cracker night’ saw about 370 tonnes of fireworks ignited last night — but that also led to 27 injuries, 770 triple-0 calls and 450 grass fires, ABC news reports.

From 6:00pm to 11:00pm more than 370 tonnes of fireworks, bought from pop-up retailers, were set off to celebrate 40 years of self governance in the NT — the only jurisdiction in Australia where it is legal to buy fireworks.

Craig Garraway from St Johns Ambulance said paramedics were called two two incidents, and that a four-year-old girl was believed to have been hit in the eye at Wurrumiyanga on the Tiwi Islands.

Another 23-year-old man sustained a minor injury to his groin near Mindil Beach, he said.

A spokesperson from the NT Health Department said all up 27 people were injured across the Territory, including eight children.

In Darwin and Palmerston 21 people presented to hospital with burns, lacerations and eye injuries.

Six were admitted for further treatment, although none of the injuries were life threatening.

One child was transferred from Palmerston to Darwin for treatment.

The spokesperson said 19 of those injured were bystanders.

NT Police said five infringement notices were also issued, with penalties reaching up to $1,500 for setting off explosions outside the legal time frame.

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Moscow has erupted in street celebrations as the World Cup hosts booked a place in the quarter-finals, defeating Spain on penalties at Russia’s flagship stadium.

Russia had already defied expectations by reaching the World Cup last 16 for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but after victory over Spain, fans now believe the tournament’s lowest-ranked team could go all the way.

“This is unreal, no one thought it could happen. And now people are starting to believe,” said Yulia Gordinskaya who had Russian flags painted on both cheeks.

“Of course we can win the World Cup! We just need a bit of luck.”

On a central Moscow square, a street orchestra erupted in a rendition of the Russian anthem as passing cars tooted their horns and men staggered out of a nearby bar waving Russian flags.

“This is a great victory for us, for the whole country, the soul of the country,” Mikhail Sitner, 34, from Moscow said.

“Honestly, before the tournament I had very low expectations, everyone was just hoping to God that we would get out of the group stage. And then we drew Spain, I thought everything would end.

This morning I was very nervous, but now it is time to celebrate.”

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