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Fréjus Tunnel that connects France and Italy to close this weekend
The tunnel will close for 12 hours and not the 56 hours originally announced
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TotalEnergies opens service station for electric vehicles in Paris
It is the first of its kind in the capital and has ultra-fast charging
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Conductors on French public transport will soon be able to check your address
Move is part of anti-fraud plans to prevent people from giving false information during fines including on SNCF trains
Court rules on radar 'finger' case
Prosecutors had called for driver who made gesture to face prison term
It is not possible to offend a machine, a court has ruled after prosecutors recommended a motorist who gave two speed cameras ‘the finger’ face a prison term of up to four months.
As reported in March, prosecutors in Roanne, Loire, had recommended the jail term for ‘insulting behaviour to a public servant’ as camera centre staff in Rennes must by law view the photos to determine if speeding charges could be laid.
The 46-year-old driver, from Regny, Loire, had admitted speeding and giving a ‘doigt d’honneur’ to two automatic speed cameras at Saint-Forgeux-Lespinasse, Loire, and then Bessay-sur-Allier, Allier in May 2015.
Handing down its ruling this month, the court agreed with the defendant's lawyer, who had argued that "contempt of a machine does not exist in law".
But the defendant did not get away scot-free. He was fined €800, of which €600 was suspended, for trying to obscure his number plate, and also sentenced to several months in prison for a drink-driving offence committed in 2017.
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