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Normandy rail strike: five lines disrupted this Friday and Saturday
Ticket inspectors walk out after a knife attack on a colleague, with four unions backing the action
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French PM says diesel stockpile release will cut prices by up to 18 cents per litre
Sébastien Lecornu used televised speech to promise release of ten million barrels of diesel and address lycée protests
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Temperatures to drop by 12C as first snowfall to hit Pyrenees and Alps
Storms to continue in the south
Eurovision singer sues over online gay hatred
France’s Eurovision contender has launched legal action after receiving more than a thousand hate messages over his sexuality and feminine appearance.
Bilal Hassani’s case is backed by the association Stop Homophobie, whose spokesperson Joël Berthout said: “The bullies think they can say anything under freedom of speech.”
The 19-year-old singer’s lawyer said the social media messages, which say they hope he will die and claim he is a disgrace to his country and his religion – although his beliefs are not known – were “unacceptable”.
Culprits risk six years in prison and a fine of €45,000.
Bilal, who is Parisian with French-Moroccan parents, has asked people to “let him live”.
He has apologised over an old tweet in which he accused Israel – host of the Eurovision contest on May 14 – of crimes against humanity, and after a video was published showing him joking about terrorism. He said he was young at the time.
