 French bus driver beaten to death by passengers over face masks July 11, 2020 - 11:46 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A French bus driver who was badly beaten by passengers after asking them to wear face masks in line with coronavirus rules has died, his family said, according to The Telegraph. His death has sparked tributes from political leaders who condemned his "cowardly" attackers. Philippe Monguillot, 59, was left brain dead by the attack in the south-western town of Bayonne last weekend and died in hospital on Friday, July 10, his daughter Marie said, after his family decided to switch off his life-support system. "We decided to let him go. The doctors were in favour and we were as well," she told AFP. Two men have been charged with attempted murder over the attack and prosecutor Jerome Bourrier told AFP that he would ask for the charges to be upgraded after Monguillot's death. French prime minister Jean Castex led tributes to Monguillot. "The Republic recognises him as an exemplary citizen and will not forget him. The law will punish the perpetrators of this despicable crime," he tweeted, describing the attack as "cowardly". Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who was due to meet some of Bayonne's bus drivers on Saturday and discuss the security situation, labelled it an "abhorrent act". "The coward responsible must not go unpunished," he said.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia.Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements.Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of ArmeniaHenrikh Mkhitaryan wins Serie A title with Inter Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits that the team have long been imagining clinching Serie A against AC Milan. |
