High cross primary school

Lyon is one of France's culinary hubs. It's known throughout the country for its bouchons, or traditional restaurants, serving high-end hearty fare. But now Mayor Gregory Doucet has decided that the city's schools should only serve meatless meals during lunch breaks — a sacrilege to many in this city. Farmers from the Rhone region suspect that Doucet's political beliefs — he's a member of the Green Party — are behind the meat ban. The Greens, after all, have always been critical of conventional agriculture . Doucet's decision was met with protests by local farmers It wasn't long until representatives from two agricultural associations gathered outside Lyon's city hall to express their displeasure with the meat ban. They even brought along cows for extra effect. Local controversy splits national government The local dispute has now come to the attention of lawmakers in Paris. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin of the governing Republic on the Move party decried the … [Read more...] about France: Meat-free school lunches in Lyon spark controversy

Pupils kidnapped from a boarding school in Nigeria alongside members of their family and teachers have been released, an official has confirmed. All 42 people, including 27 teenage boys, 12 of their relatives and three staff members were freed on Saturday by gunmen who had been holding them hostage since 17 February. Niger state governor Abubakar Sani Bello tweeted to say they had "regained their freedom and been received by the Niger state government". After their release, boys were seen by a witness walking with armed security through a village, some struggling to stand and asking for water. A government official said the boys were aged between 15 and 18. Advertisement It comes a day after a separate kidnapping in Zamfara state where 317 students were taken from the Girls Science secondary school in Jangebe town. Kidnappings for ransom by armed groups, many of whom carry guns and ride motorcycles, are common across several of Nigeria's … [Read more...] about Nigeria: Gunmen release 27 teenage boys who were kidnapped from boarding school

One dose of the Pfizer vaccine could be enough to provide complete protection from Covid-19 in people who have already been infected. According to research by Public Health England, a single dose of the Pfizer jab increased the amount of antibodies in a person who had already contracted Covid-19. The study, carried out alongside University College London, involved 51 health workers who had undergone regular tests for infection and antibodies since March. About half of those had been infected and for them a single shot of the Pfizer vaccine increased their antibodies 140-fold compared to their highest levels before inoculation, the Telegraph reports. On top of that, the research found they had more protection than those who would have two shots of the jab and had never been infected. The Pfizer vaccine is among those being distributed in the UK as the country undertakes its biggest immunisation programme in history. More than 19 million people, or one third of the adult … [Read more...] about One dose of Pfizer vaccine could be enough for people who’ve already had Covid

A teenage girl faces sudden death on a daily basis as a result of a condition that her family believes is caused by bullying. Kayleigh O'Connor, 18, has a rare problem called non-epileptic attack disorder, or NEAD. Each day, she can suffer up to 13 seizures a day. As a result, she can seriously hurt herself, and has a catalogue of injuries including falling down the stairs, scalding herself and banging her head on a table. Kayleigh, from West Bromwich, also suffers from Todd's Paralysis - which can lead to stroke-like symptoms, robbing the teenager of the use of her left side and affecting her speech for up to three days. NEAD cannot be treated by medication, only therapy, reports Birmingham Live . And it's a condition that her family believes was triggered by bullying. In fact, things got so bad that Kayleigh was forced to change schools. Kayleigh can have up to nine fits in a row and can stop breathing during extreme episodes. She had two seizures on Monday … [Read more...] about Girl could die from fitting 13 times a day with condition ’caused by bullying’

A North-South divide has emerged as England prepares to emerge from its third lockdown. London and the South East, despite being crippled by the new Kent variant over Christmas, has seen cases plummet in recent weeks. Now nearly all of England's hotspots for Covid are in the North or the Midlands. Millions in the country are now being vaccinated although so far only people aged over 60 have been called forward. But cases are continuing to circulate, especially among younger age groups not yet protected. And the latest data shows the lockdown is struggling to contain stubbornly high infection rates in the Midlands and areas of the North. What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments Only two of the top 30 areas of England for Covid cases are in the South East of England - Luton and Slough. Smaller towns in the North and Midlands such as Middlesbrough, Mansfield and Preston feature heavily at the top of Covid infections. Corby, Northamptonshire … [Read more...] about Shocking North-South Covid divide laid bare by full list showing cases in each area