🔴 Live: Ukraine says it downed scores of cruise missiles, drones overnight - FRANCE 24 English

Ukraine's air force said Sunday it shot down 30 out of the 40 cruise missiles and all the Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight in several waves of attacks. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

Issued on: 06/08/2023 - 11:03Modified: 06/08/2023 - 14:45

4 min

2:45pm: Western bid to get Global South to back Ukraine is doomed, says Russian deputy foreign minister

Moscow said on Sunday that weekend talks in Saudi Arabia including the US, China and India aiming to establish principles for a peaceful end to Russia's war in Ukraine were a doomed Western attempt to align the Global South behind Kyiv.

Senior officials from some 40 countries were attending the two-day meeting, part of a push by Ukraine to build support beyond its core Western backers among countries that have been reluctant to take sides in the conflict. Russia was not invited.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by the state news agency TASS calling the meeting "a reflection of the West's attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts to mobilise the international community, and more precisely, the Global South, even if not entirely, in support of the so-called Zelensky formula, which is doomed and untenable from the outset".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he hoped the initiative would lead to a peace summit of leaders from around the world this autumn to endorse principles for a settlement based on his own 10-point formula.

1:07pm: Russia can ensure security in Black Sea, says deputy foreign ministry

Russia has military and technical capabilities to eliminate threats to security in the Black Sea, the TASS news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday.

Ryabkov, who blamed the United States and Britain for the escalation of tensions, spoke days after Ukrainian sea drones attacked a Russian warship near the Russian port of Novorossiysk and a Russian tanker near Crimea.

11:57am: Russia says it hit airbases in western Ukraine

Russia on Sunday said its forces struck military airbases in the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne regions in western Ukraine and that "all targets were hit".

"Overnight Russia's armed forces carried out strikes ... on Ukrainian armed forces airbases around the settlements of Starokostiantyniv in the Khmelnytskyi region and Dubno in the Rivne region," the Russian defence ministry said. 

11:32am: Russian attack on blood transfusion centre in Ukraine constitutes a 'war crime'

Russia's attack Saturday evening on a blood tranfusion centre in Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine, "constitutes a war crime", says FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze, reporting from Kyiv. 

The blood transfusion centre "is a medical building, there are medical personnel, there's wounded, there are patients inside and so it is as such not a military target", adds Chaze. 

Click on the video below to watch her report in full. 

01:14

11:30am: Moscow mayor says air defence shot down drone

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Sunday that Russian air defence had destroyed a drone over the capital, which had been rarely targeted throughout the conflict in Ukraine until several attacks this year.

"Today at around 11am (0800 GMT) a drone attempted to make a breakthrough towards Moscow. It was destroyed while approaching by air defence forces," Sobyanin said on Telegram.

10:34am: Ukraine says it downed 30 cruise missiles, 27 drones overnight

Ukraine's air force said Sunday it shot down 30 out of the 40 cruise missiles and all the Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight in several waves of attacks.

"Thirty cruise missiles and 27 attack drones were destroyed," the air force said on Telegram. It added that Russia launched three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles but did not say if they had been destroyed.

7:46am: Russia destroys two drones over Bryansk region, says local governor

Russia's air defence system destroyed two aircraft-type drones over the Karachevskyi district in the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Russian region that borders Ukraine, said on Sunday.

"There were no damages or casualties," Bogomaz said on the Telegram channel.

It was not clear who launched the drones, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russia-controlled territory in Ukraine.

Russian authorities say the Bryansk region – which borders both Ukraine and Belarus – has seen multiple attacks by Ukrainian forces and pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups in the 17 months since Russia launched its invasion on Ukraine.

5:38am: Russian officials say Ukraine hit Donetsk university with cluster shells

Flames engulfed a university building's wooden roof in Donetsk following Ukrainian shelling on Saturday, said an emergency official in the Russia-controlled city in eastern Ukraine.

"As a result of the latest attack on Donetsk, the first building of the University of Economics and Trade is on fire," Alexei Kulemzin, the Russia-installed mayor, said on Telegram.

"We are using 12 water tanks, three ladders and 100 fire fighters," said Alexei Kostrubitsky, the Russia-installed emergency minister for the region that Moscow calls the Donetsk People's Republic. "The whole roof is on fire."

Kostrubitsky said Ukrainian forces used cluster munitions in the shelling that caused the blaze. Both sides have used cluster munitions in the course of Russia's 17-month invasion of Ukraine.

Key developments from Saturday, August 5:

Russian forces struck a blood transfusion centre in the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday, adding that "dead and wounded are reported".

Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, a session that Kyiv had predicted would "not be easy" given the wide range of countries represented, including China.  

Read yesterday's liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

© France Médias Monde graphic studio

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

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2023-08-06 09:03:44Z
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Pakistan passenger train derails killing 30 - BBC

AFP

By Aoife Walsh

BBC News

At least 30 people have been killed and 100 injured when a train derailed in southern Pakistan, a police spokesman has confirmed.

Several carriages of the Hazara Express overturned near Sahara railway station in Nawabshah, about 275km (171 miles) from the largest city Karachi.

Wounded passengers were moved to nearby hospitals. Rescue teams are trying to free people from the twisted wreckage.

Accidents on Pakistan's antiquated railway system are not uncommon.

Railway Minister Saad Rafiq said initial investigations showed the train was travelling at normal speed and they were trying to establish what led to the derailment.

A railways spokesperson in Karachi said at least eight carriages went off the track.

Some people were still trapped inside a train carriage, according to local broadcaster Geo.

"We don't know what happened, we were just sitting inside," said one dazed woman who was rescued from a carriage, while others were being taken away by ambulance.

AFP

An emergency has been declared in the main hospitals in Nawabshah and neighbouring districts of Sindh.

Videos posted on social media show dozens of people at the site of the accident, with some passengers climbing out of the overturned carriages.

Train services to the interior districts of Sindh have been suspended.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon told BBC News that the government's top priority was "the rescue work, which we are totally focused on".

In 2021, two trains travelling in Sindh province collided, killing at least 40 people and injuring dozens.

Between 2013 and 2019, 150 people died in such incidents, according to local media reports.

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• Pakistan

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2023-08-06 13:42:07Z
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Donald Trump defends 'harmful' social media post as 'political speech' - Sky News

A social media post by Donald Trump written in all-capital letters saying "if you go after me, I'm coming after you!" could be interpreted as intimidating, US prosecutors have said.

Mr Trump posted the message on his Truth Social platform on Friday afternoon a day after he pleaded not guilty to charges relating to attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden.

The all-capitals message was quickly flagged in a late-night court filing by the office of special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation into the former president's role in the January 6 Capitol riots.

The filing argued the post suggests Mr Trump might intimidate witnesses by improperly disclosing confidential evidence received from the government.

Under the process known as discovery, prosecutors are required to provide defendants with the evidence against them so they can prepare their defence.

"It could have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case," prosecutors wrote.

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2:38

Trump: 'A very sad day for America'

Read more:
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What is Donald Trump's defence strategy?

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A spokesperson for Mr Trump has since claimed the post was in response to RINOs (Republicans in name only) and other political opponents, not people linked to his court case.

"The Truth post cited is the definition of political speech, and was in response to the RINO, China-loving, dishonest special interest groups and super PACs [political action committee]," they said in a statement.

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1:09

'I would support King Trump!'

The indictment over the Washington DC insurrection is the third time in four months Mr Trump has been criminally charged even as he campaigns to regain the presidency.

In Miami, he pleaded not guilty to allegations that he unlawfully kept national security documents when he left office and lied to officials, trying to recover them.

He also pleaded not guilty in New York to 37 charges relating to falsifying business records "in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election".

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2023-08-05 16:35:43Z
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Imran Khan: Pakistan ex-PM given three-year jail sentence - BBC

Reuters

By Carrie Davies & Aoife Walsh

BBC News, in Islamabad & London

Ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for nationwide protests after he was handed a three-year jail sentence over corruption allegations.

Mr Khan was found guilty of not declaring money earned from selling gifts he received in office. He denies the charges and says he will appeal.

After the verdict, Mr Khan was taken into custody from his home in Lahore.

In a pre-recorded statement posted after the verdict, he urged supporters to fight against the ruling.

"I have only one appeal, don't sit at home silently," he said in a video address posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. "I am struggling for you and the country and your children's future," he added.

The former cricketer-turned-politician, 70, was elected in 2018, but was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year after falling out with Pakistan's powerful military.

Mr Khan is facing more than 100 cases brought against him since his removal - charges he says are politically motivated.

However, the government has adamantly denied that there was any political motivation in Mr Khan's arrest or disqualification. Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan's minister of information and broadcasting, told the BBC: "You have to be accountable for your deeds in law. This has nothing to do with politics. A person who has been proven guilty by the court has to be arrested."

Saturday's verdict centred on charges that Mr Khan incorrectly declared details of presents from foreign dignitaries and proceeds from their alleged sale.

The gifts - reported to be worth more than 140m Pakistani rupees ($635,000; £500,000) - included Rolex watches, a ring and a pair of cuff links.

"His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt," Judge Humayun Dilawar wrote in his ruling. Outside the courthouse, some pro-government demonstrators chanted "your show is over Khan".

Judge Dilawar said police had been instructed to arrest Mr Khan immediately. Within 15 minutes of the verdict, footage began to circulate on social media showing a line of police cars and trucks taking him away.

Imran Khan's lawyer, Intazar Hussain Panjutha, told the BBC the trial had been conducted by "a kangaroo-type court" in which "the accused was never given the opportunity to defend himself".

"As a consequence of today's conviction, he has been barred to take part in the politics for five years," Mr Panjutha said.

"But if the sentence and the conviction is suspended as we are hoping by the superior courts, he will then be able to come back to politics."

Mr Khan has been sent to Attock jail, a small facility in Punjab province with historical ties to the military, about 85km (52 miles) from the capital Islamabad. A number of members of Mr Khan's party have previously been held at the compound, local media reported.

For months he had avoided arrest, with his supporters at times fighting pitched battles with police to keep him out of custody.

In May, Mr Khan was arrested for not appearing at court as requested. He was then released, with the arrest declared illegal.

• Pakistan army 'petrified' of elections: Imran Khan
• The cricket hero bowled out as Pakistan's PM
• Friend to foe: How Imran Khan took on Pakistan's army

When he was last arrested on 9 May, there were protests across Pakistan. Thousands of his supporters arrested were alleged to have been involved in the protests.

Since then, Mr Khan and his political party have faced a dramatic crackdown, with many of his senior leadership arrested, before announcing they were leaving the party. Many vocal supporters of Mr Khan - who would previously post regularly about him on social media - now feel nervous to express their opinion or even have quietly deleted their previous comments.

Some of those arrested supporting Mr Khan will face trial in military courts, despite an outcry from many in human rights groups.

Indeed, several hours after Mr Khan's arrest, there had not been the kind of mass political protests seen in May. In Lahore, the BBC Urdu team saw some supporters who had gathered outside his home chanting and waving flags picked up by police. Around Islamabad, there's no evidence of increased security.

When questioned by BBC HARDTalk as to whether he had created an atmosphere of hostility to the military resulting in violence, Mr Khan said he and his party had never advocated the use of violence and had a record of peaceful protest.

Mr Khan said the army in Pakistan was "petrified" of elections which his party would win "hands down" and, for that reason, "they're dismantling a democracy".

Pakistan's army plays a prominent role in politics, sometimes seizing power in military coups and, on other occasions, pulling levers behind the scenes.

Many analysts believe Mr Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military.

In opposition, he has been one of its most vocal critics, and analysts say the army's popularity has fallen.

Since being ousted, Mr Khan has been campaigning for early elections, but Saturday's ruling means he will be disqualified from running in the much anticipated poll.

Ms Aurangzeb insisted that there was "no correlation" between Saturday's ruling and he prospect of elections.

"Just because there are elections down the road doesn't mean that you can't arrest him," she told the BBC. She accused Mr Khan of sidestepping and evading the law.

Pakistan's parliament will be dissolved on August 9, leaving a caretaker government to take over in the run up to the elections.

No election date has been announced, although constitutionally they should take place by early November.

However, on Saturday the country's law minister said the new elections would have to take place after the results of a new census were implemented.

Azam Nazeer Tarar told Geo News TV that it could take about four months to produce new constituency boundaries based from the count, potentially delaying the election by several months.

Related Topics

• Pakistan
• Imran Khan

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2023-08-05 16:53:14Z
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Russia says tanker hit in Ukrainian attack near Crimea - BBC

By James Waterhouse in Kyiv & Jaroslav Lukiv in London

BBC News

A Russian tanker with 11 crew members has been hit in a Ukrainian attack in the Black Sea, Russian officials say.

They said the vessel's engine room was damaged in the overnight strike in the Kerch Strait. No-one was hurt.

Ukraine has not publicly commented. But a Ukrainian security service source told the BBC a sea drone had been used.

Saturday's attack is the second in as many days involving such weapons. Russia, however, has not admitted any damage during Friday's attack.

Naval drones, or sea drones, are small, unmanned vessels which operate on or below the water's surface. Research by BBC Verify suggests Ukraine has carried out several attacks with sea drones.

• How sea drones are changing the Ukraine war
• Two months in, Ukraine's big offensive is slower than it hoped

The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating Crimea - Ukraine's peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014 - and Russia's Taman peninsula.

The Ukrainian security service source told the BBC Saturday's operation was also conducted jointly with the Ukrainian navy and that 450kg of TNT explosive had been used.

The tanker was loaded with fuel, they said so the "fireworks" were visible from afar.

Russia's maritime transport agency says the Sig tanker was located 17 miles (27km) south of the Crimean Bridge.

Russia's state-run Tass news agency quoted an official from the country's regional Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) as saying that two tugs had already arrived at the scene of the attack - just to the south of the Kerch Strait.

"The engine room was damaged. Not much, but it was damaged," the official said.

Russia's maritime transport agency RosMorRechFlot later said the vessel had a hole "in the area of [the] engine room near the waterline from the starboard side, presumably as a result of an attack by a sea drone".

"The ship is afloat," it added.

Russian state-run media also reported that lights on the Crimean Bridge - further north - were turned off and all traffic halted amid warnings of an imminent attack.

On Saturday, Ukraine said it had designated six Russian black sea ports as being in "war risk" areas, indicating that it could be preparing further attacks on Moscow's territory.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, warned that Kyiv was preparing to the expand the "scale" and "range of combat operations" in Russia.

On Friday, a Russian naval ship suffered a serious breach in a Ukrainian naval drone strike near Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Ukrainian security sources told the BBC.

Footage later emerged purportedly showing the drone hitting the Olenegorsky Gornyak large landing ship. Another unverified video showed a heavily listing vessel being towed to port.

Russia's defence ministry said it had repelled a Ukrainian attack on its naval base in Novorossiysk which involved two sea drones, but did not admit any damage.

Novorossiysk, a major hub for Russian exports, lies to the south-east of the Kerch Strait.

Clashes in the sea have increased in recent weeks, after Russia abandoned a major UN deal that enabled grain to be safely exported across the Black Sea.

Ukrainian ports have been pummelled by Russian drones and missiles, and Kyiv has threatened to retaliate.

"It is clear that it is impossible to win the war if you are not actively attacking," said Ukraine's presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, when asked about Western allies who may be becoming nervous about this war spilling well beyond its borders.

He believes the apparent images of damaged Russian vessels will make Moscow "think twice about using the Black Sea for blackmail".

While Kyiv denies drone strikes deeper inside Russia, it says it sees threats on occupied territories and surrounding waters as fair game.

Russia enjoys complete control of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov and two reportedly damaged ships are unlikely to change that.

But previous Ukrainian counter-offensives have been fuelled by their ability to cut off major Russian supply lines.

If it has indeed been able to immobilise a large Russian warship and oil tanker in two days, it will hope more will follow.

This war's footprint seems to be getting bigger.

In a separate development, talks started in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on ways to end the war in Ukraine. Invitations have been sent to about 40 countries - but not Russia - to attend the meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Western leaders have been keen to downplay to potential for any major breakthrough at the conference, but China has agreed to send its special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Related Topics

• Russia-Ukraine war
• Russia
• Crimea
• Drones
• Ukraine

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2023-08-05 14:10:17Z
2257612095

Imran Khan: Pakistan ex-PM given three-year jail sentence - BBC

Reuters

By Carrie Davies & Aoife Walsh

BBC News, in Islamabad & London

Ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for nationwide protests after he was handed a three-year jail sentence over corruption allegations.

Mr Khan was found guilty of not declaring money earned from selling gifts he received in office. He denies the charges and says he will appeal.

After the verdict, Mr Khan was taken into custody from his home in Lahore.

In a pre-recorded statement posted after the verdict, he urged supporters to fight against the ruling.

"I have only one appeal, don't sit at home silently," he said in a video address posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. "I am struggling for you and the country and your children's future," he added.

The former cricketer-turned-politician, 70, was elected in 2018, but was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year after falling out with Pakistan's powerful military.

Mr Khan is facing more than 100 cases brought against him since his removal - charges he says are politically motivated.

Saturday's verdict centred on charges that he incorrectly declared details of presents from foreign dignitaries and proceeds from their alleged sale.

The gifts - reported to be worth more than 140m Pakistani rupees ($635,000; £500,000) - included Rolex watches, a ring and a pair of cuff links.

"His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt," Judge Humayun Dilawar wrote in his ruling. Outside the courthouse, some pro-government demonstrators chanted "your show is over Khan".

Judge Dilawar said police had been instructed to arrest Mr Khan immediately. Within 15 minutes of the verdict, footage began to circulate on social media showing a line of police cars and trucks taking him away.

Imran Khan's lawyer, Intazar Hussain Panjutha, told the BBC the trial had been conducted by "a kangaroo-type court" in which "the accused was never given the opportunity to defend himself".

"As a consequence of today's conviction, he has been barred to take part in the politics for five years," Mr Panjutha said.

"But if the sentence and the conviction is suspended as we are hoping by the superior courts, he will then be able to come back to politics."

Mr Khan will be sent to Adyala jail, a central prison in the city of Rawalpindi, south of Islamabad.

For months he had avoided arrest, with his supporters at times fighting pitched battles with police to keep him out of custody.

In May, Mr Khan was arrested for not appearing at court as requested. He was then released, with the arrest declared illegal.

• Pakistan army 'petrified' of elections: Imran Khan
• The cricket hero bowled out as Pakistan's PM
• Friend to foe: How Imran Khan took on Pakistan's army

When he was last arrested on 9 May, there were protests across Pakistan.

Since then, Mr Khan and his political party have faced a dramatic crackdown, with many of his senior leadership arrested, before announcing they were leaving the party.

Thousands of his supporters arrested were alleged to have been involved in the protests. Some will face trial in military courts, despite an outcry from many in human rights groups.

When questioned by BBC HARDTalk as to whether he had created an atmosphere of hostility to the military resulting in violence, Mr Khan said he and his party had never advocated the use of violence and had a record of peaceful protest.

Mr Khan said the army in Pakistan was "petrified" of elections which his party would win "hands down" and, for that reason, "they're dismantling a democracy".

Pakistan's army plays a prominent role in politics, sometimes seizing power in military coups and, on other occasions, pulling levers behind the scenes.

Many analysts believe Mr Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military.

In opposition, he has been one of its most vocal critics, and analysts say the army's popularity has fallen.

Since being ousted, Mr Khan has been campaigning for early elections.

Pakistan's parliament will be dissolved on August 9, leaving a caretaker government to take over in the run up to the elections.

No election date has been announced, although constitutionally they should take place by early November.

However, on Saturday the country's law minister said the new elections would have to take place after the results of a new census were implemented.

Azam Nazeer Tarar told Geo News TV that it could take about four months to produce new constituency boundaries based from the count, potentially delaying the election by several months.

Related Topics

• Pakistan
• Imran Khan

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2023-08-05 13:06:02Z
2309826745

Daredevil who plunged to death from 68-floor tower 'did not slip', friend insists - Express

A French photographer who fell 68 floors to his death while attempting a stunt on a Hong Kong skyscraper did not slip, a friend has claimed.

30-year-old Remi Lucidi was renowned for his daredevil exploits as an urban climber.

However last Thursday he got into difficulties outside the top floor penthouse of the 721ft Tregunter Tower complex while posing for photos.

A maid in the building is said to have called police after spotting him outside the window as he apparently tried to seek help before losing his footing.

Fellow urban climber "Dakamaru", who became friends with Lucidi in 2020, told the Daily Mirror that such accidents don't happen often.

He said: "When you reach a certain level of skill you don't just slip and fall. It's not possible.

"According to the witness, Remi was stuck outside of a window. It must have been a place that he could not manoeuvre out of.

"He must have spent enough time there to get tired and not be able to keep to it any longer."

In an Instagram post Dakamaru bid farewell to his fellow thrill-seeker and adventurer.

He wrote: "Goodbye, my friend, goodbye. I hope you know how much I’ll miss you and how empty it is without you.

"Just wait for me in the next life. We will climb everything! R.I.P Remi Enigma, a mighty roof-topping god…"

Lucidi reportedly entered the Tregunter Tower, located in Hong Kong's upscale Mid-Levels district, around 6pm on Thursday and told a security guard he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor.

He was reportedly spotted on CCTV leaving the lift on the 49th floor and again on the staircase to the top floor, where a door had been forced open.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), he was last spotted by a maid while knocking on a penthouse window at about 7.30pm.

Police officers said the urban climber had fallen to his death before they arrived at the scene.

Lucidi's camera, which contained videos of extreme sports, was reportedly found at the scene, along with his French ID card.

A source told (SCMP): "A preliminary investigation suggested the man was an extreme sports enthusiast.

"It is possible that he got trapped outside the penthouse while practising an extreme sport in the building, and he knocked on the window for help, but accidentally fell to his death."

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2023-08-05 11:18:00Z
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