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A man has been formally charged with the murder of an 11-year-old British girl who was shot dead in Brittany, France on Saturday evening. Dirk Raats, 71, spoke briefly on Monday evening as he was formally charged with the murder of Solaine Thornton, 11, and the attempted murders of her parents Adrian and Rachael Thornton, 52 and 49 respectively. Solaine Thornton died after she was allegedly shot while playing on swings in the garden of her home in France. The couple’s younger daughter, Celeste, eight, managed to get away unscathed to raise the alarm in the Brittany hamlet of Saint-Herbot, near Quimper. Officials have since said Solaine was “not the target” of a fatal gunshot which killed her outside her home in France. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, public prosecutor Camille Miansoni said: “It would seem that he was not aiming at the little girl.” On Monday, Mr Raats was taken from a secure police station for a 10-minute appearance before a judge at Brest Criminal Court. Speaking in court, he said: “It’s so horrible what happened. I don’t understand,” after judges confirmed a test showed he was ‘on drugs’ on Saturday. The court heard that Mr Raats had worked as a photographer, shepherd and career for the handicapped before retiring to France some five years ago. Anne Guillerme, his defence barrister, said he had “no criminal record” and may have psychiatric problems. However, an evaluation performed since Mr Raats’s arrest showed there is no evidence he is “unhinged”, the public prosecutor said. Mr Raats was remanded in custody following the charges, and could spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty at trial. The 71-year-old’s wife, who was named as Marlene van Hook, also in her 70s, was meanwhile being questioned on suspicion of concealing a weapon. Miansoni confirmed both Mr Raats and his wife “tested positive for alcohol and cannabis” at the time of their arrest. The two sets of near neighbours had been involved in a dispute dating back at least three years. Mr Raats had reportedly been in a “conflict” with the family over a plot of land beside their properties for “several years”, state prosecutor Carine Halley said. Meanwhile, a resident claimed Mr Raats regularly complained about the family cutting down trees to make way for children’s play equipment, including swings. “He was also regularly upset about the noise the family made, even though it didn’t bother anyone else – it was mainly just kids having a nice time,” the resident said. Ms Halley explained initial evidence suggests the suspect “retreated” to his house where he barricaded himself in with his wife after shooting at the family. The Intervention Group of the National Gendarmerie tactical unit was called to the scene, and a negotiator persuaded the couple to give themselves up. They were then arrested. Solaine’s grandfather, Irvin Thornton, reportedly told the Sun newspaper “she didn’t stand a chance”. He said his son, Adrian, is in a coma. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities.” Read More Gunman ‘not aiming’ at schoolgirl from British family, prosecutor says British girl shot dead in France ‘by neighbour who complained about noise and cutting trees’ Schoolgirl from British family shot dead by neighbour in France Gunman ‘not aiming’ at schoolgirl from British family, prosecutor says Schoolgirl from British family shot dead by neighbour in France Schoolgirl from British family shot dead in France – reports

Led by 28 points from Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 on Monday to

The Denver Nuggets captured their first title in 47 NBA seasons on Monday, defeating the Miami Heat 94-89 behind 28 points and...

China’s beleaguered property sector needs a more comprehensive policy approach and a wider usage of different funding channels

Nikola Jokic guided Denver to its first NBA title in team history, as the Nuggets overcame dreadful shooting and a late flurry from Miami’s Jimmy Butler to squeeze past the Heat for a frantic 94-89 victory

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China’s central bank cut a short-term policy interest rate, easing its monetary stance to help aid the economy’s

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie laid into Donald Trump in a CNN town hall Monday night, calling the former president "angry" and "vengeful" and accusing him of "vanity run amok" within the event's opening minutes.

Chris Christie was in peak form Monday evening as he laid into former President Donald Trump in his second town hall-style appearance as a presidential candidate. The governor’s performance on CNN was in many ways a repeat of his initial launch event at St Anselm College in New Hampshire a week earlier. But the governor fine-tuned his attacks over the days ahead of his first cable news spot, and came out swinging against the Republican frontrunner. He largely ignored his other GOP rivals as he took questions from voters and moderator Anderson Cooper, while landing every blow he could on his main rival (and former ally). Mr Christie hit his opponent on nearly every topic, from his most recent indictment for the mishandling of presidential records and violations of the Espionage Act to the performance of the Republican Party electorally since 2016, blame for which he laid squarely at the the feet of the de facto GOP leader. “He flew the boxes up to New Jersey for summer vacation. What is this, like, they’re a family member?” Mr Christie vented at one point, referencing recent reporting on the 37-count indictment Mr Trump faces in the Southern District of Florida. “This is vanity run amok, ego run amok,” he continued. More follows... Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement