Limoges, France | AFP | The father of two boys, aged three and four, has been jailed in France for feeding them nearly exclusively on Coca-Cola, the children’s lawyer said. The father, who can “neither read, nor write, nor count, doesn’t realise the seriousness of the situation and spent all …
Read More »Macron defends Russia nuclear treaty’s ‘importance’ in call with Trump
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty during a phone call with Donald Trump, his office said Monday, after the US president announced he was pulling out of the deal. “The president noted the importance of this treaty, …
Read More »‘Genius’ behind ‘Teletubbies’ in new go-to-sleep kids show
Cannes, France | AFP | “Teletubbies” creator Andrew Davenport has come up with a new show “guaranteed to stop children climbing the walls”, BBC bosses claimed Sunday. Davenport, an actor and puppeteer known as the “J.K. Rowling of the under-fives”, also wrote and made the worldwide hit “In the Night …
Read More »Children drowning in ‘digital diet of pizza and sweets’
Cannes, France | AFP | Children are being swamping by the visual equivalent of “pizza and sweets” in “a digital Wild Wild West”, some of the world’s top kids television programme makers have warned. With YouTube replacing Disney as the most-loved brand among young children in the US, and streaming giants …
Read More »Rwandan minister Mushikiwabo elected Francophonie head
Yerevan, Armenia | AFP | The world organisation of French-speaking nations on Friday elected Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo as its new head despite her country’s shift to English a decade ago and controversy over its rights record. Mushikiwabo was elected in a suspense-free vote on the last day of …
Read More »French health watchdog calls for ban on sunbeds
Paris, France | AFP | The French health watchdog Wednesday urged the government to outlaw sunlamps and sunbeds because of the “proven” risk of skin cancer, in line with similar bans already in place in Australia and Brazil. “We recommend banning all activities linked to artificial tanning, along with ultraviolet sunlamps …
Read More »More French companies coming
Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Stephanie Rivoal, the French Ambassador to Uganda spoke to The Independent’s Ronald Musoke on the relevance of this year’s Bastille Day theme and the current Uganda-France relations This year marks the 229th anniversary of Bastille Day and you are celebrating it under the theme: “1968: …
Read More »France gives Uruguay ‘football lesson’, storm WCUP semis
Uruguayans admit France gave ‘football lesson’ at World Cup Montevideo, Uruguay | AFP | Uruguayans were gracious in defeat after France ended their World Cup hopes on Friday with a 2-0 quarter-final victory. “France crushed Uruguay!” admitted Observador, one of Uruguay’s main newspapers. “They handed out a football lesson, dominating …
Read More »Maduro brushes off risk of new sanctions after Sunday’s vote
Paris, France | AFP | Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday dismissed the threat of new sanctions following an early election called for Sunday, which critics have denounced as a sham aimed at tightening his grip on power. “These are unacceptable threats toward any sovereign nation,” Maduro said in an …
Read More »France revises growth upwards in boost for Macron
Paris, France | AFP | France’s economy grew 2.2 percent in 2017, according to revised figures published Tuesday — good news for President Emmanuel Macron as he pursues ambitious reforms designed to make the country more competitive. National statistics office INSEE revised its growth for last year up from 2.0 …
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