The best of the web and the international press, collected for you by Frogsmoke. Today, a disappointing Africa traveler, the crook of the century, rejecting motherhood, banking in France, and a man who never looked his age. Enjoy!
Sarkozy under fire for African vision (France24)
During his Africa trip Nicolas Sarkozy laid out his vision of a new partnership with Africa, but part of his message drew an angry response from the head of the African Union Commission. “I want to help Africa to develop and I want to speak frankly. One cannot blame everything on colonisation… the corruption, the dictators, the genocides, that is not colonisation,” Sarkozy said. His comments angered the head of the African Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, who said “This speech was not the kind of break we were hoping for.” [...] Full story.
French army share scammer jailed (BBC)
A French-Israeli businessman has been sentenced to five years in jail for his role in swindling hundreds of French soldiers out of millions of dollars. Claude Lipsky and three co-defendants were also ordered to pay compensation of 17m euros. Lipsky targeted French soldiers serving abroad in a scam that promised them high returns for investing in a supposedly fool-proof financial scheme. He is said to have amassed 30m euros between 1986 and 1999. [...] Full story.
French blockade on babies? Just say non… (Telegraph)
A book attacking the hallowed cult of motherhood in France has raised more than Gallic eyebrows. Corinne Maier’s book No Kid: 40 Reasons Not to Have Children touches an awkward subject. It’s as close to a taboo as you can get: admitting that you don’t want children and that if you have them, perhaps life would have been better if you did not. It’s the kind of thing you might say to your shrink, but not something you blurt out at a polite dinner party. [...] Full story.
A guide to banking in France (Expatica)
For new arrivals: a concise guide about banking in France, credit cards, cheques, cash dispensers, online banking and the euro. [...] the former franc is no longer legal tender although you do still see prices promoted sometimes in francs and many people still talk about the cost of things in francs, especially for larger sums like the price of a car or of re-plumbing a bathroom. [...] Full story.
Henri Salvador: From Reinhardt to rock’n'roll (Sunday Herald)
France has been celebrating the 90th birthday of one of the most enduring figures in show business. When Henri Salvador first went on stage in Paris, Hitler had barely seized power in Germany. He played guitar with Django Reinhardt, inspired the invention of bossa nova in Brasil; and helped introduce France to rock’n'roll. Incredibly he is still performing. “Sometimes I say to myself – ‘Bloody hell, you’re nearly 90!’. Luckily my wife is on hand to remind me that I’ve never looked my age,” he says. [...] Full story.
