Posts by Cosmopolitan Canada
Mixed reaction as France’s Macron appoints centrist as new premier
Senior politicians in France gave a mixed reaction on Friday to the appointment of centrist politician François Bayrou as prime minister, just over a week after the fall of the previous government. Last Wednesday, the opposition brought down conservative former premier Michel Barnier in a dispute over an austerity budget, after he had been in…
Read MoreIndian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte are bracing for Cyclone Chido
MORONI, Comoros (AP) — The islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean were bracing for Cyclone Chido on Friday as the intense tropical storm whirred its way toward Africa’s east coast. Comoros, a small archipelago, ordered schools to close as authorities expected Chido to hit the islands early Saturday. Before then, the…
Read MoreNiger’s military rulers suspend BBC broadcasts
Niger’s military government has suspended the BBC for three months, accusing it of spreading fake news that could destabilise social peace and demoralise troops fighting jihadists. Niger’s Minister of Communication Raliou Sidi Mohamed announced that the decision would take effect immediately. BBC programmes, including in Hausa, the most spoken language in Niger, and French, are…
Read MoreMassive Russian air attack targets Ukrainian power grid
Russian forces launched massive air attacks on Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday describing it as “one of the largest attacks on our power grid.” Zelensky said on Telegram that Russian forces fired more than 90 missiles at the country’s energy sector, with 81 of the missiles shot down. Eleven cruise missiles…
Read MoreMusic lovers and mighty muscles: Africa’s top shots
A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent and beyond: Models adorned in cowrie shells and batik dresses appear at the final day of Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital… [John Wessels / AFP] Saturday also sees creations by French-Senegalese designer Adama N’Diaye modelled… [Cem Ozdel / Getty Images] Her…
Read MoreKiller Whales Are Hunting Whale Sharks — the Largest Fish in the World, New Photos and Study Show
Orcas — also known as killer whales — are once again on the offensive. Their new target is whale sharks, the world’s largest fish species. According to CNN, a new study — published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on Nov. 29 — discovered that an orca pod off the coast of Mexico systematically…
Read MoreMassive Russian air attacks target Ukrainian energy infrastructure
Russian forces again launched massive air attacks with drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Friday. A number of MiG-31 combat jets equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had taken off, it said. Military observes said the Kinzhal missiles were fired at western Ukrainian targets near the Burshtyn heating plant and…
Read MoreMacron meets centrist Bayrou ahead of imminent decision on next French PM
President Emmanuel Macron was meeting centrist leader François Bayrou on Friday as speculation mounted over who he would choose as PM, in a bid to end months of political turmoil. It is now nine days since French MPs ousted Michel Barnier as prime minister in a no-confidence vote, and Macron had said a replacement would…
Read MoreRussia launches a massive aerial attack against Ukraine with dozens of cruise missiles and drones
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones. The Russian military targeted Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. “The enemy continues its terror,” he said. Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to “minimize negative consequences…
Read MoreJapan Nov inflation likely accelerated, exports up on weak yen: Reuters poll
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s core consumer price inflation probably accelerated in November, driven by persistently high rice prices and the phasing out of utility subsidies, a Reuters poll showed on Friday. The core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes fresh food prices, was expected to have risen 2.6% in November from…
Read MoreEdited ‘handshake standoff’ clip of China foreign minister, Israel PM spreads online
China has repeatedly called for peace talks to resolve the Gaza war, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack in October 2023 to which Israel retaliated with a blistering attack on the Palestinian territory. But a video purportedly showing China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi waiting for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to initiate a handshake has…
Read MoreThe current state of plastic regulation in France
In 2015, France set an ambitious precedent by banning certain single-use plastic products. This initiative culminated in the enactment of the AGEC law, which targets a complete phase-out of single-use plastic packaging by 2040. Despite these efforts, progress has been inconsistent, as highlighted by Zero Waste France’s recent report. “While successive legal measures have been…
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