Louvre Staff Strike As Museum Buckles Under “Unmanageable” Mass Tourism

“You don’t even see paintings. You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then you get pushed out.”
France Revives The Jungle Jail, Sending Drug Kingpins And Extremists To The Amazon

A brutal new fortress deep in French Guiana will silence drug lords and radicals – far from their empires, phones, and favours.
French Actor Gérard Depardieu Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault

Depardieu argued in court that placing a hand on someone’s buttocks didn’t constitute sexual assault and suggested some women were just too easily shocked.
Alibaba Co-Founder Jack Ma Allegedly Forced Into Intimidation Campaign

Transcripts of these calls provide a rare glimpse into some of the methods used by the Chinese government to exert its influence around the world.
Thursday Morning Spice

South Africa sets up “uncrackable” quantum satellite link with China, Fireworks in court as e.tv is accused of ulterior motives, France to issue 20-page ‘survival manual’ to citizens, Surge in restaurant closures in Durban, and The 25 most overrated albums.
Macron Says France Will Use Its Nuclear Arsenal To Protect Europe

It’s mad to think that we’ve reached a point where Europe is once again contemplating war, less than a century after the last one claimed 80 million lives. Except this time everyone is armed to the teeth with nukes.
Friday Morning Spice

Joburg mayor Dada Morero determined to reclaim inner city, Ramaphosa calls for solidarity among G20, Musk suggests Zelensky runs ‘fraud machine feeding off the dead bodies of soldiers’, Suspected terror attack in Israel, Major warning for WhatsApp users in SA, and German court rules Birkenstock sandals are not art.
Paris’ Louvre In Dire State According To Museum Director

Designed to receive four million visitors a year, the Louvre saw a record attendance of 10.2 million visitors in 2018, and now has imposed a limit of 30,000 visitors per day in order to avoid overcrowding.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Goes On Trial Over Kadhafi ‘Money Pact’

Carla Bruni’s boo is joined in the dock by 11 of his former aides whom the courts accuse of scheming with Kadhafi to illegally fund his successful 2007 presidential election bid.
Thursday Morning Spice

French PM to resign after government falls, South Africa’s maths shame, Initiates become latest extortion targets, Four charming small towns near Cape Town to explore, and Commercial flights return to Plettenberg Bay.
Notre-Dame Cathedral In Paris Restored And Ready For Grand Reopening After Devastating Fire

The 2019 blaze was accidentally started under the cathedral’s roof, leaving Parisians in horror and the rest of the world in mourning as they watched on TV and social media.
Team South Africa Did Us Proud At Prestigious World Blind Wine Tasting Championship

Their participation highlighted South Africa’s winemaking talent and enthusiasm, elevating the country’s standing among the world’s top wine enthusiasts.
France Shattered By Horrific Drugging And Rape Case As 51 Men Go On Trial

A French retiree is accused of drugging his wife and then inviting dozens of men to rape her over almost a decade, in a case that has horrified the country.
Wednesday Morning Spice

Takealot platform allegedly exploited to sell counterfeit goods, What athletes get paid for Olympic medals, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh killed, and Cape dam levels now at 101%.
Tuesday Morning Spice

Fibre optic cables targeted in new infrastructure attack in France, Dark clouds gather for lower-paid employees, California fire doubles in size, and North Korea looking for medicine abroad to help leader after weight gain.
‘Coordinated Sabotage’ Disrupts French Railway Lines Ahead Of Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

The disruptions come after concerns over possible security threats during the Olympics as millions of visitors and thousands of athletes will flock to Paris.
Tuesday Morning Spice

SA’s Harris triumphs at Wimbledon, Amazon’s dirty reseller tricks, Bolivia’s president accused of plotting coup against himself, France detains top film directors over sex abuse allegations, and Jamie Foxx reveals what led to his mysterious hospitalization.
Monday Morning Spice

Another tremor hits parts of Joburg, Moody’s upgrades City of Cape Town’s credit rating, The most expensive homes in the world, and Rob van Vuuren was everyone’s National Arts Festival Bae.
The New Bugatti Tourbillon Is A R72 Million Hybrid Monster [Video]

Top speed for the Tourbillon is limited to 380 km/h, but it hits 200 km/h in less than five seconds.
French Woman’s Blood-Drained Body Found In Italian Church After She Went ‘Searching For Ghosts’

Police believe the victim could have been attempting to carry out a TikTok stunt, adding that her death could be related to a ghost-hunting competition being played in France.
France’s Obsession With Frog Legs Is Driving An Asian Frog Species To Extinction

More than 500 experts from research, veterinary and conservation groups have called on the French president to “end the overexploitation of frogs” and afford the most traded species better protections.
The Lenox Hotel In Gardens Is Finally Getting A Major Revamp

Built in 1897, The Lenox is a popular landmark in Gardens – and is even older than nearby Mount Nelson.
Thursday Morning Spice

Two teenagers kidnapped outside Brits school, Ex-Google engineer charged with stealing AI secrets, Safair ‘too big to ground’, The former-lawyer who became the world’s most famous LEGO artist, World’s oceans reach highest temperature on record, and What Trump says he would do in a second term.
Tuesday Morning Spice

The man who paints trees to combat bark stripping, Hundreds of Venus flytraps stolen from conservation land, Kimberley has lost it’s sparkle, and Cape Town projects still halted as mafias intimidate contractors.
Monday Morning Spice

Good news for Koeberg nuclear power station, 2024 Tech wishlist, US Air Force member sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy, Authors ask Parliament not to adopt harmful copyright bill, and A princess strips down for Playboy.
Wednesday Morning Spice

Meet your new Springbok coaching lineup, Doctor salaries in South Africa are a problem, Toby Keith, country singer-songwriter, dies at 62, Sauber Reveals 2024 F1 Car, and Road closures in Cape Town for the State of the Nation Address.
What Does The ‘Cru’ Actually Mean On A Wine Label?

Sometimes they’re merely hollow terms designed to make you believe a wine is of a specific quality.
A French Pilot Has Been Sentenced For Decapitating A Skydiver With His Aeroplane’s Wing

40-year-old Nicolas Galy was one of ten parachutists on the trip and was ‘killed instantly’ after colliding with the wing.
Rugby Vibes As French Nun Tackles Environmental Protester Trying To Stop Construction Of A Church [Video]

One of the sisters was evidently still miffed about Sunday night’s game, and as the eco-warrior tried to sidestep the ‘holy chain’ with some very sloppy footwork, the nun pounced like a Springbok, and smote the bugger into the ground.
Springboks Choose Libbock Over Pollard For Crucial Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final

The game kicks off at 21:00 South African time, so you might want to let your boss know you’ll be a bit late on Monday. Also, no meetings until after lunchtime.