Chirac gets punkd
The week's news at a glance.
Paris
French President Jacques Chirac fell for a prank call from a Canadian radio DJ this week. Speaking French with an outrageously exaggerated Quebecois accent, DJ Marc-Antoine Audette pretended to be Canada’s incoming prime minister, Stephen Harper. Chirac didn’t suspect a thing during several minutes of conversation, even when the fake Harper agreed with him overenthusiastically, chirping, “Exactly, Mr. President! Liberty, equality, and fraternity! Amen!” When Audette finally told Chirac the truth, the president burst into laughter. The real Harper does speak French well, but his accent is not remotely like a Quebecer’s.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff