French ‘have got lazier’
And other stories from the stranger side of life
A study has found that the French have got “even lazier”, said The Telegraph. Researchers in 1990 found that 60% of French people said work was “very important” in their life, compared to 31% for leisure. Asked the same questions today, just 24% of the French thought work was important while 41% regarded leisure as very important. “Famed for their marathon holidays, extended lunches and 35-hour working week”, the French “have long basked in the enviable image of enjoying life’s pleasures”, said The Telegraph.
Randy pensioners are causing surge at sexual health clinics
Pensioners are behind a surge in demand for sexual health services due to online dating, reported The Times. Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise among the over-65s, with new diagnoses up from 2,280 in 2017 to 2,748 in 2019. Doctors say randy older Brits are using online dating to find new sexual partners after a divorce or bereavement and some do not use condoms owing to the low risk of pregnancy, putting them at heightened risk of STIs.
Man pushes skipping rope up his penis
Meanwhile, an elderly man in Japan had a bad time of it when he pushed a skipping rope so far up his penis that he got it stuck in his bladder. Commenting on the plight of the 79-year-old man, a medic said they hadn’t seen anything more “extreme” than it. The bladder was surgically removed. However, said the Daily Star, why the man inserted the rope inside himself “remains a mystery”.
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
The Louvre’s security measures are in hot water after a major heistIn the Spotlight Millions of dollars in jewels were stolen from the museum
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers
-
The WW2 massacre dividing Senegal and FranceUnder the Radar A new investigation found the 1944 Thiaroye attack on ‘unarmed’ African soldiers was ‘premeditated’, and far deadlier than previously recorded
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Prime minister shocks France with resignationSpeed Read French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu submitted his government’s resignation after less than a month in office
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training


