Newman is pretty well ripped here TBF mate.

If it were condos we're moving to France Ginger!

MadameConnard gave a great answer below. I believe I heard a report on the radio here in the UK about tampons being free or talks to make them free in N. Ireland I want to say but I could be wildly wrong here.

If I can find the details I will post it here mary.

This is a shocking statistic: STDs increased by about 30% in 2020 and 2021 in France.

This is a very proactive and positive move on the part of the French Government.

Not that there should be any stigma in regard to buying condoms this should help remove any that may exist and remove any financial issues also.

If more countries would follow suit it could be a positive development worldwide.

The message being something akin to 'have fun, be sensible, be respectful and be safe'.

The short article below:

PARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Young people in France will be able to get condoms free of charge from next year in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

"In pharmacies, condoms will be free for those aged 18 to 25 from January 1," Macron told reporters during an event about young people's health.

Health authorities estimate that the rate of STDs increased by about 30% in 2020 and 2021 in France.

Article Below (minus a few nice pictures)

An aquarium in Boston has been treating "cold-stunned" sea turtles stranded on US beaches. Experts urge the public not to return stranded animals into the water.

Over 150 sea turtles have received treatment this season for "life-threatening medical conditions" prompted by hypothermia in the New England Aquarium, based in the US city of Boston.

The aquarium officials said critically endangered species were also affected.

The animals, rescued by the volunteers working for the Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, included 120 critically endangered Kemp's ridley turtles and 33 green turtles.

"In years past, cold-stunned sea turtles would begin to wash ashore in late October," said the aquarium's director of rescue and rehabilitation, Adam Kennedy. This year, however, the stranding were only reported in the second half of November.

"Milder weather means the waters of Cape Cod Bay are staying warmer for a prolonged period of time, which we believe could be a sign of climate change's impact on the Gulf of Maine," Kennedy explained.

'Cold-stunning' explained

Hundreds of endangered and threatened sea turtles strand on the beaches of Cape Cod because of "cold-stunning" every fall. The Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary says cold-stunning occurs when the animals get trapped in Cape Cod Bay on the eastern US coast. They are then unable to move to warmer waters further south.

A volunteer holds a turtle lying on a towelA volunteer holds a turtle lying on a towel

The rescued animals included endangered Kemp’s ridley turtlesImage: Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium

The number of cold-stunned sea turtle strandings has increased from around 50 a year at the turn of the century to more than 700 in 2021, according to the New England Aquarium.

The animal sanctuary warned that sea turtles should never be returned to the water if discovered by members of the public in this area.

"When a sea turtle strands, it's very compromised and requires medical attention. They're not like seals — they don't bask on the beach. Returning a turtle to the water will very likely result in its death," program coordinator Jess Ciarcia said in a statement.

This is what someone else said about this article and it's accurate.

It's a long article with photos and graphs but worth a read.

In a nutshell - refinance sovereign debt at more attractive rates freeing up the savings for conservation efforts.

Now this to me sounds like something worthwhile.

It's a start and that is what we need in a lot of places.

Early days for sure but still positive.

It's great to see this article and hear of how 300 dogs were rescued. It is also sad that such a place was allowed to get to be as big as it was.

Hopefully all rescued dogs find loving homes and if malnourished make it back to full health!

This is one of those things that you read and go - wow that's so simple yet such a good idea.

The key thing here to remember is that this is a start and like most things starting is the hardest part.

As the article says: “This is an important moral message to the world that dumping plastic waste into the sea is very bad,” Sakti said. “Hopefully this can be a nationwide effort and, even better, a worldwide action.”