-
Fréjus Tunnel that connects France and Italy to close this weekend
The tunnel will close for 12 hours and not the 56 hours originally announced
-
TotalEnergies opens service station for electric vehicles in Paris
It is the first of its kind in the capital and has ultra-fast charging
-
Conductors on French public transport will soon be able to check your address
Move is part of anti-fraud plans to prevent people from giving false information during fines including on SNCF trains
Nutella and Fraise baby names banned
Judge rules that two newborn girls should be renamed to avoid 'mockery' and 'negative remarks' in later life
TWO couples who named their new-born daughters "Nutella" and "Fraise" have been ordered to adopt more sensible names by a French court.
A judge in Valenciennes was asked to rule on the two separate cases last week. It is not clear whether the couples knew each other or if the two simultaneous culinary references were coincidence.
The registrar at Valenciennes city hall lodged the formal legal complaints and asked the city's public prosecutor to intervene, on the grounds that the names given could expose the two girls to "mockery" and "negative remarks" as they grew up.
The parents of "Fraise" have now suggested "Fraisine" instead - an elegant 19th century first name that the judge has approved. "Nutella" will now be known as "Ella".
The judge said there was substantial case law on unfair baby names, and it was "in the children's interests" to be protected.