Poverty, Segregation Fuel Marseille Crime Wave
Drug and gang violence in Marseille, France's second largest city, has gotten so out of control that one local politician has called for the army to be sent in to restore order. The proposal shocked...
View ArticleTunisians Battle Over The Meaning Of Free Expression
Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring last year, and many regard it as the most Western-looking nation in the Arab world. Yet it's also waging a roaring debate over how to define freedom of...
View ArticleBouillabaisse: From Humble Beginnings To High-Class Tourist Meal
The southern French city of Marseille on the Mediterranean Sea has long been famous for its spicy fish soup, known as bouillabaisse. The soup started as a poor man's meal, made with leftover fish...
View ArticleNew French President Sees Popularity Crash
Just five months after electing President Francois Hollande, many French are now despairing that he cannot deliver on the vision they voted for. What's worse, some wonder if Hollande has a plan at all....
View ArticleUrban Parisian Vines Produce Wine With A Drop Of History
In America, vineyards are usually tucked in out-of-the-way rural areas, among country lanes. But in France, where great wine is a way of life, vineyards are everywhere — even in the middle of the...
View ArticleWith Topless Protests, 'Sextremists' March In Paris
Sometimes, less is more. That's certainly the thinking of the Ukrainian feminist movement Femen, best known for its bare-breasted protests in its home country. Now it has brought its self-described...
View ArticleEuropean Union Protests Google's New Privacy Policy
Parisian dance professor Charlotte King says she needs Google for her job and life, but she doesn't trust the world's top Web search engine. "When I'm doing some research, the day after I have some...
View ArticleBurgundy's Yield Fails To Meet Grape Expectations
Neat rows of grapevines run down the slopes of the Cotes de Beaune, all the way to the gravel driveway at Chateau de Corton Andre. The castle's traditional Burgundy black-and-yellow-tiled roof glistens...
View ArticleGlitzy Burgundy Wine Auction Taps Celebrities
For the last century and a half, the wine season in France's grape-growing region of Burgundy has revolved around one major commercial event. On the third Sunday in November, hundreds of barrels of the...
View ArticlePencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework
In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande argues that homework penalizes children...
View ArticleGetting The Royal Treatment En Route To Versailles
The opulence of the court of Louis XIV ... on a commuter train from Paris?That's the surprise awaiting some lucky visitors to the Palace of Versailles.
View ArticleIn France, Free Birth Control For Girls At Age 15
Beginning next year, young women in France between the ages of 15 and 18 will have access to birth control free of charge, and without parental notification. The French government says the new measure...
View ArticleIn A French Village, Protection From The Apocalypse
Friday is the last day of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar, sparking talk about the possible end of the world. About two years ago, a rumor began circulating on the Internet that the French...
View ArticleGerard Depardieu's Tax Flight Stirs Fierce Debate In France
Gerard Depardieu, one of France's most iconic and beloved film stars, is now at the center of a national uproar over French taxes and patriotism.Depardieu, who has been in around 200 films, says he's...
View ArticleSame-Sex Marriage And Adoption: Unresolved Issues In France
France is known as a tolerant country on many social issues, yet the country is embroiled in a debate about same-sex marriage and adoption.President Francois Hollande is following through on a campaign...
View ArticleCompetitive Advantage Could Force French Labor Changes
French President Francois Hollande has vowed to improve his country's competitiveness. But to better compete, France has to overhaul its labor market, and some hard-earned workers' rights and...
View ArticleThousands In France Protest Gay Marriage
Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Paris yesterday to protest government efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. The demonstration was considered one...
View ArticleFrance To Send More Troops To Mali To Combat Islamist Militants
Transcript AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The French defense minister says France is preparing for a possible land assault in Mali, so it plans to increase its troop levels to 2,500. Back home in France,...
View ArticleFrench Twitter Lawsuit Pits Free Speech Against Hate Speech
A French judge will decide this week if Twitter must hand over the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. The case, brought against Twitter by a Jewish student organization, pits America's...
View ArticleNot Just A Fashion Hot Spot: Paris Is Also The Capital Of Dog Mess
This essay by NPR correspondent Eleanor Beardsley was borne out of the personal exasperation of living in a beautiful city with one thing she found very, very wrong.When you walk down the grand...
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