France

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Robbers in Drag Nab $100M in Paris Jewel Theft

Theft among costliest in French history

(Newser) - Armed robbers—some dressed in drag—made off with $100 million in loot in what police today called one of France's costliest jewel heists. Brandishing handguns, three or four lightning-fast thieves swiped rings, necklaces, and luxury watches from display cases at the Harry Winston store near the Champs-Elysees in central...

China Warns of Sanctions for Sarkozy-Dalai Lama Meeting

Dalai Lama criticism of China's lack of 'moral authority' sparks Beijing fury

(Newser) - China is making noises about possible trade sanctions against France to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to meet tomorrow with the Dalai Lama in Poland, reports the Times of London. Such a meeting threatens the "long-term development of ties" with France, warned a Chinese official. China has already pulled...

Between Home and Work, Public Life Declines
Between Home and Work, Public Life Declines
OPINION
Dec 1, 2008 1:36 PM CST

Between Home and Work, Public Life Declines

More than ever, we need surprises of 'third spaces': Rodriguez

(Newser) - In the 1980s sociologists introduced the term "third place," neither home nor work, to encompass the bars, restaurants, and other public spaces that allow us to build relationships. Today, with global economic woes besetting even the iconic French cafe culture, our "public living rooms" are...

Court Sticks It to Sarko Over Voodoo Dolls

Stab-able president a cult success in France

(Newser) - An appeals court in France essentially told the nation's president to lighten up today. The court rejected a bid by Nicolas Sarkozy to ban voodoo dolls made in his likeness, the International Herald Tribune reports. It ruled that the dolls can continue to be sold, only now they must have...

Aubry Will Lead French Socialist Party After Vote

Rival Royal refuses to accept outcome of contentious recount

(Newser) - Martine Aubry has edged out rival Ségolène Royal to become the leader of France’s Socialist Party, the BBC reports. A recount of last week’s vote, requested by Royal, actually widened Aubry’s winning margin. Royal, the party’s presidential candidate last year, said she would not...

Royal Ahead as French Left Picks Leader

Defeated presidential candidate goes into runoff with big lead

(Newser) - Ségolène Royal has emerged as the strongest candidate to take over France's Socialist Party as a bitter leadership contest goes to a runoff today, Reuters reports. Royal, defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy in last year's presidential race, will face Martine Aubry, the mayor of Lille who as a minister...

New Wine Season Begins; Merchants See Slower Sales

(Newser) - Today is the third Thursday of November, which makes it a holiday of sorts for wine merchants: Beaujolais Day. It's the first day of the year (as dictated by French law) that the first wine of the season—Beaujolais Nouveau, made from Gamay grapes—can be sold worldwide. Wine purists...

Former French PM Accused In Sarko Scandal

De Villepin will stand trial on false money- laundering accusation

(Newser) - Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin will face trial for his role in an alleged smear campaign against Nicolas Sarkozy, who outmaneuvered him for the presidency. The "Clearstream Affair" scandal dates to 2004, when an anonymous source sent a judge a list of politicians, including Sarkozy, said...

Michelin 'Star Wars' Unappetizing for Chefs
Michelin 'Star Wars' Unappetizing for Chefs
GLOSSIES
Nov 19, 2008 6:16 PM CST

Michelin 'Star Wars' Unappetizing for Chefs

French master Roellinger latest to step back citing exhaustion, pressure

(Newser) - Being awarded 3 stars from the Michelin Guide was once the highest honor for any chef, but non plus, reports Gourmet. Changing tastes and fancy-food fatigue have now pushed three of France’s biggest culinary kings to close their doors—by choice. "Running a three-star restaurant is an honor,...

Armstrong Fears Attack on Tour Return

It's 'tense and emotional' out there, says seven-time winner

(Newser) - Super cyclist Lance Armstrong fears a physical attack if he returns to race again in the Tour de France, reports the Independent. “There are some aggressive, angry emotions. My personal safety could be in jeopardy," said Armstrong, 37. French team directors "have encouraged people to take to...

Virginity Lie Not Grounds for Annulment

French court ruling makes Muslim couple married again

(Newser) - France has overturned a lower court decision annulling a Muslim couple’s marriage on grounds that the bride lied about being a virgin, the BBC reports. That means the couple is married again—whether they like it or not. Husband and wife both accepted the original decision, but it sparked...

Basque Military Chief Nabbed in France

'Txeroki' had hand in ETA violence the past five years, say investigators

(Newser) - A military leader of the Basque separatist organization ETA linked to police murders and the 2006 Madrid airport bomb attack has been busted in France, reports the Times of London. The man, who goes by the nom de guerre of Txeroki, was arrested  in a small town in the Pyrenees....

Emerging Economies Gain Clout in G-20

(Newser) - The plans outlined by global leaders at the meeting to deal with the financial crisis reflect a shifting balance of power, with emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China gaining influence, the Washington Post reports. And the Europeans largely got what they wanted from the summit, French President Nicolas...

France's Finance Chief to Play Key Summit Role

French finance minister takes center stage at G20 summit

(Newser) - This weekend's emergency G20 summit will bring together world leaders with very different ideas of how to fix the global economy. But while heads of state and government talk in front of the cameras, one woman will be key in building a consensus: Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister....

Putin Wanted to Hang Georgian President 'by the Balls'

Sarkozy's team leaks transcript pre-summit

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin would’ve had the Russian army destroy the Georgian government and hang President Mikhail Saakashvili “by the balls” if Nicolas Sarkozy hadn’t intervened, the Times of London reports. In a transcript of August’s cease-fire negotiations leaked by the French president’s office, Putin says he...

90 Years On, It's Still the War to End All Wars

Across Europe, World War I remains the defining conflict of modern times

(Newser) - Ninety years ago today the Allies and Germany signed the armistice that ended World War I, a conflict of unprecedented brutality and expense. But where today Americans celebrate Veterans Day, a commemoration of wars' survivors, in Europe the mood is "altogether more somber," historian Alexander Watson writes in...

In Paris, President Envy: 'There Is No French Obama'

Country's egalitarian tradition takes a hit

(Newser) - Sacre bleu! With Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential race, the French, who’ve long prided themselves on a tradition of egalitarianism, are being forced to take a closer look at themselves—and they’re not happy with what they see, the Wall Street Journal reports. “This...

Hackers Get Bank Accounts of Sarko's Dad, Ex-Wife

Investigators now believe thieves may have been politically motivated

(Newser) - The same hackers who stole small amounts of money from Nicolas Sarkozy’s bank account appear to have gotten into the accounts of his father and first wife as well, the Times of London reports. They didn't steal money but rather set up phony cell-phone accounts. Police initially thought the...

Sarko Loses Bid to Block Voodoo Doll

French court rules presidential pincushion falls within the limits of humor

(Newser) - A French judge apparently finds Nicolas Sarkozy voodoo dolls funnier than the president does. The court threw out Sarkozy's Iawsuit against the maker of the dolls, the BBC reports, deciding it hadn't breached limits of "free expression and the right to humor." Sales of the presidential pincushion, which...

Cell-Seeking Man Traps Arm in Train Toilet

Passengers wait 2 hours while firemen saw through pipes

(Newser) - Talk about a dropped call: a man got his arm stuck in a French train toilet yesterday trying to retrieve his cell phone, the BBC reports. The high-speed commuter train was stopped for 2 hours as firemen sawed through pipes. They carried the 26-year-old out on a stretcher, "...

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