France news stories on Newser

DSK Now Target of Gang-Rape Investigation

Matt Cantor — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:19:00 CDT

More hot water for Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and once again it's US-flavored: A French prosecutor today opened a preliminary investigation into an alleged gang rape in Washington, DC, CNN reports. In the course of France's probe into Strauss-Kahn's alleged participation in a prostitution ring, the gang-rape allegations surfaced; a Belgian prostitute...

Stripper Strike Hits Famous Paris Cabaret

Rob Quinn — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:56:19 CDT

The dancers are back and the tops are off again at Paris' famous Crazy Horse cabaret after a successful strike. The club—a favorite with generations of Parisians and tourists—was forced to cancel shows this week for the first time in its 61-year history after its 18 stripping performers...

Cannes Ripped for Shutting Out Women Directors

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:32:00 CDT

The Cannes Film Festival is battling charges of sexism after officials failed to chose a single female-directed movie among its 22 competition films. In a scathing open letter printed in the French media , a group of prominent female directors accuse organizers of failing to recognize the achievement of women in...

France Swears In Hollande

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:56:43 CDT

France today installed Socialist Francois Hollande as its new president for the next five years, replacing conservative Nicolas Sarkozy with a mandate to ease up on the austerity measures with which Europe has fought its economic crisis. Hollande, the first Socialist to have access to France's nuke codes in 17...

Europe's Oldest Cave Art: Female Genitalia

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:30:00 CDT

Hunter-gatherers who lived in Europe a long time ago apparently liked carving female genitalia into the ceiling, LiveScience reports. A new discovery in France reveals that Europe's most venerable rock art—about 37,000 years old—depicted something that looks like vulva. "It's quotidian art, it's everyday art," says researcher...

Meet France's New First Lady

John Johnson — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:06:17 CDT

France may losing Carla Bruni as first lady, but it sounds like her successor won't miss a step. Some odds and ends about 47-year-old Valerie Trierweiler, the unmarried "companion"—the term she prefers—of President-elect Francois Hollande , from Time , AP , and BBC : She is a well-known journalist for Paris Match...

As Sarkozy Exits, US Loses a Friend

Kevin Spak — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:12:29 CDT

France's election was something of a can't-lose proposition for the Obama administration. On the one hand, the US isn't pleased to see the backside of Nicolas Sarkozy, an ally so steadfast that in France he was sometimes called "Sarko the American." Sarkozy, after all, was in lockstep with the US...

Europe Finally Gets It: Austerity Isn't the Answer

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:08:17 CDT

Paul Krugman is applauding France and Greece for the results of their elections : "Time is clearly running out for the strategy of recovery through austerity—and that’s a good thing," writes the longtime critic of austerity measures in the New York Times . Austerity measures depend on a false "confidence fairy"...

What Hollande's Victory Means for France

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:48:13 CDT

Following last night’s victory over Nicolas Sarkozy , Francois Hollande will have to jump right in to his new role—he will be sworn in as France’s president next Tuesday, the BBC notes. What does his election mean? Hollande has vowed to renegotiate the eurozone budget treaty Sarkozy championed along with...