The Final Hustle

Staff / Truthdig May 4, 2007 French presidential candidates Segolene Royal (above) and Nicolas Sarkozy are fervently pressing flesh and swapping barbs in the remaining hours before Sunday's vote. Royal, a socialist, warned that a win for Sarkozy could trigger violence, while front-runner Sarkozy sniffed that his rival's attack was a byproduct of her lagging status in pre-election polls. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

France’s Vote Turnout Highest in Decades

Staff / Truthdig Apr 23, 2007 France has experienced its highest voter turnout in nearly 50 years, with right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Segolene Royal, pictured, headed for a runoff. If she wins, Royal will be France's first woman president, but she took in fewer votes than Sarkozy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

French Intelligence Warned of Airline Terror Plot in 2001

Staff / Truthdig Apr 17, 2007 Months before 9/11, French intelligence warned the CIA that al-Qaida was planning an attack involving airplanes, according to classified documents and former French intelligence officials. The information was vague and possibly misleading, but it speaks to the intelligence community's inability to coalesce fragmentary warnings into something concrete and comprehensive. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

French Royal Line Leads to India

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 The eldest living descendant of France's King Henry IV appears to be a 48-year-old lawyer in Bhopal, India. Prince Michael of Greece "discovered" Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon's ancestral ties while researching a book, though the supposed heir's family had previously attempted to gain recognition. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Pledges Support for Lebanon

Staff / Truthdig Jan 25, 2007 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a $770-million aid package to help with Lebanon's reconstruction. The war-ravaged nation is hoping to raise $9 billion in aid. Meanwhile, a Hezbollah-backed general strike and mass protests continue to threaten the tenure of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chirac Blasts U.S.-Led Invasion of Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Jan 6, 2007 The French president told a group of ambassadors that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq had destabilized the Middle East and allowed terrorism to spread -- just as he had predicted on the eve of the war in 2003. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

More French Couples Going Unwed

Staff / Truthdig Nov 22, 2006 Marriage rates in France are about 45 percent below U Whence the trend? Theories: This (French) generation's nearly universal rejection of religion, and a massive migration to more independent-friendly urban areas Despite warnings from religious conservatives, society hasn't crumbled in tandem with marriage rates Also, out-of-wedlock births are up in the U -- and not only to teens, but to mothers choosing to put off marriage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

French Students Turning to Sex Work?

Staff / Truthdig Nov 1, 2006 France's leading students union estimates that some 40,000 students have taken up prostitution to fund their studies French police are disputing the report, saying prostitutes are posing as students (Via BloggerNews) Also: Check out the battle in the Italian gov't over transvestite bathroom rights. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Renewed Violence in France

Staff / Truthdig Oct 26, 2006 Authorities are scrambling to address a possible resurgence of violence after two buses were torched near Paris on Wednesday. Last year's civil unrest led to the destruction of some 9,000 vehicles in and around the city. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Families Demand Compensation for WWII Deportations

Staff / Truthdig Aug 29, 2006 More than 200 families have threatened the French state railway with legal action if it refuses to compensate them for its role in transporting relatives to death camps during WWII. The railway companies argue they were forced to carry out the deportations, though a court in June sided with victims' families. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Italy Bails Out France

Staff / Truthdig Aug 22, 2006 Italy's prime minister has tentatively offered to take the leadership role in Lebanon's peacekeeping mission with a deployment of 3,000 troops. France, which was to lead the mission, has offered only 200 troops after expressing concern over the force's mandate. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. and Israel OK Peace Deal; Lebanon in Favor

Staff / Truthdig Aug 12, 2006 The UN Security Council adopted a resolution that calls for an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah and authorizes 15,000 U peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert endorsed the deal, and the Lebanese cabinet looks set to do so as well. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )