France
School violence in Nanterre: 'I find it hard to believe that you can take a crowbar to school'
We continue our coverage of the protest movement against the pension reform in France with this account from our Observer, who works just next to a high school where students and the police clashed this morning, Monday 18 October. See the videos and read the accounts...
Amateur video: youth assaults police officer in high school scuffle
As part of our series of eye-witness accounts of pension protests in France, our Observer filmed an assault on a police officer who was clearing a blockade in front of a high school in Meaux on October 12. Watch the video and read the eye-witness account...
Pension reform in France: students for and against the strikes speak out
We have put together a team of Observers to cover the ongoing protests in France against a hotly debated pension reform bill. As the strikes go on, affecting transport, schools, postal services and petrol refineries, activists both in favour of and against the law have sent us their reports and photos. Read more...
Burglar caught breaking into shop... along with scooter and dog
A burglar caught on security camera breaking into two furniture stores in the French city of La Rochelle was arrested on October 11. An ordinary story…if it weren’t for the robber’s somewhat unorthodox methods, which have made him the laughing stock of the French Web. Read more...
Forget pétanque... Bike polo hits Paris streets
If you thought polo was a snobby, white collar sport that involved cleaning up considerable amounts of horse manure after games, think again. Bike polo brings a modern, urban twist to its equestrian counterpart. Read more...
'Ingrid of the Jungle': the wacky comic version of Betancourt's story
What if Ingrid Betancourt had travelled to the Colombian jungle after agreeing to a fake high-profile kidnapping? What if Nicolas Sarkozy had orchestrated her rescue to boost his popularity ratings and to settle an old score with former primer minister Dominique de Villepin? Read more...
Warning: this is not a real baby
It looks like a newborn, it feels like a newborn, but it’s not a newborn, it’s a "reborn". A reborn doll, that is: an ultra-realistic rendition of a real-life baby, down to the tiniest fingernail or wisp of hair. Read more and see the photos…
France on strike: Our Observers comment from the protests
France on Tuesday braces for a day of strikes and massive demonstrations against the government's planned pension reform. Unions expect over 2 million protesters to hit the streets of cities across the country. From Montpellier to Perpignan, our Observers send us their live accounts of the protests. Read more...
Paris solo workers invent 'colunching' breaks
Sick of nabbing a sandwich in front of your computer screen during your lunch break? Then try "colunching", a new French trend that allows you to share a real lunchtime meal with fellow solo workers found on Facebook. Read more...
Saudi woman speaks out: "I agree with France. Let’s ban the full veil!"
A young Saudi blogger from Riyadh told us why she opposes women anywhere in the world wearing the full Islamic veil - and why she supports a French bill aiming to ban it from public places. Read more...
