Hollande: French Hostage 'Assassinated' By Algerian Extremists
The group calling itself Soldiers of the Caliphate released a video purportedly showing the beheading of kidnapped mountain guide Herve Gourdel.
France
French Jets Conduct First Airstrikes Against ISIS In Iraq
President Francois Hollande says the Rafale fighters "entirely destroyed" a logistics depot. His office said more air operations against Islamic State militants would be conducted in coming days.
France Presses On With Deal To Sell Two Warships To Russia
Amid ongoing fighting in Ukraine and stepped-up U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia, the deal has met with little criticism in the shipbuilding town of St. Nazaire, where it has created 2,500 jobs.
Little 'Libraires' That Could: French Law Would Keep Amazon At Bay
A proposed law in France prevents online booksellers like Amazon from pricing books at deep discounts. It's the French government's latest effort to protect the country's many independent bookshops.
French Maker Of Military Rafts Gets An American Identity
Zodiac produces most of the inflatable rafts used by the U.S. military. But a California company challenged that contract, saying it violates a requirement that the Defense Department use products made with American material and by U.S. workers. In response, Zodiac set up a factory in Maryland.
'Burqa Ban' Sparks Another Round Of Clashes In France
Police enforcement of a ban on women wearing full-face veils in public places sparked unrest in a Paris suburb over the weekend. The law was approved two years ago, but remains a sensitive issue.
An Online Upstart Roils French Media, Politics
The Web newspaper Mediapart is turning conventional wisdom about the Internet and journalism on its head. It offers in-depth reporting without fluff or advertising. The publication is turning a profit, and creating an uproar in a country where the media has often been too cozy with power.
Let Them Eat Grass: Paris Employs Sheep As Eco-Mowers
City officials in Paris are experimenting with an unconventional way to keep urban lawns trimmed. They are using sheep as a "green" alternative to gas-powered lawn mowers.
Parisian Women Now (Officially) Allowed To Wear Pants
Pants-wearing Parisian women are finally fashionably legal: the law restricting women to dresses and skirts has been lifted. While the principle is exciting, Parisian women have been wearing pants for decades.