At the Paris Salon du Livre this year, in response to the visit of the Israeli president, six Arab nations decided to exclude themselves from the event. Some attendees were puzzled by the boycott, especially considering that many Israeli writers are known to advocate the creation of a Palestinian state. With all that pressure, no wonder the roof collapsed!

Corrine shares some more with us about the rich culture of the South of France, and she even puts on her best southern accent for us!

In our last interview with Fanny and Corrine, we hear a bit more about Brittany and learn about multiculturalism in France and how cultures can influence languages.

In this video brought to us by Allons en France, a French government program that encourages students to learn the language and culture of France, young people from all over the world tell us about what learning French means to them.

Lazare Ponticelli was the last of the “Poilus” — French infantry soldiers who served in World War I. Ponticelli, who was actually an Italian immigrant to France, first served in the French Foreign Legion and then eventually, the Italian army. He died in 2008 at the age of 110.

We’re all a part of this big, happy family that is humanity. Now if only we could get our “universal citizen” passports…

Mauritius has taken preventative measures to stop the Chikungunya virus from spreading, unlike nearby island Réunion. Tourists are more likely to feel safe thanks to strict controls at the airport and continued observation from health officials.

Two students from Gabon were expelled from a French University and deported back to their home country for having low grades in school. One was even forced to leave behind his wife and young daughter (a French citizen). The government of Gabon is not pleased and may take measures to retaliate in kind.

Young Tunisians take to the streets on May 1 to voice their discontent about Sarkozy's inflexible stance on refugee resettlement, which many see as racist.

Le Journal reports on the birth of first male heir in the Japanese royal family in over forty years. Spoiler alert: His name is Hisahito, and he's doing quite well these days.

This news report documents a trek by UNIFIL into Hezbollah territory in Lebanon for a mission of observation.

Over sixty musicians have come together as part of UNICEF's Paris-Africa project, which provides support to victims of the recent drought in East Africa. Their efforts have culminated in this beautiful single, Des Ricochets (Skipping Stones).

The actress Aïssa Maïga talks about her work for UNESCO, which has partnered with Always to promote literacy among women and girls in Senegal and other countries.

It's back to the past, with the Once Upon a Time series. How did America get its name? Take a trip back to Renaissance Italy in this first episode of The Explorers to find out.

He may not know it yet, but Amerigo Vespucci's life is about to change. Though he works as a successful banker, Amerigo feels restless and aspires to greater things. Luckily, Lorenzo de' Medici has offered him the opportunity of a lifetime: a trip to Spain to help Christopher Columbus prepare for an expedition to the Indies.