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.

What was life like for the poilus, the French soldiers of World War I? In sum, much, much harder than our lives. Subjected to bullets, bombs, death, and all the atrocities of war, these soldiers fought bitterly to protect their homeland, and one another.

Just how bad can stress from work get? Though the effects of stress may not always be visible or immediately apparent, some employees have been driven to insomnia, depression, even suicide because of difficulties at work. Some companies have implemented new anti-stress measures, but will that be enough?

It’s common to see photos of celebrities aged forty and up happily pregnant or pushing a pram. But according to most doctors, a woman’s chances of conceiving drop dramatically after age thirty-eight or so. Of course there are exceptions. Modern medical fertility treatments allowed a sixty-six-year-old Romanian woman to give birth to twins in 2005. But unless we’re willing and able to procure such treatments, which can be financially, emotionally, and physically draining, those who want to wait until their forties to have kids will have to take their chances.

What’s in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out! Thanks to changes in what land is covered by the Champagne Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (or AOC, the French method of labeling foods and wines according to region), some farmers will soon be able to start cultivating official champagne. But not everyone is a winner—some farmers will lose this prestigious appellation.

Another protest on the streets of Paris: this one about the difficulties of obtaining a driving permit. The steep price of a permit is currently about 1200 € in France, and candidates must face long waits of several months or more just to take the test. Increasing the number of driving inspectors would help both to lessen these delays and lower costs.

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!

Buddhist monks and other Tibetans protest against Chinese rule while their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, continues his exile in India. The topic of Tibet was a sore point for China as it prepared to host the Summer Olympics.

Chantal Sébire, whose face was disfigured by a large and incurable tumor that caused her excruciating pain and made her blind, had one request: to end her own life. But the French government refused to allow her to obtain a prescription from her doctor for a lethal amount of drugs. One week after this report, Ms. Sébire was found dead in her home.

Choosing a name for a new baby is just one of the tricky tasks parents face. Should you go with a classic, like Jeanne; a trendy name, like Mathéo; or an old-school throwback, like Alphonse? It can be tough to decide, but if all else fails, just use your alphabet blocks!

In this new series, Le Jour où tout a basculé (The Day When Everything Turned Upside Down), a mother and son's close relationship is about to change. Enzo, who lives with his mother Murielle, runs into a man with a distinctive tattoo. Determined to track down the man, whom he believes to be his father, he starts an inquiry of his own despite his mother's skepticism.

Enzo is convinced a man with a thorny rose tattoo is his father. He can't wait to share his discovery with his mother, but she claims it's not possible: because of his shady past, his father can't be in the country. But Enzo doesn't want to believe her....

Enzo's mother finally admits that she knew of his father's whereabouts and asks for Enzo's forgiveness for keeping it a secret. Enzo is still in shock and not ready to forgive her. He's following another lead, a young woman who may eventually take him to his real father.

Enzo unexpectedly meets his father for the first time at Angèle's house. Feeling extremely awkward, he cuts short his visit with Angèle, who, of course, doesn't understand. She later reveals her true feelings for Enzo, who recoils when she tries to kiss him. Angèle storms off, hurt and mystified.

Enzo meets Angèle's dad Brice again and seizes the opportunity to take a picture of him by pretending to admire his tattoo. His hopes of finding his real father are dashed when he shows his mother the photograph, and she doesn't recognize the face. The only bright spot in all this is that Angèle may not be his sister after all.