The Oradour-sur-Glane massacre took place over a half a century ago, but France still remembers.

The Malgré-nous (Despite Ourselves) are the roughly 130,000 young Alsatians from Lorraine, many of them recruited by force, who served under the Nazis during World War II.

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are joined together by their love for music and each other. The pair met at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako, the capital of Mali.

Nâdiya, a champion athlete, has switched gears to become a chart-busting R&B/hip-hop artist. She is fast becoming a major urban act featuring a great blend of lyrical and instrumental innovation. In this music video, “Et c’est parti,” Nâdiya pairs up ringside with US rapper Smartzee, demonstrating both her physical and artistic talent. This song will surely get you moving!

Cyril Kamar, who later appeared on the music scene as K-Maro, was born in Lebanon. While still a child, he and his family fled to Paris, but finally settled in Quebec.

DJ Gilb’R and I:Cube, a unique duo, are the key ingredients of Château Flight. Their innovative electro-fusion beat, with hints of everything from pop to soul, is demonstrated on their album, The Meal.

Students at the Institute of Taste must carefully imbibe the finest of champagnes, delicacies, and other gourmet specialties.

In 1985, ten million meals were served by Restos du Cœur. By 2004, that number had skyrocketed to sixty million.

Tanguy de la Forest is ready to fly off to the Paralympic Games.

The mortality rate for people with AIDS in France is one fifth of what it once was. Not only that, but modern medications are much easier to schedule.

Public transport has not always been easy for those who use wheelchairs, but the SNCF (French National Railway Company) has been making changes that make for a much more pleasant trip.

In the US, many American truckers don’t want Mexican drivers on the road. A similar situation is brewing in France where drivers from other countries will do the same work for half as much pay.

Newcomers Kader Belarbi and Loumia Hiridjee are bringing fresh blood and talent to the French cultural and commercial landscape.

Only four bears remain in Haut-Béarn, and all of them are male. Nothing can be done to save the population unless some females are introduced.

As a gift to journalists looking for a tongue-in-cheek story, French schools have banned kissing. Students ask, “Where’s the harm?”

Rail travel between Paris and Marseilles used to be a lengthy ordeal. In 1950, the road trip took over ten hours, as did the train. By 2001, the TGV needed only three hours.

Paris to Marseille for just 19 euros. Passengers are thrilled, but the ticket agent unions are not. These internet-only sale prices are putting their jobs at stake. Onboard, passengers can get a massage, or rent a DVD player, making for a more relaxing trip. Book your seat today!

Racing around the world by yourself often means a Christmas at sea. We drop in to the cabin of race leader Jean Le Cam, which has been decorated for the occasion, right down to a little tree.

DJ Mike, from the electronica band NoJazz, tells us about one of his teachers, who suffered from two rather unfortunate problems…

Matthieu Chedid, better known as M, comes from a long line of talented artists. Mathieu is the eldest son of famous French singer Louis Chedid and the grandson of the writer Andrée Chedid.

After finding early success in his native Rwanda in ’93, Corneille was forced to flee his country. “Comme un fils” (“Like a Son”) is representative of his soul roots and affinity for emotional melodies.

On the 9th of November, 1989, the wall that divided the German city of Berlin began to fall along with the East German state that built it. Claudia Rusch, a young Francophile, was one of the first to scramble over what remained of the divide, meeting up with a French friend on the western side. She’s recently recounted her story in a book, which is a best-seller in her native Germany.

Sailing around the world in a boat by yourself might seem like the ultimate in machismo, but the Vendée Globe is not only a man’s game.

It’s been suggested by some that global warming is a myth, but a large scientific study suggests otherwise. The first to suffer will be the animals that call the northern icecap home, such as polar bears and seals.