The town of Nîmes goes all out for Christmas, with thousands of lights and giant candy canes all along the streets. It might just be the most festive city in France!

Marion Cotillard was not a superstar when she landed the role of Edith Piaf in La Môme. But, already a formidable actress, she had an impressive set of roles under her belt, and the film’s director had no doubt she was “the one.” He was right: Marion took home the Oscar for best actress in 2008.

An interesting note: The USA release title for the film – in French, ironically enough – is La Vie en Rose, the name of a famous Piaf song, which basically means, “life through rose-colored glasses.” The French title comes from Piaf’s nickname: “La Môme Piaf,” which can be translated as “the little sparrow,” but also means “little kid Piaf.”

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.

Workers for the power company in the city of Lille aren’t happy and want management to know it. So they sabotaged the grid, cutting off power to thousands of businesses and residences. Despite the inconvenience, the mayor, and even many residents, support the workers.

Though we reported that some of the residents of Lille support the power workers and their blackout strikes, it turns out that not all of them do. Office workers shout from balconies to give the strikers a piece of their minds, and the workers respond in kind.

As Laurent Voulzy is walking down the beach, he chances upon a fan, and sings a little duet with her. At his concert that night, she’ll be in the front row. Can that “change the face of the world”?

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are a bit controversial, because they aren't as environmentally friendly as they claim to be and are being sponsored by some big oil companies. Learn more in this video.

The medieval Alsatian town of Riquewihr is a popular holiday destination due to its fairytale-like setting and charming Christmas markets. But problems can arise with the enormous amount of people visiting the area every year.

Why is sunflower oil so expensive? Sophie and Patrice talk about grocery store prices and how it reminds them of the early days of COVID.

This helpful news report explains what goes on during the United Nations General Assembly meetings. Can you guess which world leader held the floor the longest, for over four hours?

Nelly talks about a vibrant Celtic festival in Brittany, plus other highlights of her summer vacation, including horseback riding and playing the drums!

Over coffee, Nelly discusses some current events that are capturing French people's attention. Learn about the huge fire in the south of France, the women's Tour de France winner, and the controversy surrounding the Bayeux Tapestry.

Does daylight savings really make sense? According to this report, it is becoming harder to justify its existence, prompting some countries to drop the idea altogether.

Find out how Pope Leo XIV was chosen after a complicated process. This video explains in great detail how the college of cardinals gather for a conclave in the Vatican to elect the pope.

Sophie likes the French weekly Le Canard enchaîné because it's one of the few remaining newspapers with some independence. She and Patrice discuss what makes a newspaper honest and objective.