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.

Cannabis use amongst French youth has more than doubled in the past ten years, and some parents are blaming it for their children’s erratic behavior. Specialists say that even moderate daily use can have detrimental effects on schoolwork.

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

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

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.

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.

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

In France, one is registered to vote automatically upon reaching voting age.

Marianne is the symbol of the French Republic and has roots in the revolution of 1789. But are French mayors ready to represent the France of today with a Marianne of color?

Homelessness is difficult for anyone, but for women the dangers can be more acute and the experience even more alienating than for men.

Sure, everyone likes to laugh, even the French, but can it really be good for your heart? Scientists seem to believe mais oui!

Microcredit can make a big difference to people on welfare or those without good credit history. Case in point: this fifty-five-year-old man who succeeded in opening up his own pizzeria thanks to the help he received.

The magic of Nicolas Ghesquière? Innovating, without betraying the heritage of the venerable fashion house of Balenciaga.

This newspaper, called “The Sapper’s Candle” (a “sapper” is traditionally a military man who disarms mines), only comes out on the leap year. But how can a periodical published only on February twenty-ninth be financially sound? Maybe it’s true: less is more.

A first look at French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to South Africa. He proposes a new axis in the capital’s “Francafrican” politics and shores up relations with English-speaking Africa.

What are the cultural differences between Americans and the French? Hear the opinions of this French family visiting New York. What do you think? Are the French really more attentionnés? Who holds more compelling church services? And most importantly, who has the best hamburgers?

On the final leg of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to South Africa, the leader meets with Nelson Mandela (after visiting the cell where Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years), and speaks about the importance of being a uniter—not a divider.

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.

Chanel and its “rock star” designer, Karl Lagerfeld; Loewe, the “Spanish Hermès,” and its creator José Enrique Ona Selfa; Yves Saint-Laurent under the direction of Stefano Pilati: each line offers a distinctive and beautiful collection.

Which four designers’ collections are not to miss (if your income is in the seven digits)? Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Loewe, and, for your delicate foot, René Caovilla and his sparkling handmade Venetian shoes.

The last in our four-part series on Paris fashion week showcases the latest collections of Lanvin by Alber Elbaz, Christian Lacroix and his luxury ready-to-wear, Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs, and Hermès by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

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.

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.