Youssou N’Dour, one of the world’s most beloved French-speaking musicians, hails not from France, but from Africa.

Will French dentists soon have their patients grow new teeth, instead of filling in the old ones? New techniques using restorative molecules and even stem cells (which can be found in the baby teeth of children) will go a long way toward helping people smile filling-free.

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

Ten months of training go into learning to fly a helicopter, but less time is being spent aloft. More and more flight hours are logged in a hyper-realistic simulator that allows young pilots to hone their skills without ever leaving the earth.

Billions (oui, milliards!) of birds migrate from Africa every year, and with bird flu developing rapidly, their arrival to France is closely monitored at the Marquenterre National Park. Learn how French scientists and engineers there have taken innovative measures to make it difficult for the virus to settle in the mud where the birds like to feed.

One school is no longer serving chicken, claiming that children aren’t eating it when served due to fears of avian flu. The mayor is behind this decision – despite the protests of parents and chicken farmers – citing the “principle of precaution.”

Beautiful snow Leopards and Madagascar tortoises! The European Program protects rare species such as these in zoos, with the goal to eventually release them (or their children) back into the wild.

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

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.

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.

The French singer Serge Gainsbourg is still remembered long after his death by fans, English rockers, and songwriter (and first lady of France) Carla Bruni.

Pain, and how to better manage it, is becoming increasingly focused on by members of the medical community. Some hospitals have even appointed special doctors for pain management and a few are opening pain management centers.

Take a walk with Dominique de Villepin, during the latter part of his term as France's Prime Minister, through Marseilles in the south of France.