After leaving France for Belgium to protest rising taxes, Gérard Depardieu embraces Russian citizenship–and further insults his homeland by ducking his Paris trial for drunk driving.
France
Oh la Vache! Burger King Returns to France
On Saturday, Burger King opened a brand-new branch of its fast-food restaurant at the Marseilles airport — the first branch of the global burger chain in France since 1997
French Teacher Suspended For Essay Assignment Justifying Suicide
A French educator sparks controversy with an essay assignment to adolescent students, asking them to contemplate and justify the suicide impulse–one 500,000 French youths act upon each year.
C’est It Ain’t So Gégé: French Actor Depardieu Reportedly Seeks Tax Refuge In Belgium
Larger — and messier — than life actor Gérard Depardieu has reportedly moved to Belgium to avoid paying French taxes, which risks turning the movie hero into a real-life heel in financially-stricken France.
French Chateau Demolished ‘By Mistake’ During Renovation
A Polish millionaire says his workers accidentally destroyed the 18th century chateau he was renovating, but villagers in the vineyard town of Yvrac smell a rat.
Hold That Toast: France’s Champagne Harvest Is the Worst in 40 Years
French Champagne producers are facing an “unprecedented” combination of bad weather and disease that is bringing down harvest yields by 40 percent.
French Government Goes Back To School for Anti-Sexism Training
Members of French President Hollande’s cabinet undergo obligatory sexism awareness training as part of a push to attain gender equality–with mixed initial results
Ew La La! New Poll Sullies French Reputation for Personal Hygiene
An new poll indicates nearly a quarter of all French people bathe every other day–or even once per week. Though the minority, those grubby few may suffice to reinforce Anglo-American stereotypes of an ill-scrubbed France.
French President François Hollande Promises to Ban Homework as Part of Educational Initiatives
If he manages to push his latest proposals through, French President François Hollande may find himself with a few more young supporters on his side.
French Woman Receives $15 Quadrillion Cell Phone Bill
If Thomas Paine were to update his famous quotation for modern times, perhaps he’d consider cell phone companies just as necessary of an evil as he did government back in 1776. And a French woman has reason to complain louder …
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Confesses the Errors of His Ways — Sort of
The former favorite for France’s presidency tells a French newsweekly he’s to blame for the sex scandals that brought him to disgrace–but does a fair bit of rationalization too.
French First Lady Risks Controversy —This Time, with Chocolates
With her politically disastrous Twitter swipe at her partner’s ex- scarcely behind her, French First Lady Valérie Trierweiler risks possible diplomatic ire from Mexico with a show of support for a French inmate in Mexican prison …