FRANCE
Le Havre Is a Paradise
The town of Le Havre is the least beloved of all French seaside towns. Come and meet its angels.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man... to Solicit Prostitution
In response to proposed legislation that would make it illegal to pay for sex in France, a magazine there has launched a cheeky campaign to defend the rights of johns, adopting the language of feminist icon Simone de Beauvoir and pissing off, well...
Prayers, Pilgrims, and Parties
Every May gypsies from all over the world descend on the small French costal town of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to take part in a huge gypsy pilgrimage, the event is part religious event, part tourist phenomenon.
I Spent the Weekend Watching Topless Feminists Piss Off Neo-Nazis
Last Friday, I took the Eurostar from London to Paris to meet the topless feminist protest group Femen. Originally based in the Ukraine, the organization has since spread out across the world. The idea was to film the buildup to Femen's next protest...
Al Qaeda Wants Africa
A soldier called our attention to a severed head facedown in the dust. “Is it Malian, do you think?” The gendarme kicked it over and studied the face. Dark blood dripped from its mouth. A fly crawled up its nose. “Nah, maybe Algerian or Nigerien."
What Are the French Really Up to in Mali?
When it comes to going to war, it’s not too often we get to see France beat the US to the punch. But in the case of Mali, the troubled north African country with a serious jihadi problem, the French are playing the usual American role of global...
Should the Internet Be Taxed?
The upside of establishing a new tax on data mining isn't immediately apparent, but it's there.
World Peace Update
What with India and Pakistan risking a nuclear war by trading bullets all last week, it became obvious that the world would have no problem falling back into its comfort zone of terrorizing itself in the new year.
World Peace Update
This week, milk was used as a weapon. I'm not sure we've ever been further from planetary harmony.
World Peace Update
Oh hai, Israel! Nice of you to join us. Ever since one of your drones took out Hamas' military leader, Ahmed Jabari, in a missile strike last Wednesday, you've been bombing the crap out of the Gaza Strip. Bravo on your maiden appearance in World Peace...
Street Battles Rage in France Over Gay Marriage
A gay marriage bill came up in the National Assembly in October and will be voted on soon. Sensing that the bill will easily pass, La Manif and VITA Alliance are staging their mass protests and demanding that the issue be put to a nationwide referendum...
Camping in France
Camping in France is not the same as camping in the US. It does not mean going off into the woods with a tent and s’mores and experiencing nature at its most raw and virginal. No, camping in France is more like what we refer to as losing: sitting...