French Youth Join Fight Against Working 'Til Age 62

President promises to get gas flowing again, clamp down on 'troublemakers'

(NEWSER) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants his striking, rioting countrymen to calm down, act responsibly—and work until they are 62. He issued an appeal for calm yesterday as protests over plans to raise the retirement age continued to rock the country, the Guardian reports. Sarkozy insisted that he has no intention of backing down on his controversial reforms. Cars were torched and shops looted as protesters clashed with police in several cities yesterday. More»

(NEWSER) - France's celebration of the 320th anniversary of rioters storming the Bastille was marred by major riots, Der Speigel reports. Over 300 cars were torched in cities across the country, and hundreds of arrests were made as youths hurled home-made explosives at police, injuring several officers. Authorities say the number of incidents is up from last year, despite the introduction of tough new laws to deter rioters. More»

But pension protests beginning to wane

(NEWSER) - French workers fighting a plan to raise the retirement age to 62 are costing the country's economy over $500 million a day, the nation's finance minister warned yesterday. Oil refineries have been blocked for nearly two weeks and uncollected garbage has been piling up in several cities—but the protest movement is showing signs of weakening, the Guardian reports. More»

Anyone found guilty of murder will be executed, says party head

(NEWSER) - After thousands of troops were deployed to quell ethnic unrest in the Chinese city of Urumqi, “the situation is under control,” said officials—who vowed to execute anyone behind the riot's 156 deaths. Most of those charged with murder so far have been students, said the city’s Communist Party head, noting that “everyone, and particularly the Han people, should show restraint,” the BBC reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rivals for the Iranian presidency were placed under house arrest in the wake of the disputed election results as fiery riots beoke out across Tehran, the Los Angeles Times reports. Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi, who had declared victory before the Interior Ministry's announcement that Ahmadinejad had prevailed, called the official results a "dangerous charade." More»