Sarkozy Vows to Punish Rioters

But amateur video contradicts cops' story about boys' death

(NEWSER) - The Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel was relatively calm last night as hundreds of police dressed in riot gear restored order and a helicopter with searchlights hovered over the town. France's interior minister visited the suburb late last night, where a few rioters burned cars but no mass action took place, Reuters reports. Isolated incidents also arose in several other Parisian suburbs. 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»

Voters steamed over economy, president's marital drama

(NEWSER) - French voters dealt Nicolas Sarkozy another blow today in the second round of local balloting. The maverick president's right-wing UMP party lost mayorships in Strasbourg and Reims to opposition socialists, who also gained Toulouse and held on to power bases in Paris and Lyon, the BBC reports. UMP retained control of Marseilles. More»

1,000 cops bust 33 for riots in raid on immigrant communities

(NEWSER) - More than 1,000 French police stormed housing projects in three largely immigrant communities outside of Paris early today and arrested 33 suspects believed linked to riots in November, AP reports. Police sources said two gang leaders in particular organized the street violence that included armed rioters in what they described as a "quasi-military operation." More»

He will beef up police, boost jobs to try to conquer poverty, ethnic tension

(NEWSER) - Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a three-year plan to resurrect the poverty-torn suburbs of France, saying the "very idea of the nation is at stake." The plan calls for a major boost in police officers to crack down on pervasive drug dealers, the BBC reports, along with a bid to create 100,000 new jobs. The suburbs teem with ethnic and racial tension and have seen major riots in recent years. More»