French Find $13M From Heist

(NEWSER) - A lone gunman boldly stepped into a plush Chopard store in Paris and walked out with $8 million in gems yesterday, reports the BBC. The thief, dressed in a suit and fedora, forced the staff to hand over 15 pieces of jewelry, then calmly exited into the aftyernoon sun. Late last year armed robbers stole $102 million in jewels from a shop off the Champs-Elysées. Yesterday's heist was on the exclusive Place Vendôme near the Ritz and the Ministry of Justice. More»

Rival shrugs as president officially launches bid

(NEWSER) - To the surprise of nobody in France, Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that he's seeking a second term as president. He officially launched his re-election bid in a TV interview last night, comparing himself to a "ship captain whose boat is in the thick of a storm," and promising that "if the French trust me and give me another five years in office, these five years will not be the same as the first.” More»

Pamela Druckerman: They teach their kids patience

(NEWSER) - Tiger Mom showed us why Chinese parents were better, and now Pamela Druckerman is making a case for the French. Short version: The grownups are in charge, and they don't cater to their kids' every whim. They teach their children patience and tend not to wind up with spoiled brats. French parents "have managed to be involved with their families without becoming obsessive," writes Druckerman, an American raising three children in France. (Yes, there's a book: Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting.) More»

Financial transactions to be taxed starting this summer

(NEWSER) - With the French presidential election just three months away, Nicolas Sarkozy took to the airwaves last night to tell voters about a tax hike. The president announced a sales tax rise from 19.6% to 21.2% and a new "Robin Hood" tax on financial transactions, the BBC reports. Sarkozy said he wants to "create a shockwave" with the 0.1% levy and he hopes other European countries will soon follow his lead. More»

Turkey expected to withdraw ambassador

(NEWSER) - If you are in France and deny that Turkey committed "genocide" against 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-1916, be prepared to be fined $57,000 and spend a year in jail. Actually, the new legislation applies to genocide denial in general, but it is the law's application to the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey nearly 100 years ago that has Turkey furious—and Armenia elated, of course—reports the BBC . More»