300 Cars Torched in Bastille Day Riots

More than 200 high schools were disrupted yesterday

(NEWSER) - Protests over plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 have brought much of France to a standstill, and authorities fear the civil unrest is just getting started. Young people have joined the strikes and protests that have disrupted daily life and a wide swath of industry. More than 200 high schools were blocked or disrupted yesterday and nearly 300 people were arrested as youths clashed with riot police in a dozen cities, the AP reports. More»

Attacks against officers won't be tolerated, he says

(NEWSER) - Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to bring armed rioters to justice after visiting wounded policemen in the hospital today, saying, “Opening fire at officials has a name—attempted murder.” More police were deployed last night, bringing violence down, but buildings and cars were burned throughout Paris and Toulouse, the BBC reports. Sarkozy also promised a judicial inquiry into the deaths that ignited the riots. More»

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»

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»