Topic: France
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Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile
Word from the White House that Syria probably resorted to small-scale use of chemical weapons against rebel forces in the country's civil war draws new attention to the internationally-banned nerve agent sarin.Perhaps the best-known recent use of sarin previously was in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack, in which at least 13 people died. But sarin’s legacy is about to get an update and henceforth seems likely to be associated with Syria and its besieged president, Bashar al-Assad.
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2013 Pulitzer Prize winners: 4 excellent books
Months before the Pulitzer Prize committee got there, the Monitor's book critics had already let readers know that these four books were something special. Here's why.
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Thomas Jefferson: 16 quotes on his birthday
Here are 16 quotes to mark the birthday of American founding father Thomas Jefferson.
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12 promising novels for spring 2013
Here are 12 spring 2013 fiction titles that we're looking forward to picking up.
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10 influential authors who came to the US as immigrants
These 10 immigrant authors have all made significant contributions to US literature and culture.
All Content
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Global News Blog May Day protests: From Bangladesh to Europe, angry workers rally in the tens of thousands (+video)
But this year's May Day demonstrations come on the heels of the tragic Bangladesh factory collapse, a potent symbol for many of the importance of workers' rights.
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Deanna Durbin dies: Child actress walked away from film career as an adult
Deanna Durbin dies: She starred as a teenager with such actors as Judy Garland in the 1930s. Deanna Durbin, who according to her son died a few days ago, also starred in musicals.
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Focus
With no jobs in the city, country life is coming back to SpainAfter decades of population loss to cities, rural areas in Spain – and across Europe – have been gaining allure as havens from the ongoing recession.
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Opinion: Why civilian courts are best for terror trials, especially Boston bombing suspect
As more than 1,000 terrorism trials over the last decade show, the federal court system is well equipped to handle terrorism cases like that of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. His trial may also help harmonize US counterterrorism efforts with those of its allies.
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Energy Voices Prague blast: How big a threat are natural gas explosions? (+video)
An explosion in Prague follows by a day a blast in France, both thought to linked to natural gas. Big natural gas blasts like the one in Prague are rare in the US, but more could be done to avoid them, experts say.
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When 'terror' doesn't mean 'terrorism'
The public conversation loses something when terror – a human emotion – becomes an all-purpose synonym for terrorism, a political or ideological tactic.
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Global News Blog The Paris beat: not all chocolat et fromage
Europe bureau chief Sara Llana writes that getting through immigration's bureaucracy in Paris is a lot harder than in her last assignment, Mexico City.
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As Dutch prepare for new king, republicans ask to abolish monarchy (+video)
On Tuesday, Queen Beatrix will abdicate and her son will ascend to the Dutch crown. But some Dutch see the monarchy as an unwanted anachronism in an otherwise modern democracy.
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'Derrick' actor: Nazi with SS? Dutch TV pulls show
'Derrick' actor: Nazi with SS? The late German actor Horst Tappert, known for his role as TV sleuth Stefan Derrick, was reportedly a member of a Nazi SS unit during World War II.
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Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile
Word from the White House that Syria probably resorted to small-scale use of chemical weapons against rebel forces in the country's civil war draws new attention to the internationally-banned nerve agent sarin.Perhaps the best-known recent use of sarin previously was in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack, in which at least 13 people died. But sarin’s legacy is about to get an update and henceforth seems likely to be associated with Syria and its besieged president, Bashar al-Assad.
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Greece starts firing civil servants for first time in a century
The Greek government began its first mass-firing of public-sector workers in more than 100 years this week, part of an effort to lay off 180,000 by 2015 under Europe-imposed austerity.
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White House all but sure Syria used chemical weapons – but needs to be sure
Since August, President Obama has laid down use or transfer of Syria’s chemicals weapons as a 'red line.' The White House letter puts the US closer to acknowledging such a line has been crossed.
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Global News Blog Switzerland shuts the door on EU migrants: A new 'us vs. them' in Europe?
News that Switzerland is capping residence permits for Western Europeans reached the Monitor's Europe bureau chief as she was having her own intolerable immigration experience.
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Peacekeeping force for unsettled Mali gets unanimous UN vote
Resolution 2100 has French troops replaced by blue helmets and at least half the UN force will be from Africa. Al Qaeda-linked militants are still fighting in Mali's northern mountains.
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Chorus grows against Obama administration's sanctions-heavy Iran policy
The Obama administration's effort to end Iran's nuclear program has focused on punitive measures, with little diplomatic outreach. Critics say this jeopardizes negotiations.
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Bangladesh building collapse: Is the country's reputation among the injured?
Following the collapse of a garment factory building on Wednesday morning in Bangladesh, physicians at nearby hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of people needing attention. It appears factory owners ignored a warning not to let workers into the building when a crack was noticed on Tuesday.
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Chemical weapons in Syria? What Obama's high bar for proof could mean.
Three key US allies – Britain, France, and Israel – have said Syria has used chemical weapons in its civil war, but the US, wary of intervening in the conflict, is calling the evidence 'inconclusive.'
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Lance Armstrong sued by US for Postal Service sponsorship
Lance Armstrong is being sued by the US government. According to the Justice Department, Armstrong defrauded the Postal Service by taking millions of dollars in sponsorship money while doping.
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Let's Talk Diabetes with Owls
David Sedaris proves as quick-witted as ever in this new collection of essays.
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Tunisians yearn for the good old days of a strongman
Tunisians still revile ousted leader President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, but admiration is rising for his predecessor, who had strongman tendencies of his own but also helped Tunisia flourish.
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French embassy bombing hits embassy and innocent neighbors
The French embassy bombing this morning in Tripoli, Libya, started fires in the embassy itself and several nearby buildings, including homes outside the French compound. Two embassy guards were wounded in the bombing, as was a Libyan girl eating breakfast.
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Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and Ospreys
The US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
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Could chemical weapons in Syria force Obama's hand?
President Obama last August declared that any use or transport of Syria's chemical weapons would constitute a 'red line' for US policy toward the country. Now Israel, Britain, and France say they have evidence that Syria has crossed that line.
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Energy Voices BP delays $10 billion Gulf of Mexico project due to rising costs
BP's largest new oil project in the Gulf, called Mad Dog Phase 2, sits atop a 4 billion barrel oil field. BP blames 'market conditions and industry inflation' for delay.
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France approves gay marriage after surprisingly violent debate
The French parliament voted to legalize gay marriage today, becoming the 14th country to do so. But France's road to marriage equality has been surprisingly divisive, bitter, and even bloody.
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