Categories
Future

Hollywood 2.0 – Is The Future Of Acting In Video Games?

PARIS – “It was an intense challenge but absolutely awesome!” says actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception) about the new PlayStation game Beyond: Two Souls. Page interprets every scene using the same performance-capture technology as Avatar, which records movement and voice. The game, created by French developer Quantic Dream, and to be released in October, pushes […]

Categories
Future

What You Need To Know To Avoid Being Cyber-Kidnapped

Beware of “Ransomware”…

Categories
Food / Travel

After Horsemeat Scandal, France’s Ten Simple Tips For Better Eating

PARIS – The horsemeat lasagna scandal has reignited the debate on “junk” food. However, it can be very difficult to sort out the good and the bad… Some key recommendations from Dr. Laurent Chevalier, a prominent French nutritionist: 1 – Favor organic products. They are less contaminated by chemicals – especially pesticides and hormones – […]

Categories
Society

Ending The Taboo Of Illiteracy In The Corporate World

PARIS – Among the 2.5 million people who are illiterate in France, there are also executives from the corporate world. Because of the jobs they hold, these people are very good at hiding their inability to read or write, making this phenomenon impossible to quantify — some have dubbed it the “invisible affliction.” When he […]

Categories
Society

Watch These People Ski In Montmartre! (Video)

Worldcrunch PARIS – In the north of Paris, the neighborhood of Montmartre is known for its Sacré Coeur Basilica perched on a hill, that offers splendid views of the capital. The tourist favorite is also where the Amelie movie was filmed. During the winter however, the neighborhood transforms into the city’s top ski destination. It […]

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Society

In France, Fast Food Continues To Undermine Traditional Cuisine

NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – When you think of French cuisine, visions sparkle of a leisurely countryside bistro or elaborate meals conjured up by the likes of super chef Alain Ducasse. On a rainy Monday in the capital, the reality looks much more like a study just released by the consulting firm Gira Conseil […]

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Society

In New York, Signs Of A Quiet Exodus Of Jews From France

Last March’s killings at a Jewish elementary school in Toulouse shocked many, but French Jews have been feeling less secure for years. Some leave, though security isn’t the only reason.

Categories
Economy

Disposable Economics: Why France’s Bic Is Hotter Than Louis Vuitton

PARIS – The future of the “Made in France” label doesn’t just hinge on Champagne, Airbus or luxury handbags. The Bic company’s annual report, released on Feb. 13, proves it – it’s possible to make a good living in the West with an alternative economic model based on mass-produced cheap products. The company still makes […]

Categories
Ideas

Karl Marx Dies A Second Death As EU Moves To Cap Banker Bonuses

-OpEd- PARIS – Game over for the last of the European Marxists. Europe is getting ready to cap the size of bonuses for bankers. New rules would prevent bankers in European Union countries from receiving bonuses higher than their annual salary. This world first would put an end to the practice that allows these “workers” […]

Categories
Society

Ooh La La – French Art Museum Censored By Facebook For Nude Photograph

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR (France), FACEBOOK Worldcrunch PARIS – On Friday, the Jeu de Paume museum’s Facebook account was blocked for 24 hours, following a decision by Facebook to remove a photograph the Parisian museum posted on its page and which the social network ruled was a violation of its Rights and Responsibilities guidelines. We have […]

Categories
Geopolitics

Sarkozy Already Planning Comeback: “I’m Doing It For My Country”

RUE89, BVA (FRANCE) Worldcrunch PARIS – In an exclusive interview with right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he was thinking about a political comeback. After his defeat at the last presidential elections, Sarkozy had said he was leaving politics for good. According to Rue 89, the interview will be published […]

Categories
Society

Economic Crisis Makes France’s Historic Public Bathhouses A Modern Necessity

PARIS – Their vintage facades date back from a time when apartments didn’t have bathrooms. For many people, washing up meant a sink and cold water. The whole family went to these public baths, regularly or for special occasions. But as time passed, these public baths were transformed into nightclubs, shops – or simply demolished. […]

Categories
Society

Fashion Retailer Mango Apologizes For “Slave Style” Necklace

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR (France), THE GUARDIAN (UK) Worldcrunch PARIS – Spanish fashion retailer Mango has issued an official apology for advertizing a necklace on its French website as “slave style,” blaming it on a “translation error.” Screenshot of the incriminating ad on Mango’s French website now removed French actresses Aïssa Maïga and Sonia Rolland quickly […]

Categories
Society

Stephane Hessel, Best-Selling French Author, Father Of The Occupy Movement, Dead At 95

LE MONDE, AFP, FRANCE 24, LIBERATION (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – Stephane Hessel, the French best-selling author, Resistance figure and diplomat died last night at age 95. He is mostly known however, for his rights activism – his tireless combat for the disenfranchised and illegal immigrants, writes France 24 and is considered the father of the […]

Categories
Future

Hackers Black Market: Selling System Flaws And Fixes To The Highest Bidder

PARIS – In 140 characters of hacker jargon, French security company Vupen tweeted on Oct. 30, 2012 that they had discovered a security flaw in Windows 8 and that they were selling it to the highest bidder. Our first 0day for Win8+IE10 with HiASLR/AntiROP/DEP & Prot Mode sandbox bypass (Flash not needed) is ready for […]

Categories
Geopolitics

Video Shows French Family Held Hostage, Islamist Captors Threaten Death

LES ECHOS, RTL, FRANCETV INFO (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – A video has been posted on YouTube showing members of a French family of seven, including four children, who were taken hostage last week by Boko Haram, the Nigerian Islamist sect. The three-minute video, which was posted on Monday, shows the French family – two men, […]

Categories
Society

Watch Beckham Bend It In Paris

Worldcrunch PARIS – David Beckham has finally made his much anticipated debut in Paris, almost one month after signing for Paris Saint-Germain. Here’s Becks warming up before Sunday’s kick-off. Although he only played for the last 14 minutes of Sunday night’s game, Becks was finally given a chance to get his much-advertized bottom off the […]

Categories
The Next Pope

Pope’s Resignation Shock Helps Latin Raise Its Ancient Voice

The most alive of the dead languages is also getting a boost in some surprising corners outside the Vatican walls.

Categories
Society

American CEO Adds To Long History Of French-Bashing

And don’t forget: bad blood runs in both directions!

Categories
Society

Former DSK Lover’s Lurid Memoir: He Was “Half Man, Half Pig”

And a bit “Poodle” too, according to Marcela Iacub, a lawyer and writer who had an eight-month affair with Strauss-Kahn last year.

Categories
blog

Diamond Heist, The Sequel: After Brussels Airport, Paris Department Store Hit

FRANCE 24, LE PARISIEN (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – A day after armed men pulled off a spectacular 50 million euro diamond heist at Brussels Airport, two men made off with 3 million euros worth of diamonds after holding up a popular department store in central Paris on Tuesday night. The heist happened in broad daylight […]

Categories
Food / Travel

The Absolute 100% Pure Truth Behind The Lies Of Horsegate

Horsemeat in our pure processed delights! Are we innocent victims or willing suckers of the consumer marketing machine?

Categories
Society

Are Femen Activists Undermining Their Own Cause?

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR, 20 MINUTES (France) Worldcrunch PARIS –Eight members of the feminist Ukrainian group FEMEN celebrated Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement this week by disrobing inside Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The bare-breasted activists rang the cathedral’s new bells — currently exposed in the middle of the nave — with sticks, before getting […]

Categories
Society

Global Love: 14 Valentines From Around The World

Worldcrunch 1. ARGENTINA – The twin sister of a murdered model is set to wed her dead sister’s killer, much to the dismay of her parents, according to Buenos Aires daily Clarín. The wedding has been in the works for months, but these two lovebirds hold back nothing when it comes to romance: the ceremony […]

Categories
Future

Killing MP3 – A Quality Streaming Alternative To iTunes, Spotify “Compressed” Sound

CANNES – “The MP3 is dead.” As the Midem yearly music industry event opened in France last week, Yves Riesel, president of music streaming service Qobuz, declared the end of the top online music format. “From Feb. 1, we won’t be selling MP3s anymore. All of our downloadable content will be in CD quality sound, […]

Categories
Society

Tips To Regulate “Screen Time” For Your Kids, From Infants To Teens

PARIS – Temptations for children take many forms: video games, computers, TV, tablets. According to French audience measurement company Mediametrie, children between four and 14 spend more than two hours in front of the TV every day. On Jan. 22, the French Academy of Sciences issued a warning about children watching television or movies from […]

Categories
Future

New Study: Diet Soda May Cause More Diabetes Than Regular Soft Drinks

LES ECHOS (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – A new French study has found that the risk of diabetes may actually increase more with the consumption of diet or light soft drinks than with sugary ones. Researchers at Inserm, the French biomedical and public health research institution, followed the health and consumption habits of 66,188 women since […]

Categories
Future

Hacktivism United: NGOs, Hackers Team Up To Take Down Common Enemies

PARIS – “The melting Arctic is under threat…Let’s take action!” Last July, Greenpeace launched a vast media campaign to “stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic”, as the oil giant was getting ready to open its second Arctic well off Alaska. Greenpeace’s campaign garnered huge support from the general public, but it also reached the […]

Categories
Society

“To Zlatanate Is To Dominate” – Soccer Superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic Speaks

PARIS – Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the famed Swedish superstar striker of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) soccer team has just released his autobiography, entitled “I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” He spoke with Le Monde. LE MONDE: This book sold 700,000 copies in Sweden. Did you expect it to be such a hit?ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC: That is more than 7% […]

Categories
Society

Literary Revolutionary – Get Paid For Finishing An E-Book

PARIS – Kevin Kelly is a stimulating iconoclast. How many books are bought but not read? Probably many more than we think. Hence the idea of paying readers who read a book from the beginning to the end. Kevin Kelly thought about patenting his idea, but, since ideas don’t necessarily make a project, he decided […]

Categories
Future

Will Plastic Bags Ever Disappear?

A technological marvel, the plastic bag has become a symbol of humankind’s ecological footprint. Laws and habits are decreasing their use, but the alternative is sometimes worse.

Categories
Food / Travel

The Quaintest European Village In The Jungles Of Southeast Asia

The taste of Alsace deep in the Malaysian heartland.

Categories
Society

Les Beckhams Come To Paris – A Week In The Life

WORLDCRUNCH Worldcrunch PARIS – When David Beckham announced that he had signed a five-month contract with France’s Paris Saint-Germain soccer club, millions of fans of both Monsieur and Madame Spice started fantasizing about the Beckhams moving from the city of angels to the city of lights. As it turns out, Becks and Posh’s kids are […]

Categories
Future

Why A Sense Of Smell Is Crucial For Male Sexual Conquest

A new study offers fascinating evidence that men who have no sense of smell have serious difficulty finding partners. For women, there is no such clear correlation.

Categories
Ideas

As Mali Turns, A French Take On Just Wars, Quagmire And Limits Of The UN

-Editorial- PARIS – The problem with making statements when you are the President is that you have to follow through. Before the French intervention in Mali, President François Hollande said on Jan. 11 that in Mali, France had “no other purpose than to fight terrorism.” On Jan. 15, he revised his motives: now, on top […]

Categories
Society

Le Plastic C’est Chic – Formica And Vinyl Make A Comeback In French Design

PARIS – Industrial-style metallic chests, steel chairs, and workshop lamps – as soon as they were featured on the pages of mail-to-order furniture catalogs, French hipsters shunned them. Industrial-style is done, dead. It has been replaced by colorful Formica, linoleum and oilcloth fabrics. “Plastic is fantastic!” sang French pop band Elmer Food Beat in 1991 […]

Categories
Society

Incredible Edibles – The ‘Take My Vegetables’ Movement Gets French

SAINT-NAZAIRE- “Business is slow these days, too slow…” says 34-year-old restaurant employee from Saint-Nazaire in western France, Cedric Derouin. As he dries drinking glasses, he talks about the consecutive closings of dozens of local businesses, the laying off of his only coworker a few months ago. He shares his uncertain future with the workers from […]

Categories
Geopolitics

Breakaway Mali Islamist Miliant Group Calls For Peace Talks

AFP, FRANCE 24 (France), REUTERS Worldcrunch BAMAKO- Two weeks after the start of the French military intervention in Mali, the Ansar Dine Islamist militant group has split into two, with the dissident faction calling for peace negotiations. The dissident group is calling itself the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA) according to France 24. In a […]

Categories
Society

From China To France To America, A Backlash Against Overprotective Parents

PARIS – In the U.S., they are called the helicopter parents. These are the hyper-moms and uber-dads who hover relentlessly over their children, transforming themselves into personal assistants on the weekends: driving them to baseball or dance practice, Chinese lessons, screaming at the math teacher who had the nerve to give little darling a B […]

Categories
Geopolitics

The 100 Million “Invisibles” – The Plight Of Domestic Workers Across The World

FRANCE – They are the “invisibles.” Behind closed doors, they cook, clean, take care of children and the elderly. They are often the victims of abuse – sexual and physical – they are underpaid and overworked – sometimes for more than 65 hours a week, they don’t get benefits and rarely have organizations to defend […]

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