Sarah DiLorenzo

President Francois Hollande has managed to do what was once thought impossible: make changes to France's cherished and generous retirement system with little resistance from unions. His secret? The changes are so small and put off so far into the future that economists say they aren't worthy of the

With its long vacations, short hours and myriad workers' rights, France has a reputation for being a hard place to do business. Now add this to the mix: A law working its way through parliament would grant amnesty to workers who have ransacked their company's offices or threatened their bosses durin

The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest here is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

A group of entrepreneurs calling themselves "pigeons" - French slang for someone who has been taken advantage of - have mounted a social media campaign against a new French law that will tax investments along the same lines as income. And the angry birds have won their first battle.

An FBI agent recently showed Arnaud de Laforcade several labels supposedly from 1947 bottles of Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of France's finest wines. To the Saint-Emilion vineyard's CFO, they were clearly fakes. But customers may be more easily duped, and France is fighting to protect them.

The wine world's best-known party is beginning - the ritual uncorking of Beaujolais Nouveau every November. That's both a curse and a blessing for the famed French region and its lesser-known yet finer wines.

The village of Courbefy has rustic buildings with fireplaces and exposed beams, a horse stable, a tennis court and a swimming pool. Sound nice? It's for sale.

David Beckham has won league championships in three countries on two continents, earns millions of dollars in endorsements and his name is practically synonymous with celebrity. He has his own cologne, for goodness sake. So why is he even bothering to sit on the bench for the Paris Saint-Germain?

Crushing grapes in France and milking cows in New Zealand represent much more than ways to make a living. Both are traditions that cut to the core of cultural identity. So when outsiders pay substantially above market rates to buy such assets, it often awakens deep feelings of unease.

France has long had a reputation for being a bit difficult to visit. But now, after years of casually riding a reputation for stunning monuments and world-class food, the French are starting to talk about tourism as an economic asset they need to do more to capitalize on.

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is the kind of place where you might be bribed with a cannoli.

DAKAR, Senegal - The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa is ''totally out of control,'' said a senior official for Doctors Without Borders, who says the medical group is stretched to the limit in its capacity to respond. The current outbreak has caused more deaths than any other on record, another

The doctor has beaten the odds and survived Ebola. Now he was ready to tell his story to radio listeners in Guinea. But first he had to get into the studio. "We'd prefer he speak by phone from downstairs," the station's director said. "I can't take the risk of letting him enter our studio."

An Ebola outbreak in West Africa that appeared to be winding down has flared up again, with officials blaming the resurgence on ignorance and a lack of experience in handling the virus.

A virus that causes people to bleed from their ears and pops open blood vessels has spread from remote tropical forests in Guinea to the country's teeming capital. It has hopped the border to Liberia and is suspected in more than 90 deaths. It has no cure and no vaccine. Is it time to panic?

The people of Guinea-Bissau went to the polls on Sunday, and the question on everyone's mind was whether this tiny West African nation, known as a transit hub for cocaine traffic, will finally find stability through democratic elections.

A watchdog in Guinea urged the government on Wednesday to revoke the mining rights to one of the largest untapped iron ore deposits in the world, a deal that is also under investigation in the U.S.

A Belgian royal who, as director of a vast national park in eastern Congo has defended endangered mountain gorillas and other animals from poachers and the forests from illegal logging, was shot and seriously wounded as he drove through the park, officials said Wednesday.

She left Mexico to jeers of "killer!" but touched down Thursday in Paris to the fanfare of a state welcome. Seven years in prison in Mexico on kidnapping charges and a flawed trial made Frenchwoman Florence Cassez a cause celebre in France, but back in Mexico, she is a symbol of a flawed system.

Inspired by radical Islam and trained in Afghanistan, the gunman methodically killed French schoolchildren, a rabbi and paratroopers and faced down hundreds of police for 32 hours. Then he leapt out a window as he rained down gunfire and was fatally shot in the head.

France has long served as Africa's policeman and meddled often meddling behind the scenes. In more recent years, France has tried to forge a different, more equal relationship. But it remains a dominant military for Africa.

France is alone again on an unwieldy mission in Africa and is pushing reluctant European allies to cough up troops and resources. Not for the first time, EU countries are expressing unconditional moral support - but little else.

The fastest-growing car brand in the European Union was never even supposed to be sold there. Dacia, the Romanian subsidiary of French manufacturer Renault, sells low-cost cars. Really low-cost cars - in some cases, 50 percent cheaper than rival models.

What happens if Cyprus' banks collapse? If its government goes broke? If it leaves the euro?

The day after Francois Hollande rode to power in France on a slogan of "change now" the conversation in Europe is already different: Austerity has become a dirty word.

Lawmakers in Cyprus, scrambling for a way to pay for an international bailout of the country's banks and government, are planning to seize up to 10 percent of people's savings. Can they do that? If so, what next?