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Weeks of strikes, protests and demonstrations have brought much of France to a standstill as workers, students and others voice their strong opposition to a government proposal to raise the age for a minimum pension from 60 to 62. A quarter of the nation's gas stations were out of fuel, hundreds of flights were canceled, long lines formed at gas stations and train services in many regions were cut in half. Protesters blockaded Marseille's airport, Lady Gaga canceled concerts in Paris and rioting youths attacked police in Lyon. The unpopular bill is edging closer to becoming law as the French Senate is preparing to vote on it today.
France on strike - The Big Picture - Boston.com
Audi Quattro Concept This year’s Paris Auto Show has vehicles of all shapes and sizes, along with a sense of optimism that has been lacking in the industry since the economic meltdown of 2008. How else can you explain an ultra-lightweight Lamborghini , a Jaguar powered by micro-turbine technology, or an Audi that looks ready to go rallying? Choosing favorites is a highly personal (and often best avoided) undertaking—just ask any parent with more than one child. But there are certain cars that stand out amongst the crowds here at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center.
Top Head-Turning Concept Cars at the Paris Auto Show- Yahoo! Autos Article Page
BBC News - Deaf people 'can rewire brains'
The auditory cortex in the brain usually processes sound People deaf from birth may be able to reassign the area of their brain used for hearing to boost their sight, suggests a study. Improved peripheral vision, often reported by deaf people, could be generated by the brain area which would normally deal with peripheral hearing. When only the auditory cortex - the part of the brain which normally processes sound information - was deactivated temporarily, their enhanced peripheral vision appeared to be switched off as well. Narrowing the search, the team found that the part of the auditory cortex responsible was the part which would ordinarily detect peripheral sounds. "For example, if you're deaf, you would benefit by seeing a car coming far off in your peripheral vision, because you can't hear that car approaching from the side - the same with being to more accurately detect how fast something is moving."
Will today's students - as consumers demanding value-for-money - take to the streets as previous generations have done? The natural rebelliousness of youth may soon manifest itself in student protest, says Sarah Dunant in her A Point of View column. I'm not sure how many of the thousands of new students who began lectures at university this week will have their dials tuned to my Radio 4 broadcast (if indeed, after freshers' week, they have the hand-eye coordination to find the radio at all). But given the numbers, I would bet some parents certainly will; people who, like me, have come through the choppy waters of "the last family summer" and are now experiencing the empty nest with a mixture of pain and euphoria.
BBC News - Are students about to find their voice over fees?
BBC News - Restrepo: A film from 'the valley of death'
The film documents the lives of US soldiers in Korengal Valley In 2007 and 2008, Outpost Restrepo in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley was one of the most dangerous places on earth. The platoon of American soldiers from Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade were stationed on the ramshackle base, which was named after fallen US medic Private Juan Restrepo. They regularly came under Taliban attack several times a day, often from close quarters.