Eleanor Beardsley

France has no age of consent in its penal code, but there's pressure to change that after a series of court cases where men were acquitted after having sex with minors.

Hallyday, who died Wednesday at 74, had a career that spanned 50 years. He recorded more than 1,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records — but was little known outside France.

France might be known for its bottled water (think Evian or Perrier). But in Paris, the mayor wants people to give up plastic bottles in favor of city tap water — with bubbles added for extra appeal.

Annual consumption of butter in France averages 18 pounds per person. But now the French are facing a butter crisis, which could affect almost every part of the national cuisine.

Since National Front party leader Marine Le Pen lost the presidential election to Emmanuel Macron last May, she and her party have largely disappeared from the political scene.

Months ago Europe's political establishment was terrified that the far-right party would come to power in France. The party has collapsed and its leader has all but disappeared from the public stage.

The allegations that Harvey Weinstein sexually abused women in Hollywood have prompted many women in France to come forward with their own stories of sexual harassment.

China's wine consumption has exploded in recent years. The Chinese are now the biggest foreign investors in Bordeaux, France's vaunted winemaking region. That's made some local residents uneasy.

In his new book, food historian David Downie takes readers on a gourmet jaunt through time to reveal how the French capital became a gastronomic powerhouse. (Hint: You can thank Rome.)

For most Americans, World War I lies in the distant past. But for two Illinois sisters, the sacrifice made by millions of American troops is brought home as they trace family footsteps in France.

President Trump is expected to decertify the Iran nuclear deal later this week, but many Europeans believe the Iran deal is working and plan to continue building links with Tehran.

In France, the owners of licensed tobacco stores are protesting against the government's plans to raise cigarette prices.

Police say 4 college students were attacked on Sunday with acid by a woman at a train station in southern France, injuring at least 2 of them. Authorities say the woman had "a psychiatric history."

In the face of massive street protests, successive French presidents backed down on attempts to loosen up France's protective labor market. Macron says he will never cede, and France is preparing for the fight.

President Emmanuel Macron has touched the third rail of French politics, by wanting to overhaul France's rigid labor code. He wants to give employers more flexibility to hire and fire employees.

French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating has fallen fast after a standoff with the military and a flap over his makeup expenses.

Since the seventh century, salt has been raked in and collected from shallow pools in marshes on the French coast. Refrigeration almost killed the industry, but the local food movement is reviving it.

New French President Emmanuel Macron has seen a sharp drop in popularity. Pollsters attribute the drop in approval to budget cuts and attempts to overhaul the untouchable French labor code.

NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reviews the dramatic changes that have occurred on her beat this year, including the election of Emmanuel Macron and France's resurgence in global politics.

When the famed Alvin Ailey dance troupe tours, they do community outreach. This summer they're in Paris, holding classes for disadvantaged, young dancers.