French authorities say a Muslim convert was prompted by his religious ideology to carry out the weekend stabbing attack at a shopping mall west of Paris.

City officials in Paris are experimenting with an unconventional way to keep urban lawns trimmed. They are using sheep as a "green" alternative to gas-powered lawn mowers.

Every Memorial Day weekend just outside Paris, a ceremony is held to honor a group of Americans who fought for France during World War I. Before the U.S. entered the war, a group of American pilots formed the Lafayette Squadron and flew with the French Air Service.

The demonstrators protested against a new law that will legalize gay marriage and adoptions. Many also called on President Fran莽ois Hollande to resign.

The French Parliament is at odds over a measure that allows French universities to teach in English. Those in favor say it will help attract more international students, while opponents fear it will marginalize the French language.

Dominique Venner, a well-known French historian who embraced and wrote about ultra-conservative causes for decades, committed suicide today in front of the alter at Notre Dame Cathedral. He had left a post on his blog decrying the legalization of same sex marriage in France. "An infamous law ... can always be repealed," he wrote. "It will require new, spectacular and symbolic actions to rouse people from their complacency."

The 1,200-year-old European pilgrimage route known as the Way of St. James is undergoing a revival. Tens of thousands of people are walking across France to the Spanish coastal city of Santiago de Compostela, and the relics of St. James. Once a religious affair, it's now a cultural and social phenomenon as well.

The storied midfielder walked off the pitch as fans 鈥� and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy 鈥� chanted his name.

Parliament had passed the legislation in April, but the main opposition party challenged its constitutionality. A ruling by the Constitutional Council on Friday paved the way for President Francois Hollande's official blessing.

SARS burst on the scene in 2003 after one man infected travelers staying on the same floor of a Hong Kong hotel. Now that a new virus with similarities to SARS has spread from person to person, public health officials are urging hospitals to be on guard.