France

The Web newspaper Mediapart is turning conventional wisdom about the Internet and journalism on its head. It offers in-depth reporting without fluff or advertising. The publication is turning a profit, and creating an uproar in a country where the media has often been too cozy with power.

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.

Pants-wearing Parisian women are finally fashionably legal: the law restricting women to dresses and skirts has been lifted. While the principle is exciting, Parisian women have been wearing pants for decades.