PARIS (Reuters) – In the early hours of the morning, shadowy figures crouch behind the concrete blocks, bulldozers and rubble of one of the biggest building sites in central Paris to set their traps.

The lights from the nearby St. Eustache church cast a yellow glow over the ravaged landscape as the silent trappers place tuna and raw beef inside the wire cages and then step away to wait for the stealthy approach of their prey: feral black cats.

PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) – For the first time in its history,
luxury conglomerate LVMH has provided a peek into its
exclusive workshops, design showrooms and wine cellars — to
reveal the hundreds of hands and delicate workmanship behind its
expensive brands.

Seeking to “reveal the true nature of high quality,”
according to LVMH, the company opened up 25 of its brands to the
public on Saturday and Sunday.

PARIS, Oct 11 (Reuters) – French transport workers went on
strike and unions held rallies on Tuesday against measures to
curb the public deficit, but the much lower turnout than in last
year’s pension reform protests may reassure the government as
elections loom.

Five unions, including the CFDT and the prominent CGT
syndicate, the two biggest groups, organised about 200 street
rallies and strikes across France against President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s budget-cutting measures.

PARIS/BRUSSELS, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Belgium and France expect
to finalise by Thursday a rescue plan for Dexia that
would sever the bank’s French lending business and may
nationalise its Belgian arm.

Battered in recent weeks by heavy exposure to Greece and
problems accessing wholesale funds, Dexia’s shares hit an
all-time low on Tuesday, prompting shareholders Belgium and
France to come to its rescue.

PARIS, Oct 4 (Reuters) – With faux feathers and cascades of
ruffles, Alexander McQueen brought fantasy and femininity to the
runway on Tuesday, while still hewing to the fashion label’s
edgy, dark side for spring.

Creative Director Sarah Burton presented a show-stopper in
the best tradition of the theatrical brand, mixing up flirty
skirts that flounced at the knee with harder-edge military
details like epaulets, high collars and armour-like bodices.

PARIS (Reuters) – Yves Saint Laurent offered a superbly tailored but tempered collection for spring-summer 2012 on Monday, with designer Stefano Pilati drawing on the past of the famous luxury label without providing any jaw-dropping standouts.

Mint and forest greens, greys and whites were the palette, with trapeze coats, cigarette pants and backless silk tops providing a nod to the 1960s and 70s, the heyday of Saint Laurent.

VERSAILLES, France, Sept 28 (Reuters) – “Let them eat cake,”
Marie Antoinette is famously quoted as saying, but the 18th
century fashionista, had she lived today, may well have said,
“Let them wear Lacroix.”

Frills, foppery and all the delicious excess of 18th century
fashion — juxtaposed with contemporary interpretations of
France’s Golden Age — are on display at the Grand Trianon at
Versailles in the exhibit “The 18th Century Back in Fashion.”

PARIS (Reuters) – Former French president Jacques Chirac gave an impassioned defense of his morals on Friday in a statement read out by a lawyer during his trial over the misuse of public funds when he was mayor of Paris in the 1990s.

Chirac, 78, was excused from attending due to his failing memory. He vowed to abide by the decision of the court which is widely expected to dismiss the case.

PARIS (Reuters) – The city of glamour, grande cuisine and the ghosts of the guillotined is one of Europe’s most beautiful. Welcoming some 28 million visitors a year, Paris offers everything from some of the most famous museums and restaurants in the world to charming cobblestone alleys and boutiques galore.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a visit to the French capital. While 48 hours is not nearly enough for this beloved metropolis, it will whet your appetite for your next visit.

PARIS, Sept 16 (Reuters) – The city of glamour, grande
cuisine and the ghosts of the guillotined is one of Europe’s
most beautiful. Welcoming some 28 million visitors a year, Paris
offers everything from some of the most famous museums and
restaurants in the world to charming cobblestone alleys and
boutiques galore.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors
get the most out of a visit to the French capital. While 48
hours is not nearly enough for this beloved metropolis, it will
whet your appetite for your next visit.