PODCAST: France shocked by 'senseless' school violence and the inventions you never knew were French
We begin this week with a shocking incident that has rocked the French education system. After a French teaching assistant was stabbed to death by a pupil outside of a secondary school, we discuss how the government plans to tackle school violence.
You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download it
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We also discuss why the Seine River might soon be considered a 'person', and how this could help conservationists better protect it in the future. Plus, we reveal what we know about Paris's second, secret river.
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The Talking France team also gives you the latest on planned changes around flight compensation rules in France and Europe.
We also look at the ongoing threat of far-right, extremist violence in France, after France's anti-terrorism prosecutors announced that they had launched their first-ever investigation into an attack linked to far-right extremism.
Stick around until the end to guess which world-changing inventions came from France.
EXTRA READING
France eyes social media ban for under-15s after school stabbing
12 world-changing inventions that came from France
Paris unveils plans to bring forgotten underground river back to surface
Paris seeks personhood status for River Seine
ANALYSIS: How much of a threat is extreme-right violence in France?
Passenger compensation for flight delays set to decrease in Europe
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In France, the topic has even entered the political arena, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen calling for a major air conditioning infrastructure plan. Meanwhile, international news outlets like the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal warned that Europe's slow adoption of cooling technology is already costing lives. Critics have gone so far as to blame EU regulations (or the flagship environmental policy Green Deal itself) for keeping Europeans sweaty. The myth of the AC ban Like most things in the EU, even air conditioning comes with an acronym. The Brussels bubble doesn't talk about AC like normal people do, but about HVAC, namely heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. But does Brussels really hate air conditioning? Despite what some critics imply, the EU has never banned HVACs. Nor do its rules dramatically restrict installations. 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