The French rolled up in more than 30 armored cars to the compound of Ivory Coast 'strongman' Laurent Gbagbo today and finally arrested him. All hail the French! The civil war sparked by Gbagbo's refusal to step down following his election loss last November is hopefully reaching its conclusion. This will come as terrible news to several prominent evangelical Christians back here in America.

Today is the first day of the right wing Republic of France's ban on women wearing a face veil, and police in Paris have already arrested two women for violating the law in front of Notre Dame cathedral.

NATO agreed on Thursday night to take complete command of military operations in Libya. Psych! NATO is only leading the part that involves flying jets around, while the U.S., France and the UK are stuck doing the "actual war stuff" (technical term).

Today France became the first country to officially recognize Libya's rebels — under the Libyan National Council — as the legitimate government in the country. A rep for President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters: "France recognises the National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. There will be an exchange of ambassadors between Paris and Benghazi."

French authorities evacuated 6,000 Parisians on Sunday while defusing a 1,000-pound bomb from a 1942 World War II raid. The bomb had actually been found in "late January," but, hey, it's France, so they took their time.

[French President Nicolas Sarkozy reminds us of one of the taunting Gauls from that Monty Python sketch when getting all up in President Obama's grill at the White House today. Like Barack doesn't have enough going on. Image via Getty]

Judging by their taste in TV, this is true. Also today: Jodie Foster embarks on a sci-fi adventure, J.B. Smoove is hitting the big time, so is Olivia Wilde, and another medical show thrills us.

A small French farming village is facing an influx of UFO watchers and assorted New Age idiots who believe aliens are hiding underneath a nearby mountain, waiting for the 2012 Apocalypse. The mayor wants the army to be on call.

This is how you know you're rich: When you are the kind of person who has a "private collection" that includes the severed head of Henri IV, the former King of France. Apparently, there are several such people.

Is it possible to improve the view from the Eiffel Tower? Yes! It is! With a massive penis, drawn in the snow on the gardens below. What wonderful pubic art! Public. Public art! [RoelandP via BoingBoing]

As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure, right?

[French President Nicolas Sarkozy and super hot wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy share a laugh (probably at the President's expense) during a state visit to India today. Image via Getty]

Here's a play-by-play account of Nicolas Sarkozy chasing a rabbit around his office garden.

A retired French electrician, Pierre Le Guennec says he has "hundreds" of Picasso paintings, notebooks, lithographs and a watercolor believed to be worth around 60 million euros, which he claims Picasso gave him as a gift. Picasso's son disagrees. [BBC]

[French figure skater Mae Berenice Meite performs during the gala exhibition of the Ice Skating Bompard Trophy at Bercy arena in Paris. Photo via AP.]

[The French are so ready for the holidays they've already lit the Christmas lights along the Champs Elysees in Paris. Photo via Getty]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy doesn't think much of allegations that he helped fund a political campaign with kickbacks from a Pakistani arms deal. During an off-the-record briefing with journalists, he went nuts, calling them "pedophiles." Unsurprisingly, this didn't stay off-the-record.

[Actor Kevin Spacey packs up his hotel room after a stay in France hosting a charity event for his foundation. Image via Bauer-Griffin.]

It's official: French people looking for pensions can't retire until they're 62 years old.

A Parisian baby fell out the window of her parent's apartment, plummeted six floors, bounced off an awning, then landed in the hands of a doctor who happened to be walking by. He checked her out. She is now fine.