next thursday..the top 10 players in NFL history will be revealed. I'm not entirely sure who all is left, but i have a pretty good idea...so I'm asking, rank the top 10 left in the order you think it should be.... Players left (according to me): Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, Dick Butkus, Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Walter Payton, Jim Brown, Don Hutson.. my list: 1) Jerry Rice 2) Jim Brown 3) Joe Montana 4) Johnny Unitas 5) Lawrence Taylor 6) Walter Payton 7) Don Hutson 8) Dick Butkus 9) Reggie White 10) Peyton Manning
[ Garden & Landscape ] Open Question : good place to order marijuana seeds online without getting busted?
[ Other - Society & Culture ] Open Question : POLL: does this girl look west african, jamiacan, cuban,south african or egyptian?
[ Hockey ] Open Question : Will David Krejci be an elite player in the NHL?
Will he rise to be a star in the NHL? He's got tons of talent and there's really no downside to him. He has the best offensive instincts on the Bruins at this point, outside of Marc Savard, but he takes care of the defensive end too. He's a two way player and every time he gets the puck he makes things happen. Everything, down to his dumps into corners have a purpose. Will he be an elite player in the league in the next couple years?
Strikes set to continue across France
Protesters fill streets in ParisSTORY HIGHLIGHTS- The government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
- A final vote on the reform bill may come as early as Thursday
- The strikes have crippled transportation and affected fuel supplies
- More than a million people have demonstrated
- France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
Paris, France (CNN) -- Strikes and demonstrations are expected to continue across France on Thursday with a large rally scheduled in central Paris in the afternoon.
The demonstrators are rallying against a government proposal to raise the national retirement age from 60 to 62.
The French Senate is working its way through roughly 1,000 amendments to the pension reform bill, and a final vote on the bill could be as early as Thursday and as late as Sunday.
The lower house of parliament has already passed it, by a vote of 329 to 233.
If there are substantial differences between the Senate and National Assembly versions, a conference committee will have to iron them out before the final version goes to the president.
France has been reeling from strikes.
Police and protesters clashed Wednesday, and on Tuesday 428 people were arrested in connection with the protests.
Video: Police open fuel depots in France 
Video: Pension fury in France 
Gallery: French pension protests RELATED TOPICS - France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
The strikers have crippled transportation, and affected schools and fuel supplies.
About 1.1 million people have demonstrated across the country, French media quoted police as saying. Unions put the figure at 3.5 million nationwide as the rolling strike goes on for more than a week now.
Students from high schools have been skipping classes to join the strikes. Some students told CNN in Paris that they are worried they won't be able to get jobs if the current generation hangs onto jobs for an extra two years.
Later Wednesday, French authorities unblocked three fuel depots after the president ordered police to break blockades at the sites by strikers.
"We did it because the west of France is threatened by a very severe shortage of fuel. The opening of these three depots was essential and will gradually allow normal activity to resume," Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said.
There are 219 fuel depots in France. In addition to the three, 21 fuel depots have been unblocked between Friday and Tuesday.
The French government contends that the country cannot afford the earlier retirement payments.
"I will implement the pension reform because my duty as head of state is to ensure that French people and their children can count on retirement and that the amount they receive will be maintained," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday.
Strikes to continue in France over pensions
Protesters fill streets in ParisSTORY HIGHLIGHTS- The government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
- A final vote on the reform bill may come as early as Thursday
- The strikes have crippled transportation and affected fuel supplies
- More than a million people have demonstrated
- France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
Paris, France (CNN) -- Strikes and demonstrations are expected to continue across France on Thursday with a large rally scheduled in central Paris in the afternoon.
The demonstrators are rallying against a government proposal to raise the national retirement age from 60 to 62.
The French Senate is working its way through roughly 1,000 amendments to the pension reform bill, and a final vote on the bill could be as early as Thursday and as late as Sunday.
The lower house of parliament has already passed it, by a vote of 329 to 233.
If there are substantial differences between the Senate and National Assembly versions, a conference committee will have to iron them out before the final version goes to the president.
France has been reeling from strikes.
Police and protesters clashed Wednesday, and on Tuesday 428 people were arrested in connection with the protests.
Video: Police open fuel depots in France Video: Pension fury in France Gallery: French pension protests RELATED TOPICS - France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
The strikers have crippled transportation, and affected schools and fuel supplies.
About 1.1 million people have demonstrated across the country, French media quoted police as saying. Unions put the figure at 3.5 million nationwide as the rolling strike goes on for more than a week now.
Students from high schools have been skipping classes to join the strikes. Some students told CNN in Paris that they are worried they won't be able to get jobs if the current generation hangs onto jobs for an extra two years.
Later Wednesday, French authorities unblocked three fuel depots after the president ordered police to break blockades at the sites by strikers.
"We did it because the west of France is threatened by a very severe shortage of fuel. The opening of these three depots was essential and will gradually allow normal activity to resume," Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said.
There are 219 fuel depots in France. In addition to the three, 21 fuel depots have been unblocked between Friday and Tuesday.
The French government contends that the country cannot afford the earlier retirement payments.
"I will implement the pension reform because my duty as head of state is to ensure that French people and their children can count on retirement and that the amount they receive will be maintained," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday.
Pakistani-U.S. talks seek to ease tensions
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan in the White House Wednesday. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- A high-level Pakistani delegation is in Washington for talks with U.S. leaders
- Counterterrorism cooperation will be a major aspect of the talks
- The talks come amid renewed friction between the U.S. and Pakistan
- A NATO helicopter gunship in pursuit of insurgents killed Pakistani soldiers in a border region
Washington (CNN) -- As the Obama administration begins three days of talks with Pakistani leaders, the two sides will seek to ease tensions over the muscular new U.S. strategy in the region.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Pakistani army, are leading the their nation's delegation for meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Cameron Munter, the next U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, also will join the talks.
The U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which started Wednesday, will address all facets of the relationship between Washington and Islamabad, but counterterrorism cooperation will be a major aspect of the talks.
During the talks the Obama administration is expected to announce a security assistance package totaling as much as $2 billion over five years to help Pakistan fight extremists on its border with Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials and diplomatic sources tell CNN. The two sides also will discuss how to help Pakistan rebuild after this summer's devastating floods.
The talks come amid renewed friction between the U.S. and Pakistan after a NATO helicopter gunship in pursuit of insurgents killed Pakistani soldiers in a border region with Afghanistan, prompting Pakistan to temporarily close a supply route into Afghanistan.
It also comes on the heels of a White House report sent to Congress earlier this month that uses unusually tough language to suggest the ally is not doing nearly enough to confront the Taliban and al Qaeda, despite repeated Obama administration claims in public that Pakistan is working hard to crack down on militants
The White House assessment, obtained by CNN, is particularly tough on Pakistan's inability to make gains in North Waziristan, where many analysts believe key al Qaeda leaders have gained a safe haven to use as a base to plot terror attacks against Western targets.
Video: Pakistan tries to convert militants RELATED TOPICS - Pakistan
- War and Conflict
"This is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritizing its targets," the report said.
The $2 billion security package, which is on top of a $7.5 billion aid package over five years in non-military counter-terrorism assistance approved by Congress last year, seeks to address what U.S. officials call a legitimate lack of Pakistani capacity to fight militants.
"There is an expectation with that capacity comes a greater effort," a senior official said.
But U.S. patience with Pakistan's inability to crack down on militants is wearing thin, especially among members of Congress. Administration officials say the United States will warn the Pakistani leaders that it would be hard to persuade Capitol Hill or the American public to continue supporting the country if Pakistan failed to intensify its efforts to crack down on militants in its tribal areas, or if a terrorist plot against America was traced back to terrorists being given safe haven in Pakistan.
"There will be opportunities for us to detail for the Pakistanis what more must be done," White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said about the talks.
Gibbs gave the Pakistani government credit for what he called "an unprecedented level of cooperation," but said the United States has been clear about what is expected of Pakistan.
The dialogue is designed to build trust with Pakistan, amid concerns the United States is not going to remain engaged with the region over the long term. This week the two sides will break into ten working groups to discuss issues like expansion of trade, public diplomacy and American investment in the Pakistani economy and agricultural and technology sectors. The Pakistanis also hope to convince the U.S. to engage in civil nuclear cooperation, like it does with India, and give Pakistan preferential access to U.S. markets for Pakistani goods such as textiles
At the last strategic dialogue in Islamabad in July, Clinton announced a major aid package for Pakistan -- with hundreds of millions of dollars pledged on projects to address the country's water and power shortage, and its floundering economy. Some of that aid is being redirected to flood recovery.
There are potentially divisive issues, such as NATO's role in facilitating reconciliation talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban. Pakistan has long maintained it wants to be involved in a political settlement involving the Taliban, but is currently not at the table.
"We'll discuss this as a dimension of our strategic dialogue this week," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Wednesday. "To the extent that Pakistan can play a role in supporting an Afghan-led process, that is something that we have discussed with Pakistan, but more importantly that's something that Pakistan has discussed with Afghanistan."
Officials from both sides stress the flare-up in tensions after the NATO border incident has subsided and that this week's talks will put the relationship back on track.
Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani said in an interview that the talks help both sides focus on common strategic interests.
"We are allies but we don't always have synchronized thinking and a coincidence of understanding of interests" he said. "The talks give a long term dimension to U.S. and Pakistan relations, which help that understanding."
Pakistani-U.S. talks seek to ease tensions
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan in the White House Wednesday. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- A high-level Pakistani delegation is in Washington for talks with U.S. leaders
- Counterterrorism cooperation will be a major aspect of the talks
- The talks come amid renewed friction between the U.S. and Pakistan
- A NATO helicopter gunship in pursuit of insurgents killed Pakistani soldiers in a border region
Washington (CNN) -- As the Obama administration begins three days of talks with Pakistani leaders, the two sides will seek to ease tensions over the muscular new U.S. strategy in the region.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Pakistani army, are leading the their nation's delegation for meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Cameron Munter, the next U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, also will join the talks.
The U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which started Wednesday, will address all facets of the relationship between Washington and Islamabad, but counterterrorism cooperation will be a major aspect of the talks.
During the talks the Obama administration is expected to announce a security assistance package totaling as much as $2 billion over five years to help Pakistan fight extremists on its border with Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials and diplomatic sources tell CNN. The two sides also will discuss how to help Pakistan rebuild after this summer's devastating floods.
The talks come amid renewed friction between the U.S. and Pakistan after a NATO helicopter gunship in pursuit of insurgents killed Pakistani soldiers in a border region with Afghanistan, prompting Pakistan to temporarily close a supply route into Afghanistan.
It also comes on the heels of a White House report sent to Congress earlier this month that uses unusually tough language to suggest the ally is not doing nearly enough to confront the Taliban and al Qaeda, despite repeated Obama administration claims in public that Pakistan is working hard to crack down on militants
The White House assessment, obtained by CNN, is particularly tough on Pakistan's inability to make gains in North Waziristan, where many analysts believe key al Qaeda leaders have gained a safe haven to use as a base to plot terror attacks against Western targets.
Video: Pakistan tries to convert militants RELATED TOPICS - Pakistan
- War and Conflict
"This is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritizing its targets," the report said.
The $2 billion security package, which is on top of a $7.5 billion aid package over five years in non-military counter-terrorism assistance approved by Congress last year, seeks to address what U.S. officials call a legitimate lack of Pakistani capacity to fight militants.
"There is an expectation with that capacity comes a greater effort," a senior official said.
But U.S. patience with Pakistan's inability to crack down on militants is wearing thin, especially among members of Congress. Administration officials say the United States will warn the Pakistani leaders that it would be hard to persuade Capitol Hill or the American public to continue supporting the country if Pakistan failed to intensify its efforts to crack down on militants in its tribal areas, or if a terrorist plot against America was traced back to terrorists being given safe haven in Pakistan.
"There will be opportunities for us to detail for the Pakistanis what more must be done," White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said about the talks.
Gibbs gave the Pakistani government credit for what he called "an unprecedented level of cooperation," but said the United States has been clear about what is expected of Pakistan.
The dialogue is designed to build trust with Pakistan, amid concerns the United States is not going to remain engaged with the region over the long term. This week the two sides will break into ten working groups to discuss issues like expansion of trade, public diplomacy and American investment in the Pakistani economy and agricultural and technology sectors. The Pakistanis also hope to convince the U.S. to engage in civil nuclear cooperation, like it does with India, and give Pakistan preferential access to U.S. markets for Pakistani goods such as textiles
At the last strategic dialogue in Islamabad in July, Clinton announced a major aid package for Pakistan -- with hundreds of millions of dollars pledged on projects to address the country's water and power shortage, and its floundering economy. Some of that aid is being redirected to flood recovery.
There are potentially divisive issues, such as NATO's role in facilitating reconciliation talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban. Pakistan has long maintained it wants to be involved in a political settlement involving the Taliban, but is currently not at the table.
"We'll discuss this as a dimension of our strategic dialogue this week," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Wednesday. "To the extent that Pakistan can play a role in supporting an Afghan-led process, that is something that we have discussed with Pakistan, but more importantly that's something that Pakistan has discussed with Afghanistan."
Officials from both sides stress the flare-up in tensions after the NATO border incident has subsided and that this week's talks will put the relationship back on track.
Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani said in an interview that the talks help both sides focus on common strategic interests.
"We are allies but we don't always have synchronized thinking and a coincidence of understanding of interests" he said. "The talks give a long term dimension to U.S. and Pakistan relations, which help that understanding."
Massive U.S.-Saudi arms deal announced
Massive US-Saudi arms deal announcedSTORY HIGHLIGHTS- The deal is worth up to $60 billion over 20 years
- The sale is meant to help align the Saudi military relationship with the U.S.
- Military Weapons
- Saudi Arabia
- Military Aircraft Technology
Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration has notified Congress of plans for a multiyear, multibillion-dollar weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, a State Department official said Wednesday.
The sale is meant to further align the Saudi military relationship with the United States and enhance the ability of the kingdom to defer and defend threats to it and its oil structure, which "is critical to our economic interests," said Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary for political and military affairs, at a State Department news conference.
The deal, worth up to $60 billion over 20 years, will include the sale of 84 F-15 aircraft, the upgrade of 70 older-model F-15 aircraft and almost 200 helicopters.
Congress has 30 days to raise any objections to the deal.
[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : Will you yell at me? How badly do smokers bother you?
I need some straight up motivation by you telling me all of the things I've been convinced were myths for the past 4-5 years. (I'm on Day 3 of not smoking.) Since nonsmokers have always been so courteous while I selfishly blew smoke into their innocent faces, I would like you to just let it rip and tell me how stupid I was.
U.S. announces $60B arms deal with Saudi Arabia
The deal will include the sale of 84 F-15 aircraft and the upgrade of 70 older-model F-15s. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- The deal is worth up to $60 billion over 20 years
- The sale is meant to help align the Saudi military relationship with the U.S.
- Military Weapons
- Saudi Arabia
- Military Aircraft Technology
Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration has notified Congress of plans for a multiyear, multibillion-dollar weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, a State Department official said Wednesday.
The sale is meant to further align the Saudi military relationship with the United States and enhance the ability of the kingdom to defer and defend threats to it and its oil structure, which "is critical to our economic interests," said Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary for political and military affairs, at a State Department news conference.
The deal, worth up to $60 billion over 20 years, will include the sale of 84 F-15 aircraft, the upgrade of 70 older-model F-15 aircraft and almost 200 helicopters.
Congress has 30 days to raise any objections to the deal.
Anger as Ugandan newspaper publishes 'gay list'
Ugandan newspaper publishes 'gay list'STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them"
- "We are all terrified," an activist says
- Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries
(CNN) -- A Ugandan newspaper published a story featuring a list of the nation's "top" gays and lesbians with their photos and addresses, angering activists who say the already marginalized group risks facing further attacks.
Earlier this month, Rolling Stone newspaper -- not affiliated with the U.S. magazine with the same name -- featured 100 pictures of Uganda's gays and lesbians. Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them."
The story comes about a year after a Ugandan lawmaker introduced a measure that calls for the death penalty or long jail terms for those who engage in some homosexual activities.
The proposal was shelved after an international outcry.
"For me, the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'how can this country allow such things to happen?" said Julian Pepe, who was also named in the story.
"They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified."
The 29-year-old said she's a lesbian.
"I came out when I was 12, I have supportive parents who have been there for me," said Pepe, a program coordinator for Sexual Minorities Uganda.
Those named in the story are living in fear, she said. Some have had to change jobs and move to new places.
They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified.--Juilan Pepe RELATED TOPICS- Uganda
"We are providing some with psychological support," she said. "People have been attacked, we are having to relocate others, some are quitting their jobs because they are being verbally abused. It's a total commotion."
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister Nsaba Buturo dismissed the activists' accusations.
"They [the activists] are always lying," Buturo said. "It's their way of mobilizing support from outside, they are trying to get sympathy from outside. It's part of the campaign."
Buturo said the anti-gay measure will be addressed and passed "in due course."
"Of course I hope it passes," he said.
Calls to David Bahati, the member of parliament who introduced the anti-gay bill, went unanswered Wednesday.
The paper's editor, Giles Muhame, defended the list and said he published it to expose gays and lesbians, so authorities could arrest them. The weekly paper has been publishing for about six weeks.
After the list was published, the federal Media Council sent a warning to Muhame and ordered the newspaper to cease operating.
But the warning was "not related to the list at all," said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council. Rather, he said, the letter warned the paper that it was publishing without required permits.
"Until they fill in the required paperwork, they are breaking the law," Mukasa said.
The secretary said the newspaper has initiated the process "to put their house in order."
"Some rights groups have complained that the newspaper is inciting people, but the council is focusing on its lack of paperwork," Mukasa said.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region, including in nearby Kenya, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism.
In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life, Pepe said.
"Half the world's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws," said Scott Long, director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch. "Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue."
The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban, others say.
Olatune Ogunyemi, a professor at Grambling State University in Louisiana, has said that some African constitutions are based on religion, making it possible to justify criminalizing homosexuality.
A post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays in South Africa, the first African nation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Journalist Tom Walsh in Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.
Fresh clashes as French protests continue
A French police officer runs past a burning truck in Lyon on October 20, 2010. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Clashes between police and protesters in Nanterre, Lyon
- The government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
- It also plans to make other changes to the pension system
- The protests have gone on for more than a week
(CNN) -- Fresh clashes broke out Wednesday between protesters and police in France as hundreds of thousands rallied in opposition to planned pension reforms.
Cars were set alight and buildings damaged in the Paris suburb of Nanterre while a van was set ablaze in Lyon, according to Agence France-Presse.
A week-long strike has caused chaos across France with a third of French gas stations running dry on Tuesday, according to the government. Air and rail travel has also been disrupted, with unions blockading access roads to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday he had ordered police to break the blockades at fuel depots, with three peacefully reopened overnight, AFP reported.
Video: French protest target oil industry 
Video: Strikes impact life in France 
Video: French fuel pumps running dry RELATED TOPICS - France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
"If it is not stopped quickly, this disorder which is aimed at paralyzing the country could have consequences for jobs by damaging the normal running of economic activity," Sarkozy said in a statement.
The government is working to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 and make other changes to the pension system with Senate lawmakers due to vote on the proposals on Thursday.
French senators stayed in the chamber until 3 a.m. Tuesday, working their way through roughly 1,000 amendments to the bill.
About 1.1 million people have demonstrated across the country, French media quoted police as saying.
Unions put the figure at 3.5 million nationwide, with the rolling strike in its second week.
iReport: Are you there? Send pictures, images
The French education ministry said students from 379 high schools are skipping classes to join the strikes.
Some students told CNN in Paris that they are worried they won't be able to get jobs if the current generation hangs onto jobs for an extra two years.
Sarkozy, the main proponent of pension reform, said it was "essential" and that "France will implement it." The government contends that France cannot afford the earlier retirement payments.
The lower house of parliament has already passed it, by a vote of 329 to 233. If there are substantial differences between the Senate and National Assembly versions, a conference committee will have to iron them out before the final version goes to the president.
"It is natural and normal that it creates certain fears," Sarkozy said about the reform. "And it is also normal and natural that a democratic government in a parliamentary democracy assures that drivers find fuel."
French mass protests show no sign of ending
A French police officer runs past a burning truck in Lyon on October 20, 2010. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Clashes between police and protesters in Nanterre, Lyon
- The government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
- It also plans to make other changes to the pension system
- The protests have gone on for more than a week
(CNN) -- Fresh clashes broke out Wednesday between protesters and police in France as hundreds of thousands rallied in opposition to planned pension reforms.
Cars were set alight and buildings damaged in the Paris suburb of Nanterre while a van was set ablaze in Lyon, according to Agence France-Presse.
A week-long strike has caused chaos across France with a third of French gas stations running dry on Tuesday, according to the government. Air and rail travel has also been disrupted, with unions blockading access roads to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday he had ordered police to break the blockades at fuel depots, with three peacefully reopened overnight, AFP reported.
Video: French protest target oil industry Video: French fuel pumps running dry 
Video: French protesters point blame at Sarkozy Gallery: French pension protests RELATED TOPICS - France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
"If it is not stopped quickly, this disorder which is aimed at paralyzing the country could have consequences for jobs by damaging the normal running of economic activity," Sarkozy said in a statement.
The government is working to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 and make other changes to the pension system with Senate lawmakers due to vote on the proposals on Thursday.
French senators stayed in the chamber until 3 a.m. Tuesday, working their way through roughly 1,000 amendments to the bill.
About 1.1 million people have demonstrated across the country, French media quoted police as saying.
Unions put the figure at 3.5 million nationwide, with the rolling strike in its second week.
iReport: Are you there? Send pictures, images
The French education ministry said students from 379 high schools are skipping classes to join the strikes.
Some students told CNN in Paris that they are worried they won't be able to get jobs if the current generation hangs onto jobs for an extra two years.
Sarkozy, the main proponent of pension reform, said it was "essential" and that "France will implement it." The government contends that France cannot afford the earlier retirement payments.
The lower house of parliament has already passed it, by a vote of 329 to 233. If there are substantial differences between the Senate and National Assembly versions, a conference committee will have to iron them out before the final version goes to the president.
"It is natural and normal that it creates certain fears," Sarkozy said about the reform. "And it is also normal and natural that a democratic government in a parliamentary democracy assures that drivers find fuel."
Fresh clashes as French protests continue
A French police officer runs past a burning truck in Lyon on October 20, 2010. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Clashes between police and protesters in Nanterre, Lyon
- The government plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
- It also plans to make other changes to the pension system
- The protests have gone on for more than a week
(CNN) -- Fresh clashes broke out Wednesday between protesters and police in France as hundreds of thousands rallied in opposition to planned pension reforms.
Cars were set alight and buildings damaged in the Paris suburb of Nanterre while a van was set ablaze in Lyon, according to Agence France-Presse.
A week-long strike has caused chaos across France with a third of French gas stations running dry on Tuesday, according to the government. Air and rail travel has also been disrupted, with unions blockading access roads to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday he had ordered police to break the blockades at fuel depots, with three peacefully reopened overnight, AFP reported.
Video: French protest target oil industry Video: Strikes impact life in France Video: French fuel pumps running dry RELATED TOPICS - France
- Labor Strikes and Disputes
- Nicolas Sarkozy
"If it is not stopped quickly, this disorder which is aimed at paralyzing the country could have consequences for jobs by damaging the normal running of economic activity," Sarkozy said in a statement.
The government is working to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 and make other changes to the pension system with Senate lawmakers due to vote on the proposals on Thursday.
French senators stayed in the chamber until 3 a.m. Tuesday, working their way through roughly 1,000 amendments to the bill.
About 1.1 million people have demonstrated across the country, French media quoted police as saying.
Unions put the figure at 3.5 million nationwide, with the rolling strike in its second week.
iReport: Are you there? Send pictures, images
The French education ministry said students from 379 high schools are skipping classes to join the strikes.
Some students told CNN in Paris that they are worried they won't be able to get jobs if the current generation hangs onto jobs for an extra two years.
Sarkozy, the main proponent of pension reform, said it was "essential" and that "France will implement it." The government contends that France cannot afford the earlier retirement payments.
The lower house of parliament has already passed it, by a vote of 329 to 233. If there are substantial differences between the Senate and National Assembly versions, a conference committee will have to iron them out before the final version goes to the president.
"It is natural and normal that it creates certain fears," Sarkozy said about the reform. "And it is also normal and natural that a democratic government in a parliamentary democracy assures that drivers find fuel."