France News

“I never knew how I got to this point. I was in all sorts of danger, during the war and at other times as well”

One of only two French veterans of the WWI, Lazare Ponticelli arrives at the Armistice Day ceremony in his current hometown of Kremlin-Bicetre in Paris`s suburbs, yesterday. via The Times

“By God, we will cut off economic aid [to India].”

He was born in Angouleme, France. After graduating from Bordeaux University in 1974, he decided to live in India and settled in the South where he is still staying with his Indian wife and young daughter. via Sify

“The drawings are just sketches. None of the plans will actually come to fruition”

Regulars Interact 11 November 2007 09:23 A dizzying controversy will grip the French capital this week as its mayor tries to convince recalcitrant Parisians of the beauty of high-rise buildings. via Mail & Guardian

“This plane is like a hero for me. She has had an astonishing history and deserves respect. She must not be left to die”

PARIS - A smashed-up veteran of several major World War Two battles, including the D-Day landings, could finally find salvation this week if Bosnian authorities at long last sign the necessary ... via Reuters

Video and audio from the BBC News archive WWII and 1950-2005. This site is archived and no longer updated. via BBC

“IT must accommodate users' need for flexibility and openness while protecting the organisation from excessive risks. Businesses must accept that they will experience some inevitable failures to enable innovative projects to flourish.”

CANNES, FRANCE: Shrinking returns from business automation and the impact of Web 2.0 are conspiring to revolutionise the workplace and change the way we do business forever. via CIOL

“There will be strikes, protests, but I will stand firm”

PARIS : Paris Metro and bus workers announced on Thursday that they would join strikes next week protesting President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed pension reforms. via International Herald Tribune

A storm over the North Sea swept 45 empty containers off a freighter travelling from the German port of Hamburg to Le Havre, France, sea rescue officials in Cuxhaven, Germany said. via Sailors, Mariners & Warriors League

The European Union on Friday approved Kraft Foods Inc.'s acquisition of French food Groupe Danone SA's cookie and cereal snack division, on condition some units in Spain and Hungary are sold off. via PR-inside.com

'Ratatouille' Even if you loathe rats , you'll still likely cozy up to "Ratatouille," the latest feature-length movie from the geniuses at Pixar Animation. via WRC Washington DC Channel 4

“He's fond of taking visitors around and showing off the ranch.”

Welcoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Western White House, President Bush took another step Friday in an aggressive, weeklong charm offensive for two pro-American leaders from Europe. via Press of Atlantic City

“To reconquer the heart of America in a lasting fashion.”

By Carole Landry 'Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to conquer the hearts of Americans. His address before the Congress achieved that end,' wrote the rightwing Figaro newspaper in an editorial titled 'Operation Seduction' ... via Daily Times

“We have been showing people the same thing for thirty years, it needs some revamping, if we want people to queue outside the museum we must show them the originals”

Like the Mona Lisa, she has a strange allure; the almost sad eyes looking at you across 2.15 million years. via Independent Online

“Chirac had a view that France and Europe needed to be a counterweight to American influence and power. That created some real tension”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy this week launched his campaign to "reconquer" US hearts with a flurry of kisses, an all-water friendship toast and a rock-star welcome from the US Congress. via The Taipei Times

“Prosecuting international cartels that harm U.S. businesses and consumers continues to be our top law enforcement priority”

More guily pleas in marine hose price fixing case Two executives of Trelleborg Industrie S.A.S., a manufacturer of marine hose located in Clermont-Ferrand, France, agreed to plead guilty to participating in a ... via Marine Log

“The system may require some minor adjustments to make it more easily administrable”

By Huw Jones

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union copyright tax on MP3 players and blank CDs to compensate authors generates benefits and needs only tweaking rather than fundamental reform, a report for an industry body said on Thursday.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy was forced to abandon his proposal to reform the levy that varies enormously across the 20 EU states that apply it. Britain and Ireland have no levy at all.

The tax at import level is often passed on to consumers and raised 560 million euros ($819.7 million) in 2005. Read more

“Dax didn't pick me for my smooth passing. I was a violent player”

Fabien Pelous, long regarded as the hard man of French rugby, retired from the international stage today with a record 118 caps. via The New Zealand Herald

“The state of our friendship and alliance is strong.”

Congressmen queue to shake French PM's hand Alliance is strong, packed chamber is told in speech Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Thursday November 8, 2007 The Guardian The long ... via Guardian Unlimited

“Anything longer will certainly make our life more difficult.”

After being singed by the two-year delay of the world's largest jetliner, Qantas Airways Ltd. is taking steps to make sure it's not burned by production problems plaguing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Sydney-based Qantas says it has placed staff in the Seattle area to closely monitor the 787's assembly and Boeing's progress in untangling problems that have delayed delivery of the first aircraft by six months, to late 2008, Geoff Dixon, chief executive and managing director of Qantas told the Tribune. Read more