France : News , Updates & Discussions.
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France as a tourist destination
In spite of everything, France remains the world's number one tourist destination, and by and large it remains one of the safer places in the world to visit. it's not hard to understand why. France has it all - or more or less. It has tourist sights for all tastes; it has some of the greatest beaches in Europe, as well as the highest mountains and the finest historic monuments, the most beautiful cities, the most idyllic countryside, the most magnificent castles, the finest rivers, and plenty more, not to mention some of the best restaurants and the finest wines and more hotels than any other country in Europe.
Mont Saint Michel, Normandy
France has something for everyone, which is one of the reasons why it remains the world's number one tourist destination. It has magnificent holiday opportunities for everything from a short weekend city break, in places such as Paris, Nice or Bordeaux, to a relaxed family holiday in a gite in the countryside, a week or two's relaxation by the seaside, or an energetic break hiking, climbing, kayaking or cycling in France's great outdoors.
Paris
Paris is just the icing on the cake - the French capital city and surely the most interesting city in the world. With its museums and monuments, its fine boulevards and its river Seine, its culture, its restaurants and its unique atmosphere, Paris is a city that you can visit for a week or a month or a year, and never tire of. In the memorable words of Thomas Jefferson, "A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life." And much more too. But Paris is just a starting point. France is much so much more than just Paris.Cultural tourism in France
French museums and art galleries - which contrary to popular belief are not all located in Paris - offer a magnificent collection of works of art and artefacts; and for those for whom a holiday is an opportunity to discover Europe's historic heritage, France's great cathedrals, medieval castles, and thousands of other ancient monuments are a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. For themed breaks, the châteaux of the Loire (in the Centre region of France) are an obvious choice; among the many other historic sites, consider discovering the Roman remains of Provence , the medieval bastide towns of the southwest, or the castles and caves of the Dordogne. There are even some scenic steam railways for people who enjoy a trip down memory lane. Check out the regional guides for information on sights, monuments and tourist attractions in each area.The French seaside:
In July and August, France's Mediterranean beaches tend to be pretty packed; this is particularly the case in the famous resorts of Provence and the French Riviera. By contrast, the long sandy beaches of the Languedoc offer much more legroom. Away from the resorts, Brittany offers plenty of good beaches, with the added fun of tides and good waves; and France's Atlantic coast, south of the Loire, has plenty of long sandy beaches, in the regions of Poitou-Charentes and Aquitaine. South of Bordeaux, there are mile upon mile of fine beaches. For more information see guide to the French coast.France off the beaten track:
If you want the life, culture and bustle of the big city, go to Paris. But France is a lot more than Paris. There are plenty of places in deepest rural France that are still very much off the beaten track; and for camping holidays, gite holidays, or for those who are content to put up in small rural inns, several regions in France offer wonderful holiday opportunities away from it all. Five French departments (counties) that are particularly worth checking out are the Aveyron (Midi Pyrenees region), the Haute Loire (part of the Auvergne region, recommended for 2016 by Lonely Planet as one of the ten regions of the world to visit), the Corrèze (Limousin), the Jura (Franche Comté) and the Vosges (Lorraine): all these departments include sparsely populated areas, attractive scenery, and plenty of leisure opportunities - or just some great places to sit back with a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy the peace and quiet. One of the best times of year to visit France off the beaten track is Autumn, specially in the south of the country.Driving in France
France has an extensive network of motorways, and many of them offer relatively relaxed driving conditions, except at peak periods. Off the motorways, driving on France's backroads can be a way to discover motoring as it used to be, a pleasurable experience and a way to discover the country. For more information click for our guide - driving tips and advice. and our checklist of things not to forget before you leave.French culture and institutions
Finally, for those who are looking for deeper information about France, this website contains pages explaining the main French institutions and the functioning of French life, including the education system and French universities , plus pages on the French way of politics, the French economy and the press. There is also a clearly written guide to the main points of French grammar.Site search: click here to search About-France.com
Use the site search function to look for information by keyword, or follow the hyperlinks from page to related page, to discover a wealth of information about France, French life and customs, tourism in France and the ways and life of the most visited country in Europe.
With input from specialists in French and UK universities, About-France.com is a website that applies academic standards in terms of content, accuracy and style.
Mélenchon appears as hologram in last push for French election
Image of radical left presidential candidate, who is third in polls, projected at rallies across country
Apparently he's the most popular left candidate in the presidential elections as of now in 3rd place in the opinion polls behind Macron & LePen .
Among the issues he supports is a bill to tackle femicide wherein France reports the death of a female by her spouse or partner every 3 days as per this rag. Other issues on which he's put his position across is his opposition to France's excessive reliance on N power for energy , withdrawal from NATO & legislation to limit junk food consumption .
Interesting to see the challenges & issues faced by developed nations .
What's remarkable here is not the electoral issues voters & candidates are facing in France. What's rather remarkable is Clutterji's evolution as a polymath while we were all sleeping.
Name any issue under the sun - domestic politics , international politics , domestic & international economics , international diplomacy , Indian diplomacy , Indo Pak relations , Ukraine war , Syrian War , China - it's internal issues , economy , foreign policy , domestic policy , presidential elections in France , Dimran's ouster , Ganja Jr being sworn in as PM , Fauji Foundation's role , Wuhan virus , etc - Clutterji can talk extempore on all these issues for hours.
That he restricts himself to under 15 min these days , gesticulating more for a 30 min episode than the truncated 15 min , so that we get his emphasis assuming we missed his hammering of the same point thru repitition , is now followed by a new gesture - taalam Carnatic classical vocalist style.
(Ouest-France, jun.13)
France has "entered a war economy", says Emmanuel Macron
The head of state wants to "re-evaluate" the 2019-2025 military programming law [LPM] to "adjust the means to the threats" in the face of the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the strengthening of the European defence industry, which must be "much stronger", on Monday 13 June 2022 at the opening of the Eurosatory international defence exhibition near Paris.
"Spending a lot to buy elsewhere is not a good idea. [...] We need to strengthen a much stronger and more demanding European defence industry and technological base," said Emmanuel Macron.
France has "entered a war economy”
The head of state wants a "re-evaluation" of the 2019-2025 military programming law to "adjust the means to the threats", against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. "I have asked the Minister (of the Army) and the Chief of Staff of the Army to be able to conduct in the coming weeks a reassessment of this military programming law in the light of the geopolitical context," he announced, saying that France has "entered a war economy in which I believe we will organize ourselves permanently.
The budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces has increased significantly since 2017
According to the daily Le Monde, the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) is considering proposing a legislative text that would allow the requisitioning of civilian materials or companies for military purposes under certain circumstances, while the war in Ukraine has highlighted the weakness of military stocks in Western countries.
In 2017, Emmanuel Macron began a clear upturn in defence spending after years of dearth. The budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces will increase again in 2022, to 40.9 billion euros, in accordance with the 2019-2025 LPM, which plans [planned? Before this announced “surge”] to reach 50 billion euros in 2025.
www.ouest-france.fr
France has "entered a war economy", says Emmanuel Macron
The head of state wants to "re-evaluate" the 2019-2025 military programming law [LPM] to "adjust the means to the threats" in the face of the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the strengthening of the European defence industry, which must be "much stronger", on Monday 13 June 2022 at the opening of the Eurosatory international defence exhibition near Paris.
"Spending a lot to buy elsewhere is not a good idea. [...] We need to strengthen a much stronger and more demanding European defence industry and technological base," said Emmanuel Macron.
France has "entered a war economy”
The head of state wants a "re-evaluation" of the 2019-2025 military programming law to "adjust the means to the threats", against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. "I have asked the Minister (of the Army) and the Chief of Staff of the Army to be able to conduct in the coming weeks a reassessment of this military programming law in the light of the geopolitical context," he announced, saying that France has "entered a war economy in which I believe we will organize ourselves permanently.
The budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces has increased significantly since 2017
According to the daily Le Monde, the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) is considering proposing a legislative text that would allow the requisitioning of civilian materials or companies for military purposes under certain circumstances, while the war in Ukraine has highlighted the weakness of military stocks in Western countries.
In 2017, Emmanuel Macron began a clear upturn in defence spending after years of dearth. The budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces will increase again in 2022, to 40.9 billion euros, in accordance with the 2019-2025 LPM, which plans [planned? Before this announced “surge”] to reach 50 billion euros in 2025.
La France est « entrée dans une économie de guerre », dit Emmanuel Macron
Le chef de l’État souhaite « réévaluer » la loi de programmation militaire 2019-2025 pour « ajuster les moyens aux menaces », face à la guerre en Ukraine.
www.ouest-france.fr
Who is the richest man in the world?
As of April 1, 2023, the richest man in the world is Bernard Arnault, the CEO and chairman of LVMH of France; he’s worth nearly $226 billion. He moved into the number one spot after Elon Musk’s fortune fell in late 2022 as shares of electric carmaker Tesla fell.Who is the richest woman in the world?
The richest woman in the world is Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France. As of April 1, 2023, she is worth $89.4 billion and is the world’s 10th richest person. Her fortune lies in her ownership of shares in cosmetics giant L’Oreal, which she inherited from her late mother. Her grandfather was the founder of L’Oreal.
The Top 10 Richest People In The World (April 2024)
As of April 1, the world's 10 wealthiest people are worth a combined $1.59 trillion, up $28 billion in a month. While No. 1 richest stays the same, there were some notable moves.
www.forbes.com
Le français EOS Technologie a dévoilé Veloce 330, une munition téléopérée pouvant voler à 400 km/h
France's EOS Technologie has unveiled Veloce 330, a remotely operated munition capable of flying at 400 km/h.In May 2022, the French Defence Procurement Agency [DGA], via the Defence Innovation Agency [AID], launched two projects for remotely operated munitions [MTOs], namely Colibri and Larinae, which should respectively be capable of neutralising an armoured vehicle located 5 and 50 km away.
"We have indicated that we want solutions that are inexpensive, obviously effective, have a range that depends on the area in question and can be delivered very quickly. We also want the military to be able to train very quickly", argued Emmanuel Chiva, the Délégué général pour l'armement at the time.
A year later, the AID announced that it had selected two consortia for the Colibri project, namely the MBDA/Novadem and Nexter/Delair tandems. Two configurations of prowler munitions still had to be evaluated: one with a rotating wing, which is easier to use, and the other with a fixed wing, which is better suited to 'open' and 'vast' environments.
The same approach has been followed for the Larinae project. In June 2023, the AID awarded its first contract to a consortium led by KNDS France [ex-Nexter] and including EOS Technologie and TRAAK. It then did the same with MBDA, which, in association with Delair, unveiled the Mutant MTO a few days later.
However, in recent days, a video showing an MTO designed by EOS Technologie has begun to circulate on social networks. On 26 April, the manufacturer revealed a little more about it.
Called the "Veloce 330", it is a "jet-powered" MTO entirely "designed and manufactured in France" [in Mérignac to be precise]. According to EOS Technologies, it has just "successfully completed a third phase of test flights". Its performance is clearly impressive.
"With several peaks of more than 400 km/h and 50 km covered in just 16 minutes [with half the tank], the aerodynamic design and manufacturing processes have now been validated for this French mini-Shahed 238", EOS Technologie points out, referring to the MTO developed by Iran.
According to the details given last year by KNDS France on the solution that had just been chosen by the AID, the Veloce 330 MTO should have a range of 80 km and an endurance of 3 hours. It is a fixed-wing aircraft, but can be deployed with a vertical take-off and landing system (VTOL). It is equipped with a core-generating charge (CGN) to foil the active defences of armoured vehicles, and a GPS-free navigation system - and therefore immune to jamming - proposed by TRAAK.
"Its reusability also enables it to carry out intelligence missions, thanks to an optronic ball that detects a vehicle 15 km away by day and 3 km away by night", KNDS France points out, before assuring us that "the human being will remain at the heart of the decision-making loop in all scenarios, thanks to the ammunition's advanced telemetry".