http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/france/ en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:23:40 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417777/posts France’s Constitutional Council has rejected a tax on carbon emissions strongly backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy that was to take effect Friday. But his ruling conservative party said the measure would be redrafted so it could be passed into law next year.The council ruled late Tuesday that the bill contained too many exemptions for polluters, broke with past practices and threatened to make tax collection unfair. The ruling is a blow to Mr. Sarkozy, who has sought to burnish his green credentials by holding international talks next year to seek agreement on emission cuts following the Copenhagen climate conference.... NYT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417777/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:23:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419272/posts Hundreds of Cars Torched in France at New Year Fri Jan 1, 2010 PARIS (Reuters) - Youths burned 1,137 cars across France overnight as New Year's Eve celebrations once again turned violent, the French Interior Ministry said on Friday. Car burnings are regular occurrences in poor suburbs that ring France's big cities, but the arson is especially prevalent during New Year's Eve revelry. The number of vehicles torched was only 10 short of the record 1,147 burned this time last year, even though the Interior Ministry mobilized 45,000 police during the night -- 10,000 more than 12 months ago. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419272/posts#comment Sat, 2 Jan 2010 01:24:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418541/posts A man who allegedly took a plane from a Brooksville airport was forced down by a military aircraft Wednesday afternoon. According to Wendell Stephens, a supervisor at American Aviation in the Hernando County Airport, the owner and pilot of the plane was a French citizen who was licensed to fly the plane. A Federal Aviation Administration-certified instructor who flew with the man recommended that he not fly the plane because he could not communicate in English with anyone on the ground or in the air. This was explained to the pilot through an interpreter, and the pilot became indignant and... St. Pete Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418541/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:18:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418210/posts The government of France awarded the Legion of Honor on Tuesday to a Bay Area man who was shot down over occupied France during World War II and then joined up with a secret French underground to fight the Germans. William Kalan, 91, a retired advertising executive who lives in the Rossmoor retirement community in Walnut Creek, received France's highest decoration from Pierre-Francois Mourier, the French consul general in San Francisco, during a ceremony at Rossmoor. Mourier called Kalan "an exemplary human being." "You left your country, your family and friends to fight at the risk of your life," he... San Francisco Chronicle / sfgate.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418210/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:41:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417917/posts 29 12 2009 This new French carbon tax was scheduled to go into law on Jan1, 2010. The tax was steep: 17 euros per ton of carbon dioxide (USD $24.40). In a stunning move, and surely a blow to warmists everywhere, the tax has been found unconstitutional and thrown out. Originally found here (Google Translation). Lord Monckton was kind enough to assist me in deciphering the meaning of the ruling and writes: In France, if at least 60 Deputies of the House and 60 Senators appeal to the Constitutional Council, it has the power to pronounce on the constitutionality of... Watts Up With That (Award Winning Science Website) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417917/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:05:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417780/posts France's public debt soared to a record 75.8 percent of output in the third quarter, official figures showed Wednesday, a week after Paris got a warning on its credit standing. France is hardly alone among European Union countries that have run up big debts... Greece has suffered sovereign downgrades this month...Fitch in November downgraded Ireland ... Fitch last week said all major governments with top ratings had to tame debt, targeting specifically Britain, Spain and France. France's third quarter debt-to-GDP ratio was up by 1.9 points from the second quarter to 75.8 percent, well in excess of the 60 percent... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417780/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:27:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417608/posts PARIS - FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday condemned what he called the 'bloody crackdown' on opposition demonstrators in Iran and called for the release of those arrested by the security forces. France urged 'a halt to the violence, the freeing of all imprisoned opposition members and the respect of human rights,' said a statement released on the presidential website. Mr Sarkozy also called for an end to the arrests, which he said were only making the situation worse. His intervention came just hours after Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi said her sister had been arrested, a development... Strait Times/AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417608/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:36:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416676/posts Didn't Obama promise that electing him would make the U.S. more respected in the world? Sarkozy cool on relationship with Obama By Ben Hall in Paris Financial Times December 27 2009 Nicolas Sarkozy, the most pro-American president of France for half a century, has gone cold on Barack Obama, the most popular American leader in France in generations. A year ago Mr Sarkozy was engaged in a tussle among European leaders anxious to be the first to secure a meeting with the freshly elected Mr Obama. Mr Sarkozy described Mr Obama as “my friend” after meeting him just once as... Flopping Aces http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416676/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:12:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2416445/posts Remember all those polls during the Presidential Campaign, how Europe desperately wanted Barack Obama to win. How the European leadership fawned fought for the attention of then Senator Obama when he made his summer tour tour around the world? President Obama promised that was that he was going to "repair" our relationship with Europe (as if they needed to be repaired) after years of that "cowboy" George W. Bush. Ever since he was inaugurated, President Obama has done his best to diss our allies in Europe. There was that famous "non joint press conference" when Gordon Brown came to visit,... Financial Times/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2416445/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:34:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2413923/posts High-school kids in France are fighting for their right to wear revealing clothing to school. Apparently some schools have new dress codes that ban things like short skirts, piercings, and low-slung pants. At one school last week, a chick managed to convince 300 of 2,100 students to come to school dressed in violation of the new code. This meant revealing shorts or minis for girls and board shorts for guys. Their new headmaster was trying to ban skirts above the knee and clothes with holes in them. The protest organizer got in trouble, obviously. Her actions led to a three-day... nymag.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2413923/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:59:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412620/posts 12/21/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- More than 300 Airmen partnered with colleagues from five other countries for an exercise held in Southwest Asia that concluded in mid-December. The event began in November and simulated a "large force employment," and gave participating nations a chance to develop solutions to potential issues that might occur during contingency operations. Aircrews from France, Jordan, Pakistan, the U.K., and the U.S. took part in simulated air battles as well as the advanced tactical leadership course, which included more than 200 hours of classroom instruction. In addition, ground crews collaborated on maintenance and security challenges.... Air Force http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412620/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:31:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412590/posts U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly in formation during a training mission in southwest Asia, Dec. 6, 2009. The F-22 fighters and crews are deployed from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and entered the Air Forces Central area of responsibility for the first time as part of a multi-national exercise where aircrews from France, Jordan, Pakistan, the U.A.E., the U.K. and the U.S. trained together in fighting a large-scale air war. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller. SOUTHWEST ASIA — U.S. Airmen here marked a milestone recently, completing the first deployment... Multi-National Force-Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412590/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:51:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410983/posts Four trains have broken down in the Channel Tunnel due to cold weather, as snow is expected to cause further disruption in parts of Britain. The temperature difference between the cold air and warm tunnel caused the trains to break down, Eurostar said. Passengers from two of the services have been moved to different trains; the other trains are to be pushed out. More snow and freezing temperatures are expected for parts of Scotland and south-east and eastern England. More than 2,000 people were trapped in the tunnel and some of the trains were without heating and lighting. Two further... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410983/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:53:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409666/posts LONDON — A British medical journal has published findings saying a mistress of 16th-century French King Henry II may have died from consuming too much drinkable gold. When French experts dug up the remains of Diane de Poitiers last year, they found high levels of gold in her hair. -snip- Fox http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409666/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:58:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410009/posts Video Linky Here Debout La Republique / Daily Motion http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410009/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:52:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409925/posts PARIS - Many people love horses and traditionally, many French people have loved them even more with a side of salad. That passion, however, has slowed to a trickle in the last couple of years as crisis-hit French consumers buy less meat and years of campaigning by animal rights groups take effect. Looking to ram home their advantage, campaigners have launched a pre-Christmas blitz in Paris featuring posters of riding school ponies and graceful yearlings aimed at rending the hardest of hearts. "Every year in France, riding school horses like Caramel are sent to the abattoir," says one poster by... news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409925/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:39:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409356/posts As many in the world focused on international climate talks and an attack on the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, France remained transfixed by the news that a beloved and aging French rock star known as the French Elvis was in a medically induced coma in a Los Angeles hospital. Long-awaited news about President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to invest in universities and new businesses received far less coverage in most news media than the news about the singer, Johnny Hallyday. Even Le Monde, one of France’s most serious newspapers, weighed in with an editorial bemoaning the rocker’s illness, saying it... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409356/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:50:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405367/posts Muslim men who force their wives to wear the full Islamic veil should not be granted French citizenship, Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Thursday. Wading into the debate over whether to ban the burka, Mr Alliot-Marie said the government would await the recommendations of a parliamentary panel considering possible legislation to bar Muslim women from wearing the full veil. But the minister went on to say that "there are a certain number of basics on which we must stand firm". "For instance, someone who would be seeking French citizenship and whose wife wears the full veil is someone who... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405367/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:41:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405154/posts Mirage math: Israel better than France SUJAN DUTTA New Delhi, Dec. 10: Israel is close to swinging an order to upgrade French-origin Mirage 2000 aircraft with the Indian Air Force (IAF) despite France’s charm offensive in hosting the Indian military on the Champs Elysees. Tel Aviv has offered to upgrade the frontline fighter aircraft, of which the IAF has three squadrons, at rates nearly 40 per cent less than the price quoted by the French. Israel, whose chief of defence staff returns to Tel Aviv after visiting New Delhi this week for the first time since diplomatic relations were established... The Telegraph, India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405154/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:30:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404364/posts The reported capturing of a Muslim women in Reus (Tarragona) and the issuing of a stoning sentence for adultery by religious fanatics are a gauge of a phenomenon that has already appeared in Holland and France, and which is now taking root in Catalonia: the creation of Islamic "moral brigades" by fundamentalists, who claim the role of judges and police officers imposing a strict observance of Sharia, or Islamic law. The theatre of the incursions of these Islamic "moral patrols" are the rural towns where the mosques are controlled by Salafists, a fundamentalist sect of Islam, with a substantial presence... Paola Del Vecchio http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404364/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:31:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404301/posts Every child, Muslim or not, KNOWS Islam hates what America stands for. As a European, I understand why many Americans wonder why we don't give more support to the US than we do. You, indeed, supported US, even in our darkest hour; at a point in history we Europeans didn't even support our own freedom. This was just some decades ago. One sort of answer to this question is that deep somewhere in the intrinsic soul of Europe, there is true resistence to evil and enslavement, but after having experienced so much of it, we are somewhat unable of expressing... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404301/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:59:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403052/posts Nicolas Sarkozy stoked the debate over immigration today with a warning to Muslims to practise their religion discreetly or face rejection by moderate Islam in France. The President voiced sympathy for Swiss voters who opted last week to ban minarets as he tried to reassert himself in a debate over national identity which he launched last month but that has since spiralled out of his control. Over the past week, Mr Sarkozy had appeared to retreat from his original comments following a backlash over the way that they were being used against immigrants, particularly Muslims. But in a column for... The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403052/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 19:03:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403041/posts France, Coming Soon: Dozens of new Mosques The Swiss recently touched the tip of the iceberg by banning minarets, which will hopefully lead to further actions. Unfortunately another European country is allowing Islam to surge forward. Will Europe ever truly wake up and confront the threat of Islam? Sarkozy warns against religious “ostentation” after Swiss vote Tue, Dec 08, 2009 Logan's Warning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403041/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:55:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401679/posts One of the pet peeves of anthropogenic global warming skeptics is how the media and climate change alarmists like soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore only address events supporting that which they conflate and abuse data to prove. A perfect example is the discussion concerning receding glaciers, as these folks will either ignore when such recession began, .. Maybe even worse, the media alarmists will always ignore information that might throw a monkey wrench into the position they’re trying to advance. With that in mind, it seems a metaphysical certitude American press outlets will ignore reports of glacial expansion around the globe, most... Newsbusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401679/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 22:13:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400791/posts SNIPPET: "AUSTRALIA'S most notorious terrorist Willie Brigitte will be free from jail next year having served less than half his sentence for conspiring to blow up the nation's only nuclear reactor and the power grid. The Caribbean-born Muslim convert made headlines in 2007 when he was sentenced in France to a maximum nine years, following his arrest in Sydney, for joining an al-Qaida-backed Pakistani terror cell out to bomb Lucas Heights nuclear plant, the national electricity grid or a military base. The French Justice Ministry is considering releasing the 41-year-old, on an early-release good-behaviour plan." HERALD SUN.com.au http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400791/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 06:37:41 GMT