Free Republic

PARIS (Reuters) - An Islamist group broken up in France in 2002 had been planning an attack on the Eiffel Tower, three suspects arrested last month in Paris have told French investigators. They told the DST domestic intelligence agency that a group affiliated with Chechen rebels had planned attacks on several Paris targets, including the Paris landmark, a judicial source said on Wednesday. However, the projects were at the planning stages and the plans to attack the Eiffel Tower had not been finalised, the source told Reuters. The information came from three Algerians arrested on January 11 -- Khaled Ouazane,...

Eiffel Tower open for ice skating December 11, 2004 PARIS -- Holiday on ice takes on new meaning when you're high above Paris doing figure eights inside the Eiffel Tower. In the Eiffel Tower's 115 years, it has added refreshment stands, trinket shops and fancy restaurants -- but nothing quite matches the skating rink in the sky that opened to the public Friday. On an observation deck 188 feet above ground, the ice rink adds a new dimension to the breathtaking views from the French capital's best-known landmark. ''It's just magical. You see the whole city differently,'' said Finnish guest...

Tue Dec 7,11:10 AM ET This artist's conception, by the firm Drexler-Guinand-Jauselin AG Architects, is one of 454 'Olympic Landmark' designs presented at the Arsenal Pavillon in Paris December 7, 2004. The Paris 2012 organization launched an international architecture competition open to designers as part of the Paris bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games (news - web sites). EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/Drexler-Guinand-Jauselin AG Architects

A Venezuelan man swiped a policeman’s pistol and opened fire today at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One police officer and two security guards were injured, officials said. The man, aged in his 30s, was taken into custody after the incident, which took place as he was being questioned for attempting to enter a restricted area of the Paris monument, said French police. The suspect grabbed the pistol while he was handcuffed behind his back, the officials said. The man was not further identified, and an investigation was under way. The officer was hit in the arm,...

The Puppet Running for President October 22, 2004 - With any luck, this will be the last article I have to write about John Kerry, ever. Hopefully, in two weeks he will be resuming his role as an unsuccessful do-nothing liberal Massachusetts Senator with a nutcase for a wife and a face that only a Botox-technician could love - and in Mass., your tenth injection is always free. While a Kerry Presidency could have its potential editorial-writing upside ("I signed the bill before I vetoed it, no wait"), it surely isn't something to otherwise look forward to. Personally, I'll take...

French authorities rushed thousands of tourists out of the Eiffel Tower after receiving a warning that a plane was about to crash into the famous Paris landmark, police and the tower's management said. Around 4,000 people were evacuated from the 324-metre (1,070-foot) structure, which was closed for two hours before police ascertained that the threat was a hoax and it was re-opened. The company managing the tower, SNTE, said in a statement it had received "an anonymous message" which triggered the alert. It refused to elaborate on the threat, but a police source said a caller had spoken of a...

Local news just flashed that an Egypt Airliner has crashed in Egypt... Reporting majority of ~135 passengers are French tourists....

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 May 22 Moon and Planets by the Eiffel Tower Credit & Copyright: Thierry Legault Explanation: The great evening grouping of planets is coming to an end. Before all the planets went their own separate directions, however, the Moon was kind enough to pose with some of them. The planets in the above picture, taken last week, are Venus and Jupiter. Mars, Saturn, and even Mercury appear to the...