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A bitter battle has broken out in the French Alps with locals launching commando raids on shops and equipment owned by a new cut-price ski hire company. Last October, Ski Republic, a new French rental chain, promised a "new dawn for ski lovers" at a glitzy launch in London, in which former Miss England Danielle Lloyd posed in a bikini with the company's skis and boots. But its aggressive marketing tactics and offer of two pairs of skis for the price of one for online bookings received more than just a frosty reception when it opened 23 shops in the...

INVESTIGATING judges filed preliminary charges yesterday against former prime minister Dominique de Villepin for his suspected role in a smear campaign aimed at Nicolas Sarkozy before he was president. The preliminary charges were for "complicity in slanderous denunciations", Mr de Villepin's lawyer, Luc Brossollet, said. The case stems from an alleged attempt in 2003-2004 to discredit Mr Sarkozy, who was a government minister at the time and a political rival of Mr Villepin within their conservative UMP party. Mr Villepin said he had done nothing wrong. "At no moment did I take part in any political manoeuvring," he said after...

The Socialists, the Communist Party and the Greens put on a rare show of unity to call the machines, used for around 1.5 million of France's 44.5 voters, a "catastrophe." It is the first time the machines have been used for a presidential election in France. Amid big queues in general to vote, people using the electronic machines were forced to wait up to two hours to cast ballots. The left wing parties complained following problems at Noisy-le-Sec, a suburb east of Paris. "In line with our forecasts, the electronic vote has been a catastrophe," the parties said in a...

See for example this thread first. The private life of Jacques Chirac next to his facade, is a shock. His family's had years as bad as Britney Spears And his daughter had Sarkozky's...smock.

The head of the French-led UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon called on Israel to cease its "dangerous" mock air raids, but said Israel has said the flights would continue as long as two kidnapped Israeli soldiers were not freed. Incidents have been avoided only because of French military restraint, Gen. Alain Pellegrini said in an interview on the Internet site of the French conservative daily Le Figaro on Friday. "I call on Israel to end them," he said of the flights over southern Lebanon, where UN peacekeepers and Lebanese troops have been stationed since the 34-day war between Israel and...

The French economy slumped in the third quarter as the Airbus crisis began to exact its toll, dousing hopes that Europe would take over as world's growth engine as America slows. Growth sank to zero with an accelerating twist down in September as car output fell 3.1pc and overall manufacturing slid 1pc, far worse than expectations. The shock data comes as the yield curve on euro-zone bonds turned negative for the first time since 2000, flashing a warning signal that has often preceded recessions. France's sudden downturn comes amid signs of flagging growth across the euro-zone following a brief burst...

Ahead of what is now certain to be a contentious meeting with President Bush today, President Chirac of France reneged on his previous support for a united international approach to halting Iran's nuclear program. In two interviews on the eve of his trip to Turtle Bay to attend the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Chirac threatened to restart negotiations with Iran. His comments called into question the united position of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany, whose foreign ministers had said that unless Iran suspended enrichment by the end of August, the council would consider punitive measures....

Le Monde reports France will only send 'symbolic' force of 10 officers, 200 troops to region. UN to try and convince country to send more soldiers. France wants to send a small, purely symbolic contingent to the strengthened UN force in Lebanon , and the United Nations is trying to convince French officials that a decision to send so few would be devastating, a French newspaper said Thursday. Although France has been widely expected to lead the force, Le Monde newspaper reported that it planned to contribute only 10 officers and a contingent of 200 military engineers to the force...

US, French diplomats working on new formula that would lead to ceasefire in North; new proposal may be submitted to UN by Friday; sources say agreement based on French military deployment on northern border. Senior Israeli official: Revised UN Resolution will stop short of requiring peacekeepers to disarm Hizbullah Getting close to ceasefire? While the IDF is preparing to expand military operations, a French-American proposal for a cease-fire is being formulated Thursday evening and may be presented to the United Nations Security Council by Friday. According to various reports, the agreement is based on the deployment of French troops on...

We've obtained a draft copy of the UN Security Council Resolution brokered by the U.S. and French sides on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. Now we wait to see what the full Council does with it this week. Below is the full text as provided to us: Draft UNSC resolution The Security Council, Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 520 (1982), 1559 (2004), 1655 (2006) and 1680 (2006), as well as the statements of its President on the situation in Lebanon, in particular the statements of 18 June 2000 (S/PRST/2000/21), of 19...

French President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday that NATO should not lead a proposed international force in Lebanon, saying the alliance is seen in the region as "the armed wing of the West." "As far as France is concerned, it is not NATO's mission to put together such a force," Chirac told the daily newspaper Le Monde. "Whether we like it or not, NATO is perceived as the armed wing of the West in these regions, and as a result, in terms of image, NATO is not intended for this." Israel has suggested it would prefer a NATO-led coalition in Lebanon,...

PARIS (Agence France-Presse) -- They are highly motivated, battle-hardened, mobile -- and therefore, dangerous. And the return of Europe's jihadists from Iraq is giving the Continent's intelligence services nightmares. As far back as October, Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr warned that intercepted correspondence between Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, and other figures in the movement had revealed a decision to send large numbers of Islamist volunteers back to their countries of origin to wage holy war. Mr. Jabr said several hundred militant fighters had left for home by last fall. Baltazar Garzon, a Spanish judge...

BRITONS have been warned: Stay away from riot-torn Paris. The Foreign Office says the French capital — which has been rocked by violent demos — is too dangerous. Protests against a new employment law have erupted into riots, with fierce fighting in the shadow of famous tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral. Cars have been set alight, shops looted and gangs of youths and masked men swinging baseball bats and wooden planks have had running battles with riot police who have used water cannon and tear gas.The Foreign Office alert is a huge blow to France,...

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Violence in France appeared to be on the decline as officials toughened their stance against rioters and threatened to deport any foreigners convicted of involvement. Vehicle torchings continued overnight as the unrest stretched into a 14th night. But the number of arson attacks dropped again, with 482 vehicles burned compared with 617 the night before, The Associated Press reported. The reduction "is an encouraging sign that does not, however, diminish the police effort," AP quoted national police spokesman Patrick Hamon as saying. The number of vehicles destroyed has fallen each night since Sunday's high point of...

'We hate France and France hates us' Jon Henley in Sevran Wednesday November 9, 2005 The Guardian (UK) They are gathered, as every night, on the edge of the car park at the foot of the block. Far enough into the shadows not to be easily seen; close enough to the stairwell to leg it inside if the police come near. Sylla, Sossa, Karim, Rachid, Mounir and Samir are the names they give. The oldest is 21, the youngest 15. One is an apprentice plumber; another is on work experience as a cook at a cafe in nearby Aulnay-sous-Bois; one...

French Riot Statistics: One man killed 4,700 cars torched 1,200 people arrested 17 people sentenced 108 police and firefighters injured Figures as of 7 November "It's also the responsibility of each of us to change our behaviour, to change the way we look at people" Dominic de Villepin

Leaders fiddle as France burns By Colin Randall in Paris (Filed: 08/11/2005) France was struggling to overcome one of its gravest post-war crises last night as every major city faced the threat of fierce rioting that began 12 nights ago and now seems to have spun out of control. More than 1,400 vehicles were destroyed during a night of increasing violence Despite an assurance from Philippe Douste Blazy, the foreign minister, that France was "not a dangerous country", the spread of violence prompted the Foreign Office in London to warn travellers that trouble could break out "almost anywhere". Dominique de...

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin seemed to strike the right note in his response to the riots. But his proposals also showed up the scale of the changes called for in society, to heal the deep wounds that have been exposed. Mr de Villepin has made a start. No more evasion, and not too much rhetoric about the "values of the Republic." He has called the situation by its real name - "a crisis in France's cities." Others have called it a rebellion by an angry underclass. Mistakes admitted The French prime minister struck a balance between denouncing the...