Latest News: France April 2008
Reading the riot act
French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, unveiled a raft of measures to combat unrest in the suburbs following the riots of 2005. His three-year proposal includes deploying more police to the affected areas as well as providing new housing; he also talked of transporting students to neighbouring schools to help social integration. Some half a billion euros will be channelled into the most needy neighbourhoods under the new proposals and Sarkozy pledged to help the unemployed to find work.
Express train
Engineering giant Alstom has launched the latest in high speed rail, the AGV. The automotrice à grande vitesse, successor to the current TGV (train à grande vitesse) is powered by motors placed under each carriage as opposed to the more traditional concept of a locomotive at each end. This will allow it to carry more passengers and, at speeds of up to 360km/h, Alstom see the AGV as offering a competitive alternative to air travel. Italian operator NTV has already bought 25 AGV trains and will run them from 2011.
Triumph for l’Arc de Triomphe
The museum inside the famous Parisian landmark, the Arc de Triomphe has had a makeover. The little-known museum within the very well known monument is now home to a new multimedia history exhibition that opened in February. Exhibits tell the story of the Arc de Triomphe, built at Napoleon’s request, through a sound and vision presentation and also document other famous arches throughout the world. The exhibition is a collaboration of stage designer Maurice Benayoun and architect Christophe Girault.
Travel news
…Aer Lingus will operate a daily route from Belfast to Paris Charles de Gaulle from 30 March 2008. Book online at www.aerlingus.com...Fly from Newquay in Cornwall to St-Brieuc in Brittany with Skysouth. The service will run four times a week from 17 March 2008 and tickets can be purchased online at www.skybus.co.uk...Flybe will recommence flights between Birmingham and Toulouse from 24 May 2008. See www.flybe.com
Film success
The French film, La Vie en Rose, stormed the BAFTAs, picking up four awards. La Vie en Rose tells the story of the French singer Édith Piaf and Marion Cotillard who played the diminutive singer scooped leading actress award. Cotillard went on to pick up best actress at the Césars and then made it a triple as she went onto collect her Oscar for actress in a leading role at the Academy Awards. The film also won an Oscar for the make up that aged Cotillard as she depicted Edith Piaf’s life. Le Mozart des Pickpockets, another French film, won the ‘short film (live action)’ category at the Oscars.