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France

Capital: Paris ; GDP growth (annual %) 2016 : 1.2%

France and Italy quarrel over shipyard and Libya

French president Emmanuel Macron called Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday evening (27 July) to defuse tensions amid accusations of "colonialism" in Libya and economic "protectionism".

The call was "friendly", Gentiloni's office said, hours next his government had stated that a French decision to nationalise a shipyard was "critical and incomprehensible".

The French government decided on Thursday to "temporarily" take control of the STX shipyards, in Saint-Nazaire, western France, in order to block a takeover by Italian national-owned company Fincantieri, which was due to take result on Saturday.
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Xi, Macron agree to promote China-France cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agreed here Saturday to promote bilateral relations and cooperation.

"The Chinese side is willing to make concerted efforts with the French side to continue to view the bilateral relations from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, and work for a better development of our ties," Xi said during a conference with Macron on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in Hamburg, Germany.
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What Might Macron As New French President Mean For Africa?

On 7 May 2017, the French people spoke and elected Emmanuel Macron as their next President of the Republic. Gathering 66.06% of the votes against 33.94% for his opponent Marine Le Pen from the far-right Front National, this second round concludes an unprecedented presidential race in several respects. Beyond the victory of a newcomer in French politics, these elections marked a harsh side-lining of the two major parties – the Parti Socialiste and Les Républicains – inclunding the significant rise of populist movements. While France faces a drastically altered political landscape, this election as well matters for Africa.
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Key Facts: Full name: French Republic
Population: 62.6 million (UN, 2010)
Area: 543,965 sq km (210,026 sq miles)
Major language: French
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 85 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, including wine
GNI per capital: US $42,390 (World Bank, 2010)
Internet domain: .fr
International dialling code: +33

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Climate change laws around the world
2017/05/14
There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.

The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Brexit negotiations should treat energy as ‘special case’
2017/05/14
There are strong practical reasons why the UK and EU should treat energy as a appropriate case during Brexit negotiations, argues a new statement.

The statement, jointly authored by Chatham Home, the University of Exeter and the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), says finding common ground on energy during the Brexit negotiations would benefit both the UK and remaining EU27, while compromise may be relatively easier to achieve than for other areas.

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Germany should recall its time in Europe’s sick bay
2015/08/27
Not all Germans believe in God,” said Jacques Delors, former European Commission president, “but they all believe in the Bundesbank.”
There is some truth to this, which is why it is not hard to understand the humiliation felt by the economically orthodox citizens of the bloc’s leading country, as common policies come under attack from national capitals and even from Europe’s own institutions. Talk in German media is of deception, abuse and exploitation, with Berlin losing each battle and its citizens paying a hefty price to keep the eurozone intact. Pressure is mounting at home to push back, to score points in the national interest. Berlin’s ability to resist will be crucial to Europe’s fate.

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Huge demand expected for Charlie Hebdo issue
2015/01/15
The initial edition of Charlie Hebdo to emerge since the terror attack on the French magazine’s offices is expected to generate record request at the same time as it hits newsstands on Wednesday, defiantly featuring the Prophet Mohammed on its cover.

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The French government Troops is mobilised as political unity starts to fray
2015/01/14
The French government said it would deploy 10,000 troops to bolster security at vulnerable sites and take other measures to combat Islamist extremism as the political unity displayed since last week’s terrorist attacks began to fray.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, defence minister, said the troops would be sent to unspecified points by this evening in a mobilisation he described as incomparable in scale for domestic duties. The authorities as well sent 5,000 police officers to protect Jewish schools and synagogues.

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Outlook for 2016-17
2015/10/23
The county （France）is situated in Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain. It has borders with Andorra for 56.6km, Belgium for 620km, Switzerland for 573km, Germany for 451km, Spain for 623km, Italy for 488km, Luxembourg for 73km and Monaco for 4.4km. Land in France is frequently flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, particularly Pyrenees in south, Alps in east. French land covers an area of 547030 km

The climate is generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral. Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) speak French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish).

Overview

France's socialist president, Franois Hollande, will remain in office until 2017. The Parti socialiste (PS) holds a majority in parliament, although a steep fall in the government's approval ratings will constrain reforming ambitions.

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BNP Paribas turning balance sheet into fees
2014/03/02
Next almost two decades’ experience in a pure advisory bank, Sophie Javary is presently looking to strengthen the corporate finance business of BNP Paribas, one of Europe’s major lenders.

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Stéphane Richard, CEO' orange
2013/01/14
France Telecom Orange is the leading telecommunications operator in France and is one of the majority active internationally, with a turnover of 46 billion euros.

Present in 35 Nations, it is facing, like its competitors, the challenges of a sector going through a top-to-toe evolution, not only because of the current economic crisis.

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