Latest update: 09/01/2012 

- cinema - France - French culture - Louvre - United Arab Emirates - university


France Inc.: making the most of public property

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The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Sorbonne...there are many landmarks and names here in France that are internationally renowned. The French government appears to be growing keener to cash in on that brand recognition. It has set up an agency which is specialised in charging private companies to use government properties. It's just one example of how the French state is trying to earn a buck as a business.

BEYOND BUSINESS
By Markus KARLSSON
Slideshow: Behind the scenes
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Qatar: gas-fuelled ambitions

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10/03/2012 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Credit ratings: rating agencies under scrutiny

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Low-cost wars: a new model of warfare

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Human rights: the role of NGOs in foreign policy
11/02/2012 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Human rights: the role of NGOs in foreign policy

The Washington-based organisation Freedom House says it's committed to spreading democratic ideals worldwide. It openly says it's helping activists in countries like Burma and Belarus to get organised and stand up against repression. But the NGO has been harshly criticized. It's funded by the US government. And that's sparked accusations that Freedom House is an American foreign policy tool - something the organisation denies.
Rum Wars: Pernod vs. Bacardi, the bitter trademark battle
21/01/2012 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Rum Wars: Pernod vs. Bacardi, the bitter trademark battle

A fierce battle is taking place in the Caribbean. This is not a Hollywood blockbuster with pirates, but rather a bitter legal fight between drinks-makers Bacardi and France's Pernod Ricard. Both of them are using the name "Havana Club" on their rum bottles, which has sparked a trademark war without precedent.

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