Two months ahead of the presidential election, the candidates try to butter up France’s farmers at the Paris Agriculture Fair. Meanwhile, there’s trouble in France's tropical overseas department, Reunion Island. Riots spread as angry locals complain prices are too high. Finally, it’s a loud and clear victory for the star of a silent film. Jean Dujardin becomes the first Frenchman to win an Oscar for his role in "The Artist".
Thailand, the world's biggest producer of rice, has been hit hard by floods with 3.5 million tonnes of rice thought to have been damaged. But even before the floods hit, there was another problem: the government is offering to buy rice at a 50% premium. Their plan is to stockpile the rice to increase the price then to sell the produce at a higher rate to alleviate poverty among farmers.
Since the Syrian crisis broke out, the price of weapons has exploded in neighbouring Lebanon. The price of a Kalashnikov has risen from $1,200 to $1,800 in three months. But activists say the Syrians who buy Lebanese weapons are not terrorists, as the regime alleges; rather, they're individuals who want to defend themselves against the repression, which has been extremely violent since the uprising began in mid-March.
With the World Bank and IMF spring meetings under way in Washington, France 24's Markus Karlsson asks Robert Zoellick about the risk of the world lurching from one major crisis to another.
Oil prices continued to soar Tuesday with Brent oil prices hitting highs of $108.57 per barrel before settling at $105.78. Continuing violence in Libya threatens to hamper exports from the oil rich nation.
In parts of Europe, the economic crisis has hit the housing market hard. Yet in France, house prices continue to climb steeply - nowhere more so than in Paris, where you can expect to pay around 8,000 euros for each square metre of living space. And with values jumping by another 20% last year, experts now worry that the country's capital has priced most house-hunters out of the market.
Global food prices rose to a record high in December and are expected to climb even further, topping 2008 levels when riots broke out in a number of countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation warned Wednesday.
Cigarette prices go up six per cent in price today in France. Is it enough to reduce the number of smokers or just a smokescreen for filling state coffers? One paper fumes: just what use is the price increase? That’s the focus in today’s French press review: MONDAY, 8TH NOVEMBER 2010
Cigarette prices go up six per cent in price today in France. Is it enough to reduce the number of smokers or just a smokescreen for filling state coffers? One paper fumes: just what use is the price hike? That’s the focus in today’s French press review: MONDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER 2010
Russia has begun a ban on the export of grain until the end of this year in a bid to keep the domestic market supplied and put a lid on prices after a record drought caused a massive loss of wheat crops.
