1. Smiling Parisians show you their city, for free

    By GAELLE FAURE Associated Press Writer Article Launched: 10/06/2008 10:59:49 AM PDT PARIS—The city of light has an unfortunate blight: the locals' reputation for rudeness. That's why a group of friendly Parisians have banded together to show complete strangers around their Paris, the one not found in travel books—for free.


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  2. Paris eyes plan for drivers to share electric cars

    By GAELLE FAURE The Associated Press PARIS Parisians and tourists so eagerly embraced a citywide bike sharing plan launched a year ago that the mayor is setting his sights on a four-wheeled version: electric cars.


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  3. Paris doesn't have to be expensive

    Paris may be the most visited city in the world, yet it's also one of the most expensive. "This city is worth the price," says veteran tourist Alex Wadkin, 71, a retiree from Dublin, Ireland, sipping a $6 cup of coffee on the Champs-Elysees. "If you avoid expensive neighborhoods — like this one — you'll do alright. But the key is to plan ahead.


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  4. First stone laid for Louvre's Islamic art gallery

    PARIS—The first stone was laid Wednesday at the Louvre's new Arts of Islam gallery, the first major modern architectural addition to the museum since its famed glass pyramid was built in the 1980s.


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  5. Eiffel Tower getting a makeover to improve visits

    By GAELLE FAURE Associated Press Writer PARIS (AP)-The Eiffel Tower, host to nearly 7 million visitors per year, is about to get a makeover, the goal to make their experience a happier one. Its directors unveiled a $267 million, 10-year plan Wednesday to upgrade the monument for the 21st century.


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  6. Paris' low-rise skyline inching upwards

    PARIS—The city of light is looking to add a little height. The Paris city council voted Tuesday to consider erecting tall buildings on the rim of this historically low-rise capital. The decision means that six new sites, under consideration for completion between 2012 and 2014, could host buildings reaching as high as 656 feet, or a little under two-thirds the height of the Eiffel Tower.


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  7. France to consumers: help is on the way

    PARIS—To French consumers worried that their spending power is shrinking, France's government says this: Hang in there, help is on the way. Officials are spending $6.8 million on ads now running on TV, the Internet and in newspapers to convince the French that reforms undertaken to fatten their wallets will soon bear fruit.


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  8. Remains of Australian soldiers killed in World War I battle found in France

    PARIS: The remains of Australian soldiers who fought in a 1916 World War I battle are among the bodies recently found in a mass grave in northern France, Australian military officials said Monday. Archeologists excavating a small field at Fromelles have uncovered "Rising Sun" badges worn by Australian soldiers, said Maj. Gen. Mike O'Brien, who is leading the excavation.


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  9. Fuel prices halt 3 French naval missions

    PARIS (AP)-The French navy canceled three summer missions Monday because of soaring fuel prices-including a counternarcotics exercise off the United States. The ripple effects of spiraling fuel prices are also being felt in Spain, where truckers and fishermen are striking in protest.


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  10. Fashion bids adieu to Yves Saint Laurent

    By RACHID AOULI and GAELLE FAURE Associated Press Writer 4:15 AM PDT, June 6, 2008 PARIS — Celebrities he clothed and designers he inspired gathered for the funeral of Yves Saint Laurent, a sartorial revolutionary who changed the way generations of women dressed.


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