Paris

French firm Thales to help build Saudi Arabian railway

French firm Thales to help build Saudi Arabian railway Paris - French transport technology company Thales said Tuesday it had signed a contract in Saudi Arabia to provide a train control system for the North-South Railway project.

The contract, which was signed in cooperation with the Saudi BinLadin Group, is worth 340 million euros (451 million dollars), Thales said.

As part of the project, Thales is supplying main line signalling, telecommunication, supervision, security and fare collection systems, while the BinLadin Group will carry out the construction.

Half of French adults approve of holding executives hostage

Half of French adults approve of holding executives hostage Paris - As stories of the extravagant bonuses of executives vie for headlines with reports of mass layoffs, a poll published Tuesday found that nearly half of all French adults approve of workers holding bosses hostage to press their demands.

In the survey, which was carried out by the CSA institute and published in the daily Le Parisien, 45 per cent of respondents said the tactic was "acceptable."

Frenchman has first-ever transplant of face and hands

Frenchman has first-ever transplant of face and hands Paris - A team of French surgeons has performed the first- ever successful simultaneous transplant of a person's face and hands, French media reported Tuesday.

The recipient, a 30-year-old man, was severely burned in an accident in 2004. He suffered profound third-degree burns on his face and had to have all his fingers amputated.

Couple with young child among those kidnapped by pirates

Couple with young child among those kidnapped by pirates

Murdered Sri Lankan journalist is awarded UNESCO press freedom prize

Murdered Sri Lankan journalist is awarded UNESCO press freedom prize Paris - The murdered Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge has been named recipient of the 2009 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, the United Nations' educational and cultural organization said Monday.

"Jury members were moved to an almost unanimous choice by a man who was clearly conscious of the dangers he faced but nevertheless chose to speak out, even beyond his grave," said Joe Thloloe, president of the 14-member jury.

Economic rebound to come from US housing market, IMF head says

Economic rebound to come from US housing market, IMF head says Paris  - The world will begin to emerge from the economic crisis in the first quarter of 2010, and the recovery will start in the US housing market, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was quoted Monday as saying.

"The crisis began in the United States, in the housing sector. The recovery will announce itself first in the United States. Therefore we must keep an eye on American real estate prices. The end of the fall in prices will be an important sign," Strauss-Kahn told the daily Le Figaro.

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