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Examines the financial problems of haute cuisine restaurateurs in France. Disagreement over the cause of economic difficulties; How independent restaurants are being affected more than others; Shortage of talent; Reaction of chefs to high taxes on traditional restaurants; Comments of chefs on the debate over French cooking. INSETS: Haute Cuisine's Starry Wonder;The Bistro Solution.

Focuses on the methods of operation of Vivendi Universal chairman Jean-Marie Messier. Concentration among global corporations on ownership of both media content and media distribution; Biographical details, including the creation of Vivendi Universal and various other enterprises; Impact of the AOL Time Warner deal on Vivendi; Vulnerabilities of his companies, including distribution in the United States and the possible failure of Vizzavi, a multiplatform Internet portal. INSETS: Music, Movies and Mobiles, by Barry Hillenbrand;'We Are Very Ambitious in Our Plans.'.

Focuses on United States President George W. Bush's trip to Europe in 2001. Details of where Bush will travel and who he will meet with; Mention of transatlantic dissonance due to the unpopular policies associated with Bush; Anger over Bush's rejection of the Kyoto accord; Issues of missile defense, environmental policy, and prospects of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement; Outlook for demonstrations to protest the U.S. role in globalization.

Focuses on the case of Timothy McVeigh, as an example of the differences between the views on capital punishment of the United States and Europe. Postponement of McVeigh's execution after the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered that it had withheld evidence from his defense lawyers; International criticism of the U.S. death penalty, particularly from Europe; Response of U.S. President George W. Bush; How the McVeigh case is focusing attention on the issue.

Focuses on the airplane industry. Rivalry between Boeing and Airbus Industrie; Speculation on whether bigger planes are better; How Boeing is becoming faster, more agile and diversified; Future of flying; Description of the A380 airplane designed by Airbus.

Focuses on United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. How he has become the architect and salesman of the missile defense shield; Enormous challenges of the proposed system and how it would work; Nuclear arsenals of Russia, China, India and Pakistan; Highlights of Rumsfeld's political career; Reaction of foreign nations to the missile-shield plan.

Discusses former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. His career in politics and business; Speculation on his success in becoming Prime Minister again; Comparison between Berlusconi and former Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli, who is running against him in the prime ministerial elections; Berlusconi's position as a self-made business tycoon; His liabilities. INSETS: Blood, Sweat and Tears;Making Fun of the Knight, by Martin Penner;The Battle of the Books, by Greg Burke and Martin Penner.

Examines the impact of public fears about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on European beef consumption. Why European consumers are eating less beef; Alternative meats which are gaining popularity; Measures taken by the European Union to stop the epidemic; Economic impact of lowered demand for beef; Health factors associated with consumption of different meats; Increase in sales of organic beef and other organic crops; How this could affect national cuisines. INSETS: No Beef? Try Ostrich, by Stacey Vanek Smith;A Tale of Two Restaurants.

Focuses on the soaring fuel prices in Europe as of September 18, 2000. Protests against rising oil prices and fuel taxes; Meeting of oil ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; Discussion about Europe's energy sources; Reliance on nuclear power in France; Forms of renewable energy. INSET: MOX 'N' ROLL, by Nicholas Le Quesne.

Reports on the first crash of a Concorde jet on July 25, 2000, near Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Background on the supersonic jet and its 30 year history of safety; Details regarding the crash and number of deaths; Speculation regarding the cause of the crash and the future safety of Concorde passengers. INSET: A MAN AT HOME WITH DANGER.

Discusses the multicultural society in France after decades of immigration. Idea that French citizens are deemed identical in their Frenchness and that minorities do not exist; Problems with integration in France; Resurgence of regional identities amidst the different cultures of immigrant groups; Outlook for demographic trends in France. INSETS: ISLAM: FRANCE'S SECOND RELIGION, by Nicholas Le Quesne;HIP-HOP ROCKS THE BLOCK, by Nicholas Le Quesne;BORN-AGAIN BRITTANY, by Bruce Crumley.

Reports on the financial and international affairs of France as of June 2000. Changes occurring in France in the 21st century, including decentralization, entrepreneurship, multiculturalism and lower taxes; Fall in unemployment and the return of growth which have fostered public optimism; Reasons changes in the country are occurring outside the political class.

Focuses on international reaction to a United States national missile defense (NMD) system and the arms race that this could accelerate. Amount of money that the Clinton administration has committed to the construction of a limited NMD system; Why European countries and Russia are against such a plan by the US; The countries that pose the biggest threat to international security.

Highlights the 2000 Davos World Economic Forum which focuses on the growing public discontent over the impact of globalization on nations. British Prime Minister Tony Blair's call for nation leaders to convince the world of the benefits of free trade; Rise of social responsibility awareness among businessmen in the forum; Global companies' stand on the issue of globalization.

Focuses on the spread of information technologies into the developing world. Part of the battle for survival; Cell phone service of a local woman in Bangladesh; Popularity of a cybercafe called Metissacana in Dakar, Senegal; High tech parks in Bangalore, India; Success of the Internet search engine called Sohu.com in Beijing, China. INSET: Net gain is no fishing tale for a Sensegalese women's....

Focuses on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. How he was elected despite the allegations of corruption surrounding him during his campaign; His promise to work for tax cuts, higher pensions, new jobs, major public works and crime reduction; Criticism of a possible conflict of interest due to his control of most of the country's television networks; Conservative nature of Berlusconi's government; Implications for the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Focuses on foreign relations between the United States and Europe. Positive results of the alliance between Europe and the U.S. since 1945; Why this alliance shows signs of weakening as of March 2001; Europe's concerns about the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, especially plans to build a national missile shield; Other areas of disagreement, including policy in Iraq; Cultural gaps and economic ties; Response of government leaders including Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Discusses the debate over whether depleted uranium (DU) ammunition is responsible for leukemia in soldiers. Suspicions regarding the cause of an array of illnesses that have struck troops who served in the Balkans; Investigation of the DU shells used in thee North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) 1999 campaign to drive Serbian forces from Kosovo; Explanation of how DU could be toxic, rather than radioactive; How cancer clusters may be causing leukemia.

Focuses on the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Europe as of December 11, 2000. Contraction of BSE by humans, which causes the fatal variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Effect that BSE has on beef markets throughout Europe; The slaughter of cattle due to the threat of BSE infection; Lack of knowledge about the disease. INSET: The Tragedy of Queniborough, by Helen Gibson.

Reports that French President Jacques Chirac suggested that some European Union countries should form a 'pioneer group' with the union that could move faster towards political integration. How Chirac became the first foreign leader to address the German Bundestag in the Reichstag building in Berlin; Speculation on relationship between Germany and France.

Focuses on candidates Philippe Seguin and Bertrand Delanoe in the campaign to become mayor of Paris, France. Differences between the conservative Seguin and socialist Delanoe; How the municipal elections could affect national politics; Polls which predict Delanoe's victory; Problems in the career of Gaullist Party Paris mayor Jean Tiberi which have contributed to the increased popularity of the left-wing party.

Focuses on the troubles facing Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister of France, in September 2000. Effects of a protest by fishermen against an increase in oil prices; Resignation of Jean-Pierre Chevenement, France's Interior Minister, due to disagreements between the two men; Opinion polls which showed that the approval rating of Jospin had decreased.

Reports on efforts by Europe to warm its relationship with the states of the Maghreb which lie across the Strait of Gibraltar. Plans by the European Commission to reinvigorate the European Union's ties with the states of the Mediterranean; Why less than one percent of foreign investment from European Union countries is destined for the Maghreb; The problems that Europe brings to the relationship.

Profiles French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in light of the government's revenue surplus announced in March 2000. Hesitation to reveal the surplus to the public and lack of a plan for putting the unexpected treasure to good use; Use of funds for various tax cuts and new spending for hospitals, education and depressed urban areas; Prediction that Jospin will challenge President Jacques Chirac in the next presidential elections.

Reports on damages caused by storms and tornadoes in Western Europe in December 1999. Speed of winds; Number of people killed; Value of damages; France as the hardest-hit country; Damages to France's landmarks; Cause of the storms; Description of other damages.

Offers observations on the consequences of various outcomes from the 2002 French presidential campaign. Public opinion of this election; Possibility that voters may choose a president from one party and a Parliament from another; Possible political outcomes of such cohabitation, including institutional gridlock.

Focuses on French Baron Ernest-Antoine Seilliere de Laborde, an entrepreneur and investor who managed the family holding company, Marine-Wendel. Details of Seilliere's investment in the private French airline AOM; Financial crisis of AOM and outlook for its bankruptcy.

Presents a profile of former mayor of Rome, Italy Francesco Rutelli, who is running against Silvio Berlusconi in the election for prime minister. His political stance; How he is a man of contradictions; His image of youthfulness.

Focuses on French actor Fabrice Luchini. Personal and career information; His preference for acting in the theater versus motion pictures; Mention of his one-man play 'L'Arrive a New York.'

Focuses on tourism in Iceland, which is supported by winter deals offered by Icelandair. Cost of trips from the United States to the capital city, Reykjavik; Data on the tourist industry; Appeal of the night life and restaurants; Details of available activities, which include tours of lava fields.

Focuses on politics and government in France as of April 2001. Political implication of elections in France; Impact of the Socialist Party on France's government; Outlook for French President Jacques Chirac.

Focuses on the trial of former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas. Allegations that he abused company funds by pressuring Elf Aquitaine, a state-owned oil company, to hire his mistress, Christine Deviers-Joncour, and profited from her income; Details of the trial; Dumas' resignation from office.

Reviews the motion picture 'Mortel Transfert,' directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix.

Focuses on former French chief advisor on African affairs, Jean-Christophe Mitterrand, son of French President Francois Mitterrand. Investigation of his involvement in illegal arms trading and influence peddling; How other French officials are under investigation for illegal activity; Comparison of his father's business activities.

Focuses on the future of French President Jacques Chirac, as of December 18, 2000. Investigation into alleged illegal party donations while Chirac was mayor of Paris; Participation of Michel Roussin in the illegal party funding scheme; Question of whether or not Chirac knew about the scheme.

Discusses the effect that a national scare over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in France is having on political tensions between President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Anger of Jospin over the way in which Chirac handled the situation; Details of the crisis; Reaction of the public.

Reports on terrorist attacks against political officials in Spain by the Basque terrorist group, ETA; Assassination attempt on Jose Asenjo, a Socialist Party member from Malaga; Shooting of Malaga city councilor Jose Maria Martin Carpena; Two car bombs diffused by Spanish police.

Focuses on John Leahy, American sales chief of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus Industrie. Details on the company and its competition with Boeing; Details on Leahy's job with Airbus; Personal and career-related information; His comments on the United States government, trade regulation, and globalization; Outlook for the future of the company.

Reports on Palestinian students' attack on French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank on February 26, 2000. Jospin's denunciation of Hizballah's terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilian populations; Hizballah's ability to claim to be carrying out legitimate military actions in defense of Lebanese sovereignty.