will take place the Seminar: 40 years of urban rehabilitation in France: the new owners and their trajectories in the renovated district of Les Mureaux
with the lecturer Christine Lelévrier
Professor at the École de urbanisme de Paris
The activity is linked to the PhD program in Geography
A leader in international rankings and a benchmark in research
research institutes and services all within a natural environment that offers a variety of unique experiences
© 2025 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
The start of the first stage will be given in Le Perray-en-Yvelines, a town of 6,500 inhabitants near Rambouillet, which offers a great spotlight to the town and its local club, Les Randonneurs du Perray
The start also confirms the central role of the Yvelines as a land of cycling
which has hosted the first stage of the race since 2010
The Paris-Nice 2025 route will feature a variety of profiles:
after a final hilly stage that could yet reshuffle the cards in the overall standings
spectators will be able to take advantage of an entertainment village set up in Le Perray-en-Yvelines
This festive venue will enable the public to meet the riders
attend autograph sessions and discover various stands offering local products
cycling equipment and interactive entertainment
There will also be an area dedicated to children
with fun and educational activities on the theme of cycling
A great opportunity to experience the event up close before the riders hit the road
Tour de France titleholder Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will be the rider to beat
He will be up against top-class opponents such as Brandon McNulty
Mads Pedersen and Tim Merlier will be vying for victory at the finishes in Bellegarde (stage 2) and Berre-l'Étang (stage 6)
Alberto Dainese and Soren Waerenskjold willalso be in contention
The French riders will be well represented with Julian Alaphilippe
Expectations will be particularly high for Alaphilippe
who will be looking to shine on the hilly stages
All events will be broadcast live on france.tv and Eurosport from March 9 to 16
This 1,206km edition of Paris-Nice promises to be a full-scale test before the big spring classics
It remains to be seen who will succeed Matteo Jorgenson
marking the return of competition after the winter
From the start in the Île-de-France region to the steep roads of the Côte d'Azur
riders will compete on a demanding and spectacular course
The first stage at Le Perray-en-Yvelines promises to attract curious onlookers and enthusiasts to witness the start of this legendary event
are you ready to follow the sportsmen and women in action between Paris and Nice
Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here
A timelapse of the main stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Les Mureaux
The main stage was constructed in Les Mureaux
After liftoff the main stage for Ariane 6 will fire its Vulcain 2.1 engine and provide steering for eight minutes on the rocket’s ascent into space
The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship
The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport the final few kilometres to the launch area and lifted upright
two boosters will be added for Ariane 6’s first flight; they are already in French Guiana
the upper composite fairing – a nosecone that splits vertically in two – and the payloads will be attached on the launch pad
created to succeed Ariane 5 as Europe's heavy-lift launch system
With Ariane 6's upper stage restart capability
Europe's launch capability will be tailored to the needs of multiple payload missions
for example to orbit satellite constellations
This autonomous capability to reach Earth orbit and deep space supports Europe's navigation
Ongoing development of Europe's space transportation capabilities is made possible by the sustained dedication of thousands of talented people working in ESA's 22 Member States
Access the related broadcast quality video material
The latest Orion-ESM Quarterly Progress Meeting this time started on the Airbus site of Les Mureaux and NASA awarded Airbus engineers for their outstanding contribution
the Orion team of Airbus meets its customers ESA
NASA and Lockheed Martin to review the progress of the European Service Module
The engineers of Les Mureaux are responsible for the Qualification Facility Platform of the avionic system
ground software and a simulation facility that has been delivered to Lockheed Martin in the US
NASA's Orion programme manager Mark Kirasich
NASA's Manager of the European Service Module Integration Office
awarded Airbus team members for their outstanding work to support the programme
Mark Kirasich said: "The outstanding work being done by the Airbus team in Les Mureaux is a key part of building our human deep space transportation system
Engineers are integrating and testing the critical avionics systems that will control Orion's propulsion and power."
The problem isn’t laïcité [secularism - laïcité goes beyond the concept of secularism
embracing the strict neutrality of the State]
laïcité in the French Republic means the freedom to believe or not believe
the possibility of practicing one’s religion as long as law and order is ensured
Laïcité means the neutrality of the State; in no way does it mean the removal of religion from society and the public arena
A united France is cemented by laïcité
If spirituality is a matter for the individual
And so true Republicans must never give way to those who
in the name of the principle of laïcité
try to stir up division and confrontation on the basis of many different issues which very often form the main part of our discussions
We’ve got rules on the subject; we have to enforce them firmly and fairly
Likewise let’s not fall into the trap of conflating issues
That trap is what the enemies of the Republic set us; it consists in making all citizens of the Muslim faith objective allies because they are supposedly the victims of a well-organized system
What we must tackle is Islamist separatism
political-religious project is materializing through repeated deviations from the Republic’s values
which is often reflected by the formation of a counter-society as shown by children being taken out of school
the development of separate community sporting and cultural activities serving as a pretext for teaching principles which aren’t in accordance with the Republic’s laws
we’ve also stepped up the fight against radicalization
counter-radicalization plans involving all the State services were deployed in 15 neighborhoods
in order to have the most effective approaches involving cooperation by all State services
judges on the ground and the intelligence services; 212 bars
13 charity and cultural establishments were closed
hundreds of checks carried out and millions of euros seized in those districts
The results obtained led us to extend this approach nationwide
We have the results; the approach has proven its effectiveness
We’re extending it and are now conducting it throughout France
cells to combat Islamism and communities withdrawing into themselves were set up last winter
They’ve already enabled us to ban conferences organized by radical Islamist movements
financially curb a charity distorting its raison d'être to promote political Islam
and elsewhere close a clandestine school where seven-year-old girls wore full-face veils
400 checks have been carried out and 93 closures ordered
Every day people want to put forward good reasons for dividing us
But I won’t yield an inch to those who want to divide us one way or another
because I believe our greatest treasure is this grouping we form
“Many” doesn’t mean we’re an agglomerate of communities
But this national community has 66 million stories
and [is] something which is always greater than every individual
which means an individual becomes a citizen
His or her adherence to the Republic’s universal principles is what we have to defend.
President of the Departmental Committee; Mr
Principal State Prosecutor; Madam Chief Education Officer; ladies and gentlemen of all ranks and positions; ladies and gentlemen
It is no coincidence today that action is being taken and a discussion is being held in your town
on such an important issue for our Republic
You’re a place where Republican battles are waged and you know how to wage them
and a department which is a land of contrasts
The aim of our meeting today is twofold: firstly
with no taboo subjects but without being simplistic either
And [secondly] to share with you the decisions taken as a result
which are the fruit of nearly three years of methodical work and which we’ve finalized with the Government over the past few weeks
The problem isn’t laïcité [secularism] (1)
laïcité in the French Republic means the freedom to believe or not believe
the possibility of practicing one’s religion as long as law and order is ensured
Laïcité means the neutrality of the State; in no way does it mean the removal of religion from society and the public arena
We’ve got rules on the subject; we have to enforce them firmly and fairly
Likewise let’s not fall into the trap of conflating issues
political-religious project is materializing through repeated deviations from the Republic’s values
the development of separate community sporting and cultural activities serving as a pretext for teaching principles which aren’t in accordance with the Republic’s laws
which claims that its own laws are superior to the Republic’s
I’m not asking any of our citizens to believe or not believe
or believe a little or moderately – that’s none of the Republic’s business
to abide wholeheartedly by all the Republic’s laws
And in this radical Islamism – since this is at the heart of the matter let’s talk about it and name it – a proclaimed
a systematic way of organizing things to contravene the Republic’s laws and create a parallel order
develop another way of organizing society which is initially separatist
but whose ultimate goal is to take it over completely
And this is gradually resulting in the rejection of the freedom of expression
freedom of conscience and the right to blaspheme
and in us becoming insidiously radicalized
Sometimes this goes as far as going and waging jihad
We know that 70 young people in this department left for Syria
and it’s often children of the Republic who stray down this path
even going as far as actually taking action and trying to cause bloodshed or sometimes worse
It’s also this path whose manifestations we saw again last Friday
I’m obviously not forgetting either the time at which at which we’re speaking or the place
The time: the trial for the January 2015 attacks
fraternal sympathy go to the families of those injured and the victims’ families and close friends who lived through the horror in January 2015
to pay tribute to all victims of terrorism and especially Police Commander Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and his partner Jessica Schneider
the memory of whom is still very much alive in Les Mureaux
as it were - and there’s no clear path or inevitability about anything –
I want there to be no confusion or conflation whatsoever
None of these realities should be lumped together
But we have to realize that a radical Islamism is leading to a repudiation of the Republic’s laws
to the trivialization of violence and to some of our citizens
choosing the worst or believing the worst has become natural
and so to the creation of conditions for political abuses but also violent abuses
Our challenge today is to fight against this abuse which some perpetrate in the name of religion
by ensuring that those who want to believe in Islam are not targeted and are citizens of our Republic in the full sense
We’ve basically been burdened with this situation for years
If you want to tell things as they are and believe that millions of our citizens live in the Republic as full citizens and believe in Islam
If we want to address the abuses I’m talking about
we fall into the trap of stigmatizing a whole religion
[Let’s] isolate the problem – radical Islamism –
be aware that each of these stages can automatically support the others
and therefore not give in to any simplistic approach or cynicism
tell things as they are and also admit that we’re up against a challenge which has formed over decades in our country and that we won’t defeat it in a day
that we must oppose those who want to divide us
There’s been a lot of very in-depth writing
description and analysis about what our country is experiencing in this regard
I’ll be humble enough not to claim to be an expert
Islam is a religion that is currently experiencing a crisis all over the world
it’s a deep crisis linked to tensions between forms of fundamentalism
specifically religious and political projects which
as we’re seeing in every region of the world
including in countries where Islam is the majority religion
the situation was radically different in the way the religion was applied
and the tensions we’re experiencing in our society are present in that one
which is undoubtedly one of the most educated and developed in the region
which is being infected by these radical manifestations
these radical impulses and the desire for a reinvented jihad
The project for a territorial caliphate which we fought against in the Levant
external influences and systematic organization by political powers and private organizations have pushed these most radical forms
It has to be said that we’ve let it happen
the Muslim Brotherhood – many of these manifestations were also
Their discourse has gradually deteriorated
radicalism in the denial of gender equality
Added to this is the breeding ground where everything I’ve just described has grown
We ourselves have built our own separatism
it’s the ghettoization which our Republic – initially with the best intentions in the world – has allowed to occur; in other words
it’s sometimes been called a settlement policy
but we’ve created a concentration of abject poverty and difficulties
We’ve crowded people together often according to their origins
We’ve concentrated educational and economic difficulties in certain districts of the Republic
Despite the efforts of elected representatives
we haven’t been able – precisely because of this – to rebuild sufficient integration
we haven’t managed to keep up with this phenomenon in terms of educational and social mobility
In this way we’ve created neighborhoods where the promise of the Republic has no longer been kept
and therefore where there was an attraction to those messages
which delivered and are delivering – let’s be clear – solutions to educate children
because it was overwhelmed by its own difficulties
because it had sometimes gone backwards in terms of public services – those organizations promoting this radical Islam systematically took over from them
And so they built their project – again systematically – on the basis of our withdrawal and sometimes our cowardice
That’s why the shortcomings of our integration policy
racism and anti-Semitism – each of which feeds the others – have also gradually encouraged this development
I am adding one last point regarding our country
in the most humble and maybe imperfect way
but what we have lived and what we are living
Added to all this is the fact that we’re a country with a colonial past and traumas it still hasn’t resolved
with facts that underpin our collective psyche
and basically this whole period of our history is being replayed
because we’ve never unpacked things ourselves
children or grandchildren of today’s citizens of immigrant origin from the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa
revisiting their identity through a post-colonial or anti-colonial discourse
We see children in the Republic who have never experienced colonization
whose parents are on our soil and whose grandparents have been for a long time
but who fall into the – again deliberate – trap of some others who use this discourse
this form of self-hatred that [they say] the Republic should nurture against itself
but also taboos we ourselves have maintained that make their origins mirror our history and also fuel this separatism
I’m systematically distinguishing each of these elements
but they all blend into the reality of our lives
They all blend together and feed off each other
by the way – that’s why I called it Islamist separatism
because it sometimes even strays from strict religion into a specially-designed project – well
So we must very resolutely and strongly confront unacceptable and radical manifestations today
We must recapture everything the Republic has allowed to happen that has led some of our young people or our citizens to be attracted to this radical Islam
And we must also look back at our own traumas and shortcomings in order to open this book
And I say this because we must hold it all together: if our language is reductive
we’ll be sending out a simple message to all young people in the neighborhoods: “We don't love you
Push off back to them.” If our message is naïve
we’ll also be letting a whole part of our Republic slip away and say
“They don't know how to tackle the problems of my daily life
I’m experiencing the consequences: I see the school closing down next to my home
the psalmodists.” We have to deal with both at the same time by unpacking each of the points I’ve just mentioned
we’ll all have to carry it out together and it’ll take years and years
we’ve been acting on the ground very strongly and resolutely from day one; our officials are working hard
I’m not going to repeat here everything that’s been done in the last three years in the fight against terrorism
but a lot has been done by our intelligence services
our domestic security forces and our judges
Laws passed at the beginning of the five-year term
But things have also transformed along with the changes I’ve just mentioned
We now have what’s known as home-grown terrorism
which has become hybrid in form and is related
to the excesses originating in radical Islam
and for others to psychiatry and political-religious radicalization
with individuals we know are sometimes very isolated
So we must continue resolutely and strongly
the commitment of the Interior Minister and
all the civil servants working with him; it’s also the mission of the Minister of Justice: to continue to thwart [attacks]
we’ve also stepped up the fight against radicalization
We’re extending it and are now conducting it throughout France
cells to combat Islamism and communities withdrawing into themselves were set up last winter
They’ve already enabled us to ban conferences organized by radical Islamist movements
financially curb a charity distorting its raison d'être to promote political Islam
I take responsibility for them and so does the Government; they’re often worth more than words
We’ll continue making progress on this point
And I’d like to emphasize how closely aligned this work is with the Government’s work in the fight against drugs and organized gangs
because very often these networks of radical Islam are financially organized in connection with drugs
in connection with an economy that fuels them and organizes
the neighborhood’s own disorder or its own parallel order
and we’ll continue implementing this coordinated
We’ve never refused to face up to reality or been naive
These actions have never been carried out with such a systematic spirit and such an approach
So today we must not only continue them but broaden them
powerful and address the concrete problems observed on the ground
And the response must involve public order measures; it must also involve measures of re-engagement by the Republic
and basically a comprehensive strategy which I want to set out here and which
this republican awakening I’m talking about
developing in this way is the fruit of observations on the ground by our civil servants
but also elected representatives and voluntary organizations
because we’ll all have to build it together
Central to this strategy is active efforts by many players and the empowerment of some; there will also be a bill
On 9 December the Interior Minister and his Minister Delegate will present a bill to the Council of Ministers which
115 years after the final adoption of the 1905 law
will aim to strengthen laïcité and consolidate republican principles
All the ministers present here have contributed greatly to this text
and I thank them for it; they’ll continue to flesh it out it in the days and weeks to come as consultations take place
and they’ll have to lead the parliamentary debates alongside the Minister and Minister Delegate
this republican patriotism in this context that I am calling for
is firstly a set of measures on public order and public sector impartiality which constitute strong
immediate responses to situations that have been identified and which are contrary to our principles
sometimes in the face of pressure from groups or communities
may have considered and may consider imposing menus that accommodate religious restrictions in cafeterias
There have been such instances in departments including Seine-Saint-Denis
Other elected officials exclude or plan to exclude men or women during certain times at swimming pools
This was for example the case in a municipality not far from here
where women called for different entry times to men
prefects will be able to suspend municipal agreements relating to these situations
it should overrule the local authority with the approval of the judge
This measure is aimed at defending public sector impartiality
it will also help protect our elected officials in the face of such pressure – because I do not underestimate the pressure some of them face on the ground
With respect to many issues in the medical and urban planning spheres
concrete decisions will be driven by this piece of legislation which will also relate to situations that are contrary to public order
to gender equality and which should be resolved with a sense of calm
we have seen an increase in the number of deviations within many public services provided by subcontractors
They are objectionable and often give rise to a sense of helplessness because they constitute a circumvention of the law
Inspectors who refuse to allow women on buses because of what they are wearing – to be very clear
because they are not wearing what they consider to be decent; calls for employees to wear conspicuous symbols
admittedly by private partners but for employees providing services on behalf of the municipality
who therefore wear these symbols while carrying out their work
The phenomenon of forced radicalization is growing – over the last few months we have had to monitor more than 80 people working in Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport services a lot more closely
All these instances show that in places where public sector impartiality was clear and established when it was in the hands of civil servants
a series of deviations developed when the public service was outsourced
to ensure that the duty of impartiality will apply to public officials within the framework of their activities
It will however be extended to the employees of subcontractors
which has clearly not been the case until now
In each of the unacceptable situations that I mentioned
this will allow us to respond in a clear and firm manner
We must address all developments that are not in line with our principles and we will do so in a firm and committed manner
with unabashed Republican patriotism and go even further
The second area of focus relates to associations
Our associations are a pillar of our republican pact; the minister for national education
youth and sport knows how important they are
and I think that all the elected officials here
intermediaries and throughout our history they have helped forge a lifestyle based on shared values
beyond our republican structures and rituals
It is therefore quite logical that those who support this plan to promote Islamist separatism have involved the voluntary sector because they have identified it as the most effective way or place to spread their ideas
They provide services that secular associations or other associations that comply with the Republic’s laws no longer provide
and the Republic itself may sometimes no longer provide
with academics who are working on this issue
is that many associations providing sports
which exist to support the most vulnerable or to provide food assistance
actually engage in accepted strategies of indoctrination
not divide it – and we will not concede any ground with respect to this principle
which is central to the freedom associated with the protection of associations in our country and to the special status they enjoy in the Republic
there were limited grounds for dissolving associations in the Council of Ministers: limited to acts of terrorism
They will be expanded to include other grounds
including violations of human dignity and psychological or physical pressure
put into law the principles under which it will be possible to dissolve associations and ensure that under our republican principles
and without waiting for the worst to happen
we can dissolve the associations found to be conveying these messages
to be violating our laws and our principles
Any association seeking to receive a grant from the government or a local authority
must sign a contract to uphold respect for republican values and the minimum requirements for life in society
those responsible for the contract must reimburse the funds since the money must not serve to finance separatists; that is clear
Many stakeholders have started to move in this direction and in your department
I know that many elected officials have started to get sports associations to sign these laïcité [secularism] contracts
enhanced contract to all local authorities as a model that we will use
The minister has done so for all associations covered by the Ministry for Housing and we are rolling it out for all associations covered by the Ministry for Sport because it is vital
But we want government and local authorities everywhere to have the same type of contract and requirements and the same rules in terms of compliance with funding requirements – with controls permitted on this basis and therefore financial monitoring and a repayment obligation
this proposed law will make it possible to strengthen control measures
impose additional constraints in terms of clarifying respect for our principles relating to funding and will make it possible to dissolve associations
when infringements of the principles I mentioned are identified
It is vital; we are doing so while respecting the freedom of association: and I would like to thank the minister of justice and the minister of the interior for their meticulous work in this respect
But I also believe that this measure will enable us to close unacceptable entities in a more effective manner and increase pressure on associations that are deviating from what is acceptable
The third area of focus of our strategy is schools
I am moving into the more intimate aspects of our republican life
They completely protect our children in the face of all religious symbols
They are central to the notion of laïcité [secularism]
and are where we form consciences so that children become free
rational citizens able to choose their own destinies
Schools are therefore a collective treasure
They make it possible to build the Republic that we share
But here too we’ve seen shifting and circumventions
Right now more than 50,000 children are being home-schooled
school principals discover cases of children who are completely outside of the system
prefects close schools – or so-called schools
and are often administered by religious extremists
“No more music class or he won’t come back
No more swimming with other kids or he won’t come back.” It’s as simple as that
Then certificates are presented for chlorine allergies
and finally the child is pulled out of school
“We’re going to register him in the National Center for Distance Education (CNED),” we hear
It’s easier for us.” These children don’t go to the CNED
Sometimes they receive no education at all
Or they go to places that are completely undeclared
we identified another one in Seine-Saint-Denis
The children arrive at 8 each morning and leave at 3
they are greeted by women wearing the niqab
you find out that their education consists of prayers and certain classes
In light of all these tendencies that are keeping thousands of children from being educated about citizenship
to the experience of diversity that lies at the heart of the republican school system
We discussed it at length with the ministers
and it is no doubt one of the most radical decisions taken since the laws of 1882 and those instituting co-ed education in 1969
going to school will be mandatory for all children over age 3
And our schools can in no case be subject to foreign interference
which provides for the teaching of languages and cultures of origin; it led to us having teachers on our soil who were not always proficient in French
through contracts with their native countries
and incorporated curricula that were not in compliance with French law or the fundamental principles of our programs
the Education Ministry and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs conducted a study to end this system and to ensure that we have a single system
in Arabic and contracts with those countries
but which gives us control over the teachers
In other words real control by the Education Ministry over the quality of teachers and education
We are wrapping up the final terms of the negotiations
But after some hard bargaining with the three countries I mentioned
It’s not just a project that in the past might have been discussed
might have stirred things up; it’s a reality
because school must first and foremost instill the values of the Republic and not those of a religion
schools without contracts – over which we will have greater control thanks to the major step forward represented by the so-called Gatel Act – will be subject to even stricter supervision
I want to say very clearly that educational freedom is important in our Republic
and this is in no way an attempt to challenge that
to reawaken passions that our country may have experienced in the past that would be counterproductive
we shouldn’t engage in false equivalencies
We know how to live with educational freedom
But when it comes to personnel track records
teaching content and the origin of funding
the State is justified in stepping up monitoring
we have all been faced with middle and secondary schools
sometimes financed by the State or regional governments
that were lacking in complete visibility because the law did not provide for it
The wake-up call comes when there’s a scandal
And so what was decided was to give the Ministry the ways and means to monitor each school
to mandate administrative closings when necessary and to use these means with due respect for educational freedom and without pointlessly stirring up passions
which does more than educate individuals or raise citizens
That is why I’m convinced that through our schools
the Republic will stand up to those who want to fight it or divide it
and it is through our schools that all our children will have access to knowledge
and will thus become full-fledged citizens
It is the result of a massive amount of work
for which I want to truly thank the ministers
For me it is a key pillar of this strategy – positive but determined
The fourth area of focus in the strategy we intend to implement
is forging a type of “Enlightenment Islam in France
I am always cautious when it comes to these types of formulations
We can speak of an Islam particular to France
I don’t want to get into a debate on semantics because I’ve seen that when I do that
I don’t think there has to be a “Gallic Islam.” But we must help this religion to structure itself in our country so that it is a partner of the Republic on matters of shared concern
Islam was not so widespread in our country
Its presence here has grown considerably in recent years through waves of migration
We are now facing the fact that the way it is organized does not correspond to our own methods
Our interlocutors nowadays do not assume real cultural responsibility
It is therefore very difficult for the minister in charge of religious matters
for mayors to know whom they’re talking to when they want to address subjects relating to religion that have an impact on community life and sometimes on public order
Because the religion isn’t organized in that way
we’ve been working diligently on this issue
I’ve had discussions with nearly all the specialists
and various management teams of the French Council for the Muslim Faith (CFCM)
At one point I may have considered a path – a concordat approach –but I think it was unsuitable to our time
It would have created rifts with other religions
its legal framework would have been very weak
and I think it probably would have given rise to counterproductive ideas
will it then be up to you to fund this or that aspect of things with taxpayers’ money
You can imagine what we would have gotten ourselves into
given the passion behind the irrational debates we sometimes have
That is why we undertook an organizational effort with the assumption of shared responsibilities
the Interior Ministry asked each departmental prefect to identify interlocutors who could speak on behalf of Islam
what exist are regional chapters of the CFCM (CRCMs)
and interlocutors were identified in each department
And it is this path that we’re going to embark on together
we will try to build an organization that will allow us – I hope
I believe – to build a form of Islam in our country that is compatible with Enlightenment values
An Islam that can peacefully coexist with the Republic
respecting all the rules of separation and calming all voices
It is not the State’s job to structure Islam
First – and this is the first point – by freeing Islam in France from foreign influences
and an influence that is sometimes deeper and more dangerous
but which is less visible and less acknowledged
the first influence we decided to limit is the “consular Islam” system
we’re a country that organizes the training of imams in foreign countries
but also that of psalmodists that we bring over on a regular basis
These imams and psalmodists are sent by Turkey
to end this system with the countries of origin
There will be a transition period averaging four years
During that period we ourselves will train our imams and psalmodists
And we are therefore ending the connection that we call “consular Islam.” Partly because it fuels rivalries and dysfunction
but also because it continues to promote the kind of post-colonial superego that I mentioned before that is enormously ambiguous and keeps the restructuring of this religion in our country from moving forward as it must
And I say this very dispassionately and with the agreement of both the CFCM and the three countries I mentioned
We are therefore ending that connection and that foreign influence
The other influence – more pernicious and more serious – is that of financing
Many structures used the 1901 Act to fund cultural activities with a great deal of opaqueness
We witnessed the arrival of so many organizations that we discovered had been funded by such and such a foundation
Mosques will therefore be incentivized to abandon such associations and to move toward a system provided by the 1905 Act
more advantageous tax-wise and with stepped-up monitoring for funding coming from abroad
all those who opt for continuing on the path of 1901 will see drastically stepped-up monitoring in terms of the origins of their funding – monitoring of those origins and of the transparency requirements for their funding
for all the religious associations that registered under the 1901 Act
the constraints that existed under the 1905 Act
without the tax advantages of the 1905 Act
it’s more of an incentive to move towards 1905
It’s not about banning funding from abroad
in freeing Islam in France from the foreign influences that are rarely for the best and
And it’s genuinely about returning to the spirit and letter of the 1905 Act
which these circumventions and these decades of complacency have basically watered down in practice
So what we’re going to do in practice for all places of worship is step up checks in terms of financing and also
in relation to the associations promoting them
step up – as I was saying earlier under the second area of focus – our checks on the nature of what is said
the activities carried out there and respect for the Republic’s values by all those who promote and foster them
the desire to protect those in charge of mosques from coups
is a very significant element of this way of organizing things
What we’re currently seeing in our country – and I know the elected representatives present here have themselves seen and sometimes experienced it – is basically hostile takeovers taking place at the level of mosques in order to suddenly change the leaders of the religious associations themselves in the space of a few days
And a few days later we wake up and see radical Islamists taking advantage of the weaknesses in the statutes to take control of the association and all its funding and carrying out the worst possible policies
What we’re going to establish very clearly is a very robust anti-coup mechanism in the law
which will enable us to prevent those protagonists – who are the most subtle
the most sophisticated – from using the weaknesses in our own rules to come and take control of religious associations and mosques to go and preach the worst things
carry out activities in the framework of the religious association which are not that at all
training and promoting in France a generation of imams but also intellectuals who uphold an Islam fully compatible with the Republic’s values is a necessary goal
I know that many people don’t want to see it and think this would be an effective way of combating radical Islam
first of all because denying reality is never a good path
I think it’s the biggest gift we could make to those who want to topple the Republic
we must carry through this way of organizing things
And so what we’ve agreed with the French Council of the Muslim Faith [CFCM] is that within a maximum of six months it will finalize work that broadly started six months ago and which is essential
That job consists firstly in accrediting training for imams in our country
secondly in shouldering a religious responsibility
and thirdly in writing a charter non-compliance with which will bring about imams’ suspension
The organization of the Hajj pilgrimage will provide necessary funding
We’ve done some very major work with Saudi Arabia to regulate it
work has been done by the CFCM and AMIF [Muslim Association for French Islam]
precisely to build a solution that will enable us to get finding and organize this training
It is not the state that will do what I am describing here
on the basis of the principle of separation; it will be achieved through the French Council for the Muslim Faith
But I have confidence in it; we have given it a huge responsibility
as I told them together with the minister two days ago
With respect to the secular and intellectual dimension
the government should also make a commitment
It should commit to and support efforts in our country aimed at promoting a better understanding of Islam in our country and improved intellectual
academic training for all religious authorities as well as all of our citizens who take an interest in this religion
this civilization in order to understand each other better because it is of critical importance to us
we will contribute €10 million to support initiatives by the Foundation for Islam in France in the areas of culture
I am thinking in particular of the development of advanced Islamic university studies
I have also decided to create a Scientific Institute of Islamology
and to support the law on higher education and research
we will create additional posts in higher education in order to continue
research into Muslim civilizations and the Maghreb
Many of these topics in which France used to excel academically have been undermined and we have abandoned them
we have left the intellectual debate to others
to those outside of the Republic by ideologizing it
sometimes yielding to other academic traditions
I am thinking of Anglo-Saxon traditions based on a different history
And when I see certain social science theories entirely imported from the United States
I say to myself that it is reasonable to make this choice
understanding of civilizations by creating posts
academic and scientific debate in order not to allow the knowledge
of the civilization it underpins and its contribution to our country and our continent to become ideological and exclusively political debates
We will pursue this task methodically and with a great deal of determination
I want France to become a country where we can teach the thinking of Averroes
to be a country that excels in the study of Muslim civilizations
We owe it to ourselves because of this struggle that I mentioned
Because the plan that I mentioned just now will not succeed if we do not understand ourselves better
if we do not have a better understanding of the civilizations that coexist on our soil given what is now the French population
We should also – and the minister for national education has committed to this on several occasions – expand the teaching of Arabic in schools or as an extracurricular activity which we would oversee
Because our young people also benefit from this pluralistic culture
we need to end the hypocrisy that currently exists
If we do not teach it in schools or as an extracurricular activity that is consistent with the Republic’s laws
we have to accept that more than 60,000 young people will now learn it in associations that offer it for the worst of motives and that are manipulated by those that I mentioned
And so Arabic and many other languages contribute the very wealth of our children and their families – we must be able to recognize these languages and celebrate them here in our country
support them within the republican framework
we should not delegate this education; within the next two years
is to have a genuine policy to promote knowledge of languages and civilizations at school as well
with teachers and speakers with language certifications who we know will respect the Republic’s values
and this is the fifth area of focus I would like to highlight
we may have to make people fear the Republic by imposing its rules in an uncompromising manner and by rebuilding the strength of the law and we may have to regain control in these key areas that I mentioned
but we also have to get people to love the Republic again by demonstrating that it can enable everyone to build their own lives
I am simply saying this in our debate because there is also a certain sense of insecurity that has emerged
which some people have called cultural insecurity
because there are rifts and unspoken resentments in our society that we have allowed to evolve
We would like to believe that we can resolve all problems through decrees and laws
Our Republic achieved something extraordinary at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; it did so because it retook control – it established a republican order; it achieved this through our schools
and because it made people love the Republic
And anywhere the Republic does not provide children a future
you cannot expect these children to love it
And so we must step up the work we’ve very energetically begun; I want to pay tribute to it here
This actually means getting the Republic back into people’s practical lives
And we need to do this along with all civil servants
And what’s very tough is that because a lot of ground has been lost
everything being done in recent years – which we’re all doing together – isn’t necessarily visible enough; it seems like a thankless task
but I want to stress again here: doubling the number of classes for 300,000 pupils is the Republic doing something tangible for children who will be able to learn to read
count and be educated in the most difficult regions
That’s a reality: the reforms to guidance and support
everything we’ve done on extra-curricular time
and the quartiers d’été [summer activity programs for children in priority neighborhoods] this summer
That’s an essential way of winning people back
it’s something tangible for those children
and we haven’t left them in the hands of voluntary groups that want the end of the Republic
This work is essential and we’ll be continuing it
opening 80 cités éducatives [projects to improve education in priority neighborhoods]
giving 530 buildings the France Service label [to simplify users’ relations with public services]
and in the cultural sector extending library opening hours for more than 600 communes and creating – as here in Les Mureaux – nearly 100 Micro-folies [digital museums]
that we’ve all been carrying out together in recent years to go and win people back and say: the Republic must return
as when we decided on an additional €10 billion for ANRU [National Urban Renewal Agency] – going to win people back
to restore funding to the judicial system to enable local justice in those France Service buildings
but also restoring very concrete resources so that our judicial system also matches the resources we’re putting into our security
continuing what we did with the quartiers de reconquête républicaine
with the police de sécurité du quotidien [police unit for priority neighborhoods]
what we’re doing when we combat gender equality on the ground by giving back resources to voluntary organizations
but again enabling the Republic to return with resources and structures
And so all this has been deployed in the last three years
with a lot of proposals promoted by the ministers and also by Jean-Louis Borloo
involvement and ideas I want to pay tribute
And when I look at the report submitted to us
more than three-quarters of it has been implemented
And so what we must do today is go further
with the doubling of classes currently extended to pupils in the older section [of nursery school]
an additional 40 cités éducatives that will be created
300 additional France Service buildings that will open in the coming weeks and extra investment in ANRU; on security and justice
with judges and court clerks on the ground and sometimes also volunteers who will come and help with local tasks
gendarmes on the ground and additional resources
Our ultimate goal is simple: to ensure a republican presence at the base of every high-rise block
Where the Republic’s response no longer made sense because we took months and months to respond to offences
by restoring to our judicial system the means to respond quickly and appropriately
Basically we love the Republic when it keeps its promises of empowerment
Everything I’ve just mentioned is what guarantees that promise of empowerment
The Republic is both a system and a promise
And so what we must do very strongly is go further along that path
I’ve begun setting out potential ways forward for equal opportunities; we’ll be continuing them in this area
with new testing systems that have been decided on
in the systematic rollout of the quartiers d’été that I mentioned
Neither racism nor anti-Semitism is compatible with the Republic
have the ambition to go much further than what we’ve started doing
Over the autumn I’ll be setting out new decisions in this area
in conjunction with all elected representatives
we must finally change our legislation radically
we’ll be prolonging educational and training difficulties and the problems I was talking about
This legislation must promote a profound reform of the way we organize things in terms of housing
we must promote and take responsibility for the share of the recovery that will go to those neighborhoods of the Republic
There must be a share of this recovery plan that enables the cultural
economic and environmental empowerment of our neighborhoods
Let’s stop treating some of our young people or our citizens as consumers
or basically simply recipients of public policies
They want to be given the chance to succeed
And so in this France Relance [recovery] plan
I’ll have the opportunity in the coming weeks to put forward profound changes to allow our neighborhoods
entrepreneurial projects and make a success of both the digital and environmental transition
These transitions must be carried out there too
through these five broad areas I wanted to talk about this morning
a new awakening of the Republic requires a whole strategy to mobilize the nation
So I’m conscious that I may have disappointed those who were expecting stereotyping of one kind or another
I take and will continue to take responsibility for this [strategy]
This new awakening of the Republic can’t be about just a few people
And so this awakening must come from us as political leaders
judges – from all those who daily have to keep this promise alive
They didn’t wait for me to make the observations I was talking about
but today we want to give them the wherewithal to act and a clearer framework
and therefore also resources to be able to act
This new awakening is about all citizens and a France united in support of its values
The more our enemies try to pit us against one another
the more uncompromising – uncompromising – we’ll be
but also uncompromising because this intransigence reflects the Republic’s benevolence I was talking about
behind this existential issue for our nation we have to relearn our reasons for living together
But I won’t yield an inch to those who want to divide us one way or another
“Many” doesn’t mean we’re an agglomerate of communities
His or her adherence to the Republic’s universal principles is what we have to defend
The Government will shoulder its responsibilities by finishing the job on this legislation
I know all of those who serve the State will do this
I know that our elected representatives will deliver and I know that all our citizens will play their part in this
Long live the Republic and long live France
(1) laïcité goes beyond the concept of secularism
embracing the strict neutrality of the State
a summary of good news and citizen initiatives that make France shine
which Ariane and ESA use to transport the massive rocket
will collect the first and second stages from France and Germany
ESA reports that the first flight remains on track
targeting a launch window between June 15 and July 31
“We will be sharing more about the payloads in February… There will be CubeSats and some payloads from NASA,” ArianeGroup told NSF
During a factory visit of both the second stage facility in Bremen
and the first stage facility in Les Mureaux
NSF was able to interview high-level officials of the Ariane program as well as ESA Acting Director of Space Transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen
The first stage of the Ariane 6 rocket is assembled in Les Mureaux
The facility to construct it is not far away from the Ariane 5’s vertical assembly building
the factory already featured the fully assembled first stage for flight one
The Vulcain 2.1 engine was already integrated into the bottom of the rocket
and the transport container for the Canopée ship was prepared outside of the factory
The factory also featured a hydrogen tank for flight three in testing
as well as parts for flight four and beyond
ArianeGroup confirmed to NASASpaceflight that six rockets are currently in work on the factory floor
Main stage of Ariane 6 Flight Model 1 in ArianeGroup’s integration hall in Les Mureaux
the goal of the factory is to support twelve flights a year
This cadence is shared by the second stage facility and is dictated by the turnaround time of Canopée
which needs roughly 28 days for a full trip to the Guyana Space Center and back
Ariane 6 has roughly 30 launch contracts signed
These mostly consist of Amazon’s Project Kuiper
but also feature missions such as Galileo and the PLATO exoplanet telescope
Ariane 6 features the Vulcain 2.1 hydrolox engine on its first stage
such as a change to the Prometheus methalox engine
are possible — although this is more likely on the future Ariane Next vehicle
A prototype Prometheus engine is fired in Vernon
Prometheus is the “Precursor Reusable Oxygen Methane cost Effective propulsion System”
which is developed by ArianeGroup and ESA for Ariane Next
This methalox engine is part of a future engine development plan for ESA
It is also used on their Themis vertical takeoff and vertical landing prototype
in which ESA explores the idea of developing reusable rocket technology
the Prometheus engine might be on the upgrade path for Ariane 6
you have to consider several things in parallel
You can not only work on your current development but also need to prepare the following one
and other projects we run together with ESA
“The purpose is to prepare the key bricks for the next generation of European space transportation
but it will be featured on other launch systems
developed by either ArianeGroup or other players
We will offer the engine to whoever will be interested to use it in systems.”
Regarding the fact that the first launch is a rideshare and the implications from that for the future of Ariane 6
Ariane 6 will fly with more than 10 experiments and missions
It was a choice made together with ESA to invite all innovators to propose payloads for Ariane 6
we will have the possibility to group a large number of small missions to take the opportunity of one heavy lift to space.”
The factory also features multiple stages in production
and the flight one stage already has its Vinci engine integrated
is the ability to relight the engine for deep space missions
Ariane 5 could only ignite its upper stage once
which allowed for missions to be sent to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)
Ariane 6 can now launch directly to geostationary orbit (GEO)
using a relight a few hours into the mission
the current version of Ariane 6 can launch up to five metric tons to GEO
The upper stage of Ariane 6 flight one model in ArianeGroup’s integration hall in Bremen
“We already had the experience from the cryogenic upper stage of Ariane 5
but that stage was just a one-shot upper stage
[…] And this reignition of a cryogenic upper stage is the challenge we had to solve,” ArianeGroup told NSF
The re-ignition of the stage is not done using chemicals but is instead driven by an electrical spark that ignites a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gas
which then creates a flame and ignites the main chamber
Arianespace also changed the material of the nozzle extension to a carbon ceramic
“We are usually starting with electrical testing at the stages here
checking that the harness and connections are properly done
We are verifying all the functions it has to perform in space.”
Another major change in the upper stage is the addition of the auxiliary power unit (APU)
Its main role is to pressurize the tanks during flight and allow for longer coasting times
The device will also be used to deorbit or passivize the second stage after its primary mission
The system was tested at the DLR site in Lampoldshausen
“We take guidelines very seriously to deorbit our stages
and this is why Ariane 6 fulfills these deorbit requirements
while other nations ignore the regulations,” Ariane told NSF
Regarding the production of the Ariane 6 second stage
The whole logistics chain is just starting
The team itself would be ready for more… We are limited by the production of the parts
We could produce more stages… If another ramp-up in the future is needed
The P120 rocket boosters are made by Avio in Italy
They are not only used for Ariane 6 but also for the VEGA-C/E
Ariane 6 comes with the ability to feature either two or four of the P120 boosters
which is indicated by the “2” in “Ariane 62.”
the plan is to upgrade the boosters to the P120C+
This will extend the length of the boosters
and feature 14 tonnes of additional propellant
The Amazon project Kuiper missions plan to utilize the upgraded booster after the second Kuiper flight
With both stages now concluding their assembly and testing
the next step will be their shipment onboard Canopée
This approach was chosen to reduce the carbon emissions of the Ariane 6 project
the boat is designed to be always on rotation to support twelve flights a year.”
The ship will load both the first and second stages
as well as the booster casings for flights
Once it arrives at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou
the rocket will be fully assembled horizontally
Ariane 6 will not perform any more integrated testing
as the qualification test from the certification pathfinder was deemed sufficient
The Ariane 6 pathfinder upper stage being loaded into its transport container
ESA will operate the launch as the primary contractor
Arianespace will take over the operation of the vehicle
Arianespace and CNES officials are still involved in the operation of the rocket
we have bought this as part of our development program
so we are responsible for this first flight.”
ESA’s Acting Director of Space Transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen also talked with NSF about the future of launch vehicles at ESA
NSF asked Tolker-Nielsen how his optimal European launch market looks in the future
“Tomorrow we will have Ariane 6 and Vega-C
That will ensure independent access to space from Europe
we have all these micro launchers developed all over Europe
We would like to force them to grow and introduce more competition to Europe
We believe this is necessary for the competitiveness of the sector in the future
Acting Director of Space Transportation for ESA
“For the launchers that will come after Ariane 6 and Vega-C
That is because of two reasons: I believe the market
it becomes economically viable to have reusability
We can not throw away stages like that in the future
I am convinced that the next generation will be reusable launchers.”
(Lead Image: The first stage for Ariane 6 flight model one in ArianeGroup’s integration hall in Les Mureaux
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In a night of mixed emotions at the ANB Arena..
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Laurence Pithie finishes third in tight bunch finish
on same time as winner(Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)Rigoberto Uran of EF Education-EasyPost crosses the finish line in the bunch finish behind Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers)(Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)Remco Evenepoel of SoudalQuick Step competes across final finishing circuit in reduced front bunch(Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)The breakaway of the day: Jonas Rutsch
Stefan Bissegger (both EF Education-EasyPost) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) (Image credit: Getty Images)Stefan Bissegger and Jonas Rutsch of EF Education-EasyPost ride in front of Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) in the breakaway before being caught with just under 40km to go (Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)Lidl-Trek and Visma-Lease a Bike work at the front of the peloton on the 157.7km stage 1(Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)Lidl-Trek
shared the duties with Team Visma-Lease a Bike(Image credit: Getty Images)
Pedersen hit out first in the final 200 metres of the uphill finish in Les Mureaux
Kooij came off Pedersen’s wheel with 75 metres to go and won by half a wheel.
Groupama-FDJ’s in-form sprinter Laurence Pithie looked to be gaining on the pair in the run to the line
with attacks flying from General Classification favourites Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
the sprinters’ teams brought back the moves to set up the bunch kick
but we definitely wanted to go for it,” Kooij said at the finish about the stiff uphill finish.
and then we knew we’d be fighting for the win
Having won two stages in last year's Paris-Nice
Kooij finished second to Pedersen on stage 2 and knew the opening day could come down to a rematch
“We knew this finish really suits him [Pedersen] and he’s been going really good this season
Last year we also had some good battles in the sprint here
"I think tomorrow should be another sprint so it will be nice to race in the [leader’s] jersey
We’ll keep going and do the best we can."
The first battle between the ‘big four’ of 2024 commenced on stage 1 of Paris-Nice as Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) took to the start line of the eight-day race
wasn’t to suit the two riders taking aim at the Tour de France’s yellow jersey in July
It was more of an aim for the punchy sprinters at the race
The stage rolled out of Les Mureaux on a typically cold
Stefan Bissegger (both EF Education-EasyPost) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Energies) hop off the front on the Côte de Bazemont
The Frenchman Burgaudeau took the first mountain points of the race
took control of the peloton as they sought to guide Mads Pedersen to the finish
They let the lead drift out to three minutes over the first hour of racing
Rutsch was first over the second climb of the day
which was due to be ridden again with 15km to go as the day’s final test
Team Visma-Lease a Bike began getting involved with the chase
They helped to bring the trio’s advantage down to just over a minute with 60 kilometres to go
The breakaway was reeled in with 38km left
halfway up the second ascent of the Côte de Bazemont
Rutsch and Burgaudeau stayed at the front of the peloton though and sprinted for the points
The German was too strong and secured the overnight lead of the polka dot jersey
The day was in the balance over the rolling terrain
with questions asked of how many fast-men would be able to make it to the finish
Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling) was the first to be dropped
The peloton went into cruise-mode entering the final 30 kilometres
At 18km to go was the only sprint point of the day
so every time-bonus gained can be crucial – six
The stress in the peloton seemed to rise on the approach to the sprint
Visma-Lease a Bike surged to the front for Matteo Jorgensen
Evenepoel was brought forward by his teammates
Jorgensen went first and took the full six seconds
with Evenepoel in second and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) third
The Belgian champion continued beyond the sprint
Bernal and two from Lotto Dstny to go with him
as the chasers re-organised and brought them back
The acceleration did serve to drop several sprinters
including Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL)
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny)
The riders immediately bounced straight into the final climb of the day up the Côte d'Herbeville
with Soudal-QuickStep keen to keep the pace high through the work of Gianni Moscon
Bernal attacked and Evenepoel countered over the top
The duo were momentarily off the front together before being caught by a heavily-reduced peloton on the long plateau before the descent back to Les Mureaux
The aggressive racing continued as Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) attacked off the front with 10 kilometres to go
He built a 15-second lead as the road began to descend
It was Cofidis with the numbers to chase as they looked to set up Bryan Coquard
Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) were other sprinters present in the group
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale added their weight to the chase as Turgis’ gap began to melt away with 3km to go
Turgis was caught with two to go and Visma-Lease a Bike hit the front in support of Kooij
who was a late returnee to the front group and passed Pedersen in the final 100 metres for the win
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A three-year demonstration called NAVETTY is starting on the ArianeGroup industrial French site in west of Paris
Theproject is supported by VEDECOM – R&D institute for energy transition in mobility-
public transport company branch Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems
autonomous shuttle producer EasyMile and the Yvelines County Council
which has strongly invested for make this project a success
The aim is to deploy a fully autonomous mobility […]
The aim is to deploy a fully autonomous mobility service with no on-board operators
The service will be distantly supervised via a supervision software from a local OCC
Transdev points out: «The first is the main issue of the project: after Versailles Satory’s open road experimentation with extended perception by autonomous shuttles including an on-board operator
the goal is to switch to a mode with no on-board operator and a distant supervision
smart and connected infrastructures and acceptability of the ecosystem»
the choice of the ArianeGroup site in Les Mureaux west of Paris
is ideal as it brings together all the complex elements of an urban area: road and pedestrian traffic
lends itself perfectly to preparing future transition to an urban scale
This autonomous shuttle service has also been designed to meet the needs of ArianeGroup to improve access to its facilities
A new technology has been required to implement a mobility service of autonomous vehicles both with no on-board operator and offering the required service quality and safety levels
This technology is a software called Autonomous Vehicles’ Supervision and is developed by Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems
It offers three main functions: fleet management
supervision operators from Transdev Ile-de-France will be present to supervise the service in real time
Cybersecurity is a central focus for the research carried out in this project
The challenge is to guarantee the safety of the entire mobility system and prevent any malicious acts.Indeed
current autonomous vehicles include on-board technologies dedicated to perception
These faculties are made possible by sensors
processing and computing units which must be totally secured for passenger transportation
The connected and intelligent infrastructure
including roundabouts and crossroad management
The project’s aim is to improve the efficiency of the shuttles while crossing a roundabout
The infrastructure will be able to analyze the activity of vehicles and users while entering and exiting the roundabout
It will also be able to transmit authorizations to the shuttles
in order to allow better management of the crossing
with fluidity and safely: authorization or prohibition to enter
Executive Vice-President of Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems says: «This new project will allow us
to reach a significant new step in the development of autonomous mobility and the preparation of an efficient economic and social model
We are convinced of the central role of supervision to operate autonomous mobility services with no on-board operator
and we are proud to experience it soon on the ArianeGroup Les Mureaux site»
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Emmanuel Macron headed to the town of Les Mureaux
in the Yvelines department north-west of Paris
to warn the French about the rising threat of “Islamist separatism”
which is testing the resilience of the secular French republic
and constitutes a menace to “freedom of expression
George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off
There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford
Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe
Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success
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made its inaugural flight from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 16:00 local time on 9 July (20:00 time BST
Ariane 6 is the latest in Europe's Ariane rocket series
and featuring a modular and versatile design that can launch missions from low-Earth orbit and farther out into deep space."A completely new rocket is not launched often
I am privileged to have witnessed this historic moment when Europe's new generation of the Ariane family lifted off – successfully – effectively reinstating European access to space,” said ESA's Director General Josef Aschbacher."An inaugural launch is a huge undertaking from thousands of people who have worked relentlessly for years
To see it perform wonderfully at the first attempt is testament to their dedication and a demonstration of European excellence in engineering and technology
ArianeGroup and Arianespace for their hard work to get to this point
I also want to sincerely thank our Member States for having enabled and supported the Ariane 6 program along the way
but the endurance shown has paid off handsomely today."
is a demonstration flight whose aim is to show the capabilities and prowess of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space
the first set of satellites on board Ariane 6 were released from the upper stage and placed into an orbit 600 km above Earth
Satellites and experiments from various space agencies
universities and young professionals were included on this inaugural flight.In addition to the rocket
the liftoff demonstrated the functioning of the launch pad and operations on the ground at Europe's Spaceport
The new custom-built dedicated launch zone was built by France's space agency CNES and allows for a faster turnover of Ariane launches.On the occasion of the launch
said: “With this first successful launch by Ariane 6
Europe has finally recovered its capacity to access space
Beyond the great emotion I am feeling right now
my first thoughts are for all the teams in Kourou
Zürich and everywhere else in Europe who made this success possible
I would like to acknowledge the commitment of the employees of CNES
Europe can be proud of its space programme
Europe can be proud of its knowledge and expertise
let's prepare the future of launchers and space.”Ariane 6 was built by prime contractor and design authority ArianeGroup
“With the successful first flight of Ariane 6
the European space industry has moved into a new era,” said Martin Sion
“This historic launch demonstrates the unfailing commitment of our teams and partners
whom I would like to thank warmly for this success
which reflects on the entire European industry
Seeing Europe’s new launcher lift off into space marks the culmination of an outstanding technical and technological adventure
and the beginning of a long history of Ariane 6 operations
The next flight models are already in production and the stages of the second model will be shipped to the Guiana Space Centre this autumn for the first commercial flight of Ariane 6.”
With the placement of satellites into orbit
Ariane 6 has demonstrated that it can successfully launch its payloads into space
but ground control has more in store for its inaugural flight
Ariane 6's upper stage will show again that it can restart its Vinci engine using the novel auxiliary propulsion unit
This restart capability will allow Ariane 6 to drop off multiple passengers into different orbits on future flights and deorbit itself through Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its mission
to ensure it does not become space debris.On this flight
the Ariane 6 upper stage is set to release two reentry capsules as it enters Earth's atmosphere for a clean disposal to burn up harmlessly
leaving no space debris in orbit.The next Ariane 6 is planned for launch this year on its first commercial flight under Arianespace as operator and launch service provider
“The success of this first flight marks the start of Ariane 6’s operational career
giving Europe an autonomous access to space,” added Stéphane Israël
“The new launcher’s order book is proof of the versatility of Ariane 6 and of its capacity to accomplish a wide range of missions into multiple orbits
It reflects the confidence that customers have in Ariane 6 for both their institutional and commercial missions
We are eager to begin operating our new launcher.”
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Nathalie BlainTel. +33 (0)1 44 76 75 21nathalie.blain@cnes.fr
Pascale BressonTel. +33 (0)1 44 76 75 39pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Raphaël SartTel. +33 (0)1 44 76 74 51raphael.sart@cnes.fr
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field centre and space operator encompassing all of the functions required to shape and execute the French government’s space strategy
and to deploy public policies that rely on the space sector
Ariane 6 and launch operator Arianespace met at ArianeGroup’s rocket factory in Les Mureaux
to see how the all-new Ariane 6 is taking shape.
Ariane 6 builds on the heritage of its hugely successful predecessor
But it will lift more payload at less cost and fly more often
to give Europe one of the world’s most flexible
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher acknowledged a temporary gap in launch capability that will mark the period between Ariane 5’s final flight and the beginning of Ariane 6 service
Ariane 6 would continue an invaluable service: “This is guaranteed access to space for Europe
Because this makes it possible that we have navigation satellites
Earth observation satellites – all the satellites we need in daily life. Without these rockets
Access the realted broadcast quality video material
1500 metres of ascent and a finish at an altitude of over 4,300 metres
That's the challenge that French manufacturer Quarkus is preparing to take up
their new road-going supercar currently under development
the company from Les Mureaux in the Yvelines will be at the start of the 'Pikes Peak' hill climb on 23 June in the United States
the Quarkus P3 will take on the second oldest race in America
The race to the clouds was created in 1916
five years after the debut of the Indianapolis 500 in 1911
In their press release, Quarkus states that choosing Pikes Peak was a logical and natural choice
a well-known figure in the competition and winner in 1988
is one of the personalities closely following the French manufacturer's project
The choice of the American race is a tribute to the Finnish driver
Bruce Jouanny to drive the Quarkus P3 at Pikes Peak
The 71-year-old Finnish driver will not be starting the 102nd edition of the race. This task has been entrusted to Bruce Jouanny, who will be at the wheel of the Quarkus P3 bearing the number 26. An experienced driver and host of Top Gear France in recent years
the Frenchman has been involved in the project since the supercar first took to the wheel
"I'm delighted to be taking on this challenge and can't wait to discover Pikes Peak
It's a legendary race that fits in perfectly with the development of the Quarkus P3
It's often referred to as a life-size test
and you can't get much better than Pikes Peak
but with its own particular constraints: the altitude
It's a unique setting in which to challenge yourself
I'm sure we're going to learn a lot at every level
Pikes Peak is the ideal place to test their new car: tubular carbon chassis
in-house developed suspension and running gear
Race-worthy performance from a road-legal car
the Quarkus P3 will take on the altitude of the Alps before flying off to Colorado
the French manufacturer will have to achieve in three months what was planned to take nine months
"Taking on the Pikes Peak challenge when the first development prototype has just been presented is clearly unreasonable
to set no limits and to share this adventure with our customers and partners
When Bruce mentioned his idea of climbing this monument
and it's a fantastic opportunity to boost the development of the Quarkus
We have to achieve in three months what was planned to take nine..
With a project that began at the end of November
But the manufacturer from Les Mureaux can count on the operational and technical support of RD Limited
The Quarkus P3 will be officially presented on 2 May at the Prestige Auto Beaune
Video: The Bugatti Bolide's Track Pace Will Melt Your Mind
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and offers a brand-new complex with a catering area
offering an unrivalled virtual reality experience
EVA continues to expand in France and abroad
has accelerated the rollout of the concept
EVA plans to reach 100 rooms in France by 2025
The company is also preparing for the launch of a new game in autumn 2023
and has created an EVA League 1 and an EVA League 2
followed by a new edition of the EVA Coupe de France
EVA pushes the boundaries ofeSports by offering captivating and immersive public competitions
Fans can watch teams battle it out in the arena and follow the action on giant screens from the players' point of view
combined with HTC Vive Focus 3 headsets and WiFi 6E
makes the game even more fun and accessible to a wider audience
regularly offering new maps and worlds to deliver an ever more breathtaking virtual reality experience
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Eutelsat and Magellium have won a contract from the French space agency (CNES)
as part of the space component of the France 2030
with the aim of enhancing space surveillance capabilities in order to substantially improve the security of space operations
The consortium will provide CNES with a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data service through the deployment of multi-orbital optical sensors
and the development and implementation of an optical space segment in geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)
to complement and enhance the performances of the existing ground-based network operated by ArianeGroup
ArianeGroup is the prime contractor on this project and will supply the surveillance services provided by its ground-based network of telescopes
supplemented by data from the spaceborne sensor that will be developed during the project and then interconnected to ArianeGroup’s system
“This contract recognizes the quality and efficiency of the space surveillance services already provided by ArianeGroup to its government
It is also a vote of confidence in our ability to bring together the very best expertise
provided by partners with complementary skills
Developing sovereign space surveillance capabilities is a strategic priority for France and Europe
We are proud to contribute together to improving security in space
for the benefit of European citizens,” said Philippe Clar
This project will build on ArianeGroup’s ongoing activities through its telescope surveillance network comprising 15 stations worldwide
which today provides services to government
ArianeGroup provides high-precision daytime and nighttime positioning and orbitography data
and analyzes space objects in various orbits
The service is fully geared to the surveillance
tracking and collision warning needs of civil and military satellite operators
allowing them to protect their satellites against all forms of risk
procure and operate the first satellite in this space segment and supply the necessary data
which has a proven track record in the development and manufacture of cameras for SSA applications
to design and build the on-board space sensor
"Exo-atmospheric space is a new challenge for Europe's sovereignty and the protection of its space infrastructure
Eutelsat intends to play its part in the global effort to monitor space and understand its environment by leveraging its multi-orbit
multi-mission infrastructure while joining forces with a leading player in space surveillance," explained Serge Cholley
Director of Security and Defence at Eutelsat
As a French telecommunications satellite operator for the past 45 years
Eutelsat has built up extensive expertise in the space environment by protecting its fleet from orbital risks
It is this know-how that the company is seeking to make available to French and European stakeholders to protect human lives and assets
Eutelsat's ambition is twofold: To become the leading space surveillance operator capable of protecting commercial space operations and to be a trusted partner in France's defence space strategy
will develop the image processing for use on different types of optical payloads
based on independent and sovereign expertise in space image processing and its downstream applications
This expertise has been serving space surveillance since 2015
with the development of the space object detection and tracking function of the Tarot satellites for CNES
followed by a noteworthy participation in the EU SST project on the same function
adapted to onboard processing and completed by a versatile and “high-fidelity” simulator of space observation scenes from both the ground and space
Magellium will be implementing its cutting-edge onboard solutions
The “Data Catalog for Space Surveillance” RFP was launched on April 29
2022 and was assigned by the French government to CNES as operator of the France 2030 space component
The objective is to significantly improve the security of space operations through data collection
The consortium was selected in December 2022 from among the five short-listed contenders
with its proposal to develop innovative optical sensors
These sensors will aim to significantly improve the number of objects catalogued in all orbits
as well as their precise orbital location and the regularity of observation
The synergies made possible by the combination of new-generation ground-based sensors and satellites equipped with optical sensors will significantly improve the data collected by ArianeGroup’s command and control center
The processing and analysis of this new data will contribute to the development of space surveillance services
The project will commence with a 24-month pre-operational phase
followed by an 18-month operational service demonstration phase
This contract is financed by the French Government under the “France 2030” investment plan
ArianeGroup is lead contractor for civil and defense space launcher systems
responsible for the design and the entire production process of Europe’s Ariane 5 and Ariane 6
including marketing and operation by its Arianespace subsidiary
and operational condition maintenance of the missiles of the French oceanic deterrent force
Internationally recognized for its innovative
ArianeGroup has expertise in all aspects of state-of-the-art space propulsion technologies
ArianeGroup and its subsidiaries also offer their specialist skills in space equipment
and critical infrastructure to benefit other industrial sectors
the group employs more than 8,000 highly qualified staff in France and Germany
Its 2022 revenues amounted to €2.4 billion
Astrid EMERIT – T. +33.6.86.65.45.02 – astrid.emerit@ariane.groupCamille SOHIER – T. +33.6.49.00.90.75 – camille.sohier@ariane.group
Magellium was founded in 2003 and joined the Artal Group in 2016 to form the new entity Magellium Artal Group
which currently employs over 300 engineers and doctors
The Group’s offering promotes the use of image data for both civilian and military purposes
which draw on expertise in all data processing technologies
Environmental and Climate Change Monitoring
Defense and Digital Geography.Magellium is recognized for its expertise in major European space programs
including Copernicus (on which it operates the European high-resolution service for monitoring snow cover and river and lake ice extent)
EU SST and the ESA Climate Change Initiative program in which Magellium is the holder and leader of a very innovative scientific project
Magellium is also expanding internationally and has achieved prestigious success on several continents.Magellium Press Contacts
Benoît Viaud – Tel.: +33 6 11 59 05 68 – benoit.viaud@magellium.frAlain Lapeyre – Tel.: +33 6 89 57 05 11 – alain.lapeyre@magellium.fr
Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators
With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure
Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers
Around 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks
Committed to promoting all facets of sustainable development across its business activities
Eutelsat leverages its in-orbit resources to help bridge the digital divide while maintaining a safe and uncluttered space environment
As an attractive and socially responsible employer
Eutelsat assembles 1,200 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service
Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL)
For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com
Anita BaltagiTel. +33 1 53 98 47 47abaltagi@eutelsat.com
Daphne Joseph-GabrielTel. +33 1 53 98 47 47djosephgabriel@eutelsat.com
Baptiste Romeufbaptiste.romeuf@agenceproches.comTel
Thomas CardielTel. +33 1 53 98 31 54tcardiel@eutelsat.com
Hugo Laurens Bergehlaurensberge@eutelsat.com
Christine LopezTel.: +33 1 53 98 47 02clopez@eutelsat.com
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the route headed southwest of the start town of Les Mureaux before returning northeast to take on the second climb of the day
the riders would climb Bazemont and d’Herbeville again
the final ascent cresting 13 km before the finish
🇫🇷 @ParisNice 📅 03/03
📺 @Eurosport_FR – 15h15#DECATHLONAG2RLAMONDIALETEAM pic.twitter.com/GXihGDvymt
— DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE TEAM (@decathlonAG2RLM) March 3, 2024
with Mathieu Burgaudeau of TotalEnergies becoming the first King of the Mountains on the road
By the time they hit Côte d’Herbeville I
Jonas Rutsch of EF Education-EasyPost wrestled the KOM from Burgaudeau
Visma-Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek did the yeoman’s work in the peloton
the fugitives were swept up on Bazemont II
Rutsch and Burgaudeu were able to scrap for the mountains points once more
with the EF Education-EasyPost man prevailing
On the way to the final climb there was a stiff little ascent that filled the role of the intermediate sprint
Remco Evenepoel and Egan Bernal were the first over and then they carried on down the other side with two Lotto-Dstny chaps
The final climb was Côte d’Herbeville II
Soudal-QuickStep pulled until Egan Bernal made a dig and Evenepoel took it up
Primoz Roglic and Brandon McNulty taking the Belgian’s wheel
The streamlined peloton was stretched out heading towards Les Mureaux but slowed down when Anthony Turgis lit out for glory
Around 60 riders caught Turgis just under 2 km remaining
Visma grabbed the reins but Lidl-Trek led into the penultimate left hand turn
Mads Pedersen went long coming out of the final turn
but Olav Kooij roared around his right side to earn a hat trick of 2024 victories
One of the revelations of the young season
Monday is a more straight-forward sprinters’ stage
Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine
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The Canopée ship left the port of Le Havre
carrying the core and upper stages of the Ariane 6 launcher which will be used on the inaugural flight
Arrival at the port of Pariacabo in Kourou
from where it will be transferred to Europe’s Spaceport
“Delivery of the stages for this first Ariane 6 is a crucial step along the road to the inaugural flight and then to commercial operation of the European heavy launcher,” said Martin Sion
“I want to thank the teams at ArianeGroup and those of our industrial partners* for their efforts in recent months
Production of the subsequent flight models is continuing in parallel at our plants in France and Germany
to support a ramp-up that is as ambitious as it is vital
in order to meet the expectations of Arianespace’s institutional and commercial customers.”
is integrated at ArianeGroup’s Bremen site in Germany
is integrated on ArianeGroup’s Les Mureaux site
After undergoing a series of functional tests at the end of the integration procedures
the two stages were respectively taken to the ports of Bremen
These two stages will then be off-loaded and transferred to the Launcher Assembly Building (BAL) on the ELA4 launch complex
they will be assembled together by the ArianeGroup teams to constitute the launcher’s central core
This will then be transferred from the BAL to the launch pad
the central core will be raised to the vertical position and placed on the launch table
It will be joined there by the two boosters
These two solid fuel boosters are also undergoing final integration by the ArianeGroup teams in a specifically-established building at the European Spaceport
The upper composite consisting of the fairing and the payloads will then be added to the launcher on the launch pad
The Ariane 6 program is managed and funded by ESA
As industrial lead contractor and design authority for the launcher
ArianeGroup is responsible for its development and production with its industrial partners
as well as for its marketing through its Arianespace subsidiary
and its contractual partners are responsible for the construction of the Ariane 6-dedicated launch pad in Kourou
CNES in partnership with ArianeGroup also conducts the combined tests under the responsibility of ESA
* Main industrial partners of Ariane 6 program are: Airbus Netherlands
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Design & Development by P.KAN.DESIGNER
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The TimesHundreds of would-be models tried their luck at an open casting event in a run-down Paris suburb
in what some commentators described as a sign of openness in the fashion industry
was staged after claims that the country’s fashion industry has made only token moves towards inclusiveness and continues to discriminate against black people
The Claw agency was founded five years ago to meet what its founders said was demand for diversity among models
It organises talent spotting events around the country, including this weekend in Les Mureaux
The area hit the headlines last year when a councillor resigned after saying that he had been attacked 11 times over
Whilst claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (Isis) a man fatally stabbed a police officer in Magnanville
The attacker also murdered the officer's wife and took their three-year-old son hostage
before police were able to break into the house and shoot the assailant
FranceTV reported that the assailant first fatally stabbed Les Mureaux police station's deputy chief of the judicial police
outside his house at around 9pm local time
He then entered the house and murdered the wife
French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet confirmed that RAID special forces were able to break into the house and shoot down the attacker
but it became clear that they would not succeed and police then entered the home
where they found the body of a woman," he said
Witnesses told Le Parisien that the assailant lived in the same neighbourhood
He shouted "Allah Akbar" during the murder
French President François Hollande called the murder an "odious act"
saying: "Light will be shed on the circumstances of this abominable drama whose investigation
This is the second attack that has taken place during the religious period of Ramadan and is thought to have had links to IS. Omar Mateen, the man responsible for the murder of 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday 12 June
In May, the terrorist organisation had released a video, encouraging supporters outside of Syria to plan more attacks during the holy Islamic month. "The tiniest action you do in the heart of their land is dearer to us than the biggest action by us..
There are no innocents in the heart of the lands of the crusaders," the propaganda video stated
Feb 25, 2023 | Airshow News, Display Team Schedules
The French Air & Space Force’s Rafale Solo DisplayRafale Solo Display Team has released the 2023 Schedule for their display season
Apr 28, 2022 | Airshow News, Display Team Schedules
2022 marks the welcome return of the Dassault Mirage 2000D Tactical Demo
The demo is drawn from the squadrons of the 3rd Wing – EC 1/3 Navarre
EC 2/3 Champagne and EC 3/3 Ardennes based at Nancy
Vautour Bravo are from EC2/30 ‘Normandie Niemen‘ and EC3/30 ‘Lorraine’ based at Mont-de-Marsan and fly a pair of Dassault Rafale C and B omni-role combat aircraft
EC1/4 “Gascogne” and EC2/4 “La Fayette” also fly a tactical demonstration on the Dassault Rafale B omni-role strike fighters
One of newest tactical demonstrations on the display circuit are the pair of Pilatus PC-21s from BA709 Cognac/Châteaubernard
One of most eye-catching tactical demonstrations comes from the French Air Force’s Airbus DS A400M
A knife-wielding attacker stabbed a French police chief to death in front of his home last night and his partner's body was found inside
killings Islamic State's Amaq news agency said were carried out by a member of the group
The attacker repeatedly knifed the 42-year-old commander in the stomach before barricading himself inside the house in a Paris suburb
He was shot dead by members of an elite police unit after negotiations failed
Police and judicial sources said that the attacker was a 25-year-old man who had been monitored by security and anti-terrorist services after he received a three-year prison sentence in 2013 for helping Islamist militants go to Pakistan
A judicial source said the anti-terrorism unit of the prosecutor's office had been given responsibility for the investigation because of comments made during lengthy exchanges between the assailant and negotiators
"Source to Amaq agency: Islamic State fighter kills deputy chief of the police station in the city of Les Mureaux and his wife," Amaq said on its news website
President Francois Hollande held an early morning emergency meeting over the killings
his office said before Amaq posted its statement
underscoring the seriousness with which the Elysee presidential palace is treating the incident
If it is confirmed Islamic State was behind the murders
it would be the first militant strike on French soil since the government imposed a state of emergency after multiple attacks on Paris in November that killed 130 people
a founder member of the U.S.-led coalition waging air strikes against Islamic State
was already on high alert for terrorist attacks during the Euro 2016 soccer tournament which began on Friday
Islamic State's claim one of its "fighters" carried out the evening attack came a day after the Islamist militant group said it was responsible for the shooting that killed 49 people in a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando
The attacker struck in the Paris suburb of Magnanville
about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of the French capital and about 20 km from Les Mureaux
He stabbed the police commander nine times in the stomach before forcing his way into the house and taking the officer's partner and three-year-old son hostage
a decision was made to launch an assault," Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said
Commandos from the RAID police unit stormed the house and found the woman's body
The young boy was rescued "in shock but unharmed"
Officials have not revealed the identity of the 42-year-old officer
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