Latest news with #EiffelTowers
Local France
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Local France
What are the rules on photographing people in the street in France?
Two American tourists have filed a complaint with Paris police , saying that they were attacked with mini Eiffel Towers when they attempted to film some of the capital's unlicensed street vendors. The case followers that of a Czech influencer who says he was threatened when he filmed scammers on the street. We should emphasise that physical attacks or even threats are very rare, and these cases are the exception rather than the rule. That said, France does have strict privacy laws which cover street filming, as well as a culture which is more inclined to individual privacy - even when you are in a public space like the street. CCTV, drones and doorbells - France's privacy laws explained Here's what the law says; France's privacy law introduces the concept of the droit à l'image - or the right to your own image - and states that everybody has a basic right not to have images of themselves published against their will. This includes photos or film that are taken in a public space such as on the street or in a park. Advertisement For ordinary members of the public, general consent is required, unless the publication is in the public interest or if the person is pictured or filmed as part of a large crowd, for example at a demonstration. For minors under the age of 18, taking and publishing photos is subject to strict rules and typically parental authorisation. It's also worth noting that 'publishing' includes putting pictures on social media, or streaming video onto social media or channels like YouTube. The droit à l'image gets a little trickier when it is applied to public figures such as politicians or celebrities – essentially, it is broken down again into this idea of public v private space. When it comes to photos taken in a private space, the photographer usually requires the consent of their subjects when they can be identified. France's penal code states that taking or publishing a photo of somebody, taken in a private place without their consent, is punishable by up to a year in prison and a €45,000 fine. It is worth noting that a car is considered a private space, which is why a French court ordered Closer magazine to pay damages to actress Julie Gayet, after publishing a photo of her allegedly on her way to meet then-president François Hollande, with whom she was having an affair. Photographing versus publishing The law is clear that consent is required to take photos or film in a private space. However when it comes to the public sphere the rules are more concerned with publication of the photos or film - although as noted that does include posting them on social media. Photography or filming is therefore not specifically illegal, but because of the strictness of the laws, French people do have a greater expectation of privacy and openly filming or photographing someone without their consent is considered unacceptable. But that doesn't mean that tourists can't take photos in public - as evidenced by a trip to hotspots like the Eiffel Tower or Mont Saint Michel - it's just a question of balance. Naturally if you're taking a photo of a crowded public space then there will be people in the background, but you should try to avoid photographing or filming people in close up, unless they agree. Advertisement You might also see some people in tourist areas who have signs up specifically prohibiting filming - for example street artists or stallholders at a market. If you see someone you particularly want to photograph or film - perhaps an especially talented busker - then it's polite to ask them first. If people ask you to stop photographing or filming them, then it's courteous to respect their wishes. This is also the sensible course of action if the person in question is doing something illegal - many of the street vendors selling souvenirs in areas such as the Eiffel Tower are unlicensed, so they will be unlikely to welcome being filmed. Some are also sans papiers (undocumented immigrants) so are likely to be worried about being filmed or photographed. France does not have a tradition of vigilante justice - if you see something that you think is illegal, it's best to report it to the police and let them deal with it.
CNN
01-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
The world's tallest bridge will open in China this summer
Move over, Golden Gate and Sydney Harbour. China is set to open the world's tallest bridge in June, the latest feat of engineering from the infrastructure-focused country. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is currently nearing the end of construction in Guizhou, southwest China. It will measure 2,051 feet above river level, which is 947 feet taller than current bridge title holder the Millau Viaduct in France. Guizhou province is a mountainous areas of China, with complex terrain. The bridge crosses the dramatic Huajiang Grand Canyon, also called the 'earth crack.' China has a nationwide push to improve infrastructure, especially in relatively underdeveloped mountainous areas like Guizhou, which is 800 miles west of the city of Shenzhen. Thus, the bridge isn't just about breaking a record — once in operation, it will be easier than ever for cars and trucks to traverse the area. According to state media, it will reduce travel time over the Huajiang Grand Canyon from two hours to just one minute. The bridge is a steel truss suspension bridge with a total length of 9,482 feet. Construction officially started on January 18, 2022 and is expected to be completed on June 30, 2025, Guizhou local state media said. Altogether, these trusses weigh about 22,000 tons, equivalent to three Eiffel Towers. 'At present, the overall progress of the bridge has reached 95%, and it is planned to be opened to traffic in the second half of 2025,' Zhang Shenglin, chief engineer of Guizhou Highway Group, told the state-run newspaper China Daily. 'By then, this super project that spans the 'earth crack' will be the world's first in both directions. It will become another landmark project to demonstrate China's infrastructure strength,' Zhang added. Currently, nearly half of the top 100 tallest bridges in the world are in Guizhou. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Interested in exploring of the world? Check out more stories from CNN Travel. Xiaohongshu, China's answer to Instagram, is transforming the travel industry for younger adventurers. Locations that offer unique photo ops, such as basketball courts with great views of the Hong Kong skyline or paintwork on a wall in Seoul, have become huge tourist draws because of the app. On the opposite end of the scale, an American game streamer and his YouTuber buddy are ditching the smartphones that are the staple of their generation and attempting to cross Japan by motorbike without so much as a guidebook. They're relying on basic Japanese and asking directions from locals. For an easier way to do old-school travel, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this round-up of the best vintage-inspired luggage and accessories. CNN got a sneak peek at one of the biggest and most expensive theme parks ever built Florida's Universal Orlando Resort will open its third and newest theme park, Epic Universal, on May 22 and it's one of the largest, most expensive theme parks ever made. CNN got a sneak peek inside the first major theme park to open in the state in 26 years. Jonestown, Guyana, was the site of an infamous 1970s mass murder and was among the first visitors to be taken there by tour guides. A 76-year-woman and her parrot, Plucky, were denied boarding on a Frontier Airlines how Plucky got unlucky. She couldn't stop thinking about the man she'd glimpsed when her ship visited a remote he wrote her a letter.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
China Shatters Record With 'World's Tallest Bridge'
China is nearly set to open a new bridge that will shatter the previous world record for the world's tallest bridge. Currently, the tallest bridge in the world is Millau Viaduct located in Millau, France which opened in 2004. That record-setting bridge stands at 1,125 feet in the air, topping three Chinese bridges that were built within the past six years. However, in just a few weeks, that record will be shattered. In late June, Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is nearing the end of its construction in Guizhou, southwest China. When it is done, it will become the world's tallest bridge, and it won't be particularly close. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is set to be 2,051 feet above river level, which is 947 feet taller than current record holder Millau Viaduct. 'At present, the overall progress of the bridge has reached 95%, and it is planned to be opened to traffic in the second half of 2025,' Zhang Shenglin, chief engineer of Guizhou Highway Group, told the state-run newspaper China Daily. 'By then, this super project that spans the 'earth crack' will be the world's first in both directions. It will become another landmark project to demonstrate China's infrastructure strength,' Zhang added. The bridge is a steel truss suspension bridge with a total length of 9,482 feet. The bridge's trusses weigh about 22,000 tons, which is equivalent to about three Eiffel Towers. Needless to say, it's a massive feat of engineering that will set a new record once it's complete.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After the Eaton fire, Altadena dirt was sent to Tujunga. Then came the backlash
Residents in the rugged enclave of Tujunga became suspicious in January after dirt-filled trucks began inundating their neighborhood streets, dumping their loads on nearby county-owned property. Their inquiries revealed that the trucks carried winter storm sediment dredged from catch basins that were quickly inundated with runoff in and around fire-scarred Altadena. The basins, essential to flood control in the San Gabriel Mountains, are largely located above residential burns areas, according to the county. But the hauling and dumping operation has led to a dramatic fallout between county officials and Tujunga residents and is another example of a community fearful of accepting debris related to the Eaton and Palisades fires. The residents say noxious dirt is being trucked in. At least one local sneaked onto the site earlier this year to collect and later privately test the catch basin soil. The results found selenium and arsenic, according to the community. 'I'm scared and I'm angry,' said Tujunga resident Karen von Gunten, who lives within about 150 yards of the county site. She no longer feels comfortable gardening for long periods of time because of a noxious odor she attributes to the site. County officials contend the soil is safe. At the same time, Tujunga locals — who relish their relative isolation living against the rugged backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains — say they are tormented by the noise, vibrations and dust caused by the hauling trucks, which traverse along homes in this semirural area. Read more: As heavy as 100 Eiffel Towers: Monumental L.A. County fire debris removal could finish by June It's all anathema to Tujunga's history and reputation as a clean air community. Starting in the 1920s, the area began attracting people who have asthma. Today, the neighborhood still draws residents looking to escape the pollutants and noise of city life. And on the fringe of the mountains, the area is home to bears, deer and rabbits. Caroline Kim Palacios said she was forced to temporarily move her 70-year-old mother, Suki Kim, out of her mother's home next to the county site after she complained about a sore throat, burning in her eyes and lungs, and nausea in March. Her mother believes those issues are linked to the hauling operations, Kim Palacios said. She also pointed to the wildlife, including deer, that come through the area and the nearby wash. "I'm worried about the ecosystem," Kim Palacios said. County officials acknowledged at a March meeting with Tujunga locals that they didn't warn residents about the operation at the 17.5-acre site. 'I'm sorry for not handling it better,' said county engineer Laren Bunker, according to a recording of the meeting. "I think we could have been a little bit better in our communication with the community." The county began trucking debris to its lot off Sevenhills Drive in January after not using the site for 15 years, according to county officials. The lot was activated because of the magnitude of storm debris that had to be removed from the basins. Although operations stopped earlier this month, hauling is likely to resume after future rainstorms, the county said. The lot, known as Zachau sediment placement site, is bounded by a tall fence and next to several homes. County Public Works spokesperson Elizabeth Vazquez said the sediment brought to Tujunga came from the West Ravine and Fern basins at the edge of a mountainous area. Some homes that burned in the hills are above the basins. Photos taken in February by Altadena residents show the basin filled with dark sludge-like debris. The debris includes "vegetative matter," said Vazquez, who said operators scraped off the top layer and sent it to a Simi Valley landfill, with dirt and rocks going to Zachau. Read more: 'We don't want it!' San Gabriel Valley rages against shipment of Eaton fire hazardous waste Some ash from the undeveloped hillsides may have ended up in the basin, the underground storm drain system and the landfill, Vazquez said. She said Phos-chek, a flame retardant, was not observed in the debris basins. Vazquez also said that crews took measures, including installing a type of berm, to prevent burned home debris from washing off properties. Colin Sweeney, a spokesperson for L.A.'s Department of Transportation, told The Times that the county isn't required to clear its truck routes with the city. In Tujunga, residents living along the route described trucks rumbling past their homes. The screech of truck brakes was particularly torturous, they said. Ara Khatchadourian lives at the corner of Commerce Avenue and Summitrose Street, and moved to Tujunga two and a half years ago because he and his wife wanted a quiet neighborhood after living next to a high school in Glendale. The trucks began in the morning and went all day, six days a week. Seven tiles in his dining room floor cracked in March, which he blames on vibration from the trucks. 'It's been a very stressful time,' Khatchadourian said. Read more: EPA plans to truck Eaton fire debris to a San Gabriel Valley park. Four cities lodge protest Karen von Gunten and her husband, Jon, who live near the Zachau site, moved to Tujunga in 1987 and enjoy the owls and other wildlife that flock to their backyard. Today, she said, she can't always keep her windows open without an odor wafting into their home. After the trucks first arrived in January, there was a strong 'burnt rubber' smell that eventually diminished but is still bothersome, she said. Her husband described the odor as akin to an 'old car engine.' A representative for the South Coast Air Quality Management District said the agency has received 23 complaints alleging traffic concerns, odors and dust from soil related to Zachau since Jan. 7. 'South Coast AQMD responded to each complaint and conducted on-site inspections on nine different days," said spokesperson Nahal Mogharabi. "Our inspectors did not detect odors in the area and did not observe any air quality violations during any of those in-person visits." Dirt collected by a resident at the site showed selenium, a trace element that can be harmful in heavy concentrations, according to the results, which were reviewed by The Times. The lab results also showed arsenic in amounts higher than federal and state levels, but below another common level used in California. The county did its own testing of Zachau and the two storm basins, and those results showed no selenium and generally the same levels of arsenic, according to the tests, which The Times reviewed. 'You could take two scoops and get two different results,' said Joe Sevrean, the lab director at 1 Laboratories, which handled the community's test. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area, told The Times in an email that 'the toxicologist reviewed the samples collected by residents and their tests indicate that the soil is clean and well within the state's safety standards." Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez has demanded that the county fix roads in Tujunga that she said were damaged by the trucks. Rodriguez, whose district includes Tujunga, said in a March letter to Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, that she is 'deeply concerned' about the county's use of the site. The Tujunga community wants the county to do more testing. Residents are also bracing for the next storm and another round of trucks. One county official told residents to consider removing the speed bumps along part of the truck route, so the trucks don't have to brake and make a screeching sound. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
See - Sada Elbalad
17-04-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
China Prepares to Open World's Highest Bridge in June
Taarek Refaat China is preparing to open the world's highest bridge, the Huajiang Grand Canyon, in June 2025, the latest engineering feat in a country focused on infrastructure. The bridge is nearing completion in Guizhou, southwest China, and will reach 2,051 feet above the river, 947 feet higher than the Millau Viaduct in France, the current title holder. Guizhou Province is a mountainous region in China with complex terrain, and the bridge crosses the spectacular Huajiang Grand Canyon, also known as the Earth Split. China is striving to improve infrastructure nationwide, especially in relatively underdeveloped mountainous regions such as Guizhou, located 800 miles west of Shenzhen. When the bridge is operational, it will make crossing the region easier than ever for cars and trucks. Not only will it set a new world record, but it will also reduce travel time across the massive Huajiang Canyon from two hours to just one minute, according to state media. Construction officially began on January 18, 2022, and is expected to be completed on June 30, 2025. The steel truss suspension bridge is 9,482 feet long, according to local Guizhou state media. These trusses weigh approximately 22,000 tons, equivalent to the weight of three Eiffel Towers. Chang Shenglin, chief engineer of the Guizhou Expressway Group, told China Daily that overall construction progress on the bridge has reached 95 percent, and it is scheduled to open to traffic in the second half of 2025. Chang added that by then, this gigantic project, spanning the landmass, will be the first in the world to span in both directions. He noted that it will be another landmark project that demonstrates the strength of Chinese infrastructure. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
