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Regional park in west of France named dark-sky preserve
Reduced public lighting means up to 4,000 stars can be observed in the Landes de Gascogne
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Help clear France’s rural footpaths in national drive to preserve access
The often-neglected chemins ruraux are a key part of countryside heritage
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List: Car models with potentially dangerous airbags in France
Millions of vehicles made between 1998 and 2019 are affected
Cigarette firms face cheat claim on tar tests
As cigarette prices rise to €8 a pack, it raises suspicions
Tobacco giants have been accused of cheating nicotine and tar tests meaning smokers are inhaling five times as much nicotine and up to 10 times as much tar as thought.
Anti-smoking group Comité National Contre le Tabagisme said its tests had shown that tiny holes in cigarette filters “falsified results” by allowing more air to pass when used on a test machine than when covered by a smoker’s fingers or lips.
It has started legal action in Paris against Philip Morris, British American, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands saying they are tricking “smokers who think they are smoking one packet a day but are actually smoking the equivalent of two to 10 packets”.
Tobacco is blamed for 75,000 deaths a year from cancer and cardiovascular problems in France. The industry has faced measures to cut smoking, including the introduction of plain packs and a series of price rises ending in €10 packets by 2020.