Reaction after 2015 Tour de France route is unveiled in Paris on Wednesday (October 22nd).

The punishing hairpin climb to the Alpe d'Huez ski station high in the French Alps will provide the dramatic climax for the 2015 Tour de France on the last day, before cycling's showcase race sweeps into Paris for its traditional finish before cheering crowds on the Champs-Elysees.

The atypical 2015 route unveiled on Wednesday by Tour organisers also sees a drastically reduced emphasis on time-trialling, plenty of opportunities for sprinters to shine and potential traps that could trip up race favorites, including a return to tricky cobbled roads in northeast France.

The race starts on July 4th in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and ends 3,344 kilometres (2,078 miles) later in Paris on July 26th, going counter-clockwise around France.

Riders get rest days before they attack the Pyrenees and then the high Alps.

Paris, France. 22nd October, 2014.

1. 00:00 Wide of TDF 2015 route presentation.

2. 00:06 Medium of cyclists.

3. 00:11 Close-up of presentation stage.

4. 00:15 Pan and top shot of mixed zone.

5. 00:20 Set-up Vincenzo Nibali.

6. 00:23 Cutaway.

7. 00:28 SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vincenzo Nibali, TDF 2014 winner, Astana (on doping in the Astana team):

"The events that happened are related to the Iglinskiy family, so it's a separate thing and we, as a team, cannot answer for something done by the two brothers. About the last case instead, it doesn't belong to us, it is part of the 'professional' team, which is not managed by us but it's managed by others."

8. 01:22 Cutaway.

9. 01:27 SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vincenzo Nibali, TDF 2014 winner, Astana (Q: are you the favourite?)

"It's hard to say who the favourites are, we will see it during the season, during the preparation ahead of the Tour. Certainly, the most important favourites are (Chris) Froome, (Alberto) Contador, (Nairo) Quintana."

10. 01:42 Set-up Chriastian Prudhomme.

11. 01:48 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"It's a hilly Tour, yes. Its the 40th anniversary of polka dot jersey. So we'll have a first part with flat stages but we will use cobblestones, we will use the wind, two steep finish lines. And after that yes, in the Pyrenees and in the Alps yes - it will be a 'mountain-ess' Tour De France."

12. 02:12 Cutaway.

13. 02:17 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"Stages are always good for the sprinters. A Tour is never good for sprinters, it's only stage wins. If you are not a climber, you can't win the Tour."

14. 02:28 Set-up Marc Cavendish.

15. 02:33 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marc Cavendish, QuickStep:

"After the first week, it will be in the mountains. With cross winds, small roads, small hills, with the cobbles. It's going to lead to a lot of stress, everyone is going to be very tired. There is lots of opportunities for me as a sprinter. I am really looking forward to it."

16. 02:48 Set-up Marcel Kittel.

17. 02:52 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcel Kittel, Giant:

"As a sprinter I like the first week even though there are cobblestones in it. But, yeah, it will be really hard after the first stages."

18. 03:02 Pan on TDF 2015 map and route.

19. 03:08 SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Christophe Peraud, Ag2r:

"Cycling is not doing well in a way in relation with the number of teams are quitting. So one shouldn't point the finger at Astana. It doesn't look like organized doping. I think the UCI is putting in a lot of effort in its fight against doping."

20. 03:27 Medium of mixed zone.

21. 03:31 SOUNDBITE: (English) Cadel Evans, Former TDF winner:

"There is certainly a couple of stages that I think would suit me and my carachteristics but at the same time I had ten years committed to the TDF. I gave everything I could, the moments I could�I came away with one victory. I retire, I step away from the TDF as satisfyed competitor and a one with only very few regrets."

22. 03:56 Wide of presentation TDF 2015 stage.

STORYLINE:

Defending champion Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish spoke about the route for the 2019 Tour de France after it was announced in Paris on Thursday (25th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Next year's Tour de France will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the showcase race's iconic yellow jersey.

With France emerging from the carnage of World War I, the Tour offered its beacon of hope to the war-ravaged nation.

In 1919, the race leader's yellow jersey — which has become cycling's most iconic symbol — was introduced.

"It came straight out of the trenches, born from the rubble of a wounded France," Tour race director Christian Prudhomme said Thursday, unveiling the route for the July 6-28 race.

Joining Prudhomme on stage were five-time Tour winners Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

Only four riders, including Jacques Anquetil, have won five Tours; Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles for doping.

British rider Chris Froome will try to win his fifth title next year, but will have to depose his Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas over the 3,460-kilometre (2,145-mile) race.

It features seven flat stages for sprinters, five hilly ones for all-rounders, seven mountain stages — five with summit finishes — one team time trial and one individual time trial.

The big climbs start in the Pyrenees before hitting the Alps.

The Tour has less of the Hors Categorie (Beyond Classification) climbs than before - those HC climbs are the most gruelling.

Instead, the race has more of the Category Two climbs — which are noticeably less difficult and favour attacking strategies.

Sky has won six of the past seven races, often controlling them in the mountains by easily repelling attacks.

This has given the team an aura of invincibility and the race a predictable tone.

With closer racing needed, the two time trials combine for a relatively low 54 kilometres, meaning specialists such as Froome have less chance to gain significant time advantages.

The race begins with a flat stage for sprinters around the city of Brussels and stays there the next day for the 27 kilometre team time trial.

After leaving Belgium, the Tour snakes through the Champagne and Lorraine regions.

Stage 4 for sprinters starts in Reims — the Champagne-producing city where 25 French kings were crowned in its cathedral.

With the race leaving the Alsace region, Stage 7 is the longest at 230 kilometres and made for sprinters.

The next day's stage is a hilly one, with several short but sharp climbs from Macon to Saint-Etienne.

The first rest day is July 16 in Albi in southern France, followed by a sprint stage before the Tour enters the high Pyrenees.

Stage 14 on July 20 features finishes with a climb up the Tourmalet pass, one of the most famed in Tour history.

Riders tackle three days of Alpine climbing on stages 18-20, featuring an ascent up the famed Galibier and imposing Iseran — standing 2,770 metres — and culminating with a relentless 33.4 kilometre trek up to the ski resort of Val Thorens.

After the weary peloton is flown towards Paris, the race ends the next day with its processional showcase stage on the Champs-Elysees.

Palais des Congres, Paris, France. 25th October 2018.

1. 00:00 Wide of cyclists walking on stage

2. 00:04 Mark Cavendish on stage

3. 00:10 Christopher Froome on stage

4. 00:19 Geraint Thomas on stage

5. 00:30 Froome and Thomas going back to their seats

6. 00:40 Geraint Thomas

7. 00:43 Christopher Froome

8. 00:47 Julian Alaphilippe

9. 00:51 Mark Cavendish

10. 00:57 Primoz Roglic

11. 01:01 Five-time Tour de France winners Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and Miguel Indurain, Raymond Poulidor, French former professional bicycle racer known as "The Eternal Second", and Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme

(UPSOUND Raymond Poulidor "Between us four we have won 15 Tour de France")

12. 01:09 Pan of Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Raymond Poulidor on stage

13. 01:21 Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme arriving on stage with map of Tour de France 2019 on large screen

14. 01:26 SOUNDBITE (English): Geraint Thomas, 2018 Tour de France winner:

"It's solid, it's tough as ever, but it's hard to take in it all when it's so quick but there are some big stages, obviously a lot of climbs finishing over 2,000 metres, medium mountain days, you know, look hard as well so yes it's going to be a tough race."

15. 01:42 Close up Thomas' eyes

16. 01:47 SOUNDBITE (English) Geraint Thomas, 2018 Tour de France winner:

"Yeah I think that will be really nice, I've raced in Belgium quite a lot before in the past, so yeah it will be nice to go back and obviously team time trial which we are normally pretty good at. It will be nice to try and try and win that for a change, rather than second and third, which we always seem to be."

17. 02:03 Geraint Thomas talking to journalists

18. 02:07 SOUNDBITE (English): Mark Cavendish, British sprinter who has won 30 Tour de France stages:

"It's flat enough for me, it's 21 flat dates isn't it, but yes, when you've got six or seven spin opportunities that's good, that's fair and there is that, you know. We've got the climbs. I think although there's more climbing, probably more altitude metres, it's still probably (doesn't finish sentence).... 2018 was near-on impossible to reach Paris for most of the sprinters - just the position of the climbs and the layout of the stages whereas here, though there's more climbing there's actually a better opportunity for us. If we work hard, we get to Paris. This year, it didn't matter how hard you worked physiologically, we'd never get to Paris. I was sick in the end, but I don't think even if I was well I wouldn't have reached it. It's quite nice next year - I'm looking forward to it."

19. 02:54 Tour de France presentation on large screen

20. 02:59 Cavendish watching presentation

21. 02:17 SOUNDBITE (English): Mark Cavendish, British sprinter who won 30 Tour de France stages:

"Yeah I hope so. Just back on my bike now. Yeah, there's enough time to get health... to get fit, as long as I'm healthy so I'm monitoring my health at the minute and we'll see where I'm at."

(Journalist: What does the Tour de France mean?)

It's everything for me. It's everything for every bike rider. Even guys who don't ride the road, professional track riders always dreamt of one point or another riding the Tour de France. For me it's everything, it's my career, it's what I've built everything on. It's what I'll continue to do. It's the only reason I still ride a bike now."

22. 03:30 Cavendish leaving

23. 03:35 Wide pan from audience clapping to stage

23. 03:42 Audience listening

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:47

STORYLINE:

Chris Froome and other riders reacted after the 2017 Tour de France route was unveiled on Tuesday (18th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

All five mountain ranges of continental France will feature in next year's Tour de France, setting up a gruelling, three-week racing challenge that seems tailor-made for the climbing strengths of defending champion Chris Froome and his Colombian rival, Nairo Quintana.

In their quest to keep the 113-year-old race young, organisers have again unearthed fresh racing challenges from the geography of France, with new climbs and, on stage 18, an unprecedented mountain-top finish on the punishing Col d'Izoard high in the Alps - a rocky, hostile and lunar terrain that could be the final big battleground for the winner's check of 500,000 euros ($550,000).

Before that, on stage 12 in the Pyrenees, the Tour climbs to the Peyragudes ski station where parts of the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" were filmed in 1997.

From its July 1 start in Duesseldorf, Germany, to the July 23 finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the 3,516-kilometre (2,185-mile) route will wind over climbs in the Vosges, Jura, Massif Central, Pyrenees and Alps. Not since the Tour of 1992 have organisers made riders take on all five mountain ranges.

Paris, France. 18th October 2016.

1. 00:00 Tour de France riders arriving for presentation

2. 00:11 Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner, arriving for presentation

3. 00:19 Close up Chris Froome

4. 00:25 Mid of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

5. 00:31 Wide of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

6. 00:39 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"Like every year this is an extremely tough, tough Tour de France to win. Only three summit finishes but a few very difficult challenging mountain stages. It definitely could make the race a lot more tactical in the mountains and not necessarily just about the strongest on the climb on the day."

7. 01:03 Froome on camera screen

8. 01:07 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"It is certainly nice to see that Tour de France is returning to Germany, I think it's been 30 years now since the Tour was there. I think especially given the likes of a lot of the German riders in the peloton at the moment, we've got some really talented guys, guys like (Marcel) Kittel, (John) Degenkolb, Tony Martin. I'm sure for them it's going to be a great honour for them to be at the Tour de France with it starting in Germany again."

9. 01:38 Froome holding photo and posing with man for photographer

10. 01:46 Christian Prudhomme with officials

11. 01:50 SOUNDBITE (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director:

"Yes, the stages from the beginning to the end where the Tour can play itself out, for the first time in 25 years, the five main mountain ranges. These last few years, we sometimes had three mountain stages in the same mountain range. Here, there will be a stage in the Vosges, two in the Jura, two in the Pyrenees, one in the Massif Central, two in the Alps, and a time trial at the beginning and another one nearly at the end. So it is made in a way it can play itself out everywhere and give an uncertain side to the race. That's what we are looking for."

12. 02:13 Christian Prudhomme with officials

13. 02:18 SOUNDBITE (French) Romain Bardet, French climbing specialist:

"Of course there are short stages with important differences of levels but there is no succession of difficulties and no third week as hard as the one last year for example." .

It is an interesting itinerary

14. 02:27 Romain Bardet being interviewed

15. 02:32 Pan journalists

16. 02:37 SOUNDBITE (French) Thomas Voeckler, French rider:

"I've been through everything on the Tour so what happens to me for the past few years is really like a bonus. I ride the Tour because I like it and I really enjoy the Tour De France. After, well I'll answer you after the Tour but if we win a stage with the team, or if I manage to, why not, win a fifth stage on the Tour, I'm not going to deprive myself. We saw earlier the 2016 retrospective: the various stage winners are not second rate riders, these last few years have been more and more difficult and let's face it. I'll be 38 next year. I don't have the legs I had when I was 30. The mind might still be the same but the body ages."

17. 03:16 Various shots of (from left to right) Thibaud Pinot, Romain Bardet, Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Julian Alaphilippe, Adam Yates and Thomas Voeckler on stage

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:31

Reaction after the route for the 2016 Tour de France was unveiled in Paris on Tuesday (20th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Chris Froome fancies his chances of defending the Tour de France title on a route that should suit his all-around riding skills.

Two individual time trials and 28 tough climbs will be on the 2016 Tour de France's 3,519-kilometre (2,186-mile) route, which was revealed in France on Tuesday.

Froome, who also won in 2013, is strong both on climbs and in individual time trials, making him an early favourite for 2016.

An ascent of Mont Ventoux in Provence on Bastille Day (14th July) will test the best climbers.

Froome was the stage winner when the Tour last scaled the Ventoux's barren, 1,909-metre (6,263-feet) peak in 2013 and he will be eyeing that stage for another victory.

The Mont-Saint-Michel, a Benedictine abbey perched on a rock off the Normandy coast, will provide a picture-postcard start for the race.

The first stage ends at Utah Beach, where Allied troops landed on D-Day in 1944.

The first taste of the mountains will come on stage five, in the Massif Central.

From there, there will be little respite on the next 15 stages before the last ride into Paris.

The first of the time trial on stage 13, a day after the Ventoux ascent, combines two short climbs, long flats and a tricky descent over 37 kilometres (23 miles).

Riders hoping to win time-trial gold the following month at the Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro will be able to use that tough course to gauge their form.

After the Pyrenees, where the Tour will dip into Spain and Andorra, the final placings will be decided in the Alps and neighbouring Switzerland before the finish in Paris on 24th of July.

Paris, France - 20th October, 2015.

1. 00:00 Wide pan from media to riders in audience

2. 00:06 Close of defending champion Chris Froome

3. 00:11 Mid of riders

4. 00:15 Wide pan of conference hall

5. 00:24 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christopher Froome, 2013 and 2015 Tour de France champion

"I think it's, it's a great parkour (course) for the next year's Tour de France. I think it really does challenge in every aspect of cycling. The time trials, the mountains.... tricky technical descent also. So, I mean it really is going to take a complete cyclist to win next year's Tour de France."

6. 00:47 Various of Tour de France route presentation

7. 01:05 Mid of Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director, talking to journalists

8. 01:09 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director:

"It is true that for those who feel physically strong but that are not too sure about their nerves, who are afraid that the pressure (of the race) can drop down, having a major stage starting from Wednesday (day five), well that will take off the pressure that they feel because they will be less together with others, because the differences between riders will be already established. I believe that this Tour is for those who dare."

9. 01:31 Various of presentation

10. 01:42 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director :

"Our will was that everything can be done at the last moment... with the mountain stage just a day before the end at Champs Elysees. We already did it couple of times, but this is the first time you will have a mountain peak and a descent (in the same stage). I insist that one should be good in climbing but also in descents in the incoming Tour de France."

11. 02:07 Various of riders on stage

12. 02:25 SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Cavendish, winner of 26 Tour de France stages

"It's a grand tour, it always favours someone who can climb and time trial. I think the two long time trials will be uphill time trial and the hard one will favour an all-rounder really, like a grand tour contender. It's simple as, it's the greatest bike race in the World. As a sprinter, it's a very hard race. (It) Provides six opportunities for a sprint and apart from that it's really difficult for us."

13. 02:53 Mid of Thibault Pinot being interviewed

14. SOUNDBITE: (French) Thibault Pinot, 2014 Tour de France top young rider

"I am really happy with the parkour (course). I think that climbers will take pleasure with two time trials that are really difficult, but there is less danger than the last year. I think it will be nice."

15. 03:09 Wide of presentation.

Chris Froome on Tuesday (17th October) said the opening nine stages of the Tour de France could be dangerous for riders as the route for the 2018 edition was released.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Defending champion Chris Froome can expect a stern challenge from Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin in next year's Tour de France.

Froome is chasing a record-equalling fifth victory to move level with Belgian great Eddy Merckx, French riders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and Spanish great Miguel Indurain.

Froome and Dumoulin won the three Grand Tours this year, with Froome adding the Spanish Vuelta and Dumoulin winning the Giro d'Italia.

The 105th edition of the Tour features a hilly 31-kilometre (19-mile) time trial through the Basque country on the penultimate day.

Froome is a specialist, but Dumoulin is the reigning world time trial champion.

The 32-year-old Froome is still in his prime, while the 26-year-old Dumoulin is approaching his.

The race starts on July 7 — a week later than usual because of the football World Cup in Russia — and opens with a flat 189-kilometre (117-mile) route for sprinters from Noirmoutier-en-l'ile to Fontenay-le-Comte in the Vendee region, on the Atlantic coast.

With the time trial returning after being omitted the last two years, Froome's Team Sky will be confident of creating early time gaps on Stage 3 — a 35-kilometre (21.7-mile) route starting and ending in Cholet in Western France.

But Sky faces tough competition, because Dumoulin's Sunweb team is the reigning TTT world champion.

The Tour route, which goes clockwise, features 25 mountain climbs — ranging from the relatively difficult Category 2 to Category 1 and the daunting Hors Categorie (beyond classification).

Eleven are in the Alps, four in the Massif central region and 10 in the Pyrenees.

The Tour also has more time bonuses on offer in flat stages over the 3,329-kilometre (2,064-mile) course.

The difficult climbs start on Stage 10, the first of three straight days of gruelling Alpine ascents.

But organisers have preceded that with a tricky ninth stage that could shake up the peloton.

It takes riders over 15 treacherous cobblestone sections: the highest number since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometres (13.6 miles) altogether.

The Roubaix cobbles may perhaps trouble Froome.

The cobbles are followed by a rest day on July 16, and Froome had better make the most of it because the Alps start brutally the day after.

Stage 10 on July 17 has four difficult climbs on a 159-kilometre (98.6-mile) route from Annecy to Le Grand Bornand.

They include a punchy ascent of Montee du plateau de Glieres, featuring for the first time.

The third day of Alpine climbing begins with Col de la Madeleine, then Croix de Fer and ends with an ascent of l'Alpe d'Huez: three of the Tour's most well-known.

Dumoulin is not in Froome's class as a climber, but is not so easy to drop.

Whether he can stay with Froome through the Pyrenees, however, will prove crucial to his chances.

Three tough days of climbing in the Pyrenees starts with Stage 16 on July 24: a daunting 218-kilometre (135-mile) route from Carcassone to Bagneres-de-Luchon that follows the second rest day.

Stage 17 is short at 65 kilometres (40 miles) but cruel, with three consecutive nasty climbs, ending with an attack up Col de Portet.

Stage 19 has four ascents and then ends with a potentially treacherous 20-kilometre (12.4-mile) descent to test the concentration of tired riders.

Whoever is freshest after that will have a better chance of challenging Froome in the time trial.

The 21-stage race ends with its customary processional Sunday finish on the Champs-Elysees.

Paris, France. 17th October 2017

1. 00:00 2017 Tour de France winner Christ Froome walking towards his seat in front row and sitting between French cyclist Romain Bardet and double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador

2. 00:07 Froome talking to Contador

3. 00:13 Wide of road racing cyclists in front row with (from right to left) Mark Cavendish, Simon Yates, Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome

4. 00:18 Bardet

5. 00:23 Wide of conference hall with map on screen

6. 00:28 Wide of crowd

7. 00:33 Wide of map of 2018 Tour de France

8. 00:39 Attendees filming presentation with smart phones and clapping

9. 00:55 Wide of Froome recording video message

10. 01:01 Froome

11. 01:06 Tour de France logo

12. 01:11 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Froome, four-time Tour de France winner and reigning champion:

"The first 8 or 9 days up in the north of France without any really big mountains, could lead to a very nervous and very dangerous first part of the race especially when it's still very close together in the General classification and got the cobbles and a section of dirt road as well. It's definitely going to take a lot of preparation, a lot of homework to get ready for this year's Tour."

13. 01:41 Bardet on phone

14. 01:46 SOUNDBITE: (French) Romain Bardet, third place finisher in 2017 Tour de France:

"Clearly it's going to be (close) – I guess it depends on the weather, but even in dry weather, there's going to be a skimming of the pack and there will be some serious losses. It could lead to one or two racers taking advantage of it and build a strong lead, but in any case, there is going to be some damage. To me, a Tour de France winner must have some luck the year he wins, but also be capable of facing all these different terrains. It's going to be a key stage."

15. 02:25 Cutaway

16. 02:30 SOUNDBITE: (French) Warren Barguil, Polka dot jersey winner in 2017 Tour de France:

"It's great – a nice stage. 65 kilometres. People say 65 kilometres, but with three mountain passes. 65 kilometres on a flat course, we could do that in about 1 hour 15 minutes, but I think there, it'll be a two and a half hour race. Or I guess it will be two hours or two hours and a quarter. It's not going to be easy."

17. 02:50 Christian Prudhomme talking to reporters

18. 02:55 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France General Director:

"There will be a determining factor for the teams since there'll only be 8 cyclists – the choice of the 7th and 8th racer will be crucial because it's divided in two halves with 10 days in the plain and 10 days in the mountains. A cyclist like Belgian Champion Oliver Naesen was a totally decisive element for Romain Bardet in the Romans stage. Who will be the Oliver Naesen in each team? The guy who will – or Wout Poels for Chris Froome at the Alpe d'Huez in 2015. The cyclist who will be decisive at a certain moment for his leader."

19. 03:27 Prudhomme on stage

20. 03:34 Conference hall

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03.38

EIFFEL TOWER LIGHTS OFF FOR EARTH HOUR

The lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris were switched off on Saturday (25 MARCH 2017) to mark Earth Hour, an international event intended to raise awareness of climate change.

The brainchild of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Earth Hour is a worldwide initiative designed to both inform people about climate change and create awareness about responsible utilisation of limited resources.

In a symbolic gesture to save electricity, lights are switched off between the hours of 2030 and 2130 local time in every country where Earth Hour is observed.

Attending the Paris event was co-president of the Paris candidacy for the Olympic Games 2024, Tony Estanguet.

He said the Games planned to be the first ever to be aligned with the COP 21 Paris climate agreement.

Similar ceremonies were also held in major cities around the world.

Paris - 25 March 2017

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Officials and person dressed in panda outfit during countdown to switch off the lights of the Eiffel Tower

2. Wide of Eiffel Tower in dark

3. Countdown to switching lights of the Eiffel Tower back on

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Pascal Canfin, general director of WWF France:

"We switched off the Eiffel Tower, part of a movement where 400 monuments that are known globally, are switched off today from Sydney to New York, passing from Paris or London."

5. Eiffel Tower with person dressed as panda in the foreground

6. Panda with Eiffel Tower behind

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Estanguet, co-president of the Paris candidacy for the Olympic Games 2024:

"We have a great ambition and the ambition is to divide by two the carbon footprint and to be the first games ever aligned with the COP 21 Paris agreement on the climate change."

8. Sculpture of twitter hastag, #EarthHour

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Pascal Canfin, general director of WWF France:

"If the games have to take place in Paris, they have to be aligned with the Paris agreement on climate change and it will be the very first time that Olympics will not be just 'green ever', or 'the greenest ever', but aligned with what is needed to fight against climate change, aligned with the Paris agreement."

10. Panda with Eiffel Tower behind

Paris city hall on Thursday barred half of all cars from travelling and made public transportation free for a third consecutive day, as the French capital is facing its worse winter pollution in a decade.

Only vehicles with even-numbered plates were allowed to drive Thursday in the French capital and its nearby suburbs.

The controversial traffic restriction wasn't respected by many drivers during the first two days, while disruption in transportation services added to confusion.

According to Airparif, the body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris, the drop in car emissions was limited to just between 5 and 10 percent on the first day of the ban because only half as many of the vehicles respected it compared to March 2014.

Drivers face a fine between 22 and 75 euros (between 23 and 80 US dollars) if they ignore the rule.

Airparif says the peak is due to the accumulation of pollutants because of anticyclonic conditions.

A similar scheme will be implemented in the city of Lyon Friday as the pollution hit various regions across France including the Rhone valley.

Paris - 8 December 2016

1. View of smog over Paris

2. Zoom out of smog engulfing Eiffel Tower

3. Smog engulfing Tour Montparnasse

4. Pan of smog over Paris

5. Zoom out of Airparif logo

6. Airparif employee sitting behind computer

7. SOUNDBITE (French) Amélie Fritz, Communication Officer at Airparif, body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris:

"We have an anticyclone that has settled over a big part of Europe. It's an anticyclone with very few winds that prevent pollutants from dispersing and furthermore we are facing an inversion of temperature. You can picture it as a lid on top of a saucepan; it is a lid of warm air, like a bell over the agglomeration that prevents the pollutants from mixing and it fixes the pollutants to the ground. This layer of warm air is situated at about 30 meters above the ground so we are actually mixing our pollution within a 30-meter high space."

8. Smog engulfing Centre Georges Pompidou

9. Pan of smog

10. SOUNDBITE (French) Amélie Fritz, Communication Officer at Airparif, body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris:

"We have had high levels (of pollution) for several days now, more than one week, which has led the authorities to implement measures to reduce emissions in the region."

11. Road sign reading (French): "Vehicles with odd-numbered plates banned"

12. Various of vehicle with odd number plate stationed on side of road after being stopped by police

13. View from vehicle of road sign reading (French): "Pollution - vehicles with odd-numbered plates banned"

14. View from vehicle of traffic

15. Close-up of fumes escaping from car engine

16. SOUNDBITE (French) Francis (last name not given), motorist:

"Nobody respects it (traffic restriction), I have noticed it from the very beginning and I don't think it's going to help."

17. SOUNDBITE: (French) Ahmed (last name not given), motorist:

"Yes, it helps. It brings down (the level) of pollution."

18. Tilt up of Airparif monitoring station

19. Employee of Airparif opening door of monitoring station

20. Close-up of monitoring device inside station

21. Close-up on monitoring device on roof of station

22. Close-up of map with levels of alert

23. SOUNDBITE (French) Amélie Fritz, Communication Officer at Airparif, body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris:

"We have different monitoring stations in the region which will provide us with data in real-time onto our servers. This data will be put together with other sets of data, meteorological data, data related to the dispersion of pollution, real-time data on traffic such as how many vehicles are driving around in Paris and in Ile de France (Greater Paris). All this data is put together and allows us to predict the level of pollution for today and tomorrow."

24. View from moving vehicle of traffic jam

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Amélie Fritz, Communication Officer at Airparif, body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris:

"It's very fine dust basically. Within Paris it's mostly coming from the traffic, wood burning, and another part from industry and agriculture."

26. People waiting at bus stop

27. Street of Paris

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Amélie Fritz, Communication Officer at Airparif, body in charge of monitoring pollution in Paris:

"Something that small can actually be breathed in (inhaled) very deep. That's the main issue, because it's that small that it actually goes through your system, your nervous system, your blood system."

29. Wide of smog engulfing Eiffel Tower

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Paris – 28 November 2015

1. Various of COP21 venue

2. Various of police and security at venue

3. Various of final preparations under way

4. Delegates arriving

5. Empty room with stepladder and projection on wall (English): "Press Conference Room 1"

6. Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister, walking through venue

FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Paris – 28 November 2015

7. Fabius symbolically handing over key of venue to United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister: ++SAME SHOT AS FOLLOWING SOUNDBITE++

"I have given to Christiana Figueres this key for hope for success for all of us"

SOUNDBITE (English) Christiana Figueres, United Nations climate chief: ++SAME SHOT AS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE++

"Thank you very much, president of the COP, Minister Fabius. We receive it (the key) first of all with gratitude to France for this amazing venue that you have prepared."

9. Fabius and Figueres walking through venue

COP21, PARIS, HOST BROADCASTER – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Paris – 28 November 2015

10. Fabius and Figueres taking seats at news conference

11. SOUNDBITE (French) Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister:

"During the world climate tour, each time we felt the hope that this Paris conference brings. It's a societal movement, that means of course governments, but also in individuals, but also municipalities, businesses, and everyone understand that things are changing, that they must change, and that Paris must be an accelerator for this movement."

12. Reporter asking question

13. SOUNDBITE (French) Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister:

"On the 11th of December, I want to be able to pronounce six simple words, but that will be the outcome of unprecedented efforts: 'The Paris agreement has been approved.'"

14 . Panel at news conference

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Christiana Figueres, United Nations climate chief:

"And I do think the summary of the voices is that there is a very very strong moral imperative to act now on climate change. There is also a very strong economic imperative to act now on climate change. There is a very strong technological imperative to act now on climate change, and the next two weeks will show a strong political imperative."

16. Panel leaving at end of press conference

STORYLINE:

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius symbolically handed over the "keys" to the climate conference in the Parisian suburb of Le Bourget to the UN climate change agency.

After receiving the symbolic key, United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres said that there were strong moral and economic imperatives to act on climate change and that the Paris conference will "show a strong political imperative".

Over the course of the year, Fabius and President Francois Hollande have traveled the world and used France's diplomatic weight to try to rally international support for a tough and binding deal.

The talks are happening with France in a state of emergency and thousands of troops and police fanned out to ensure security after the Paris attacks.

A big march by environmental activists was canceled because of the security measures.

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A Kayapo tribal leader from the Amazon, met the President of the National Assembly of France on Tuesday, and called for France's help in saving the forest that indigenous tribes call home.

"If the French people want to help us to save the forest and save our people, they only have to ban the import of illegal wood from Amazonia and stop the construction of dams on our rivers," Raoni Metuktire told Claude Bartolone in Paris.

Metuktire was in Europe as part of a tour by the Brazilian non-governmental group, "SOS Amazonia", to raise awareness of environmental issues ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.

The group has planned meetings with officials in other countries, including Britain and Norway.

The Kayapo leader has received international attention rallying for indigenous causes with rock star Sting.

AP TELEVISION

1. Kayapo tribal leader Raoni Metuktire walking through the gardens of the French National Assembly

2. Mid of Raoni Metuktire in the gardens of the French National Assembly

3. Raoni Metuktire being welcomed by Claude Bartolone, President of French National Assembly

4. Delegation posing for photographers

5. Roundtable

6. More of Raoni Metuktire

7. Raoni Metuktire and Claude Bartolone coming out to address the media

8. Raoni Metuktire talking to journalists

9. SOUNDBITE: (Kayapo) Raoni Metuktire, Kayapo tribal leader:

"I am here to talk to you about my problems, the destruction of the forest. Once again I want to share with you my worry about deforestation, it is my main worry."

10. Shot of Raoni Metuktire's eyes

11. SOUNDBITE: (Kayapo) Raoni Metuktire, Kayapo tribal leader:

"If the French people want to help us to save the forest and save our people, they only have to ban the import of illegal wood from Amazonia and stop the construction of dams on our rivers. This is my problem and I ask you to help us protect our region and our grandchildren."

12. Delegation and Raoni Metuktire leaving

SHOTLIST

music on catwalks not cleared for use. replace with your own clearable music

AP Entertainment

Paris, 3rd July 2007

1. Tilt down from Chanel umbrella

2. Wide shot photo call

3. tilt up from wet ground to Wide shot

4. Pull out David Lynch, director

5. Cutaway photographer

6. SOUNDBITE (English) David Lynch:

"Well I don't know what's going on yet, we just got here, and it's my first show, so it's all brand new and I'll know a lot more when it's over. (Q.Reporter - "and are you here working on a project yourself?") "yes I'm here working on some projects."

7. Wide shot woman racking floor

8. Close up tilt down Fergie

9. Pan from Fergie to press

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Fergie:

"We did a shoot a couple of weeks ago for V Magazine, and we just got on so well so he invited me to Paris. (Q.Reporter - "and you're working in London next week did you say?") Yes I'm on tour all year but next week I'm opening for Justin Timberlake in London at the O2 Arena all week... (Q. Reporter - "and today, what are you wearing?") "head to toe Chanel, of course. (Q.Reporter - "and how did you go about choosing the outfit?") "I went to the store and I had help and this is the first dress I pointed out; I knew. (Q. Reporter - "isn't the sarong amazing?") "It's amazing, everyone's getting wet and it's very exciting, it's the garden party in the rain."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Hilary Alexander:

"If only the rain would stop, the setting is beautiful, green grass, white flowers, little tents, it's like the kind of scene you imagine at an ancient jousting tournament and I gather that these are the grounds and the origins of an ancient hunting lodge, so it's a perfect setting if only we had decent weather."

12. Highlights from show

13. Wide shot Karl Lagerfeld on catwalk

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Vaness Paradis

"Loved it, like usual it was magnificent, all the lace and the feathers and the transparencies and the powdered colour. (Q. Reporter - "and watching through the rain?") Well that was part of the show it made it more dramatic."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Fergie

"I'm definitely vying for the black dress with the gold stones on it but I'll have to shorten it about 5 inches, it has long sleeves and goes to about here (shows), but I'll have to cut it because I'm not as well endowed as the models in the leg area."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Karl Lagerfeld:

"The idea was... I love the Parc de St Clu, I wanted an outdoor situation but with not too much sun, I got what I wanted, if you look at the invitation everything looked great, they brought exactly the skies I wanted because it's a winter collection and it's much more mysterious because last summer it was so hot during the couture show, this time they cannot complain."

16. Wide shot umbrellas

RAIN DAMPENS CHANEL SHOW

Karl Lagerfeld's Haute Couture display for Chanel on Tuesday (03JUL07) should have been a moment of poetry in a bucolic setting. Instead, it turned into a logistical fiasco as dozens of taxis clogged up the roads leading to the venue, the park of Saint-Cloud outside Paris.

Guests were still scrambling in from pouring rain when the show started, one hour late, in the estate that has played home to historical figures from Marie-Antoinette to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Under a dripping awning, models paraded in sequined shifts with full sleeves attached to the side of the body like tufted and feathered wings. A dark stain grew on the hem of a shimmering lilac coat as it trailed on the soaking gravel.

Lagerfeld played with volume, splitting open a white cocoon shift to reveal panels encrusted with silver sequins. Meanwhile, a see-through black chiffon column featured a pannier of ruffles on each hip.

The designer, who never takes off his sunglasses, dubbed the collection "High Profile" in a nod to celebrity guests including singer Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Even the bride peered out from a cloud of ostrich feathers wearing dark shades.