When it comes to meal time, the French do it differently. That is the argument being put to UNESCO as it decides this week whether French cuisine deserves a spot on its intangible heritage list.

“The gastronomic meal of the French” is seen as a strong contender as the UN agency meets in Nairobi from Monday to Friday to consider new submissions for the list, set up in 2003 to safeguard cultural traditions, rituals and crafts.

France’s submission to the list centres around the ritual of the festive meal in a country where food is a key part of social life.

Paris’ world-famous luxury Crillon hotel has been sold to Saudi investors linked to the royal family for around 250 million euros ($446 million).

US-based Starwood Capital is in the final stages of the sale which does not include a reportedly 100-million-euro programme needed to modernise one of the world’s oldest luxury hotels, according to the daily Le Figaro.

The Kempinski Hotels group is to manage the Crillon, the paper said, but the new acquisition would be its first in France.

The Crillon, built in the 18th century on what would become the Place de la Concorde, has 147 rooms and suites and employs around 360 people.

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami‘s outlandish manga visions overwhelm the Chateau of Versailles, and not everyone is happy.

Unbelievably, his metal, fibreglass and acrylic sculptures manage to dominate the vast chambers of Versailles, with their marbled walls, gold leaf capitals and celestial ceiling frescoes.

But while French monarchists have denounced as “illegal” the exhibition, the artist himself says that he is quite used to what he calls “Murakami-bashing.”

A show of outlandish sculptures by a Japanese artist in the Chateau of Versailles near Paris has enraged traditionalists who say it dishonours France’s past.

From September 14 to December 12, visitors to Versailles will see eye-grabbing multicoloured statues in silver, fibreglass and metal by Takashi Murakami alongside the chateau’s ornate murals and chandeliers.

“The Chateau de Versailles is one of the greatest symbols of Western history,” Murakami said in a statement on the museum’s website.

Madonna has borrowed Roman Abramovich’s brand new yacht “Luna” while filming W.E., the new Duke of WIndsor movie she’s directing in the South of France.

The luxurious yacht provides convenient accommodation for Madonna as she films the movie’s beach scenes, London’s Daily Mail reports.

With a swimming pool, sunbathing deck, gaming area and two helipads, the 115 metre boat is the largest expedition yacht in the world.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy ‘s dream of having a presidential jet to rival Air Force One of the United States is about to come true.

“Air Sarko One,” a $241-million Airbus A330-200, has made its first test flight in Bordeaux, southwestern France.

Although not quite as big as the Boeing 747-200 that is Air Force One, the French A330-200 will be at least ten metres longer and two metres higher that the aircraft used by other European leaders.