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Amandine Pellissard: does her professional retraining worry her son? He breaks the silence: Current Woman Le MAG

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Amandine Pellissard: does her professional retraining worry her son? He breaks the silence: Current Woman Le MAG




























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US government plans to unleash ‘hunters’ to KILL half a million owls in three US states to save its endangered cousin

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At least 500,0000 invasive barred owls’ lives are at stake for encroaching on the endangered California spotted owl’s territory.

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The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plans to unleash ‘hunters’ in California, Oregon and Washington to kill about half a million nocturnal birds that are native to the eastern US. 

Under the proposal, hunters would broadcast barred owl territorial calls to attract owls and shoot on sight, but in areas where firearm use is inadvisable, the protocol would be to capture and euthanize the creature. 

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However, the strategy to save one species has caused outrage among 75 groups that claim its actions could disrupt the wildlife and cause ‘mistaken-identity kills.’

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed culling 500,000 barred owls who are encroaching on spotted owls' territory

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed culling 500,000 barred owls who are encroaching on spotted owls’ territory

Spotted owls were added to the endangered species list in 1990 due to deforestation

Spotted owls were added to the endangered species list in 1990 due to deforestation

Owls have historically been protected from hunters, but the FWS claimed the barred owl has become an emerging threat to the spotted owl because they have a larger appetite, causing them to compete for the same prey.

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The barred owl has also been known to kill the spotted owl, according to the FWS. 

The two owls look very similar, with both having rounded heads, brown and white-colored bodies, and black eyes and are only distinguished by their slight size difference and the colors of their beaks.

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Spotted owls measure about 1.5 feet in length and have a wingspan up to four feet while barred owls are bigger, standing about two feet tall with a wingspan of up to four feet.

Barred owls started migrating to the forests of Washington, Oregon and Northern California from their native region in the northeastern US in the early 1900s due to climate change and deforestation.

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In 1990, the spotted owl was added to the Endangered Species Act because of habitat loss, but now the migration of the barred owl over the past century has allegedly worsened the situation.

Organizations led by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy penned a letter to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland on Monday, accusing her of a ‘reckless’ plan to shoot down 500,000 barred owls over the next 30 years.

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The spotted owl has become further endangered because the barred owl eats much of its food source

The spotted owl has become further endangered because the barred owl eats much of its food source

The FWS previously culled more than 2,000 barred owls but studies showed it didn't make a major difference to the spotted owl population

The FWS previously culled more than 2,000 barred owls but studies showed it didn’t make a major difference to the spotted owl population

Climate change has contributed to the animal’s adoptive behavior and migration pattern, the letter said, adding: ‘We cannot victimize animals for adapting to human perturbations of the environment.’

Issues first arose in the late 1980s and 1990s when environmentalists fought loggers who were trying to harvest timber in the Northwest forests – the conflict became known as the Timber Wars.

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During this time, the spotted owl which lived in the old trees, started dwindling and led to protections for the bird and its habitat. 

Despite this, the FWS published its 264-page proposal in November, saying that culling the barred owls was essential to protecting the endangered spotted owl.

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However, when asked why so many barred owls need to be culled and how many spotted owls they have killed, a FWS spokesperson directed Dailymail.com to a press release that said ‘barred owls have not substantially impacted California spotted owl populations to date.’

Instead, the release said that the purpose of culling so many owls is to eliminate their future expansion and range and reduce any populations that might become established in the years to come.

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‘Competition from the invasive barred owl is a primary cause of the rapid and ongoing decline of northern spotted owl populations,’ the release said. 

‘Due to the rapidity of the decline, it is critical that we manage invasive barred owl populations to reduce their negative effect before northern spotted owls are extirpated from large portions of their native range,’ it added.

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The FWS is currently reviewing the public’s input and is expected to make a final decision in the late spring or early summer. 

If approved, the FWS will be granted a permit for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that will allow the barred owls to be hunted and killed. 

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The FWS initiated a five-year experiment to cull 2,485 barred owls in spotted owl territories in the Pacific Northwest when the invasive birds first started appearing.

The experiment wasn’t wholly successful, according to the letter to Haaland, which said the results only showed a short-term reduction of the owls and ‘modest numerical gains for spotted owls.’

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‘The disturbance created by the shooting alone would have adverse effects on a wide range of species, along with the direct, incidental killing that would inevitably result,’ the letter said, adding: ‘Night hunting of the animals is unimaginable and even more impractical.’ 

‘This is a case of the federal wildlife agency not seeing the forest from the trees.’

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Israeli strike kills at least 36 Syrian soldiers near Aleppo

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Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.

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The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

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In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies. 

For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.

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(FRANCE 24 with AP) 

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Macron, Lula show unity on global issues despite Ukraine shadow

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French President Emmanuel Macron and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday displayed their unity on major global issues, while skirting differences on the war in Ukraine.

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Macron wrapped up his three-day tour of the Latin American giant with a solemn, but warm, trip to the presidential palace in the modernist capital Brasilia.

The French leader paid tribute to “the spirit of resistance” of Lula’s government for “restoring democracy” after a crowd of extreme-right supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the seats of power in the city in January 2023.

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Lula hailed a relationship between the two countries as one that created “a bridge between the global South and the developed world.”

While the two men firmly reset the frosty ties of the Bolsonaro years, they retain deep differences over the war in Ukraine, a subject which only briefly reared its head.

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While France and the West support Kyiv wholeheartedly, Lula has in the past said that Ukraine and Russia share responsibility over the conflict and has refused to isolate Moscow.

Putin at G20 meet? 

Responding to a question from a journalist, Macron said that Brazil, as the current chair of the G20, could invite Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to a summit in Rio de Janeiro in November if other members agreed.

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“The meaning of this club is that there must be consensus with the 19 others. That will be a job for Brazilian diplomacy,” he said.

If such a meeting can be “useful, it must be done,” Macron said.

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Lula responded only that “diversity” must be accepted in organisations like the G20.

Putin missed last year’s G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, avoiding possible political opprobrium and any risk of criminal detention under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

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In September 2023, Lula said there was “no way” that Putin would be arrested if he attended the Rio de Janeiro summit.

Shortly after, he backtracked and said that it would be up to the justice system to decide on Putin’s eventual arrest and not his government.

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Lula’s only remarks on the conflict were that “the two stubborn” leaders will “have to get along,” referring to Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Unity on Venezuela 

However, he highlighted that Ukraine was not Brazil’s priority, and turned to a crisis in his own neighborhood, that he and Macron agreed upon: Venezuela.

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Both leaders condemned the exclusion of the main opposition coalition’s chosen candidate, Corina Yoris, 80, from July 28 elections.

“We very firmly condemn the exclusion of a serious and credible candidate from this process,” Macron said.

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Lula described the situation as “serious” and said there was “no legal or political explanation for banning an opponent from being a candidate.”

“I told Maduro that the most important thing to restore normality in Venezuela was to avoid any problems in the electoral process, that the elections be held in the most democratic way possible.”

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From the protection of the Amazon to cooperation in the building of submarines and economic ties, the two leaders showed off the broad Franco-Brazilian partnership over the three-day visit.

Macron and Lula also brushed over tensions about the long-delayed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, which Brazil has pushed for and France has blocked.

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Macron blasted the deal as “a really bad agreement” and said it should be buried in favor of a new one that “is responsible from a development, climate and biodiversity point of view.”

Lula said he was “very calm” and noted only that Brazil “does not negotiate with France” but with the EU.

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The two leaders’ close relationship was highlighted by a warm meeting in the Amazon, in which they were pictured beaming and clasping hands, to the delight of Brazilians who spawned a raft of memes comparing the images to a wedding album.

(AFP)

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MARKET REPORT: North Sea oil producer Enquest posts loss after hit from windfall tax

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North Sea oil producer Enquest is to buy back shares from investors for the first time, claiming the windfall tax is hurting the industry.

The energy firm, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12million repurchase programme this year.

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Enquest’s finances improved in 2023 as debt fell to £381million, from £567million the year before. It has since fallen to £324million.

Revenue was hit by lower oil and gas prices while its losses narrowed to £24million from £33million.

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Yesterday its shares rose 0.7 per cent, or 0.1p, to 14.1p. 

Tax squeeze: Energy firm Enquest, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12m repurchase programme this year

Tax squeeze: Energy firm Enquest, which was set up in 2010 and operates in the UK and Malaysia, is to launch a £12m repurchase programme this year

But it warned that it is operating in a ‘challenging UK fiscal environment’ as the Chancellor’s decision to extend the energy profits levy by a year to 2029 represented the fourth change in the last two years.

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Chief executive Amjad Bseisu said the levy ‘has resulted in a number of industry participants accelerating their shift in focus away from the UK North Sea’.

The windfall tax was introduced in 2022. Oil and gas firms pay a 40 per cent tax rate. With the levy raised to 35 per cent in January last year, they now pay 75 per cent.

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Capricorn Energy also wants to return cash to its shareholders.

It has proposed paying a special £40million dividend by the end of June. Shares rose 4.8 per cent, or 8p, to 175p.

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The FTSE 100 was up 0.3 per cent, or 20.64 points, to 7952.62 and the FTSE 250 was up 0.4 per cent, or 74.07 points, to 19,884.73.

Stock Watch – Northamber

Shares in a technology distributor plunged 22.8 per cent, or 10.5p, to 35.5p after an industry-wide downturn.

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Northamber, which sells laptops, keyboards and memory cards, said industry data showed that UK distribution sales fell 10pc in the six months to the end of December.

Stock levels increased as demand weakened. Revenues fell 14 per cent to £29million in the first half of its financial year while losses rose from £250,000 to £413,000.

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AO World also had a stellar day after the online electrical retailer said its profit for the year to the end of March should be at the top end of its £28million to £33million range.

Shares surged 12.2 per cent, or 10.95p, to 100.8p.

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Investors in Direct Line should be comforted by new boss Adam Winslow whose appointment is a ‘useful step in re-establishing credibility’, according to Deutsche Bank Research, which urged its clients to buy the insurer’s stock – it climbed 0.3 per cent, or 0.65p, to 195.05p.

Vodafone chairman Jean-Francois van Boxmeer bought more than £500,000 worth of shares in the telecoms giant, snapping up 823,500 at 69p each. Vodafone rose 1.5 per cent, or 1.04p, to 70.46p.

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Troubled music firm Hipgnosis, which owns the rights to songs by artists such as Shakira and Blondie, said that its portfolio has been independently valued at nearly £1.6billion, lifting it 8.3 per cent, or 5.3p, to 69p.

It will be outlining proposals for its future by April 26 and will ask shareholders to vote on any decision.

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Molecular diagnostics firm Genedrive is hoping its genetic kit that can prevent babies going deaf will be approved by US regulators. It added that it need to raise fresh funds, as shares rose 3.9 per cent, or 0.13p, to 3p.

Podcast publisher Audioboom has added six shows to its network, including one hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter Katherine – and gained 5.4 per cent, or 12.5p, to 245p.

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Kitwave, which sells and delivers goods, bought wholesaler Total Foodservice for £21million, and rose 4.2 per cent, or 15p, to 371p.

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S. Korea slams Russia for using veto to end UN monitoring of N. Korea sanctions

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South Korea slammed Russia’s “irresponsible” veto blocking the renewal of a panel of UN experts monitoring international sanctions on North Korea, with the vote following accusations Pyongyang is aiding Moscow in its war in Ukraine.

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South Korea “clearly points out that the Russian Federation, despite its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has made an irresponsible decision”, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The move, which comes weeks after the body said it was investigating reports of arms transfers between Pyongyang and Moscow, was met with a flurry of criticism, including from Ukraine and the United States.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the veto “a guilty plea” by Russia, while the United States described it as a “self-interested effort to bury the panel’s reporting on (Moscow’s) own collusion” with North Korea.

The veto at the Security Council does not remove the sanctions on North Korea, but it spells the end for the group monitoring their implementation — and myriad alleged violations.

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The panel’s mandate expires at the end of April.

North Korea has been under mounting sanctions since 2006, put in place by the UN Security Council in response to its nuclear program.

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Since 2019, Russia and China have tried to persuade the Security Council to ease the sanctions, which have no expiration date.

The council has long been divided on the issue, with China’s deputy ambassador Geng Shuang arguing Thursday that the sanctions “have exacerbated tensions and confrontation with a serious negative impact on the humanitarian situation”.

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China abstained rather than joining Russia in the veto. All other members had voted in favour of renewing the panel’s mandate.

(AFP)

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Humanitarian groups urge leaders to act on threat from extreme heat

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Extreme heat is one of the most deadly problems from climate change even though it receives less attention than other knock-on effects like hurricanes and flooding, two of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations warned Thursday.

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The year 2023 was the hottest on record, with rising temperatures affecting the most vulnerable populations in particular — the elderly, outdoor workers and those without access to cooling systems such as air conditioners.

The Red Cross and the US Agency for International Development delivered their warnings against the “invisible killer” of extreme heat at a virtual summit, on the heels of the United States exiting its warmest-ever winter on record.

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“We are calling on governments, civil societies, young people and all the stakeholders to take concrete steps around the globe to help prepare countries and communities for extreme heat,” said Jagan Chapagain, secretary general for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

USAID chief Samantha Power warned that in the United States, “heat is already deadlier than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined.”

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“We are calling on development agencies, philanthropies and other donors to recognize the threat that extreme heat poses to humanity, and to put resources towards helping communities withstand that threat,” she said.

Highlighting ongoing efforts addressing extreme temperatures, Power said USAID was supporting a program to build “heat resilient schools” in Jordan, using “passive heating and cooling systems, thermal insulation, double glazed windows and air conditioning.”

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Climate change’s effects aren’t limited to already hot places like the Middle East: in Europe, the fastest-warming continent in the world, more than 60,000 people were estimated to have died in heat waves in 2022, noted US climate envoy John Podesta.

“Climate information and services including early warnings can save lives and assets,” he added. “But one-third of the world’s population doesn’t have access to this life-saving information.”

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Other efforts include those in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, where nearly a million trees have been planted since 2020.

“But we mustn’t allow this conversation to let anyone off the hook when it comes to reducing emissions,” Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said.

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(AFP)

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Live like a French aristocrat… from just £41 a night each: Book a grand chateau with friends and family this summer and you may be in for a bargain

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Just the word ‘chateau’ sounds expensive, but staying in the castles and large country houses that were once home to French nobility doesn’t have to blow your holiday budget.

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Gather the clan for a booking of up to a week and you’ll be surprised at how reasonable it can be.

BRITTANY FROM £41

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Four-poster luxury awaits at the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle

Four-poster luxury awaits at the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle

Only the west wing of the 15th Century Chateau de Queblen near Quimperle has so far been restored, but the accommodation is far from medieval.

Eat in the shabby-chic kitchen-diner before moving to the elegant sitting room with marble fireplace and windows looking out to 40 acres of wooded grounds.

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Among the five bedrooms, one with a wooden four-poster bed is reached via a spiral staircase. The Breton coast beaches are just 15 minutes away.

How to do it: A week in September costs from £2,896 for ten (Airbnb property reference 45252876; also see chateaudequeblen.com). Take the car ferry to St Malo from £349 return (brittany-ferries.co.uk).

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NORMANDY FROM £69

Grand: Chateau du Mont in Normandy is an 'imposing' property with formal and Italian gardens

Grand: Chateau du Mont in Normandy is an ‘imposing’ property with formal and Italian gardens 

A fountain plays outside the imposing Chateau du Mont, with its formal and Italian gardens. Within, rooms are full of original features and wood panelling, the nine bedrooms have a refined period air about them, and the bathrooms have been nicely modernised.

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The thatched, beamed poolhouse has been converted from former stables. Bayeux and its tapestry are just 15 minutes away from this house whose guests have included the Dalai Lama and the Aga Khan.

How to do it: A week in May or September costs from £8,772 for 18 (chateaudumont-normandy.com). Take the car ferry to Le Havre from £146 return (brittany-ferries.co.uk).

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BURGUNDY FROM £54

Chateau Bourgogne, half an hour from Chablis, boasts ten bedrooms and a saltwater swimming pool (above)

Chateau Bourgogne, half an hour from Chablis, boasts ten bedrooms and a saltwater swimming pool (above)

The decor at Chateau Bourgogne is 'farmhouse chic' with beamed ceilings and stone floors. Pictured is the library

The decor at Chateau Bourgogne is ‘farmhouse chic’ with beamed ceilings and stone floors. Pictured is the library 

Just half an hour from Chablis, Chateau Bourgogne comes with its own wine library, and you can arrange for a sommelier to advise you which vineyards to visit. This creeper-clad property with crenelated turret and ten bedrooms has steep staircases, thick walls and a watchtower terrace.

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The decor is farmhouse chic, with beamed ceilings and stone floors. A saltwater pool can be found in the grounds, and you can walk to the village to use the tennis court for free. Book a chef to rustle up something on the range cooker while you sip a glass or two.

How to do it: A week in May is from £6,004 for 16 (oliverstravels.com). Take the train to Montbard via Paris from £219 return (thetrainline.com).

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LOT-ET-GARONNE FROM £48

Chateau de Galaup, near the hilltop village of Beauville, may be new to Vintage Travel’s portfolio this year, but it holds plenty of history within its thick walls, with an old archway, square keep and two stone spiral staircases.

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The 15th Century property with five bedrooms has been converted into a comfortable living space that exudes relaxed elegance, with timbered ceilings and terracotta floors. Outside, a pool has far-reaching views over the rolling countryside of France’s South West. There is also a tennis court.

How to do it: A week in May is from £3,358 for ten or £2,786 for six (vintagetravel.co.uk). Fly to Bergerac from £119 return (ryanair.com).

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DORDOGNE FROM £63

Chateau de la Forge in the Dordogne is a classic Perigord country house set within a 32-acre estate

Chateau de la Forge in the Dordogne is a classic Perigord country house set within a 32-acre estate

You can really make an entrance at the 32-acre estate at Chateau de la Forge, where wrought-iron gates open on to an avenue of trees. It leads to a classic Perigord country house with blue shutters against pale stone walls.

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Expect polished wood floors, panelled walls and high ceilings in the downstairs rooms; there’s also a billiard room. Upstairs, the six bedrooms have a more modern feel, with colourful fabrics. There’s a pool in the grounds, and you can hire kayaks to paddle along the Dordogne in nearby Mussidan.

How to do it: A week in September is from £5,295 for 12 (simpsontravel.com). Fly to Bergerac from £119 return (ryanair.com).

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CHAMPAGNE FROM £50

There’s surely no better place to party than in Champagne. Chateau de Mairy is just ten minutes from Chalons-en-Champagne and half an hour from Reims and Epernay, with as many cellars as you care to visit.

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A historic monument, the 17th Century building with a private chapel has a genteel feel to its public rooms and 15 bedrooms, with chandeliers, panelled walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. Bathrooms and the kitchen aren’t of the same standard. Not that you need to cook here: it’s a short walk to the local restaurant, or you can book a local chef.

How to do it: A week costs from £7,145 for 20, or from £10,427 for 30 (chateaudemairy.com). Take the Eurotunnel to Calais from £232 (eurotunnel.com).

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PAS DE CALAIS FROM £47

Chateau d’Hallines offers entertainment in abundance, from an indoor trampoline room and home cinema to a heated outdoor pool and a tennis court

Chateau d’Hallines offers entertainment in abundance, from an indoor trampoline room and home cinema to a heated outdoor pool and a tennis court

You’re unlikely to get bored at Chateau d’Hallines, which is just 30 minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais. Its indoor attractions alone include a trampoline room (yes, really), mini tennis court, games room, home cinema and snooker room. Outdoors you will find a heated pool and a tennis court.

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The entrance hall leading from the exterior has a grand staircase leading to 12 colourful bedrooms sharing 11 bathrooms. Cook in the contemporary kitchen and serve dinner in the wood-panelled dining room, with its table for 30.

How to do it: A week in May is from £8,489 for 26 (holidaylettings.co.uk; ref 9074565). Take the Eurotunnel to Calais from £232 (eurotunnel.com).

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PROVENCE FROM £71

A former retreat for French royalty, Chateau Aubenas near Forcalquier has an elevated view over the rolling hills of the Luberon. In gated grounds with a pool amid the pine trees, an olive grove and a sun terrace with barbecue, this cream-stone mansion is all about outdoor living.

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Not that the interiors have been neglected; huge rooms with high ceilings have been decorated in a light palette, the modern, minimalist look rubbing shoulders with original features.

A dormitory for four children is in the tower, and there are four other bedrooms for eight adults.

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How to do it: A week in August costs from £6,015 for 12 (cvvillas.com). Fly to Marseille from £92 return (ryanair.com).

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