query: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed $434.2 million in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

pos: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , based on the toy line of the same name created by Hasbro . It is the sequel to 2007 's Transformers , as well as the second installment in the live-action Transformers film series . Taking place two years after its predecessor , the plot revolves around Sam Witwicky , who is caught in the war between two factions of alien robots , the Autobots , led by Optimus Prime and the Decepticons , led by Megatron . Sam is having strange visions of Cybertronian symbols , and being hunted by the Decepticons under the orders of an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen , who seeks to get revenge on Earth by finding and activating a machine that would provide the Decepticons with an energon source , destroying the sun and all life on Earth in the process . Returning Transformers include Optimus Prime , Bumblebee , Ironhide , Ratchet , Megatron , Starscream , and Scorponok .   With deadlines jeopardized by possible strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild , Bay managed to finish the production on time with the help of previsualization and a scriptment by his writers Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , and series newcomer Ehren Kruger . Shooting took place from May to November 2008 , with locations in Egypt , Jordan , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and California , as well as air bases in New Mexico and Arizona . This was the last film in the series to star Megan Fox , and was also the last film in the series to be co-produced by DreamWorks Pictures , leaving Paramount Pictures to become the distributor of its future films .   Revenge of the Fallen premiered on June 8 , 2009 in Tokyo and was released on June 24 , 2009 in the United States . Metacritic said the film received `` generally unfavorable reviews '' ; criticism was directed at its bland story , melodramatic acting , romantic scenes , crude humor , overall length , repetitive action sequences , abrupt ending , and Optimus Prime 's drastically decreased screen time compared to the previous film . However , critics praised the visual effects , music , and the voice performances of Hugo Weaving , Charlie Adler and Tony Todd . The film won three Golden Raspberry Awards at the 30th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony , and became the highest-grossing film to win the Worst Picture award . The film grossed a total of $ 402.1 million in the US and Canada and $ 434.2 million in other territories , for a total of $ 836.3 million worldwide . It was the second highest-grossing film of 2009 in the US and Canada , 23rd domestically , the 44th highest-grossing film of all time and fourth highest of the year worldwide . With over 11 million home media sales in 2009 , it was also the top-selling film of the year in the United States . It was followed by Dark of the Moon in 2011 , and by Age of Extinction in 2014 . A fifth film , titled The Last Knight , is scheduled for a 2017 release .

neg: World Magnetic Tour World Magnetic Tour was a 2008 -- 2010 concert tour by American thrash metal band Metallica in support of the band 's ninth studio album , Death Magnetic '' , which was released on September 12 , 2008 .   The tour officially kicked off in October 2008 in Glendale , Arizona , United States , following three European promotional dates in September and two U.S. rehearsal shows . By September 2009 , the tour had reached North America , Europe , South America , Asia and Oceania .   The tour culminated with three dates in Melbourne , Australia in late November 2010 . The tour ended up being the most successful by Metallica , grossing roughly $ 217.2 million ( the 18th highest grossing tour of all time ) , with the top grossing location , Acer Arena in Sydney , Australia , taking more than $ 14 million over 4 shows .

neg: Video gaming in France Video gaming in France is one of the largest markets in Europe . The French government give special tax breaks to video game companies . In 2014 , the French diplomatic service released a report which calculates the profit generated by the French video game industry at $ 2.7 billion . It states that there are 300 video game companies in France . It estimates the number of jobs directly related to the video game industry at 5000 . It estimates the number of indirect jobs created by the video game industry at 10,000 . The report found that in 2013 , around 8 out of 10 people had played a video game in the last 12 months .  In France video games have equal status as an artform , alongside more traditional formats like painting and theatre . In 2016 , the French Minister of State for Digital Affairs , Axelle Lemaire , held talks with various French video game industry figureheads to find solutions to the problem of misogyny in video games . She mooted solutions like removing tax credits for publishers who publish games with misogynistic content , and creating a label which would identify video games with positive representations of women .

neg: List of accolades received by Star Wars: The Force Awakens Star Wars : The Force Awakens is a 2015 epic space opera film directed , co-produced , and co-written by J. J. Abrams . The seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series , and first of three in Star Wars sequel trilogy , it stars Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Lupita Nyong ` o , Andy Serkis , Domhnall Gleeson , Anthony Daniels , and Max von Sydow . The Force Awakens is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi ; it follows Rey , Finn , and Poe Dameron 's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight alongside the Resistance , led by veterans of the Rebel Alliance , against Kylo Ren and the First Order , a successor group to the Galactic Empire .   The Force Awakens was premiered by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on December 14 , and was released in United States and Canada on December 18 , 2015 . The Force Awakens opened across 14,300 theaters , breaking numerous box-office records and became the first film to earn more than $ 100 million worldwide in a single day . The film grossed a worldwide total of over $ 2 billion on a production budget of $ 306 million becoming the highest-grossing release of 2015 , and the fastest film to earn $ 1 billion worldwide , doing so in twelve-days . The Force Awakens became the third film in history to surpass $ 2 billion worldwide ( after Avatar ( 2009 ) and Titanic ( 1997 ) ) , doing so on its 53rd day of release .   Rotten Tomatoes , a review aggregator , surveyed 360 reviews and judged 92 percent to be positive . The Force Awakens garnered many awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for Abrams ' direction , its action sequences , visual effects , editing and Ridley 's and Boyega 's performances . Several awards held their nominations before the December release of The Force Awakens , making the film ineligible for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards and some other awards ceremonies . However , the film was added to the 21st Critics ' Choice Awards 's slate of best picture nominees after a special vote by the board of directors , and the announcement of the 2015 American Film Institute Awards was delayed until after the release of film , where it was named one of Top Ten Films of the year .   The Force Awakens received five nominations at the 88th Academy Awards as Best Original Score , Best Sound Editing , Best Sound Mixing , Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects . The film garnered four nominations at 69th British Academy Film Awards , and won for Best Special Visual Effects and a special BAFTA Rising Star Award for John Boyega . At the 21st Empire Awards , the film received nine nominations and won five including Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film , and Best Director for J.J. Abrams . The Force Awakens became the most nominated film in Saturn Awards history with total of thirteen nominations at 42nd Saturn Awards and won eight including Best Science Fiction Film , Best Director and Best Special Effects . The film received seven nominations from the Visual Effects Society , winning four including Outstanding Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture . Star Wars : The Force Awakens received eleven nominations at MTV Movie Awards , the most for the ceremony and won three including Movie of the Year .

neg: Transformers Decepticons Transformers Decepticons is a video game based on fictional alien robots , Transformers . This version follows an alternate plot of the 2007 live action film Transformers . Most prominently , while the Autobots version has missions in the Arctic , the Decepticons version contain desert missions taking place in a Qatar military base .

neg: Wanted (2008 film) Wanted is a 2008 American-German action thriller film loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones . The film , written by Chris Morgan , Michael Brandt , and Derek Haas and directed by Timur Bekmambetov stars James McAvoy , Morgan Freeman , and Angelina Jolie . The storyline follows Wesley Gibson ( McAvoy ) , a frustrated account manager who discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin and decides to join the Fraternity , a secret society in which his father worked .   Universal Studios acquired the adaptation rights from Millar in 2004 , and while the eventual script drifted from the comic book supervillain mythos in the original miniseries , Millar was content to see most of the comic 's darker content was retained . Production began in April 2007 , with filming in the Czech Republic , Budapest , and the story 's main setting , Chicago . Wanted was released in June 2008 to both critical and commercial success , with box office earnings of $ 341 million worldwide and reviews praising the fast pacing and stylized action scenes . A sequel was planned the same year as the film 's release , but ultimately stalled in the development phase .

neg: List of Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom episodes This article is a list of the episodes of the Japanese anime series Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom ~ , which is animated by Bee Train and directed by Koichi Mashimo under the Project Phantom group . The series went on air on April 2 , 2009 on TV Tokyo . Subsequently the show also aired on AT-X , TV Aichi , and TV Osaka . Funimation Entertainment is streaming the series for its North American audience .   The anime is based on the 2000 video game Phantom of Inferno .   The series is about a Japanese national who gets kidnapped by an assassin syndicate called Inferno after he had personally witnessed an assassination while visiting the United States . Inferno is a criminal organization attempting to unite all known underworld mob gangs into one conglomerate . In order to achieve their goal , Inferno deploys its assassin operatives codenamed Phantom . Among them is an amnesiac girl named Ein and the Japanese national , who was given the name Zwei as his codename after being brainwashed of his previous memory .   An announcement regarding the show was first announced in the January issue of Kadokawa Shoten 's Newtype magazine with Yoshimitsu Yamashita , Mutsumi Sasaki and Yoko Kikuchi being the main animators with Bee Train being in charge of animation . Soon afterwards , a promotional video of Phantom ~ Requiem of the Phantom ~ was broadcast on Biglobe . Music for the series is created under Masumi Itō , using the alias Hikaru Nanase . For the first 19 episodes , the opening song `` Karma '' is written and sung by Kokia and arranged by Hikaru Nanase , with the ending song is sung by Ali Project with CD singles released . From episode 20 onwards , a 2nd opening song is sung by Ali Project with a 2nd ending song `` Transparent '' written and sung by Kokia and also arranged by Nanase . In addition , the OST of the show with CD singles by Ayahi Takagaki and Miyu Irino have been released to the public on July 8 , 2009 .   The Japanese DVD releases of Volume 1 came out on July 24 , 2009 with subsequent releases from Volumes 2 to 10 on August 25 , 2009 , September 25 , 2009 , October 23 , 2009 , November 25 , 2009 , December 22 , 2009 , January 22 , 2010 , February 25 , 2010 , March 25 , 2010 and April 23 , 2010 . FUNimation released the series on Blu-ray and DVD in 2011 .  A manga adaptation of the show was published in tankōbon form on May 23 , 2009 by Media Factory and Nitroplus , with the manga being illustrated by Masaki Hiragi under Media Factory 's Monthly Comic Alive 's February issue .

neg: Gran Torino Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood , who also starred in the film . The film co-stars Christopher Carley , Bee Vang and Ahney Her . This was Eastwood 's first starring role since 2004 's Million Dollar Baby . The film features a large Hmong American cast , as well as one of Eastwood 's younger sons , Scott . Eastwood 's oldest son , Kyle , provided the score . Gran Torino opened via a limited theatrical release in North America on December 12 , 2008 , and later to a worldwide release on January 9 , 2009 . Set in Detroit , Michigan , it is the first mainstream American film to feature Hmong Americans . Many Lao Hmong war refugees resettled in the U.S. following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975 .   The story follows Walt Kowalski , a recently widowed Korean War veteran alienated from his family and angry at the world . Walt 's young neighbor , Thao Vang Lor , is pressured by his cousin into stealing Walt 's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino for his initiation into a gang . Walt thwarts the theft with his M1 Garand rifle and subsequently develops a relationship with the boy and his family .   Gran Torino was a critical and commercial success , grossing nearly $ 270 million worldwide ( making it Eastwood 's second highest-grossing film to date ) . Within the Hmong community in the United States , the film received both praise and criticism .

neg: Apocalypse: The Second World War Apocalypse : The Second World War ( French : Apocalypse , la 2e Guerre mondiale ) ( 2009 ) is a six-part French documentary by Daniel Costelle and Isabelle Clarke about the Second World War . The music of the documentary was composed by Kenji Kawai .   The documentary is composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents , soldiers , resistance fighters and private citizens . The series is shown in color , with the black-and-white footage being fully colorized , save for some original color footage . The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes , which are presented in the original black and white .   It was first aired from August 20 and 27 and September 3 on the French-speaking Belgian RTBF then on August 23 and 30 and September 6 on the French-speaking Swiss TSR and finally on September 8 , 2009 , to September 22 , 2009 , on France 2 channel . It was narrated in French by actor/director Mathieu Kassovitz . The documentary was shown on the Smithsonian Channel in the United States , where it was narrated by actor Martin Sheen , on the National Geographic Channel and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom , where it was narrated by actor Jonathan Booth , Canada , the Netherlands , Poland , Australia , Romania and Asia , on YLE Teema in Finland , on Rete 4 in Italy , on IBA , the national public channel in Israel , on RTP2 , the national public channel in Portugal , and on La 2 , the national public channel in Spain .

neg: Gladiators of Rome (2012 film) Gladiators of Rome ( Italian : Gladiatori di Roma ) , also known as Not Born to Be Gladiators and referred to in marketing as Gladiators of Rome 3D , is a 2012 Italian computer-animated comedy film produced by Rainbow CGI and released by Medusa Film . It is directed by Iginio Straffi , and was opened in Italy on October 2012 and was later released across Europe and the Americas . Produced on a budget of $ 45 million , it is one of the most expensive Italian films ever made . The film grossed between $ 10 million and $ 50 million worldwide .

neg: Cinema of India The cinema of India consists of films produced across India . Cinema as a medium has gained immense popularity in the country and as many as 1,600 films in various languages of India are produced annually . Indian films have also come to be followed throughout South Asia , the Greater Middle East , Southeast Asia and other countries . Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the `` father of Indian cinema '' . The Dadasaheb Phalke Award , for lifetime contribution to cinema , was instituted in his honour , by the Government of India in 1969 , and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian cinema .   In the 20th century , Indian cinema , along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries , became a global enterprise . As of 2013 , in terms of annual film output , India ranks first , followed by Nollywood , Hollywood and China . In 2012 , India produced 1,602 feature films . The Indian film industry reached overall revenues of $ 1.86 billion ( 93 billion ) in 2011 . This is projected to rise to $ 3 billion ( 200 billion ) in 2016 . In 2015 , India had a total box office gross of , the fourth largest in the world outside North America . Enhanced technology paved the way for upgrading from established cinematic norms of delivering product , altering the manner in which content reached the target audience . Biopics like Dangal and CGI-laden epics like Baahubali emerged as transnational blockbusters grossing over $ 200 million each in early 21st century . Indian cinema found markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened . The Indian government extended film delegations to foreign countries such as the United States of America and Japan while the country 's Film Producers Guild sent similar missions through Europe .   The provision of 100 % foreign direct investment has made the Indian film market attractive for foreign enterprises such as 20th Century Fox , Sony Pictures , Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. . Indian enterprises such as AVM Productions , Prasad 's Group , Sun Pictures , PVP Cinemas , Zee , UTV , Suresh Productions , Eros Films , Ayngaran International , Pyramid Saimira , Aascar Films and Adlabs also participated in producing and distributing films . Tax incentives to multiplexes have aided the multiplex boom in India . By 2003 as many as 30 film production companies had been listed in the National Stock Exchange of India , making the commercial presence of the medium felt .   The South Indian film industry defines the four film cultures of South India as a single entity . They are the Telugu , the Tamil , the Malayalam and the Kannada industries . Although developed independently over a long period , gross exchange of film performers and technicians as well as globalisation helped to shape this new identity .   The Indian diaspora consists of millions of Indians overseas for which films are made available both through media such as DVDs and by screening of films in their country of residence wherever commercially feasible . These earnings , accounting for some 12 % of the revenue generated by a mainstream film , contribute substantially to the overall revenue of Indian cinema , the net worth of which was found to be 1.3 billion in 2000 . Music in Indian cinema is another substantial revenue generator with the music rights alone accounting for 4 -- 5 % of the net revenues generated by a film in India .

neg: Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life Pokémon : Arceus and the Jewel of Life , originally released in Japan as , is a 2009 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama . It is the twelfth Pokémon film and the third in the Diamond & Pearl trilogy . This film so far has earned US$ 50.2 million in Japan , making it the highest grossing animated film of the year in that country , beating Evangelion : 2.0 You Can ( Not ) Advance and Detective Conan : The Raven Chaser . The English language dub was aired on November 6 , 2009 , in Australia , November 20 , 2009 , in the United States in theaters and on Cartoon Network , on May 28 , 2010 , in the United Kingdom on Disney XD UK and The Spanish language dub was aired on Spain April 4 , 2010 , on Disney XD and Latin America on November 21 , 2010 , on Cartoon Network . This marks the first time that a Pokémon feature film has made its U.S. debut in the same year as its original Japanese release before the Japanese DVD release on December 18 , 2009 . The theme song of the film is `` Kokoro no Antenna '' by Shoko Nakagawa . Cartoon Network ( Pakistan ) aired the movie in August 2011 .   The movie 's fictitious setting is based on various locations in Greece , which the director and producers visited during August 2008 . Among the locations they visited and have been used as inspiration for the movie were the Acropolis , Mycenae , Delphi , Metéora .   The DVD was released on Monday 28 November 2011 in the UK by Universal , as the third Pokémon DVD to come out in the UK since The Rise of Darkrai .

neg: Gears of War Gears of War is a video game franchise created and originally owned by Epic Games , developed and managed by The Coalition , and owned and published by Microsoft Studios . The series focuses on the conflict between humanity , the subterranean reptilian hominids known as the Locust Horde , and their mutated counterparts , the Lambent & the Swarm . The franchise consists of five third-person shooter video games , which has also been supplemented by a comic book series and five novels .   The first installment , titled Gears of War , was released on November 7 , 2006 for the Xbox 360 . The game follows protagonist Marcus Fenix , a soldier in the Coalition of Ordered Governments tasked to lead a last-ditch effort to destroy the Locust Horde and save humanity . Two subsequent titles , Gears of War 2 ( 2008 ) and Gears of War 3 ( 2011 ) , continued Fenix and humanity 's ongoing conflict with the Locust Horde and Lambent forces . In 2013 , Epic Games and Microsoft released Gears of War : Judgment , a prequel to the series ' first title , which instead focuses on Damon Baird , one of Fenix 's squad-mates . Gears of War : Ultimate Edition was released for Microsoft Windows on March 1 , 2016 . The series ' third sequel , Gears of War 4 , is set 25 years after Gears of War 3 and follows Marcus Fenix 's son , JD , as he battles new foes that threaten humanity .   Gears of War was developed by Epic Games . Cliff Bleszinski , who has previously worked on Epic 's Unreal Tournament games , served the series ' lead game designer for the first three installments . He was inspired by gameplay elements from Resident Evil 4 , Kill Switch , and Bionic Commando . The series was also guided by Rod Fergusson , the executive producer and director of development of Epic Games until 2012 . The first four installments of the Gears of War series used a modified version of the Unreal Engine 3 engine . On January 27 , 2014 , Microsoft acquired all rights to the franchise from Epic Games . Canadian studio The Coalition developed Gears of War 4 , which was released on October 11 , 2016 for the Xbox One and Windows 10 .   Gears of War became one of the best-selling franchises for the Xbox 360 . The series is well known for its emphasis on cover-based combat , in which players can use objects to avoid gunfire or safely engage enemies . All five installments in Gears of War featured several multiplayer modes that allowed players to compete against each other or team-up to battle AI opponents on Xbox Live . The Gears of War games have been amongst the most popular and most played titles on Xbox Live .

neg: Lorenzo di Bonaventura Lorenzo di Bonaventura ( -LSB- loˈrɛntso di bɔ nɑ vɛnˈtu rɑ -RSB- ; born November 29 , 1957 ) is an American film producer and founder of his company Di Bonaventura Pictures . He is best known for producing the Transformers film series .

neg: Transformers: Energon Transformers : Energon , known in Japan as , is the 2004 -- 2005 Transformers toyline , animated series , and comic book series , another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers : Armada . It is also the first Japanese Transformers show where the Transformers are computer-generated ( CG ) , in a cel-shaded technique similar to the Zoids anime , which was a trend that would continue into the next series , Transformers : Cybertron . Needless to say , Energon had worse production mishaps than Armada .   In this series , the Transformers ' primary gimmicks are the Autobots ' ability to combine with partners of the same size , the Decepticons ' ability to use powered up forms , and the addition of Energon weapons and stars that can be placed on any Transformer . Mini-Cons , from the previous line , are still present , but all Mini-Con pegs are `` dead '' , and they do not activate a function on the toy .

neg: Film series A film series ( also referred to as a film franchise ) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe , or are marketed as a series .   Sometimes the work is conceived from the beginning as a multiple-film work , for example the Three Colours series , but in most cases the success of the original film inspires further films to be made . Individual sequels are relatively common , but are not always successful enough to spawn further installments .   The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest grossing film series in unadjusted US Dollar figures surpassing the Harry Potter , Star Wars , James Bond , and Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings series . However , `` Star Wars '' has the highest when adjusted for inflation .

neg: Transformers: Scramble City , sometimes referred to as just is an episode of The Transformers released as an OVA ( Original Video Animation ) in Japan in April 1986 . It was created as a promotional video for the new line of ` Scramble City ' toys and the cassettes were paired with the toy sets . Despite strong belief ( such as that voiced on the 20th Anniversary DVD bonus commentary for the episode ) , it was not meant to introduce Japanese audiences to the new characters from The Transformers : The Movie ( considering Ultra Magnus , Ramhorn , Steeljaw , and Ratbat are the only ones from the film that appear in it ) . Chronologically , it takes place years before the movie during the early stages of construction on Autobot City . But since Trypticon appeared ( and was supposed to debut in Five Faces of Darkness ) , it can be assumed that this video takes place after Alternity .

neg: Toy Story (franchise) Toy Story is a computer animated film series and Disney media franchise that began with the original 1995 film , Toy Story , produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . The franchise is based on the anthropomorphic concept that all toys , unknown to humans , are secretly alive , and the films focus on a diverse group of toys that feature a classic cowboy , Sheriff Woody , and modern spaceman , Buzz Lightyear . The group unexpectedly embark on adventures that challenge and change them .   The first two films of the franchise were directed by John Lasseter , and the third by Lee Unkrich , who acted as the co-director of the second film ( together with Lasseter and Ash Brannon ) . Lasseter will return to direct the upcoming fourth film .   All three films , produced on a total budget of $ 320 million , have grossed more than $ 1.9 billion worldwide . Each film set box office records , with the third included in the top 15 all time worldwide films . Critics have given all three films extremely positive reviews . Special Blu-ray and DVD editions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were released on March 23 , 2010 . They were also re-released in theaters as a Disney Digital 3-D `` double feature '' for at least two weeks in October 2009 .   The series is the 24th highest-grossing franchise worldwide , the fifth highest-grossing animated franchise ( behind Shrek , Ice Age , Despicable Me and Madagascar ) , and is among the most critically acclaimed trilogies of all time . On November 1 , 2011 , all three Toy Story films were released in Disney Blu-ray 3D as a trilogy pack and as individual films .

neg: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 British-American fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . It is based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling . The film , which is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series , was written by Michael Goldenberg ( making this the only film in the series not to be scripted by Steve Kloves ) and produced by David Heyman and David Barron . The story follows Harry Potter 's fifth year at Hogwarts as the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort 's return .   The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter , alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry 's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger . It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and is followed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince .   Live-action filming took place in England and Scotland for exterior locations and Leavesden Film Studios in Watford for interior locations from February to November 2006 , with a one-month break in June . Post-production on the film continued for several months afterwards to add in visual effects . The film 's budget was reportedly between # 75 and 100 million ( $ 150 -- 200 million ) . Warner Bros. released the film in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2007 and in North America on 11 July , both in conventional and IMAX theatres ; it is the first Potter film to be released in IMAX 3D .   As of April 2017 , Order of the Phoenix is the 39th-highest-grossing film of all time , and a critical and commercial success . The film opened to a worldwide 5-day opening of $ 333 million , fourteenth all-time , and grossed nearly $ 940 million total , second to Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End for the greatest total of 2007 . The film was nominated for two BAFTA Film Awards in 2008 .

neg: Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film Every year since its inception , the Japanese Academy has recognized an outstanding foreign film . The year that any given film is nominated is not based on the film 's domestic release date but rather on the date it is released in Japan . As delays of over four months are not uncommon , many films are nominated in Japan the following year after their release to the Japanese market ( i.e. Million Dollar Baby won the American Academy Award for Best Picture for films made in 2004 , but the Japanese award , based on its localized release date , is for 2005 ) . In fact , not one of the five films nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Picture had been released in Japan by February 15 , 2008 , the date of the Japan Academy Prize Ceremony . Although the 2007 recipient of this award , Letters from Iwo Jima , a film almost entirely in Japanese , would not seem to meet the qualification of a `` Foreign Language Film '' , the actual Japanese title of the award , 最優秀外国作品賞 makes no mention of language . It would be more accurately translated as `` Best Foreign Production '' .   2017 - Sully  The Martian  Zootopia  Star Wars : The Force Awakens  The Revenant  2016 - American Sniper  Kingsman : The Secret Service  Mad Max : Fury Road  Spectre  Whiplash  2015 - Frozen  Interstellar  Jersey Boys  Fury  Godzilla  2014 - Les Misérables  3 Idiots  Captain Phillips  Django Unchained  Gravity  2013 - The Intouchables  Argo  The Dark Knight Rises  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  Skyfall  2012 - The King 's Speech  Rise of the Planet of the Apes  Moneyball  The Social Network  Black Swan  2011 - Avatar  Inception  Toy Story 3  Invictus  The Hurt Locker  2010 - Gran Torino  Slumdog Millionaire  Changeling  The Wrestler  Red Cliff Part II  2009 - The Dark Knight  The Bucket List  No Country for Old Men  Lust , Caution  Red Cliff Part I  2008 - Letters from Iwo Jima  Dreamgirls  Babel  Hairspray  The Bourne Ultimatum  2007 - Flags of Our Fathers  Crash  Hotel Rwanda  Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest  The Da Vinci Code  2006 - Million Dollar Baby  Cinderella Man  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  The Phantom of the Opera  Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith  2005 - The Last Samurai  The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King  Mystic River  Seabiscuit  Troy  2004 - The Pianist  Chicago  The Hours  The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers  Yeopgijeogin geunyeo  2003 - Monster 's Ball  Gangs of New York  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets  I Am Sam  The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring  2002 - Billy Elliot  Artificial Intelligence : AI  Chocolat  Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone  Postmen in the Mountains  2001 - Dancer in the Dark  American Beauty  Gladiator  The Green Mile  Swiri  2000 - The Sixth Sense  Elizabeth  The Matrix  Shakespeare in Love  La Vita è bella  1999 - L.A. Confidential  Armageddon  As Good as It Gets  Good Will Hunting  Saving Private Ryan  1998 - Titanic The English Patient Shine Air Force One Seven Years in Tibet1997 - Il Postino Independence Day Mission : Impossible Se7en 12 Monkeys1996 - The Shawshank Redemption  Apollo 13  The Bridges of Madison County  Forrest Gump  Léon  1995 - Schindler 's List  The Piano  Pulp Fiction  Speed  True Lies  1994 - Jurassic Park  Cliffhanger  The Fugitive  Heaven & Earth  Unforgiven  1993 - JFK  The Lover  Basic Instinct  The Bodyguard  A League of Their Own  1992 - Dances with Wolves  Awakenings  Nikita  The Silence of the Lambs  Terminator 2 : Judgment Day  1991 - Field of Dreams  Die Hard 2  Ghost  Cinema Paradiso  Total Recall  1990 - Die Hard  Black Rain  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade  Major League  Rain Man  1989 - The Last Emperor  Fatal Attraction  Full Metal Jacket  Moonstruck  Wall Street  1988 - Platoon  Hannah and Her Sisters  Stand By Me  Top Gun  The Untouchables  1987 - Back to the Future  Aliens  A Chorus Line  The Color Purple  Out of Africa  1986 - Amadeus  The Cotton Club  The Killing Fields  A Passage to India  Witness  1985 - Once Upon a Time in America  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom  The Natural  The Right Stuff  Terms of Endearment  1984 - An Officer and a Gentleman  The Woman Next DoorFlashdanceGandhiSophie 's Choice1983 - E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialDas BootChariots of FireOn Golden PondRocky III1982 - Die BlechtrommelBeing ThereThe Elephant ManOrdinary PeopleLes Uns et les Autres1981 - Kramer vs. KramerAll That JazzApocalypse NowManhattanTess1980 - The Deer HunterThe Tree of Wooden ClogsBig WednesdayThe ChampThe Travelling Players1979 - Conversation PieceClose Encounters of the Third KindThe Goodbye GirlStar Wars Episode IV : A New HopeThe Turning Point1978 - RockyThe Fire WithinNetworkSlap ShotVoyage of the Damned ''

neg: Beast Wars II: Super Life-Form Transformers is a 1998 Japanese Transformers anime series , spawning a movie and a toyline . It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 1998 to January 1999 , and was the first Transformers anime to be produced by Nihon Ad Systems and animated by the studio Ashi Productions . While its position in the Transformers continuity has previously been unknown , the IDW Publishing comic book mini-series Beast Wars : The Gathering and comments from Transformers writer Simon Furman have shown it is part of the Beast Wars continuity . The series was preceded by Beast Wars , and was followed by Super Life-Form Transformers : Beast Wars Neo . Voices are done by Hozumi Gōda and each episode runs for 30 minutes . This anime was succeeded by Beast Wars Neo .  The series has a much lighter tone and is aimed more towards children , whereas the more accessible Beast Wars was intended for a wider age range . The series also uses conventional animation rather than CGI . With the exceptions of the faction leaders , all of the characters within the series are either re-molds or re-colors of earlier Beast Wars figures or Generation 2/Machine Wars figures .   In addition to the 43 episodes , there is also a 50-minute movie , Beast Wars II : Lio Convoy 's Close Call ! , which takes place sometime between episodes 32 and 38 , and a manga adaptation by Shoji Imaki . The only other country it was published in is Korea , and it was done by Daewon Media . The anime was also released in Korea , and it was broadcast on SBS .


query: France has consistently refused to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

pos: France France ( -LSB- fʁɑ̃s -RSB- ) , officially the French Republic ( -LSB- ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . France spans 643801 km2 and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi-presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux .   During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome , which held Gaul until 486 , when the Germanic Franks conquered the region and formed the Kingdom of France . France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , with its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337 to 1453 ) strengthening state-building and political centralisation . During the Renaissance , French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established , which by the 20th century would be the second largest in the world . The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots ) . France became Europe 's dominant cultural , political , and military power under Louis XIV . In the late 18th century , the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy , established one of modern history 's earliest republics , and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , which expresses the nation 's ideals to this day .   In the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire , whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe . Following the collapse of the Empire , France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870 . France was a major participant in the First World War , from which it emerged victorious , and was one of the Allied Powers in the Second World War , but came under occupation by the Axis Powers in 1940 . Following liberation in 1944 , a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War . The Fifth Republic , led by Charles de Gaulle , was formed in 1958 and remains to this day . Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France .   France has long been a global centre of art , science , and philosophy . It hosts Europe 's fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually , the most of any country in the world . France is a developed country with the world 's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity . In terms of aggregate household wealth , it ranks fourth in the world . France performs well in international rankings of education , health care , life expectancy , and human development . France remains a great power in the world , being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state . It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone . It is also a member of the Group of 7 , North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , and La Francophonie .

neg: List of country groupings This is a list of groupings of countries or of intergovernmental organisations , formal or informal , organisational or economic category .   African Union ( AU ) is a continental union consisting of all fifty-five countries on the African continent  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region  Arab League , a regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa , the Horn of Africa and Arabia , Algeria , Bahrain , Comoros , Djibouti , Egypt , Iraq , Jordan , Kuwait , Lebanon , Libya , Mauritania , Morocco , Oman , Palestine , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Somalia , Sudan , Syria , Tunisia , United Arab Emirates , Yemen , to draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them , to safeguard their independence and sovereignty , and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries  ASEAN , The Association of Southeast Asian Nations , a regional organisation comprising ten Southeast Asian states  BASIC countries , four large newly industrialized countries , Brazil , South Africa , India , China , to act jointly on climate change and emissions reduction  Benelux Union is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring states in western Europe : Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg .  BRIC , Brazil , Russia , India and China , which are all deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development  BRICS , Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa , leading developing or newly industrialized countries , and are distinguished by their large , sometimes fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional affairs  CIVETS , six emerging markets countries , Colombia , Indonesia , Vietnam , Egypt , Turkey and South Africa , a diverse and dynamic economy and a young , growing population  Commonwealth of Nations , fifty-two member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire  Development Assistance Committee ( DAC ) , to discuss issues surrounding aid , development and poverty reduction in developing countries , the world 's major donor countries , Australia , European Union , Iceland , New Zealand , South Korea , Austria , Finland , Ireland , Norway , Spain , Belgium , France , Italy , Poland , Sweden , Canada , Germany , Japan , Portugal , Switzerland , Czech Republic , Greece , Luxembourg , Slovakia , United Kingdom , Denmark , Hungary , Netherlands , Slovenia , United States  Economic Cooperation Organisation ( ECO ) , Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Iran , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyz , Pakistan , Tajikistan , Turkey , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , a political and economic organization , a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities , the objective is to establish a single market for goods and services  EAEU , Eurasian Economic Union , an economic union of Belarus , Kazakhstan , Russia , Armenia , Kyrgyzstan  EU , The European Union , a political and economic union of twenty-eight member states that are located primarily in Europe  Four Asian Tigers , economies of Hong Kong , Singapore , South Korea , Taiwan , underwent rapid industrialization and maintained exceptionally high growth rates , now developed into advanced and high-income economies  G4 nations , Brazil , Germany , India , and Japan , four countries which support each other 's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council  Group of Eight ( G8 ) , Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , the United Kingdom , the United States , and Russia , the world 's major highly industrialized economies in countries that view themselves as democracies  G8 +5 , the G8 nations , plus the five leading emerging economies ( Brazil , China , India , Mexico , and South Africa )  G20 , or Group of Twenty , twenty major economies , Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Canada , China , European Union , France , Germany , India , Indonesia , Italy , Japan , South Korea , Mexico , Russia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , for studying , reviewing , and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability  Group of 7 ( G7 ) , Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , the United Kingdom , and the United States , the seven major advanced economies as reported by the International Monetary Fund  Group of 77 ( G77 ) , a loose coalition of developing nations , designed to promote its members ' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations  Gulf Cooperation Council , Bahrain , Kuwait , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia and the UAE . A regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf , except for Iraq .  IBSA Dialogue Forum , India , Brazil , South Africa , an international tripartite grouping for promoting international cooperation among these countries  Mercosur ( Southern Common Market ) , Argentina , Brazil , Paraguay , Uruguay , Venezuela , Bolivia , Chile , Peru , Colombia , Ecuador , Suriname , to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods , people , and currency  MIKTA , an informal partnership between Mexico , Indonesia , Republic of Korea , Turkey , Australia , to support effective global governance  MINT , the economies of Mexico , Indonesia , Nigeria , and Turkey  NACAr , Norway , Australia , Canada , Argentina , countries characterized by middle to high income per capita , a low population density and a concentration of exports in natural resources  North American Free Trade Agreement , NAFTA is an agreement signed by Canada , Mexico , and the United States , creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America  Next Eleven ( Nll ) , Bangladesh , Egypt , Indonesia , Iran , Mexico , Nigeria , Pakistan , the Philippines , Turkey , South Korea and Vietnam -- identified as having a high potential of becoming , along with the BRICS countries , among the world 's largest economies in the 21st century  OECD , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , to stimulate economic progress and world trade , countries committed to democracy and the market economy , most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index ( HDI ) and are regarded as developed countries  OPEC , Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries , thirteen countries accounting for an estimated 42 percent of global oil production and 73 percent of the world 's proven oil reserves  P5 , permanent members of the United Nations Security Council , China , France , Russia , the United Kingdom , the United States  PIGS , the economies of the countries of Portugal , Italy and or Ireland , Greece , and Spain  United Nations ( UN ) , an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation , 193 member states .  VISTA ( Vietnam , Indonesia , South Africa , Turkey , Argentina ) is an emerging markets grouping proposed in 2006 by BRICs Economic Research Institute of Japan .

neg: Politics of France The politics of France take place with the framework of a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the French Fifth Republic . The nation declares itself to be an `` indivisible , secular , democratic , and social Republic '' . The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France 's `` attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789 . ''   The political system of France consists of an executive branch , a legislative branch , and a judicial branch . Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government . The Government consists of the Prime Minister and ministers . The Prime Minister is appointed by the President , and is responsible to Parliament . The government , including the Prime Minister , can be revoked by the National Assembly , the lower house of Parliament , through a `` censure motion '' ; this ensures that the Prime Minister is always supported by a majority of the lower house ( which , on most topics , has prominence over the upper house ) .   Parliament comprises the National Assembly and the Senate . It passes statutes and votes on the budget ; it controls the action of the executive through formal questioning on the floor of the houses of Parliament and by establishing commissions of inquiry . The constitutionality of the statutes is checked by the Constitutional Council , members of which are appointed by the President of the Republic , the President of the National Assembly , and the President of the Senate . Former presidents of the Republic also are members of the Council .   The independent judiciary is based upon civil law system which evolved from the Napoleonic codes . It is divided into the judicial branch ( dealing with civil law and criminal law ) and the administrative branch ( dealing with appeals against executive decisions ) , each with their own independent supreme court of appeal : the Court of Cassation for the judicial courts and the Conseil d'Etat for the administrative courts . The French government includes various bodies that check abuses of power and independent agencies .   France is a unitary state . However , its administrative subdivisions -- regions , departments and communes -- have various legal functions , and the national government is prohibited from intruding into their normal operations .   France was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community , later the European Union . As such , France has transferred part of its sovereignty to European institutions , as provided by its constitution . The French government therefore has to abide by European treaties , directives and regulations .

neg: French colonial empire The French colonial empire constituted the overseas colonies , protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward . A distinction is generally made between the `` first colonial empire '' , that existed until 1814 , by which time most of it had been lost , and the `` second colonial empire '' , which began with the conquest of Algiers in 1830 . The second empire came to an end after the loss of bitter wars in Vietnam ( 1955 ) and Algeria ( 1962 ) , and peaceful decolonization elsewhere after 1960 .   Competing with Spain , Portugal , the United Provinces , and later Britain , France began to establish colonies in North America , the Caribbean , and India in the 17th century . A series of wars with Great Britain and other European major powers during the 18th century and early 19th century resulted in France losing nearly all of its conquests . France rebuilt a new empire mostly after 1850 , concentrating chiefly in Africa , as well as Indochina and the South Pacific . Republicans , at first hostile to empire , only became supportive when Germany started to build her own colonial empire . As it developed the new empire took on roles of trade with France , especially supplying raw materials and purchasing manufactured items , as well as lending prestige to the motherland and spreading French civilization and language , and the Catholic religion . It also provided manpower in the World Wars .   It became a moral mission to lift the world up to French standards by bringing Christianity and French culture . In 1884 the leading proponent of colonialism , Jules Ferry declared ; `` The higher races have a right over the lower races , they have a duty to civilize the inferior races . '' Full citizenship rights -- assimilation -- were offered , although in reality `` assimilation was always receding -LSB- and -RSB- the colonial populations treated like subjects not citizens . '' France sent small numbers of settlers to its empire , contrary to Great Britain , and previously Spain and Portugal , with the only notable exception of Algeria , where the French settlers nonetheless always remained a small minority .   At its apex , it was one of the largest empires in history . Including metropolitan France , the total amount of land under French sovereignty reached 11500000 km2 in 1920 , with a population of 110 million people in 1939 . In World War II , Charles de Gaulle and the Free French used the overseas colonies as bases from which they fought to liberate France . Historian Tony Chafer argues : `` In an effort to restore its world-power status after the humiliation of defeat and occupation , France was eager to maintain its overseas empire at the end of the Second World War . '' However , after 1945 anti-colonial movements began to challenge European authority . The French constitution of October 27 , 1946 ( Fourth Republic ) , established the French Union which endured until 1958 . Newer remnants of the colonial empire were integrated into France as overseas departments and territories within the French Republic . These now total altogether 119,394 km ² ( 46,098 sq. miles ) , which amounts to only 1 % of the pre-1939 French colonial empire 's area , with 2.7 million people living in them in 2013 . By the 1970s , says Robert Aldrich , the last `` vestiges of empire held little interest for the French . '' He argues , `` Except for the traumatic decolonization of Algeria , however , what is remarkable is how few long-lasting effects on France the giving up of empire entailed . ''

neg: Neuchâtel Crisis The Neuchâtel Crisis ( 1856 -- 1857 ) was the result of a diplomatic question between the Swiss Confederation and the King of Prussia regarding the rights of the Royal House of Prussia to the Principality of Neuchâtel . The Principality of Neuchâtel was granted to the Royal House of Prussia in 1707 , then was ruled by Napoléon Bonaparte after Frederick William III of Prussia was deposed as Prince of Neuchâtel . In 1814 , the Principality was again granted to Frederick William , and the following year he agreed to allow the Principality to join the Swiss Confederation ( which was an alliance of semi-independent states rather than a single country ) while remaining under his rule .   The Principality successfully revolted against Prussian rule in 1848 . In 1849 , the Prussian government began to press for recognition of their right to Neuchâtel . Several states proposed that Neuchâtel be separated from but remain allied with the Swiss Confederation . The British government sought to establish a diplomatic agreement , with the support of the French . The King of Prussia continued to press for his rights on the matter .   On September 2 -- 3 , 1856 , there was a revolt by the Neuchâtel royalists , loyal to the prince , which brought the situation to a crisis . The revolt failed and the royalists were made hostage . Negotiations began between France , the United Kingdom , Prussia and Russia for the future of Neuchâtel , with the United Kingdom strongly supporting the independence of the Principality . This conference took place in 1857 . Prussia finally yielded its claim to Neuchâtel at the insistence of the other powers .

neg: Harmful Tax Competition: An Emerging Global Issue Harmful Tax Competition : An Emerging Global Issue is a report issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration .   In the report , the OECD groups countries into three categories : member country preferential regimes , tax havens , and non-member economies , and establishes criteria for identifying each . Tax havens are characterised by having only nominal or no taxes , impeding the free exchange of information on taxpayers with other governments through administrative practices or laws , non-transparency , and a lack of substantial activities . Harmful preferential regimes , whether in member or non-member countries , are identified by four main traits . Like tax havens , their legal or administrative systems hamper the exchange of information and create an absence of transparency , and have effectively low or no taxes . Finally , the regime may partially isolate itself from the taxpayers and bear little to none of the tax burden , a practice known as `` ring-fencing . ''

neg: Ukraine–European Union relations Relations between Ukraine and the European Union ( EU ) are currently shaped through the European Neighbourhood Policy ( ENP ) , a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders .  The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine , going beyond co-operation , to gradual economic integration and deepening of political co-operation . Ukraine is a priority partner within the ENP .   In 2012 , the EU initialled deals on free trade and political association with Ukraine ; however , EU leaders stated that these agreements would not be ratified unless Ukraine addresses concerns over a `` stark deterioration of democracy and the rule of law '' , including the imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko in 2011 and 2012 . Deadlines were set for Ukraine to carry out the required changes to its justice and electoral systems in order to enable the formal signing of their agreements with the EU in Vilnius on 29 November 2013 . But although the then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had urged the Ukrainian parliament to adopt laws so that Ukraine could meet the EU 's criteria , the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing the association agreement on 21 November 2013 . Yanukovych still attended the aforementioned EU summit in Vilnius on 28 -- 29 November 2013 where the association agreement was originally planned to be signed but it was not . The decision to put off signing the association agreement led to pro-EU Euromaidan movement . These led to the removal of Yanukovych and his government by parliament after the 2014 Ukrainian revolution in February 2014 . Since then , Ukraine has been striving towards integration into the European Union whilst the eastern part of the county has been engaged in pro-Russian unrest , opposing the Euromaidan movement .   The political part of the Association Agreement was signed on 21 March 2014 by the new Prime Minister , Arseniy Yatsenyuk . Meanwhile , the EU has attempted to stabilize Ukraine by freezing assets of allegedly corrupt Russians and Ukrainians and by granting financial aid to Ukraine . The economic part of the Ukraine -- European Union Association Agreement was signed on 27 June 2014 by the new President , Petro Poroshenko , who described this as Ukraine 's `` first but most decisive step '' towards EU membership . Poroshenko also set 2020 as a target for an EU membership application . On January 1 , 2016 , Ukraine joined the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU .

neg: France–Romania relations French-Romanian relations are bilateral foreign relations between France and Romania . Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to 1880 , when mutual legations were opened , although contacts between France and Romania 's precursor states stretch into the Middle Ages .   Currently France has an embassy in Bucharest and three honorary consulates ( in Craiova , Constanța and Brașov ) . Romania has an embassy in Paris , three consulates-general ( in Lyon , Marseille and Strasbourg ) and four honorary consulates ( in Nantes , Bordeaux , Nice and Brest ) .   Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union . Since 1993 , Romania is a member in the Francophonie .

neg: China–France relations China -- France relations , also known as Sino-French relations or Franco-Chinese relations , refers to the interstate relations between China and France ( Kingdom or later ) .   Note that the meaning of both `` China '' and `` France '' as entities has changed throughout history ; this article will discuss what was commonly considered ` France ' and ` China ' at the time of the relationships in question . There have been many political , cultural and economic relationships between the two countries .

neg: Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement The Ukraine -- European Union Association Agreement is a European Union Association Agreement between the European Union ( EU ) , Euratom , Ukraine and the EU 's 28 member states ( which are separate parties in addition to the EU and Euratom ) . It establishes a political and economic association between the parties . The agreement has not entered into force , but parts are applied provisionally . The parties committed to co-operate and converge economic policy , legislation , and regulation across a broad range of areas , including equal rights for workers , steps towards visa-free movement of people , the exchange of information and staff in the area of justice , the modernisation of Ukraine 's energy infrastructure , and access to the European Investment Bank . The parties committed to regular summit meetings , and meetings among ministers , other officials , and experts . The agreement furthermore establishes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the parties .   The agreement commits Ukraine to economic , judicial , and financial reforms to converge its policies and legislation to those of the European Union . Ukraine commits to gradually conform to EU technical and consumer standards . The EU agrees to provide Ukraine with political and financial support , access to research and knowledge , and preferential access to EU markets . The agreement commits both parties to promote a gradual convergence toward the EU 's Common Security and Defence Policy and European Defence Agency policies .   The agreement comes after more than two decades in which both parties sought to establish closer ties with each other . On the one hand , the European Union wants to ensure that its imports of grain and natural gas from Ukraine , as well as its exports of goods to Ukraine , are not threatened by instability in the region , believing that instability could eventually be reduced through sociopolitical and economic reforms in Ukraine . Ukraine , on the other hand , wants to increase its exports by benefiting from free trade with the European Union while attracting desirable external investments , as well as establishing closer ties with a sociopolitical entity to which many Ukrainians feel strong cultural connection . Western Ukraine is found to be generally more enthusiastic about EU membership than Eastern Ukraine .   The political provisions of the treaty were signed on 21 March 2014 after a series of events that had stalled its ratification culminated in a revolution in Ukraine and overthrow of the then incumbent President of Ukraine , Viktor Yanukovych . This ousting was sparked by Yanukovych 's refusal to sign the agreement . Russia , Ukraine 's second largest trading partner , instead presented an association with the existing Customs Union of Russia , Belarus , and Kazakhstan as an alternative . After 21 March 2014 matters relating to trade integration were temporarily set aside ( awaiting the results of the 25 May 2014 Ukrainian presidential elections ) until the European Union and the new Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the economic part of the Ukraine -- European Union Association Agreement on 27 June 2014 , and described this as Ukraine 's `` first but most decisive step '' towards EU membership .   As of January 2016 the Agreement has been applied provisionally ( Titles III , V , VI and VII , and the related Annexes and Protocols have been provisionally applied since 1 November 2014 , while Title IV has been applied from 1 January 2016 ) . , as far as the provisions concern EU competences . Provisions shall formally come into force upon ratification of the Agreement by all signatories .

neg: Liberation of Strasbourg The Liberation of Strasbourg constituted the dramatically symbolic high point for the rehabilitation of the honor of French armed forces as the Allies advanced across France toward Germany in 1944 . Alsace , of which Strasbourg is the capital , had been the focus of French-German enmity since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 , and General Charles de Gaulle insisted that only French forces should retake it . After the victory of Kufra , General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque and his troops swore an oath to fight until `` our flag flies over the Cathedral of Strasbourg '' . The oath was fulfilled on 23 November 1944 , when the 2nd French Armoured Division under Leclerc 's command liberated Strasbourg .   On November 22 , 1944 , the hard-fighting French 2nd Armored Division , along with the French First Army , had been assigned the capture of Strasbourg by Allied Supreme Command . That same day , the 2nd Armored moved up to the vital pass at Saverne , which had been taken by the Americans , about 40 km northwest of Strasbourg . This Saverne `` gap '' is the historic gateway through the barrier of the Vosges Mountains , opening a line of advance on Strasbourg .   On November 23 , 1944 , units of the French 2nd Armored Division entered the city and raised the Free French tricolore over Strasbourg cathedral at 2:30 pm .   The German collective memory of the battle is rather more bleak . In Ardennes : 1944 , Antony Beevor states that the Battle for Strasbourg was one of the more `` inglorious episodes '' in German military history with a collapse of the Wehrmacht defense that was both premature and ignominious . It was hastened by a panic of senior Nazi leadership as many officials fled prior to the Allied push . This led to a general demoralization of Heer , Waffen-SS , and Luftwaffe ground forces as well as a breakdown in discipline . He states : ″ `` The SS had looted Strasbourg before withdrawing . According to one general defending the town , soldiers ordered to ` fight to the last round ' tended to throw away most of their ammunition before the battle , so they could claim that they ran out and then surrender . Generalmajor Vaterrodt , the ( Heer ) commander , was scornful about the behaviour of senior officers and Nazi Party officials . ` I 'm surprised that Himmler did not have anyone hanged in Strasbourg , ' he told fellow officers after he had been captured . ` Everyone ran away , Kreisleiter , Ortsgruppenleiter , the municipal authorities , the mayor and the deputy mayor , they all took to their heels , government officials - all fled ... ' '' . The Alsatian-born Chief Magistrate also fled towards Germany on foot with a backpack - as he had signed many death warrants and collaborated within the German occupation system and was a marked man .   Result   The rapid Liberation of Strasbourg by General LeClerc 's 2nd Armored Division produced a torrent of joy in the newly liberated French nation and was a hugely symbolic victory for the French people and the Western Allies in general . LeClerc was well respected and liked by his American contemporaries , unlike some other French commanders . The Liberation and Tricolore raised over the Cathedral was considered to be the last major objective in the Liberation of France . Unfortunately the Allies were unable to quickly seize on the German collapse . While fuel shortages and the increasing difficulty of supporting armies with lengthening supply lines played a role , General Dwight D. Eisenhower 's lack-of-interest in his southern flank largely doomed any further exploitation around Strasbourg . The commander of the American 6th Army Group , General Jacob L. Devers , believed he could cross the Rhine quickly at Rastatt thereby seizing a bridgehead . But Devers ' ambitious nature and aggressive personality somewhat alienated other commanders such as Eisenhower , and he failed to convince The Supreme Commander of his plan .   A potential bridgehead at Rastatt , had it been quickly seized , would more than likely have secured the southern flank and would have severally disrupted the coming German offensive in the Ardennes . But Eisenhower never seriously considered the opportunity as he seemed fixated on a more direct route to Berlin . As a result , Strasbourg would become threatened during the German Wacht am Rhein offensive known as The Battle of the Bulge in the West . In early January 1945 , the German counteroffensive into France known as Operation Nordwind was quickly contained , but not before both Eisenhower and Devers considered a general withdrawal from Alsace , which would have left Strasbourg undefended . The French Provisional Government considered this an anathema as it was , in General de Gaulle 's words , ( potentially ) `` a national disaster '' . In addition to this , hundreds-of-thousands of Alsatians would be subjected to German reprisals . The talk of a strategic withdrawal was also a blow to morale of the American VI Corps that had fought hard and suffered many casualties securing the area . In response General Charles de Gaulle threatened to pull his forces out of the overall SHAEF Command creating a serious row with Eisenhower . With the support of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , de Gaulle won over Ike after a contentious argument . Strasbourg was not to be abandoned as the order to withdraw to the east of the Vosges Mountains was rescinded - boosting VI Corps ' morale . The German advance was halted in desperate fighting about 40 kilometers west of Strasbourg and Operation Norwind became another disaster for the German Heer and Waffen-SS with precious divisions reduced .

neg: North Atlantic Treaty The North Atlantic Treaty , signed in Washington , D.C. on 4 April 1949 , is the treaty establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) .

neg: French legislative election, 2002 The French legislative elections took place on 9 June and 16 June 2002 to elect the 12th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic , in a context of political crisis .   The Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin announced his political retirement after his elimination at the first round of the 2002 French presidential election . President Jacques Chirac was easily reelected , all the Republican parties having called to block far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen . Chirac 's conservative supporters created the Union for the Presidential Majority ( Union pour la majorité présidentielle or UMP ) to prepare for the legislative elections .   The first round of the presidential election was a shock for the two main coalitions . The candidates of the parliamentary right obtained 32 % of votes , and the candidates of the `` Plural Left '' only 27 % . In the first polls , for the legislative elections , they were equal .   The UMP campaigned against `` cohabitation '' , which is blamed for causing confusion profitable to the far-right and far-left . Jean-Pierre Raffarin , a relatively low-profile politician who said he would listen to `` France at the bottom '' , was chosen as the party 's candidate for Prime Minister .   Without a real leader , and staggered by the results of 21 April , the left was in difficulty . The Socialist chairman François Hollande tried to revive the `` Plural Left '' under the name of `` United Left '' ; but the effort was undermined by the fact that it did n't have a real programme . Furthermore , the left-wing parties could not motivate their voters against an unrecognized and apparently uncontroversial politician like Jean-Pierre Raffarin . In addition part of the left-wing electorate did not want a new `` cohabitation '' . Finally , the polls indicated a growing advantage for the Presidential Majority .   The right won the elections and the UMP obtained a large parliamentary majority of 394 seats . For the third time under the Fifth Republic , a party acquired an absolute majority ( the `` blue surge '' ) . Five months later , it became the Union for a Popular Movement .   On the left , the Socialist Party achieved a better result than at the winning 1997 elections , but its allies were crushed . The far-left returned towards its usual level . In far-right , the National Front lost the half of its 5 May voters .

neg: North Africa North Africa is the term given to a group of Mediterranean countries situated in the northern-most region of the African continent . The term `` North Africa '' has no single accepted definition . It is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Morocco in the west , to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the east . Others have limited it to the countries of Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia , a region known by the French during colonial times as `` Afrique du Nord '' and by the Arabs as the Maghreb ( `` West '' ) .   The most commonly accepted definition includes Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia , as well as Libya and Egypt , It should be noted however that the term `` North Africa '' , when commonly used in North Africa and the Middle East , often refers only to the countries of the Maghreb and Libya . Egypt , due to its greater Middle Eastern associations , is typically viewed separately . The countries of North Africa share a common ethnic , cultural and linguistic identity that is unique to this region .   North west Africa has been inhabited by Berbers since the beginning of recorded history , while the eastern part of North Africa has been home to the Egyptians . Following the Muslim conquest in the seventh century C.E. , the region underwent a process of Arabization and Islamization that has defined its cultural landscape ever since .   The distinction between North Africa and much of Sub-Saharan Africa is historically and ecologically significant because of the effective barrier created by the Sahara Desert for much of modern history . From 3500 BC , following the abrupt desertification of the Sahara due to gradual changes in the Earth 's orbit , this barrier has culturally separated the North from the rest of the continent . As the seafaring civilizations of the Phoenicians , Greeks , Romans , Muslims and others facilitated communication and migration across the Mediterranean Sea , the cultures of North Africa became much more closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-Saharan Africa . The Islamic influence in the area is also significant , and North Africa is a major part of the Muslim world .   Some researchers have postulated that North Africa rather than East Africa served as the exit point for the modern humans who first trekked out of the continent in the Out of Africa migration .

neg: Independent Radicals The Independent Radicals ( Radicaux indépendants ) were a center-right French political current during the French Third Republic , which refused the Radical-Socialist Party 's alliance to the Left . It was formed after the fall of the first Cartel des gauches , in 1926 . Starting in 1928 , the group of the Independent Radicals refused to support left-wing majorities . The majority of the Chamber of Deputies between the two Cartels ( from 1928 to 1932 ) stood on the Independent Radicals , who thus had a say in most cabinets .   In 1930 , the Independent Radical Raoul Péret became Minister of Justice in André Tardieu 's cabinet . He was incidentally the cause of his fall because of his personal links with the banker Albert Oustric .   In the National Assembly , the Independent Radicals sat in the Radical Left ( Gauche radicale ) parliamentary group , close to the centre-right Democratic Alliance . In 1936 , the parliamentary group composed of most AD parliamentarians took the name Alliance of Left Republicans and Independent Radicals ( ARGRI ) . However , Pierre-Étienne Flandin 's attempt to unify these forces ultimately failed , the Radical Left group being replaced by the Democratic and Independent Radical Left ( Gauche démocratique et radicale indépendante ) .   In the Senate , the Independent Radicals sat in the Democratic and Radical Union ( Union démocratique et radicale ) parliamentary group .   In 1938 , André Grisoni ( former vice-president of the Radical-Socialist Party and later member of Marcel Déat 's National Popular Rally , RNP ) and leader of the short-lived French Radical Party merged with the Comités radicaux unionistes in the Independent Radical Party ( PRI ) .   After the Liberation of France , several deputies , including the mayor of Nice , Jean Médecin , formed an Independent Radical Party ( PRI ) , which took part in the creation to the Rally of Left Republicans coalition .

neg: Mediterranean Agreements (1887) The Mediterranean Agreements ( German Mittelmeerentente ; French Entente de la Méditerranée ) were a series of treaties signed in 1887 by the United Kingdom with the Italy on 12 February ( through the mediation of Germany ) , with Austria-Hungary on March 24 and with Spain on May 4 . Further notes were exchanged between Britain , Italy and Austria-Hungary on 12 December .   On the face of it the treaties recognised the status quo in the Mediterranean Sea . In fact , one of the objectives was to halt the expansion of the Russian Empire in the Balkans and her wish to control the straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles . From that perspective it also assured the survival of the Ottoman Empire . It also protected Italian interests against France . Thus it united forces hostile to Russia in the Balkans and to France in North Africa .   From the point of view of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck , the benefit of these agreements to which Germany was not a party , was in bringing Britain closer to the Triple Alliance of Germany , Italy and Austria-Hungary . This advantage proved short-lived since Britain achieved a rapprochement with Russia . The Alliance was dissolved in 1896 when Wilhelm II , German Emperor alienated Great Britain with his `` Kruger telegram '' .   The treaty potentially conflicted with the Reinsurance Treaty of 1888 , between Germany and Russia . In the secret protocol to the Reinsurance Treaty , Bismarck lent support to Russia 's expansion efforts . Thus the Mediterranean Agreement , while not a de jure contradiction of the Reinsurance Treaty was at least contrary to its spirit .

neg: Democratic Republican Alliance The Democratic Alliance ( Alliance démocratique , AD ) , originally called Democratic Republican Alliance ( Alliance républicaine démocratique , ARD ) , was a French political party ( 1901 -- 1978 ) created in 1901 by followers of Léon Gambetta , such as Raymond Poincaré who would be president of the Council in the 1920s . The party was at first conceived by members of the Radical-Socialist Party tied to the business world who united themselves in May 1901 , along with many moderates , as gathering center-left liberals and `` Opportunist '' Republicans ( Gambetta , etc. ) . However , after World War I and the parliamentary disappearance of monarchists and Bonapartists , it quickly became the main center-right party of the Third Republic . It was part of the National Bloc right-wing coalition which won the elections after the end of the war . The ARD successively took the name Parti Républicain Démocratique ( Democratic Republican Party , PRD ) then Parti Républicain Démocratique et Social ( `` Social and Republican Democratic Party '' ) , before becoming again the AD .   The ARD was largely discredited after supporting the Vichy regime during World War II , an option strongly supported by its major leader Pierre-Étienne Flandin and other members such as Joseph Barthélémy . The center-right party tried to reform itself under the direction of Joseph Laniel , who had taken part in the Resistance . It temporarily joined the RGR ( Rassemblement des gauches républicaines ) , before merging into the Centre national des indépendants et paysans ( CNIP , National Center of Independents and Peasants ) . The AD , which in contrast to the French Section of the Workers ' International ( SFIO ) or the French Communist Party ( PCF ) never became a mass political party founded on voting discipline ( in these left-wing parties , deputies usually vote in agreement with the party 's consensus ) , turned at that time in little more than an intellectual circle , whose members met during suppers . However , it was dissolved in only 1978 , long after its effective disappearance from the political scene .   Under the Third Republic , the majority of the AD 's deputies sat in the `` Left Republicans '' ( Républicain de Gauche ) group , the main center-right parliamentary formation ( due to a particularity called `` sinistrisme '' , French right-wing politicians have for a very long time refused to admit belonging to the right-wing , as the Republic was traditionally associated with the left-wing and the right-wing with monarchists such as the Legitimists or the Orleanists ) .

neg: Treaty of Dunkirk The Treaty of Dunkirk was signed on 4 March 1947 , between France and the United Kingdom in Dunkirk ( France ) as a Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance against a possible German attack in the aftermath of World War II . The Dunkirk Treaty entered into force on 8 September 1947 and it preceded the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 . According to professor of Political Science Marc Trachtenberg , the German threat was a pretext for defense against USSR .

neg: Frankfurt proposals The Frankfurt proposals or Frankfurt memorandum was a Coalition peace initiative designed by Austrian minister Metternich . It was offered to French Emperor Napoleon I in November 1813 after he had suffered a decisive military defeat at the Battle of Leipzig . The goal was a peaceful end to the War of the Sixth Coalition . The Allies had reconquered most of Germany up to the Rhine , but they had not decided on the next step . Metternich took the initiative . The Allies , meeting in Frankfurt , drafted the proposals under Metternich 's close supervision . The British diplomat in attendance , Lord Aberdeen , misunderstood London 's position and accepted the moderate terms .   The proposal was that Napoleon would remain as Emperor of France , but France would be reduced to its `` natural frontiers . '' The natural frontiers in this case were the Pyrenees mountains , the Alps mountains , and the Rhine River . France would retain control of Belgium , Savoy and the Rhineland ( the west bank of the Rhine River ) , while giving up control of all the rest , including all of Spain , Poland and the Netherlands , and most of Italy and Germany .   Metternich and Napoleon , meeting privately at Dresden in June had already discussed the terms . The final version was relayed to Napoleon by the Baron de Saint-Aignon in November .  Metternich told Napoleon these were the best terms the Allies were likely to offer ; after further victories , the terms would become harsher and harsher . Metternich 's motivation was to maintain France as a balance against Russian threats , while ending the highly destabilizing series of wars .   Napoleon , expecting to win the war , delayed too long and lost this opportunity . By December Austria had signed treaties with the Allies , and London rejected the terms because they might allow Belgium to become a base for the invasion of England . The offer was withdrawn . When the Allies invaded France in late 1813 Napoleon was heavily outnumbered ; he tried to reopen peace negotiations on the basis of accepting the Frankfurt proposals . The Allies now had new , harsher terms that included the retreat of France to its 1791 boundaries , which meant the loss of Belgium . Napoleon adamantly refused . He was finally forced to abdicate and lost his throne .

neg: French European Economic Community enlargement referendum, 1972 A referendum on the enlargement of the EEC was held in France on 23 April 1972 . Voters were asked whether they approved of Denmark , Ireland , Norway and the United Kingdom joining the EEC . ( Norway later voted in its own referendum not to join ) . The proposals were approved by 68.3 % of voters , with a turnout of 60.2 % .   The referendum asked : `` Do you agree with the new opportunities opening up in Europe , the draft law submitted to the French people by the President of the Republic , and authorising the ratification of the Treaty concerning the accession of United Kingdom , Denmark , Ireland and Norway to the European Communities ? ''

neg: Organisation armée secrète The Organisation armée secrète or OAS ( meaning Secret Army Organisation ) was a short-lived right-wing French dissident paramilitary organization during the Algerian War ( 1954 -- 62 ) . The OAS carried out terrorist attacks , including bombings and assassinations , in an attempt to prevent Algeria 's independence from French colonial rule . Its motto was L'Algérie est française et le restera ( `` Algeria is French and will remain so '' ) .   The OAS was formed out of existing networks , calling themselves `` counter-terrorists '' , `` self-defence groups '' , or `` resistance '' , which had carried out attacks on the FLN ( Algerian National Liberation Front ) and their perceived supporters since early in the war . It was officially formed in Francoist Spain , in Madrid in January 1961 , as a response by some French politicians and French military officers to the 8 January 1961 referendum on self-determination concerning Algeria , which had been organised by General de Gaulle .   By acts of bombings and targeted assassinations in both metropolitan France and French Algerian territories , which are estimated to have resulted in 2,000 deaths between April 1961 and April 1962 , the OAS attempted to prevent Algerian independence . This campaign culminated in a wave of attacks that followed the March 1962 Evian agreements , which granted independence to Algeria and marked the beginning of the exodus of the pieds-noirs , and in Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry 's 1962 assassination attempt against president de Gaulle in the Paris suburb of Le Petit-Clamart . Another prominent target was the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre , who supported the FLN .   The OAS still has admirers in French nationalist movements . In July 2006 , some OAS sympathisers attempted to relight the flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the Oran massacre on 5 July 1962 .