Connexion Back Issues

FRANCE’S RED TAPE TO ALL GO ONLINE - Planning permission, health forms and driving documents included - End of queuing at the mairie * World’s best chef launches organic fast food chain * Conman finally in prison for €2m fraud * Swindlers invent phone muggings * 250,000 motorists arrested last year * Wine exports worst in 10 years * Body scanners in action at CDG * Scooters to get MOT noise tests * New expats to register at mairie * Breathalyzers for all school coaches * Lyon to build low cost air terminal * Chinese lessons becoming popular * Next generation ticket machines help plan your journey together * New flights from Pau and Poitiers * First ‘sea motorway’ to link Nantes with north coast of Spain * €134m toxic seaweed cleanup plan fails to win support in Brittany * Bluefin tuna ban will ruin us, say French fishermen * 12 convicted for fake wine scam * Ban on web videos of danger games * French schools to go 100% digital * Police called over food in cinemas * Water bills are getting cheaper * Burqa husband denied nationality * Disappointing year for January sales * Report finds sex education failing * Cabbies’ anger over airport plans * Go-ahead for rent guarantee scheme * Better protection needed for elderly * Thousands driving without a licence * VAT cut fails to attract diners * Voluntary service given go-ahead * Deadline for UK winter fuel benefit * Dubai’s Lyon replica confirms Emirates’ passion for France * Doubts for future of anti-prejudice body * If Russia owns this Riviera landmark then it owes us €100bn, say families * Shopkeepers make a million taking francs - 69% of French miss their country’s old currency, survey shows * Cycleway adverts are ‘dangerous’ * 100% MP support for deathbed aid * TGV fares rise to pay for trains * Gay fairytale not for primary school * Meet the woman who makes Asterix funny in English * Boost your income: Let out your home to tourists * Barefoot in the park – the new old way to keep your horses fit * Broadband is the key for new wave of younger expats * Remote working has opened up our lives * Internet firms battle it out to offer cheapest broadband * Passengers still drawn by pulling power of historic train routes * Entrance exams ahead for bilingual sections * Long school days leave children exhausted, says study * Hospital checks stepped up in 2010 * Expat pensioners must now get EHIC from UK * Finding an English-speaking doctor * Caravans need lights not reflectors * Where do I go for death certificate? * Must I change my pool alarm? * Can people gain ‘squatters rights’? * Do French use Nato alphabet? * Always cancel using lettres recommandées * New law simplifies sale of inherited property * Learn to drive the eco-friendly way * Report spam at dedicated website * Insurance covers your pet’s health * Buy cheaper tyres via the internet * Plan ahead to take your pet to UK * Eurostar to invest €30m in services * Minister promises no rail line cuts * High-speed ferry slashes times * New flights Cork to La Rochelle * Make your pension pot more flexible * Mortgage Q&A - Be prepared with financial groundwork for a purchase * I am retired – what taxes should I pay? * Remortgaging your French home for pounds is a risk * 2009 average exchange rate * Protest over English library closure * Cats charity acts after funding blow * Savings for small firms under new business tax * My first year - Proud of energy saving designs * Q&A - I can’t get insurance as an auto-entrepreneur builder * Property facelifts for homes stuck for sale on the market * Buyers’ termite claim has sting in the tail for seller * Light touch helps reduce energy waste * What makes a gite stand out from the crowd? * Warning to gite owners over possible booking scam * €70bn revenue lost due to tax exemptions * Changes ahead for auto-entrepreneurs * Hadopi warnings delayed to April * Forget supermakets – buy directly from local farmers * Exclusive interview - Midsomer writer’s dreams of France * French life has inspired the work of foreign authors for centuries * Jazz festivals hit full swing to usher in spring * How long do potatoes need to grow? * Create your picture-perfect garden this spring

TAX CHANGE FOR BRITS IN FRANCE - Expats’ UK properties may soon be subject to Capital Gains Tax * Conman Templeton: They can’t jail me, there’s no room - €2m conman claims he frequently visits France but can't be jailed until cell free * UK pub ditches Templeton after hearing victims’ stories * Victims frustrated by lack of justice and compensation * France should close cheque loophole in line with rest of EU, says UK MEP * French film bosses upbeat despite drop in foreign audiences * Disabled abandoned by UK may get French help * Normandy plans English university - Caen campus could link up with Oxford or Cambridge * 50%-off online tracks to tackle download piracy * Driving in snow: how to prepare * Civic contract for all 18-year-olds * €10 broadband for lowest earners * Paid leave to care for terminally ill * July 1 plan for new carbon tax * €750 fine for wearing burqa * French councillor admits smuggling * French choose cats over dogs * Livret A savings stuck at 1.25% * Motorway tolls rise in February * Record year for gambling revenue * Drivers keep €1k prime à la casse * Foreign accounts deadline extended * Swine flu: jab anyone? * TGV threat to oldest vineyards in Bordeaux * Bid to give local vote to all expats * Film exports still take €350m despite less viewers* France’s Higher Education Minister Valérie Pécresse talks to Connexion - My plans to rebuild our universities * Some good ideas but ‘nothing has changed,’ says union on Pécresse * Currency exchange - check out all the options first * PROFILES - Times may be harder but we are happy here - I was always worrying in London – now I enjoy life - When things got tougher we chose France over UK - We love the life – even if we are skint * That’s snow business: the ups and downs of chalet rental * She’s dying – get back as fast as you can - If you have loved ones in the UK, France can be further away than you think if you need to get back in an emergency * Jail for verbal abuse in marriage * Top-up health cover costs rise 5% - 92% of people have additional health insurance in France. Despite rising prices these policies provide extra security * Extra cover for those on low incomes * Beware web speed camera hoax * Get fit: Our tips for joining a French gym * Lending your car may prove costly * Keeping mobile number is a right * Your rights if air travel goes wrong * Sales of secondhand tickets up * New destinations from La Rochelle * MONEY - Top savings don’t add up as you think * Coz I’m the Taxman, yeah - To tackle national debt, pensions and care for an ageing population, governments will begin to balance the books with higher taxes * Banks close non profitable accounts * What is the Euribor three-month mortgage rate? How might it change? * Latest French income tax bands released * Not-so-lucky: Your Premium Bond wins are taxable in France * Democrats launch monthly meet-up * French exchange for motor-homes * War-time love letters to be published * UK ‘free’ 0800 calls can cost 20p/min in France * Marriage or pacs? * Further tips for typing your French accents * Why would the French want to employ Brits? * My first year - From working with addicts to stained glass * Logo letters target firms * 16-year-olds to be able to start firms * Combined site to help start-ups * Q & A - Insurance firm won’t pay in full * Tenant evicted after court hears rent vs repairs row * New GDF gas powers could mean steep rises * Ground heat pumps spared tax credit cut * Burst pipes: check the small print * Put quality first with solar panels (and shoes) * Don’t lose the plot over borders - Working out where your property ends and your neighbour’s begins is a difficult judgement * Get the right  permission before changing the look of your flat * Loophole lets commercial buyers pull out of contract * Housing sales to pick up in 2010 * Work hours down 30% since 1950s * Tougher driving test on the way * New car sales hit their prime * Manure site sends postman’s pat * Housing sales to pick up in 2010 * How James Bond came to settle down in the south of France - Sir Roger Moore tells Connexion about filming and living in France - Foie gras: I refuse to speak to old friends who still eat it * France has two pancake days * Ups and downs of fun on the mountains * Biggest farm in the world opens in Paris * Language - Do you say I love you or je t’aime? * France one of world’s top places to live a long life * Time out in a spa - just what the doctor ordered

2010 ANALYSIS FRENCH PROPERTY REPORT 4-page housing market rundown from those on the ground * Supermarkets attacked over pricing rip-off * Are French women still sexy and slim? * UK in the dock over disabled benefit cut - Britain’s refusal to reinstate disability benefits is illegal, says European Commission * Veils ‘attack on dignity’ * Swine flu vaccine is now free to all * Tax victory for UK civil partners in France * Rural trains face axe after audit - Over 25% of services not financially viable says report * Live in Brittany? Bet you don’t like cheese - Food tastes vary depending on where you live in France - and French women do get fat, new poll shows * ID debate is harmful, says immigration expert who calls France the USA of Europe * Restaurants reach VAT pay deal * Illegal OAP homes must clean up or close * Help for families caring for Alzheimer’s patients * Donation age threshold raised * Digital radio put off till late 2010 * Renouncing an inheritance easier * €1 tax to help music industry * Suffocation game kills 13 children in a year * Buying responsibly can lighten your life * Uni chief told off for using ‘too much English’ * Estate agent to be tried over €110k expat home fraud * 44% support force-feeding ban but only 13% will not eat foie gras * 5,000 estate agents shut up shop in 2009 * France puts cash towards green home works * Important changes in 2010 - New laws, advances in technology, the rebound from the crise – what will we see in the next 12 months? * What should we do with flat sale profit? * Should life assurance income be charge and tax-free? * Taxing times if you pay in the wrong country * Can I get a mortgage in euros to buy a property in the UK? * Help is at hand to quit smoking * We have a low-income, can we use the CMU? * Teaching music to young ears - From the top conservatoires to home tuition, there are many options for children with a love of music * No television for under-threes * Coping with late Urssaf demands - Whether starting or closing a business, knowing what social charges bills to expect is not always easy * Buy into a fast food franchise to earn a crust * Our first year as auto-entrepreneurs * Viager sale schemes can go wrong * How can I get a grant to renovate or improve my gite? * Renewable energy is good for firms too * Know your eligibility for capital gains tax * Sole trader property protection closer * Sir Tim Rice on France and his musicals * With food like this why are the French not as fat as the Brits? * Parlez-vous français? Make 2010 the year to learn * A toast to the saint of wine * AOC label to vanish as French wines start New World fight back

Million French homes at risk of floods warns climate report - Poitou-Charentes, Loire and Languedoc-Roussillon at high risk in 40 years * The real Miss France on her 55 year reign - Geneviève de Fontenay Exclusive interview * Low-income families to receive grants for home insulation * Doctors defend swine flu jab - Risk of side effects has been exaggerated says medical body, as schools begin a vaccination programme * Electronic trial for driving fines * Half a million get car scrap bonus * Incentives to hire more women * Free access to grandes écoles * Sunday trading extended in Paris * Bank admits fault say fraud victims * Cancer study for English-speakers * Paris sees drop in visitor numbers * Safety fears after nuclear incidents * Digital films add to independent cinemas’ worries * Pick where your baby is registered * Underused tax cap will stay in place * All homeless people to get dedicated social worker * Scheme would pay young for voluntary work * Anonymous CVs scheme could cut job discrimination * Christmas bonus for lowest earners * Police custody is ‘against the law’ * Woman marries her dead fiancé * Winter power cuts could be imposed * Obesity problem is getting bigger * Same-sex couple in adoption first * Ségolène sends condoms to teens * Law to keep email addresses for life * Euro 2016 host towns are named * 45 million want a new life in France * Rural schools swap pupils to avoid closure * More free fruit for school breaktime * Anti-smacking law proposed * Sort out votes, dogs, business and tax before 2010  * Lean years ahead for oyster farmers - A history of oysters in France * Avoid festive fallout at Christmas * Free news for young readers * Help is available for dyslexia * Pick the best family friendly ski resorts  * Buy second hand ski equipment at bourses aux skis * Artisan auto-entrepreneurs must prepare to move on * My first year - Scooter hire firm accelerates ahead * €750m boost to cancer fight * Confusion over ‘residence’ for E109 forms * Returning to the UK for university * Foie gras treated as an in-flight safety threat * Do crematoria ban pacemakers? * Are free French lessons still going? * A legal expert says - Defend yourself, but with reason * Choose camera detectors wisely - some are illegal * Using cash-back websites to save * Has your boiler had its check? * Insurer will pay for taxi home * Donate old clothes to charity * Similar car for sale: £595 in the UK, €2,900 in France * Steps to importing a second-hand UK car * Taxman is generous over charity gifts * Clearer rules arrive for professional letting * As France tackles national debt the taxman’s eyes turn to you * Equitable Life ruling success * How to get a loan repayment break * New fall in phone and internet price * Mortgage Q & A - Banks will not let us raise capital on our property to pay for renovation * Better-off Brits better off living in France * Save on your UK rail journeys * More Toulouse - Britain flights * Ryanair operating from Bordeaux * Compare pound and euro prices * Different boat for LD Lines service * Information on trains for iPhones * You can only oppose a plan after permission has been given * Planning war cost us our villa * Dreaming of a green Christmas * Only eco-friendly homes to attract mortgage help * Council wrong to axe right of way * Misled over septic tank, can we get some money back? * Green tax credits are to go down * Syndics’ jobs to be standardised * €2bn lost via leaking mains - Nîmes losing 40% drinking water into the ground * Generic drugs forced on doctors * Can-can chickens should be canned * Easy-to-use website shows way to cut power bills * House-buyers stay at home * Louvre tour on your iPhone * Mont Blanc shifts and sinks a little * Peter Mayle: 20 years in Provence - Exclusive interview * Family, food and midnight mass at 9pm * Goat droppings cheese anyone? * Nature’s best fertiliser

UK wills could override French inheritance laws * Parents’ anger as baby death medics keep jobs * Disabled face new tests in UK benefit shake up * Local tax reforms first in 30 years * Civil partners see first signs of equal treatment * Congestion charge back on agenda * Beaujolais has raisins to be cheerful * Anger as winter fuel bonus is axed * Mobiles set to be banned in schools * Speed limit drop is not a priority * Car buyers rush to get e1k bonus * Changes for taxe professionnelle * Languages lead lycée reform plan * Paris needs fewer but bigger universities to compete * Switching banks made easier * Living with the low pound in France * Both French and British social security benefits can help * Pension rules for start-up scheme * Spotlight: Retirement homes * APA benefit can help with autonomy costs * Finding an English-speaking home * Immigration in France: straight talk from the experts who count * My first year: Business fairs for expats * Heading abroad for treatment * Carte vitale was finally issued - nine days before it expired * School bag search proposal dropped * Digital books reduce bag weight * Top-up lessons free on internet * Careers help by phone or internet * What is the law on child seats? * Checking driving licence points * Do the French use ‘ICE’ numbers on mobile phones? * Confused about my aspa rights * French TV goes digital * Learn to drive ‘for one euro a day’ * New mobile phone option for elderly * Get free legal advice from an avocat * Post gifts in early December for Christmas * Vet’s error costs me 6 months waiting for new pet passport * Speed cam error margin to stay * 200,000 join start-up scheme * What the average household spends * Check delayed or cancelled trains * Making sense of our annuity * Work for UK firm has caused NI mix-up * Trust in the tax treaty * Be prepared for pound-euro parity * Insurer pays your excess fee for you * Investing: where do I start? * Stress and anguish after internet fraud * BA charges £50 for exit row seats * Ryanair defends web check-in charge * LD Lines ups Dover-Boulogne capacity * Site for getting around Normandy * Understanding home survey rules * Winter protection for tenants * The heat is on - Some basic steps can be taken to detect and fix bad insulation *  France divided on smoke alarm law * Higher VAT rate for air-con units * 30,000 make use of 0% eco-loan * Let your home for holidays * Sale collapse: can I keep their deposit? * Nosey-parker neighbour must pay damages * TV show winner loses jackpot for minimum wage * More speed radars to cut road deaths * Thousands protest child watchdog axe * Police crackdown on footy violence * Compensation for delayed ferries * Rory Bremner - My impressions of French life * It’s time to make your Christmas treats * Use the force to get carrots for the spring

‘Our children are better off in France’ - Why expats agree with Brad and Angelina * Cheque fraud loophole is still wide open - Reporter pays e5,000 cheque made out to bank into own account * France is McDo’s top foreign earner * Report estimates 2,000 wear burqa * Cigarette prices to rise this month * Swine flu cases soar at rentrée * Legal challenge to voter exclusion - First steps to overturn UK’s ‘15-year’ law banning expats from voting - French abroad have greater democratic representation * International school head replaced after rentrée chaos * French students ‘bad at English’ * France Télécom suicide prevention * Paris’s 7th district richest in France * Password warning for computer users * Doctor numbers fall for first time in 25 years * Autoentrepreneurs on €1.5k a month * Banks brought to account on tax fraud * EDF advice misleading - Staff ‘gave false impression’ to customers admits energy firm * Medicine refunds could be cut * Billion euro fund for restaurants * New rights for accused in court * Study boosts CCTV expansion plans * Rebranding rows over €36k snails and TV parodies * ‘Elderly are the backbone of society’ - The new minister for the elderly, Nora Berra  * Changes to retirement home tariffs proposed * Wine offers continue * Car scrap scheme extended to 2011 * Call for lycéens to be given the vote * Time to start your Christmas chopping - Hurricane Klaus left cheap timber for winter fuel but you need to plan ahead * Help is at hand to cure a homework headache * Young people not doing enough sport * France is Europe’s childbirth champion * Personalised tuition in lycée reform * Rising cost of going to university * Parents want school on Wednesdays * Top 5 Easy Walks, 5 Classic GR Routes, Other Outstanding GRs * Bankruptcy: when debt overwhelms * My first year - Ex-chef had a bright idea * Thousands of firms apply to mediator * Equal holidays for staff and managers * 13% of firms ‘have staff on the black’ * Right jabs can knock out seasonal flu bug * GPs prescribe a cash bonus - Performance targets prove popular with doctors but could upset wage talks * Am I still entitled to E121 form after my husband died? * The pacs: a decade on, chosen by more than 100,000 couples a year * Most pacs couples are heterosexual * UK civil partners still waiting on a promise * Know your shopping rights in supermarkets * Give your keyboard a French accent * New number plates for second-hand cars * Switching gas and electricity suppliers * Helpline to report missing children * Follow the latest vide-greniers rules * Find a companion via man’s best friend * Can I play the National Lottery online? * No licence change may void insurance * Refund for unused caravan pitch * What are the rules on roundabouts? * Can I keep bee hives in garden? * Room to manoeuvre over residential and property tax * I am not earning – so do I have to register for tax? * It pays to come clean on tax * Cash from UK - your transfer tips * Which UK accounts allow non-residents? * Paris bank in English * Your mortgage queries answered *  France to Spain ferry service delay * Air France to end business class? * New Cherbourg - Portsmouth ferry * Charles de Gaulle bad for sleeping * We want you to fly for free - Just pay for the services you use, Ryanair * Plant garlic now for bulbous spring crop * No legal comeback if sales info is wrong * Gite income rule is taxing * CO2 tax will hit fuel bills from 2010 * 71% want quota for women bosses * Alzheimer’s patients get help * One year in very southern France * Eat, drink and be merry as France’s finest are celebrated * How do I get that ‘French look’? * Join the wild mushroom hunt

Online fraud doubles for French cards * Making Mont Saint-Michel an island again * New TGV line should serve all of Normandy - Basse-Normadie leader fears region could be sidelined * Restaurants fail to drop prices despite VAT cut * Paris may buy air cars * Refuges overrun as pets abandoned in droves * Burqini ban sparks pool costume drama * France split by tourism results * South-west on hornet alert * TV lessons and closures if flu hits schools * Delays hit proposal for supply teacher agency * Falling sales for papers and books * Breath testers on school vehicles * Maud Fontenoy exclusive interview * Starting school: I’m worried for my daughter * More universities want autonomy * Overseas lycées now fully free * Home schooling for ill Paris pupils * Museum birthday bash initiative * Find your nearest French classes * Still looking for classroom supplies? * Punchbag helped us beat the blues * Back with a vendange: hopes for wine in 2009 * Web check to avoid artisan siret dodge * My first year - Beauty does not stop at the salon * More benefit from microcredit push * Getting help from un psy * New ceiling set for free use of CMU * Choosing a médecin traitant * Information about French hospitals * Unemployed can keep mutuelles * Don’t use garçon! - it’s a bit rude * Buying as a couple in France * Storms and insurance * Take part in ‘private’ sales on the internet * Watch out for ‘EDF’ scam by rival firms * Carry out official formalities online * Find details of local councils on the net * Drivers may have to report illnesses * Can I avoid charges when transferring my UK pension? * Living in France, working in the UK * Should we pay social charges on investments? * Planning ahead for old age * Government wants to reduce niches fiscales * Creditors cannot seize all of debtor’s bank account * Goodbye taxe pro, hello cotisation économique * Unions to publish annual accounts online * Your mortgage questions answered * A baptism of fire for volunteer pompiers * Eurostar scraps booking fee * Help points for stations * Ryanair raises card fees * TGV could run around Paris * New flights from Leeds * Planners fail to heed flood risk warnings * Relaunch for rent guarantees * What to do with ‘home-made’ power * Secrets of the French vegetable garden * New pool alarm rules * Planning rights on an unbuilt plot * Historic planning safeguard axed * Call for stricter hunting rules * 10% drop in overtime working * Bardot exposed * Discover France’s heritage as closed doors swing open * Women taking charge in the kitchen

* France prepares for swine flu epidemic * Here’s a tip: French leave less * Only one in three cut VAT * Broadband for all launches * Pay 2008 prices for rentrée items * Fishermen to help clean seas * Invest in France to boost savings * Funds for urban youth training * Car-style Vélib’ to launch in 2010 * Dordogne conman flees to Britain * Sunday trade law passed * Country towns attract more French families * French hail spam text success but beware UK mobile database * Pre-teen curfews for summer hols * Swine flu set to hit 40% of staff * Home protection for self-employed * EDF eye 20% price rise over 3 years * UK benefits case victory on appeal * ‘Bac is being given away,’ say critics * Take note of rise in fake €20 notes * Road death total up 33% to 408 * French car giants see sales tumble * Free helpline set up for heatwave * Daily Nantes-Lyon flight to start * Recession threatens horses under hammer * Fire risk as fallen trees left to rot in storm payout row * Muslim minister: France should ban burqas * New rules for artisan auto-entrepreneurs * Shunned camping is trendy again * How to choose a good campsite * What you see is not what you get at trompe l’oeil museum * Other eccentric museums around France * Plan for best rail deals * Watch out for August traffic - remember France had worst jam ever * Compare ferry site fares * Free air ticket if you stand * Remember your vest * Mountain train open * Why do we pay for healthcare? * 100% does not mean a full refund * Take CEAM card when travelling in EU countries * Children may be obliged to support needy parents * Paris taxis to show when they are empty * New rules set for damaged cars * Website gives cash for old phones * Send recommandée letters by internet * Inheritance loophole closed by ministry * Watch out for prices of new food packs * Grandparents have right to see children * Sorting out small international claims * Cesus for people going back to work * Numéros verts now work for mobiles * Applying for income support * P’s and q’s of barbecues * When your pet dies * Take up a new hobby at your local MJC * State lodging bid to boost worker mobility * Help when selling a firm * Switch off to save money * My first year - Networking has really worked for us * Social charges on gites * Confusion over pension annuity * TV tax due even for watching DVDs * Your mortgage questions answered * No income tax cut for users of niches fiscales * Invest in good causes with épargne solidaire * Amnesty announced on money held in tax havens * Who can help you if a bank lets you down? * Are you ready for the rentrée? * Controversial reading method still being taught * Grow your own vegetables * Sales set to hit 17-year low * Be a skeptic if inspectors eye the septic tank * Tenants face extra rent to cover energy saving bills * Energy test can give 50% credit * 32% drop in property market * Monitoring your energy * Tighter controls hit syndics’ extra charges * Get insurance to cover builder’s ‘guarantee’ * Green grants on offer * Tax breaks for buy-to-let property * New rules on estate agent fees * Solar panels plans must be declared * Delays and repeat years hit school places * Burglaries up 11% in 12 months * Easyjet opens seat bookings earlier * Cookery schools give taste for food in French and English

British buyers are on way back, say currency traders * Ad boards targeted in new eco law * 11 hotels become first five-stars ever in France * Supermarket price checks by officials * Internet law to return after court ruling blow * 75 mins Paris to Le Havre by 2020? * French and Swiss banks end secrecy * EasyJet wedding plans rejected * Ryanair launches new text service * France third for EU bathing waters * Car sales industry back on track * e2.5billion to fight crime * Banned pesticides found in urine * Eco-loans scheme hailed a success * Drivers caught in crack down - UK expats are finding themselves challenged on the roads on both sides of the Channel. Here we look at the law * Eagle eyes Channel flight challenge * First Anglo care home will open doors soon * Swindler’s victims to sue bank * Six brasseries, bars and cafes closing every day * Restaurants sceptical that VAT cuts will help * Brit ready to take the Tour * Free swim lessons for under-12s * Online share-a-nanny scheme can halve your childcare costs * School bag search is ‘impractical’ * Up to 80% off price of holidays for families * Canvas and piano wire – 100 years of Channel flight * How can I buy a safe pool alarm? * The best way to buy with friends * Going abroad with pets * Protect your home while you’re away * Helpline for road accident victims * Retirement top ups for séniors * Help for parents of disabled kids * e500 bonus for  those losing jobs * New helpline set up by La Poste * Plea to help find son missing for 20 years * Help a child improve their speech * Learn to speak like a flic * Trademark fee cut by 40% for EU * New website lists eco-friendly firms * French cities fail finance image test * 11% of sick leave ‘unjustified’ * Support to grow your business idea * Can I get back tax paid in the UK? * Working between countries - what you should know * RIP banking secrecy * Your mortgage questions answered * EDF offer 4.5% return * Combined bank student card on offer * Charity donations up despite downturn * Slightly less tax inspections last year * Keeping watch on your baby - Mothers-to-be can expect healthcare ‘second to none’ * Reimbursement shake-up on cards * Shock images for cigarette packs * France praised over antibiotics * Disabled woman, 86, must return to UK - UK continues to deny benefits to disabled expats and carers despite 2007 court ruling * Meet France’s best butcher: Mr Beef * What are the best grape varieties to grow? * Even to rent out gites you need diagnostics * Summer is here, it’s time to get ready for rain * ‘Now is the time to buy’ - FNAIM – the Fédération Nationale de l’Immobilier – represents half of all French estate agents. Its president, René Pallincourt, talks exclusively to Connexion about the property market * Safety in numbers: Protection offered to buyers and sellers * ‘Noisy cow bells’ end in court action * I turned down Bardot’s offer to play poker in her hotel suite * e6 million facelift for Proust’s favourite hotel * Marcel Marceau - the man behind the mime * Launderette specially for dogs

Isolated villagers build own broadband * Uproar over school security plans * Thousands are losing licences * Campaigners welcome new civil partner law * ‘Difficult’ driving test made easier * Dissected body exhibition banned * Personal debt law proposed * Billion euro job boost for youth * Barrier-free tolls test on motorway * 65% let down by Sarkozy policies * No degrees for Uni protesters * Sunday trading to be debated again * Ryanair to charge £5 to check-in * Europe cuts cost of text charges * France leads EU economic recovery says minister * UK police blitz on foreign-plate cars * Pupils get free physio care to cure bad backs * D-Day: 65 years of remembrance * Dame Vera Lynn recalls the day she heard the news * Junk mail soars but you can stop it * Tribunal hope as UK continues to deny disabled benefits - UK rejection criteria excludes most of those trying to have carer’s and disability allowance restored * Calanques to be new national park * Free French lesson rules may change * Polls say Left will lose EU grip * Protests over racetrack in ‘garden of France’ * Health law has been ‘emptied of content’ * Companies lend workers to buck financial crises * People are not sleeping enough * Boss offers jobs at €69/month * Hadopi internet law attacked * New look for TGV loos * 15 year fraud case ‘too long’ says judge * Minister for business bins France’s rule book - Hervé Novelli who launched the auto-entrepreneur, France’s simplest business scheme, talks exclusively to The Connexion * Training and loans proposed as President praises autoentrepreneurs * Renaissance at da Vinci’s French home * Nice eyes big names for revival - After Toulon’s recent purchase of Jonny Wilkinson, Nice rugby club owner multi-millionaire Paul White says he’s also on the hunt for more stars * A weekend of France in bloom * Artists tell their stories as music hits the streets * Surround expat children in France with English - Confidence in native language helps with learning a second, says US professor leading study on young children * British beer in Normandy * ‘We beat Microsoft’ - French start-up wins name rights court battle against software giant * New union launched for auto-entrepreneurs * Wealth tax exemption confusion as June 15 deadline approaches * ‘Dummy’ postcode for online self-assessment * Summer sales start this month * Crackdown on multiple Livret A’s * Basic mobile offer for just €10 * Investing in assurance vie * Mortgage questions answered * Communes publish accounts on government website * Railcard cuts fares for low-income families * Q&A Connexion’s 2009 tax guide * Why do we write on the forms that we are exempt from charges? * Cohabitees, exchange rates and premium bonds * We live in France, don’t want to visit UK, cross to Spain occasionally, so - Do we need a passport? * Energy mediator can help resolve disputes * Get an income tax credit for a stairlift * Old cars steer clear of new petrol type * State help for lower income families * Tighter rules on home-schooling * Site helps families with young children * What to do first when someone dies * Keep an eye on price of your new glasses * Carnet is not just for babies * Schools switch off wifi as precaution * Drug costs fall in switch to generics * Watchdog targets doctors - Medics accused of keeping quiet on links to drug firms * CEAM - EU health card only lasts one year * Have your wicket way with cricket clubs in France * Classic rally celebrates Morgan near Le Mans * Legends dwell in historic cafes * Ensure you’re insured * UK demands travel info before flights * EasyJet confident despite losses * French power wins Eurotunnel award * I won €10,000 thanks to French TV * Combined solar unit runs itself * Interest-free eco-loans cover many extra works * Top court reverses planning rules * Key towns buck price drop trend * Overseas owners are sitting tight * Eviction notice period shortened * New advertising rules for builders * Mulberry tree tips * Housing law sees tightening of rules on deferred sales * What can I do about my noisy neighbour? * Pool rules in depth * Restaurants must drop prices to get VAT break next month * Less workers keen to do overtime * Falling milk prices spark farmer fury * Buy a cow to make money * French head for UK stock exchange * Suicides rise at France Telecom * 35,000 job cuts for civil service