Connexion Back Issues

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

Patients haggle medical fees - Clearer charges help some save thousands of euros through negotiation * Parties unite in plea for expat MP * Easy business status ‘unfair’ say groups - Complications threaten the auto-entrepreneur scheme, while jobseekers get new lower start-up tariffs * Cross border EU health law moves closer * Income tax down for least well-off but local taxes rise * Complaint centre for La Poste * Lift ban on jobs for foreigners * Internet law gets another hearing * Cameras for red light jumpers * France EU’s top asylum country * Staff happy at work, says poll * Police use social networking sites * New fast ferry for Channel from May 29 - Europe’s biggest diesel catamaran will ply Dover-Boulogne for LD Lines * UK tax break on second homes * Restaurants must drop menu prices * New Montpellier Luton route in July * Smoking icons’ cigs censored in ad campaign * UK menu calorie plan is no way to live, say chefs * Mobile ‘roaming’ charges reduced * Italian trains to challenge TGV * Soil survey reveals pesticide dangers * Phone firms told to cut web bills * Balaclavas can mean e1,500 fine * ‘Save our villages from protected status’ * Smoke detector law scrapped * Reform for online gambling laws * Mixed sale dates ‘confuse shoppers’ * City homes resist crash - However some popular expat areas could see drops of 20% during 2009 * Shake up for French culture abroad * French debate sparks pleas for expat MP * Combining war graves causes communes row * Antoine de Caunes - life after Eurotrash * See red in ancient Rome - Hundreds of thousands to watch corrida bullfight at Roman arena in Nîmes * Sewing the seeds of tennis victory * Everyone needs good neighbours - Joining in the Fête des voisins can help you integrate, says event’s founder * Fête du pain is a pleasure - Mid May is fête du pain but how well do you know French bread? * Private schools top unofficial league tables * Virtual academy will help learners across all ages * HEC cancels fees for grant students * Reforms to go ahead at ENA * The changing face of France’s bird population * Threatened birds of France * I’m a French farmer - hear me out * Nantes - London flights are back * Paris Beauvais airport to shut * Hotel prices drop in the south * Eurotunnel signs UK border deal * Pau flights switch to Lourdes in July * Auto/train: the greener way to take your own car on holiday * ‘Oldest and ugliest’ chalet maid learns tips of trade * Networking is key to finding a job - 50% of vacancies are found through friends and family * Assurance vie: For UK and French residents * Compare your banks * Your mortgage questions answered * How does France decide if I am fiscally resident? * Avoid queues, print your own stamps * Use the cesu to pay for a handyman, cleaner or nanny * New car number plates changes * Look out for new electricity deals * Conciliateurs resolve private disputes without going to court * Medical payments under fire - Sums taken out of health reimbursements are ‘a tax on illness’ say senators * Financial help with top-up insurance * Why am I asked to pay for the CMU? * I need a care home for my father * Get checked-out by an allergologue * Cnam has ‘saved billions’ in frauds * €170m refit of oldest children’s hospital * What does an MEP do? * Socialists propose ‘US-style’ primaries * Step-parents bill postponed * Writing French numbers on cheques - know the rules * Beware of tax credit scams * Room for gites to grow * You must pluck plum blossom off your young trees * Interest-free loans to renovate septic tanks * Landlord anger at eviction rule

Local taxes set to rise sharply - Communes lose income as stamp duty revenue falls with housing market slump * Annecy chosen for Winter Olympic bid * Eating out to cost less as VAT drops * Will Poitou-Charentes disappear and the Normandies unite? * Step closer to law change for civil partners * MPs oppose gay parent law reform * MPs crack down on binge drinking * Mixed signals on warning triangles * No prison for under 13s * Scams rocket in rural areas * ‘Incoherent’ UK rules ck benefits claims - ‘Lottery’ for expats reclaiming disability allowance after ruling * Gas price to drop 11.3% in April * Teenagers to get careers hotline * CCTV to triple to 60,000 cameras * Volunteers are needed to help struggling Brits * Aspa - a mortgage right is almost never required * Declare change of name online * Help to improve life in the suburbs * Wine-maker offers tastings over internet * Book reveals role of freemasons in government * Orne council starts English blog * I’d like to interview Sarkozy -he’s surprisingly liberal - Sir David Frost talks to Connexion as the acclaimed Frost/Nixon film launches in France * Explore the off-piste calm * Discover France’s finest theme parks * Income tax forms- Your step-by-step guide * How you are assessed by the French authorities * The Quotient Familial * Nantes eyes new London service * E-tickets scheme for TGV travellers * Offers for short Channel trips * Regional airports to work together * Air France trials fingerprint access * Cheap breaks in France for over sixties * Social charge refund for employers in small businesses * Protect your home from business loss as a sole trader * Free software for auto-entrepreneurs * Let’s get to work - Is the auto-entrepreneur sole-trader scheme, launched this year, as simple and easy to start as it claims? Connexion speaks to those who have signed up about their experiences * What hurt share values in the ‘lost decade’ * Mortgage questions answered * Gains are still possible, even in this climate * Uncertain about our ‘mortgage broker’ who billed for €2,000 * Organ donors: the rules * France’s criminal courts; where stealing is not a crime * No shortcuts to cheap passports * Learning to drive ‘faster and easier’ * Cost of stamps for EU letters goes up * Leading cancer centre to open on disaster site * Pharmacies made easy * Free doctor visits for young people * Disability claims needed for study * Where can I find a copy of the tarif de convention? * Helping singles to meet new people * Businesses unite to promote * Social networking on the internet * Adapt in France closes doors * Raising bilingual children: the ten things you should know * New furnished rental rules * Property industry hits 30-year low * Deposit interest scheme dropped * Bridging loans and capital gains relief stretched to help as sellers struggle * End of April deadline for prime à la cuve fuel benefit * Wind turbines: commonsense power source * Does your insurance cover outdoor areas? - Swimming pools, aerials and sheds may need special packages * ‘Poplar’ cherry is ideal for a small garden * Eco-loans ready in April * Big ideas for Paris’ future * Montpellier receives prestigious tourism award * Call to abolish speeding penalty * Help for parents to find childcare

Income tax cuts for lowest band - Britons hit by low pound and economy among two million to benefit * 20 years of celebs in rubber - Les Guignols celebrate two decades of satires * Auto-entrepreneur loophole fixed - Agency row banned translators, writers and programmers * Minister: Hospitals not a business * New nuclear plant in Normandy * 5.5m workers choose overtime * Storm damage to cost €1.4 billion * Internet squad for customs officers * ‘GM maize not a danger’- report * TV show reveals radioactive risk * La Rochelle launches solar powered boat link * Only 1 in 4 feel religion important * UK compiling travel database * Maternity leave under review * Threat to tree-lined roads * Woman sacked for email abuse * Motorway tolls to go up 1.89% * New airport set to open next year * Call for parent power to bring back the four-and-half day school week * Paid leave to care for dying relatives * Download stamps at home online * EU wants mutual rights for pacs and civil partnerships * Eagle and paraglider to mark 100 years of Channel flight * Plans to aid illegal immigrants * Bid to host Euro 2016 * Look out for boars on roads in March * Presenting France’s face of Formula 1 * Embracing mixed France * Officials ‘loose’ 307,000 national works of art * €100m for hundreds of historic renovations * Culture Ministry celebrates 50 years * UK rugby stars proud of their French club - Top names from Wales, England and Ireland sign up to Limousin club Brive * Take a walk on the white side * Other ideas for off-piste fun * French alternatives to top UK foods * Fees and grants for French university * We crossed the whole of France, in a yacht * Ideas to discover scenic waterways * Emblematic beret is back in fashion * Trailblazing Minitel in slow decline * Auto-entrepreneur: Q&A * My first year - Packet curry is hot stuff * Redundancy: the start not the end * CRP: Eight-month deal with extra benefits and help finding new work * Compensation obligations * Risk varies with time and performance * Notes on spending cash * Record drop in euro zone output * Unemployment to rise by 282,000 * Total sets new profit record * Your mortgage questions answered * What is the best way to receive my UK pension in France? * We have E121s, so why do we pay tax? * Passport renewal: getting it right * Extra France Télécom services * Protection for the elderly * Courts: discerning men in black * Get money off when you buy a new car * Offensive adverts - how to complain * Site helps youths to understand ‘l’éco’ * Get help when a child is in danger * Your money is safer in certain sectors * Ask the taxman first, before he asks you * Incentives not penalties will improve GPs’ rural services * Positive change: You keep incapacity cover once you receive state pension * Declare pregnancy early for best treatment * Campaign warns of hearing danger * GPs to get bonus for best practice * Health tariffs must be displayed * Disability petition couple issue ultimatum to DWP * French rally to help writer stage play in English * Dordogne couple’s 18-year fight to save stray dogs * UK skier holds Olympic dream * 320km desert trek beckons * BBC overseas service * Book UK trip on St George’s Day * Help teenagers settle in school * Paris and Angers English book sale * Welcome to the village of Go Away * Celebration for world’s French-speakers * ‘Les body exciting’ - more Anglo horrors * Find the cheapest petrol in the area * More people using car-sharing sites * New routes from Poitier Airport * Buy second-hand train tickets * Smoke alarms to be a must for all * House prices may drop 14% in 2009 * Tax credit changes for eco homes * Survey predicts a brighter future * Beware the pitfalls of heat pumps * You can halve bills with good planning * Gardening: Where to buy a polytunnel? * Selling via an estate agent: know your rights * Interest-free loans for home purchase doubled * Property taxes ‘will rise sharply’ * Work ban could be lifted for non EU professionals * Councils to get speeding money

New business status a hit - 2,000 auto-entrepreneurs launch online every day * Media ‘Brit exodus’ stories wrong, say those on the ground * UK stalls on disabled benefits for expats * Insurance deadline for storms extended * Two new channel ferry services start this month * Health costs rise if unregistered * You can apply to university online * Price of stamps to rise in March * Aspa - mairies wrong to deny benefit * Advice and information for small businesses * Charity can help maybe * Use a huissier to recover debts * Claim compensation of up to e60 a day for unpaid wages * France rebranding campaign to make tourists spend more * Restaurants may cut TVA * Law forces banks to detail annual charges * Air France price cuts * Chunnel services back to normal * 63 million people live in France * Smacking: ‘Let parents decide’ * ‘Three star’ fast food * Asterix to live on after Uderzo * Village allowed to ban GM * Equitable Life decision is a betrayal, says French group * France’s biggest university goes solo * Working on a Bond movie was such fun * Ex-competitor knows Dakar dangers * Make the most of ski season * New advantages for large families * Funding reform threat to religious schooling *  Moving to the mountains - earning a living in the snow can be tough * Bookings down 40% at £1million venture * Rise in length of layoff terms * 2009 sees return of the State * Feb 28 for taxe d’apprentissage * Employees get commute cover * The new auto-entrepreneur business status - your questions * Hobby horses turn to business * Qrops, plain sailing in misunderstood waters * Pocket money down with spending power * Action group seeks Isle of Man depositors * Number of counterfeit euro notes rising * See how your commune compares for local taxes * Your mortgage questions answered * My pension, his children *  Average tax currency conversion rates * Friends’ hire car had no yellow vest * My gym qualification is not recognised * We cannot afford to pay by cesu * Unsure about driving licence renewal swap * Can buyer pay for my land in pounds? * Making a claim after a flood * Water leaks from neighbouring properties * Top lawyer creates parking fines site * Rise in certain benefit payments * British police offer tips on French crime * New short test to drive a moped * New formalities for travel to the USA * Tax on spirits rises to deter drink abuse * Service provides parking alternative * Cpam still refusing access to the CMU * Will my medicines be reimbursed? * How do I get a tetanus booster? * Help for diabetes sufferers * What is diabetes? * More medical prices available online * Top-up insurance costs to rise again * GP switched from UK to France * Presidents embark on global popularity contest via Facebook * New UK- France easyJet flights * Taxi and bus lane links Paris to CDG * Plummeting air fares help fliers * SNCF puts TGV tickets up 3.5% * Ryanair resume flights after subsidy dispute * New ship for Brittany Ferries * ‘Chargeback’ plan secures Flex ticket refunds from SpeedFerries * Making the most of solar power * Check for termite infestations * Protect yourself from non-paying tenants * Interest-free eco loans launch in April * Prices ‘to drop 10% in 2009’ * Free papers for 18-year-olds and €600m to save French press