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| NEWS |
| Sarkozy’s ratings tumbling down |
| Amid worsening approval ratings, Sarkozy celebrates exactly his first year with a low-key dinner with his ministers. |
President Nicolas Sarkozy discreetly marked his first year in power (Tuesday May 6) with a trip to the south of France aimed at showing his determination to push on with contested reforms despite tumbling opinion poll ratings.
Sarkozy visited a factory near Avignon and outlined plans for improving older people's employment prospects and for hiking pension payments.
He will attend a low-key dinner with his ministers back in Paris to mark the anniversary.
The 53-year-old rightwinger’s fai |
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| MONEY |
| Buying second home in the UK |
| What are the tax implications of buying a second home in the UK? Do we declare rental income in UK or France or both? |
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We are French tax residents, UK nationals, in the process of buying a maison secondaire in the UK to rent out. What are the tax implications, eg. do we declare rental income in UK or France or both? Is the property still subject to French inheritance rules if we remain in France?
Mr and Mrs W
Property (in the sense of bricks and mortar), tends to always buck the rules since is it the only asset that is truly non-portable.
The consequence is that it, and anything to do with it, is |
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| HEALTHCARE |
| CMU changes still filtering through |
| If you are still struggling to establish your rights to stay in the French healthcare system, you are not alone. |
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If you are an early-retiree still struggling to establish your rights to stay in, or join, the French healthcare system - you are not alone.
The Connexion continues to hear from readers across France whose local state healthcare bodies - CPAMs - are still not acknowledging the government's final position on the expatriate healthcare issue.
As we reported in our March edition, the official position is that those who were in the CMU regime as of November 23, 2007 can stay in it, annulling pr |
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| PRACTICAL |
| Which dog breeds are 'dangerous'? |
| A reader asks whether his loving Staffordshire Bull Terrier is considered a 'dangerous dog' in French law. |
WITH regard to a letter in Connexion about Staffordshire Bull Terriers - as the owner of a loving pet, I read on the website that you printed and found that this was 1999 legislation. New legislation was drafted in 2007. I am having great difficulty in trying to find out what dogs are now in Category 1 and Category 2.
It appears from the information I have been given that Staffordshire Bull terriers are included.
SB
YOU are right that new legislation about dangerous dogs was drafted |
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| PROPERTY |
| Set up your own wind turbine |
| You can earn money generating your own electricity by setting up a small turbine on your property. |
HOUSEHOLDERS wishing to generate their own electricity, can set up their own turbine.
It is also possible to earn money by selling electricity back to a power supplier. Anyone wishing to set up their own windmill should ask for an application form from their mairie.
Turbines vary in size from a one-metre handheld version to a mast of up to 12 metres and can be purchased from a supplier such as Ecopower.
It is possible to set up a turbine at a holiday rental property where electricity |
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| POLITICS |
| Expat vote grows in importance |
| Connexion edition: December 2007 |
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THE British Electoral Commission is urging the 5.5 million expats who live abroad to vote in the next general election.
The commission, which was set up by Parliament but is independent of the government, says that, of the 200,000 Britons who live in France, only 20,000 are registered to vote. The commission has launched a publicity campaign to increase this number. It also has a website on the topic at www.aboutmyvote.org.uk.
Head of campaigns Nina Ziaullah said: “If a snap election is ca |
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| LETTERS |
| Advice for scam protection |
| Protection Juridique is cheap and worth investing in, says scam victim Angela Pickles after mobile phone 'slam' |
I wish to pass on a warning to Connexion readers.
I had a cold call from a man trying to sell me a new mobile phone contract. He said he was from TELE2, but other firms may use the same trick. It is apparently widespread in the UK and is known as 'slamming'.
We were working out together whether their new contract would be better than my current one. I gave information including my current mobile phone numbers and the company who provided them.
I also gave my 'code RIO' (a unique numbe |
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| AMERICAN CONNEXION |
| Women worldwide make a difference |
| FAWCO is a non-profit organisation that serves as an umbrella network linking 76 US overseas volunteer organisations. |
Do you ever suspect that the world might be a better place if the women were in charge?
If FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc.) is any indication, the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a non-partisan, non-profit corporation that serves as an umbrella network linking over 76 independent American and international volunteer organizations for citizens living overseas.
FAWCO serves as a resource and channel of information for its member clubs, c |
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| FEATURES & INTERVIEWS |
| Ramsay's new F- word is France |
| Gordon Ramsay's new Paris Restaurant has opened in Versailles. He talks to The Connexion's Estelle Phillips. |
What are your aspirations for your Paris restaurant?
As with any restaurant I open, I want every single guest that steps through the door to have a memorable experience.
We have an exceptional [Italian] head chef in Simone Zanoni and a stunning location at The Trianon Palace in Versailles. It's nerve-wracking opening any new project but I've no doubt that with the team I have on board it will be a success.
What will be your specialities?
The menu at the restaurant wil |
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| BUSINESS |
| Getting started in teaching |
| Registering yourself as a business or sole trader is crucial if you are going to stay on the right side of the law. |
Once you find work as an independent teacher you have to decide on the best way of carrying out that work administratively.
Any income earned in France must be declared however informally or irregularly this employment may occur.
If you are only looking at doing the odd hour of teaching here and there you could look at using the cheque emploi service universel.
It is used by people to pay for home services, such as private lessons with your employer paying you with a particula |
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| COMMUNITY |
| Stevenage choir performs in Vendée |
| Stevenage Male Voice Choir visits the Pays de la Loire to perform on May 17 for their golden jubilee celebrations. |
Stevenage male voice choir will be performing in the Vendée on Saturday, May 17.
The choir will be visiting the area to perform a concert in L'Eglise de Foussais Payre at 8pm as part of their golden jubilee celebrations.
Sharing the platform with the Stevenage Male Voice Choir will be Choraline from La Chataigneraie and Jason Wallace, a Flamenco guitarist from Exeter.
Tickets are €10, available from the tourist office in Fontenay-le-Comte. Tel: 02 51 69 44 99 (free to children under 1 |
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Having to retrain 
