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<title><![CDATA[The Connexion News Feeds: News]]></title>
<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com</link>
<copyright>2012 CNX</copyright>
<language>English</language>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sub-zero all day for most of France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cold-weather-eastern-France-electricity-consumption-Pyrenees-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGLACIAL weather continues to affect much of the eastern part of France with sub-zero temperatures expected all day in much of the country.By 13.00 they could reach 3C on the Rivi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Price-fix perfume giants fined Â€40m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Perfume-luxury-Oreal-Dior-Marionnaud-Sephora-Chanel-Kenzo-fine-court-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyLUXURY perfume giants including L'OrÃ©al, Dior, Guerlain, Chanel and shops such as Sephora and Marionnaud have been fined a total of Â€40 million for running a price-fixing ring.Th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mayor in court for slapping boy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mayor-youth-slap-court-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA MAYOR is appearing in court today accused of giving a youth a clip on the ear.Maurice Boisart, the mayor of Cousolre in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, had opted for public trial in Avesne...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dujardin in movie poster scandal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dujardin-Oscar-hopes-risk-scandal-poster-Infideles-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBAD publicity over movie posters deemed to be in poor taste could harm actor Jean DujardinÂ’s Oscar hopes, French pundits say.Two posters for Les InfidÃ¨les - a forthcoming comedy ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Flour-bomb attack on Hollande]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Flour-bomb-Hollande-video-Paris-housing-London-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAFTER being covered in flour by a protester, Socialist presidential candidate FranÃ§ois Hollande shrugged it off, saying "That's the risks of the job."Hollande was speaking in Par...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cold spell sets in for the week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Twenty-one-departments-orange-alert-grand-froid-cold-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTWENTY-ONE departments are on orange alert (Â“dangerous weatherÂ”) in the south and east, as the cold spell sets in.MÃ©tÃ©o France says we can expect a period of grand froid (extreme...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scientology  fined Â€600,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Scientology-appeal-court-fine-prison-leader-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE appeal court has upheld a Â€600,000 fine for fraud on the Scientology cult and a two-year suspended jail sentence for French leader Alain Rosenberg.It confirmed a ruling that ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Google fined for giving free maps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Google-maps-unfair-competition-abuse-dominant-position-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGOOGLE has been found guilty of Â“abusing its dominant positionÂ” by a Paris court.The firm was sued by a map company Bottin Cartographes, which has lost business due to the web gi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Motorway tolls  rise from today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Motorway-tolls-rise-Escota-Sanef-Paris-Normandie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTAKING the motorway costs an average 2.33% more from today.The increase in autoroute tolls varies according to the regional company that runs your network, from 2% for Escota (Pr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Freezing weather for week ahead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Freezing-weather-Meteo-France-zero-Lyon-Rhone-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWRAP UP well for a cold week ahead. That is the warning from MÃ©tÃ©o France as it warns of intense cold which is expected to beat previous records, with temperatures rarely climbing ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[India to buy French fighters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/India-contract-Dassault-Rafale-Eurofighter-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINDIA is opening exclusive negotiations with French defence company Dassault to buy 126 Rafale fighters and, if confirmed, it will be the first export sales of the jet.The deal c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[London mayor  woos French banks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/London-Mayor-Boris-Johnson-bienvenue-Londres-French-banks -view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyLONDON mayor Boris Johnson has invited French bankers to work in the City instead to escape the planned financial transactions tax.President Sarkozy has announced unilaterally th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF sued as late trains cost job]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-train-late-punctuality-sued-damages-court-Lyon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA YOUNG legal assistant who lost her job because of repeated lateness is suing SNCF for damages saying late trains were to blame.Soazig Parassols, 25, was on probation at the leg...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teachers walk out over new job tests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teachers-school-union-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTEACHERS have walked out on strike today in protest at changes planned for the rentrÃ©e which will see 14,000 jobs cut and new job evaluation procedures introduced.This is the thi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurotunnel to buy SeaFrance ferries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurotunnel-plans-buy-SeaFrance-ferries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyEUROTUNNEL has announced it plans to buy three of the four ferries owned by SeaFrance, which has gone into liquidation.The French-owned firmÂ’s chairman, Jacques Gounon, has spoke...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[South-east at risk of snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/South-east-snow-risk-orange-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE whole south-east is at risk of snow today, forecasters say.A snow alert has been announced in an area from the Jura to the Creuse and the Alpes-Maritimes to the HÃ©rault. Elev...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Extra VAT pays for payroll costs cut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-VAT-job-employment-payroll-Merkel-Germany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy's plan to raise VAT to cut job costs has been attacked as "socially unjust, economically ineffective and, proposed at this time, not very democratic" by a former ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Heavy snow and ice sparks alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Weather-Meteo-France-snow-ice-drivers-road-temperatures-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE FIRST heavy snowfalls of the winter have prompted MÃ©tÃ©o France to put 23 departments, stretching from Normandy to Aveyron, on orange alert for snow and ice.Heavy snowfalls of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French national bike plan proposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/national-cycling-bike-scheme-France-thierry-mariani-transport-minister-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTRANSPORT minister Thierry Mariani unveiled plans on Thursday for a 'national cycling scheme' in a bid to encourage the use of bicycles across France.The plan targets short trips...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘ExcessiveÂ’ police force criticised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/excessive-police-force-criticised-France-human-rights-watch-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFrench police are using broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men, according to a report by the Human Rights Watch group released ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Breast implant bosses arrested]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/PIP-breast-implant-director-Jean-Claude-Mas-cancer-arrest-Couty-silicone-Marseille-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLICE have arrested Jean-Claude Mas, the owner of breast implant manufacturer PIP, for questioning on charges of homicide and involuntary injury.PIP director Claude Couty was al...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV tickets to be checked at door]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/TGV-security-ticket-check-violence-fraud-attack-SNCF-Strasbourg-Lacoste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTICKET checks are being tightened on TGV trains to improve security with inspectors greeting passengers at each door of trains on the Paris-Rennes route.SNCF customer relations d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free founder grilled by MPs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-boss-Xavier-Niel-mobile-phone-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFREE boss Xavier Niel has had a grilling by MPs over issues surrounding the launch of his new mobile phone service.The National AssemblyÂ’s Commission of Economic Affairs asked ab...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ten nominations for The Artist]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/The-Artist-10-Oscar-nominations-Dujardin-Hazanavicius-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRENCH silent, black and white film The Artist is Oscar-nominated in an extraordinary 10 categories.The film  has already won Best Actor at Cannes for Jean Dujardin and three Gol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jail for autoroute wrong-way driver]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Motorway-autoroute-driver-wrong-way-jail-Bayonne-A64-Toulouse-gendarmes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA DRIVER who drove more than 100km the wrong way down the autoroute has been jailed for two months, banned from driving, banned from sitting a new test for five years and had his c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Banks credit ratings lowered]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Banks-credit-ratings-lowered-Societe Generale-BPCE-Credit-Agricole-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHREE major French high street banks have had their long-term credit ratings cut by Standard &nbsp; PoorÂ’s.Placed under surveillance since December 5, the SociÃ©tÃ© GÃ©nÃ©rale, the B...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Videos target school bullies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bully-bullying-bullies-school-video-Dailymotion-Youtube-Facebook-victim-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySCHOOL bullies are being targeted in a new campaign as figures show that one in 10 children is a victim - leading to poor school results, depression and even suicide.The Educatio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France hands back Maori heads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Maori-toi-moko-mummified-heads-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTWENTY mummified heads have been handed back from France to New Zealand Maoris.The toÃ¯ moko Â– tattooed and mummified heads of warriors Â– have been recuperated from French museums...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Major rise in jewel raids]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jewellery-gold-raid-spray-Bobigny-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRAIDS on jewellery stores have soared in the past five years as the price of gold has rocketed - and it has led one shop to fit anti-theft sprays to identify the raiders.There ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Genocide denial law is passed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Senate-law-Armenian-genocide-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BAN on denying that killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide will be enshrined in French law.The Senate adopted by 127 votes to 86 a proposed law alread...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Safety campaign uses shock images]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Road-safety-television-cinema-website-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA NEW public service broadcast on road safety uses shocking black and white footage of accidents to present a message that everyone is responsible for helping to cut accidents.Th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hollande targets 'world of finance']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hollande-Sarkozy-president-candidate-Bourget-finance-Mitterrand-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPROMISING to be the "president of the end of privileges", FranÃ§ois Hollande said he aimed to get France - and Europe - back to work by targeting "the world of finance".Speaking i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hackers attack ElysÃ©e website]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Anonymous-hacker-Megaupload-Elysee-Sarkozy-White-House-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINTERNET hacking group Anonymous has attacked the ElysÃ©e website in protest at the shutting down of file-sharing site Megaupload.Cyber attacks also targeted websites for the Whit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘Minimum serviceÂ’ plan for airports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/minimum-service-airports-strikes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE UMP party is seeking to pass a law intended to lessen disruption to passengers due to air industry strikes.It comes after pilots and stewards gave notice of a strike last Aug...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nanni Moretti is Cannes president]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nanni-Moretti-Cannes-Festival-jury-president-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyITALIAN filmmaker Nanni Moretti will be jury president at this yearÂ’s Cannes Festival.Giovanni (Â“NanniÂ”) Moretti, 58, is a familiar face on La Croisette, having won the Palme dÂ’O...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petroplus to sell Normandy plant]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Petroplus-Petit-Couronne-refinery-Normandy-Besson-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWORKERS at the Petroplus refinery at Petit-Couronne, near Rouen, were told this morning that after two weeks of a temporary shutdown the oil plant is to be sold - if the Swiss comp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Battery hen farms face legal action]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Battery-hen-farm-Dalli-Europe-law-1999-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRENCH farmers are to face a European Union crack-down after ignoring a law outlawing battery hen farms.Farmers have had 12 years to comply with the law, which was introduced in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Government plans a Â‘wedding kitÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Government-wedding-preparation-kit-couples-marriage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA Â“WEDDING preparation kitÂ” is to be sent out to mairies, on request, in a bid to get mayors and couples to take marriage more seriously.The government is concerned about the gro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€430m bid to get jobless into work]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-jobless-summit-retraining-social-charges-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyURGENT measures to combat worsening unemployment were a key result of a four-hour "crisis summit" as President Sarkozy met unions at the ElysÃ©e.Costing Â€430 million, they include...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French HuffPost job for Sinclair]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Anne-Sinclair-editorial-director-French-Huffington-Post-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyANNE Sinclair, latterly best-known as the wife who stood by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is to edit a French version of the Huffington Post.The American founder of the popular online ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[4,300 evacuated in bomb alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marseille-bomb-squad-explosive-museum-whale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLICE evacuated 4,300 people from the centre of Marseille as experts worked to remove an unexploded 250kg Second World War bomb.The American bomb was found by building workers o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gastro-enteritis epidemic spreads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Doctors-wash-hands-gastro-enteritis-epidemic-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyDOCTORS are urging people to take care over washing their hands as an epidemic of gastro-enteritis spreads.The epidemic, declared at the start of the month, has so far seen about...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French population grows to 65.35m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-population-census-baby-boom-OAP-PACA-Languedoc-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWHEN France woke up on January 1, 2012 there were 65.35 million people in the country, with more of them living for longer and more of them being over 65 years old.Statistics fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bonnemaison faces three more charges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bonnemaison-poisoning-Bayonne-charges-doctor-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAN ACCIDENT and emergency doctor suspected of poisoning patients has been charged in connection with three more cases.Nicolas Bonnemaison now faces seven charges in total of Â“poi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Total appeals shale gas ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Total-shale-gas-schiste-Montelimar-drilling-Kosciusko-Morizet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyOIL giant Total has lodged an appeal against the withdrawal of its permit to drill exploratory wells for shale gas in the south of France.The government withdrew drilling permiss...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[President meets  with union bosses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/The president is meeting union bosses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA Â‘SOCIALÂ’ summit is being held at the ElysÃ©e Palace this morning, to find new solutions for businesses and work.President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting with union bosses and leader...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UPDATE: The Artist back on screens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Artist-Golden-Globes-Jean-Dujardin-Hazanavicius-Bource-Woody-Scorsese-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRENCH film The Artist is to return to French screens after winning three Golden Globes in Beverly Hills with best picture, musical or comedy, best actor in a musical or comedy for...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boa causes panic on TGV train]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Boa-TGV-Paris-Marseille-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BOA caused panic in a Paris to Marseilles TGV train after escaping from its cage.The 1.85m, 25kg female slithered between passengersÂ’ feet before taking shelter inside heating ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol prices hit highest ever]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Petrol-unleaded-historic-euro-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPETROL prices have hit a historic high - with the average for a litre of Unleaded 95 being e1.5563 and Super Unleaded 98 e1.5954.But these average prices conceal individual petro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burglaries shot up last year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Crime-down-burglaries-up-Gueant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBURGLARIES are significantly up (though crime in general is slightly down) new Interior Ministry figures show.There were 3,533,256 crimes last year, a drop of 0.34%, said Interio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fillon downplays ratings downgrade]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Government-Socialists-Fillon-Hollande- AAA- Standard-Poor-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE government has sought to downplay the significance of the loss of FranceÂ’s AAA status at ratings agency Standard &nbsp; PoorÂ’s.Â“Credit ratings agencies are useful indicators,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Crowds greet giant pandas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Giant-panda-Beauval-zoo-chateaux-Loire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTWO giant pandas have been greeted by a crowd of thousands as they arrived at the world-renowned Beauval Zoo in the heart of the chateaux of the Loire.Hours earlier Yuan Zi et Hu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Driver flashed at  255kph in Alps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Driver-BMW-255-speed-limit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA DRIVER has set a new speeding record for the A51 motorway, being flashed at 255kph in the Hautes-Alpes.A motorway patrol flashed the BMW M3 at 15.30 yesterday, with a hand-held...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Friday the 13th woos Loto punters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Friday-13-Loto-Euro-Millions-jackpot-FDJ-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTWICE the usual number of players will be buying Â€2 tickets for the Loto and Super Loto today to mark Friday the 13th - unlucky for some, but someone could win the Â€13m top prize....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[All still to play  for at 100 days]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/100-days-presidential-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWITH 100 days to go before the presidential election there is still everything to play for, surveys suggest.A month or so ago Socialist leader FranÃ§ois Hollande had a clear lead,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Inflation at 2.5% but meat up 4.4%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Inflation-VAT-Insee-consumables-shopping-basket-label-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySHOP prices have gone up by 2.5% over the past year according to figures from national statistics body Insee - but it also pointed out that the prices of consumables had risen 4.1%...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Critics hail The Artist Â‘Best FilmÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/The-Artist-Critics-Choice-Best-Film-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Artist has scooped the CriticÂ’s Choice award for Best Film.The accolade, presented in Los Angeles, is another feather in the cap of the French-made film, which is tipped for ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orange leads way with lower deals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orange-mobile-operators-lowering-prices-Free-Mobile-Sosh-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyORANGE has been the first of the large mobile operators to lower its prices in response to the arrival of Free on the market.The firm has lowered the price of its Â“SoshÂ” packages...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Journalist killed in Syria blast]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jacquier-Juppe-Sarkozy-Syria-blast-Homs-Assad-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRENCH TV journalist Gilles Jacquier has been killed in an explosion in the Syrian city of Homs when shells fell on news crews reporting on protests against the government of Presi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boulangerie bandit strikes again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Boulangerie-robber-pain-au-chocolat-Paris-viennoiseries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA ROBBER whose only target is viennoiseries has struck again in ParisÂ’s 19th arrondissement.He stole pastries worth about Â€10  at around 7.30 in the morning.The man, aged about...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Joly wants Jewish and Muslim holiday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Joly-Kippur-Eid-holiday-Jewish-Muslim-Gueant-Le-Pen-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGREEN presidential candidate Eva Joly has called for equal treatment for religions and that Yom Kippur - the Jewish day of atonement - and Eid, the Muslim holiday that ends Ramadan...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Court fight over fireman's beard]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Firefighter-court-beard-ponytail-Drome-Montelimar-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BEARDED firefighter is taking his employers to court for "discrimination, harassment and abuse of power" as they have stopped him going out on alerts, and banned him from wearing...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fears greet start of winter sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sales-soldes-shops-bargain-winter-February-Lafayette-Baroin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWINTER sales start today but shopkeepers are preparing for bad news with fewer bargain-hunters than last year spending less money than last year.Even the twice-yearly soldes ritu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deluge of visitors crashes Free site]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-mobile-traffic-customers-shops-site-Orange-Niel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE launch of Free Mobile saw a rush of traffic towards the firmÂ’s new site Â– causing it to be out of action until mid-afternoon Â– and a rush of customers to the firmÂ’s handful of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bride told to take off veil]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Wedding-veil-Islamic-wife-Nassima-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA COUPLE are seeking Â€50,000 compensation after the wife was made to take off her Islamic head covering during their wedding ceremony.According to the coupleÂ’s lawyer, the deputy...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cantona for ElysÃ©e in housing protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cantona-election-housing-Elysee-president-homeless-mayor-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFOOTBALL star Eric Cantona has launched a bid for the presidency to get the problems of the homeless on to the election agenda.Cantona, who caused a media storm last year by call...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[One in four voters still to decide]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Voter-president-election-candidates-Sarkozy-Hollande-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyONE IN four people have not yet decided who they are going to vote for in the presidential election - with the first round just 100 days away.Emmanuel RiviÃ¨re of polling group TN...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carla in scandal over Aids cash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Carla-Bruni-Sarkozy-Aids-Global-Fund-Marianne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is at the centre of a scandal over alleged improper uses of funds for fighting Aids.The magazine Marianne has caused a storm with articles on...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘UnlimitedÂ’ mobile service for Â€19.99]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-mobile-phone-launch-Xavier-Niel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFREE boss Xavier Niel promised Â“nothing will be as it was beforeÂ” as he launched an Â“unlimitedÂ” mobile phone package for Â€19.99 with calls included to 40 countries.The package, w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Success for French team Â– and a Brit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jules-Verne-Trophy-Peyron-Thompson-Brest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA NEW world record for a non-stop circumnavigation of the world by sailing boat has been set by a crew led by Frenchman LoÃ¯ck Peyron.The 14-man crew, all French apart from Briton...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France will 'go it alone' on tax plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-financial-transaction-tax-Tobin-Parisot-Merkel-Mestrallet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE is set to go-it-alone with its plan for a financial transaction tax in a move that has drawn fire from employers and financial institutions.Although President Sarkozy is v...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Good luck strikes again in Normandy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Calvados-36-million-jackpot-Euro-Millions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCALVADOS has proved lucky again as a Euro Millions player scooped Â€36 million.The lucky winner, who shared a jackpot of Â€73 million with a player from Spain, validated their tick...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance goes into liquidation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-Sarkozy-Eurotunnel-SNCF-Calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyLATE bids to save cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance have been rejected out of hand at a Paris commercial tribunal which decided that the company should be officially liquidated....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurotunnel joins SeaFrance fight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurotunnel-SeaFrance-Channel-ferries-Calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA LATE bid to save cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance has come from a leading competitor, with Eurotunnel's chief executive saying it could buy the firm's ferries and lease them ba...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speed cameras  bring in Â€630m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speed-cameras-interior-minister-Gueant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySPEED camera fines generated Â€630 million in 2011, the latest figures show.The announcement was made by Interior Minister Claude GuÃ©ant, who also gave road accident figures and r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Major avalanche alert in Alps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Avalanche-Alps-power-cut-Savoie-Thorens-Isere-Tignes-Savoie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySKIERS and climbers have been warned of "very high" avalanche risks in the Alps after snowstorms forced the closure of the Mont-Blanc tunnel and cut power to thousands of homes.A...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Will you be  king for the day?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/galette-des-rois-fete-king-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTODAY is La FÃªte des Rois (the KingsÂ’ Festival) Â– time to buy your galette des rois to mark Epiphany.Though France is a largely secular country these days, the tradition of marki...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy, Le Pen honour Joan of Arc]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Le-Pen-Joan-Arc-Domremy-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyJOAN OF ARC has joined the presidential race on her 600th birthday as both President Sarkozy and Front National leader Marine Le Pen bid to mark the anniversary - and lay claim to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paralysed skier's Â€1m court win]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ski-paralysed-quadriplegic-Font-Romeu-damages-court-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA SKIER who was left quadraplegic after sliding on ice and crashing into rocks has won damages of one million euros against Font-Romeu ski station in the PyrÃ©nÃ©es Orientales.The ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Union says Sarkozy plan is too risky]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-Sarkozy-union-Calais-redundancy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyUNION lawyers for workers at troubled ferry firm SeaFrance have poured cold water on President Sarkozy's proposal to fund a buy-out with redundancy payments.They said it was "not...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orange package Â‘too restrictiveÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orange-unfair-quadruple-play-UFC-Que-Choisir-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA CONSUMER body is accusing Orange of unfair practices over Â“OpenÂ”, its Â“quadruple-playÂ” package, to which a million people have signed up.UFC-Que Choisir says it has made an off...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gastro-enteritis epidemic declared]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gastro-enteritis-diarrhoea-epidemic-Sentinelle-Languedoc-Roussillon-Aquitaine-Basse-Normandie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyOUTBREAKS of gastro-enteritis across France have been classed as an epidemic by medical watchdog Sentinelle and people have been reminded to wash their hands frequently.Country-w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fears over  menÂ’s implants]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/PIP-implants-breast-testicle-chest-men-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE same risky methods used to make the controversial Â‘PIPÂ’ breast implants were also used for products for men, it has emerged.French experts have advised women to have the impl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nuclear stations need Â€50bn work]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nuclear-power-station-improvement-ASN-Fukushima-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyNUCLEAR safety watchdog ASN has given the 19 power station sites and 58 reactors in France the green light to carry on operating - but said they needed Â€50 billion of improvements ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[VAT to rise  Â‘before electionsÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Government-social-VAT-presidential-elections-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA VAT rise to finance social security will be put in place in the next few months, says Budget Minister ValÃ©rie PÃ©cresse.Â“We are going to bring in a Â‘social VATÂ’, and do it befor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Family seeks their Â‘angelicÂ’ helpers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Masmoudi-car-accident-Isere-Allevard-angels-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA FAMILY is seeking to identify four men who appeared Â“like angelsÂ” and saved their lives.Last Thursday the Masmoudi family from the Lyon area were driving in the Collet dÂ’Alleva...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Give slim students higher marks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dukan-diet-doctor-BMI-bac-exam-education-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCONTROVERSIAL diet doctor Pierre Dukan has said baccalaurÃ©at students should gain or lose points according to their weight.However, what he called "a good way to make teenagers a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[North of France  on storm alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nord-Pas-de-Calais-violent-winds-storm-Meteo-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHERE is a risk of storms with Â“violent windsÂ” in the north of France today, warns MÃ©tÃ©o France.The departments of the Nord and the Pas-de-Calais have been put on orange alert, a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Update: SeaFrance decision delayed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-Sarkozy-ferry-Channel-jobs-redundancy-aid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA PARIS commercial court has delayed a decision on the future of troubled cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance to get more information on the government's offer to help a worker buy-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New road rules set to come in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tougher-road-safety-rules-Claude-Gueant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTOUGHER road safety rules are coming in from this week.A raft of measures relating to driving Â– which were debated last year as part of the Loppsi 2 law on security Â– are to be p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Update: 'Gold' was just gold-plated]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gold-RER-bullion-20kg-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA SUITCASE full of what was thought to be 20kg of gold bullion has turned out to be a worthless con, police said.The find was thought to be worth Â€800,000 but police checks found...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2012-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speed limits to be reviewed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-speed-limits-review-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyThe Interior Ministry has asked prefects to examine speed limits in their departments and take action to make them more Â‘readableÂ’ and Â‘consistentÂ’ with FranceÂ’s roads and highways...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol sale limit on New Year's Eve]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-petrol-sale-limit-restriction-banned-new-years-eve-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFrance will limit the sale of petrol and other combustibles, including lighters, on New Year's Eve in an effort to reduce car torching across the country.Each year youths, often ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fizzy drinks tax approved]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fizzy-drinks-tax-France-approved-soda-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA new tax on fizzy drinks has been approved by FranceÂ’s Constitutional Council.The increase is intended to tackle the countryÂ’s obesity problems, especially amongst young people,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free tuk-tuk taxis for Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-France-tuk-tuk-taxis-free-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA new fleet of Â‘tuk-tukÂ’ taxis have taken to the streets of Paris this week, offering free journeys around the French capital.The service is set to run seven days a week, using 2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV prices to increase by 3.2%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/TGV-train-prices-france-increase-lunea-teoz-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyThe SNCF has announced that ticket prices for TGV and interregional train services will increase by 3.2% from the start of January 2012. A jump in the reduced VAT rate from 5.5% ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police to enforce road crossings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-france-zebra-crossings-pedestrians-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPolice in Paris are warning drivers that they could face harsher punishment for disregarding the cityÂ’s pedestrian crossings.The Prefecture of Police has instructed officers to c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Union deal ends airport strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-union-airport-strike-end-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAn agreement signed by unions has ended an eleven-day strike by airport security staff.Heads of four unions agreed a Â€1,000 annual bonus for employees, as well as a promise to as...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chinese wines beat French in tasting]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chinese-wines-bordeaux-tasting-contest-beijing-china-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyChinese wines have claimed victory over their French competitors in a head-to-head wine tasting in Beijing.Judged by five French and five Chinese wine experts, the recent blind t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police man queues at Paris airport]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-airport-strike-security-Paris-Lyon-Nice-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLICE reinforcements were manning security queues at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport this morning after negotiations to end the strike broke down.Around 45 border police and gen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SÃ©nat bid to cut car repair bills]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Car-repair-spares-senators-monopoly-competition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCHEAPER car repairs could be on the way as senators debate a bill to open up the market for after-market spares.At the moment car manufacturers have a monopoly on the parts to be...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Insurance rules to become simpler]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Insurance-cancellations-simpler-March-31-CCSF-20-days-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCANCELLING insurance policies is expected to become simpler next year.From March 31 Le Figaro says insurers have agreed to warn customers of their right to cancel a stadardised 2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fillon hails  success on crime]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fillon-crime-detection-doubled-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon praised successful efforts against crime over the last 10 years and said on a visit to a Paris police station that crime in general has dropped 24%....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police ready as air dispute eases]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Airport-strike-cancellation-delay-baggage-Lyon-Charles-Gaulle-Toulouse-Nice-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLICE are ready to step in to take over the jobs of security workers at strike-hit airports to make sure the hundreds of thousands of Christmas holiday-makers get away with minimu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to borrow  Â€178bn in 2012]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-borrow-178-billion-AAA-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE intends to borrow Â€178 billion in 2012 in medium and long-term bonds.The amount is slightly down compared to this year, because of a reduction of the budget deficit.Fran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Facebook message led to arrest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Facebook-murder-airport-arrest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA FACEBOOK message led to a murder suspect being arrested after he posted that he was returning to France from Malaysia.Ludovic Pierrefeu, 26, was arrested by gendarmes as he ste...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Faulty implants should be removed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/PIP-breast-implants-removed-cancer-Britain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA GOVERNMENT health agency has said all women who have PIP breast implants, thought to be dangerous, should have them removed.Although the advice is not yet official, it was conf...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Disruptions ease as strike goes on]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Airport-security-strike-disruption-cancelled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFLIGHT disruptions are still affecting travellers at three airports today with a strike by security workers causing delays at Lyon, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and Toulouse.However, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Still no decision on SeaFrance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-Dover-Calais-ferry-workers-cooperative-funds-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWORKERS at troubled cross-Channel ferry company SeaFrance have been given an extra few days in which to try to pull together a deal to take over the company - although the present ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Santa threatens trader with gun]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Christmas-market-Santa-police-tree-seller-gun-Bordeaux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA Christmas market Santa was questioned by police after a dispute with a tree seller turned nastyA FESTIVE market Santa showed he lacked the usual jollity for the role when he th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Greens call for 32-hour week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Greens-Europe-Ecologie-Les-Verts-32-hour-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGREEN party Europe Ecologie-Les Verts is proposing a 32-hour working week.The party has adopted the idea as part of its manifesto for the 2012 presidential elections.It made th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[One-in-five Lyon flights hit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Lyon-airport-flights-ski-Charles-de-Gaulle-Orly-Toulouse-Christmas-holiday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAROUND 20% of flights at Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport were cancelled today due to continuing strike action by security staff that has seen almost no flights since Friday.Airport au...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police clear plane delayed 24 hours]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Riot-police-CRS-Paris-Doha-flight-delay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCRS RIOT police were called in to take angry passengers off a plane that had been stuck at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport after a technical problem delayed it for more than 24 hou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Council takes  action over wreck]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Brittany-Bremen-Beach-fuel-wreck-Drian-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBRITTANY regional council is taking legal action after the shipwreck of a Maltese freighter on a Morbihan beach caused pollution.The council has said it is making a formal compla...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storm blacks out 400,000 homes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Storm-Jaochim-trains-flights-nuclear-electricity-freighter-fire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA CARGO ship ran aground, 400,000 households were left without electricity, families were evacuated in the VendÃ©e, Blayais nuclear power station in Gironde was on storm alert, trai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Recession to last until spring]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-recession-Insee-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINSEE, the national statistics body, believes France is in an official recession period in this last part of 2011, moving into early 2012.It estimates a 0.2% reduction in GDP in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Silence is golden for the Globes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Actor-Dujardin-Havanavicius-Spielberg-Woody-Scorsese-Carla-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE is leading the way in the Golden Globe nominations with silent film The Artist at the front with six.The film is nominated as best musical or comedy and French lead Jean D...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘UK should lose AAA firstÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ratings-downgrade-Banque-de-France-UK-Noyer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBEFORE they think of lowering the French AAA grading the credit rating agencies should lower the UKÂ’s, says the governor of the Banque de France.Christian Noyer made the controve...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Channel and west coast face storm]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Violent-storm-Xynthia-Meteo-France-wind-wave-flood-Brittany-Channel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyVIOLENT winds and high seas are hitting the west coast with Meteo France putting 11 departments on orange alert and warning of the arrival of the first severe storm of the winter....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bumper shopping  day on Saturday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Saturday-busiest-Christmas-shopping-day-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHIS Saturday is predicted to be the busiest shopping day of the year. A study by the Centre for Retail Research, for the price comparison site kelkoo.fr, shows that 14.4 million...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Foie gras illegal say protesters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Foie-gras-illegal-EU-gavage-ducks-cages-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAN ANIMAL rights group has launched a new Stop Gavage campaign as it says that 85% of the foie gras sold in France is illegal.The group L214 points to EU regulations forbidding t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Secondary school teachers on strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/secondary-school-teachers-strike-evaluations-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTEACHERS are striking in protest at a new scheme for evaluating their work that they say is not practical and is just a money saving exercise.All but one of the teaching unions a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chirac gets 2-year suspended sentence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-Chirac-Paris-mayor-jobs-jail-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFORMER president Jacques Chirac, 79, has been sentenced to a two-year suspended jail term after being found guilty of embezzling public funds, abusing public confidence and a confl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free gets go-ahead for mobile phones]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-mobile-internet-triple-play-landline-broadband-femtocell-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINNOVATIVE internet operator Free is set to launch its mobile phone "revolution" after getting the go-ahead from telecoms regulator Arcep and signing a Â€1 billion, 10-year deal wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Call to use vets  in medical deserts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Vets-medical-deserts-medicine-doctors-deputy-mayor-Dijon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA DEPUTY mayor of Dijon, Burgundy, has suggested vets could be drafted in to make up for a lack of doctors in Â“medical desertÂ” areas.FranÃ§oise Tenenbaum, in charge of health at t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gas prices up but savings earn more]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-prices-rise-Livret-A-interest-rate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGAS is set for a price hike, but savings are set for a boost also.The price of gas is to go up 4.4% on January 1, says Energy Minister Eric Besson, putting an end to uncertainty ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance on the brink]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-channel-troubled-Paris-DFDS-offer-rejected-Mariani-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA WORKERS cooperative is the only offer on the table for troubled cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance and its future looks gloomy as the proposal is still tens of millions short of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School brings back uniforms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-boarding-school-brings-back-school-uniforms-social-inequality-dress-code-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BOARDING school for under-privileged children in the Paris suburbs is to become one of the first in the country to implement a compulsory uniform.From January, the 360 pupils a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protest rallies organised today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/austerity-cuts-protest-rallies-demonstrations-CGT-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPROTEST rallies are being held in towns across the country today, in opposition to the governmentÂ’s austerity plans.In total 185 demonstrations are planned, says one of the organ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gambling addict sues government]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-gambling-addict-sues-government-for-failing-to-protect-him-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA GAMBLING addict is suing the French government for failing to stop him accessing online poker and casino websites.According to RTL, the 37-year-old man, who is not named in rep...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report crimes on internet]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Victims-crime-report-internet-Cnil-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPEOPLE who have been victims of crimes will now be able to make a "pre-report" to the police online.The system has been trialled in the Yvelines, Charente-Maritime, Bas-Rhin and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin to stand  as president]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Villepin-candidacy-presidential-elections-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFORMER prime minister Dominique de Villepin has caused surprise by saying he is standing as president.A UMP party prime minister under Jacques Chirac before founding his own cent...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['No problem' with railway changes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Train-SNCF-rail-timetable-changes-TGV-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFOUR million rail commuters woke up to a revolution at their local stations this morning with 85% of the timetables across France changing - nearly 12,000 journeys out of the daily...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police target cowboy repairmen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-repair-locksmith-plumber-scam-cowboy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLICE are investigating more than 100 businesses in Paris who are suspected of running scams involving 24-hour locksmiths, plumbers and other urgent repair services.In one case ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cameron veto  was Â‘a blessingÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-advisor-UK-split-Europe-blessing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAN ADVISOR to President Sarkozy is reported to have said the British veto of a new EU treaty is welcome because it will allow the other states to move more quickly.It comes as Br...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senate says yes to foreign vote bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/non-eu-citizens-local-vote-elections-senate-in-favour-first-step-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE FRENCH Senate has voted in favour of giving non-EU citizens the right to vote in local elections - but the draft law now faces scrutiny from MPs in the National Assembly.The ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firms fined for soap price fixing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/price-fixing-cartel-washing-powder-detergent-france-competition-authority-ruling-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFOUR of the biggest suppliers of washing powder in France have been found guilty of price-fixing - and three of them have been hit with fines totalling Â€361m.The French competiti...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senate to debate foreigners' vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/senate-to-debate-giving-vote-to-non-eu-foreign-residents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRIME minister FranÃ§ois Fillon will today urge senators to reject a draft law that would allow non-EU citizens living in France to vote in municipal elections.The Senate, which h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More students to tackle GP shortage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-medicine-students-recruited-next-year-gp-doctor-shortage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE NUMBER of students joining medicine courses is to rise next year, in an attempt to solve the problem of GP shortages in various parts of France.Student numbers have been capp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Variable parking fines considered]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/variable-parking-fines-towns-could-set-own-sanctions-deter-drivers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyDRIVERS who park illegally could be fined different amounts from one town to the next, under a new plan being examined by the transport ministry.UMP senator Louis NÃ¨gre has recom...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris to scrap transport zones]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-public-transport-fares-flat-rate-region-2013-tickets-price-increase-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPUBLIC transport users will be free to travel anywhere in the Paris region for a flat monthly fee from 2013, regardless of how far from the centre they live.Ile-de-France transpo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs unite in vote against sex trade]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prostitution-abolition-sex-trade-Geoffroy-Bousquet-MP-jail-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA RARE vote saw MPs from both right and left of the National Assembly voting together to push for the abolition of prostitution.Socialist MP Danielle Bousquet and the UMP's Guy G...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Google opens  new Paris HQ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Besson-Google-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy has inaugurated a new Google headquarters in Paris.The web giant has invested more than Â€100 million in offices in a grand Paris townhouse with 10,000m2 of spac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Alpine glaciers 25% smaller]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Glaciers-Alps-Mont-Blanc-Belledonne-Ecrins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAS FRANCE basked after its warmest November and driest autumn since the beginning of the last century scientists say glaciers are in retreat across the French Alps.A research pap...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Corruption claims  over new Â‘Pentagon]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/corruption-bouygues-Pentagon-Defence-Balard-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyJUDICIAL investigations are under way into possible corruption in relation to construction firm Bouygues winning the contract to build a new Ministry of Defence complex.Officials...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[36% want the franc back]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Thirty-six-per-cent-return-franc-poll-Ipsos-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMORE than a third of French people would still like to return to the franc, says a poll.A total of 36% would like the old currency back, said an Ipsos/Logica poll for the associa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[December train  strikes called off]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Festive-period-train-strikes-called-off-Pepy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHERE will be no train strikes over the Christmas and New Year weekends, says the head of the SNCF.Strikes over the next four weekends had been called by the Fgaac-CFDT union, wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No new austerity measures ahead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Baroin-austerity-credit-rating-AAA-Standard-Poor-Sarkozy-Merkel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyECONOMY Minister FranÃ§ois Baroin has promised there will be no "third round" of austerity measures after credit-rating agency Standard and Poor's said France was set to lose its to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs to vote on prostitution ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prostitution-ban-MP-prostitute-trafficking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPROSTITUTION could be banned under a proposal by Socialist MP Danielle Bousquet, UMP MP Guy Geoffroy and the heads of all the political groups at the National Assembly.MPs are de...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boss promises trains will run]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-strike-train-timetable-drivers-Pepy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySNCF BOSS Guillaume PÃ©py has promised "every train will be running during the festive season" after a drivers' union called weekend strikes.PÃ©py said that if the strike was to go...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gas prices set to  rise on January 1]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-prices-January-GDF-Suez-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGAS prices are set to go up on January 1 Â– despite promises by the government that they were to remain frozen until after the presidential elections.This comes as top administrat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Miss Alsace wins Miss France title]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Miss-France-Alsace- Fontenay-Wespiser-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA MANAGEMENT student from Alsace has been voted Miss France 2012.Delphine Wespiser, 19, said she felt proud on behalf of the people of her region, adding: Â“I would like to encour...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Electric cars start in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Electric-car-Autolib-Delanoe-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA FLEET of electric cars will be taking to the streets of Paris today as the capital launches its AutolibÂ’ car hire scheme across 46 communes.The move comes four years after the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Greenpeace protest in nuclear plant]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Greenpeace-nuclear-power-station-Nogent-Paris-Besson-EDF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyACTIVISTS from Greenpeace have managed to penetrate security at a nuclear power station just 95km from Paris, sparking urgent searches at other sites across France.The Interior M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eiffel Tower tree plans are denied]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-eiffel-tower-plants-shrubbery-denied-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPARIS city officials have strongly denied reports that they are planning to cover the Eiffel Tower with 600,000 plants.Le Figaro suggested this week that, from next June, the tow...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New tax on  TVs and fridges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/New-tax-appliances- televisions-fridges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA SURCHARGE scheme on household appliances is planned for the start of next year.It could affect televisions, washing machines, fridges, air conditioning units etc.The more ele...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Radar detectors may be swamped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Radar-detector-speed-camera-danger-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRADAR detectors could soon become useless annoyances for drivers after prefects were instructed to vastly increase the number of "danger zones" that they are now signalling.Used ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sir Paul attacks school meals plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/McCartney-Paul-vegetarian-French-government-decree-school-meals-meat-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyNEW rules for school dining halls have been attacked by Sir Paul McCartney who says they ban vegetarian meals.Writing on his website, Sir Paul said "The French Government's recen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plans to save economy outlined]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-Sarkozy-France-EU-economy-eurozone-Merkel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy outlined plans for action to improve the economy of France and the eurozone in a speech in Toulon.He said he is to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monda...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance ships stay tied up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Dover-Calais-mediator-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyHOPES that SeaFrance ferries could put back to sea on the Dover-Calais crossing have been dashed after a court-appointed mediator failed to broker a deal between unions and the com...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[WildeÂ’s tomb now  lipstick-free]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Lipstick-Oscar-Wilde-tomb-Pere-Lachaise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyOSCAR WildeÂ’s tomb in Paris has been completely restored and the lower section placed behind a glass barrier.The distinctive monument, in PÃ¨re-Lachaise was known for formerly bei...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Breath test kits obligatory in cars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Breath-test-alcohol-driver-Sarkozy-death-toll-speed-camera-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyDRIVERS will have to carry a breath test kit in their vehicles from next spring as part of new measures by President Sarkozy to cut the roads death toll.Other measures include 40...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EasyJet flights back to normal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Easyjet-strike-France-cabin-crew-profit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyEASYJET says its flights in France are back to normal today after a strike by cabin staff caused some disruption to services.The low-cost airline had to cancel 13 of its 164 flig...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs vote through VAT rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/MPs-reduced-VAT-canteens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE increase in the reduced rate of VAT Â– part of the governmentÂ’s second austerity plan Â– has been voted through by MPs.The measure, taking the rate from 5.5% to 7%, affects a r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minors may face justice system]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Minors-juvenile-delinquent-12-justice-UMP-Cope-Sarkozy-Estrosi-Morano-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPLANS by President Sarkozy's UMP party for 12-year-olds to be brought into the criminal justice system have been criticised as a step too far by several of his own supporters.Ber...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tower Â‘will be covered in plantsÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eiffel-Tower-covered-plants-Figaro-Vinci-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE CITY of Paris is planning to cover the Eiffel Tower with 600,000 plants, according to claims in Le Figaro today.The paper said there are plans to spend Â€72 million on making ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Skiers hit as Alps stations stay shut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ski-Alps-closed-lack-snow-warm-meteo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA LACK of snow has hit skiers' plans for this weekend after nine ski stations in the French Alpes decided to delay planned opening.Alpe d'Huez (IsÃ¨re), Auron (Alpes-Maritimes), C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Red teddy plan Â‘was stigmatisingÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teddy-screens-late-payers-withdrawn-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA SYSTEM of screens in school canteens marking children with a red teddy bear logo if their families were behind with lunch payments, is being withdrawn.The idea was the brainchi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Harinordoquy dad in pitch punch-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Harinordoquy-father-Biarritz-Bayonne-pitch-battle-sorry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBASQUE rugby team Bayonne are to lodge a complaint after last night's defeat against bitter local rivals Biarritz - after the father of Biarrot captain Imanol Harinordoquy joined i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet bid for Paris MÃ©tro]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-Metro-internet-underground-3G-RATP-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPARIS MÃ©tro could have internet access underground within two years after transport network RATP asked the four service providers to come up with a plan - and some cash.However, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Child Â‘killed in washing machineÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Father-murder-child-washing-machine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA FATHER has been charged with killing his toddler by putting him in the washing machine and turning it on.Â“Christophe C.Â”, 33, father of Bastien, three, is said to have wanted t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France seeks new GM corn ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-GM-maize-corn-Monsanto-court-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE is to "look at all ways of not cultivating" genetically modified corn after its highest court overturned the ban on planting genetically-modified maize.Agriculture Ministe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment is worst for 12 years]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-worst-1999-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyJOBLESS people seeking work increased by 34,400 in October to 2,814,900 Â– the highest level since December 1999.The figure is up 1.2% on the previous month and up 4.9% in a year....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fans ready for new rugby stadium]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rugby-stadium-Paris-contract-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRENCH rugby fans could soon get their own 82,000-seater stadium as the FÃ©dÃ©ration FranÃ§aise de Rugby revealed it was in the process of choosing a short list of architects and choo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eight million see Les Intouchables]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Intouchables-cinema-hilarious-quadriplegic-wheelchair-Cluzet-Sy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFEEL-GOOD movie Les Intouchables has pulled more than eight million people out of their armchairs and away from the nightly euro crisis on their TV screens since it was released fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GuÃ©ant promises to slash immigration]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gueant-immigrants-foreigners-integrated-xenophobic-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINTERIOR Minister Claude GuÃ©ant has promised to bring down immigration in the next year from its present 200,000 a year to 20,000.Speaking on Europe 1's Le Grand rendez-vous, he ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restos du Coeur campaign launches]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Restos-du-Coeur-winter-campaign-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySIXTY thousand people are expected to volunteer in the winter campaign of Les Restaurants du Coeur, which launches today.Founded in 1985 by the comedian Coluche, the charity prov...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taxi drivers jam autoroute]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Taxi-jam-autoroute-protest-tourist-car-Marseille-Aix-Nice-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTAXI drivers in Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Nice plan to jam motorway traffic with a go-slow protest today and tomorrow against "too lax" rules on drivers of "voitures de touris...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘Ratings of whole EU at riskÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Moody-credit-ratings-EU-countries-threat-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Â“rapid escalationÂ” of the economic crisis in the eurozone is threatening the ratings of all European countries, says credit ratings agency MoodyÂ’s.The firm has upped the pres...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Worker crushed to death by lift]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/worker-crushed-lift-killed-liftshaft-Paris-mother-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA WORKMAN has died and two others were severely injured when they were crushed by a falling lift in a Paris building.Reports in Le Figaro said that they had been working in the w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[100th Tour will start in Corsica]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/100-Tour-de-France-Corsica-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE 100th Tour de France, in 2013, will start in Corsica Â– the first time it has gone to the Â“Isle of BeautyÂ”.Corsica Â– 170km south-east of the CÃ´te dÂ’Azur Â– is the only region o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Beckham 'set to sign for Paris']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Beckham-PSG-Paris-Tottenham-Manchester-Leonardo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyDAVID Beckham is on the verge of signing for Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports on both sides of the Channel saying he could pick up a pay packet of around Â€13 million.The...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protests over  nuclear train]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Activists-nuclear-waste-train-urban-area-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyANTI-NUCLEAR activists who have been protesting the journey through France of a train carrying German nuclear waste claim a decision to halt it in the station of RÃ©milly near Metz ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Breast implant woman dies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Breast-implant-cancer-victim-PIP-gel-rupture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA WOMAN has died from lymphatic cancer thought to have been contracted from a defective breast implant - the first in France.Implant manufacturer Poly Implant ProthÃ¨ses was shut ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy opposes  foreignersÂ’ vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-voting-rights-non-EU-foreigners-vote-Senate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy has insisted local election votes must remain for the French and Europeans only.Speaking to 3,000 mayors invited to the ElysÃ©e during their annual conference, h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marks & Spencer finally opens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marks-Spencer-Champs-Elysee-Paris-shopping-Autograph-Limited-Per-Una-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMARKS &nbsp; Spencer officially opened the doors of its new store at 100 Champs-ElysÃ©es at noon on Thursday - its return to France for the first time in 10 years.The launch is vi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF plans coach service]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-coach-speed-Eurolines-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyNATIONAL train company the SNCF is preparing to branch into coaches, as a counterattack to this summerÂ’s launch of Eurolines in France.Called Â“SpeedÂ”, the project aims at creatin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€90 million winter plan for SNCF]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-90-million-winter-snow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTO AVOID the kind of problems faced last year Â– which included a train delayed for 15 hours on a route from Strasbourg to Spain Â– the SNCF has announced a Â€90 million winter plan....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Miniskirt ban for primary pupils]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-miniskirt-high-heels-stilettos-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyHIGH heels, miniskirts and make-up have been banned for pupils at a school - a primary school.The school council at PloudalmÃ©zeau, near Brest in FinistÃ¨re, voted in the ban which...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[M&S in mystery over opening]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marks-Spencer-Champs-Elysees-Paris-opening-Autograph-Limited-Per-Una-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMYSTERY surrounds the planned opening date for the new Marks &nbsp; Spencer store on the Champs-ElysÃ©es in Paris.Several leading French newspapers say that the 1,400sq.m shop on ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Workers will not lose sick pay day]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Employees-sick-pay-four-days-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRIVATE sector workers who are ill will not have to lose a fourth day before sick pay kicks in, says the prime minister, backtracking on a recent plan.As part of a saving drive, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mitterrand widow dies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Danielle-Mitterrand-president-Resistance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFORMER first lady of France Danielle Mitterrand died in the early hours of Tuesday morning.The widow of President FranÃ§ois Mitterrand had been placed in an artificial coma at the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mayors worried about funding]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mayors-France-finances-conference-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon is set to face a difficult audience this afternoon as he addresses the conference of the mayors of France Â– many of whom are worried about their fina...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Diesel prices at highest level]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Diesel-petrol-drivers-oil-fioul-essence-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRICES of diesel have hit their highest level for three years - just short of Â€1.40 - causing a headache for the 70% of drivers in France who use it.The absolute record price was...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hollande slump is Â‘normalÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Socialists-Hollande-drop-polls-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Socialists have defended a slump in the polls of their presidential candidate, FranÃ§ois Hollande, as a Â“logical readjustmentÂ” now the partyÂ’s primaries are over and he is less ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Young offenders in the spotlight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Politicians-Agnes-rape-murder-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPOLITICIANS of all political hues have reacted after it emerged that a schoolboy who has admitted raping and murdering a schoolmate had already spent time in prison in connection w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister receptive on SeaFrance plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Dover-Calais-transport-minister-Mariani-DFDS-jobs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyUNIONS representing workers at embattled cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance said Transport Minister Thierry Mariani had been "very receptive" to their plans for a workers' buy-out ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mixed progress on  bank charges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Report-CCSF-banks-charges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBANKS have reduced their charges on certain areas but others have gone up, says a report evaluating progress in this area.The banks were asked in 2009 to moderate their charges, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record dry year despite storms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Meteo-France-weather-hot-dry-mild-rain-storms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAS PARTS of the south of France again face orange weather alerts for heavy rainfalls and flooding Meteo France has said that this month has already been one of the warmest and drie...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carcinogen used on baby bottles]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Investigation-carcinogen-sterilise-baby-bottles-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN INVESTIGATION has been ordered by the health minister into the use of a carcinogenic substance to sterilise baby bottles.Xavier Bertrand said bottles, rubber teats and breast shields which have b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teacher 'pulls  off' boy's ear]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teacher-ear-pulled-canteen-operation-stitches-parents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA TEACHER is facing prosecution after pulling a pupil's ear to stop disruption in the canteen - and part of it came away from the boy's head.The six-year-old had just had an oper...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bosses accused on Sunday working]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sunday-workers-law-volunteer-ignored-tourist-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCOMPANIES have been accused in a parliamentary report of ignoring the laws on Sunday working which say that workers should be volunteers.Senators looking into the working of the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Insurance costs  set to rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Insurance-2012-rise-home-health-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINSURANCE policies are set to rise again in 2012, following a hike earlier this year, says insurance industry consultants Facts &nbsp; Figures.All the main kinds of personal insu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Radioactive cloud detected in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Radioactive-cloud-iodine-watchdog-nuclear-Fukushima-IRSN-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA CLOUD of radioactive gas has been detected over France and large parts of Europe causing alarm in several countries.Low levels of the gas - iodine-131 - was first officially re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Launch of Free Mobile Â‘imminentÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-launch-mobile-phone-service-Christmas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINTERNET operator Free could be set to launch its new mobile phone service before Christmas.Apart from promising low prices, it is also expected to offer the possibility of free ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands cheer Beaujolais Nouveau]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Beaujolais-Nouveau-gamay-hectolitres-Japan-United-States-Germany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHOUSANDS of people cheered as the clock struck midnight in the centre of its production Beaujeu (RhÃ´ne) and the first of many thousands of barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau were breac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Automatic baggage check-in at Orly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orly-Baggage-check-in-luggage-automatic-queues-boarding-airport-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPASSENGERS flying out of Paris Orly will soon be able to check their baggage in automatically - the whole process taking as little as 30 seconds.The system was developed by Orly ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plan to reduce  sick pay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Government-sick-pay-private-public-fonctionnaires-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCIVIL servants will lose a dayÂ’s pay before compensation for sickness kicks in, the government proposes - but private sector workers will have to lose four instead of three.The m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New charter for citizenship]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Charter-rights-responsibilities-French-citizenship-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA NEW charter on rights and responsibilities which will have to be signed by people wanting to become French has been drawn up.The charter, while mainly symbolic, reinforces the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance ships stuck at quayside]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Channel-tribunal-DFDS-Dover-Calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTROUBLED Calais-Dover ferry operator SeaFrance has not been able to get its ships back to sea after it was given leeway to trade until January 28 to allow it more time to find a bu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UMP wants return of school uniform]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-uniform-Sarkozy-UMP-inequality-blazer-pinafore-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySCHOOL uniforms could be making a comeback as part of proposals from President Sarkozy's UMP party to "rub out social inequality".The plan is included in a package of 15 measures...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Landlords hit out at tax hikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Landlords-tax-fonciere-hike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPROPERTY ownership tax - taxe fonciÃ¨re - went up 22% in five years, a study shows.With homeowners having just paid this yearÂ’s bill (up again in many cases), figures from UNPI, a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bomber blows up speed camera]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speed-camera-radar-A31-Nancy-accident-blackspot-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BOMBER has blown up one of France's highest-earning speed cameras, on the A31 near Nancy.The CRS autoroutiÃ¨re de Lorraine-Alsace said the bomb had destroyed the apparatus and b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs refuse to  lower salaries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/MPs-salary-cut-Lionnel-Luca-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMPs have refused to lower their salaries, following a proposal by an Alpes-Maritimes MP.Lionnel Luca had presented the idea of a 10% pay cut as an amendment to the 2012 budget la...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New plan for  superfast internet]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-fibre-optic-broadband-SFR-Orange-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINTERNET operators Orange and SFR have teamed up in a plan to supply fibre-optic internet to homes outside dense urban areas.Up until now they have mainly been installing the tec...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cut spending, but not on education]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Poll-economy-education-health-food-budget-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA POLL has revealed that people are willing to make cuts in their everyday spending to cope with the economic crisis - but do not want to see any cuts in the education of their chi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance halts Channel crossings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-Channel-suspended-Dover-Calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCALAIS-Dover ferry operator SeaFrance has suspended all cross-Channel services with immediate effect. It advised passengers with tickets from Calais to head instead to Dunkirk wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘SymbolicÂ’ gay wedding celebrated]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gay-marriage-Pyrenees-Cabestany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAN ILLEGAL gay wedding has been held in a small town in the PyrÃ©nÃ©es-Orientales, relaunching the debate on same sex marriage in France.Dressed in his tricolore sash, the mayor of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Somme residents to pick new name]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Somme-residents-name-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRESIDENTS in the Somme are being asked to find themselves a name - with options so far ranging from Sommois to Sommeliers.The Conseil GÃ©nÃ©ral de la Somme and local media organisa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French aid trio freed in Yemen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Yemen-aid-humanitarian-Oman-Sarkozy-ransom-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHREE French aid workers who have been held hostage by an alleged Al-Qaida group in Yemen have been freed after nearly six months.The two women and one man have not been named bu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Easier access to  pill for teenagers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/MP-pill-contraception-free-anonymous-minors-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA PROPOSED law making the contraceptive pill free and anonymous for minors who ask for it is being presented to parliament today.UMP Party MP BÃ©rengÃ¨re Poletti recommends the mea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy wants to honour war dead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Armistice-Triomphe-war-dead-Afghanistan-Meaux-museum-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA SPECIAL ceremony will be held at the Arc de Triomphe today as President Sarkozy pays tribute to the 25 soldiers killed in the past year in Afghanistan and moves towards making No...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Agency blundered over French rating]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Standard-Poor- France-rating-mistake-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCREDIT rating agency Standard &nbsp; PoorÂ’s blundered by Â‘accidentallyÂ’ telling some subscribers it had lowered FranceÂ’s AAA rating.The mistake Â– whereby an incorrect automatic m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[South floods cost Â€800m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Flood-insurance-damage-dead-Var-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyDAMAGE from widespread flooding across the south of France over the past week has been estimated at between Â€550 million and Â€800m by the insurers body Caisse Centrale de RÃ©assuran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TV and internet rule our free time]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-leisure-Insee-statistics-sleep-kitchen-TV-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPEOPLE are spending twice as much time on the internet as they did at the end of the millennium and that means they are spending less time in the kitchen, doing housework, DIY, and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rival Miss France event banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Genevieve-de-Fontenay-Miss-France-Nationale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Â“Lady in the HatÂ”, GeneviÃ¨ve de Fontenay, has been banned from holding her alternative beauty contest Â“Miss NationaleÂ” next month.De Fontenay, who has been associated with Mi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Climbers found  dead on Mont Blanc]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Stranded-climbers-dead-Mont-Blanc-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE two climbers stranded for a week in freezing conditions on Mont Blanc have not survived their ordeal.Olivier Sourzac, 47, and Charlotte Demetz, 44, were found dead by rescue ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet hackers should Â‘face jailÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-hacker-leak-UMP-MP-Marland-Militello-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyINTERNET hackers should face four years in prison for stealing confidential information and abusing the rights of people to privacy in their lives, an MP has demanded.UMP MP Muri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rival reacts as Bergerac to shut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bergerac-Brive-airport-runway-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBERGERAC Airport is to shut its runway for three months at the start of next year for repair works to cracks and rival operator Brive is increasing its flights to "help out".Arou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Buy a poppy for November 11]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/buy-poppies-france-armistice-day-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWHILE the Poppy Appeal has been running for 90 years the equivalent French commemorative group Â– the Bleuet de France [cornflower] Â– has only been running since 1934.Although it ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Johnny Depp quits France over tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Johnny-Depp-tax-France-American-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPIRATES of the Carribean star Johnny Depp has said he is quitting France even although he says in an interview in the December issue of The Connexion it is a "country that has made...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris opens 550 beds for homeless]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-homeless-shelter-crisis-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFEARING a "major humanitarian crisis" this winter because of the problems caused by the financial troubles, Paris mayor Bertrand DelanoÃ« has opened up 550 beds for homeless people ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fears for man in flood river]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orange-Meteo-flood-Var-tide-wind-Nice-Antibes-Grimaud-Argens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRESIDENTS in the Var have been warned to take extreme precautions as continuing rain and high winds have seen the orange weather alert maintained for the third day.Rescuers are a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France targeted by new email virus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-DuQu-email-virus-Iran-Symantec-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMICROSOFT engineers are working to rush out a permanent fix to stop attacks by a new virus called DuQu, which has been found on Windows computers in France.It has already issued ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PM announces more austerity]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fillon-austerity-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon has announced a series of cuts in the second raft of austerity measures in a few months.Speaking on TF1 news, he said: Â“There are not many governme...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hope running out for climbers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Climbers-Mont-Blanc-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA MOUNTAIN guide and a climber have been stuck at 4,000m altitude in the Alps for more than five days.Emergency services have been trying to rescue the pair, who are on the Mont ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strike will hit rail services]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rail-strike-Europe-TGV-TER-Paris-Atlantique-Eurostar-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRAIL services across France are expected to be disrupted tomorrow as part of a Europe-wide strike in protest at the opening of the railway market to private competition.However, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New austerity plan presented]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/New-austerity-plan-Fillon-TF1-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA NEW raft of austerity measures is to be presented by the government today in a bid to save FranceÂ’s AAA credit rating.The hard-hitting plan is expected to include a speeding-up...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[BÃ©rÃ©nice is new French Bond girl]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bond-Skyfall-Berenice-Marlohe-Daniel-Craig-Mendes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMODEL and actress BÃ©rÃ©nice Marlohe will be the new Bond girl alongside Daniel Craig in the new movie, Skyfall.The producers of the 23rd of the Bond films, and the third to star C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Var on orange flood alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Var-Orange-alert-floods-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Var is still on orange alert at MÃ©tÃ©o France this morning after heavy rains caused floods in the south-east this weekend.The alert level means Â“be very careful because danger...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Obama backs Sarkozy efforts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Obama-Sarkozy-euro-Cannes-G20-Greece-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAMERICAN president Barack Obama has backed President Sarkozy in his efforts to stabilise the euro and resolve the crisis in debt-ridden Europe which overshadowed the opening of the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scientology appeal heard in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Scientology-Paris-appeal-sect-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE French branch of Scientology is back in court for an appeal against a 2009 trial which found it guilty of Â“fraud in an organised gangÂ”.The Paris criminal court fined Scientol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Red storm alert for 3 departments]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Herault-storm-flood-rain-Lozere-Aveyron-Gard-Languedoc-Roussillon-Meteo-school-transport-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyALMOST a year's worth of rain has fallen on the HÃ©rault over the past four days with residents in Languedoc-Roussillon describing a "wall of water" falling from the sky.The depar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School at age 3  plan scrapped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Socialists-law-schooling-three-obligatory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySOCIALIST senators have withdrawn a proposed law making schooling obligatory from three instead of six.The move came after a battle between the right-wing UMP-led government and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Politicians do not care, say 83%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Politicians-poll-corrupt-faith-confidence-distrust-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyJUST six months before France goes to vote for its new president an opinion poll says 83% of politicians care "not enough" or "not at all" for the concerns of the population.The ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[250mm of rain falls in 24 hours]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Flood-storm-weather-alert-Meteo-orange-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMETEO France has issued weather warnings across nearly the whole of France with severe rainstorms expected to last until Saturday.The ArdÃ¨che, Gard, HÃ©rault and LozÃ¨re have been ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Greece dominates  agenda in Cannes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Greece-G20-summit-Papandreou-Sarkozy-Merkel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyGREECE continues to cast a shadow over the G20 summit which officially starts today in Cannes with a working lunch.President Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel announced...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firebombers attack satirical magazine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Charlie-Hebdo-Islamist-firebomb-molotov-cocktail-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTWO firebombers are being hunted for an attack on the offices of the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo ahead of the publication today of a special issue which the magazine said was i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti-G20 marches held peacefully]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/G20-protests-violence-Nice-Cannes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySO FAR the Â“alternative G20 summitÂ” being organised by protestors in Nice has taken place without violence Â– to the relief of inhabitants and shopkeepers.There were concerns that...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurotunnel attacks bid to buy ferries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurotunnel-SeaFrance-LD-DFDS-ferry-Calais-Dover-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyEUROTUNNEL has attacked plans by ferry companies LD Lines and DFDS Seaways to buy up foundering French ferry firm SeaFrance, saying that the move would be anti-competitive.It is ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-11-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Third day of  Air France strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Strikes-Air-France-hostess-steward-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAIR stewards and hostesses at Air France are entering a third day of strikes.However management at the company say 85% of flights will be running as usual.Over the weekend ther...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Austerity plan may mean rise in VAT ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/VAT-business-tax-austerity-MPs-senators-budget-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyLEAKS from the finance ministry have revealed that the government is looking at a new austerity plan on top of the measures that are being voted on in parliament.Newspaper Journa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France is EUÂ’s top wine producer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Italy-Europe-top-wine-producer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE is set to be EuropeÂ’s top producer of wine again after being overtaken by Italy last year.French wine production is set to reach 50 million hectolitres this year, up 11% c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Magret is the No1 dish for French]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/magret-canard-moules-frites-blanquette-veau-couscous-steak-favourite-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMAGRET de canard has knocked blanquette de veau off its perch as the favourite dish of French people and left moules-frites and couscous trailing in its wake.A study by TNS Sofre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Second accident at Disney train ride]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Disneyland-Paris-train-accident-hurt-Thunder-Mountain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE Big Thunder Mountain train at Disneyland Paris has been hit by its second accident in six months after two wagons were derailed.Two people were slightly hurt and one child le...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘We have avoided catastropheÂ’ ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-Sarkozy-TV-catastrophe-austerity-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy insisted Â“we took important decisions that have avoided catastropheÂ”, as he spoke on French television after the euro summit.However he admitted more austerity ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU leaders reach euro agreement]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/EU-leaders-euro-summit-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWRITING off half of the Greek debt and reinforcing the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) were the main decisions taken at last nightÂ’s summit to save the euro.At nearl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France sells Â€5bn of arms globally]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-arms-sales-world-Libya-Syria-Yemen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE sold more than Â€5 billion worth of arms round the world in 2010 and kept its position as the fourth biggest world arms retailer.A parliamentary report said that contracts ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unlit motorways mean fewer crashes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Unlit-motorway-autoroute-crashes-reduced-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHIEVES who stole copper electricity cables from autoroutes in the Ile-de-France have inadvertently sparked a new road safety campaign as it has been found unlit motorways lead to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France strike set to go ahead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Air-France-cabin-crew-strike-text-phone-website-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAIR France says that it expects 80% of its flights to go ahead this weekend despite a strike by cabin crew protesting about plans to cut the numbers working on each flight.Howeve...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Vital euro summit being held tonight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Europe-leaders-euro-summit-Brussels-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE leaders of the EU countries are meeting tonight Â– they must come to a decision on how to save the currencyEUROPEÂ’S leaders are to meet tonight for a summit in Brussels at whi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New-look MusÃ©e  d'Orsay is shut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Musee-Orsay-strike-Paris-Amont-Seine-Louvre-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA STRIKE has closed the newly-refurbished MusÃ©e d'Orsay in Paris to visitors for the past week as workers protest against the opening of new gallery space without extra staff being...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Risk of power cuts this winter]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-power-cuts-winter-electricity-nuclear-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHERE is a risk of power cuts in France this winter due to the closure of German power stations.Leading consultancy firm Capgemini says in an annual study on European electricity...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[South-east is on  orange storm alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Brittany-Alpes-Maritimes-Var-Bouches-du-Rhone-floods-orange-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMETEO France is on orange alert (Â“be very vigilant because dangerous weather is expectedÂ”) in the south-east.The alert level has been in place since yesterday afternoon in the Al...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France-All Blacks hits TV record]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-rugby-TV-All-Blacks-New-Zealand-Auckland-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRUGBY drew the year's biggest TV audience with 15.4 million viewers watching the Rugby World Cup final  between France and New Zealand.Sunday morning hardly counts as prime-time ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance rescue deal is rejected]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SeaFrance-ferry-funding-rejected-Commission-Air-France-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA RESCUE plan for Channel ferry operator SeaFrance has been rejected by the European Commission as it breaches state aid rules.The Commission said: "France has been unable to sho...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Politician caught speeding at 171kph]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Huchon-speeding-politician-autoroute-licence-Sarkozy-LePen-Bayrou-Royal-Bertrand-Bove-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyJUST days after SÃ©curitÃ© RoutiÃ¨re lauched a TV campaign to reduce road accidents over the festive season the president of Ile-de-France region has been flashed at 171kph on the A13...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy and  Cameron clash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Sarkozy-Cameron-argument-euro-summits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HEATED argument reportedly broke out between Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron at the Brussels euro summit.Â“WeÂ’re sick of you criticising us and telling us what we need to do,Â” President Sarkozy t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bosses' confidence plummets again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Business-confidence-Insee-bosses-companies-growth-forecast-demand-austerity-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyBUSINESS confidence in France has fallen for the second month according to a survey by statistics body Insee.After plummeting nine points between July and September, the indicato...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Epidemic of gastric flu]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gastric-flu-epidemic-five-regions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFIVE regions are affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis, an illness causing diarrhea and vomiting.They are all above the Â“epidemicÂ” level (204 cases per 100,000 of the popula...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carla reveals baby's name Giulia]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Carla-Giulia-Sarkozy-Muette-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyWITH a message of thanks on her website, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy revealed the name of her new baby girl as Giulia.The name is of Italian origin and means "youthful".She said she an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Baby girl for the president]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Carla-baby-girl-Bruni-Sarkozy-Muette-Frankfurt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCARLA Bruni-Sarkozy has given birth to a girl in La Muette clinic in Paris.News of the birth quickly spread to reporters round the clinic but there was no official confirmation f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax on high incomes voted in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/MPs-tax-high-incomes-austerity-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA TAX on very high incomes has been voted through by the MPs.The measure, which is part of the governmentÂ’s austerity plan, involves an extra tax at 3% on incomes between Â€250,00...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ritz to close for two-year facelift]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ritz-hotel-Paris-luxury-Crillon-Plaza-Mandarin-Shangrila-renovation-Palace-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPARIS'S famed Hotel Ritz is to close its doors and lay off around 500 staff while it undergoes an "unprecedented renovation project" lasting more than two years.The move by owner...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two-thirds would vote for Hollande]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/62-Hollande-Sarkozy-poll-president-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storySOCIALIST Party presidential candidate FranÃ§ois Hollande would easily beat Nicolas Sarkozy if an election was held today, shows a poll.A CSA survey for 20 Minutes, BFMTV and RMC ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Spy chief charged with spying]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Squarcini-Sarkozy-spy-chief-charged-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFRANCE'S No1 spy has been charged with "illegally collecting data", "violating confidential communications" and "violating the confidentiality of sources" of a journalist at Le Mon...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French AAA rating under threat]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Moodys-France-negative-outlook-AAA-rating-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRATINGS agency MoodyÂ’s has warned that it may place FranceÂ’s top AAA economic rating on Â“negative outlookÂ”.This would be a sign that if things do not improve, then FranceÂ’s AAA m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Family to care for LÂ’OrÃ©al heiress]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Oreal-heiress-Bettencourt-control-17bn-euro-fortune-tutelle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyL'OrÃ©al heiress Liliane Bettencourt has lost control of her Â€17 billion fortune after a judge declared her mentally incompetent to handle her own affairs. She has been placed under...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Men tried to set bus driver on fire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bus-driver-petrol-fire-Gennevilliers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA BUS driver has escaped with his life after two men tried to set him on fire.The young men came on to the bus and threw petrol around before throwing a lighted match on it.The...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strauss-Kahn bids to clear name]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Strauss-Kahn-callgirl-Lille-Carlton-vice-racket-judges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFORMER International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has demanded to speak to detectives investigating an alleged vice ring in the northern city of Lille to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hollande wins the primaries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hollande-Socialist-primaries-presidential-elections-Aubry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyCLEAR winner of the Socialist primaries with 57% to Martine AubryÂ’s 43%, FranÃ§ois Hollande will be the partyÂ’s candidate as for the presidential elections next year.The second ro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cigarette prices  rise above 6 euros]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cigarette-tobacco-tabac-budget-Fillon-Marlboro-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFOR the third year in a row the price of cigarettes has risen and the 6% rise means a pack of the most popular brand, Marlboro, costs 6.20 euros.Anti-smoking groups say that desp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hero boy, 10, saves mum in car]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Boy-10-hero-steering-wheel-seizure-driver-Lyon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA 10-YEAR-OLD boy has been praised after taking over the steering wheel when his mum fell ill while driving Â– and managing to get the car into the side of the road with the help of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teacher sets  herself on fire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teacher-sets-alight-Beziers-Chatel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA MATHS teacher has died in hospital after having poured petrol on herself and set herself alight in the playground of her school in BÃ©ziers, Languedoc-Roussillon.The 44-year-old...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strauss-Kahn not to face sex charge]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Strauss-Kahn-Banon-sex-rape-assault-aggression-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFORMER International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn is not to face charges over an alleged sexual assault on French romantic novelist Tristane Banon because...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€162m EuroMillions winner gets prize]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/EuroMillions-162m-Calvados-lottery-Loto-winner-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyFranceÂ’s largest lottery jackpot winner has picked up his cheque for Â€162,256,622, EuroMillions organiser FranÃ§aise des Jeux has confirmed... just as it was revealed that the winne...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Contaminated baby milk withdrawn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baby-milk-metal-filings-boxes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyNESTLE has called for a batch of Guigoz baby milk powder to be withdrawn from stores after a customer found metal filings in two boxes bought in Montech (Tarn-et-Garonne).The box...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Survey shows high national happiness]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/National-statistics-body-Insee-survey-happiness-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyMONEY is not everything when it comes to happiness, but it helps.That was one of the findings of a survey by national statistics body  Insee, inspired by the recommendation of ec...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Glass floor for Eiffel Tower]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eiffel-Tower-glass-floor-facelift-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyA GLASS floor will be the main feature of a Â€25 million facelift of the Eiffel Tower which will open up access, bring it up to date and make the first floor as much a destination a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No more need to Â‘zapÂ’ loud adverts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Loud-TV-adverts-sound-CSA-quiet-annoy-Boyon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyANNOYING loud adverts on TV are set to be a thing of the past as the Conseil SupÃ©rieur de l'Audiovisuel has set a noise limit for programmes and ads.The measures will apply acros...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Row over jobs for foreigners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gueant-Wauquiez-foreign-graduates-work-circular-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyTHE higher education minister says he will Â“correctÂ” Â“misapplicationsÂ” of a government circular by prefects which are reportedly stopping non-European graduates from working in Fra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Public transport service disrupted ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-protests-strikes-austerity-trains-rail-transport-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyAROUND 200 protests marches are being organised around France today, with strike disruption expected, notably in transport.The rail workersÂ’ unions CGT cheminots and Sud-Rail ann...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Red-light radar offences up 1,500%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Traffic-light-radar-red-points-fines-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyRED-LIGHT offences have soared 1,500% after the introduction of radars at traffic junctions.The interior ministry said that the number had risen from 17,962 to 287,421 between 20...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Duke asks to give king back his head]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Louis-Bourbon-Good-King-Henri-head-necropolis-Saint-Denis-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share this storyPRESIDENT Sarkozy has been asked to give Â“good King HenriÂ” his head back just months after experts confirmed that a mummified head belonged to Henri IV whose body was desecrated by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2.5m vote in first Socialist election]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Socialist-primary-election-Hollande-Aubry-Montebourg-Royal-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY 2.5 million people voted in the first round of the Socialist Party primary election and put CorrÃ¨ze MP FranÃ§ois Hollande in prime position with 39% of the vote with party secretary Martine Aubr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strikes against austerity cuts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-strikes-protests-disruption-transport-schools-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WIDESPREAD disruption is expected tomorrow due to strikes and marches against the governmentÂ’s austerity plan.The coordinated action by large unions (apart from FO) is expected to affect schools and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Dolphins were tied to concrete block]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dolphins-concrete-Marseille-mammals-bodies-gendarme-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DIVERS have discovered the bodies of three dolphins tied by their tails to a block of concrete in a bay in the Calanques near Marseille.The gruesome discovery was made by a team from a diving school...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Supermarkets Â‘must publicise marginsÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Supermarkets-obliged-publicise-margins-Estrosi-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKETS will be obliged to publicise their margins, so as to encourage lower prices, if a law passed by MPs gets a final green light.Alpes-Maritimes MP Christian Estrosi, who submitted the law,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Trains disrupted as railman stabbed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Trains-disrupt-SNCF-stab-Lyon-Strasbourg-Pepy-TER-TGV-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN services have been massively disrupted across the country as rail workers walked out after a colleague was stabbed on the Lyon-Strasbourg Corail.No trains were running on that line today and t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fizzy drinks tax could be doubled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-french-tax-sugary-sweetened-fizzy-drinks-doubled-help-farmers-agriculture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSED new tax on sugary drinks could bring in twice as much money as initially planned, to help support France's farming industry.The levy on drinks with added sugar was announced in August as ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hands-free kits may be banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hands-free-mobile-alcohol-ban-MPs-road-toll-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HANDS-FREE phones could be banned for drivers under new proposals from the parliamentary committee on road safety Â– who also called for an almost complete alcohol ban for young drivers.Altogether th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Worries over purchasing power]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Faith-trust-politicians-improve-purchasing-power-survey-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE have lost faith in the ability of politicians to improve their purchasing power.A Viavoice-BCPE survey for Les Echos and France Info shows 46% of people said they had faith in Â“no oneÂ” as far...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Expedia 'fined' for duping clients]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Expedia-Tripadvisor-Hotels-com-false-availability-damages-Synhorcat-Lefebvre-DGCCRF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET holiday site Expedia has been ordered to pay Â€427,000 to French hoteliers after being found guilty of a series of Â“false price reductionsÂ”, Â“false prices for hotelsÂ” and Â“false information on...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Dexia bank could be dismantled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dexia-sell-off-dismantle-economic-crisis-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCO-BELGIAN bank Dexia could become the first European bank to fall victim to the economic crisis.There is speculation over the future of the bank, which is best known for financing local authori...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shale gas drilling permits cancelled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-drilling-fracking-Total-Schuepbach-Kosciusko-Morizet-Sarkozy-Gard-Nant-Montelimar-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ECOLOGY minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet has cancelled three permits to drill for shale gas across large swathes of the south of France, including one by French oil giant Total.The permits, grant...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chips and salt are off school menus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-meal-cantine-chips-Maire-milk-vegetable-fruit-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHIPS, salt and ketchup are vanishing from the school dinner for six million children across France as a new decree on school meals comes into force.Aiming to improve the nutritional quality of the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burglaries up  in rural areas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Burglaries-rise-rural-Creuse-Lot-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BURGLARIES of main homes have gone up 18% in a year and have risen even more steeply in rural areas.According to Le Monde official crime figures show rural departments such as the Alpes-de-Haute-Pro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-10-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Best September weather since 1985]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hot-weather-france-high-temperatures-best-since-1985-hot-dry-sunny-forecast-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE will continue to enjoy unseasonably high temperatures this weekend, as the country enjoys a warm spell not seen in September in more than a quarter of a century.Temperatures this week have be...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[La Poste launches green letter stamp]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Poste-lettre-verte-stamp-online-letter-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FROM tomorrow La Poste is launching a new Â“eco-friendlyÂ” stamp Â– and has a new Â“online letterÂ”.The new Â“green letterÂ” rate will take two days for delivery rather than one with the standard lettre pr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No apology as DSK faces rape accuser]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/DSK-Strauss-Kahn-Banon-rape-IMF-judge-maid-Diallo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HE ACCUSED her of lies, she accused him of arrogance and maintained that he tried to rape her: Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Tristane Banon met face to face in front of a judge and police officers and ne...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French buy 48 medicines a year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-buy-48-boxes-medicines-each-year-pharmaceutical-sales-growth-health-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH people consumed an average of 48 boxes of medicines last year, bringing in Â€27.5bn for the pharmaceutical industry, a new study has found.The research by drug safety watchdog Afssaps found th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rugby ruck over nude calendar]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rugby-calendar-Dieux-du-Stade-Francais-Racing-Metro-Chavancy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RUCK has broken out between the bosses of ParisÂ’ two big rugby teams over the latest edition of the Dieux du Stade calendar featuring nude players.The calendar, which sells 1.5 million copies in F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Socialists present ideas in TV debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Socalist-primaries-candidates-policies-debate-Royal-Aubry-Hollande-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VAT increase to help the disadvantaged, a price freeze on essential products, more police and better pay were among the promises of the Socialist presidential hopefuls in the latest televised debate...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Winter flu vaccine is ready tomorrow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/winter-flu-vaccine-available-september-29-pharmacies-elderly-people-pregnant-women-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VACCINES against seasonal flu are now available in pharmacies around France - and will be free to pregnant women for the first time.The jab is not compulsory, but is recommended for over-65s and tho...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Women want end to Â‘mademoiselleÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mademoiselle-anachronistic-madame-damoiseau-squire-young-unmarried-woman-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FEMINIST groups want to abolish the use of the Â“anachronisticÂ” title of mademoiselle on all official forms and use madame instead, so as to match the male monsieur.They say men are not asked to tick...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lunch breaks now just 22 minutes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-employees-22-minutes-lunch-break-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EMPLOYEES in France now spend an average 22 minutes on their lunch break as opposed to 1hr 38mins 20 years ago.The change in habits was revealed in a study by insurers Malakoff MÃ©dÃ©ric, which also s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teachers striking over staff cuts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teachers-strike-cuts-chatel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEACHING unions are striking en masse today in protest against teacher cuts in state schools Â– and, exceptionally, private school teachers are joining in.Almost all of the state school unions have c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Millions hit by rail disruption]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-rail-timetables-disruption-Pepy-TGV-repairs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAIL timetables for the four million daily passengers across France are set to change radically with 85% of schedules being affected over the next three years.Although the changes do not come into f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senate swings  to the left]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Senate-left-first-time-Fifth-Republic-Socialists-Hollande-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SENATE has become majority left-wing for the first time since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.Socialists and Greens see the switch, which followed the senatorial elections on Sunday, as ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[AstÃ©rix artist calls it a day]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Asterix-Uderzo-Gaul-Orion-Mebarki-Ferri-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ASTERIX artist Albert Uderzo has decided to give up drawing the heroic Gaul and the next cartoon album will be drawn by other collaborators.Uderzo, who is now 84, told broadcaster RTL that he had co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Court hands out  first burqa fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Muslim-court-veil-women-fine-ban-burqa-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO Muslim women have become the first in France to be fined by a court for wearing a niqab full-face veil since the wearing of veils in public places was banned in April. Hind Ahmas, 32, was fined ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Commuters fed up with bad breath]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bad-breath-sweat-commuter-survey-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BAD breath is ruining peopleÂ’s day in France, says a survey.The study by TNS-Sofres for confectioners Cadbury found that people generally get up in a good mood, but this is wrecked after they have t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Healthcare costs  will be unbearable]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Healthcare-UFC-Que-Choisir-mutuelles-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CONSUMER body has warned that healthcare costs in France risk becoming Â“totally unbearable, especially for senior citizensÂ”.As parliament stats debate today on the 2012 social security finance law...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hollande in the  lead in poll]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hollande-presidentials-Socialist-candidacy-survey-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST MP FranÃ§ois Hollande is favourite to win not just his partyÂ’s primaries, but the presidential elections, says a survey published today.The CSA survey for BFM TV, RMC and 20 Minutes shows t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti-cold call service opens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Pacitel-cold-calling-stop-telephone-marketing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW service which promises to stop the majority of firms from cold-calling you has launched after a delay.You can now log on to www.pacitel.fr to list the numbers on which you do not want to recei...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Aquifers emptying in 63% of France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Aquifer-empty-water-Paris-Corsica-Normandy-rainfall-dry-summer-BRGM-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY two-thirds of the aquifers under France are at below-normal levels after the relatively dry summer.The areas hardest affected are the Paris Basin and the south-west; which have been affected ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â‘Toxic debtÂ’ fear for mairies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mairies-communes-toxic-loans-liberation-Dexia-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of local authorities took out Â“toxicÂ” loans in the period leading up to the financial crisis, according to LibÃ©ration.In a story taken up by most of the French press today, the national sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Charities warn of  Â‘food crisisÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/PEAD-cuts-Restaurants-du-Coeur-Coluche-Europe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHARITIES which provide food to the most disadvantaged have sounded the alarm over planned drastic cuts to PEAD, a European fund for helping the poor.Created in 1987 by then EU president Jacques Del...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gas prices  could rise 5%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-price-rise-October-GDF-Suez-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GAS prices could rise on October 1.GDF Suez is in negotiations with the government and is asking for 5%, said Le Figaro.The company is said to be bargaining for the rise by suggesting an increase ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[DSK admits Â‘moral wrongdoingÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-TF1-interview-moral-wrong-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Socialist presidential hopeful and International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn admitted to having committed a Â“moral faultÂ”, but done nothing illegal, as he spoke about his recent l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[68% oppose more aid to Greece]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sixty-eight-per-cent-survey-Ifop-billions-Greece-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIXTY-EIGHT per cent of people in France are opposed to plans to lend an extra Â€15billion to Greece.France has signed up to an aid package which will see its debt increase by Â€15 billion by 2014 Â– m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[George V hotel is now a Palace]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Four-Seasons-George-V-hotel-palace-excellence-Ritz-Atout-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE HOTEL that has regularly been voted the best hotel in the world, the Four Seasons George V in Paris, has finally been awarded the prestigious Palace rating by the French tourism authority, Atout F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister bans  Street prayers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Street-prayers-ban-Paris-Gueant-Muslim-Goutte-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STREET prayers are banned in Paris as of today Â– a measure understood to mainly target Muslims who congregate in the Goutte dÂ’Or area for Friday prayers.The practice also takes place in other parts ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Poor take-up for student incentives]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nora-Berra-public-service-medical-student-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAKE-UP of a generous scheme to pay medical students who promise to do some work in a Â“medical desertÂ” area has been poor, the latest figures show.For the university year 2010-2011, in which the Â“co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy, Merkel stand by Greece]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Merkel-Greece-banks-euro-Moody-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel have moved to protect the euro and support the banking system with a joint statement that they will stand by Greece and its efforts to clear its d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy joins UK premier in Libya]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Cameron-Libya-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy flew to Libya this morning for a Â“secretÂ” visit along with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, according to French media sources today.While the offices of the leaders have not confir...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MoodyÂ’s reduces banksÂ’ ratings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Moody-ratings-Societe-Generale-Credit-Agricole-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CREDIT rating agency MoodyÂ’s has downgraded two of the biggest French banks Â– SociÃ©tÃ© GÃ©nÃ©rale and CrÃ©dit Agricole.It has cut both banksÂ’ debt and deposit ratings by one notch and has also downgrade...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Calvados winner for Â€162m jackpot]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/EuroMillions-winner-Calvados-Normandy-162-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE winner in Calvados will cash in Â€162.2 million after winning the largest lottery jackpot in French history in the EuroMillions rollover draw.They had marked the 9, 28, 30, 32 and 49 and chosen t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin acquittal upheld on appeal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Villepin-Clearstream-appeal-acquittal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER prime minister Dominique de Villepin has been acquitted of involvement in the Clearstream scandal.Prosecutors had appealed against his acquittal earlier this year, but the Paris appeal court ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TotalÂ’s new shale gas drilling plea]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Total-shale-gas-fracking-hydraulic-fracturation-Montelimar-Montpellier-gaz-de-schiste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH oil giant Total has told the government it wants to continue its explorations for shale gas in the south of France.It has lodged a project to restart drilling on its Â“MontelimarÂ” site, a zone...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister targets Romanians in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Interior-Minister-Claude-Gueant-Romanian-immigrants-Paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SERIES of controversial measures aimed at cutting crime by Romanian illegal immigrants in the capital has been announced.Interior Minister Claude GuÃ©ant says he intends to send home Romanian minor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chirac, Villepin accused of Â‘bungsÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Chirac-Villepin-Bourgi-African-cases-millions-francs-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER president Jacques Chirac and ex-prime minister Dominique de Villepin have both been accused of receiving cases stuffed with banknotes from the leaders of African countries such as the Congo, Iv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Soc Gen needs to save money]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Societe-Generale-Soc-Gen-Moody-Credit Agricole-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SociÃ©tÃ© GÃ©nÃ©rale bank has announced an economy drive to shore itself up after the value of its stock plunged.The banks says it will have to take measures including staff lay-offs and selling off...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Blast kills man at nuclear waste site]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nuclear-radioactive-waste-leaks-Gard-Marcoule-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Firefighters and the prefect have warned of potential radioactive leaks after a man was killed in an explosion at a nuclear waste treatment plant in the Gard.Regional newspaper Midi Libre said a fur...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[CGT change could cost owners dear]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/CGT-second-home-owners-austerity-tobacco-spirits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANYONE planning to sell a second home in France will have to do their sums again after the tax changes agreed by MPs and the SÃ©nat as part of the governmentÂ’s austerity plan. Capital gains tax allow...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-09</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senator accused over pizza bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Navarro-pizza-Socialist-Hollande-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON senator is under criminal investigation for misusing funds after it emerged he spent Â€42,000 on pizzas over two years.Investigations by Socialist Party officials revealed Robe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV trains shot at near Valence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/TGV-train-Shot-Valence-Drome-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO TGV intercity trains were shot at last night to the south of Valence in the DrÃ´me.The trains were going in different directions and each was shot without any injuries being caused.One train wa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[PPDA guilty of invading privacy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/PPDA-Poivre-d-Arvor-privacy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TELEVISION journalist and writer Patrick Poivre dÂ’ Arvor has been found guilty of invasion of privacy after writing about one of his relationships.The Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris awarded Â€2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Drivers get breath test to start cars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Drink-drive-offenders-breath-tested-starting-car-EAD-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRINK-DRIVERS may be forced to take a breath test before they can start their cars under new laws just approved.Magistrates can order repeat offenders to fit breath-test machines in their cars which...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-08</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Botulism warning  over jars of paste]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jar-Ruche-Cavaillon-botulism-tapenade-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONSUMERS are being warned not to eat jars of food from the firm La Ruche in the Vaucluse, after eight people were hospitalised with the dangerous illness botulism.It is thought jars used for tapena...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Socialists plan Â€2 web surcharge]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-users-surcharge-downloads-illegal-Hadopi-web-target-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WEB-users could face an extra Â€1-Â€2 charge on their internet connections under plans by Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry to counter illegal downloads.Ms Aubry said internet users were unfairly t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Children excluded from canteens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Children-unemployed-school-canteen-Thonon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Children of unemployed people are being excluded from school canteens in a commune in Haute-Savoie.Television channel TF1 said there has been a change of rules in Thonon-les-BainsÂ’ nine school cante...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France is first to help Greece]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Greece-aid-EU-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE will be the first EU country to adopt into its national law the aid package worked out for Greece, says Economy Minister FranÃ§ois Baroin.The aid package, agreed by heads of state and governmen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Capital gains tax exemption changes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Capital-gains-tax-exemption-second-homes-UMP-CGT-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to axe the capital gains tax exoneration on the sale of secondary homes applicable after 15 years have been watered down by the Finance Ministry after pressure from MPs from President SarkozyÂ’s ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Husband fined For lack of sex]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fine-10,000-sex-Louis-B-Aix-divorce-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOR only the second time in France a husband has been fined for not fulfilling his marital duties with sufficient regularity.A 51-year-old NiÃ§ois, only referred to as Louis B, was fined Â€10,000 dama...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Memory illness may disrupt trial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jacques-Chirac-trial-memory- anosognosia-Alzheimer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE corruption trial of former president Jacques Chirac may take place without him, because he is suffering mental illness, his defence lawyers claim.A medical report commissioned by the defence stat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Exclusive stories lead Connexion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ducasse-Juppe-Simon-Heffer-Bill-Beaumont-socialist-candidates-Parisian-chic-CityJet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Inside The Connexion this month:Exclusive interview with Alain Ducasse Â– the worldÂ’s only three Michelin three-star chef. He talks about his bid to open up the world of gastronomy with this monthÂ’s ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Reforms and strike for the rentrÃ©e ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rentree-schools-pupils-strikes-reform-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUPILS are back to school today for a rentrÃ©e that will be marked once again by strikes.All of the teaching unions plan to strike on September 27, in protest at cuts in posts Â– 1,500 in primary and 4...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF strike in Lille]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/CGT-calls-for-sncf-strike-in-lille-this-weekend-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Transport trade union CGT is staging a train strike on the SNCF regional rail network in Lille, this weekend.There will be delays and disruptions on trains this Saturday and Sunday in Lille. The u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Avignon tackles alcohol problems]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ban-on-alcohol-after-10pm-in-avignon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[In an effort to tackle drunken disorderly behaviour, the town of Avignon has banned alcohol sales and consumption between 10pm and 6am.Following a rise in alcohol-related incidents at night, and an ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Reduced service on Paris-Troyes line]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-troyes-railway-network-improvement-work-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Starting this Monday, improvement work on the Paris to Troyes rail network is expected to last until December.The much needed railway works on the Paris-Provins-Troyes line will address issues such ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Summer tourism  figures up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-summer-season-better-than-expected-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite poor weather for part of the season, hotels and holiday camps have seen an increase of 3.1% occupancy this summer, with the luxury sector performing particularly well.According to Didier Ar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bus and tram drivers strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bus-staff-protest-against-aggresive-behaviour-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Bus and tram conductors to go on strike in Nantes this weekend.Following a first strike in May, trade unions have called for another walk-out this week-end.The strike, which is scheduled to last f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France renewable  energy from sea]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/renewable-energy-EDF-launches-marine-turbine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Testing is about to start on the world's largest marine turbine to transform energy from sea currents into electricity.The giant turbine, which is 16 metres high, was commissioned by EDF from Irish ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Passengers unhappy with SNCF service]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/survey-reveals-low-confidence-in-sncf-train-passengers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SURVEY conducted by consumer watchdog CLCV has revealed high levels of discontent with the French rail network.The SNCF was criticised mainly for delays, prices and lack of information. Half of re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Sexual identity' lesson causes stir]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-mps-complain-school-textbook-discussing-sexual-identity-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHTY French MPs have called for a school textbook with a chapter discussing "sexual identity" to be withdrawn.The book, published by Hachette, provides information to lycÃ©e students on "becoming a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Court trial delays for prisoners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/not-enough-staff-to-transfer-prisoners-to-attend trial-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAGISTRATES court trials in eastern France could have to be postponed due to a shortage of prison staff to transport suspects to the hearing.From tomorrow, the transport of prisonners to attend cour...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Home help saved in tax break review]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/home-help-services-tax-breaks-ineffective-review-budget-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government is missing out on Â€50bn a year in revenue because of tax breaks that are "inefficient" or have "little effect", a new report has found.The report by the finance watchdog, l'Ins...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More French people living in poverty]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/half-of-French-homes-live-on-less-than-19000-euros-a-year-poverty-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HALF of French households have an income of less than Â€19,000 and more than eight million people are living below the poverty threshold, according to a report published today.The percentage of homes...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Call for tougher nuclear rules]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-prime-minister-francois-fillon-requests-enhanced-nuclear-safety-protocols-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH prime minister FranÃ§ois Fillon has called for stronger international safety checks on nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.Visiting Bugey nuclear reactor in the Ain, FIllon em...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Formula 1 set to return to France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/formula-one-grand-prix-motor-racing-set-to-return-france-2013-le-castellet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMULA One World Championship racing is set to return to France from 2013, alternating with Belgium over a two-year cycle. The announcement from Gilles Dufeigneux, the interministerial delegate for...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School union fears difficult rentrÃ©e]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-strike-france-september-27-teachers-fear-difficult-rentree-job-cuts-class-sizes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEACHING unions are predicting a "difficult" rentrÃ©e next week and have confirmed plans for their first strike of the academic year for the end of September.Schools across France are preparing to re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Theme park VAT rise is 'unjust']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/theme-park-operators-condemn-proposal-increase-vat-entrance-fees-tourism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSAL to increase the rate of VAT charged on theme park tickets will "totally destabilise the tourist economy" and is "unjust", park operators and politicians say.In austerity measures unveiled...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rising numbers seeking work]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployement-jobless-figures-rise-third-consecutive-month-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNEMPLOYMENT in France has risen for the third consecutive month to 2.76 million people - the highest level in 11 years.The number of people out of work rose by 1.3% in July. Including those who are...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Live frog found in pack of salad]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/live-frog-discovered-in-pack-of-salad-flatmates-compain-producer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GROUP of flatmates eating dinner together had a shock when they found a live frog in their salad.The small green amphibian - about six or seven centimetres in length - had found its way into a pac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tourist killed in campsite storm]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dutch-tourist-killed-campsite-storm-isere-tree-falls-tent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DUTCH tourist has been killed in a storm at a campsite in the IsÃ¨re, after a tree fell on her tent.The 36-year-old woman was on holiday with family at Les Trois Lacs du Soleil camp, in Trept, when...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record year so far for Paris tourism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-tourism-visitors-record-year-so-far-tourist-office-figures-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS tourism officials have reported a record number of visitors to the capital in the first half of this year - and they are confident the trend will continue.Some 7.7 million people enjoyed a hol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurotunnel strike for this weekend]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurotunnel-strike-this-weekend-august-27-28-services-disrupted-travel-calais-folkestone-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROTUNNEL has suspended ticket sales for this weekend because of a planned strike by French workers.The industrial action by four unions will disrupt services between Calais and Folkestone on Augus...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More freedom for SNCF to set fares]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-rail-operator-france-given-more-freedom-to-set-fares-based-demand-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has been given more freedom to set its own fares, as the French government prepares to open the rail network to competition.A decree has appeared in the Journal Officiel that scraps the dis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two-thirds still on drought alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/water-restrictions-drought-measures-66-french-departments-reservoir-levels-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO-THIRDS of mainland France remains on drought alert, despite some heavy rain and storms in recent weeks.Water restrictions are in place across 66 departments because of low reservoir levels after...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France unveils new austerity budget]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-austerity-measures-budget-deficit-cutting-cigarettes-alcohol-fizzy-drinks-tax-high-earners-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CIGARETTE and alcohol price rises and a new tax on France's richest residents are among the measures unveiled by the government in an Â€11bn deficit reduction package.Prime minister FranÃ§ois Fillon s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France-UK alcohol smuggling surges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-customs-officers-report-surge-alcohol-smuggling-contraband-uk-ireland-trafficking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH customs officers have reported a surge in the amount of contraband alcohol seized at the Channel ferry ports heading towards the UK and Ireland.Officers in Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer have co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Please tax us more say super-wealthy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-wealthiest-individuals-businesspeople-more-tax-levy-super-rich-budget-deficit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIXTEEN of France's wealthiest business people, including the country's richest woman Liliane Bettencourt, have urged the government to tax them more.The letter, published in the Nouvel Observateur,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[DSK prepares to return to France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dominique-strauss-kahn-dsk-cannot-wait-return-to-france-sex-assault-charges-dropped-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOMINIQUE Strauss-Kahn says he "cannot wait" to return to France, after sex assault charges against him in New York were dropped.The former French finance minister addressed reporters briefly outsid...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Children offered free seaside trips]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/children-free-trip-seaside-secours-populaire-poor-families-holiday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of children from poor families are to be treated to a day out at the seaside or a theme park to give them a break.The Secours Populaire charity is organising the initiative this week, whic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Zero tolerance' for exam cheats]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baccalaureat-exam-cheating-leaks-test-paper-education-minister-zero-tolerance-sanctions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION minister Luc Chatel has promised tougher measures to deal with baccalaurÃ©at exam cheats and people who leak test papers.Better security at printworks and depots and more consistent sanctio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police target souvenir-sellers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-riot-police-clash-illegal-souvenir-sellers-street-vendors-eiffel-tower-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RIOT police in Paris have clashed with souvenir-sellers at the Eiffel Tower, as authorities launch a crackdown on illegal street trade in the capital.Three CRS officers were injured on Sunday aftern...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storms spreading after weekend heat]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/heatwave-alert-12-departments-france-lyon-aquitaine-midi-pyrenees-auvergne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has issued a weather warning for almost 40 departments in the north and west of France, with torrential rain and thunder storms on Monday evening and throughout Tuesday.Large parts of t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Donated overtime to care for child]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/workers-donate-overtime-days-in-lieu-colleagues-parents-children-terminally-ill-or-disabled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WORKING parents with a disabled or seriously ill child could have their colleagues' time off donated to them, under a new proposal to be examined by French MPs.The measures would make it legally pos...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[DSK sex charges 'to be dropped']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dominique-strauss-kahn-dsk-sex-assault-case-charges-new-york-likely-dropped-thrown-out-maid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEX assault charges against former French finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn in New York are likely to be dropped this week, according to reports in the US.The New York Post claims the Manhatta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Operators plan cap on 'unlimited' web]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-service-providers-propose-caps-unlimited-home-internet-traffic-limits-heavy-use-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE major internet service providers in France are discussing plans to introduce caps on "unlimited" web access - making heavy users pay a surcharge.SFR, Orange and Bouygues are looking at the cas...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Profit protest at fruit and veg sale]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fruit-veg-farmers-protest-supermarket-profit-margins-sell-produce-direct-public-market-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRUIT and vegetable farmers are to meet the agriculture minister today to protest about supermarket profit margins, after handing out 40 tonnes of fresh produce directly to the public yesterday.Prod...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Schools look to Finland for ideas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-education-minister-seeks-ideas-inspiration-finland-school-system-improvements-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION minister Luc Chatel has visited Finland on a fact-finding mission to seek ideas for how to improve the French school system.Mr Chatel has met his Finnish counterpart, toured schools and ta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Heatwave and ozone pollution warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-heatwave-weather-warning-lyon-rhone-loire-hot-temperatures-ozone-pollution-south-east-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HEATWAVE alert has been issued for Lyon and the surrounding region for this weekend, with temperatures of up to 39Â°C forecast.The rest of France will also be hot and sunny this weekend, with tempe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anonymous CVs will not be compulsory]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anonymous-cv-compulsory-plan-abandoned-job-discrimination-pilot-scheme-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PLAN to make anonymous CVs compulsory at all large French companies has been abandoned - five years after it became law and was never implemented.The government had looked at the possibility of ro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tuk tuks thrive on Paris streets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tuk-tuks-motorised-rickshaws-paris-tourism-taxi-service-police-crackdown-unlicensed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in Paris are attempting to take action against a growing number of unlicensed motorised rickshaws operating around the capital's top tourist sites.The tuk tuks first arrived in the city three...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Depardieu sorry for plane incident]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gerard-depardieu-actor-sorry-urinating-bottle-plane-toilet-grounded-cityjet-paris-dublin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH actor GÃ©rard Depardieu has said sorry for causing a plane to be grounded for two hours after he tried to urinate into a plastic bottle.The 62-year-old star was travelling from Paris to Dublin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Back-to-school costs soar by 7%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/back-to-school-rentree-supplies-costs-soar-seven-per-cent-familles-de-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of preparing children for the new school year has soared by almost 7% this year, according to new figures from a family association.The annual research by Familles de France found a basket ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[The French Paper stops publication]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/the-french-paper-ceases-publication-stops-july-issue-last-subscribers-refund-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ENGLISH-language monthly newspaper, theFrenchPaper, has ceased publication and is not available on newsstands from this month.The paper's publisher has written to subscribers informing them that the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Warning over fake fines website]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/warning-fake-scam-website-phishing-fines-france-speeding-parking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONSUMER protection groups have issued a warning about a scam website that claims to let people pay their speeding and parking fines online.The site, at www.amendes-france.org, asks for the referenc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Caught driving 11  times over limit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/woman-auvergne-cantal-aurillac-caught-driving-11-times-over-drink-alcohol-limit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN in the Auvergne has been caught driving while more than 11 times over the legal drink limit - a record for the region.The driver, in her sixties, faces up to two years in prison and a three-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drinking water returns in Royan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drinking-water-tap-safe-again-royan-restrictions-lifted-panic-buying-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESIDENTS and holidaymakers in Royan on the Atlantic coast have been given the all-clear to start drinking tap water again, after four days of restrictions.About 120,000 homes and businesses were af...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Green tide concern on D-Day beaches]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/green-tides-algae-toxic-seaweed-d-day-landings-beaches-calvados-normandy-concern-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GREEN tides of potentially toxic seaweed that have clogged up several beaches in Brittany appear to have spread to neighbouring Normandy, threatening the D-Day landing heritage beaches.Local officia...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free travel for girl born on TGV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tourist-gives-birth-baby-girl-french-tgv-high-speed-train-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has offered free rail travel for 18 years to a baby girl who was born on board a high-speed train.A 22-year-old Russian tourist gave birth to Amina, weighing seven pounds and six ounces (3....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister says no to VAT rate rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-finance-minister-rules-out-vat-value-added-tax-rise-spending-cuts-budget-deficit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government has ruled out an increase in value added tax as a way of bringing in more money and cutting the country's budget deficit.Finance minister FranÃ§ois Baroin is expected to present...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Deaths reignite euthanasia debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euthanasia-debate-physician-assisted-suicide-debate-france-illegal-doctor-bayonne-charged-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DEBATE on euthanasia in France has been reignited after a hospital doctor was charged with helping four elderly patients die.Nicolas Bonnemaison, who worked in the accident and emergency ward at...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France cuts jobs for non-EU workers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-jobs-open-non-eu-citizens-list-shortened-work-immigration-visas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of jobs open to non-EU citizens wishing to work in France has been slashed by more than half, under new measures designed to reduce immigration.The interior ministry has published a short...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French riot police give advice to UK]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-riot-police-crs-advice-tips-british-police-uk-rioting-looting-uprisings-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH riot police have offered advice to their British counterparts on how to deal with disturbances and looting.According to Le Monde, interior minister Claude GuÃ©ant has passed on a series of pub...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[18-year-old dies in beach burial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/young-man-dies-buried-alive-beach-perpignan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A YOUNG man has died after being buried alive on a beach near Perpignan.The 18-year-old, from the Loiret, was on holiday with his cousins in Toreilles, in the PyrÃ©nÃ©es-Orientales.He had dug a larg...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Crisis meeting as spending cuts loom]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-crisis-meeting-return-holidays-financial-crisis-ministers-spending-cuts-stock-markets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH ministers have been given a week to come up with a new range of cost-cutting measures aimed at slashing the country's budget deficit and reassuring the nervous stock markets.President Sarkozy...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Reality TV suicide raises care issues]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/endemol-big-brother-secret-story-suicide-contestant-fx-duty-of-care-depression-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[QUESTIONS have been raised about television producers' duty of care after a contestant in the French version of reality TV show Big Brother killed himself.FranÃ§ois-Xavier Leuridan, known as FX, was ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Petrol price drop promised this week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-prices-unleaded-diesel-fall-this-week-france-cost-of-driving-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS in France should benefit from cheaper petrol by the end of this week, the union of French fuel distributors has confirmed.The global market turmoil in recent days has seen the cost of crude ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bathing banned at Gironde beaches]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bathing-banned-gironde-beaches-hourtin-le-porge-carcans-atlantic-coast-stinging-jellyfish-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STINGING sea creature similar to the jellyfish has forced lifeguards to ban swimming at several beaches on the Atlantic coast of France.The red flag has been raised at Hourtin, Le Porge and Carcan...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shops told to sell tomatoes at a loss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supermarkets-ordered-cut-tomato-prices-help-producers-crisis-fruit-veg-decree-government-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKETS have been ordered to slash the price of French tomatoes and sell them at a loss to help producers who are in "crisis".The most-consumed fruit and veg product in France is the subject of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Four hours trapped in railway tunnel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tgv-passengers-stranded-four-hours-tunnel-rer-airport-charles-de-gaulle-link-power-cut-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN passengers were trapped for four hours in a tunnel yesterday after their TGV broke down.The blocked train was carrying 300 people from Paris to BesanÃ§on and came to a halt in the tunnel in Lim...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mushroom poisoning hits holidaymakers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mushroom-poisoning-south-west-france-tourists-picking-precautions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOSPITALS in the south-west of France have reported a growing number of poisoning cases from people who have picked inedible mushrooms.Health authorities in the Aquitaine and Midi-PyrÃ©nÃ©es say many ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Benefits database to tackle fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-database-benefit-fraud-france-income-support-housing-family-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CENTRAL database of everyone in France who receives benefits could be put in place by the end of this year to help tackle fraud.At the moment there is no easy way for authorities to see what a cla...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Website pays back your parking fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/website-offers-refund-parking-fines-promotional-campaign-penalties-votes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CAR sales website is offering to refund users' parking fines for a limited period as part of a promotional campaign.Kidioui.com, which sells new cars and scooters, is encouraging drivers to sign u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bomb alert hoax hits Strasbourg]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strasbourg-cathedral-bomb-alert-hoax-man-arrested-city-evacuated-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARTS of Strasbourg city centre were evacuated on Saturday evening in a bomb alert that turned out to be a hoax.Police received two anonymous phone calls shortly after 19.00 warning of a bomb inside...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Fnac buys back old electrical items]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fnac-launches-buy-back-service-old-unwanted-electrical-items-for-vouchers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HIGH-street chain Fnac has launched a new service offering to buy back customers' unwanted electrical items on a trial basis.The retail group has sent emails to its loyalty card members inviting the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New crackdown on wrong-way drivers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-measures-driving-wrong-way-motorways-france-road-safety-accidents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROAD authorities are experimenting with new safety measures after a spate of accidents involving cars travelling in the wrong direction along motorways.The improvements come after a report by road a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New plan to tax highest earners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-tax-planned-france-high-earner-residents-more-than-million-euros-income-wealth-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S highest-earning residents could be hit with a new tax under plans to be examined by the government after the summer break.According to Les Echos, a new levy of 1% or 2% could apply to the 3...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Petrol price site is not accurate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-prices-france-comparison-website-government-inaccurate-out-of-date-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN OFFICIAL price comparison website that aims to help drivers find the cheapest petrol stations in their area has been found to be carrying inaccurate figures.The government has said it is working ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA['Silver surfers' boost French web]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-million-join-internet-france-total-older-users-women-online-access-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than three million people in France have joined the internet for the first time this year, bringing the total number of web users to 39.5 million or 73% of the population.New figures from media...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[100 absentee MPs hit with fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-mps-absenteeism-fines-national-assembly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NATIONAL Assembly has fined 100 French MPs for failing to attend enough meetings, new figures have claimed.MPs are fined Â€355 for each time they do not turn up to committee meetings without just...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More spot checks on smoking cafes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/reinforced-spot-checks-smoking-ban-france-public-places-bars-cafes-under-18s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BARS, restaurants and tobacconists are to be subject to increased spot checks under new reinforced anti-smoking measures in France.A goverment circular has been sent to all prÃ©fectures this week, am...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Duck fat fuels Dordogne tractors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dordogne-farmers-duck-fat-fuel-tractors-biodiesel--view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS in the Dordogne have developed a greener alternative to petrol for their tractors - using duck fat.With the help of chemical engineers at PÃ©rigueux IUT university and waste collection author...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Live in a French court building]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/property-french-disused-court-buildings-for-sale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROPERTY-hunters seeking an unusual new home in France can choose from hundreds of former court buildings that have been put up for sale.A major reform of France's judicial boundaries has seen 200 c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Kangaroos on the loose in Normandy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/two-kangaroos-on-the-loose-normandy-manche-escaped-zoo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NORMANDY residents have been asked to look out for two kangaroos that are on the loose in the Manche.The pair escaped from a private zoo near Sartilly, between Avranches and Granville yesterday, acc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Record low for July road deaths]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/road-deaths-france-july-record-low-poor-weather-holiday-cancellations-safety-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of people killed on French roads last month fell to its lowest July level since records began 55 years ago.Some 358 people died in road accidents last month, down 21% on the same period l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France probes iPhone privacy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-data-protection-privacy-watchdog-cnil-investigates-apple-iphone-user-tracking-privacy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S privacy and data protection watchdog has opened an investigation into the Apple iPhone's collection of users' location data.Cnil has written to the technology giant to ask for explanations ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Our new regional papers are out now]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/languedoc-pages-brittany-new-regional-newspapers-on-sale-now-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LANGUEDOC and Brittany readers can enjoy the first edition of their new regional newspaper from today.The Languedoc Pages and the Brittany Pages are on sale in newsagents across each region for just...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New parking fines can be challenged]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parking-fines-legal-loophole-france-new-penalties-cancelled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS in France could have their parking fines cancelled this summer because of a legal loophole.The penalty for failing to buy a ticket rose from Â€11 to Â€17 on Monday, but not all of the forms me...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Summer camps break working time rules]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-summer-holiday-camps-colonie-de-vacances-european-ruling-working-time-staff-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHILDREN'S summer camps have fallen foul of European working time laws and could be forced to hire more staff, pushing up prices.The EU Court of Justice says colonie de vacances monitors - who look ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Promising signs for wine harvest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-wine-harvest-promising-vintage-warm-spring-wet-summer-conditions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WARM spring and a wet start to summer looks to have made this year a promising one for French wine, according to early reports from producers.This year's harvest will begin several weeks earlier t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[One-day strike by homeless helpers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/samu-social-homelessness-aid-workers-on-strike-shortage-accommodation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIAL aid workers in France are taking part in a one-day strike today to campaign for more government help for homeless people.The Samu Social, which provides care and assistance to people in distr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Food label health claims reviewed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/food-label-health-claims-france-consumer-watchdog-european-regulations-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of health claims made by food manufacturers could be banned or reworded due to new regulations.The French consumer protection watchdog DGCCRF is reinforcing its spot checks on products as ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shark alert on French Riviera]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shark-alert-saint-tropez-french-riviera-diver-coastguards-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COASTGUARDS on the French Riviera are on alert after a shark was spotted several times this weekend off the coast of Saint-Tropez.A professional diver reported seeing the two-metre-long animal at th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pharmacies warn of medicine shortage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pharmacies-medicine-supply-shortage-supply-problems-drug-safety-health-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE with illnesses are struggling to find vital drugs in French pharmacies because of widespread supply problems, pharmacists have warned.The pharmacists' body, l'Ordre National des Pharmaciens, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF pays out for loss of earnings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-rail-train-delay-compensation-damages-loss-of-earnings-court-ruling-precedent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF could face a surge in damages claims after a court ruled for the first time that the rail operator should compensate a delayed passenger for loss of earnings.Self-employed acupuncturist CÃ©l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Broad support for beach smoking ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/smoking-ban-beaches-france-cigarettes-la-ciotat-support-environment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE quarters of French people are in favour of more beaches introducing a smoking ban, a new survey has revealed.The Ifop poll of 1,000 people for Ouest France newspaper found 75% of people suppor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-08-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Lost for two days in Paris catacombs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-people-rescued-paris-catacombs-drunken-party-underground-police-search-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE people who went missing on a drunken late-night visit to the Paris catacombs have been rescued by police after spending two days lost underground.The two men and a woman, all in their early tw...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pilots call off four-day strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-airline-pilots-strike-cancelled-called-off-disruption-delays-flights-air-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIRLINE pilots in France have called off a planned strike for next weekend that would have severely disrupted holiday travel plans.The biggest French pilots' union, SNPL, had been planning a four-da...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Worst weekend on French roads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/worst-weekend-year-travel-france-roads-motorways-avoid-saturday-holidays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS have been strongly advised to put off travelling until Sunday to avoid the busiest day of the year on the French road network this Saturday.The crossover of the juilletistes and aoÃ»tiens (Ju...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Go-ahead for new Brittany TGV link]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brittany-le-mans-rennes-tgv-link-cut-journey-times-quimper-train-high-speed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW high-speed rail link that will cut journey times from Brittany to Paris and the rest of France has been given the go-ahead.The project will connect Le Mans to Rennes and will speed up journeys...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Parking fines up to Â€17 on Monday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parking-fines-increase-17-euros-this-monday-august-driving-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARKING fines will go up for the first time in 25 years this Monday, from Â€11 to Â€17.The increase, which is expected to bring in an extra Â€24m-Â€36m a year, will apply all over France.The fine had ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF experiments with scooter hire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-electric-scooter-hire-paris-montparnasse-rail-experiment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF is to branch out into a new area with the launch of an electric scooter hire scheme in Paris this autumn.The new service will start in September at the Gare Montparnasse, the busy mainline ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Unemployed protest for holiday rights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployed-people-protest-right-to-holiday-jobseekers-france-break-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JOBSEEKERS have staged a demonstration in Paris calling for the "right to a holiday".Trade union CGT-ChÃ´meurs says unemployed people deserve a break from the stressful job-hunting routine to see fam...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[FN member defends Norway attacker]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/front-national-member-suspended-defending-oslo-norway-attacker-anders-breivik-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MEMBER of the Front National has been suspended for defending the work of the Oslo attacker, who killed 76 people on Friday.Jacques Coutela, who represented the far-right party in local elections ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-27</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New ad campaign to support bookshops]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-bookshops-advertising-campaign-benefits-internet-survival-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAJOR advertising campaign encouraging the French public to support their local bookshops is to be unveiled later this week.Four unions representing publishers and bookshop owners have joined forc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No going back on resto VAT deal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-sarkozy-rules-out-changes-restaurant-vat-rate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has ruled out any changes to the preferential VAT rate paid by French restaurants, arguing that the scheme has been a success.Speaking on the second anniversary of the agreement, S...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Brad Pitt honoured with Paris waxwork]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brad-pitt-waxwork-unveiled-paris-museum-grevin-france-film-star-double-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRAD Pitt has become the latest star to have his own waxwork at the MusÃ©e GrÃ©vin, the French equivalent of Madame Tussauds.The award-winning actor, who owns a chÃ¢teau in the Var with Angelina Jolie,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Home help squeezed by tax cutbacks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/home-help-work-jobs-france-lost-tax-cutbacks-income-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of home-helpers in France have lost their jobs because of government cuts to tax breaks, new research has claimed.Fepem, a federation representing individuals who employ staff, says 8,000 ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Business fraud checks net Â€1bn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/urssaf-check-social-security-fraud-business-record-year-fines-penalties-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BUSINESSES and self-employed workers were hit with a record Â€1bn in fines last year after social charges body Urssaf reinforced its fraud checks.The group's 1,500 inspectors carried out controls on ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Visitor fined for Disney bomb hoax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/disneyland-paris-evacuated-unhappy-customer-bomb-hoax-arrested-police-fine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DISNEYLAND visitors were evacuated from the park for an hour this weekend after an unhappy customer told staff he was carrying a bomb.The 57-year-old man was queuing in the rain with his family at t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France strike threat withdrawn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-cabin-crew-strike-called-off-summer-flights-disruption-pilots-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR France cabin crew have withdrawn their plans for a four-day strike next weekend - but a separate walkout by French pilots is still scheduled for the following week.Unions representing air stewar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France's oldest woman dies at 113]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-oldest-woman-mathilde-aussant-dies-113-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S oldest woman has died at the age of 113 - passing the title to another French woman who has lived to see three different centuries.Mathilde Aussant was born in Donges (Loire-Atlantique) in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Town hall ban on identity photos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/photographers-union-victory-town-halls-mairies-banned-taking-own-id-photos-passport-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAIRIES across France are to be banned from taking their own passport photos, following complaints from professional photographers.A new government decree, published in yesterday's Journal Officiel,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Chickenpox spread in eight regions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chickenpox-growing-new-figures-eight-france-regions-doctors-cases-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHICKENPOX cases are on the rise in eight French regions despite children being off school for the summer break.Figures from GPs' network Sentinelles-Inserm show the Limousin is the worst-hit region...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-22</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Brief reprieve for 'obsolete' Minitel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/minitel-france-switch-off-date-delayed-2012-reprieve-pre-internet-device-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S pioneering pre-internet device, Minitel, has been given a nine-month reprieve and will not be scrapped now until June 2012.The service was due to be switched off this September, but it will...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Performance based pay for all GPs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-gps-doctors-performance-related-bonus-pay-scheme-efficiency-targets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOCTORS could boost their pay by up to Â€9,000 a year under a new bonus scheme that aims to reward the most efficient practices around France.The Assurance Maladie signed a deal with three major GPs'...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Warning over CAF holiday email scam]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/caf-fake-scam-email-warning-holiday-benefits-family-identity-fraud-attempt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SCAM email claiming to come from the family benefits provider CAF is circulating widely this week and should be ignored, the group has warned.The email, supposedly from the Caisse d'Allocations Fa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-21</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Normandy reactor is delayed again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/epr-nuclear-reactor-flamanville-normandy-power-plant-delayed-2016-safety-fukushima-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to open a new next-generation nuclear reactor in Normandy have been delayed by another two years, adding an extra Â€1bn to the cost.EDF has announced another delay in the project to build the E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Red alert for holiday traffic]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drivers-warned-heavy-traffic-motorways-roads-france-holiday-travel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS are being warned to expect heavy traffic on the French motorway network this weekend, and have been advised to avoid travelling on Saturday if at all possible.The fourth weekend of the Frenc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New coach links to rival SNCF]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurolines-regional-coach-links-rival-sncf-low-cost-bus-north-west-france-cities-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COACH operator Eurolines has opened a number of regional routes within France for the first time, offering a new alternative to rail travel between some French cities.The service is being tested out...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Glass found in BlÃ©dina baby food]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/danone-bledina-baby-food-investigation-glass-found-batch-recalled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH food producer Danone has ruled out a recall of its baby food products, following the discovery of a piece of glass in a pot of fruit purÃ©e.The group's baby food subsidiary, BlÃ©dina, said it w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More Fnac stores to win back trade]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fnac-plans-new-shops-2015-high-street-rival-internet-itunes-amazon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HIGH-street giant Fnac has unveiled a new plan to win back customers from online rivals - by opening more shops.The culture and electronics group wants to expand, with 80 new outlets between now and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New strike threat to summer flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-cabin-crew-strike-summer-flights-walkout-disruption-pilots-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR France cabin crew have voted to go on strike for four days later this month, over the busiest weekend of the year for air travel.Seven unions have agreed to take part in the walkout from July 29...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Rotten' weather set to continue]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/weather-warning-south-coast-french-riviera-storms-autumn-conditions-rain-winds-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SOUTH coast of France will be hit by "violent" storms and heavy rain today - and the bad weather looks set to continue across France for the rest of the week.MÃ©tÃ©o France has issued a storm warn...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Euromillions rules 'unfair to French']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euromillions-lottery-draw-multiple-bets-rules-different-countries-complaint-european-commission-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A EUROMILLIONS player who claims the lottery draw penalises French players has lodged a complaint with the European Commission.Laure Meilheureux, who runs a small interior design business, says the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New marketing push for French tourism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-seeks-tourism-revenue-boost-new-marketing-campaign-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has launched a new campaign to attract more foreign tourists and encourage them to spend more money.Business minister FrÃ©dÃ©ric Lefebvre wants France to regain the position of world number two...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Driving instructor caught at 214kph]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driving-instructor-caught-speeding-214kph-motorway-licence-suspended-fine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DRIVING instructor faces losing his licence - and his job - after he was caught speeding at more than 200kph.The 28-year-old man was clocked doing 214kph in his Mercedes on the A16 motorway near A...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dog attack raises adoption issues]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/spa-animal-refuge-questions-attack-young-girl-bull-terrier-dangerous-past-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A YOUNG girl has been savagely attacked by a bull terrier, which was offered for adoption by an animal refuge despite having eaten its previous owner.Four-year-old Carmen was playing with Prince at ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sign up for trial of our new papers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/languedoc-pages-brittany-new-regional-local-newspapers-english-language-media-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO new regional newspapers, targeted at English-speakers in Brittany and the Languedoc-Roussillon, are set to launch on August 1.The Languedoc Pages and the Brittany Pages are published by English ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No progress over 'illegal' uni fees]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unef-student-union-university-fees-france-excessive-illegal-report-claims-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A THIRD of universities continue to break the law by charging excessive admission fees for the most sought-after courses, France's national student union Unef has claimed.The union says 28 out of 94...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Toddler flees home and walks a mile]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/toddler-flees-family-home-walks-mile-along-busy-road-police-catch-boy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A "RESOURCEFUL" toddler in the Var fled the family home and managed to walk a mile along a busy road before he was stopped by police.The 22-month-old boy decided to stretch his legs and left the hou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bastille Day march 'from another era']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bastille-day-july-14-military-parade-another-era-should-be-scrapped-eva-joly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GREEN party candidate for next year's presidential election has called for France's traditional July 14 military parades to be scrapped and replaced with something that all citizens can enjoy and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France celebrates national holiday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bastille-day-french-national-holiday-celebrations-where-to-watch-parade-fireworks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S overseas territories are celebrated in this year's traditional July 14 military parade along the Champs-ElysÃ©es in Paris, which will be televised live.The fÃªte nationale celebrations start ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pompiers condemn nuisance calls]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pompiers-french-firefighters-condemn-growing-number-unnecessary-phone-calls-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIREFIGHTERS have complained about a growing number of unnecessary calls to emergency number 18, which they say could put lives at risk.Authorities estimate that up to a third of calls are from peop...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-13</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Air France plans 54 budget routes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-budget-routes-marseille-european-cities-low-cost-rivals-regional-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE has confirmed plans to launch 54 budget routes from regional airports in France.Marseille will be the first base for the new operation, which aims to win back four million passengers a ye...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ordered to bury colleague remains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-rail-worker-train-driver-suing-ordered-bury-dead-colleague-remains-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TRAIN driver who claims he was ordered by his managers to bury the remains of a dead colleague is suing the SNCF for damages.The 44-year-old man, identified only by his first name Pascal, says the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-13</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF prepares autumn strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-prepares-autumn-strikes-french-rail-network-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN drivers and conductors are planning strikes after the summer break to protest about working conditions and a restructuring of the SNCF.Four unions, the CGT, Unsa, Sud-Rail and CFDT, announced ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[33 departments on storm alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storm-alert-rain-hail-winds-south-west-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has issued a weather warning for 33 departments in France, where violent storms, heavy rain and hail are expected today.The departments are on orange alert - the second-highest level ou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Livret A rate improves again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/livret-a-savings-interest-rate-increases-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE INTEREST rate on France's most popular tax-free savings account, the Livret A, is set to rise to 2.25% next month, to account for growing inflation.The rise, from the current 2%, has been confir...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Petrol prices on the increase again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-prices-fuel-four-five-centimes-litre-increase-crude-oil-costs-total-driving-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PETROL prices in France are set to rise again this week, just a fortnight after the major distributors announced a price cut for the summer holidays.An extra four to five centimes will be added to t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French pilots plan four-day strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-airline-pilots-strike-disruption-august-delays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIRLINE pilots in France are planning to disrupt the summer getaway with a four-day walkout at the beginning of August.The biggest pilots' union, SNPL, has issued a formal strike notice from August ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Tornado damages Var properties]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tornado-var-properties-damaged-no-injuries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESIDENTS in a village in the Var are counting the cost of damage to their properties today, after a tornado hit on Saturday evening.Violent winds of up to 200kph battered homes around Rians, on the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Report condemns French policing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-france-management-crime-figures-inefficient-cour-des-comptes-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S record on law and order since President Sarkozy became interior minister in 2002 has been strongly criticised in a new report by the French national audit office.The investigation by the Co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[EU-wide driving fines from 2013]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/europe-cross-border-driving-fines-motoring-offences-speeding-france-uk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VISITORS to France with foreign-registered cars will no longer be immune from fines for speeding and other motoring offences, after the European parliament approved new rules from 2013.The new syste...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Man faces sack for food bin 'theft']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supermarket-worker-faces-sack-taking-fruit-veg-food-bin-monoprix-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SUPERMARKET worker has been threatened with dismissal for taking fruit and veg from the shop's bins to feed his family.The 59-year-old man, who has worked at a Monoprix store in Marseille on the m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Four more cases of E.Coli poisoning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/e-coli-food-poisoning-child-in-coma-lille-hospital-north-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SEVEN-month-old baby is in intensive care and two other children and an adult have also been hospitalised, in a further E.Coli food poisoning outbreak in the north of France.The patients are being...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[South coast back on mosquito alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tiger-mosquitoes-dengue-fever-paca-riviera-health-warning-prevention-summer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESIDENTS and holidaymakers in Provence and the French Riviera are being advised to take extra precautions against mosquitoes this summer, after six cases of tropical diseases were reported.Tiger mo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Banks set to cut cash machine fees]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cash-machine-withdrawal-fees-france-lower-banks-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of withdrawing cash from another bank's machines is set to fall by about 20%, potentially saving account-holders an estimated Â€600m a year in fees.The AutoritÃ© de la Concurrence has reached...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Annecy loses bid for Winter Games]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/annecy-2018-winter-olympics-rejected-south-korea-disappointment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLITICIANS and athletes have expressed their disappointment after Annecy's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games was thrown out.The French bid received just seven votes from the International O...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[BacclaurÃ©at pass rates up slightly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-baccalaureat-exam-pass-rates-up-slightly-continuous-assessment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of students passing the baccalaurÃ©at at the first stage has increased slightly this year, provisional figures reveal.The early statistics put this year's pass rate at 76.8% for the bac gÃ©...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Online pirates face damages bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/illegal-downloads-hadopi-anti-piracy-france-damages-claim-compensation-copyright-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WEB users who illegally download music, films or TV shows could be ordered to pay damages to the rights-holder under a new measure added to France's Hadopi anti-piracy law.Downloaders have until now...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Smoking fines could be slashed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/smoking-fines-penalty-enclosed-public-spaces-reduced-parliament-proposal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN AMENDMENT to France's anti-smoking law that could see the fine for smoking in public cut by two thirds is being examined in parliament today.Senators have already approved the changes, which woul...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Slight recovery for farm incomes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-income-france-doubles-agriculture-statistics-disparities-livestock-cereal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS' average income has doubled in the past year, according to official new figures which reveal large disparities from one sector to the next.The statistics from the French agriculture ministry...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rush to buy new French web names]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-domain-names-url-fr-open-registration-restricted-list-online-web-addresses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of banned or restricted French web addresses have been opened up for anyone to register for the first time, prompting a new online rush for the best names.Towns and countries, professions,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Car repair costs under spotlight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/car-repair-costs-france-mechanics-garages-competition-authority-investigation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMPETITION authorities have launched a major investigation into the rising cost of car repairs and servicing in France.The AutoritÃ© de la Concurrence suspects that restrictive practices have result...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[45% will not go on holiday this year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/survey-finds-45-per-cent-will-not-go-on-holiday-france-summer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALMOST half of French people will not be going on holiday this summer, a new poll has revealed.The France Info and 20 Minutes survey found a lack of money and the need to save instead of spend were ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[British climbers die in French Alps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/two-british-climbers-die-french-alps-mountain-fall-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO British climbers have died after falling 900 metres near Chamonix in the Alps.The men, aged 22 and 24, were attempting to scale the Frendo Spur, on the north face of the Aiguille du Midi, late o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lucky escape from 130kph drug-driver]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/a10-motorway-wrong-way-drug-driver-cannabis-accident-no-serious-injuries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN driving under the influence of cannabis has caused nine accidents by travelling the wrong way up a motorway at speeds of up to 130kph.No one was seriously injured in the incident, which happen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Slow start for summer sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shops-slow-start-summer-sales-online-retail-increase-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DISCOUNTS of up to 70% have failed to attract consumers to the shops in the first week of the summer sales - but online takings are up significantly.Initial figures for this year's soldes suggest fa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France bans shale gas 'fracking']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shale-gas-fracking-hydraulic-fracturing-france-senate-bans-environment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has become the first country in the world to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing, used to mine for shale gas and oil.Senators last night voted in favour of a ban by 176 votes to 151, wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More electricity bill rises on way]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/electricity-bills-tariffs-increase-paris-public-transport-metro-mobile-roaming-prices-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ELECTRICITY bills are to rise by an average of 2.9% from today, with warnings that a further increase of 5% or more could be necessary in the winter.The energy regulation committee, which provides a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Safety approval for new Eurostars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-eurostar-trains-all-clear-safety-channel-tunnel-siemens-alstom-dispute-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROSTAR'S plans to start running new state-of-the-art trains through the Channel Tunnel from 2014 have been approved by tunnel safety authorities.The train operator announced last year that it was ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Celebrate summer with July's issue]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-july-2011-issue-on-sale-now-summer-events-holidays-news-features-tour-de-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUMMER is the perfect time to make the most of everything France has to offer - and July's issue of The Connexion is the ideal place to start. This month we celebrate the Tour de France and Monaco's...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[See-through Airbus on way]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/See-through-Airbus-on-way-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIRBUS plans to end the battle for the window seat as it rethinks the way aircraft cabins have been laid out and reveals its Concept Cabin. Following on from the release last year of its Airbus Conc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[EU lifts ban on foreign notaire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/EU-ruling-lifts-French-ban-on-foreign-notaires-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BAN on the employment of non-French nat ionals as notaires looks set to be lifted. The European Court of Justice has ruled that the current laws limiting the profession to French nationals contraven...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France enjoys good life]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Smile:-France-really-does-enjoy-good-life-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has one of the best work-life balances in the world, according to a global survey that looks behind blunt financial figures to find the real health of citizens. France is in the top 10 for th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to end health ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-forced-to-end-early-retiree-health-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Announcements from the European Commission and the French government reveal an about-turn on FranceÂ’s 2007 decision to force so-called Â“inactiveÂ” non-French EU citizens to take out private health insu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unesco decision CÃ©vennes Corbusier]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Unesco-decision-due-for-Cévennes-and-Corbusier-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE buildings of modernist architect Le Corbusier and the Causses and CÃ©vennes countryside in the Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-PyrÃ©nÃ©es may be given Unesco World Heritage status. A Unesco meeting, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UK, no tribunals  in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UK-will-not-hold-tribunals-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE British Justice Ministry has turned down an MPÂ’s request that tribunal hearings into disability benefit reinstatement be held in France. This relates to the right of expats to claim benefits like ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hot July/August give farmers' woes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Extra-hot-July-and-August-will-add-to-farmers’-woes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOTTER than average weather is being predicted for the rest of the summer. The forecast, by MÃ©tÃ©o France, will be a further blow to farmers struggling due to the driest spring for 50 years. Rain in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Eagles and Jarre to play at wedding]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eagles-and-Jarre-to-play-at-wedding-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROYALTY, heads of state, Olympic athletes, Jean Michel Jarre and The Eagles will all help Monaco celebrate the wedding of reigning Prince Albert II and South African Charlene Wittstock on July 1 and 2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Villagers fund teacher salary]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Villagers-fund-teacher-salary-to-keep-school-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 300 residents of a small village in the Hautes-Alpes, are clubbing together to hire and pay for a teacher for their maternelle (nursery school) to prevent its closure. It comes as the government p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[British ambassador is leaving]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/British-ambassador-is-leaving-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH ambassador to France Sir Peter Westmacott has announced his departure at the end of this year. He has held the post for more than four years, the typical stint for an ambassador, having starte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs want regulated cannabis industry]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/MPs-want-regulated-cannabis-industry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GROUP of Socialist MPs has proposed that the state creates a Â“national cannabis industryÂ”, similar to those for tobacco and alcohol. The state should regulate production, importation and distributio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Prostitutes say plans dangerous]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prostitutes-say-plans-to-make-it-illegal-to-pay-for-sex-are-dangerous-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROPOSALS to fine or jail prostitutesÂ’ clients would Â“marginaliseÂ” sex workers and leave them Â“isolated and vulnerableÂ”, said a spokeswoman for prostitutesÂ’ union Strass. Â“MaÃ®tresse [Mistress] GildaÂ”,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[French Â‘PentagonÂ’ completion by 2014]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-‘Pentagon’-due-for-completion-by-2014-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A Â“FRENCH PentagonÂ” will be built at Balard, south-west Paris. The Defence MinistryÂ’s scattered offices and those of the militaryÂ’s chiefs, will be grouped on one, 320,000m2, site centred on new build...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Crackdown on fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Crackdown-on-social-security-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PENALTIES for social security fraud are to get tougher this year. Work Minister Xavier Bertrand said he would present new initiatives this summer Â– notably Â“proper finesÂ” for fraudsters and new ways f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Crackdown on fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Crackdown-on-social-security-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PENALTIES for social security fraud are to get tougher this year. Work Minister Xavier Bertrand said he would present new initiatives this summer Â– notably Â“proper finesÂ” for fraudsters and new ways f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[25-points give consumers powers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/The-25-points-to-give-consumers-greater-powers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WHAT would business and consumer affairs minister FrÃ©dÃ©ric LefebvreÂ’s proposed new consumer law mean for you? Anyone who has fought to get a deposit back from a landlord or received a nasty shock when...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[DFDS answers your queries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Multi-trips,-shops-and-docking:-DFDS-answers-your-queries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The takeover of Norfolkline by DFDS Seaways has created EuropeÂ’s largest sea-based network with 30 routes and 60 freight and passenger ships. ESTELLE PHILLIPS puts readersÂ’ questions to the English Ch...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[time is key to online bargains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Knowing-what-time-to-look-is-key-to-finding-online-bargains-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOU CAN find bargain holidays online during Â“flashÂ” sales, when travel firms sell off lastminute discount holidays at specific times. Consumer magazine Le Particulier found sites had set times for sal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France is No1 for home tuition]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-is-No1-for-home-tuition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is the country with the largest home tuition market in Europe. An EU researcher, who spent four years studying the topic, estimates Â€2.2 billion of private tuition work is done in France, follo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New nuclear regulations backed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/New-international-nuclear-regulations-backed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CALLS for international regulation of nuclear power stations have been backed by France. UN body the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wants the right to inspect power stations and impose unif...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[U-turn on PyrÃ©nÃ©es bear]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/U-turn-on-new-bear-for-Pyrénées-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMPAIGNERS opposed to bears in the French PyrÃ©nÃ©es are celebrating after the government backtracked on the introduction of a new animal. While the Ecology ministry says that Â“maintaining a viable p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â‘One-for-allÂ’ password revived]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/‘One-for-all’-web-password-revived-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS for a Â“digital certificateÂ” which will allow web users to securely carry out bureaucratic tasks, have been resurrected. Digital economy minister Eric Besson, has relaunched the password project,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â‘One-for-allÂ’ password revived]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/‘One-for-all’-web-password-revived-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS for a Â“digital certificateÂ” which will allow web users to securely carry out bureaucratic tasks, have been resurrected. Digital economy minister Eric Besson, has relaunched the password project,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Debate fades on dual nationality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Debate-fades-out-on-dual-nationality-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A REPORT on dual nationality by a UMP MP who wanted to ban it has been quietly shelved. Claude Goasguen has announced that ideas in his report into the law and dual nationality had largely been reje...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-07-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Journalists freed after 18 months]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-tv-journalists-freed-afghanistan-held-hostage-kidnapping-france-3-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO television journalists held hostage in Afghanistan for a year and a half have been freed and are on their way back to Paris.HervÃ© GhesquiÃ¨re and StÃ©phane Taponier were filming a report for Franc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Brit student has French X-Factor]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-student-wins-french-version-x-factor-matthew-raymond-barker-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITISH university student on a placement in Toulouse has been voted the winner of the French version of X-Factor.Matthew Raymond-Barker, who studies French at the University of Bath, beat native ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France-UK travel hit by strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/uk-border-agency-customs-immigration-strike-france-travel-queues-ports-airports-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAVELLERS heading from France to Britain today face delays on arrival because of a strike by customs and immigration workers.The UK Border Agency has warned of long queues at ferry ports and airpor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-30</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[French expats get their own minister]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-minister-expatriates-french-citizens-abroad-david-douillet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH citizens living abroad are to have their own minister representing their interests.Former judo champion David Douillet has been appointed to the newly created role of junior minister for Fren...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-30</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French top world cleanliness study]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/personal-hygiene-cleanliness-french-study-comparison-countries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH pay more attention to their personal hygiene than people in neighbouring countries, a new study comparing nine countries has claimed.The poll, commissioned by a Swedish manufacturer of hy...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-29</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Trains and planes offer summer help]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-airports-france-rail-plane-extra-help-services-summer-travelling-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF is to put on more trains and offer a range of extra services to passengers to help them cope with the peak summer travel period.Some 20 million people are expected to travel by TGV this sum...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[CÃ©vennes mountains join Unesco list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unesco-cevennes-causses-south-france-world-heritage-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VAST natural park in the south of France, including the home of Roquefort cheese, has been added to Unesco's world heritage list.The CÃ©vennes mountain range and the Grands Causses limestone platea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-29</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New attack on food profit margins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supermarket-hypermarket-profit-margins-food-costs-official-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKETS are squeezing producers for cheaper prices but failing to pass any of the savings on to customers, an official new report has found.The government's food price watchdog, which was set u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â€1bn boost for French nuclear]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-nuclear-energy-boost-1bn-euro-investment-safety-concerns-fukushima-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has pledged to spend a further Â€1bn on developing nuclear power - despite growing concerns about safety following the Fukushima disaster in Japan.President Sarkozy said the government would i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Taxi strike to target airports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taxi-drivers-strike-france-airports-orly-charles-de-gaulle-disruption-convoys-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIRPORTS and city centres will be clogged by taxis tomorrow as drivers around France stage a one-day strike.Ten unions representing thousands of drivers will be taking part in the day of convoys and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France basks in up to 40Â°C today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-high-temperatures-heat-weather-40-degrees-south-west-summer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LARGE parts of France will enjoy temperatures of more than 35Â°C today - and the area around Bordeaux could see 40Â°C.However, MÃ©tÃ©o France says the first hot spell of the summer season will not last ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-27</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Lorry drivers plan go-slow protests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lorry-driver-strike-france-motorway-traffic-convoys-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC jams are likely on parts of the French motorway network today because of a strike by lorry drivers.A number of go-slow operations are planned, although the unions behind the protest have not...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-27</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cheaper petrol in time for holidays]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cheaper-petrol-prices-fuel-france-driving-summer-holidays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PETROL stations around France are expected to cut their prices this week, in time for the summer holiday getaway which begins on Friday.Unleaded and diesel should drop by up to three centimes per li...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-27</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[South-west TGV routes take shape]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tgv-route-bordeaux-toulouse-spain-high-speed-rail-map-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LOCAL consultations are to be launched in towns and villages in the south-west of France over the route of two new high-speed rail lines from Bordeaux to Toulouse and Spain.Provisional routes have b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-24</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Woman marries her dead partner]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/posthumous-marriage-east-france-woman-marries-dead-boyfriend-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN in the east of France whose boyfriend was killed in a road accident has made use of an obscure French law to marry him, almost two years after his death.Karen Jumeaux, who is 22, applied to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-24</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More hospitalised in E.Coli alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/food-poisoning-e-coli-more-people-hospitalised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEVENTEEN people have been hospitalised after two further outbreaks of food poisoning in France.Health authorities are investigating what appears to be an E.Coli infection in BÃ¨gles-en-Gironde, near...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-24</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More meat recalled in E.Coli alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supermarkets-recall-hamburger-minced-beef-leclerc-maison-spanghero-ecoli-food-poisoning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE major French supermarket chains have withdrawn hamburgers and meatballs from sale following a second E.Coli food poisoning alert in a week.The recall applies to 12 tonnes of refrigerated minced...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris cracks down on ad billboards]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-outdoor-advertising-billboards-banned-size-limits-new-rules-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LARGE, imposing advertising billboards are to be banned from the centre of Paris under a new plan by the city council to cut the size of ad hoardings by a third in the next two years.The biggest out...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Legal action over bac question leak]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/education-ministry-legal-action-baccalaureat-exam-maths-question-leaked-online-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ANONYMOUS web user is facing three years in prison and a Â€9,000 fine for leaking one of the questions in a baccalaurÃ©at exam online.The education ministry has begun legal action over the leak, wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Extra fees for new electricity meters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-electricity-meters-linky-costs-outweigh-savings-edf-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW "intelligent" electricity meter that aims to help households cut their energy bills could have the reverse effect and end up costing them more.EDF is currently testing out its "Linky" device, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Easyjet strike in France on July 12]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/easyjet-first-strike-france-cabin-crew-july-12-13-paris-lyon-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EASYJET staff in France are planning to stage their first-ever strike, potentially affecting flights over two days in July.Cabin crew union Unac is calling for a 48-hour walkout on July 12 and 13 to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-22</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No class closures in election year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/primary-school-class-closures-frozen-2012-job-cuts-non-replacement-staff-education-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has pledged to freeze the government's policy of closing primary school classes - but not until September 2012, after the elections.During an official visit in the LozÃ¨re, Sarkozy ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-22</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Celebrate music festival tonight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-fete-de-la-musique-30th-edition-free-concerts-music-performances-programme-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of free concerts will be taking place around France this evening to celebrate 30 years of the FÃªte de la Musique.Venues from giant theatres to street corners and even the backs of vans are...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[McDonald's inquiry into man's death]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mcdonalds-france-investigation-inquiry-man-death-marseille-food-safety-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MCDONALD'S has launched an investigation after a man died within days of eating at one of the group's restaurants in Marseille.The fast food giant said it had begun an internal inquiry "as a precaut...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nantes campaigns to rejoin Brittany]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nantes-brittany-campaign-referendum-march-pays-de-la-loire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMPAIGNERS have called for a referendum on whether Nantes and the surrounding department should become part of Brittany again.The Loire-Atlantique department was separated from the rest of Brittany...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tuesday strike on Paris RER network]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rer-strike-a-b-trains-disruption-airport-charles-de-gaulle-orly-paris-airs-show-bourget-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUBLIC transport users in Paris face a day of disruption tomorrow on parts of the RER network because of a strike by drivers.The two main lines crossing the capital - RER A and B - will be running a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sex assault claim  at Facebook party]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/irish-student-sexual-assault-claim-montpellier-open-air-party-police-investigation-facebook-apero-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old Irish student during a large open-air party in Montpellier at the weekend.Two young men were arrested at the apÃ©ro gÃ©ant on Friday...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Early retirees to regain healthcover]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/early-retiree-expats-france-state-health-cover-insurance-cmu-europe-circular-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EARLY-retiree expats in France will be given easier access to the country's healthcare reimbursements system, following pressure from the EU.The European Commission has been investigating France's p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[U-turn on French second home tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-second-home-tax-abandoned-u-turn-non-residents-property-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government has abandoned plans to levy a controversial new tax on holiday homes owned by non-residents.The proposed tax, announced last month, would have targeted non-residents, of all na...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-19</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bordeaux to Paris in just two hours]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bordeaux-angouleme-paris-high-speed-tgv-rail-line-two-hours-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW high-speed rail link that will slash the journey time from Bordeaux and Angouleme to Paris has been given the go-ahead.The 300km line will link Bordeaux with Tours, where it will join the exis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[64% will pay more to buy French]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/consumers-prepared-pay-extra-support-french-made-products-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO thirds of French people say they are prepared to pay more for products that are made in France, to show support for the country's manufacturing industry, a new poll has found.The survey by socia...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Toulouse top in hospital league]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/toulouse-best-hospital-france-league-table-unofficial-research-treatment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PATIENTS in Toulouse receive the best hospital treatment in all of France, according to a new league table published today.The city's Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) came top in the research ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Towns failing on affordable homes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-towns-failing-targets-affordable-housing-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of French towns and cities face sanctions for failing to provide enough affordable housing to low-earners.New research by the Fondation AbbÃ© Pierre welfare charity has found that 1.2 millio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Six children ill in E.Coli outbreak]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lidl-france-food-poisoning-minced-beef-seven-children-hospitalised-e-coli-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Supermarket chain Lidl has issued a product recall after six children in France were hospitalised with food poisoning from minced beef.The children, who are aged between two and eight, are said to b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MP cautioned for giving the finger]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-mp-cautioned-warning-middle-finger-gesture-parliament-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN MP who put his middle finger up to the prime minister during a debate in parliament has avoided a fine and escaped with a warning.Henri Emmanuelli, a Socialist MP representing the Landes, made th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shops reach deal on school supplies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/low-cost-back-to-school-supplies-budget-rentree-essentials-hypermarkets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HYPERMARKETS have reached a deal to offer budget school supplies to families over the summer break, despite the rising cost of raw materials including paper.The operation, called Les Essentiels de l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Used nappies to produce energy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/used-nappies-potential-energy-electricity-biogas-recycling-suez-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MILLIONS of dirty nappies thrown away each year could be used to produce energy, in a new project being developed by a French firm.Suez Environnement, which operates water treatment plants, is carry...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Carrefour fined over minimum wage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carrefour-fined-minimum-wage-smic-below-court-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CARREFOUR has been fined Â€3.66m for failing to pay some of its staff the legal minimum wage.A court in Evry, south-east of Paris, found the supermarket giant used a compulsory paid 20-minute break t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Air France budget routes take shape]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-budget-domestic-flights-paris-marseille-nice-toulouse-low-cost-competition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARSEILLE, Nice and Toulouse will become the first bases for a new budget regional service due to be launched by Air France within the next year.The airline has unveiled further details about its pl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Road deaths down after radar debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/road-deaths-down-may-speed-camera-debate-holidays-safety-accidents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DEBATE on speed cameras and the lack of long bank holiday weekends in May have led to the first decline in road deaths in France since the new year.Some 317 people were killed on French roads la...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France loses wine title to Italy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-wine-production-italy-overtaken-world-title-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has lost the latest round in the fight with Italy for the title of world's number one wine producer.New figures from the European Commission show Italian wine production grew slightly in 2010...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Teachers to strike on September 27]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/teachers-plan-strike-september-school-job-cuts-france-education-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEACHERS' unions have announced plans for a nationwide one-day strike after the summer holidays, on September 27, to protest against job cuts.They are calling on the government to stop its policy of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[10-year-old drove drunk father home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drunk-father-allowed-10-year-old-son-drive-car-home-police-arrest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FATHER is facing up to a year in prison and a Â€15,000 fine for letting his 10-year-old son drive him home after an evening out.Police say the 40-year-old lorry driver from LÃ¨ves, near Chartres, wa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Homes at risk of drought collapse]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drought-homes-subsidence-structural-damage-cracks-insurance-claim-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INSURANCE firms are preparing for tens of thousands of claims this summer from home owners whose properties have subsided because of the drought.The problem affects homes built on clay soil, which c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Foreign OAPs lose pension]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Foreign-OAPs-may-lose-pension-top-up-benefit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HARD-UP expat pensioners could be forced to return to the UK if MPs back a move to change the senior citizensÂ’ pension top-up.Alpes-Maritimes MP Lionnel Luca has proposed that only the French and th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More jobs help for disabled people]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-promises-3000-more-jobs-for-disabled-improve-access-mobility-school-help-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has pleged to create 3,000 new jobs for people with disabilities and spend more money improving accessibility to public buildings.Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled the three-year plan at a dis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SFR fires first in mobile price war]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sfr-mobile-phone-price-war-tariffs-cut-existing-customers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOBILE phone users could benefit from more competitive prices on their monthly contract, after SFR announced a series of tariff changes that could trigger a price war.The operator, which has 16 mill...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More classes for foreign parents]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/schools-free-french-lessons-6000-foreign-parents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of schools offering free French lessons to foreign parents is set to triple this year, the government has announced.Some 3,000 adults currently benefit from the scheme in 750 schools arou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Four years of rail disruption ahead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-rail-disruption-2015-train-times-track-engineering-work-timetable-changes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAJOR engineering work will disrupt train services in France until at least 2015, the SNCF has warned.Some 85% of train times are due to be revised when the new winter timetable comes into effect on...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Plans to extend paternity leave]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paternity-leave-france-parental-time-off-report-extended-one-month-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FATHERS are encouraged to take a month off work to look after a new-born child under new measures put forward to the French government.A report submitted to the minister for solidarity, Roselyne Bac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Women MPs condemn 'macho' parliament]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sexism-politics-france-national-assembly-mps-campaign-male-remarks-skirts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WOMEN MPs have launched a campaign against what they describe as sexist behaviour and "a macho atmosphere" in the French National Assembly.Several female politicians have spoken publicly about the b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Record Â€24m win on French lottery]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-lottery-jackpot-france-24-million-euros-winner-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LOTTERY player in the Val d'Oise has woken up Â€24m richer this morning after becoming France's biggest single jackpot winner.The winner, who has yet to come forward, was the only person to match a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Compulsory work to keep your benefits]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/income-support-claimants-compulsory-work-lose-benefits-rsa-employment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INCOME support claimants should be required to accept up to 10 hours of work each week or risk having their payments cut, MPs have proposed.President Sarkozy's UMP party has confirmed it will push f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU ruling opens up notaire profession]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/notaires-profession-eu-nationals-opened-non-french-access-legal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROPEAN nationals who do not hold French citizenship could be allowed to exercise the profession of notaire in France for the first time.The European Court of Justice has ruled that the current rul...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French want to abandon nuclear]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-nuclear-power-survey-abandon-shut-reactors-germany-safety-fukushima-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than three quarters of French people believe the country should follow Germany and withdraw from nuclear energy, a new survey has found.The Ifop poll of 1,005 adults commissioned by the Journal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Loophole allows lesbian marriage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lesbian-marriage-same-sex-loophole-nancy-france-trans-gender-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COUPLE in the east of France have celebrated what is believed to be the country's first lesbian marriage, using a legal loophole to get around a ban on same-sex unions.Elise, 27, and StÃ©phanie, 59...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French fruit crops hit by hail storms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-fruit-farmers-torrential-rain-hail-crop-damage-agriculture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS in the south of France are counting the cost of crop damage after a weekend of torrential rain and hail.Fruit producers in the Vaucluse have called an emergency meeting today to assess the d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Tougher stance on prison sentences]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prison-sentences-france-tougher-stance-report-eric-ciotti-overcrowding-convictions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE JUSTICE system in France needs major reform to ensure criminals serve more of their sentences, a new report has recommended.The research by Alpes-Maritimes MP Eric Ciotti found convicted crimina...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[FN calls for dual citizenship ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ban-dual-citizenship-nationality-france-front-national-marine-le-pen-immigration-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE LEADER of France's far-right Front National party has launched a campaign to ban dual citizenship, on the grounds that it "undermines" republican values.Marine Le Pen has written to all of Franc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris to launch river-bus network]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-river-bus-network-public-transport-2013-seine-boats-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS has announced plans to launch a river-bus network along the Seine from 2013, connecting with the rest of the city's public transport system.Boats will run from Suresnes in the west to Maisons-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New consumer law 'lacks ambition']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-consumer-protection-law-mobile-users-tenants-bills-class-actions-ruled-out-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW law that aims to protect customers from excessive bills and unfair commercial practices has been criticised by consumer groups for "lacking ambition".The bill features 25 measures covering are...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rail complaints double in a year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/complaints-french-rail-ombudsman-double-sncf-compensation-delays-refunds-fines-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has been told to improve its compensation policy for delayed trains and provide better information on strike disruption, after the number of passengers complaining to the French rail ombudsma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Custody ruling could halt trials]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/criminal-court-cases-collapse-ruling-france-police-custody-questioning-illegal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of criminal cases could be thrown out on a legal technicality after France's highest court confirmed that police custody conditions are against the law.The Cour de Cassation ruling means t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Priority aid for livestock farmers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drought-farmers-crisis-financial-aid-livestock-cashflow-slaughter-agriculture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has pledged to double its financial aid to farmers who are facing the worst drought in 35 years.Several hundred million euros will be handed over by mid-September on a region-by-regio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Renault heirs seek compensation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Renault-compensation-confiscation-war-factory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHT grandchildren of one of the founders of Renault have launched a compensation claim for the stateÂ’s confiscation of the firm in 1945.They want reparation for Â“material and moralÂ” harm caused to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[English to be language of Peugeo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Peugeot  Citroën language training  -view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH car giant PSA Peugeot CitroÃ«n has been boosting language training of its staff around the world - so English can become the common language of the group.Telelangue, a firm specialising in dis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[CM2 tests Â‘will move to JuneÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/CM2 -view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to change the dates of annual tests given to pupils in the last year of primary school are being contested by teaching unions.The government intends to test CM2 pupils in June, not January as ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mass protest at bullfighting]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mass-protest-at-bullfighting-heritage-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 80 animal rights groups have protested outside the Culture Ministry and in towns across the country against the listing of bullfighting as part of FranceÂ’s heritage It came after Culture Min...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Humane cages for foie gras ducks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Humane-cages-for-foie-gras-ducks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS will be forced to use more humane methods to force-feed ducks for foie gras under new EU rules.Many birds are kept in small individual cages while being force-fed in the weeks before slaught...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[We donÂ’t want more bears]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/We-don’t-want-more-bears-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTERS have been marching in south-west towns including Toulouse against the planned introduction of a new bear to the western Pyrenees.Anti-bear federation ADDIP believes the animals are danger...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French do snack between meals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Caught!-French-do-snack-between-meals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONTRARY to the traditional image of the French diet, unhealthy snacking between meals has become common, a study shows.The five-year NutriNet-SantÃ© study, which asked 180,000 internet users in Fran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police back on the beat]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-back-on-the-beat-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW kind of local police officer, called a patrouilleur (patroller) is being tested in four cities just six years after beat police were taken off thestreets by Nicolas Sarkozy when he was interior...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French spend Â€3bn a year on pets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-spend-€3bn-a-year-on-their-pets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE British are said to be a nation of animal-lovers, but it is actually the French who have more pets than any other Europeans, with 61.6 million animaux de compagnie for a population of 64 million. ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Inside Robespierre 's mind]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Inside-Robespierre’s-mind:-the-state-buys-his-papers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PERSONAL papers written by Maximilien de Robespierre, the architect of the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution, have been saved for the nation by culture minister FrÃ©dÃ©ric Mitterrand d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prizes for inventions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prizes-for-inventions-from-the-life-saving-to-the-weird-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INVENTIONS from an oil spill cleaner to an instrument made from PVC were rewarded with prizes at this yearÂ’s Concours LÃ©pine. Retired engineer AndrÃ© Boniface from Lunel in HÃ©rault became the first p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Huge variation in price of water]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Huge-variation-in-price-of-water-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WEBSITE has been set up for people to log how much their water costs - and reveals a huge variation across France. www.prixdeleau.fr has been created by consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateur...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[shale gas ban  is Â‘smokescreen']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Greens-say-shale-gas-ban-is-‘smokescreen’-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SENATORS are expected to vote to uphold the ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas in their debate on June 1. Protesters, however, have criticised the way the proposal was amended...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Water restrictions hit France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Water-restrictions-hit-one-third-of-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRISIS talks between ecology minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, water experts and water users such as power company EDF and farmersÂ’ leaders have led to wide-ranging measures to cope with one of the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister apologise over benefits]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Minister-apologises-over-expat-benefits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROPEAN affairs minister Laurent Wauquiez has been forced to apologise after suggesting that foreigners should have to work for five years in France before claiming any social security benefits. Sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No voices for St Joan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/No-voices-for-or-from-Clémence-Poésy’s-St-Joan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRESH from playing witch Fleur Delacour in the final Harry Potter movies, ClÃ©mence PoÃ©sy swaps her wand for a sword as another witch in The Silence of Joan when she plays Joan of Arc in the days leadi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[VAT debacle allows 790,000 to switch]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/VAT-debacle-allows-790,000-to-switch-mobile-phone-firms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY 800,000 people took advantage of a rise in VAT on their mobile phone contracts at the start of the year to switch operators. Figures from telecoms watchdog Arcep showed that more than half a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[High-speed 4G access to internet]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Launch-of-high-speed-4G-mobile-phone-networks-will-open-up-access-to-internet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AREAS of France which have no access to high speed internet could benefit from the next generation of high-speed mobile connections which become available at the end of the year. The new 4G connecti...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plan to shut Facebook accounts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parents-greet-plan-to-shut-bullies’-Facebook-accounts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[As social networking grows, a partnership between Facebook and educators hopes to reduce the level of online bullying faced by children. CYBER-bullies could lose their Facebook accounts in a bid to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speeders to face blitz on roads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speeders-to-face-blitz-on-roads-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STRICT measures being imposed on drivers in a bid to reduce the rising road death toll have drawn protests from road safety groups, driversÂ’ groups and MPs in the governing UMP party. The changes in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[This house would be a ruin]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Without-us-this-house-would-be-a-ruin,-and-they-want-to-tax-us-again-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Hundreds of thousands of second home owners could be hit by the equivalent of another council tax on their properties under new government proposals. Connexion readers are furious and OLIVER ROWLAND...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-06-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free summer events guides are out now]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/download-free-whats-on-guides-summer-events-normandy-dordogne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION has published two free guides to help readers make the most of the summer holidays in Normandy and the Dordogne.If you are visiting either region for a short break, a stay at your holi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Privacy warning over school CCTV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/schools-cctv-video-surveillance-formal-warning-privacy-watchdog-children-cnil-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE schools have been issued with a formal warning from France's privacy watchdog, CNIL, over their "excessive" use of videosurveillance.The group hopes the ruling will provide new guidance to othe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Record year' hope for French tourism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-tourism-industry-hopes-record-summer-year-arab-unrest-hotel-bookings-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOURISM officials are looking forward to what they claim will be a bumper year, with more people choosing to stay in France for their summer break.Industry body Protourisme, which represents hotelke...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Call to cut summer break by fortnight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-summer-holidays-cut-two-weeks-recommendation-long-hours-working-day-pupils-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOL summer holidays should be shortened by two weeks to help reduce the number of hours children spend in classes every day, a committee has recommended.The group, set by up education minister Lu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[U-turn on speed camera device ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speed-camera-radar-warning-equipment-detectors-devices-ban-u-turn-manufacturers-change-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS in France who use radar warning equipment will not be breaking the law, after the government announced a U-turn on a proposed ban.Manufacturers have agreed to reprogram the devices so that t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France vigilant over E.Coli bug]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cucumber-bug-food-poisoning-e-coli-france-safety-checks-brittany-recall-spain-germany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOOD safety checks have been reinforced in France following a poisoning outbreak in Europe that is believed to have originated from Spanish cucumbers.French health authorities are keeping a close ey...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plans to force petrol price cuts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-fuel-prices-government-could-force-savings-crude-oil-changes-competition-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PETROL stations could be forced by the French government to cut their prices, under new measures designed to pass cost savings on to drivers.Finance minister Christine Lagarde said she would conside...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More schools join timetable pilot]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-timetable-experiment-lessons-morning-sport-afternoon-extended-more-secondary-schools-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW school routine in which children work in the morning and practise sport after lunch will be extended to another 125 secondary schools in September, the education ministry has announced.Some 7,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurotunnel plan to carry electricity]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-uk-electricity-sharing-plan-eurotunnel-high-voltage-line-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROTUNNEL has unveiled plans to run a high-capacity power line through the tunnel that will make it easier for France and the UK to share electricity when needed.The 500 megawatt cable will link po...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris 'supermetro' route is confirmed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-super-metro-new-route-orly-airport-saint-denis-suburbs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE ROUTE for a new high-speed Â€32bn automatic metro system around the suburbs of Paris has been confirmed, with the first sections expected to be ready before 2018.The scheme is part of the bigger ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[June issue is on sale now]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-june-2011-issue-whats-inside-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE JUNE issue of The Connexion is now on sale, packed with the latest news, features, interviews and useful contacts.This month we take a detailed look at the proposed new tax on second home owners...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GPs now want Â€25 consultation fee]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-doctors-consultation-fee-increase-25-euros-campaign-performance-related-pay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GPs have called for another increase in the standard consultation fee charged to patients - up from Â€23 to Â€25.Two of France's biggest doctors' unions, CSMF and the Syndicat des MÃ©decins LibÃ©raux, s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Millions eligible for EDF refunds]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-overpaid-bills-refunds-millions-homes-energy-regulator-claim-back-money-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MILLIONS of French electricity customers could be eligible for a refund from EDF dating back up to five years, after the supplier was criticised for failing to pay back overpaid bills.Until now, whe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Benefits fraud up 10% in a year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/caf-family-benefits-fraud-up-10-per-cent-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of cases of benefit fraud detected by the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales has grown by 10% in the past year, new figures reveal.The annual report from the organisation's national head off...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Roads blocked in taxi protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taxi-drivers-strike-france-disruption-traffic-motorways-airports-go-slow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC jams are likely across France today - including at entrances to airports - as thousands of taxi drivers take part in a nationwide strike.Go-slow operations are planned in several towns and c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Kennel owner faces smuggling charges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dog-smuggling-puppies-vaucluse-france-battery-conditions-rabies-vaccine-mistreated-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUSTOMS officers have uncovered a major dog smuggling operation in the south of France that is thought to have netted more than Â€4m in three years.The kennel, in the Vaucluse (around Avignon), is sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mixed messages on speed cameras]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speed-camera-warning-signs-removed-conflicting-messages-ministers-road-deaths-safety-radars-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WARNING signs alerting drivers to the presence of speed cameras will continue to be removed from roadsides in France, and will be replaced at each site with an interactive speed display, the governmen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lifeguard strike may close pools]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lifeguard-strike-france-municipal-swimming-pools-closed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOME public swimming pools will be closed today because of a strike by lifeguards over pay and conditions.Local newspaper reports suggest the turnout varies greatly from one pool to the next, so it ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Emergency aid for drought-hit farms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-aid-drought-water-shortages-emergency-driest-spring-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT is to make Â€100m of emergency funding available to farmers whose crops have been hit by drought.A crisis group has been set up to assess the damage from what has been the driest sprin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lawyers challenge police ID checks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-id-checks-legal-campaign-challenge-arbitrary-lawyers-race-ethnic-origin-liberty-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LAWYERS have launched a legal challenge against police identity checks, claiming too many of them are arbitrary and anti-constitutional.Some fifty members of the Syndicat des Avocats de France union...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet leaders join Paris summit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-internet-summit-paris-france-e-g8-copyright-privacy-political-role-web-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A THOUSAND of the biggest names in the online world are gathering in Paris today and tomorrow for a special summit launched by President Sarkozy.Bosses from Google, Facebook, eBay, Amazon, Skype and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU tackles France over air quality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-quality-france-particle-emissions-towns-cities-above-european-limits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is facing legal action from the European Commission for failing to respect rules on air quality.The commission found particle emissions were above the legal EU limits in 14 major towns and ci...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Airlines on alert as volcano erupts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/iceland-volcano-ash-cloud-flights-air-traffic-france-europe-threat-latest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR traffic authorities say there is no immediate threat to flights in France following this weekend's volcanic eruption in Iceland.Initial predictions sent to airlines yesterday showed the ash clou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speed displays to 'educate' drivers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speed-road-safety-interactive-display-boards-radars-prevention-camera-warnings-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE THOUSAND new speed display signs are to be installed along roadsides in France in a bid to "educate" drivers about the dangers of speeding.The interactive boards - called radars pÃ©dagogiques - s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Russian cathedral belongs to Russia]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Russian-cathedral-Nice-tsar-Nicolas-court-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RUSSIA has been confirmed as the owner of the Russian Cathedral in Nice, built by tsar Nicolas at the beginning of the 20th century.After the tsar was overthrown and killed during the revolution the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy lays down law of the road]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-language-tutoie-gendarmes-road-safety-MPs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GENDARMES and police have been ordered by President Sarkozy to watch their language when speaking to civilians, especially young people.Visiting a brigade of gendarmerie in the Var, Mr Sarkozy said ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nuclear accidents Â‘under-declaredÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nuclear-waste-under-declaring-accidents-Beaumont-Hague-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NUCLEAR waste treatment plant in Basse-Normandie has been rapped for under-declaring dangerous incidents.In its report for 2010 on nuclear installations in Normandy the Nuclear Safety Authority (A...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-20</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Fishermen paid to fish for plastic]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fishermen-plastic-Cap-Ferrat-Europe-Mediterranean-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FISHERMEN are turning to fishing for plastic in an experiment to see if they can help clean up the seas.The European Union is funding research into ways to clean up the Mediterranean with fishermen ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nicolas Hulot to disappear from TV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nicolas-Hulot-programmes-TF1-Ushuaia-cancelled-for-campaign-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GREEN TV presenter Nicolas Hulot is to gradually disappear from TV screens, following the announcement that he is to run for president in 2012.The broadcasting watchdog CSA has completed discussions...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Extra police plea to cut road deaths]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Radar-speed-Gueant-UMP-MP-election-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POLICE union has joined the protests against the move to banish signs warning of radar speed traps and called for more traffic police as a way to cut accidents.The move comes as Interior Minister ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teachers march against cuts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teachers-protest-march-job-cuts-classes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIMARY school teachers have been marching against staff cuts and class closures planned for this autumn.Accompanied by parents and some politicians, around 500 teachers protested yesterday outside ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fillon faces angry MPs on speed traps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UMP-MPs-radar-speed-trap-warning-Fillon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UMP MPs have attacked the governmentÂ’s decision to get rid of signs warning of radar speed controls in a meeting with Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon.Members lined up to denounce the move, taken as p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French think DSK is plot victim]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Survey-CSA-French-Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-Plot-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOST French people believe the allegations against IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn are a conspiracy.Around 57% of French adults questioned by survey firm CSA thought that was the explanation for the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Suspended sentence for TGV derailment]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/TGV-accident-Niort-La-Rochelle-derailed-drink-driving-drugs-alcohol-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A ONE million euro damage claim by the SNCF against a man who, in a drunken haze, parked his car on a railway line derailing a high-speed train, has been thrown out by a court.Despite endangering th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bruni baby is a presidential first]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nicolas-Sarkozy-Carla-Bruni-baby-presidential-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy and Carla Bruni's baby will be the first born to a presidential couple while in power.Although the ElsyÃ©e Palace has refused to comment on the couple's private life, the president's ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Split finalised  for French right]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parti-Radical-separate-UMP-split-French-right-wing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MEMBERS of the Parti Radical have voted overwhelmingly to split with the governing UMP, paving the way for a split in France's right-wing as the left-wing is in disarray after the arrest of leading fi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France in  'drought crisis']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-drought-crisis-ecology-minister-Kosciusko-Morizet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S drought has already reached a Â“crisis situationÂ”, according to Ecology Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.She said yesterday: Â“All the indicators are orange to red; we are in a July situat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[4G mobile internet revolution on way]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/4G-mobile-telecoms-internet-Besson-smartphone-tablet-wireless-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNHEARD of internet speeds and unheard of access are on the way as digital economy minister Eric Besson started the auction for the new range of 4G wireless frequencies.Mr Besson set the minimum pri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-17</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[4.6 million speed camera fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speed-cameras-4million-fines-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LAST year speed cameras generated 4.6 million fines, government figures show.A total of 1,740 cameras on French roads resulted in 11 million alerts being sent from the machines to a national process...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister furious at racist remark]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jeannette-Bougrab-quits-UMP-meeting-after-racist-remark-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Minister for youth Jeannette Bougrab walked out of a UMP meeting last weekend after a party member used racist language during a debate.Bougrab, the former president of the anti-prejudice rights...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[DSK arrest 'has humiliatedÂ’ France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Strauss-Kahn-rape-claim-IMF-New-York-hotel-LePen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE arrest of International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn for alleged rape in a New York hotel has left his reputation is in tatters as politicians pronounced him Â“discredited...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Events mark 500 days of captivity]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-journalists-Herve-Ghesquiere-Stephane-Taponier-kidnapped-Afghanistan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVENTS are being held around France to mark the 500 days that reporters HervÃ© GhesquiÃ¨re and StÃ©phane Taponier have been held hostage in Afghanistan.The two journalists, who were filming a PiÃ¨ces Ã  ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French have most pets in Europe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-pets-dog-cat-vet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE French have more pets than any other Europeans, a study has shown.SantÃ©Vet, an animal medical insurance firm, say there are 61.6 million pets in France (compared to 64 million people).More tha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fillon delight as economy grows 1%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-growth-Fillon-Lagarde-consumer-spending-inflation-Smic-Insee-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCEÂ’S economy has grown at its fastest rate since the second quarter of 2006, with prime minister FranÃ§ois Fillon and economy minister Christine Lagarde both hailing the figure of 1%.Mr Fillon sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New 'council tax' on second homes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Holiday-home-government-tax-non-residents-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OWNERS of French second homes who live abroad could be taxed the equivalent of a second council tax on their properties.The new tax on second homes would apply to properties owned by people who are ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs vote for shale gas fracking ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-drilling-ban-France-fracking-hydraulic-fracturing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MPs have voted to ban the shale gas mining process of hydraulic fracturing in France.The proposition was passed by 287 votes to 186, with the Socialist Party and green MPs voting against it because ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tougher penalties to cut road deaths]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speed-radar-detectors-mobile-phone-motorcycle-jackets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOUGHER road safety measures are being introduced to cut road deaths and are aimed at speeding motorists, drink drivers and motorcyclists.In all, 18 measures are being introduced. They include:Â•	A ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fraud probe into web hotel bookings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/-hotel-TripAdvisor-fraud-internet-booking-DGCCRF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE internet hotel booking sites are to be investigated by fraud squad detectives after being accused of wilfully misleading customers on the availability, promotions and facilities of hotels.Tour...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[RER strike for  Paris on Friday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/RER-RATP-strike-Paris-metro-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SERVICES on the RER A and B will be practically non-existent this Friday, according to a union spokesman.Four unions, the CGT, FO, SUD and Unsa, will stage a one-day strike from 4.45am Friday until ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hadopi figures reveal limits]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hadopi-internet-piracy-study-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE anti-internet piracy body Hadopi has announced successes after six months of operation, but technology writers are criticizing the validity of its figures.Hadopi was put in place to tackle inter...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Laurent Blanc cleared of racism ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-football-coach-Laurent-Blanc-racism-Jouanno-Blaquart-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH national football coach Laurent Blanc has been cleared of racism allegations after an investigation by the Ministry of Sport.Sport Minister Chantal Jouanno called an inquiry after news websit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol reaches  record prices]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Petrol-prices-record-high-crude-oil-Lagarde-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANTI-FRAUD experts have been asked to investigate as prices at the pumps reach record highs despite dropping prices for crude oil on the world markets.Unleaded 95 petrol is at an average Â€1.55, acco...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-10</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Le Pen boycotts documentary]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marine-le-Pen-Front-National-extreme-right-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARINE LE Pen has boycotted a TV documentary on the "extreme right" in France because she objects to the classification for her party.She refused to appear on the France 2 show ComplÃ©ment d'enquÃªte ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fears over tricks in shale gas vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-socialist-ecology-vote-fear-trick-Borloo-Montcuq-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN AMENDMENT to the bill to ban shale gas exploration in France has become a smoke screen to allow drilling, claim Socialist MPs and environmentalists.Many Socialist Party members fear the propositi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Embrace Tricolour, says Royal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Segolene-Royal-tricolour-France-extremism-Socialist-party-front-national-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRONT National does not have a monopoly on the French flag, SÃ©golÃ¨ne Royal has told followers at a meeting.The former presidential candidate, who plans to stand in the Socialist Party's primary ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police on Â“strikeÂ” over race remark]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-CRS-strike-race-black-journalist-TF1-Gueant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RIOT police from the CRS have gone on a sickness protest after one of their colleagues was disciplined for a racist remark to a TF1 TV journalist.The 44 officers went to hospital en masse to get sic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tougher access to  benefits proposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Laurent Wauquiez-benefits-RSA-social security-income support-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOREIGN people in France should be required to work in France for five years before being claiming any social security benefits, says Europe Minister Laurent Wauquiez.According to Mr Wauquiez it is ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Eight hotels given 'palace' status]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eight-hotels-palaces-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHT hotels around France have been given the title of 'Palaces' Â– one step higher than the five-star rating.But the absence of the Paris Ritz and George V undermines the list produced by the jury,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doctors'pay talks break down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Doctors-quarrel-pay-deal-rural-suburbs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TALKS on a new pay and conditions deal between doctors and the Assurance Maladie have broken down after an argument between the unions over their representatives.Two unions, the CSMF and the SML, wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farmers voice  drought fears ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Farmers-drought-climate-change-water-restrictions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DROUGHT spreading across France could affect cattle feed, farmers fear.Farmers said up to 50% of grass and crops destined to feed livestock could be lost because historically-low rainfall has prod...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Killer slimming pill cost Â€1.5bn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mediator-slimming-diabetes-billion-Cnam-reimbursement-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[KILLER slimming pill Mediator cost the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance-Maladie (Cnam) Â€879 million in reimbursements over the 33 years that it was being prescribed. The total cost of the now-banned dru...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-05</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF allow booking during engineering]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-online-booking-tickets-departure-time-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF is to launch a service which will let passengers book tickets on trains, without knowing when they will leave.The idea is to free up more early places on lines where engineering work it tak...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burqa ban sees 27 offences recorded]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Burqa-ban-27-fined-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S burqa ban has seen 27 offences recorded since it was brought into force.The law bans people from covering their faces in public spaces, effectively outlawing the burqa and niqab Islamic dre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-05</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs back ban on plastic chemicals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Phthalates-parabens-plasticisers-preservatives-cosmetics-reproductive-plastic-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HORMONE-disrupting phthalate chemicals could be banned after a surprise vote in the National Assembly. MPs voted through the first reading of a bid to ban the plasticisers, used mainly to increase t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Parking fines up to Â€17 on August 1]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parking-fines-rise-11-17-August-1-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARKING fines for not putting money in a meter will go up to Â€17 from Â€11 on August 1.The fine had remained at the same level since 1986, according to MP Gilles Carrez, president of the ComitÃ© des F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Facebook ban for school bullies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-bullies-Facebook-accounts-closed--view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUPILS caught bullying classmates could have their Facebook pages shut down, the Education Ministry has announced.The social networking group has agreed to close the accounts of young people thought...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Security forces on red alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Terror-red-alert-Osama-Bin-Laden-airports-stations-TGV-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE and security forces are on red alert in France, its ports, airports and main transport hubs, after the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.Terror experts say that groups with links to Al-Q...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Second black box found on sea bed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Second-black-box-flight-recorder-AF477-Rio-Paris-Air-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SECOND black box, containing the cockpit voice recordings, has been recovered from the wreckage of flight AF 477, some 3,900m below sea level.Crash investigators have now recovered both voice and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-03</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin faces appeal hearing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Villepin-court-Clearstream-appeal-Paris-Lahoud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is back in court after prosecutors appealed against his acquittal in the Clearstream affair.As the hearing opened at the Paris appeal court, there was new...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[GPs strike in bid for fixed pay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-strike-in-bid-to-change-to-fixed-pay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH GPs staged a recent one-day strike in a bid to change their payment to a fixed monthly rate instead of being paid per consultation.FranceÂ’s leading doctorsÂ’ union MG France says fixed pay, li...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bid to ban foreign flags]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bid-to-ban-foreign-flags-french-win-union-jack-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUST two months before the International Olympic Committee meets to decide if Annecy will win the bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics an MP has called for a ban on flying foreign flags in public plac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Debate sparks fear for Catholics]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/debate-sparks-fears-for-catholics-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AFTER 106 years of the secular state, Catholics in France are uneasy at the recent debate on the role of religion, especially Islam, as they say that they have been heavily involved in continuous deba...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jesus artwork hit in attack]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/controversial-jesus-artwork-hit-in-attack-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTERS have damaged the controversial Piss Christ artwork at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Avignon, smashing the protective plastic screen and obliterating the face of Jesus.New Yorker Andre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protesters step up shale gas pressure]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/protesters-step-up-pressure-on-shale-gas-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTERS against plans to drill for shale gas and oil in France are getting set for a mass demonstration on May 10 as MPs gather to debate a ban on the proposals.The vote comes against the backgro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French taste for small dogs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-taste-for-small-domestic-dogs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[REMAINS from the Dordogne, Haute Garonne and Hauts-de-Seine have been identified as belonging to FranceÂ’s earliest domesticated dogs - and they were less than 43cm tall, about the size of a poodle. ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[De Niro leads Cannes line-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/de-niro-leads-strong-cannes-line-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWICE winner and now three-times president, Robert de Niro returns to Cannes this month to lead the jury at the film festival with a strong line-up of contenders for the Palme dÂ’Or, including Pedro Al...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Minister in plea for rain]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/minister-joins-farmers-in-plea-for-rain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS fear for their crops after three months of below-average rainfall in the north and west of France and the imposition of water restrictions in eight departments.Ecology minister Nathalie Kosc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Titeuf is box office success]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/titeuf-is-box-office-success-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TITEUF, Le Film was the most popular movie in the week it was released, with 367,541 ticket sales.The character is the creation of Francophone Swiss comic artist Zep (Philippe Chappuis), who first d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[5,000 free events celebrate Nature]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/5000-free-events-to-celebrate-nature-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FROM the Sept Iles archipelago off Brittany, to urban nature trails in Paris and the reedbeds of Lake Annecy, the FÃªte de la Nature puts you in touch with experts to learn about your area, among Franc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-05-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Anger at football race quota claims]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Football-squad-blacks-Arabs-Bleus-discrimination-quota-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CLAIMS that French football bosses want to cut the number of blacks and Arabs in Les Bleus have prompted sports minister Chantal Jouanno to demand an explanation.News website Mediapart said it had i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No minimum for workers' bonus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Workers-bonues-prime-aux-salaries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COMPULSORY payment to workers at French firms will have no minimum limit, the government has said.Negotiations between the government and business leaders over the prime aux salariÃ©s are continuin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Royal condom plan helps Paris teens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ile-de-France-pass-sante-contraception-lycee-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 160,000 teens in the Paris area now have access to a Â“Pass SantÃ© ContraceptionÂ”, a pack of sexual health and contraception vouchers.The scheme by the Socialist-led Ile-de-France region is sim...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orange must pay customer Â€64,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orange-customer-wins-64,000-payback-Rennes-expensive-tariff-email-internet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PHONE company Orange has been ordered to pay a mobile phone customer Â€64,000 damages after it switched him on to a new, more expensive tariff without him knowing.The court at Rennes backed Orange cu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Seven killed in motorway crash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Family-killed-A10-motorway-Gironde-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEVEN people including an eight year old boy have died in an accident on the A10 Bordeaux-Paris motorway after an articulated lorry and a minibus collided.The dead included all six people in the min...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rugby star Chabal faces suspension]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rugby-Chabal-referees-Racing-Metro-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL rugby star SÃ©bastien Chabal has been suspended by his club, Racing-Metro, awaiting a disciplinary decision over remarks attacking French referees.Interviewed in Le Journal du Dimanche ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police appeal over missing woman]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jane-Kennedy-missing-Charente-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE are appealing for information about a British woman from the Charente who has not been seen since April 5.Friends and family of Jane Kennedy, 42, who lives in Aigre, say they are mystified by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[1,500 classes cut in primary schools]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-classes-cut-1500-Chatel-primary-Rentree-September-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIMARY schools are to be hit with cuts that will mean 1,500 fewer classes starting in SeptemberÂ’s rentrÃ©e.Despite protests in towns and villages around France, education minister Luc Chatel confirm...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bardot attacks corrida listing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bardot-anger-government-bullfighting-immaterial-heritage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCREEN legend and animal rights campaigner Brigitte Bardot has called the governmentÂ’s decision to list bullfighting as part of FranceÂ’s Â“immaterial heritageÂ” "completely idiotic".The star, who head...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-27</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[State aid to renew old boilers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prime-a-la-casse-chaudieres-old-boilers-government-aid-replacement-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PAYMENT of up to Â€250 is to be made available for people swapping old fioul boilers with new condensing models.Exact details of the scheme, announced by the Minister for Industry, Energy and the D...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-26</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Disneyland Paris crash hurts five]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Disneyland-Paris-five-hurt-Thunder-Mountain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE people were hurt in an accident at EuropeÂ’s No1 tourist attraction, Disneyland Paris. One man has serious head injuries.The ride in Frontier Land was immediately closed after the accident altho...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-26</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hulot makes u-turn on nuclear power]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nicolas-Hulot-nuclear-power-Fukushima-Chernobyl-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GREEN presidential candidate Nicolas Hulot has made a u-turn on nuclear power saying France should gradually wind down the technology over decades.The ecology campaigner and former TV presenter was ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-26</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[FamilyÂ’s bodies found in garden]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nantes-Dupont-de-Ligonnes-murder-shot-garden-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE have found the bodies of four young people and their mother buried under the garden of their family home in Nantes town centre.They are looking for the father, Xavier Dupont de LigonnÃ¨s, 50, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police object over beer and wine ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-CRS-protest-wine-beer-meals-riot-alcohol-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE have complained about new rules banning them from having a glass of wine or beer to wash down their meals.The officersÂ’ union SGP-FO said the ruling from the headquarters of the CRS riot poli...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Water restrictions in 8 departments]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Farmers-drought-water-restrictions-Kosciusko-Morizet-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUMMER-like temperatures in the middle of April have seen the imposition of summer-like water restrictions in eight departments.Worst-hit by the drought are Seine-et-Marne, Essonne and Val-de-Marne ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â€2m presidential robbery foiled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Elysee-palace-president-sarkozy-two-million-euros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THIEVES have attempted to steal Â€2 million from the presidential accounts.Using the ElysÃ©e Palace account details and security codes, the group ordered Â€2m to be sent to an account in China, accordi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France is leader  in terror arrests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-arrests-most-Islamist-terrorists-EU-Europol-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE EUÂ’s criminal intelligence agency Europol says France was responsible for more than half of the arrests of Â“people linked to Islamist terrorismÂ” in Europe last year Â– 94 out of 179.According to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[FN expels 'Hitler salute' councillor]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hitler-salute-Nazi-Front-National-councillor-expelled-Grenoble-LePen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FRONT National regional councillor has been thrown out of the party after being shown in a photo giving a Hitler salute in front of a Nazi flag.Alexandre Gabriac condemned the photo as a fake, say...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-20</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Man left his car on railway track]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Railway-TGV-Niort-Mauze-sur-le-Mignon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUBLIC prosecutors have asked that a man who abandoned his car on a high-speed line causing a TGV carrying 300 people to derail should face a maximum six-month suspended sentence and lose his licence ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-20</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Staff bonus scheme watered down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dividends-bonus-Lagarde-Baroin-Bertrand-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIRMS that distribute dividends to shareholders will, under certain circumstances, have to pay bonuses to staff as well.The government is working on proposals to help company employees benefit more ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-19</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â‘BlasphemousÂ’ art work is damaged]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Piss-Christ-artwork-attacked-Catholic-demonstration-Avignon-Collection-Lambert-secular-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ARTWORK depicting a crucifix in a glass of urine, named  Piss Christ, has been attacked by protesters at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Avignon.New Yorker Andres SerranoÂ’s photograph was attac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-19</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France wins fight over refugee train]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-Italy-Tunisia-refugee-train-disorder-protest-Schengen-Vintimille-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has been backed by the European Commission in its row with Italy over SundayÂ’s shutdown of the rail link between the two countries to halt a train loaded with Tunisian immigrants. France said i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-19</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shale gas protests keep up pressure]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-protests-Cahors-Nant-Bove-Aveyron-Herault-Meaux-Cope-Donzeres-Besson-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANTI-shale gas protesters joined demos across the country to highlight fears that drilling and exploiting for the gas could poison groundwater for generations.There were 5,000 on the streets in Caho...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[AlzheimerÂ’s centre gets Leopolda cash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Alzheimer-Villa-Leopolda-deposit-millions-Safra-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW AlzheimerÂ’s centre in Nice will be the biggest beneficiary after an appeal court confirmed a Russian billionaire must lose his Â€39 million deposit after pulling out of a record property purchase...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Six killed in two road accidents]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Six-killed-accidents-Chelles-Ozoir-RN4-drunk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX people including three children have been killed in two separate road accidents in Seine-et-Marne.In the first, a mother, a two-year-old girl and the motherÂ’s uncle were killed when a drunk driv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Union Flags ban for public spaces]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Union-Jack-foreign-flags-ban-French-public-spaces-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WAVING or displaying foreign flags in France could become an offence if an amendment is passed by MPs.A bill originally targeting the waving or display of non-French flags at mairies in France, part...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Villepin unveils  manifesto ideas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dominique-de-Villepin-presidential-manifesto-pledges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has unveiled a list of manifesto pledges if he becomes president, including leaving Nato, halving the number of regions and making it illegal not to vote....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Minimum wage  set to rise again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Minimum-wage-smic-June-July-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE French minimum wage, le Smic is expected to go up 2% on either June 1 or July 1.Le Smic, currently Â€9/hour, or Â€1,365 a month, is raised by law each time inflation rises 2%. According to finan...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Prostitutes' clients face fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prostitute-sex-client-penalties-jail-mafia-trafficking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROSTITUTESÂ’ clients face fines of up to Â€3,000 and six monthsÂ’ jail under plans to halt human trafficking revealed in a draft parliamentary report.MP Guy Geoffroy said: Â“A client who goes to see a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Green presenter to run for president]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nicolas-Hulot-French-president--view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GREEN presenter Nicolas Hulot has announced he will run for the French presidency in 2012.The founder of the ecology group the Fondation Nicolas Hulot said he wanted to begin a "new society both eco...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Workers strike at Nutella factory]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nutella-strike-chocolate-spread-shortage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NUTELLA supplies in France could be hit after production stopped at its factory in Rouen.Workers at the Ferrero plant, which produces 800,000 pots a day, along with 1.2m chocolate bars are demanding...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shale gas ban bid gets official aid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-ban-water-aquifer-accelerated-Paris-France-Total-reserves-Gasland-toxic-polluted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to drill for shale gas reserves may be doomed as the government has speeded up the process of a draft bill to ban drilling due to fears over long-lasting dangers to water sources.The proposal,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Swapping insurance to become easier]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Measures-change-insurers-Christine-Lagarde-CCSF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MEASURES meant to help people cancel insurance policies more easily have been promised by Economy Minister Christine Lagarde.Mrs Lagarde says that, despite the 2005 Loi Chatel that already aimed at ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Lower income  tax for drivers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Petrol-income-tax-car-mileage-frais-reels-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE will be able to make a higher deduction for commuting on their income tax forms this year, to combat fuel price rises.The French petrol industry will fund the cost of allowing taxpayers to of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-12</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rise in anti-Arab attacks in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Islam-attacks-France-burqa-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RACIAL tolerance is receding in France according to a report by the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l'Homme (CNCDH).While the number of physical attacks on people based on race has d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-12</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hacker arrested after TV brag]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Computer-hacker-arrested-bragging-TV-show-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of bank card details have been found at the home of a computer hacker who boasted on TV of how he could break into the systems of the army and aerospace group ThalÃ¨s.ThalÃ¨s pressed charges ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-12</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Slimming method will be banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fat-reduction-lipotomy-banned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LIPOTOMY, a kind of slimming therapy, is expected to be banned because of health risks.The technique, which was pioneered by a Paris doctor in the late 1990s, involves injecting a solution which is ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French sure taxes to rise after 2012]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-taxes-impots-rise-2012-election-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LARGE majority of French people believe that taxes will rise once the 2012 presidential election has taken place.Regardless of what issues will become the centre of the campaign, or the eventual w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Woman defies  new ban on veil]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Woman-arrested-protest-Avignon-France-veil-burqa-niqab-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN was arrested at Avignon station this morning as she tried to board a train for Paris wearing the niqab [full veil] on the first day of the controversial new law on wearing the burqa and niqab....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hopes high for economic growth]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Lagarde-growth-budget-deficit-investment-unemployment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S budget deficit predictions have been cut from 6% to 5.7%, the economy minister Christine Lagarde has announced.Ms Lagarde added that she still expected growth of 2% for 2011 due to greater ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Minister's split  could redraw right]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jean-Louis-Borloo-parti-radical-UMP-Nicolas-Sarkozy-quits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER minister Jean-Louis Borloo has announced his Parti Radical is leaving the UMP.The Parti Radical was one of the founding groups of the UMP, Union pour un Mouvement Populaire which was formed f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Court bans extra  charge for GPs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cpam-loses-court-case-carte-vitale-feuille-soins-cheaper-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEALTH insurance body Cpam has been banned from charging doctors an extra Â€0.50 if they use a paper feuille de soins to record healthcare needs rather than a patientÂ’s carte vitale health card.After...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Doctors call day of protests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Medecin-traitant-doctors-strike-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOME doctors' surgeries could be closed today as GPs' union MG-France has called for a day of protest to mark the start of talks with the government.The union has called for concrete measures to sto...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Surrogate children Â‘are not FrenchÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Twins-surrogate-Mennesson-cour-de-cassation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOP appeal court the Cour de Cassation has decided that a French coupleÂ’s twins born in America to a surrogate mother cannot be officially registered as their daughters on the French Ã©tat civil.The ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[EDF-GDF staff on strike over perks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/EDF-GDF-workers-national-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDF and GDF staff have called a one-day strike in response to moves to take away their preferential energy tariffs.Over 300,000 people benefit from the tariffs, which see workers pay between 5-10% o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Old cars could be banned from cities]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Old-vehicles-banned-Kosciusko-Morizet-ecology-pollution-asthma-Zapa-2CV-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OLD cars could be banned from the streets of FranceÂ’s big cities in a move by ecology minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet to stop city centre air pollution.Saying the future is in small cars and ele...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[UK tax change hits expatriates]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UK-taxation-French-residency-rules-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH residents who let furnished holiday accommodation in France have lost certain tax advantages with the new tax year.Previously landlords could offset the cost of repairs and furniture and fit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Socialists plan 300,000 jobs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Socialist-Party-presidential-election-pledge-300,000-tax-nuclear-renewable-pollutant-VAT-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CREATION is the key word in the Socialist PartyÂ’s list of 30 key targets for the 2012 presidential campaign, with plans for 300,000 jobs for young people, a new tax to include both impÃ´t sur le revenu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-06</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Anonymous CVs  Â‘donÂ’t workÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Anonymous-CVs-foreign-origin-underpriviliged-Pole-Emploi-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANONYMOUS CVs have in some respects the opposite effect to that hoped for, according to a study done for the PÃ´le Emploi.The results suggest French employers do not in fact discriminate on social or...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-06</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[UMP unveils ideas for secularism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UMP-religion-president-sarkozy-secularism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE UMP party has produced a total of 26 propositions which cover areas such as funding and the relationship between religion, the state, the public and the workplace.The party's debate on the issue...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-06</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Radiation tests run on water]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Water-radiation-Fukushima-accident-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WATER in natural bodies like lakes and rivers is to be tested this week for radioactivity, because it in some cases it feeds into drinking water.The checks, by the public health agency Direction GÃ©n...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Borloo bids to ban hunt for shale gas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-fracking-gaz-schiste-Borloo-France-permit- Kosciusko-Morizet-energy-Green-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER ecology minister Jean-Louis Borloo is trying to ban the exploration and development of shale gas just 11 months after signing the permit allowing it to take place.The U-turn has come as he sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Muslim row over minister's speech]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/number-muslims-France-national-front-UMP-claude-gueant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE INTERIOR minister Claude GuÃ©ant has been accused of Islamophobia and dishonouring France after saying the growing population of Muslims in the country 'poses problems'.His comments were made on ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New price formula may cut gas price]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-price-rise-formula-calculation-Besson-Sarkozy-consumers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RISING gas and petrol prices have prompted energy minister Eric Besson to propose a new way of calculating prices, promising it would be less hard on consumers.Just days after a 5.2% hike in the pri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[1,107 nuclear incidents in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nuclear-accident-france-power-station-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S nuclear power stations are in a 'satisfactory' state, despite a total of 1,107 incidents recorded in 2010, an annual safety report has revealed.The report, by the AutoritÃ© de sÃ»retÃ© nuclÃ©ai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Second Â‘solidarity dayÂ’ considered]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Solidarity-day-work-no-pay-dependency-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy is considering asking everyone to work another day a year for no pay in order to help fund predicted costs of Â“dependencyÂ”.With an aging population, the cost of looking after frail...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Two-month delay for shale gas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shale-gas-drilling-france-delay-two-months-protests-environment-gaz-schiste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONTROVERSIAL plans approved in March 2010 to drill for shale gas throughout France - raising fears over public health and safety, environmental damage and falling house prices - have been put on hold...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA['France can't  cook any more']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-cooking-criticism-michael-steinberger-book-cuisine-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LEADING American journalist has brought out a French edition of his book which criticises French food: Au Revoir to All That: The Rise and Fall of French Cuisine.In the book, published in English ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French honour for Marianne Faithfull]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/singer-marianne-faithfull-top-french-honour-arts-letters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE singer Marianne Faithfull has been awarded one of France's highest cultural honours.The 64-year-old was made Commander of Arts and Letters by FrÃ©dÃ©ric Mitterrand, the culture minister.The Brit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Dordogne business link is broken]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dordogne-british-business-link-broken-chamber-commerce-representative-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VITAL link between the British and French business communities in the Dordogne has been broken because the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry has no representative.There is no mention...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shale gas: the pros and cons]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shale-gas-drilling-france-pros-cons-gaz-schiste-environment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[KILOMETRES under France lies a reserve of gas that could provide energy for the country for the next 30 years... but it is desperately difficult to extract and getting it out could pollute the country...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[20,000 children studied for 20 yrs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-children-studied-20-years-research-development-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWENTY THOUSAND children born this year will be monitored for 20 years in the first French study of its kind.Elfe (Etude Longitudinale FranÃ§aise depuis lÂ’Enfance) will involve hundreds of researcher...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French 'honour' their worst films]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-honour-worst-films-immmortel-jean-reno-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LÂ’IMMORTEL, a film in which Jean Reno plays a Marseille gang boss who survives being shot 22 times, was voted "Worst Film of the Year and probably of the Decade" in the satirical GÃ©rard awards.Also ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Stay-away senator pockets Â€150k]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/corsican-senator-francois-vendasi-pockets-150k-absenteeism-politics-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CORSICAN senator FranÃ§ois Vendasi, 71, is being paid Â€13,000 a month despite visiting the Senate only once a year.Newspaper France Soir named Mr Vendasi, who admits he "prefers to stay on my patch",...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Radical look' at UK expat voting]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/expat-voting-rights-uk-15-year-rule-radical-reform-promised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE BRITISH government has promised a "really radical look at voting for overseas residents".The comment, from Lord McNally, a minister in the Justice Ministry (which is in charge of electoral refor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France ruling on iPad translation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ipad-tablet-computers-french-translation-ruling-ardoise-tablette-tactile-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PATRIOTIC French speakers have been instructed they should call an iPad an ardoise ("slate") or tablette tactile.The terms are among the latest put out by the Commission gÃ©nÃ©rale de terminologie et ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA['Fast crÃªperie' takes on McDo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fast-creperie-brittany-takes-on-mcdonalds-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RESTAURANT claiming to be France's first "Breton fastfood" outlet is hoping to compete with McDonald's burgers with crÃªpes.Roule Galette, which calls itself a "fast crÃªperie", recently opened its ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Wild boar havoc in supermarket]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wild-boar-causes-havoc-in-supermarket-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WILD boar caused panic in a supermarket near Nancy, demolishing part of the store as well as a nearby hairdressing salon.The supermarket's security chief, GrÃ©gory Gobin, said the 60 kilo pig first...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Are French power stations safe?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/are-french-nuclear-power-stations-safe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THERE were more than 1,000 security alerts at French nuclear power stations last year, according to a leaked report.Radio station Europe 1, which says it has seen a report by the Nuclear Safety Auth...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[By 2CV from Paris to Cannes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2cv-treasure-hunt-paris-cannes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OWNERS of 2CVs are being invited to go on a rally/treasure hunt through the Plus Beaux Villages de France (PBVF) from May 15-21.The PBVF association, which designates FranceÂ’s prettiest villages (th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Philatelist Sarko saves stamp jobs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/philatelist-sarkozy-saves-stamp-jobs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[KEEN stamp collector President Sarkozy has helped save 450 jobs at the national postage stamp printworks in the north of the Dordogne. The Phil@poste Imprimerie des Timbres plant at Boulazac, outsid...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[UK may scrap pet rabies test]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/uk-may-scrap-rabies-test-for-pets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHANGES to European Union rules on pet transport come into force at the end of this year, which should mean that owners will no longer need to get a rabies blood test for their pets and wait six month...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Nature takes pride of place]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nature-takes-pride-of-place-festival-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRIPS on foot, by flatbottomed boat, canoe or dugout, on horseback or in a calÃ¨che have been organised as part of more than 250 activities laid on for the Festival de l'Oiseau et de la Nature in Somme...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French ships on global missions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-ships-on-global-missions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO French ships are on the high seas on separate scientific expeditions: the 36m sailing yacht Tara to study oceanic ecosystems and the 46m three-mast schooner La Boudeuse studying the impact of huma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Batman takes on new French angle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/batman-takes-on-new-french-angle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE caped crusader has a new French sidekick as DC Comics aims to build a global empire of pen-and-ink crimefighters. Avoiding the fairly obvious new name of LÂ’Homme de Chauve-Souris, they have plum...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[ISPs getting ready for new addresses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-service-providers-new-ip-addresses-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET service providers (ISPs) are gearing up for a new kind of IP address (the numeric identification code for a device connectingto the internet, such as a PC).  Until now, subscribers have be...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cheap internet scheme delayed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cheap-internet-subscription-scheme-faces-delays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon said early in 2010 he was in talks with ISPs to organise a tariff of no more than Â€20 a month for landline, broadband and digital TV for less well-off homes, with a poss...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Notaires' fees rise by 7%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/notaires-fees-rise-by-seven-per-cent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NOTAIRESÂ’ fees have gone up by seven per cent. The change is mainly due to a rise in the Â“value unitsÂ” used to calculate the fees for some notairesÂ’ procedures that have fixed rates. It is going up al...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Reversible wind farms form shield]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Reversible-wind-turbines-nuclear-dependency-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEXT generation wind farms will not only reduce France's dependence on nuclear power, but protect it from radiation, the Environment Ministry has announced.Farms of several hundred turbines will be ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Colours to change on euro notes ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Contrasting-colour-euro-notes-2013-Banque-de-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EURO notes are going to have a new colour scheme from 2013.While the designs will stay the same, the notes will have more contrasting colours, says the Central European Bank.Printing of the new no...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[PM will not attend secularism debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prime-Minister-Francois-Fillon-laicity-secularism-debate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon will not be taking part in the debate on laicity, scheduled for next Tuesday.The ruling UMP Party has ben planning for some time to organise a debate what the French R...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-04-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ryanair imposes Â€2 levy on flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ryanair-imposes-two-euro-fares-levy-ash-cloud-passengers-increase-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LOW-COST airline Ryanair is charging passengers an extra Â€2 each to help pay compensation costs due to cancelled flights.The levy - Â£2 for UK bookings Â– applies to all bookings from Monday April 4 a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-31</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy orders armoured umbrellas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nicolas-Sarkozy-orders-armour-plated-umbrellas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH president has ordered a batch of Kevlar-coated umbrellas at Â€10,000 a piece.The brollies, made by a firm in Normandy, are designed to keep off objects tougher than the rain of northern Fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-31</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mayotte becomes 101st department]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mayotte-department-101-France-Outre-Mer-overseas-Indian-Ocean-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INDIAN Ocean island Mayotte became FranceÂ’s 101st department yesterday.This was depite initial confusion as to whether the inauguration would be able to go ahead as planned, due to the postponement ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-31</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€9.4m won on one-armed bandit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Father-scoops-wins-casino-jackpot-9.4m-Morbihan-bandit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN has scooped a record jackpot of Â€9.4 million on a one-armed bandit.The father of six from Vannes had gone into the casino at Port-Crouesty in Morbihan, Brittany and Â– after a few successes on ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-30</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Religions unite against UMP debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-religion-debate-jews-christians-muslims-buddhists-UMP-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHRISTIANS, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists have united in opposition to the UMP's debate on the separation of Church and State.A declaration written by the ConfÃ©rence des responsables de culte en Franc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[One in 200 GPs attacked in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Doctors-attacked-GPs-patients-physical-verbal-gun-knife-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ATTACKS on doctors soared by 80 per cent in 2010, with one in 200 doctors reporting they had faced verbal attacks and threats. Some had even been threatened with a gun or knife.The Observatoire Pour...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-30</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sylvie Uderzo sues father's entourage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Daughter-Asterix-founder-legal-action-suing-Sylvie-Uderzo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE  daughter of Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo is suing her fatherÂ’s close colleagues, claiming they have Â“pillaged and brokenÂ” her family.Sylvie Uderzo is accusing her fatherÂ’s close circle of a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-30</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Postal strike will hit deliveries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Post-postal-strike-protest-working-changes-suicides-sick-privatisation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POSTAL workers are on strike today in a national protest against worsening working conditions that have led to a rise in the number of staff off sick.Deliveries were halted in many parts of the coun...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-29</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Report denounces  school bullying]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Report-bullying-primary-schools-Unicef-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE in 10 primary schoolchildren in France suffers serious bullying, a report for Unicef shows.The study, by the Observatoire International de la Violence Ã  lÂ’Ecole, found that nine out of 10 childr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-29</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Gas price rise set at 5.2%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-prices-rise-GDF-Suez-Besson-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GAS prices are rising 5.2 per cent from April 1 in a much-heralded move that means costs have risen 21 per cent over the past year and seen household bills go up by Â€200. It comes a week after the n...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-29</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Speed radar bid to catch more drivers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speed-radar-police-unmarked-car-motorcycle-tests-Hortefeux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in unmarked cars are to test new-generation speed radars that are claimed to be able to monitor the speed of several vehicles at once.The interior ministry has asked manufacturers for light, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â‘SpidermanÂ’ climbs tallest tower]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Spiderman-Alain-Robert-world-tallest-building-Burj-Khalifa-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Â“French SpidermanÂ”, Alain Robert, is to climb the worldÂ’s tallest building today.Alain Robert is expected to try to scale DubaiÂ’s 828m Burj Khalifa this afternoon: it is three times the height o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Disappointment for Front National]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Front-National-Marine-Le-Pen-cantonales-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Front National has suffered disappointing results, winning just two council seats out of a potential 10-50 hoped for by its leader, Marine Le Pen.However, the number of votes cast for the far-ri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-28</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[VÃ©lib' prices to rise 70 per cent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Velib-Paris-bicycle-hire-prices-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE PRICE of using Paris' VÃ©lib' bicycle-hire scheme is set to rise by up to 70 per cent from the start of May.The cost of day tickets will increase from Â€1 to Â€1.70, while a seven-day pass will ris...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-25</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Forest fire risk in Dordogne]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dordogne-department-severe-fire-risk-forest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE WHOLE department of the Dordogne is under a Â“very severeÂ” risk of forest fires, a situation that has not existed since 2004.This is the last stage before the maximum level of Â“exceptionalÂ” risk....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-25</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French prefer to drink at home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Drinking-home-habit-smoking-pression-whisky-Chivas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE IMAGE of the Frenchman standing at a bar, downing a petit rouge, is long gone; as far as alcohol is concerned, the French prefer to drink at home. They are also buying less and paying more.Despi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-25</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Voters divided on ballot decision]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-voting-Front-National-UMP-Parti-Socialiste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VOTERS are split over the UMP's decision not to call on its supporters to oppose the Front National.While the Socialist Party asked voters to choose their rivals the UMP where faced with a Front Nat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cheating chess champ banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Chess-cheat-Feller-banned-world-champion-grand-master-SMS-text-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH chess champion SÃ©bastien Feller has been banned after being accused of cheating during the 2010 world championships.The 19-year-old from Lorraine, who is fifth in the junior world rankings an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-24</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Livret-A savings break Â€200bn ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Livret-A-tax-free-savings-record-200billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S most popular tax-free account, the Livret-A, has passed the threshold of Â€200 billion in savings.Recent increases in investment saw the total amount push through the Â€200bn barrier, accordi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Free guilty of  illicit practices]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-guilty-illicit-abusive-practices-clauses-UFC-Que-Choisir-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POPULAR French internet service provider Free has been found guilty of Â“illicitÂ” and Â“abusiveÂ” practices.The Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris has ruled in favour of the consumer defence body UFC...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-24</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Foreign cigarettes make Â€2bn tax loss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Buying-cigarettes-abroad-costs-France-two-billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is losing out on billions of tax revenue because smokers are buying their cigarettes abroad, according to figures from the Observatoire des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT).The OFDT, a publ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[65% of French want country lifestyle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Two-thirds-French-want-to-live-in-countryside-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY two-thirds of French people living in cities dream of a house in the country, according to a survey for the newspaper 20 Minutes.Around 60 per cent of the population lives in towns, but 65 pe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shopping basket prices set to soar]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Supermarket-prices-electricity-water-coffee-chocolate-prices-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EXPECT to pay more for flour, coffee, oil, bread, butter and pasta as commodity prices have soared across the globe and the supermarkets are set to pass on the increase.The average price rise will b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Vote Socialist to  beat far-right: PM]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Francois-Fillon-vote-Marine-le-Pen-local-elections-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIME Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon has broken ranks with President Nicolas Sarkozy, telling MPs of the governing UMP they should ask supporters to vote Socialist where they are competing against the Front...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Fast-food firms demand hygiene law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fast-food-sandwich-hygiene-law-delay-deaths-Avignon-Chartres-Quick-burger-kebab-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO deaths have led fast-food companies to call for the government to speed up the introduction of new laws on food hygiene. They were passed last year, but have never been entered on the statute book...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mediator raps state officialdom]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mediateur-de-la-Republique-public-service-officials-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUBLIC service ombudsman the MÃ©diateur de la RÃ©publique has delivered a stinging criticism of French officialdom in his last annual report.The mediator, soon to be replaced by a new Â“Rights Defender...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Google fined Â€100K for data piracy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Google-fined-data-piracy-Street-View-camera-cars-wifi-watchdog-sexual-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GOOGLE has been fined Â€100,000 by the data protection watchdog Cnil for Â“piratingÂ” confidential data from homes using wifi from its Street View camera cars.In what was its heaviest fine, the Commiss...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Left and far-right win local votes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marine-le-pen-victory-cantonales-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SOCIALIST Party and the Front National are the victors in the first round of voting in local elections.The UMP, Nicolas Sarkozy's governing party, saw a record drop in support to 17 per cent, co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Radioactive cloud over France soon]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Radioactive-cloud-Fukushima-France-Meteo-France-simulation-IRSN-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIRST traces of the radioactive cloud from the Fukushima reactor explosion in Japan are expected to reach France in the next two days, although the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-21</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy Â‘will be 2012 candidateÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Fillon-UMP-presidential-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon is adamant that Nicolas Sarkozy will be the UMPÂ’s presidential candidate in next yearÂ’s elections.Â“That at least is my hope, because I am convinced that only he can bri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Le Pen asks GuÃ©ant to join her party]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/LePen-offers-Gueant-Front-National-membership-Sarkozy-minister-radio-immigration-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRONT National leader Marine Le Pen has asked interior Minister Claude GuÃ©ant to join her party after he declared on radio that Â“French people, in the face of uncontrolled immigration, sometimes feel ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Airbus charged over Rio tragedy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Airbus-Air-France-Rio-manslaughter-charges-228-died- crash-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JET builder Airbus has been accused of involuntary manslaughter over the deaths of 228 people in the Rio-Paris crash in 2009.Preliminary charges have been laid by a judge to start a formal investiga...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Huge rise in drink and speeding crime]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Huge-rise-drink-driving-speeding-crime-figures-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTORING offences such as speeding and driving under the influence of drink or drugs have risen significantly compared to last year, latest crime figures show.The figures, from the Observatoire de l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-17</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Race joke results in suspension]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UMP-racist-candidate-sacked-Muslim-jokes-pigs-Ardeche-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUST three days before the cantonale elections, President SarkozyÂ’s right-wing UMP party has suspended a candidate for making racist jokes.It comes as the party prepares to launch its debate on a se...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-17</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bercy warns of scam tax emails]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Scammers-fake-emails-tax-authorities-phishing-income-tax-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAXPAYERS in France are being warned to beware of Â“phishingÂ” emails purporting to be from the tax authorities.The Finance Ministry says people have been receiving emails asking them for their credit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-17</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Official condom of Condom blocked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Condom-official-town-France-banned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ATTEMPT to market an official condom "from Condom" has been blocked by a judge.The business project, funded by two French aristocrats, has been fined Â€9,000 for marketing condoms as the authentic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-16</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Children's cough syrups banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Children-cough-medicine-syrup-convulsions-ban-Afssaps-jigsaw-rugs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRUGS watchdog Agence FranÃ§aise de SÃ©curitÃ© Sanitaire des Produits de SantÃ©  (Afssaps) has warned about the use of some over-the-counter childrenÂ’s cough syrups because they do not work and carry a ri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-16</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Heavy rain hits south of France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Heavy-rain-south-france-one-dead-Perpignan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEAVY rain is striking the south of France.Fourty-one departments are on orange alert for flooding as the rain falls on already-saturated soil in the PyrÃ©nÃ©es-Atlantiques and Hautes-PyrÃ©nÃ©es.One f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-16</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pilots fly low in toilet air scare]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Pilots-oxygen-toilets-France-cruising-decompression-pressure-emergency-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH airline pilots have been told by their union they shouldnÂ’t fly above 25,000ft because there is a risk to passengers or crew using the toilet.Security services and the US Federal Aviation Adm...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French power stations Â‘safestÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-nuclear-power-stations-safest-world-Sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH nuclear power stations are the Â“safest in the worldÂ”, says President Sarkozy.The president has sought to calm fears of a nuclear accident in France after earthquake damage to power stations i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Health study finds chemical spikes ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-pesticides-DDT-PCB-German-American-health-study-blood-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH have three times more pesticides in their blood than Germans or Americans, according to a national health study.The Institut national de veille sanitaire studied the blood, hair and urine...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â€24bn to adapt homes for elderly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cost-of-adapting-homes-for-elderly-france-24billion-euros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ADAPTING homes for an ageing population will cost Â€24 billion over the coming years.The government's agency for housing, Anah, believes Â€4 billion will be needed to upgrade homes over the next decad...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Protestors demand nuclear rethink]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Nuclear-France-power-energy-Green-protest-blasts-Japan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Anti-nuclear protestors have demanded a complete rethink on FranceÂ’s dependence on nuclear power after blasts rocked the Fukushima plant in Japan and sparked fears of a meltdown.With 58 reactors in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy sacks diversity adviser]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-Sarkozy-sacks-diversity-adviser-Dahmane-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has sacked his Â“diversity adviserÂ” after the latter attacked the debate on Islam and secularism to be held from April 5.Speaking at a meeting he helped to organise at the Paris Gra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Strauss-Kahn tops new leader poll]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-Marine-Le-Pen-French-presidential-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy and Dominique Strauss-Kahn would beat the far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a presidential election, a new poll finds.It follows two opinion polls earlier this week that claimed th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No helping hand for fuel prices]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Motorists-fuel-petrol-price-Lagarde-tyres-engine-economy-SP95-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BLOW up your tyres: that was the advice to hard-pressed motorists from finance minister Christine Lagarde as she rejected pleas for government help to cope with soaring fuel prices.Ms Lagarde said m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA['Leader' of Eta arrested in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Leader-Basque-separatist-Eta-Xarlas-Arriola-Willencourt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN thought to be the current leader of the Basque separatist group Eta has been arrested in Pas-de-Calais, according to a Spanish newspaper.El Pais reports that Alejandro Zobaran Arriola, known a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Internet drives 25% French growth]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-economy-France-McKinsey-study-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE internet has become a significant sector of the economy, on a par with the traditional lynchpins of transport, energy production and agriculture, according to the associate director of management ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Unacceptable rise in road fatalities]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Road-deaths-up-increase-injuries-mortality-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE START of 2011 has been marked by an Â“unacceptable increaseÂ” in road deaths compared to last year, government road safety officials say.January saw a 21 per cent increase in deaths, from 273 to 3...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New exit tax could snare tax exiles]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tax-exile-exit-capital-gains-profit-Europe-court-ISF-IRF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is looking at taxing its tax exiles: a move that has already seen it up before the European Court of Justice.The exit tax plan, touted as a way to boost the budget, was in use between 1999 an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Front National owes Â€200,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marine-le-pen-poll-presidential-victory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARINE LE Pen's top position in opinion polls has not fixed her party's problem with debt.A bailiffs' office in Paris has confirmed to newspaper Le Point that the Front National owes Â€200,000 in unp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Chirac corruption trial in new delay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Chirac-court-corruption-delay-statute-limitations-Sarkozy-president-bogus-jobs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER president Jacques ChiracÂ’s corruption trial has been delayed for a further three months after a co-defendant lodged an appeal saying the case had taken so long to bring to court it broke the st...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Eco-labels to be trialled from July]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Environmental-labelling-trialled-July-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LABELLING showing the environmental impact of about 1,000 consumer products is to be trialled for a year from July.A total of 168 companies have agreed to label products, including furniture, food, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Jobless get cheap mobile package]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cheap-mobile-phone-tariffs-France-unemployed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUT-PRICE mobile phone rates of just Â€10 a month will be available to people drawing unemployment benefit.Phone operators have six months to put together a social phone tariff that will consist of 4...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Petrol prices soar to record levels]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Petrol-diesel-record-prices-soaring-Libya-Middle-East-2008-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PETROL prices across France have hit new record levels with the average pump price for SP95 costing Â€1.5067. Two years ago, the average tank of 55 litres would cost Â€59: it now costs Â€83. The previo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Housework still  not equally shared]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Women-housework-survey-couple-BVA-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WOMEN are still much more likely than men to do the housework.A study by the BVA survey institute, for International WomenÂ’s Day, shows that in 64 per cent of couples it is the woman who does the cl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Chirac set for corruption trial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Chirac-corruption-trial-Paris-mayor-RPR-Sarkozy-Petain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Former President Jacques Chirac goes on trial today accused of corruption while mayor of Paris.Although there have been doubts about his fitness to face trial, his wife has insisted he is not suffer...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Recount after shock Le Pen poll]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marine-Le-Pen-poll-recount--view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COMPANY behind an opinion poll that placed the far-right leader Marine Le Pen as the favourite candidate in the first round of the presidential election is to re-do the poll.Louis Harris Interac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cyber attack on Finance Ministry]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hackers-Finance-Ministry-computers-documents-G20-Baroin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HACKERS have infiltrated Finance Ministry computers to access documents linked to FranceÂ’s presidency of the G20.Between December and the start of March, the ministry was subject to a Â“gigantic cybe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Budget airline halts Pau flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Ryanair-airport-Pau-London-Paris-Brussels-CityJet-Lourdes-Biarritz-Beziers-fees-blackmail-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUST weeks after bosses at Pau airport rejected  RyanairÂ’s demand for extra Â“marketingÂ” fees, the Irish budget airline has said it is stopping flights from Pau to Stansted, Paris Charles de Gaulle and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[81% say France has less influence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-influence-81-Sarkozy-foreign-policy-Tunisia-Algeria-Alliot-Marie-sacked-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE vast majority of the population think France has lost its importance in foreign policy just as rebellions across the Arab world offered the chance to show its much-touted influence there.A poll ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[We need a laicity watchdog, MP says]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Secularism-church-state-watchdog-Jego-Sarkozy-Estrosi-Cope-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW watchdog is needed to oversee the values of the secular French state, according to one MP.Yves JÃ©goÂ’s remarks have come as France prepares for a national debate on issues surrounding religion/...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police nab serial cake burglar]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-catch-pensioner-cake-burglar-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in Paris have caught a 64-year-old man they believe responsible for a series of robberies involving drugged cake.The voleur aux gÃ¢teaux carried out a series of burglaries on elderly people in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Artificial airway for cancer patient]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Artificial-airway-bronchus-graft-lung-cancer-Paris-Martinod-Avicenne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LUNG cancer patient has received the worldÂ’s first graft of an artificial airway after surgeons at a Paris hospital inserted a replacement bronchial tube.The operation, at the Avicenne hospital in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French confident  of a good old age]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Three-quarters-French-good-old-age-Ifop-Prevoir-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE QUARTERS of people in France believe they have the right lifestyle to have a Â“goodÂ” old age.That was one of the headline statistics in an old age survey by Ifop for the insurer PrÃ©voir. The ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Tax cap on rich to be scrapped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bouclier-fiscal-scrapped-wealth-tax-ISF-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE BOUCLIER fiscal tax cap, which stops people paying more than 50 per cent of their income in tax, is to be scrapped in the latest financial reforms announced today by Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[IT overhaul to end vehicle errors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/IT-overhaul-to-end-mistaken-vehicle-charges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMPUTER systems in the Interior Ministry are to be overhauled as a matter of urgency to stop automated fines being sent to the wrong people.Newly appointed minister Claude GuÃ©ant said that, while t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Â€2,000 for hiring older workers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bonus-hiring-older-workers-penalty-young-apprentices-government-Sarkozy-jobless-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMPANIES are to get a Â€2,000 bonus from the government if they hire job-seekers aged over 45 Â– but they also face a surcharge on their wage bill if they have too few apprentices or young trainees.T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bonus for swapping old boiler planned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Bonus-scrapping-boiler-gas-prices-prime-casse-Besson-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BONUS for scrapping an old, inefficient boiler and replacing it with a new one is being planned.The idea, announced by Energy Minister Eric Besson, is based on the  prime Ã  la casse that existed ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No new three- star restaurants]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/No-new-three-star-Michelin-restaurants-Guide-Rouge-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NO FRENCH restaurant has been deemed good enough to be promoted to the top three stars in this yearÂ’s Michelin Guide Rouge.In fact the number of restaurants holding the ultimate culinary accolade ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New drive to treat rare diseases]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/International-day-for-rare-diseases-France-genetic-illness-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW plan to make France a world leader in the treatment of rare diseases has been launched.Such diseases affect about three million people in France, and the announcement was timed to coincide wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[FranceÂ’s top 100 earn Â€2.8bn a year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tax-ISF-bouclier-fiscal-top-100-households-Bercy-Bettencourt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE top 100 households in France made more than Â€2.8 billion in 2008, each earning more in one year than the average household could make in 300 lifetimes.Figures revealed in a confidential document...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French Week ends after 23 issues]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-week-ceases-publication-after-23-issues-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WEEKLY newspaper French Week has closed after 23 issues, with publishers Polymath Media saying that it was unlikely that creditors and subscribers would get any money back because "the company had too...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[M&S to open on the Champs-Ã‰lysÃ©es]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marks-spencer-returns-france-store-paris-champs-elysees-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARKS &nbsp; Spencer is returning to Paris. While the retail giant has refused to comment on reports that it was making a French comeback, it has been confirmed by the property firm Cushman &nbsp; Wak...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Peter Mayle sells Provence house]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/peter-mayle-sells-provence-house-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PETER MAYLE, the writer who opened up Provence for millions, is selling up again, but he still isn't leaving Provence. Mayle, whose One Year in Provence sold five million copies in 28 languages, has...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Winslet to star in Paris action film]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/kate-winslet-to-star-in-polanski-paris-action-film-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DESPITE saying that her recent television work was a lot harder than working in film, Kate Winslet, right, is in Paris shooting what will be her toughest role ever. She and Jodie Foster star in Roma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Plans to extend trials by jury]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/judges-fight-plans-to-extend-trials-by-jury-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE court cases will be tried by a jury under a law expected to be presented to parliament by May.President Sarkozy believes judges are not tough enough: juries, he thinks, will avoid sentences tha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Clothes prices 'will rise 15%']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cotton-shortage-clothes-prices-up-15-per-cent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE PRICE of clothes is set to soar this summer after bad weather ruined the cotton harvest round the world.With customers used to paying low prices, manufacturers and shops have, until now, absorbe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[JFK's French chef dies at 86]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/john-f-kennedy-french-chef-dies-at-86-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH chef RenÃ© Verdon, who was J.F. KennedyÂ’s personal chef at the White House, has died. He was 86.Mr Verdon was hired by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961 to scotch the rumour that the president liked ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Gites ban on pets illegal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gites-ban-on-family-pets-is-illegal-court-rules-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FERRETS, rats and snakes could soon be joining families on holiday after the Cour de Cassation (appeal court) ruled that it was illegal to ban pets from gites and holiday homes.The decision to uphol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[President sets out his stall for 2012]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-sarkozy-sets-out-stall-for-2012-french-election-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOUTH crime, unemployment and dependency of the elderly are the priorities of the last 15 months of his mandate said President Sarkozy, probed by ordinary French people on TF1's Paroles de FranÃ§ais....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[30kph limit for Strasbourg]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/30kph-limit-for-cars-in-strasbourg-emissions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SPEED limits in Strasbourg could soon be cut to 30kph in an attempt to stop accidents, noise and emissions.The mairie is writing to the townÂ’s 140,000 voters in May to ascertain public opinion.If ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Classroom cuts are denounced]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parents-teachers-denounce-classroom-cuts-school-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OPPOSITION to teacher cuts is mounting across France, with a series of protests by parents and teachers. Fifty thousand posts have been cut between 2007 and 2010 and another 16,000 are to be cut fro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€500m for flood defence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/coastal-flood-defence-france-500m-euro-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LESSONS drawn from last yearÂ’s Xynthia flood disaster, which killed 53, and the Var floods, which killed 25, have led to a new Â€500 million defence plan across France.Ecology secretary Nathalie Kosc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rich clients lead hotel revival]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rich-clients-lead-hotel-revival-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RICH foreign visitors helped boost the top end of FranceÂ’s hotel industry in 2010, while two-star hotels and under continued to suffer, a survey has found.The effect was felt most keenly in Paris, w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French ski union denies Brit rift]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-ski-union-denies-rift-with-british-instructors-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH ski instructors say they welcome British counterparts joining their ranks - and deny they see them as new "Polish plumbers", as widely reported.Some French and British newspapers have reporte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shepherds against Pyrenees bear plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shepherds-pyrenees-reintroduction-indigenous-bears-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS and shepherds have fiercely attacked the resurrection of plans to stop indigenous bears dying out in the PyrÃ©nÃ©es.They claimed they had been tricked when the then ecology minister, Chantal J...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Teaching toddlers English dropped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/teaching-english-to-toddlers-is-dropped-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Luc Chatel has climbed down over his controversial assertion last month that he wanted children to learn English from three years old.Speaking at a languages conference in Paris, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[McDonald's tests out table service]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mcdonalds-tests-out-table-service-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MCDONALD'S is testing table service in 50 of its restaurants, with a view to rolling it out in all 1,195 outlets across France.The fast-food chain's French operation has always been tailored to adap...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy blocked by EU allies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eu-competitiveness-pact-sarkozy-blocked-by-eu-allies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GERMANY and France faced a backlash from some of their key EU allies in their drive to establish a European competitiveness pact in return for measures to reinforce the euro-zone bailout fund.At an ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs debate reform of bioethics law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parliament-debates-reform-of-bioethics-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S laws on bioethics are under revision, as the country debates the rights of unborn children, attempts to cure diseases at conception, and the rights and wishes of parents. Even though the hi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boy's death hits burger bar sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/-chain-Quick-sales-slump-after-Avignon-food-poisoning-death-manslaughter-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FAST-food firm Quick has seen sales slide across France after a teenager died from food poisoning after eating at one of its restaurants in Avignon.The company said the Avignon site saw sales drop b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Key ministers quit in reshuffle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Michelle-alliot-marie-Alain-juppe-claude-Gueant-reshuffle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has defended a cabinet reshuffle that saw the Foreign and Interior Ministers leave their posts.Foreign Minister MichÃ¨le Alliot-Marie had been under pressure to resign for several w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Accidents third cause of death]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Accidents-cause-death-INVS-falls-suffocation-children-elderly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOMESTIC accidents cause 11,500 deaths a year in France, a study shows.Figures from the INVS, a public body that monitors the nationÂ’s health, reveal that accidents are the third most common cause o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protest on Sarkozy Hitler salute jibe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Hitler-salute-poster-MJS-UMP-Cope-Nazi-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POSTERS which show President Sarkozy appearing to make a Hitler salute are to be pulled down by the Young Socialists group who put them up.President of the Mouvement des Jeunes Socialistes (MJS) Lau...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Skype legal battle raises its head]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Skype-legal-battle-France-telecoms-operator-stock-exchange-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET call service Skype could find itself in renewed legal difficulties with the French telecoms authority.Skype, which since 2007 has been subject to a legal complaint from the French telecoms ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin has frank talk with Sarkozy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Villepin-Sarkozy-Islam-Middle-East-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER prime minister Dominique de Villepin criticised President SarkozyÂ’s attitudes towards Islam and the Middle East in a Â“frankÂ” discussion.Mr Villepin, who intends to stand against Mr Sarkozy in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Billboards to be cut by new laws]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Billboards-advertising-posters-adverts-landscape-environment-NKM- Kosciusko-Morizet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORESTS of advertising hoardings at the entrance to every French town are set to vanish after ecology minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet launched a consultation asking people what changes they wanted...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Alcohol down stats portrait reveals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Insee-tableaux-economie-francaise-alcohol-consumption-property-statistics-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALCOHOL consumption in France has halved between 1960 and 2000, according to this yearÂ’s statistical portrait of the country.The annual Tableaux de l'Ã©conomie franÃ§aise 2011, compiled by the governm...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-24</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report targets  student drinking]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Report-student-alcohol-abuse-Pecresse-Daoust-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STUDENTS who want to organise a party could be made to declare it at the mairie or prefecture.The idea is one that is being put forward in a report on student drinking submitted today to Higher Educ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Three held over Â€25m fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Brittany-pyramid-scheme-fraud-Madoff-Templeton-25-million-banking-con-Morbihan-Lorient-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE men have been arrested over a suspected Â€25 million banking fraud in Brittany.The men, based in Lorient, Morbihan, have been accused of what prosecutor Alexis Bouroz called a Madoff-type pyram...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Avalanche and rain risk in Pyrenees]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Heavy-rain-avalanche-risks-Pyrenees-orange-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEAVY rain and avalanches were expected this morning the Pyrenees.MÃ©tÃ©o France said yesterday there would be rain of an intensity only seen two or three times a year, turning to snow in the high mou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-23</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Gaddafi photos  vanish from site]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gaddafi-Nicolas-Sarkozy-state-visit-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PICTURES of the 2007 state visit of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to France do not appear on the website of the French president.After a day of questioning from newspapers, the ElysÃ©e Palace has pro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-23</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cotillard France's best-paid star]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marion-Cotillard-French-cinema-highest-paid-star-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARION Cotillard has topped a list of France's highest-paid cinema stars, compiled by le Figaro.Her earnings of Â€2.35m in 2010 from Inception and Les Petits Mouchoirs made her the first woman at the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-22</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pharmacies at  risk of bankruptcy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/A-quarter-pharmacies-bankruptcy-Bertrand-Coface-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A QUARTER of French pharmacies face a Â“strong riskÂ” of going bankrupt this year, according to business insurance and information experts Coface.The assessment comes as pharmacies are reportedly find...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Gas, electricity bills set to soar]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Electricity-gas-power-prices-soaring-EDF-nuclear-European-Commission-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POWER bills are set to soar in the next months with increases in both electricity and gas prices. Gas bills will rise 4.8 and 5.2 per cent from April and this will see the average bill increase by Â€...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-22</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris gets younger as over-60s leave]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-younger-old-people-students-census-Insee-polluted-degrees-dependant-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARISIANS are getting younger as more students arrive in the capital and the over-60s head for sunnier or less polluted climes.A study by statistical body Insee from the last census has shown there ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France tops EU for redoublement]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-EU-highest-primary-school-redo-year-redoublement-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is the country which makes most use of redoublement (children retaking a school year) a European Union study has shown.During primary school, 19 per cent of children redo a year, far more tha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[London-Pau route secure says boss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/London-Pau-airport-Ryanair-row-Cityjet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FLIGHTS between London and Pau will continue, despite a growing row with Ryanair over airline subsidies.The head of the chambre de commerce et d'industrie, which runs the airport at Pau, Patrick de ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Â€500m to stop the next Xynthia flood]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Xynthia-floods-dykes-500m-Kociusko-Morizet-NKM-Var-risk-flooding-coastal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE year after the Xynthia storm lashed the west coast and killed 53 people, ecology secretary Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet has set up a new coastal defence plan costing Â€500 million over six years.Pu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu vaccines Â‘cost too muchÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Swine-flu-vaccination-Cour-Comptes-report-Marseille-port-Martinique-bananas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STATE finance watchdog the Cour des Comptes has criticised the costs of the swine flu vaccination campaign in the winter of 2009-10.In its latest annual report, the body said that it cost the state ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Casse-toi protest earns censure ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Casse-toi-pauvre-con-egypt-protest-Mubarak-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TEACHER at a French lycÃ©e in Cairo has been repatriated after he was filmed brandishing a Â“Casse toi, pauvre conÂ” sign during recent protests.The phrase, which roughly translated means Â“get lost, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[First shock packs appear in stores]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Picture-warnings-cigarettes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FIRST cigarette packs with pictures of diseased lungs and throats are appearing in tabacs ahead of a new law.From April 20, all packets will have to have such pictures printed on the sides, and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy wants law to rein in Islam]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Islam-multiculturalism-secular-republic-preachers-Le-Pen-LePen-UMP-dabate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUST days after saying that multiculturalism had failed in France, President Sarkozy is launching a debate on religion and the secular state, asking what limits should be placed on Islam.Speaking to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Luxury hotel sells off its furniture]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Prince-de-Galles-hotel-furniture-sale-auction-refurbishment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LUXURY Paris hotel built in 1928 to welcome the future Edward VIII is selling off all its furniture in a bid to freshen its image and gain five stars.The Prince de Galles (Prince of Wales), whose ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bruni song leak sparks probe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Carla-Bruni-album-leaked-theft-Douce-France-Dolce-Francia-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CARLA BRUNI's Italian rendition of the Trenet classic La Douce France has been leaked online, prompting an investigation.The Midi Libre website published the track, which Bruni's agent, Bertrand de ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Speed radar felled by chainsaw]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speed-camera-Alsace-chainsaw-attack-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE of the most effective speed cameras in Lorraine has had its career cut short by a chainsaw.The radar, on the A31 near the French border with Luxembourg, caught on average 245 vehicles a day brea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French economy is still sluggish]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-economy-sluggish-slow-growth-Lagarde-strikes-GDP-consumption-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is not making the expected bounce back from the crise, recording growth in 2010 of just 1.5 per cent, well down on Germany, which notched up 3.6 per cent.Although the German figure was below ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Diplomatic row erupts with Mexico]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Diplomatic-row-France-Mexico-Florence-Cassez-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DIPLOMATIC row has erupted between France and Mexico over the latterÂ’s refusal to send a Frenchwoman convicted of kidnapping back to France to continue her sentence.The wrangling over Florence Cas...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France doing badly on teacher numbers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-OECD-teacher-pupil-student-CAS-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is the capitalist democracy with the fewest teachers per student, a study shows.There are only 6.1 teachers per 100 students (an average from primary school to university), according to the C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shock ad protest greets farmers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Environmental-posters-shock-farmers-Paris-Metro-show-beach-Kill-Bill-bees-GM-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS and food producers heading for the Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris are being faced with a series of posters on the Paris Metro protesting about intensive farming and highlighting fears on gene...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Polls should be more transparent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Law-polling-data-transparency-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OPINION groups would be forced to reveal more about their methods and funding, if a new law is passed.However, while the Senate unanimously passed the bill last night, the government has said it wil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police track copper thefts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Police-sncf-railways-copper-theft-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has signed a deal with the gendarmerie nationale to use a fleet of police helicopters in the fight against copper thieves.The company is estimated to be losing Â€35m a year through the theft...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More couples opting for pacs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Pacs-marriage-living-together-Valentine-Insee-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE  pacte civil de solidaritÃ© or pacs is gaining ground on marriage as the preferred option for couples living together ; today, there are three   pacs for every four marriages.Figures released to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy to open agriculture show]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-salon-agriculture-casse-toi-farmers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy is renewing a tradition he interrupted last year by opening this yearÂ’s Salon de lÂ’Agriculture.Last year he merely visited the show, a week after it opened, which was seen as a snu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[1,000 more speed cameras on roads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Road-deaths-1000-speed-cameras-France-Hortefeux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JANUARYÂ’S heavy road death toll has sparked an immediate reaction from interior minister Brice Hortefeux, who has promised a Â“thousand extra speed camerasÂ” by 2012.The government had already announc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy takes back to-basics approach]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/President-Sarkozy-youth-crime-unemployment- dependency TF1-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has stressed youth crime, unemployment and dependency of the elderly as the three priorities of the last 15 months of his presidential mandate.Questioned by a panel of ordinary peo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Judges on streets in Sarko protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Magistrates-lawyers-strike-Sarkozy-protest-Laetitia-Nantes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAGISTRATES and court officials walked out on strike against the attacks by President Sarkozy in the wake of the death of Nantes student LaÃ«titia Perrais.Thousands demonstrated in Paris, with hundre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Government changes illegal website]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Government-education-website-discrimination-foreign-residents-changed-human-rights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GOVERNMENT website that discriminated against non-French applicants has been changed after pressure from the Human Rights League (LDH), parents and students.The ministry of higher education and re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ministers should holiday in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Holiday-France-Sarkozy-ministers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MINISTERS should take their holidays in France, President Sarkozy has demanded.After Interior Minister MichÃ¨le Alliot-Marie and Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon found themselves defending holidays to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Email error sends details to staff]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Email-error-sends-staff-evaluations-to-all-employees-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE performance notes of the human resources office of a French company have been accidentally emailed to its staff.The slip-up meant employees were able to read evaluations such as Â“not involvedÂ”, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-10</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Surcharge applied for not using card]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Doctors-patients-50-centimes-carte vitale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOCTORS are planning to start charging an extra 50 centimes on a consultation if people do not bring a carte vitale.These health cards, which have existed since 1998, allow doctors and pharmacies to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-10</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free electricity  meters for homes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Free-electricity-meters-linky-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTELLIGENT electricity meters that monitor and display your electricity consumption could be handed out to homes in France.President Sarkozy has said the government is studying the possibility of s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Road deaths up 20 per cent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Road-deaths-rise-20-per-cent-in-january-driving-points-relaxed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROAD deaths in January were up 20 per cent in comparison with last year.The sharp rise threatens to undermine the government's aim to reduce the number of fatalities on French roads to less than 3,0...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Schools to shut as teachers strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Teachers-strike-schools-pupils-Chatel-replacement-cuts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEACHERS go on strike tomorrow in a protest over job cuts and non-replacement of staff.The SNUipp and FSU unions say up to a third of teachers will join the strike, while the education ministry says...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Parking fines set to rise 50% to Â€17]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parking-fines-increase-17-euros-Baroin-proces-verbal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARKING fines are set to increase by more than 50 per cent, the first increase since 1986, when they cost 75 francs.Newspaper Le Figaro revealed the plan, which comes after months of complaints from...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Saviour sibling born in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Saviour-sibling-baby-Umut-Talha-Rene-Frydman-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A Â“SAVIOUR siblingÂ” baby has been born in France for the first time.The controversial concept, called a bÃ©bÃ© mÃ©dicament (medicine baby) in French, refers to a couple having a child by in vitro ferti...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-08</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobile firms' VAT climbdown]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mobile-vat-tva-price-drop-sfr-orange-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A U-TURN by Orange and SFR over passing on VAT rises to customers has been heralded as a "excellent news for consumers".The threat of mass contract cancellations has prompted the firms to absorb the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Aircraft cause govt headaches]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Air-travel-causes-headaches-for-government-Sarkozy-Alliot-Marie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANE travel is causing headaches for the government, with both President Sarkozy and the Foreign Secretary MichÃ¨le Alliot-Marie under fire for misusing aircraft.Alliot-Marie has been defending her ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Montpellier mayor  marries gay couple]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Montpellier-mayor-marriage-gay-men-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GAY couple have been Â“marriedÂ” by the maire of Montpellier.Socialist HÃ©lÃ¨ne Mandroux married a local radio boss, Florent Robin, 49, and a teacher of Portuguese, Tito Santos-Mota, 51, in a symbolic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Magistrates strike after criticism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Advocates-strike-Sarkozy-criticism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAGISTRATES are to strike this week following comments by President Nicolas Sarkozy.The President called for those involved in the release of a repeat offender suspected of murdering 18-year-old LaÃ«...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nationality loss for crimes blocked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Senate-overturns-law-to-strip-nationality-criminals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to strip certain criminals of their French nationality have been overturned by the Senate.The proposal, that people naturalised as French citizens for fewer than 10 years who are convicted of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chest X-ray  rebates scrapped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chest-x-ray-reimbursements-assurance-maladie-cut-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CERTAIN types of x-ray will no longer receive reimbursements, the French health authority, the assurance maladie, has announced.Any X-rays of the abdomen and thorax will be at the cost of the patien...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-04</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doubt cast on minister death]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Francis-Deswarte-Robert Boulin-drown-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GENDARME who found the body of Work Minister Robert Boulin in 1979 has cast doubt on the official explanation of suicide.The 32-year cause cÃ©lÃ¨bre is causing a stir again after Francis Deswarte,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teacher was mental hospital escapee]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Escaped-Northern-Ireland-mental-patient-teaching-school-Dignes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MENTAL patient who fled hospital in Northern Ireland managed to reach the south of France and land himself a job teaching German in two schools.The 26-year-old, who had been accused of attempted m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Entrepreneur fraud crackdown  ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Crackdown-fraud-auto-entrepreneurs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AUTO-entrepreneurs should have their businesses closed after 18 months if they fail to declare any turnover, a MPs' report advises.Among other proposals in the report, which examines issues surround...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Climbdown on  English teaching]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Education-Minister-Luc-Chatel-English-age-three-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Luc Chatel has climbed down over his controversial assertion last month that he wanted children to learn English from three years old.Speaking at a languages conference in Paris, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Passengers get say on airport chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Civil-Aviation-Authority-snow-chaos-survey-passengers-Heathrow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PASSENGERS get a chance to speak their minds about how the airlines and airports handled the winter snow disruption that wrecked the travel plans of thousands, in a survey organised by the UK Civil Av...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pilots pose half- term strike threat]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Pilots-launch-half-term-strike-threat-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S largest pilots union has announced it will strike during the school holidays.The SNPL has called a strike from March 4 until March 7, according to La Tribune newspaper.The walkout will ta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France Telecom wins court case]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Telecoms-Subiteo-Paris-commercial-court-France-Telecom-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SMALL telecoms firm has lost a legal battle against France Telecom after claiming the firm pushed it to bankruptcy.Subiteo had sued France Telecom for Â€86 million, claiming its delays in processin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Livret A and LDD rates rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Interest-rates-Livret-A-LDD-VAT-triple-play-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THERE is good and bad news on the cost of living from today: interest rates of two popular savings accounts are up, but many internet packages will now cost more.The rate for the Livret A and LDD ac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Digital card to  replace licences ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-electronic-driving-licences-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE KNELL has tolled for France's pink paper driving licences.From 2013, a new generation of digital licences, which carry information about the driver, including points, will be introduced.Interi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Watchdog reveals new medicine list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Drugs-watchdog-surveillance-medicines-slimming-diabetes-smoking-depression-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MEDICINES watchdog Afssaps has published a list of 77 drugs that it has under extended surveillance as part of the fall-out over the slimming and diabetes drug Mediator, which has been blamed for 500,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Divorce in your country of choice]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/divorce-in-your-country-of-choice-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL couples living in France are to be given the freedom to choose which country they divorce in under a new EU agreement, but half of member states, including the UK, are not taking part....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nicolas Sarkozy in the frame]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nicolas-sarkozy-film-released-this-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS SarkozyÂ’s rise to power as president has been captured in a film to be released later this year, the first time a sitting French president has been covered in a movie.Due in the cinemas in M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Caine adds to his legion of honours]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/michael-caine-top-french-cultural-honour-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Oscar-winning actor Sir Michael Caine has received FranceÂ’s highest cultural honour.The 77-year-old star was made a Commander of the Arts and Letters, the countryÂ’s foremost cultural honour."If yo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ban on TV listings changes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/last-minute-digital-tv-schedule-listings-changes-banned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DIGITAL television programming should no longer change at the last minute, spoiling peopleÂ’s viewing plans.After a year of negotiations, an agreement has been signed between the main digital terrest...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris hosts first expat expo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-hosts-first-expat-expo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE first edition of the Expat Expo will be held on February 4-6 at Parc Floral, Paris, when 15,000 visitors, 75 exhibitors and more than 100 speakers are expected to attend. This new event is desig...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New low for road deaths]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-low-for-road-death-toll-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIGURES for roads deaths have dropped below 4,000 for the first time since the statistics have been collated.Provisional figures for 2010 put the figure at 3,994, or a drop of 6.5 per cent on the pr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Versailles hotel from outbuilding]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/palais-versailles-outbuilding-luxury-hotel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN OUTBUILDING of the Palace of Versailles is to be transformed into a luxury hotel. The Hotel du Grande Controle will open at the end of 2011 after the Â€5.5m refurbishment.The 18th-century Grande...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tyrant's chateau under hammer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tyrant-paris-chateau-valued-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Parisian chateau of former Central African Republic dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa has been valued at Â€915,000 for auction purposes.Bokassa, who in 1977 crowned himself emperor of the former French...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Child cancer rates are up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/child-cancer-rates-are-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE child in 440 will develop cancer before 15, says a report by medical journal BEH.The figures, based on studies from 2000-04, show a slight rise on previous ones. However, this is probably the re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fine for using feuille de soins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fine-for-using-feuille-de-soins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEALTH professionals who still give patients feuilles de soins instead of using the carte vitale system will now be taxed 50 centimes per sheet.The measure is designed to push all doctors and pharma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hopes and dreams of French teens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hopes-dreams-french-teenagers-bill-gates-steve-jobs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOUNG French peopleÂ’s ambition is to grow up to be the new Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.A survey of a representative sample of 500 people aged 14-17 found that IT bosses were the figures whose careers t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Riot police go on hunger strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/CRS-riot-police-hunger-strike-officers-mass-sickness-protest-Lyon-Marseille-Paris-Hortefeux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RIOT police from the CRS have gone on hunger strike over planned closures of two companies at Lyon and Marseille and fears that up to 30 more could be shut in plans to cut police numbers.Despite bei...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Health questions over Chirac trial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Chirac-health-trial-fake-jobs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RUMOURS over the state of health of former president Jacques Chirac have put a question mark over his ability to stand trial in the Â“fake jobsÂ” affair.Chirac, 78, is accused of having created fake j...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Anti-sleaze law for 2011]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Politicians-conflict-interest-bribes-local-government-change-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MINISTERS should publicly declare financial interests and roles in the private sector, a commission on conflicts of interests has recommended.A new law, which will be debated this year, should defin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Maus author wins top BD honour]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Maus-author-Art-Spiegelman-wins-Angouleme-top-prize-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE author of Maus, an award-winning story of the Holocaust, has been given the Grand Prix at the AngoulÃªme international comics festival.Art Spiegelman thanked the jury, which was led by last year'...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Same-sex marriage is still banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Same-sex-marriage-ban-upheld-homosexual-Conseil-Constitutionnel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SAME-SEX marriages will remain banned in France after the constitutional court said that it was a decision for politicians.The Conseil Constitutionnel said today in a judgment that the ban conformed...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy plans bank transactions tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy- financial-transaction-tax-Davos-euro-speculation-Soros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has called for a tiny tax on each financial transaction world-wide so bankers would pay back the money they received in bail-outs and also boost aid for Third World development.Spe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Giant gasfield bid in south of France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Total-gas-find-south-France-Valence-Montpellier-shale-natural-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ENERGY giant Total says it is exploring a site in the south of France that could have vast resources of natural gas and is looking for partners to help develop it.The site, which stretches from Vale...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Loto firm brought in Â€10.5 billion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Francaise-des-Jeux-lottery-turnover-10-billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BETTING giant the FranÃ§aise des Jeux (FDJ) has announced a record turnover last year, topping Â€10 billion for the first time.The firm, which runs the French national lottery and is majority-owned by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy Facebook page is hacked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-Facebook-page-hacked-pirate-president-will-not-stand-2012-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Nicolas SarkozyÂ’s Facebook page has been pirated for the second time in two days.A message was left, supposedly from Sarkozy himself, saying he would not be standing for the presidency in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Quick restaurants set up helpline]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Fast-food-Quick-helplineline-food-poisoning-Avignon-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH fast-food chain Quick has set up a helpline to reassure people after a 14-year old boy died a few hours after eating in one of its restaurants.The helpline (0800 004 084) is meant to inform a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF say strikes cause late trains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-late-trains-punctuality-service-drops-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than one in ten trains in France ran late in 2010 according to documents leaked to a national newspaper.Les Echos reports that punctuality declined in all French rail services; TGV, TÃ©oz, Corai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Connexion marks its 100th issue]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Connexion-celebrates-100-issues-February-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONNEXION celebrates its 100th issue with its biggest-ever 80 page paper with 100 things to do in France, Brittany myths and MÃ©decins sans FrontiÃ¨res plus practical information on money, property, hea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Antibiotics still over-prescribed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Antibiotics-over-prescribed-says-UFC-Que-Choisir-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOCTORS are over-prescribing antibiotics, a watchdog investigation has discovered.Consumer group UFC-Que Choisir found 52 per cent of doctors automatically prescribed antibiotics for medical cases t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Wealth tax raises more than expected]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Wealth-tax-ISF-impot-solidarite-fortune-raises-more-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[France's wealth tax, the impÃ´t de solidaritÃ© sur la fortune has brought in Â€400m more to the state coffers than predicted.For 2010 the tax, which is levied on personal wealth rather than income, rai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fillon speaks out against euthanasia]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Euthanasia-terminally-ill-patients-medical-help-die-Fillon-dangerous-Senate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROPOSALS for a new law allowing euthanasia with medical help have been rejected by Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon, who said they do not fit in with his views on respect for human life.Speaking on p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Half of French download illegally]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hadopi-study-half-French-download-illegally-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY half of people in France download film and music illegally, according to a study by the anti-internet piracy body, Hadopi.The study, which was published at the Midem music festival at Cannes ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[600 wind turbines for NW coastline]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Offshore-wind-farm-3000MW-Saint-Nazaire-Treport-10bn-euro-Sarkozy-2015-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OFFSHORE wind farms with 600 turbines are to be built on five sites between Saint-Nazaire and Dieppe/Le TrÃ©port in a Â€10 billion project to be announced by President Sarkozy.The 3,000MW total capaci...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[English from age  three in schools]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Children-English-three-Education-Minister-Luc-Chatel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Luc Chatel says he wants to Â“reinvent the learning of EnglishÂ” in schools.Mr Chatel said that he was setting up a committee to look in better ways of teaching languages, with Engl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-24</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti-abortion demo draws thousands]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Anti-abortion-rally-attracts-twice-crowd-The-Connexion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ORGANISERS of an anti-abortion rally in Paris claim twice as many people took part this year than in 2010.The seventh "grande marche nationale pour le respect de la vie" drew 40,000 people according...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cut-price internet back on the agenda]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/low-income-households-cheap-broadband-internet-phone-tv-deal-france-social-tariffs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to offer cut-price broadband internet to low-income families in France are back on the government's agenda, after the move was announced 12 months ago and nothing happened.Business minister Fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Crime stats down  overall in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hortefeux-crime-figures-up-down-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRIME is down in general in France, but violent crime is up, the latest figures reveal.Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux is officially presenting the statistics for 2010 this morning. He says crime ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shorter days at school planned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-week-tiring-pupils-workload-rythmes-scolaires-Chatel-Wednesday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SHORTER summer holidays, shorter days and a five-day school week are planned in the new report on the school year that has been handed to education minister Luc Chatel.Just two years after the prese...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Uni applications open online today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/apply-online-university-france-higher-education-courses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONLINE applications open today for France's half a million final-year lycÃ©e students looking to go on to higher education.Candidates need to register on the education ministry's Admission Post Bac w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Warning over lack of pediatricians]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pediatricians-france-shortage-warning-doctors-parents-health-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH health system is struggling to cope with a shortage of pediatricians, because not enough graduates are entering the profession to replace those who retire.While new figures released this ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs give Coco her cigarette back]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Coco-Chanel-cigarette-Tati-pipe-restored-MP-ease-anti-smoking-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JACQUES Tati has got his pipe back and Coco Chanel her cigarette after MPs voted to ease the anti-smoking Loi EvinÂ’s rules on tobacco promotion.The National Assembly cultural affairs committee was r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU healthcare rights set out]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cross-border-healthcare-law-directive-EU-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE RIGHT of patients in the EU to go abroad for medical treatment has been enshrined in EU law.The new law, passed in a final vote in the European Parliament, sets out that people have the right to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France considers euthanasia law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-senate-euthanasia-assisted-suicide-law-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH senators have made a first step towards legalising assisted suicide, but the proposed law looks unlikely to go much further.The senate's social affairs committee voted by 25 votes to 19 in fa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Did French customs topple Ben Ali?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-customs-airport-Tunisia-Ben-Ali-tear-gas-blockage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than seven tonnes of security equipment, destined to helping the former Tunisian president Ben Ali tackle riots in the country, was blocked at a Paris airport last week.According to news websit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French population  tops 65 million]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Insee-record-population-65-million-birth-rates-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCEÂ’S population has reached a record high and the birth rate is now the highest since the baby boom.There were 61 million people in mainland France and the overseas departments in 2001 (54 milli...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Watchdog monitors 59 daily medicines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Medicine-alert-asthma-tobacco-health-watchdog-59-risk-Mediator-Xavier-Bertrand-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRUGS watchdog Affsaps has published a list of 59 drugs it has on special alert in response to the furore over the diabetic drug Mediator.The wide-ranging list includes an asthma drug, a morning-aft...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy jeered for Alsace mix-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-germany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy was booed and whistled after an embarrassing slip-up in which he confused Alsace with Germany.The French president was visiting the Alsatian town of Truchtersheim on Tuesday to meet ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Test 'fiasco' as papers leaked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cm2-test-papers-leaked-controversy-parents-teachers-school-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMPULSORY tests for pupils in the last year of primary school have turned into a "fiasco", a teachers' union has claimed, after the exam paper was leaked online.Some 800,000 pupils in the CM2 year ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Avignon and Toulon get London flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Summer-flights-CityJet-Avignon-Toulon-London-May-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CityJet has announced two new services, from Avignon and Toulon, to the heart of London.The Air France subsidiary, which already flies from London City to Brive, Deauville, Nantes and Paris Orly, wi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Main home sales could be taxed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Taxation-capital-gains-main-home-Baroin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAPITAL gains on sales of the main home could be taxed.The idea is under consideration by the government. At present, profits on home sales are only taxed for second homes.The measure, which could...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marine is new far-right leader]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Marine-Le-Pen-Front-National-Jean-Marie-Holocaust-Islam-president-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MARINE Le Pen has taken over from her father as leader of the far-right Front National after picking up 68 per cent of the votes in the presidential election.Immediate opinion polls have suggested t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lukewarm message to Tunisians]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-government-Sarkozy-cold-dry-rue89-Tunisia-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has been criticised for a Â“pitifullyÂ” non-committal response to the revolution taking place in Tunisia.Popular French news site Rue89 contrasted the official responses from the ElysÃ©e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Credit card fraud figures worthless]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Online-fraud-credit-card-gendarmes-police-prosecutors-bank-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN INQUIRY has found that online frauds have been hugely underestimated because police and gendarmes were not registering complaints properly.Statisticians said that official figures for frauds were...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Livret A savings rate rises to 2%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/livret-a-savings-account-interest-rate-two-per-cent-consumer-price-inflation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE INTEREST rate paid on France's top tax-free savings account, the Livret A, will rise next month, the Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has confirmed.The rate, which can be revised only once eve...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2010 coldest year since 1990]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-cold-weather-2010-climate-change-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[2010 was the coldest year France has seen in two decades, according to MÃ©tÃ©o France.Meteorologists say the average temperature was 0.3Â°C below average between 1971 and 2000, making it the coldest si...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Oldest Frenchman dies aged 109]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-oldest-man-Charles-Louis-de-Antoni-109-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCEÂ’S oldest man, Charles Louis de Antoni, has died aged 109.Mr de Antoni, who was an outstanding trumpeter in the orchestra of the OpÃ©ra Comique in Paris, died Â“peacefullyÂ” during the night of M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Airport failures led to snow chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Christmas-airport-snow-nightmare-glycol-ice-airlines-Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNOW chaos that left thousands stranded at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in the run-up to Christmas has been blamed on Â“operational failureÂ”, with mistakes made on all sides.Transport and ecol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tsunami aid spent on other projects]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tsunami-2004-relief-donations-spent-other-projects-Croix-Rouge-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AID charities have been accused of diverting French donations raised for the 2004 Asian tsunami for projects elsewhere in the world after being swamped with more money than they could spend.An inves...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Parents call for boycott of tests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parents-federation-boycott-CM2-tests-Chatel-FCPE-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE largest parentsÂ’ federation is calling for a boycott on tests to be held in the last year of primary school (CM2) next week.The FCPE says the start-of-year tests for the CM2 classes, launched th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France will remain world wine leader]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wine-production-france-world-leader-international-study-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has confirmed its position as the world's number one wine producer, after losing the title to Italy for a brief period.A new international study by International Wine and Spirit Research foun...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Friends split Â€10m lottery jackpot]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Lottery-Loto-win-Arles-jackpot-friends-share-cheque-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO friends have split a Â€10 million Super Loto jackpot win, even although only one had taken part. Jean-Pierre spotted that he was the sole winner and, without telling his friend Jean-Paul about th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firm markets 'the original condom']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Condom-Gers-Bourbon-Parme-Gallardo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO French aristocrats are claiming to offer the Â“original condomÂ” after setting up a firm with its postal address in the Gers town of that name. Charles-Emmanuel de Bourbon Parme, a descendant of L...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[North remains on flooding alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/meteo-france-flooding-alert-warning-north-east-nord-aisne-moselle-bas-rhin-river-levels-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has extended its warning of heavy flooding in four departments in the north-east.The Nord, Aisne, Ardennes and Oise are on alert until at least 6.00 on Wednesday as river levels in the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister to harden anti-tobacco laws]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tobacco-smoking-ban-Evin-Bertrand-cigarettes-public-advertising-bars-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWENTY years after France first voted in a law against smoking in public, health minister Xavier Bertrand says he wants tougher measures to see the law being enforced Â“everywhere and for everyoneÂ”.H...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New measures to avoid travel chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-measures-avoid-travel-chaos-snow-bad-weather-roads-trains-sncf-improvements-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has been told to make its trains "more resistant to the cold and snow", and to improve the information and help it offers passengers when bad weather affects travel.Ministers held a round-t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France is USÂ’s  Â‘strongest allyÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Obama-Sarkozy-Washington-G20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AMERICAN president Barack Obama told President Sarkozy yesterday: Â“We donÂ’t have a stronger friend and a stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy and the French people.Â”The two leaders expressed mutual su...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Final days for  calendar offer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/New-Connexion-subscribers-free-calendar-2011-offer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW subscribers to the Connexion will receive a free calendar to their address in France if they sign up before January 16.By entering the promotional code 2011 when signing up on our site, new subs...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scotland bids for Tour de France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Scotland-bid-to-host-tour-de-france-grand-depart-2017-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCOTLAND is preparing a bid to host the Grand DÃ©part of the Tour de France in 2017.The cycling race will begin this year in the Netherlands, having started in Monaco and London in previous years.T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy film may be embarrassing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Sarkozy-film-Cecilia-president-Durringer-Conquest-Rotman-split-Carla-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS SarkozyÂ’s rise to power as president has been captured in a film to be released later this year, the first time a sitting president has been covered in a movie.Due in the cinemas in May, La ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Public wants to  keep status quo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-timetabling-internet-rhythms-summer-holidays-homework-chatel-four-day-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOST people who took part in an internet debate on possible changes to school timetabling want things to stay as they are.While key topics like shortening the summer holidays (balanced out by length...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[TGV fare rise to improve services]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tgv-fares-rise-increase-january-2011-sncf-reinvestment-worst-performing-routes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TGV fares are to rise by between two and three per cent at the end of this month, with the extra money spent on improving some of France's worst-performing routes.SNCF president Guillaume Pepy said ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Road death toll falls below 4,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Road-death-toll-seatbelt-helmet-level-4000-Hortefeux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOR THE first time, the number of road deaths in France has fallen below the 4,000 barrier, the ninth year in a row the toll has fallen.Since the early 1970s Â– when nearly 17,000 were dying each yea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record year for culture-goers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Record-year-cinemas-museums-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CINEMAS and museums in France enjoyed record attendance levels during 2010, according to latest figures.Some 206 million people went to the cinema in 2010, up 2.7 per cent on the previous year, and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Airport security lapses exposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/airport-security-lapse-paris-charles-de-gaulle-marseille-gun-x-ray-hand-luggage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SECURITY at two of France's busiest airports has been called into question, after a pair of undercover journalists successfully boarded planes with a gun in their hand luggage.Staff at Paris Charles...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Epidemic for flu and stomach bugs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/winter-flu-gastro-enteritis-epidemic-levels-france-doctors-research-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE WINTER flu virus and stomach bugs have reached epidemic levels in France in the past week, new GP figures reveal.The research by the Sentinelles-Inserm network, which represents thousands of doc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lab boss says drug did not kill 2,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mediator-drug-slimming-obesity-killer-Servier-heart-valve-problems-laboratory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE head of the laboratory that makes controversial diet drug Mediator has denied it caused the deaths of between 500 and 2,000 people, saying it has been responsible for only three deaths.LibÃ©ratio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France cracks down on online shopping]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-new-plans-regulate-e-commerce-online-web-retail-shopping-foreign-sites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government is considering new measures to regulate e-commerce and attempt to make foreign sites respect French trading laws.Business minister FrÃ©dÃ©ric Lefebvre has commissioned a report t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[UMP closes social networking website]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UMP-Sarkozy-social-networking-failure-website-shuts-Xavier-Bertrand-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT SarkozyÂ’s political party UMP is to close its social networking site, CrÃ©ateurs de Possibles, after it proved a massive internet flop.Set up by former party general secretary Xavier Bertra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Reality workers want Â€400,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Temptation-Island-400,000-euros-Versailles-Assous-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIFTY-SEVEN participants in the reality TV show LÂ’Ile de la Tentation are demanding Â€400,000 each for their Â“workÂ” on the show.The Versailles appeal court is being asked to rule by April 5 on how mu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-05</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Doctors want ban on three medicines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-medical-journal-ban-government-buflomedil-vinflunine-nimesulide-drugs-side-effects-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH health authorities have been urged to ban three widely prescribed drugs over safety concerns.PrÃ©scrire, the independent medical journal that raised the alarm about deadly slimming drug Mediat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French are world's most pessimistic]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-french-most-pessimistic-nation-economic-prospects-new-year-2011-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH are the world's most pessimistic people when asked about their prospects for the coming year, a new international study has found.The Voice of the People survey, by BVA-Gallup, polled mor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF investigates after TGV mix-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-train-tgv-mix-up-confusion-passengers-wrong-direction-nantes-rennes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has launched an investigation to find out how two TGVs were mixed up and sent to the wrong destinations, with more than 200 passengers on board.The high-speed train from Montpellier was due...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-04</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Our January issue is on sale now]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-english-newspaper-france-expats-january-issue-biggest-ever-preview-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE JANUARY issue of The Connexion is our biggest ever, packed with 72 pages of news, features, interviews and useful contacts.We have also launched a new-look directory this month, with clearer adv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax and dependency top 2011 reforms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nicolas-sarkozy-useful-year-reforms-dependency-tax-dependency-tv-address-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has promised a year of "useful" reforms in 2011, with tax and dependency arrangements among the key areas to be reviewed this year.More than 10 million people tuned in to the presi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bug hits new year mobile messages]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/orange-france-text-messages-bug-duplicates-excessive-bills-mobile-phone-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ORANGE has promised to refund customers who accidentally sent hundreds of duplicate text messages on New Year's Eve because of a bug in the system.Several mobile phone users have discovered that the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Airports face fine for travel chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/airports-france-snow-travel-chaos-flights-disruption-government-sanctions-fined-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government is considering fining airports and airlines for the travel chaos that affected thousands of people's Christmas travel plans.The ecology ministry has launched an inquiry into wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New YearÂ’s Eve  passes Â‘quietlyÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/New-year-in-France-quiet-but-government-will-not-give-figures-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW YearÂ’s Eve was quiet Â“with no major incidentsÂ” according to the Interior Minister, who has been criticised by the Opposition for a Â“minimalistÂ” report on the night.	Interior Minister Brice Horte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurozone crisis: who will be next?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurozone-crisis-france-denies-threat-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has strongly denied that it could become one of the next countries to be threatened by the eurozone crisis that has struck Greece and Ireland. However, new figures revealing the countryÂ’s exp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobiles are 75% of violent thefts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobiles-account-for-75-percent-violent-thefts-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE quarters of violent thefts target mobile phones, according to a study by the police prefecture in Paris.Half of thefts and three quarters of violent thefts in public transport concern mobile p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Racism watchdog faces closure]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/racism-watchdog-halde-faces-closure-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NEW president of anti-discrimination watchdog La Halde is pressing for it to retain a clear identity when it is absorbed into a new authority this year. Several independent bodies are being amal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France 22nd in OECD school list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-22nd-oecd-schools-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has come a mediocre 22nd out of 65 countries whose educational levels were assessed in a study by the OECD.The Pisa study, based on tests in 2009, looked at abilities of 15-year-olds in 34 fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Government has 600 websites]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-government-600-websites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT plans to cut the number of its websites from 600 to 60 in two years. Budget Minister FranÃ§ois Baroin said the government was looking to simplify its digital landscape.Customers will...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Socialist leader Aubry carpeted]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carpette-anglaise-socialist-leader-martine-aubry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST Party leader Martine Aubry has won the annual Carpette Anglaise Â“awardÂ” for disservice to the French language, for allegedly using slogans such Â“What would JaurÃ¨s do?Â” The phrase compares ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France still top for world tourism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-still-world-favourite-tourists-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE remains the worldÂ’s top tourist destination, says the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), which compiles annual rankings of how many tourists each country had. 2010Â’s list is due out this month...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carla Bruni is a cartoon character]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carla-bruni-cartoon-character-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ARGUABLY FranceÂ’s most famous first lady since Josephine, Carla Bruni is the star of a cartoon book on her rise from 1990s supermodel to the ElysÃ©e. Written by Doctor Who writer David McIntee, it is...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[The British are back 'in force']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-buyers-back-in-force-property-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITONS are Â“coming back in forceÂ” to France and buying properties again after a two-year retreat, mortgage brokers and estate agents claim.Property experts say the relatively weak euro and low inte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[The British are back 'in force']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-buyers-back-in-force-property-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITONS are Â“coming back in forceÂ” to France and buying properties again after a two-year retreat, mortgage brokers and estate agents claim.Property experts say the relatively weak euro and low inte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2011-01-01</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hadopi Â‘sending few warningsÂ’]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Internet-piracy-Hadopi-2000-emails-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANTI-internet piracy body Hadopi is reportedly sending only a fifth of the warning emails expected.The body, which has been operational since October, is meant to warn people found to have illegally...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Christmas flights get off the ground]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-flights-France-UK-latest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW wave of snow is expected to hit central France today as airlines and train firms seek to deal with a backlog of passengers travelling during the holiday period.Snow is expected in the Pays-de-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Office closed for Christmas break]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-office-closed-until-2011-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The Connexion offices will be shut from December 23 and will reopen on January 3.The deadline for resubscriptions or subscriptions to receive the February issue is January 14, so there is plenty of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Backlog clearance as airports reopen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Airports-travel-eurostar-flights-UK-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS airports have been allowed flights beyond their usual closing times to clear the backlog of Christmas travellers stranded by snow.Yesterday about 30 per cent of flights at Paris Orly and Charl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lettuce leaf costs Carrefour Â€20,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Carrefour-lettuce-leaf-slippery-OAP-fall-Montpellier-victim-broken-femur-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET giant Carrefour has been ordered to pay a 76-year-old customer Â€20,000 in damages after she slipped on a lettuce leaf and broke her leg.The verdict, at the Tribunal Correctionnel in Mont...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[VÃ©libÂ’ users sue after unfair fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Velib-court-Tribunal-d-Instance-de-Courbevoie-Somupi-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHT users of the Paris VÃ©libÂ’ bicycle hire scheme have appealed to a court after being Â“unfairlyÂ” fined for not taking the bikes back promptly after using them.The users say they were fined about ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Slimming pill may have killed 2,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Mediator-slimming-deaths-Xavier-Bertrand-diet-drug-heart-valve-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEALTH minister Xavier Bertrand has ordered a full inquiry into the slimming drug Mediator to find out why it was on sale for years after doctors first raised concerns. It may have caused the deaths o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protesters at anti-Islam event]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Anti-Muslim-protest-Paris-far-right-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANTI-RACIST bodies protested outside a meeting opposing the Â“Islamisation of EuropeÂ” at the weekend.Some 200 people from groups such as SOS Racisme held up banners bearing slogans such as Â“no fascis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Snow hits holiday travel plans]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-Eurostar-Easyjet-France-Ryanair-airports-news-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SNOW across the north of France and south of England has hit the travel plans of thousands of people.Seventeen departments are on orange alert for snow (Basse-Normandie region, Haute-Normandie regio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Snow affecting weekend getaway]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/snow-france-road-rail-air-delays-disruption-travel-christmas-holiday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROAD, rail and air delays are likely this weekend as snow affects the start of the Christmas holiday getaway.MÃ©tÃ©o France currently has 20 departments in the north, east and centre of France on aler...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Self-employed tax break until 2013]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/auto-entrepreneurs-cfe-business-tax-reprieve-until-2013-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AUTO-ENTREPRENEURS have had a last-minute reprieve from a new tax that could have seen some people with tiny incomes, or none, pay up to Â€2,000. A body representing people registered under the simpl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France plans new Hadopi piracy law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-hadopi-anti-piracy-law-digital-council-internet-online-economy-sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government is planning to draw up a new Hadopi anti-piracy law, after admitting that the current one "is not perfect".President Sarkozy is also looking to set up a "digital council" to he...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Driving points rules relaxed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driving-licence-points-two-years-parliament-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS will now be able to recover all their lost driving licence points after two years without offences.Parliament has voted through the legal change, which cuts the period from the current three...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farm incomes soar 66% but hide facts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Farm-revenue-soars-66-agriculture-cereal-beef-dairy-pig-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS' incomes across France have risen by an average 66 per cent, but the top-line figures hide the real story of revenues tumbling over  the past few years.The average wage of agriculteurs dropp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New-look Connexion directory unveiled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-new-look-business-directory-jobs-classifieds-properties-clearer-ads-16-pages-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION has launched a new-look directory in its January issue, which is published next week.Directory adverts are now bigger and the layout makes them easier for readers to find.To have a l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record year for energy complaints]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gas-electricity-complaints-france-up-tenfold-energy-regulator-fairer-billing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GAS and electricity suppliers in France have been ordered to become fairer and more transparent, after the number of complaints from customers increased tenfold in just two years.The French energy w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris agrees deal for electric cars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Autolib-electric-cars-Paris-hire-silent-pollution-autopartage-Hertz-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS has signed a deal to have 3,000 AutolibÂ’ electric hire cars on its streets by the end of next year, with 1,000 parking and recharging stations in the city and suburbs.The mairie is working wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-16</pubDate>
	</item>
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		<title><![CDATA[2011 budget  voted through]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parliament-budget-loi-des-finances-2011-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 2011 budget law has been finalised with a vote in the Senate 179 to 152. Overall it includes money-saving measures meant to help cut FranceÂ’s deficit from Â€150 billion in 2010 to Â€92 billion next ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Injuries as train hits school bus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/collision-level-crossing-school-bus-train-auxerre-yonne-children-injured-serious-condition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A 15-YEAR-OLD girl is in a serious condition and 17 other pupils recovering from minor injuries after their school bus collided with a train at a level crossing in the Bourgogne.The bus was carrying...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Football boss sues over Hitler parody]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jean-Michel-Aulas-Olympique-Lyonnais-parody-video-Hitler-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FOOTBALL club president has taken a man from Nice to court for defamation after being distressed by  parody video comparing him to Hitler.StÃ©phane TrÃ©pier had a copy of a www.dailymotion.com video...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[All-in-one Freebox is real revolution]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Freebox-internet-broadband-TV-Starck-Free-bundled-ADSL-cable-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET group Free has launched a new all-in-one Freebox with broadband web access, HD-TV and web TV, Wi-Fi, free calls to mobile phones and ligne fixe in France, a 3D-compatible Blue-Ray DVD player ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Court quashes fine for burqa driver]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Burqa-woman-driver-court-quashed-fine-Hebbadj-Nantes-veil-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POLICE court has quashed the fine imposed on a woman for driving while wearing the burqa Â– while an employment tribunal has ruled a crÃ¨che-worker was fairly sacked for wearing a veil.The Nantes mo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Insurance prices soar in new year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/home-car-insurance-premiums-france-price-increases-new-year-storm-xynthia-var-floods-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of home and car insurance in France is to rise by up to eight per cent in January, as insurers pass on the cost of dealing with several major storms and floods in the past year.Les Echos sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No newspapers on sale this morning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-national-newspapers-on-sale-france-today-strike-distribution-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THERE are no national daily newspapers on sale in French newsagents and kiosks today, because of a strike by distributors.Workers belonging to the Syndicat GÃ©nÃ©ral du Livre et de la Communication ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[African workers suing the SNCF]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF-Moroccan-prud-homme-Paris-rail-discrimination-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NATIONAL rail firm SNCF is being sued for Â€108 million by some workers from North Africa who claim they have been treated unfairly compared to French colleagues.Three hundred and sixty railworkers, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plastic bag tax plan is scrapped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/plastic-shopping-bag-tax-20-centimes-plan-abandoned-senate-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to impose a 20-centime tax on plastic shopping bags have been thrown out by senators.MPs in the National Assembly had initially voted in favour of the tax, against the government's advice, as ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boss quits Annecy Olympics bid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Annecy-Winter-Olympics-Grospiron-champion-Killy-2018-budget-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FranceÂ’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in Annecy has taken a blow with the resignation of general director Edgar Grospiron, who quit saying the budget of Â€20 million was not enough to win the g...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New Halde boss  starts work today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-president-la-halde-anti-discrimination-body-eric-molinie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOP anti-discrimination body La Halde has a new president, former charity boss Eric MoliniÃ©.Mr MoliniÃ© was vice-president of La Halde and is a former president of the muscular dystrophy charity AFM,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Foreign cigarette limit kept]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/France-cigarette-import-maximum-limit-five-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE number of cigarette cartons you can legally bring into France from abroad has been kept at five.MPs voted to keep the cap despite criticism from the government that it breaches European Union ru...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[BergÃ© charged with defamation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Aids-Pierre-Berge-Telethon-defamation-Sidaction-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIDS charity head Pierre BergÃ© has been charged with defamation for critical remarks about the TÃ©lÃ©thon.In November last year, the Sidaction president accused muscular dystrophy charity AFM of Â“bein...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ministers slip on snow warnings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-chaos-Paris-France-Fillon-Hortefeux-joke-traffic-jam-sleeping-Meteo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AS TRAFFIC returned to normal across the Ile-de-France, ministers are meeting today for a debriefing on the snow that brought misery to Paris ... and as far as Moscow.Top of their agenda is unlikely...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris snow causes transport chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-ile-de-france-snow-ice-travel-chaos-roads-blocked-cars-flights-airport-disruption-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS in Paris and the Ile-de-France have been told to leave their cars at home today, as heavy snowfall and ice is causing chaos on the roads.Parts of the capital and the suburbs witnessed 15cm o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report attacks  Four-day-week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parliamentary-report-school-timetables-four-day-week-Michelle-Talbot-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE four-day primary school week should be scrapped, says a parliamentary report into school timetabling.The current arrangement in most schools, since the abolition of Saturday morning school two y...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Medicine refunds could drop to 25%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/assurance-maladie-healthcare-refunds-35-25-per-cent-france-medicine-plans-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[REFUNDS on hundreds of medicines could be cut back to 25 per cent next year to help plug France's social security funding deficit.Patients' groups say they have learnt of plans to apply the reduced ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cantona bid sparks call for change]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cantona-bank-run-withdraw-crash-problems-banking-Sauvons-MEP-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AS BANKS wait to see whether account-holders follow Eric CantonaÂ’s call to withdraw their cash today, other groups are looking at different ways to get better service.One, Sauvons les Riches, says E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Flexible sales are here to stay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flexible-floating-sales-france-shopping-government-measure-extended-opposition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SHOPS in France will remain free to hold sales at times of the year that suit them, despite complaints from some retailers that the system is harming the industry and confusing consumers.The flexibl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hairdressers go on 'music strike']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hairdressers-france-music-strike-protest-licence-fees-sacem-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HAIRDRESSERS around France will work in silence from today to protest against what they say is an "arbitrary" rise in the licence fee for playing music.The French hairdressers' body FNCF is urging a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Train fare rise to fund track repairs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/train-fares-sncf-rff-france-increase-track-maintenance-repairs-government-funding-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN fares in France are set to rise in the New Year, after the government said it was in favour of making passengers contribute to the cost of renovating the country's ageing rail network.The new ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Telethon donations down on last year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/telethon-charity-fundraising-tv-marathon-donations-down-second-year-drop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DONATIONS to the TÃ©lÃ©thon have fallen for the second year running, as the future of the French television fundraising marathon remains in doubt.The charity event, which ran for 30 hours on the Frenc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rivals queens  crowned in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Miss-France-Miss-Nationale-beauty-competition-rivalry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO BEAUTY queens have been crowned in France this weekend as rival pageants went head to head.Miss France, the traditional competition now owned by Endemol, crowned Miss Bretagne on TF1; however th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Borders paralysed in tobacco protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Tobacco-border-protest-Germany-Spain-cigarette-import-prices-EU-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTING tobacconists staged a go-slow protest at the German and Spanish borders in protest at rising cigarette prices and the end of restrictions on the amount of tobacco people can bring in from o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Continental blamed for Concorde crash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/continental-airlines-concorde-crash-air-france-ruling-appeal-responsibility-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONTINENTAL Airlines has said it will appeal against a French court ruling that it was criminally responsible for an Air France Concorde crash in Paris that killed 113 people.A judge in Pontoise (Va...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sign up to get our weekly newsletter]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/our-weekly-email-newsletter-signup-form-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION publishes a weekly newsletter - delivered free every Friday lunchtime.It is packed with the latest news, practical tips about life in France, What's On events for the weekend and other...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Le Pen not guilty over race hate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/National-Front-Le-Pen-race-hatred-Islamism-Racism-minarets-burqa-missiles-Taliban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NATIONAL Front president Jean-Marie Le Pen has been acquitted of racism charges by a Paris court over a campaign poster.Titled Â“No to IslamismÂ”, the poster showed a burqa-clad woman beside a map of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speeding fines to cross EU borders]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Speeding-fines-penalties-EU-to-share-data-2013-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS of foreign cars will no longer be immune from the flash of speed cameras or other motoring offences.Transport ministers from EU countries have agreed to share the details of motorists whose ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[De Fontenay to run rival Â‘MissÂ’ event]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/De-Fontenay-Miss-France-Endemol-Miss-Nationale-Dailymotion-TF1-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO rival versions of Miss France will be elected this year: the offical one and a Â“Miss NationaleÂ”.Following a falling out between TV production company Endemol, which runs Miss France, and Â“The La...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France-UK travel disrupted by snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-uk-snow-travel-disruptions-eurostar-flights-paris-charles-de-gaulle-cancelled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HALF of Eurostars between Paris and London and a quarter of flights at Charles de Gaulle airport have been cancelled today because of the snow.The French civil aviation body has asked airlines to cu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GPs could charge variable fees]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-france-doctors-consultation-fees-variable-10-70-euros-report-suggestion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of seeing a GP in France could vary from Â€10 to Â€70 under new plans being considered by the French government.President Sarkozy has told doctors he will look at making changes to the curren...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cantona bank crash plea attacked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cantona-banks-run-Lagarde-football-economics-finance-collapse-Manchester-United-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ERIC Cantona has been told by finance minister Christine Lagarde to stick to football and leave economics alone, after he called on people to withdraw their money from the banks Â“to collapse the syste...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cancer cocktail in children's foods]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cancer-pesticide-children-arsenic-cadmium-PCBs-menu-butter-milk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHILDREN are being exposed to a carcinogenic cocktail in their daily meals with side dishes of arsenic, PCBs and pesticides, according to an analysis by environmental scientists.The study, by the as...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris pickpocket leaders arrested]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-pickpocket-ring-metro-public-transport-leaders-arrested-thefts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE have arrested 19 people believed to be the ringleaders in a major pickpocketing operation on the Paris public transport network.Authorities say the gang is responsible for about two thirds of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Snow stops 1 in 5 TGVs from Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-France-trains- delays-jams-centre-auvergne-alpes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY 7,200 lorries have been ordered off the roads in 18 departments in France under special measures to deal with the snow.Across the west, east and centre of France, 20-40cm of snow fell overnig...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax break promise for entrepreneurs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Small-Business-Minister-Frederick-Lefebvre-CFE-auto-entrepreneurs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A THREE-YEAR exemption from the new CFE business tax may be extended to all auto-entrepreneurs.Small Business Minister FrÃ©dÃ©ric Lefebvre has said he wants to bring in a legal amendment, after a fede...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shoes off for Le PÃ¨re NoÃ«l]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-french-father-christmas-differences-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WHILE both French and British children hope for a visit from Father Christmas, the French PÃ¨re NoÃ«l leaves his presents in shoes, not stockings.Though the French recognise the Â“Anglo-SaxonÂ” traditio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French work less but outperform UK]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-work-less-strike-more-but-still-outperform-uk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WITH strikes and marches punctuating the national life since the spring, many countries have looked on thinking "there they go again". It is a running joke that striking is the French national sport...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[M&S may return to France, says boss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marks-spencer-may-return-to-france-says-chief-executive-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EMBLEMATIC British retailer Marks &nbsp; Spencer may reopen in France in the future.Its new chief executive Mark Bolland has said expansion abroad is a key part of his strategy for coming years and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Depardieu is ObÃ©lix again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gerard-depardieu-will-be-obelix-again-asterix-new-movie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GÃ©rard Depardieu will be once again putting on his ObÃ©lix costume for the new movie, AstÃ©rix chez les Bretons, which should be shooting in 2012.The fourth part of the popular series of films based o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[The home of fine dining and wining]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-gastronomic-meal-joins-unesco-world-heritage-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The French gastronomic meal has become the first ever food-related social practice to join the Unesco heritage list.Two years after applying for this exceptional status, the French way of eating has...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Family group to probe inheritance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-inheritance-law-on-agenda-family-rights-group-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S main association championing the rights of non-traditional families is to discuss the impact of France's inheritance law on stepchildren.Parents have to give set proportions of their estate...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UK rescue boat  to be withdrawn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/uk-rescue-boat-withdrawn-channel-french-authorities-condemn-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH authorities have condemned an "incomprehensible and dangerous" decision by the British government to stop funding a rescue ship that protects the busy Dover-Calais strait.The UK has announced...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Property ad law comes into effect]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-property-advertising-law-comes-into-effect-energy-efficiency-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALL property adverts will have to show the energy efficiency rating of the building from January 1. It is thought this will have an effect on prices and attractiveness of properties to buyers, dependi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lascaux cave is 'stabilised']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lascaux-cave-paintings-stabilised-dordogne-scientists-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCIENTISTS are quietly confident that they have solved the problem of the black marks that have disfigured and damaged the paleolithic paintings in the Grotte de Lascaux.Professor Yves Coppens, the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bidding war sends fighter to Â€102k]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bidding-war-french-jet-fighter-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A French collector has bought a Mirage V fighter plane for Â€102,000 including delivery during a sale at the Paris auction house Artcurial. The jet fighter was expected to go for Â€30,000, but after 1...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Les manifs: Who won? Who cares?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-pension-strikes-who-won-who-lost-who-cares-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FINAL round of pension protests (manifestations) at the end of last month was essentially a gesture of defiance by the unions after losing their fight: FranceÂ’s pension reforms are now set in ston...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris plans to regain art crown]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-has-design-on-regaining-top-slot-world-art-fiac-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ORGANISERS of the Fiac contemporary art fair held in Paris have hailed it as t
