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<title><![CDATA[The Connexion News Feeds: News]]></title>
<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com</link>
<copyright>2010 CNX</copyright>
<language>English</language>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fishing season begins Saturday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fishing-season-france-2010-trout-salmon-begins-march-13-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE TROUT and salmon fishing season gets under way this Saturday, March 13, in most parts of France. Exceptions include 16 departments in the north of France (including the Ile-de-France region), wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No rent rise for 1st time in years]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flat-rent-cost-france-average-stable-no-rise-in-2009-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of renting a flat in France remained stable in 2009 for the first time in almost 20 years, new research has found.Professional letting research body Clameur found the nationwide average ren...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Secondary school teachers on strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/secondary-school-college-lycee-teachers-strike-today-march-12-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MINIMUM level of service is place in most French collèges and lycées this morning due to a nationwide strike by teachers.Eight trade unions representing the profession are behind the industrial ac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cigarette sales up patch sales down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cigarette-tobacco-sales-france-increase-2009-anti-smoking-campaign-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of cigarettes sold in France has started to grow again, while sales of nicotine replacement treatments in pharmacies has plummeted.The Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanes...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drivers urged to look out for frogs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/frogs-toads-crossing-road-france-drivers-urged-to-look-out-animal-welfare-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FROGS, toads and newts are at risk of being crushed by cars this month as they cross roads to get to wetlands to breed, an animal charity has warned.According to Aspas, which protects wild animals, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Creche workers on strike again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/childcare-workers-strike-france-creche-closed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRECHES in 30 towns and cities will be closed today as workers hold their second strike in less than a month.They join GPs and public transport workers in some areas who are also on strike today.F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storm Xynthia conman arrested]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storm-xynthia-fraudster-arrested- posing-as-agriculture-ministry-worker-charente-maritime-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SERIAL fraudster who posed as an Agriculture Ministry worker in the storm-hit Charente-Maritime has been arrested.Philippe Berre, 56, spent five days working with local officials in Charron before...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hadopi 2 fails to deter web users]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hadopi-2-online-piracy-law-france-failing-to-deter-illegal-downloaders-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW law designed to tackle online piracy is having the opposite effect on French internet users, according to a new study.Researchers at the University of Rennes found that since the Hadopi 2 law ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nice to be CCTV capital of France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nice-cctv-capital-of-france-600-video-surveillance-cameras-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CITY of Nice has announced plans to more than double the number of CCTV cameras by the end of this year, becoming the most watched place in France.Mayor Christian Estrosi has announced 342 extra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New measures for teacher cover]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supply-teacher-replacement-cover-schools-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOLS are to be given better access to supply teachers from September following complaints from parents.Education Minister Luc Chatel said up to 20% of France's 50,000 supply teachers were being u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Brits cook more than the French']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cooking-at-home-british-spend-more-time-than-french-survey-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH people spend less time in their kitchens than their British counterparts and cook a smaller range of dishes, a new survey has revealed.The research by BBC food magazine Olive in the UK and Ma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New driving test launches today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-driving-test-simpler-france-improve-pass-rates-cut-waiting-times-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW simpler driving test comes into force today in four regions - with other parts of France switching over by the end of May.The 35-minute practical test is designed to give examiners more freedo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Train stranded for 18 hours in snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/train-standed-18-hours-pyrenees-snow-south-france-travel-chaos-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than a hundred passengers have spent the night stranded on a broken-down sleeper train in the Pyrénées-Orientales after it hit 40cm of snow near the Spanish border yesterday afternoon.The train...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF joins March 23 national strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-nationwide-train-strike-france-confirmed-march-23-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN services around France are facing severe disruption on March 23 after drivers voted last night to join a national strike.The CGT, Unsa and CFDT unions have urged members to take part in the in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Basse-Normandie digital TV switch]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/basse-normandie-analogue-tv-signal-digital-switchover-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE and a half million people in Basse-Normandie will be switched over to digital TV this morning as the old analogue signal is switched off across the region.The switchover will happen between 8.00...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School, GP and bus strikes this week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strikes-this-week-france-school-teachers-doctors-public-transport-bins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEACHERS, doctors, binmen and public transport workers are all planning to go on strike later this week - just days before the French regional elections.Unions representing bus and tram drivers in a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Average results for half-term ski]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ski-resorts-france-visitor-numbers-half-term-spending-down-tourism-research-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SKI resorts around France have reported broadly stable visitor numbers but a decline in spending as the key half-term season ends.According to tourism research body Protourisme, 40% of French people...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu campaign 'cost France 1bn']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-cost-france-1bn-euro-scrutinised-vaccination-campaign-masks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government has spent more than 1bn preparing for the swine flu outbreak since last summer, new figures have revealed.The official auditor - the Cour des Comptes - and two parliamentary c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Food shops ignore Sunday trade law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-trading-law-france-food-shops-staying-open-all-day-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MANY supermarkets and convenience stores are breaking the new law on Sunday trading by staying open all day, a newspaper investigation has found.Le Parisien found small local food shops (superettes)...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Greengrocers take tickets-restaurant]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-rules-tickets-restaurant-meal-vouchers-fruit-veg-greengrocers  -view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESTAURANTS have reacted with anger to a new initiative allowing people to buy fruit and veg from greengrocers using tickets-restaurant.The decree - which was published yesterday in the Journal Offi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rubbish collection strike on March 12]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/binmen-rubbish-collection-strike-france-march-12-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BINMEN across France are planning to walk out on strike for an indefinite period starting on March 12.Six unions representing éboueurs have called on members to stop collecting and treating rubbish ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment  hits 10-year high]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-france-10-year-high-sarkozy-35-hour-week-industrial-reforms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of people out of work has reached a 10-year high, new official figures have revealed.National statistics body Insee says unemployment in the last quarter of 2009 stood at 2.7 million - it...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU slams French cigarette pricing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cigarette-prices-in-france-condemned-by-european-union-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A EUROPEAN court has condemned the French government's policy of fixing minimum retail prices for cigarettes.The Court of Justice of the European Union said the practice - which imposes a 5.10 mini...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Waiting time test for civil service]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-administration-performance-indicators-waiting-time-queues-satisfaction-survey-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVERY part of the French administration should be made to publish figures on waiting times to help improve the quality of service offered to the public, an MP has recommended.Haute-Marne MP François...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Customers quit EDF for rivals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-electricity-supplier-competition-gas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALMOST 1.4 million homes in France have ditched EDF for a rival electricity supplier, new figures have revealed.The French Energy Regulation Commission, CRE, said competing energy firms including Di...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Major project to rebuild sea walls]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/vendee-flood-sea-defences-reinforcement-work-ecology-ministry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE years of work improving sea defences along the French coast have been promised to avoid a repeat of last weekend's deadly floods.The government has announced the setting up of a task-force whic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storm insurance deadline extended]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storm-xynthia-insurance-claims-deadline-extended-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOUSEHOLDS hit by last weekend's storm and floods have been given an extension to make their insurance claims.French insurance body FFSA says all of its members have agreed to push the deadline back...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Truancy note web hoax revealed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hoax-school-absence-note-website-fools-french-media-parents-teachers-education-chiefs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION chiefs, unions and the French media have been duped by a website claiming to sell fake absence letters to schoolchildren."Innovative start-up" Xkiouze.com announced it would start selling ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eiffel Tower tree exorcist caught]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tree-exorcist-champ-de-mars-eiffel-tower-questioned-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN EXORCIST who hammered nails into 100 trees near the Eiffel Tower and painted them "to rid them of evil spirits" has been arrested and questioned by police.Gardeners looking after the Champ de Mar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Teen in court for meat-knife threat]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/teenage-girl-in-court-in-france-for-threatening-pupil-with-meat-cleaver-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TEENAGE girl is to appear in court later this month accused of threatening a fellow pupil with a meat-cleaver in a row over a mobile phone.According to a TV report on France 3 Méditerrannée, the 1...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free hearing tests throughout March]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/free-hearing-tests-france-throughout-march-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FREE hearing test is available to anyone in France this month as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the condition.The event - until March 31 - is being organised by Audition Mutualiste, a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New public power to challenge law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/public-right-to-challenge-laws-france-constitutional-court-legality-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAXATION and foreign voting rights are among laws that could be re-examined under a new initiative that aims to give the public more of a say in the legal process.New rules have come into force givi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Special measures for storm victims]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/insurance-claim-financial-help-storm-flood-damage-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RANGE of financial help for homes and businesses in the four departments worst-hit by Sunday's deadly storms and floods has been announced by the government.President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a gove...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Natural disaster as storm kills 47]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storm-xynthia-france-47-dead-natural-disaster-insurance-claim-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INSURERS are preparing for a surge of claims this morning after France's deadliest storm in a decade.Storm Xynthia brought winds of 150-200kph to large parts of the west and north of France early on...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Immigrants stop work for 24 hours]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-day-without-immigrants-24-hour-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOREIGN residents in France and French citizens born overseas are being encouraged to stop working today to highlight their contribution to the economy.The "day without immigrants" has been organise...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Refunds cut for 200 medicines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/healthcare-medicine-refunds-15-per-cent-assurance-maladie-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT is cutting the rate of reimbursement for 200 medicines next month in a move expected to save 145m a year.Patients buying the medicines - which include indigestion tablet Gaviscon and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-03-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[What's inside our March newspaper]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/march-2010-issue-connexion-newspaper-english-speakers-france-free-hotels-book-wine-offer-interviews-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION has teamed up with Alistair Sawday to offer 500 free copies of his books French Châteaux and Hotels and French Holiday Homes (RRP £14.99) - you just pay the postage.We are also offerin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French air traffic strike: the latest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-strike-france-flights-cancelled-delayed-paris-orly-charles-de-gaulle-running-info-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STRIKE by air traffic controllers is causing cancellations and delays for the fourth day running.The walkout is due to last until 8.00 on Saturday morning.Half of Friday's flights into and out o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Compulsory smoke alarms from 2015]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/law-requires-smoke-alarms-in-every-home-by-2015-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW requiring every home in France to be equipped with a smoke alarm has been passed, five years after it was first discussed.The responsibility for buying the alarm and regularly checking it fall...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doctors plan March 11 strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/doctors-surgery-strike-march-11-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GPs are planning a day of strike action on March 11 to protest against a lack of resources.Four unions - including the biggest, MG France - have urged doctors to take part in the walkout and close t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Agriculture show opens in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-salon-agriculture-opens-this-weekend-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE most important event in the French farming community calendar, the Salon de l'Agriculture, opens this weekend in Paris.The event is also an annual pilgrimage for politicians looking to shore up ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Aid for unemployed facing benefit cut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/financial-help-long-term-unemployed-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LONG-TERM unemployed people who face having their benefits cut off this year could be offered paid training to help them get back into work.Pôle Emploi estimates that a million people who have not w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two-thirds not expecting pay rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/two-thirds-of-french-employees-not-expecting-a-pay-rise-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALMOST two-thirds of French people are not expecting a pay rise this year, according to a new survey.The poll of 1,000 workers by research body BVA, published in Les Echos found only 37% of people t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Seniors march in pensions protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/state-pension-amount-france-retired-people-demonstrations-cost-of-living-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of retired people have taken to the streets to call for changes to the way the state pension is calculated.According to organisers, up to 3,000 people took part in a march yesterday in Par...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol shortage threat is lifted]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-shortage-france-total-oil-refinery-workers-call-off-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NATIONWIDE petrol shortage has been averted after striking oil refinery workers agreed to return to work this morning.Staff at five Total plants around France walked out on strike last Thursday, p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF fined 5m over travel site ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-fined-5-million-euros-travel-agency-website-expedia-partnership-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has been fined 5m for stifling competition with its online travel shop, voyagessncf.comA court in Paris has ordered the French state rail operator to pay damages to rival online travel age...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Calls for ban on anti-smoking ad]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anti-smoking-ads-teenagers-cigarette-submission-welfare-groups-controversy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SHOCK anti-smoking campaign showing teenagers in a submissive position with a cigarette between their lips has outraged child welfare groups and ministers.Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot has des...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rebel passengers allowed home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brazil-paris-flight-plane-rebellion-french-tourists-freed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GROUP of French tourists accused of starting a rebellion on a plane in Brazil have been allowed to return home after 11 weeks.The two men and a woman were arrested in São Paulo on December 7 for c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air traffic strike closes airports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-traffic-controller-strike-france-airport-check-flight-disruptions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE French airports are closed today and hundreds of flights across the country cancelled due to a strike by air traffic controllers.There are no flights landing or taking off from Pau, Biarritz, G...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GDF wants 9% gas bill rise in April]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gas-prices-bills-rise-9-percent-april-gdf-suez-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GDF wants to raise gas prices by 9% in April to account for the growing cost of production, it has emerged.According to Le Figaro, the gas supplier wants to hike tariffs from 41.50 per megawatt hou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Uni students slam 'unfair' policies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/university-rules-exams-assessment-teaching-hours-unef-student-union-complaints-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DOZEN universities in France are imposing unfair rules that are denying students the chance to succeed, national students' union Unef has complained.The union says there are inconsistencies in the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French red tape is failing people]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-administration-nightmares-red-tape-ombudsman-complaints-civil-service-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH administration makes people feel "psychologically tired", tense, nervous and helpless, the country's official ombudsman has warned.The Médiateur de la République, Jean-Paul Delevoye, says he ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orly worst-hit by air traffic strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flight-delays-paris-france-orly-air-traffic-controllers-strike-baggage-handlers-disruptions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR passengers are facing delays at Orly airport in Paris today ahead of a nationwide air traffic controllers' strike that starts tomorrow. Ground-handlers called a sudden strike at the weekend over...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol shortage fears after strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/total-oil-refinery-strike-petrol-shortages-france  -view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS have started queuing for petrol in parts of France as oil refinery workers extend their strike.Six refineries owned by Total have been closed since Thursday in protest at plans to close the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Porn sites blocked on MPs' computers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-mps-national-assembly-banned-pornographic-websites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MPs in the French national assembly have been told that pornographic websites are now blocked on their office computers.Parliament has implemented a new web filtering system that aims to block any i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Graham Templeton begins jail term]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/graham-templeton-warren-dordogne-expat-fraud-begins-jail-sentence-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONMAN Graham Templeton is in prison starting his two-year jail sentence for defrauding a group of Dordogne expats out of 2 million, The Connexion can reveal.French prison authorities said that the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Government names 'stressful' firms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/stress-work-government-survey-work-ministry-named-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STARBUCKS, BP, Glaxo SmithKline and Toys R Us are among the companies accused of failing to deal with employee stress in a new government report. The Work Ministry has published a list on its websit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New speed cameras made harder to see]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hidden-speed-cameras-road-safety-france-drink-driving-prevention-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW generation of hidden speed cameras is to begin appearing on French motorways in a bid to stop drivers suddenly braking to avoid being caught.Prime Minister François Fillon has announced that 8...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drivers question French car quality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-car-standards-reliable-international-survey-drivers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE RELIABILITY of French cars has been called into question in an international survey of drivers.Almost a quarter of a million motorists in France, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and China were aske...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taxis plan go-slow at Paris airports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-taxi-drivers-go-slow-convoy-protest-orly-charles-de-gaulle-airport-disruptions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAXI drivers in Paris are planning to hold up traffic around Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports and parts of the city centre next Thursday.They are staging a go-slow protest after a group of MPs dr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[12 convicted for fake wine scam]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-red-wine-languedoc-scam-pinot-noir-convicted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWELVE wine producers and dealers in the Languedoc have been convicted for selling more than 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to the US.The scam, which judges believe netted about 7m, went unn...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[National teachers' strike on March 12]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/teachers-strike-secondary-school-france-industrial-action-march-12-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SECONDARY school teachers across France are planning a one-day strike on March 12.Eight teachers' unions have backed the action, which will bring disruption to collèges and lycées nationwide.They ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speeding biker caught by video]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/motorcyclist-midi-pyrenees-speeding-video-camera-police-arrest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MOTORCYCLIST who filmed himself speeding through the Midi-Pyrénées at up to 175kph has been caught by police  after he accidentally dropped the camera on the roadside by a police station.Officers...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Creche strike over childcare reforms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/creche-workers-strike-government-childcare-reforms-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRECHE workers around France are holding a one-day strike today which will affect both municipal and private services.Four unions have called the day of action to protest against work conditions and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Help promised for unemployed seniors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-france-benefit-near-retirement-age-social-security-system-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BENEFIT scheme designed to help unemployed people nearing retirement age has been temporarily saved after the government abandoned plans to get rid of it.Nicolas Sarkozy has agreed to keep the all...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two-thirds want French franc back]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/survey-two-thirds-want-return-to-french-franc-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GROWING number of French people say they miss the franc and would like it to return.A survey by Paris Match magazine found 69% would like the old French currency to come back in place of the euro....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Free legal advice on French issues]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/free-legal-advice-france-property-tax-inheritance-helpline-notaires-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FREE telephone advice line is running this week to help anyone with questions about family life, buying a property or inheritance in France.The service is part of the annual Semaine d'Information ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[British woman dead in Riviera home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-woman-expat-carol-hagues-stabbed-death-cagnes-riviera-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RETIRED British woman has been found stabbed to death at her French Riviera home.Sixty-five-year-old Carol Hagues, who lived in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur, had been stabbed at least three t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French schools to go 100% digital]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/schools-teaching-france-digital-technology-interactive-blackboards-podcasts-project-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVERY school in France should be equipped with high-speed internet and digital teaching equipment by 2012 to catch up with the rest of Europe, a report commissioned by the government has urged.Educa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UGC call police in cinema food row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ugc-cinema-france-calls-police-customer-food-drink-paris-argument-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UGC has admitted sending armed police in to a busy cinema auditorium to confront a customer who had brought in her own food and drink - the third case of its kind in as many weeks.The woman was visi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[National strike plan for March 23]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nationwide-strike-france-march-23-employment-retirement-unions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE trade unions have called a nationwide day of strike action on March 23 in protest at the French governments proposed pension reforms.The CFDT, CGT, FSU, Solidaires and Unsa are planning the in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Competition pushes water bills down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/water-prices-france-drop-competition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES in France are beginning to benefit from a significant drop in the cost of water, as competition in the market is forcing prices down.New figures from the Fédération Professionnelle de l'Eau (F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Increasing number of TGV rail delays]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-train-services-france-rail-punctuality-ter-tgv-running-late-figures-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH national rail operator SNCF has announced it is changing its definition of "on time" in a bid to improve this year's punctuality stats.Almost one in five long-distance train TGV services fail...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firm invites staff to move to Hungary]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/-france-factory-workers-redundant-closure-hungary-job-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WORKERS at a Philips factory in the Eure-et-Loir have been sent letters telling them not to turn up for work today  and inviting them to apply for jobs in Hungary instead.The technology firm announ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Get the most from currency exchange]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/foreign-currency-exchange-international-transfer-pounds-euros-france-best-rates-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[IN THE past two years, unprecedented volatility in the currency markets has seen the value of sterling fluctuate by over 30% against the euro. It is therefore especially important that when you tran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Trial date set for Soc Gen trader]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Jerome-kerviel-societe-generale-trader-bank-investment-risks-court-date-set-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FORMER Société Générale trader accused of losing the bank billions of euros in unauthorised deals is to stand trial this summer, two and a half years after the incident came to light.Jérôme Kervie...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Another eBay fine in brand-name row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/louis-vuitton-ebay-auction-site-ruling-brand-names-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONLINE auction giant eBay has been hit with another fine for promoting and selling brand-name goods on its French site.eBay had taken out a series of online ads that appeared alongside search result...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Go-ahead for rent guarantee scheme]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/government-rent-guarantee-scheme-landlord-tenants-france-property-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW scheme that aims to make it easier for low-earners to find a home and give better protection to landlords has been launched by the government.The Garantie des Risques Locatifs is a state-backe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ban on playground game web videos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/playground-dangerous-games-children-school-france-video-sharing-websites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VIDEO-sharing websites such as YouTube are to be banned from displaying clips of children taking part in dangerous playground games under a new law.MPs have voted unanimously in favour of the legisl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands driving without a licence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/banned-french-motorists-driving-without-licence-unaware-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 300,000 French motorists are unaware that they are banned from driving, according to a campaign group calling for changes to the way the penalty system works.SOS Permis Assistance says too...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Auditors condemn doctors' paperwork]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/assurance-maladie-doctors-feuilles-de-soins-carte-vitale-paperwork-waste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH healthcare system is wasting up to 200m a year on excessive paperwork, auditors have found.The Cour des Comptes said too many doctors were still issuing paper feuilles de soins (medical ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More departments on weather alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-weather-more-snow-meteo-france-alert-driving-conditions-school-buses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIFTEEN departments along the Channel coast and the south-east corner of France are on weather alert this morning because of snow, which is forecast to hit most of the country later today.Météo Fran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Toddler left for six hours on bus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-bus-three-year-old-girl-abandoned-parents-legal-action-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COUPLE in Brittany are taking legal action against the local council after their three-year-old daughter was locked inside a school bus for six hours.The young girl, called Emma, is believed to ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Disappointing end for January sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/january-sales-shopping-france-winter-disappointing-results-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SHOP-OWNERS have reported disappointing results from this year's January sales, which officially ended at midnight last night.Bad weather across France was blamed for much of the decline - however m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Town councillor on 'hunger strike']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/town-councillor-hunger-strike-brittany-france-protest-government-funding-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN councillor in Brittany is nearing the end of her third week on "hunger strike" to protest against an overdue government subsidy payout.Marie-Reine Tillon, who sits on the Saint-Cast-le-Guildo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Companies hit by commuting stress]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-public-transport-commuting-stress-companies-workers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMPANIES need to do more to help workers deal with the stress of commuting, a report has found.The study, based on interviews with staff and human resources directors, said French firms tended to c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Power fault brings chaos to TGV line]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tgv-trains-power-supply-fault-technical-problems-delay-sncf-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has promised a full refund to passengers who were stuck for up to six hours on stationary TGVs yesterday due to a technical fault in the Bourgogne.Power supply problems near Mâcon in the Sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Numericable unveil 10 internet offer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/numericable-broadband-internet-package-10-euros-low-income-households-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET service provider Numericable has become the first French operator to launch a cut-price package reserved for low-income households.The operator has announced plans for a 9.99-a-month packa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[VAT cut fails to encourage diners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-restaurants-vat-tax-rate-cut-customer-numbers-decline-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VAT cut in restaurants has done nothing to increase customer numbers, new figures have revealed.The number of people visiting restaurants fell by 1.2% in 2009 according to data by consumer researc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Councillor jailed in smuggling plot]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-town-councillor-politician-jailed-smuggling-vietnamese-illegal-immigrants-uk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN councillor who helped her son smuggle 16 Vietnamese immigrants from France to the UK has been jailed for three years.Christiane Chocat, who sits on the Lumigny-Nesles-Ormeaux council in the S...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Alps and Pyrenees on avalanche alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ski-holiday-france-alps-pyrenees-avalanche-safety-warning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has issued an avalanche alert for the Pyrenees and the southern French Alps as the half-term ski holidays get underway.Skiers have been told to be extremely vigilant because of strong w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Continental six' sentences reduced]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/continental-tyre-factory-workers-protest-appeal-fined-france-sentences-reduced-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX tyre factory workers who ransacked a local council building in a protest over job losses have had their sentences downgraded by an appeal court.The workers at the Continental factory in Clairoix...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Armed police eject cinema toddler]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ugc-cinema-armed-police-throw-out-two-year-old-girl-disney-princess-and-frog-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CINEMA chain UGC has apologised for calling armed police to eject a two-year-old girl and her family from a screening of the new Disney film.Officers stormed into the Ciné Cité complex at Les Halles...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Camembert loses  top cheese title]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/camembert-cheese-france--view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMEMBERT has lost its place as France's favourite cheese.The soft white cheese has been knocked into second place by the sturdy yellow Emmental. In third place is brie.The change in France's chee...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-05</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Voluntary service given go ahead]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/voluntary-service-young-people-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOUNG people will be paid for carrying out work in the community under a proposed law debated yesterday in the National Assembly.Called the service civique (to replace the current service civil) it ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Arrest for fake Paris bus driver]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-fake-bus-driver-ratp-transport-enthusiast-arrested-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in Paris have arrested a transport enthusiast who posed as a trainee driver and managed to briefly drive a bus with passengers on board.The 26-year-old man found a spare uniform for Paris pub...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PM: police custody figures 'shocking']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-custody-abuse-france-prime-minister-francois-fillon-reform-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has promised to take urgent action to reform the French system of police custody amid claims it is being over-used and contravenes basic human rights.Prime Minister François Fillon sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report finds sex  education failing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/teenage-pregnancies-sex-education-schools-report-abortion-access-failure-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NOT enough is being done in schools to teach young people about sex - and women seeking an abortion are faced with unacceptably long waiting lists, a critical report has found.The Inspection Général...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air traffic strike over half-term]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-air-traffic-controllers-strike-half-term-air-france-pilots-travel-disruption-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR traffic controllers have called a five-day strike at the end of February that could affect flights over the school half-term holidays.Four unions representing workers at the Direction Générale d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burqa husband denied nationality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/husband-forcing-woman-wear-burqa-banned-french-nationality-islam-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN who admitted making his wife wear a burqa in public is to have his request to gain French nationality turned down.Immigration Minister Eric Besson has signed a ministerial decree and asked Pri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[February issue out now: what's inside]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/february-2010-connexion-newspaper-france-graham-templeton-roger-moore-valerie-pecresse-tax-treaty-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FEBRUARY issue of The Connexion has sent out to subscribers and newsagents, packed with 68 pages of news, interviews and practical information about life in France.In this month's paper  three ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New safety drive  for every school ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-safety-security-protection-measures-france-college-lycee-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOLS across the country will bring in better measures to improve pupils' and teachers' safety by the end of the academic year, Education Minister Luc Chatel has announced.Each of France's 8,000 c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to launch secure web login]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/secure-web-login-password-france-internet-online-trial-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government is planning to launch a central online login service that it claims will protect web users against identity fraud.The project, called IDéNum, will allow consumers to login to g...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[3.5 million people poorly housed ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/housing-sub-standard-conditions-fondation-abbe-pierre-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE and a half million people in France live in sub-standard conditions due to rising rents and a lack of social housing, a new report has found.The Fondation Abbé Pierre - part of the Emmaüs welf...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bank fees cheaper but inconsistent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bank-fees-france-decline-comparison-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BANKS are cutting the fees they charge customers for day-to-day operations, but there are still large differences from one to the next, according to a consumer watchdog.CLCV has analysed the fees ch...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Better protection needed for elderly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/elderly-people-violence-attacks-protection-sanctions-double-murder-oise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ELDERLY people living on their own should be visited regularly by army reserves to check on their situation, the interior minister has recommended.Brice Hortefeux has called for better measures to p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taxi drivers block Charles de Gaulle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-taxi-drivers-blockade-charles-de-gaulle-airport-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAVELLERS flying out of Paris Charles de Gaulle today should allow extra time to get to the airport due to a strike by taxi drivers.The Paris drivers' union began the blockade at 6.00 this morning ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cheque loophole must close: MEP]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mep-sharon-bowles-france-cheque-fraud-loophole-graham-templeton-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITISH MEP is taking action at EU level to get France to close the banking loophole used by Graham Templeton to fleece his victims.Sharon Bowles, the Liberal Democrat MEP for south-east England, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Templeton worked in pub in Kent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/graham-templeton-dordogne-fraud-worked-pub-kent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BOSSES at a gastropub washed their hands of Dordogne fraudster Graham Templeton when they heard of his past.Dave and Nicola Rose said that Templeton had offered them financial advice just before Chr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Victims' anger at compensation delay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/graham-templeton-victims-fraud-compensation-societe-generale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VICTIMS of Graham Templeton's 2m Dordogne fraud are still waiting for Société Générale to come up with an improved offer of compensation for its alleged role in letting the scam happen.The bank has...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax change for Brits in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/capital-gains-tax-changes-for-british-people-living-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITONS living in France but owning property in the UK are subject to an important change in the new double tax treaty between the UK and France which comes into full force in April. Previously if a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France can help disabled expats]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/disabled-expats-who-lose-uk-benefits-can-get-help-from-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DISABLED expats who have had their benefits cut by the UK may be eligible for help in France, Connexion has found.In principle people moving between EU states should be able to support themselves, h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Normandy plans English university]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/all-english-university-campus-in-caen-normandy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NORMANDY is planning to build what it claims will be the biggest all-English university campus in mainland Europe in a bid to improve the regions international reputation.The huge complex in the ce...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[50% off tracks to stop music piracy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/music-downloads-france-50-per-cent-off-online-piracy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOUNG web-users are to be offered half-price music downloads in a government scheme to lure them away from illegal sites.President Nicolas Sarkozy said subsidising the cost of buying songs online fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV threatens Bordeaux vineyards]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/news-tgv-route-to-spain-threatens-oldest-vineyards-in-bordeaux-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEN of the oldest vineyards in Bordeaux are under threat from plans to expand the TGV network in the south west with lines from Bordeaux towards Toulouse and Spain.Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) which...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bid to give local vote to all expats]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bid-to-give-local-vote-to-all-expats-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST Party leader Martine Aubry is calling for all foreign residents to be given the right to vote in municipal elections - not just EU citizens as now.The comes ahead of next months regional ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Oceans hopes to lead 2010 films]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-films-2010-oceans-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOUR years of diving in 75 expeditions to 50 locations worldwide have produced the dazzling underwater spectacle of Oceans, which opened in cinemas across France at the end of January.Produced in Fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French film export still takes 350m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-film-exports-350-million-euros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH films pulled in audiences of 66 million worldwide last year but failed to match the record global success of Babylon A.D., Astérix and Taken in 2008.Even though the figure is 22% short of the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[House sales to pick up in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-property-sales-to-pick-up-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OVER 10% more houses will be sold this year compared to last, according to estate agents representatives Fnaim.Fnaim president René Pallincourt says it is likely there will be more than 600,000 sal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Send manure in the post as a joke]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mail-order-manure-from-jura-farmer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FARMER from the Jura has diversified into mail-order manure - the perfect gift for someone who has offended you.For 8.50 plus 5.50 postage www.fumier.com sends 100g of manure from the Montbéliar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jail for verbal abuse in marriage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/jail-for-verbal-abuse-in-marriage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUSBANDS and wives could face prison for threatening or verbally abusing each other under a new bill.The idea, backed by Prime Minister François Fillon, would see husbands or wives facing charges of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-02-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doctors say school day far too long]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/long-primary-school-day-france-children-tired-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIMARY school children are turning up to lessons tired because their timetable is too packed, a report by French doctors has found.The National Academy of Medicine said the four-day week does not s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu vaccine centres close down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccination-centres-closed-gps-give-jab-in-surgeries-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANYONE wanting to get vaccinated against swine flu will only be able to do so at their GP's surgery from this weekend.The French government is closing the 1,000 vaccination centres it specially set ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ryanair in court over work rights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ryanair-employment-contracts-irish-law-france-low-cost-airline-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RYANAIR is being sued in a French court over claims that staff at its Marseille base are illegally working on Irish employment contracts.The low-cost airline is accused by two pilots' unions of igno...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Foreign students banned from lab]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/inria-nancy-research-institute-bans-foreign-students- security-measure-iranian-algerian-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PRESTIGIOUS French science research institute has provoked anger among foreign students by banning them from using the labs and computers outside of certain hours as a security measure.According t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs consider youth curfew measures]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/youth-delinquency-france-curfew-law-under-13-parliament-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE French towns and cities could follow the lead of Nice and impose a night-time curfew on under-13s.MPs in the National Assembly will today debate a law that would give each department the freedo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Woman dragged by train sues SNCF]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-accident-train-doors-tarascon-passenger-legal-action-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN who was seriously injured after getting off a train on the wrong side has begun legal action against the SNCF.Christine Desfoux was trapped by a closing door and dragged several hundred metr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Clearstream trial: Villepin cleared]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/clearstream-affair-trial-verdict-dominique-de-villepin-nicolas-sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER French prime minister Dominique de Villepin has been cleared of attempting to smear Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of the 2007 presidential elections.Villepin was the most high-profile figure among fi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French hope for Vancouver victory]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-winter-olympics-team-vancouver-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRIPLE Olympic gold-winning biathlete Vincent Defrasne will carry the French flag in Vancouver on February 12 as France sends 109 competitors to do battle in the Winter Olympics. The two-week contes...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Expo remembers great Paris flood]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-flood-1910-exhibition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HUNDRED years ago Paris suffered its worst flood since 1658 - stations under water, drains and electricity disrupted, 20,000 residential buildings flooded and streets turned into canals. In 1910s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rubber stamp for partners' equality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/british-civil-partnerships-pacs-rights-status-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GOVERNMENT journal the Bulletin Officiel des Impôts has confirmed equal status of people in France with British civil partnerships to French pacs partners relating to inheritance, donations and income...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[36-hour railway strike next week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-train-strike-february-3-confirmed-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOUR rail unions are have confirmed plans for a 36-hour nationwide strike next Wednesday, February 3.The walkout will severely disrupt services between 20.00 on February 2 and 8.00 on February 4.F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Radars to measure average speed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/average-speed-cameras-introduced-france-roads-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW speed cameras that measure a car's average speed over several kilometres are to be introduced on French roads by early next year.Road safety bosses say the new devices will help get the number o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Twingo is France's most-stolen car]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/renault-twingo-car-stolen-smart-fortwo-audi-q7-league-theft-league-table-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE RENAULT Twingo has been named France's most-stolen car in a study published today.The compact Smart ForTwo came second in the theft league table compiled by motoring magazine AutoPlus.Accordin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EDF denies plans for 24% price hike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-energy-electricity-prices-france-increase-denied-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDF has denied reports that it has asked the government to increase electricity prices by 24% between now and 2015.Les Echos claimed yesterday that the price hike was being considered to finance fur...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French parliament considers 1 note]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/one-euro-note-louis-giscard-d-estaing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SON of former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has launched a new campaign to introduce a one-euro note.Puy-de-Dôme MP Louis Giscard d'Estaing has assembled a parliamentary committee of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands protest against TGV line]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-madrid-rail-tgv-line-protest-hendaye-france-spain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 15,000 people have joined a demonstration to protest against plans for a new high-speed rail line linking France and Spain.Protestors took to the streets of the border town of Hendaye yesterda...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TV grilling for Sarkozy tonight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/-sarkozy-tf1-debate-french-television-january-25-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy is to face a live TV grilling from 11 members of the French public tonight in a series of programmes that has angered opposition parties.He will be interviewed for about 10...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France plans low-cost services]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-nice-airport-low-cost-domestic-flights-easyjet-ryanair-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR France is planning to take on Easyjet and Ryanair by launching a range of low-cost domestic flights linking French cities.According to a report in La Tribune - which Air France has refused to co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New rules on using tickets-restaurant]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tickets-restaurant-meal-vouchers-france-supermarkets-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKETS are to stop customers from buying day-to-day groceries with tickets-restaurant from the beginning of March.The government has announced new restrictions on how the meal vouchers are use...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EDF's 'Robin Hood' suspended from job]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-electricity-france-robin-hood-unpaid-bills-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN EDF employee who took pity on a low-income family and restored their cut-off electricity supply has been suspended.Dominique Liot, who describes himself as the Robin Hood of electricity, said it ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Primary school teachers on strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/primary-school-teachers-strike-france-civil-servants-january-21-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALMOST two thirds of primary school teachers are out on strike today in certain departments as part of a nationwide day of action by civil servants.Teachers' union SNUipp says 62% of staff are expec...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Electricity costs based on demand?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/electricity-prices-demand-edf-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ELECTRICITY could be made more expensive at peak times to encourage homes to consume less, the government has suggested.La Tribune says the proposal is designed to "encourage customers to  limit the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eurostar sued for false imprisonment]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurostar-breakdown-channel-tunnel-delays-suing-false-imprisonment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PASSENGER who was trapped for five hours on a Eurostar train shortly before Christmas is suing the rail operator for false imprisonment.Willy Risi was on one of four trains that broke down on the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Leclerc medicine prices ad banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/leclerc-pharmacy-medicine-prices-campaign-advert-banned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET chain Leclerc has been ordered to stop a series of adverts that accuse pharmacies of over-charging.The group launched a public campaign in November claiming the prices charged for 4,000 ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France makes obese pay extra]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-obese-passengers-pay-extra-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OBESE passengers travelling with Air France will be made to pay 75% extra from later this year, the airline has announced.The rule, which comes into effect in April, requires anyone who cannot fit i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Crédit Agricole tops complaints]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-bank-fees-credit-agricole-complaints-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CREDIT Agricole has been crowned France's most complained-about bank by a consumer group.French bank users' association Afub put the company at the top its first-ever league table of complaints.Th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French population continues to grow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/life-expectancy-france-birth-rate-insee-population-figures-2009-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH people are living longer and have one of the highest birth rates in Europe, new population research from Insee has revealed.According to the latest figures, a child born today will live seven...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Civic contract' for 18-year-olds]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/national-identity-contract-18-year-olds-rights-responsibilities-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVERY French teenager should sign a contract on their 18th birthday reminding them of their civic rights and responsibilities, Immigration Minister Eric Besson has suggested.Speaking at a debate on ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[10 euro broadband for lowest earners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-broadband-internet-access-low-income-families-cheap-rates-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LOW-INCOME families could get broadband internet and phone access for less than 10 a month under a new initiative.The government wants to create a special cut-price rate to allow low-income househo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French choose cats over dogs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-pets-cats-more-popular-than-dogs-animal-charity-spa-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GROWING numbers of French homes are choosing cats over dogs as their preferred pet, according to new research by an animal welfare charity.The Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) says there are no...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paid leave to care for terminally ill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paid-leave-care-dying-relative-france-law-terminally-ill-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW giving workers the right to paid leave to care for a dying friend or relative has been passed unanimously by the Senate and is close to coming into force.MPs from all parties in the National A...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Man arrested for plane bomb joke]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/plane-bomb-joke-arrest-french-tourist-abu-dhabi-terrorism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RETIRED French tourist has been arrested on a plane from Paris to Bangkok for joking that there was a bomb on board.Jean-Louis Lioret, 66, has spent the past six days in custody in Abu Dhabi - whe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV lines may be axed to save cash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-tgv-services-axed-loss-making-train-strike-france-february-3-unions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF is looking to cut a number of cross-country TGV services by the end of this year to save money, it has emerged.Les Echos reveals today that routes from Strasbourg to Nantes, Bordeaux and Li...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Normandy welcomes new English paper]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/normandy-advertiser-new-free-monthly-newspaper-in-english-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW English-language newspaper for Normandy from the publishers of The Connexion has been welcomed by the local community.The Advertiser has an initial print run of 10,000 and contains local news,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French councillor admits smuggling]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-councillor-people-smuggling-christiane-chocat-portsmouth-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN councillor from the Seine-et-Marne has pleaded guilty to helping to smuggle 16 Vietnamese immigrants from France to Britain.Christiane Chocat, who sits on the Lumigny-Nesles-Ormeaux council o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['90% of emergency calls not urgent']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/samu-medical-emergency-number-15-trivial-calls-protest-action-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EMERGENCY operators have held a nationwide protest over pay, conditions and what they claim is a growing number of trivial phone calls to emergency number 15. About 2,000 call-handlers are employed ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Flights disrupted by strike and snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-airport-delays-cancellations-strike-snow-orly-charles-de-gaulle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of flights into and out of France have been cancelled today as a strike by air traffic controllers clashes with bad weather.Staff at the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile are protesti...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PS wants to give expats the vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/foreign-expat-voting-france-local-elections-socialist-party-law-debate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVERY foreign resident in France could win the right to vote in local elections under a new law being drawn up by the Socialist Party.Party leader Martine Aubry brought up the issue of expats' votin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Renault warns of steering problems]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/renault-kangoo-scenic-safety-recall-power-steering-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RENAULT has recalled 144,000 cars sold in France over safety concerns linked to the power steering.The French car manufacturer has urged anyone who bought a Scenic made between January 2006 and Marc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Is the swine flu epidemic over?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-cases-epidemic-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu is no longer officially an epidemic in France, according to new figures from a doctors' union that have been contested by flu observation network Grog.The Sentinelles-Inserm network, which...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Livret A savings stuck at 1.25%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/livret-a-savings-account-france-interest-rate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY 50 million savers in France will be stuck with 1.25% interest on their Livret A account until at least May.The government has decided to keep the savings rate at its lowest-ever level for ano...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti-piracy logo pinches font]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Hadopi-logo-uses-font-without-permission-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE designers of the new logo for internet anti-piracy body the Hadopi have apologised for using a font without permission.Design agency Plan Créatif issued a statement admitting that a font owned b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Motorway tolls to rise next month]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/motorway-tolls-increase-february-2010-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS are facing a hike in the cost of motorway tolls from the beginning of February - but the scale of the increase will not be made public until later this month.The three main motorway operator...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Weather warning lifted for France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/severe-weather-warning-lifted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has lifted its severe weather warning for the whole of the country, but travel conditions could remain difficult for some days as roads remain icy.Snowfall in Brittany, Normandy, the Au...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record year for gambling in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-year-for-gambling-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH households are spending a record amount of money on gambling during the economic crisis, a new survey has found.Research by Agence France-Presse has found people are spending 24% more on gamb...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No voucher needed for swine flu jab]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccine-no-voucher-needed-assurance-maladie-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu vaccination centres across France will now accept anyone who turns up, regardless of whether or not they are officially registered for healthcare.Until now, it was necessary to wait for th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UK debate on expat disability benefit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/disability-living-allowance-british-expat-benefits-parliament-debate-roger-gale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH expats who have been refused UK disability benefits since moving to France have been urged to email their MPs ahead of a debate on the issue in parliament next week. North Thanet MP Roger Ga...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Full body scanners in French airports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/airport-security-terrorism-full-body-scanners-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH airports are to begin a trial into full body scanners in the wake of a failed bomb plot on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.Nicolas Sarkozy has asked the Interior Ministry ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More delays after Eurostar breakdown]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurostar-train-breakdown-channel-tunnel-revised-timetable-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROSTAR is running a reduced service today and over the weekend after another train broke down in the Channel Tunnel.Nine early morning and late evening services have been cancelled and the cross-C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shoppers enticed by 70% discounts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/winter-sales-soldes-france-discounts-70-percent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SHOPPERS will be enticed with discounts of up to 70% from today, as the winter sales officially kick off.The fashion industry in particular is hoping this year's winter sale will give the boost it n...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GDF pays 500k for wrong bills]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gdf-gas-bills-incorrect-meter-readings-compensation-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GAS supplier GDF has agreed to pay half a million euros in compensation to customers in Picardy who received bills based on incorrect meter readings.About 4,000 homes around the town of Montataire i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France quality of life best in world]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-quality-of-life-research-international-living-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has been named the best place in the world to live for the fifth year running, according to research by a US magazine.International Living - which specialises in overseas relocations - ranked...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[750 fine proposed for wearing burqa]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/burqa-ban-france-muslim-dress-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WOMEN who wear full Muslim dress in public could be fined 750 under a proposed new law.Jean-François Copé, the president of the UMP group in the National Assembly, will be putting forward the bill ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Blackout warning for Brittany]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brittany-power-cuts-electricity-shortage-edf-warning-winter-weather-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES in Brittany have been told to cut their electricity usage to a bare minimum tonight due to a "real and imminent" risk of power cuts.The region has been placed on red alert by electricity suppl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GPs allowed to give swine flu jab]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccination-jab-france-doctors-surgeries-health-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOCTORS have won the right to give the swine flu vaccine to patients in their surgeries following a U-turn by the Health Ministry.Until now, the jab has only been available in about 1,000 specially ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[July 1 plan for new carbon tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carbon-tax-france-taxe-carbone-july-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has set a new deadline of July 1 to bring in a tax on petrol, heating fuel and polluting businesses - six months after originally planned.The taxe carbone should have begun on January...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy: 2010 is year for 'renewal']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nicolas-sarkozy-new-year-speech-french-government-pensions-reform-carbon-tax-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy has promised to press ahead with a major reform of France's state pensions system and care arrangements for the elderly in 2010.The president said in his third annual televised New Y...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Arrests up in NYE arson crackdown]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-years-eve-reveillon-burnt-cars-arson-arrests-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE chiefs have reported a slight drop in New Year's Eve arson attacks on cars and more than double the number of arrests compared with last year.About 45,000 officers were on duty across France ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to sell off surplus flu jabs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccine-jab-surplus-france-sells-overseas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government has confirmed it is trying to sell off millions of swine flu vaccines to foreign countries because it bought too many.Le Parisien revealed yesterday that France has been trying...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drivers to keep 1,000 car bonus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-new-car-bonus-scrappage-scheme-prime-a-la-casse-1000-euros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS who scrap an old car and buy a new one look set to still receive a 1,000 bonus - despite the government cutting the incentive this month.Since January 1, the prime à la casse - a bonus towa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Foreign accounts deadline extended]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/overseas-tax-evasion-france-amnesty-deadline-extended-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH taxpayers with undeclared overseas bank accounts have been given an extension to come clean and get their affairs in order.The Budget Ministry launched a crackdown on tax dodgers last April a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Supermarket prices come under fire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/supermarket-food-prices-france-criticised-by-consumer-group-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKETS have been heavily criticised after a leading consumer group revealed many mark up the price of basic food items by up to four times what they buy them for.Shelf prices in 1,250 stores a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New advertising tax angers firms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/outdoor-billboard-advertising-tax-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TAX on the surface area of outdoor advertising from billboards to framed menus on restaurant walls is angering firms. The taxe locale sur la publicité extérieure, which was created in 2008, replac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2m jackpot split after court row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fruit-machine-slot-jackpot-2-million-argument-france-court-ruling-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COURT has given 20% of a 2.2 million jackpot to the man who pulled the lever on the winning slot machine and the rest to the woman who leant him 50 to play.Lawyers at the court in Montpellier sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UK in dock over disabled benefit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/disability-benefit-uk-france-expats-legal-action-european-commission-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITAIN is facing legal action by the European Commission over its refusal to reinstate disability benefits wrongly taken away from expats when they moved to France.The commission said the UKs dema...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax victory for UK civil partners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tax-victory-for-uk-civil-partners-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH civil partners who have recently paid full French inheritance tax after their partner died are to be refunded.Budget Minister Eric Woerth has announced that the right of couples in foreign c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French women do get fat, poll show]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-women-do-get-fat-poll-shows-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE myth that Frenchwomen do not get fat has been exploded with a major nutrition study showing 32% of Frenchwomen are now overweight or obese. For men the figure is 46%.The study also shown that gl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Immigration expert -ID debate harmful]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-national-identity-debate-racism-prejudice-harmful-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NATIONWIDE debate on what it means to be French is being used by politicians to fuel racism and prejudice, a former advisor to the government has warned.Historian Gérard Noiriel was one of eight...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Illegal OAP homes must clean up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/illegal-oap-homes-must-clean-up-or-close-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 200 retirement homes that are operating illegally could be shut down if they do not get their affairs in order by March 31. The minister for elderly people, Nora Berra, made the threat aft...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Alzheimer's help for families]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/alzheimers-patients-free-training-for-family-care-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[People who care for relatives with Alzheimers Disease can now have 14 hours of free training to help them cope.PEOPLE who care for relatives with Alzheimers Disease can now have 14 hours of fre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Suffocation game kills 13 children]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dangerous-playground-game-france-suffocation-children-deaths-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PLAYGROUND game that deprives a childs brain of oxygen has caused more than a dozen deaths in the past year, a parents group has warned.Child safety groups have called for vigilance by parents a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Uni chief told off for Anglicisms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carpette-anglaise-university-chief-english-use-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ANNUAL award given to a member of Frances elite who has show relentless determination to promote the domination of English in France to the detriment of French has been won by the head of a le...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sole traders get more protection]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sole-trader-france-property-protection-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW business status for sole traders would allow them to shield their personal property from creditors if they got into debt.At present people who trade in their own names with an entreprise indiv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2010-01-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New Year revellers might drive home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-year-drink-driving-road-safety-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HALF of drivers going out to celebrate the New Year tonight say they have not decided how they will get back home and have not ruled out getting behind the wheel, a survey reveals.Government road sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Petrol ban to stop annual car burning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-sale-ban-to-reduce-car-arson-attacks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHTEEN departments have banned the sale of petrol in cans today in the hope of reducing the number of arson attacks on cars.Last year 1,147 cars were set alight over the course of New Year's Eve ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Air France plane 300m from crash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-plane-near-miss-el-al-belgrade-serbia-collision-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN AIR France passenger jet carrying 70 people has narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with another plane over the skies of Belgrade.The flight from Paris to the Bulgarian capital of Sofia entered ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pilots' fear over airport security]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/airport-security-paris-orly-charles-de-gaulle-air-france-terrorist-attack-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS's two major airports are failing to detect potentially dangerous luggage items during security checks, a group of pilots has warned.Air France pilots union SPAF says the outside contractors hi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Toy fire engine could catch fire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-hypermarket-Auchan-recalls-toy-fire-engine-that-could-catch-fire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOY fire engine sold in Auchan over the peak Christmas shopping period has been recalled because of concerns that it could overheat - and catch fire.The hypermarket giant has recalled the JSI remo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Strike disrupts St Lazare trains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Rail-strike-hits-Paris-St-Lazare-station-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUBURBAN train services in and out of Saint Lazare station in Paris are disrupted today due to an indefinite strike by a rail union.Half of trains linking the capital with Versailles, Saint-Nom-la-B...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Taxe carbone axed at eleventh hour]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-carbon-emissions-tax-cancelled-at-eleventh-hour-nicolas-sarkozy-major-setback-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW "carbon tax" on petrol and gas has been scrapped, just two days before it was due to come into effect.The Conseil Constitutionnel, which examines the legality of new French laws, ruled last ni...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New Year rise in health insurance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mutuelle-health-insurance-costs-to-rise-five-per-cent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE PRICE of top-up health insurance will rise by about 5% in the new year as insurers pass on the rising cost of healthcare to customers.The increase - which will range from 3% to 7% depending on y...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Compensation for Eurostar delays]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eurostar-refunds-compensation-channel-tunnel-breakdown-snow-paris-london-christmas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROSTAR is offering refunds and "enhanced compensation" to thousands of travellers who were delayed by a series of breakdowns in the Channel Tunnel last week.About 2,000 people were left stuck in t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[TGV ticket prices to rise 2% in Jan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/TGV-ticket-prices-up-two-percent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TGV ticket prices will rise nearly 2% in January.The 1.9% increase, announced in Le Figaro is said to compensate for a rise in charges to use the railways and dropping ticket sales.While  Réseau f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air chaos follows Eurostar blockage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flights-cancelled-easyJet-Eurostar-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITONS trying to visit family in the UK for Christmas faced new setbacks yesterday as low-cost firm easyJet cancelled around 200 flights, including many to and from France, and Luton airport closed b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Limited Eurostar  service resumes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/SNCF -Eurostar-Christmas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A EUROSTAR train has left Paris for London for the first time in four days.The train left at 8.10 as a limited service starts up again after technical problems caused trips to be suspended from Frid...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-22</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France calls probe on Eurostar faults]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurostar-Channel-Tunnel-snow-Paris-London-Christmas-passengers-France-breakdown-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRANSPORT secretary Dominique Bussereau has demanded an inquiry into the Eurostar service after 2,000 people were left stuck in the tunnel for 11 hours and 120,000 people were stranded on either side ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Icy weekend for Christmas travel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-hampers-Christmas-getaway-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC conditions across France will be difficult this weekend as the Christmas getaway coincides with icy weather.Road monitor Bison Futé has issued an "orange" warning for today and Saturday, adv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cafes ignoring smoking ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cafes-ignoring-smoking-ban-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BARS and restaurants are continuing to flout the ban on smoking in public places, an anti-smoking group has claimed.Droit des Non-Fumeurs has submitted a report to the Health Ministry to coincide wi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[3k fine for man sleeping under TGV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Man-who-fell-asleep-on-TGV-line-fined-three-thousand-euros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DRUNK music festival-goer who survived a TGV running over the top of him as he slept has been ordered to pay the SNCF 3,000.The 19-year-old was returning from a concert in Saint-Nolff in the Morb...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Snow disruption for 50 departments]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Snow-disrupts-50-departments-and-may-delay-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 50 departments across the north and west of France are preparing for up to two inches of snow today.		Météo France has given out an "orange" weather alert - its second highest level - and is w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orly and Eurostar Christmas strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Orly-Airport-and-Eurostar-staff-to-strike-over-Christmas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHRISTMAS flights out of Orly airport in Paris and Eurostar services could be disrupted in the coming days due to a strike.Alysia Sûreté, the private contractor responsible for checking passengers' ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu jab now open to all]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Swine-flu-vaccination-now-open-to-all-in-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CAMPAIGN to get France vaccinated against swine flu has been extended to the general public, two months after at-risk groups started getting the jab.Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot has confirm...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Christmas strike hits Amazon France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Amazon-France-hit-by-Christmas-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONLINE shopping giant Amazon has said it is doing all it can to deliver presents in time for Christmas following a strike by staff at its French distribution centre in the Loiret.About 60 workers be...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[UMP campaign video breaches copyright]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/UMP-breaches-copyright-in-party-video-...again-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE UMP has apologised for using a song without the performer's permission in a campaign video that features a dozen government ministers dancing and miming.The clip of senior politicians including ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-16</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Brittany and Paca power cut warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brittany-and-paca-regions-face-power-cuts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES in Brittany and Paca are facing power cuts for the next few days as the electricity supply network struggles to cope with increased demand in the cold weather.EDFs distribution arm, RTE, is a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Gas prices frozen for the New Year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Gas-prices-frozen-for-first-months-of-new-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES that use gas for cooking and heating will not see a rise in their bills in the New Year, the Ecology and Energy Ministry has promised.Despite a 1.5% increase in the cost of producing gas, the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants sign VAT-cut pay deal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Restaurants-sign-VAT-bonus-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Five restaurant workers' unions have reached a pay deal with management - six months after a VAT rate cut was introduced that should have improved conditions for staff.In a meeting with catering bos...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Vote mix-up kills off region reform]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Vote-mix-off-kills-regional-reform-bill-instead-of-passing-it-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to redraw the map of France and reduce the number of regions from 22 to 15 have been thrown out after a senator cast a group vote against them by mistake.The reform, which has already been pas...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France braced for freezing cold week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Homeless-housing-plan-in-action-as-cold-weather-strikes-north-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOUR departments have put in place emergency measures to cope with a wave of cold weather that will hit the whole of France this week.The Manche, Marne, Ile-et-Vilaine and Loire Atlantique are givin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No shop disruption by lorry drivers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Lorry-drivers-drop-Christmas-blockade-plans-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHRISTMAS deliveries of food and gifts to shops will not be disrupted after lorry drivers reached a deal on pay and agreed to cancel their strike.About half a million drivers working for distributio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pig feet used in mosque attack]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Racists-leave-pigs'-feet-and-swastikas-on-mosque-in-Castres,-Tarn-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VANDALS have attacked a mosque in the south of France, leaving xenophobic messages on the walls and pigs' feet and ears at the entrance.Police were called to the place of worship in Castres, in the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-13</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Weekend train strike called off]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Unions call off this weekend's train strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN drivers and conductors have called off plans for a nationwide strike that would have affected rail services from this evening.Three unions - CGT, UNSA and CFDT - were planning to walk out over...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Tourists arrested for air rebellion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French tourists arrested after complaints on Rio to Paris flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE French tourists have been arrested and detained in Brazil for refusing to travel on a plane that was experiencing technical difficulties before take-off.The two men and a woman - aged between ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Tourist safe after 44 hours in snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Spanish-skier-survives-44-hours-lost-in-snow-at-Deux-Alpes-ski-resort-France-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SKI tourist has miraculously been found alive after two nights missing in the Alps.The 18-year-old Spanish man was caught out by bad weather in the Deux-Alpes resort in the Isère on Sunday afterno...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Man jailed for getting baby drunk]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Babysitter-jailed-for-giving-pastis-to-18-month-old-baby-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BABYSITTER has been jailed for six months and fined 4,000 for giving alcohol to a baby to send it to sleep.Jean-Pierre Saint Germain, from Brignoles, in the Var, was asked to look after 18-month-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Policemen caught stealing from shop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Policemen-caught-stealing-from-shop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO policemen in Paris have been suspended and charged with theft after they were caught on CCTV stealing telephone cards during a visit to a shop.The officers, who work for the Paris police force's...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Christmas shoppers face cash shortage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/Cash-machines-in-France-could-run-empty-as-workers-who-refil-them-go-on-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CASH machines across France could run out of money in the peak shopping days before Christmas due to a planned strike.Six trade unions representing dabistes - security workers who are responsible fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ministers sing in UMP youth video]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-government-ministers-sing-and-dance-in-UMP-party-video-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DOZEN government ministers have taken time out from running the country to dance and mime in a campaign video for the UMP partys youth branch.Finance minister Christine Lagarde, immigration minis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[French tax data stolen from HSBC]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/French-government-admits-Swiss-bank-account-information-may-have-been-stolen-from-HSBC-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has admitted that some of the information it used to launch a crackdown on overseas tax dodgers might have been stolen.French tax authorities received a list in August of 3,000 people...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-09</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Taxi driver convoy hits Paris traffic]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taxi-driver-convoy-hits-paris-traffic-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than a thousand taxi drivers are preparing to bring traffic in Paris to a standstill today with a go-slow protest.Between 1,000 and 1,500 drivers are taking part in one of two convoys, which se...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Telethon donations down 5% to 90m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/telethon-donations-down-5-to-90m-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPPORTERS of the Telethon donated 90m to charity this weekend, down 5% on last year but better than the 20% decline seen in the first few hours.The annual event, which broadcasts non-stop for 30 h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris museum strike continues]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-museum-strike-continues-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOME of Paris's most popular museums and monuments could remain closed this week as staff continue their strike action.Workers at the Musée d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre and the C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Fiat recall over steering problem]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fiat-recall-over-steering-problem-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIAT has recalled 32,000 Punto models sold in France for safety reasons.The Italian car manufacturer has detected a potential fault linked to the steering column in the Grande Punto.It has written...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rail unions call  weekend strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rail-unions-call-weekend-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAILWAY travellers could face disruption tomorrow and over the weekend as rail unions have called a national protest and a separate 24-hour strike.Tomorrows protest in Paris will highlight concerns...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[71% do not know who runs region]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/71-do-not-know-who-runs-region-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY three quarters of people do not know the name of their region's president, a new poll published three months before the regional elections has revealed.The survey, which was commissioned by a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[20,000 owe money after RSI tech bug]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/20000-owe-money-after-rsi-tech-bug-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of self-employed people have been forgotten about by the social security system for the past two years due to an administrative problem and now face huge bills for overdue health and pension...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-07</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SNCF to refund delayed trains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-to-refund-delayed-trains-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LONG-DISTANCE train passengers who are delayed by more than an hour will be entitled to a partial refund from this week.A new European directive means the SNCF must now offer travellers money back i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Children unhappy with canteen food]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/children-unhappy-with-canteen-food-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HALF of secondary school children are dissatisfied with their lunchtime meal and leave the canteen still feeling hungry, a new survey has revealed.Research by the Consommation, Logement et Cadre de ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Nice introduces curfew for teens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nice-introduces-curfew-for-teens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CITY of Nice has imposed an evening curfew on young children, with parents warned they could lose certain benefits if they repeatedly ignore it.The ban, which comes into effect today, prevents u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-04</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarko promo video uses USA families]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarko-promo-video-uses-usa-families-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ECO-friendly house with solar panels on the roof, smiling schoolchildren and a mother hugging her girl in a beautiful garden.France's governing UMP party thought they were perfect images to illus...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Children given flu jab overdose ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/children-given-flu-jab-overdose-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE young children in Brittany have put under close medical surveillance after they were each given four doses of the swine flu jab by mistake.Local health authorities in the Finistère said none of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Greenpeace invades National Assembly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/greenpeace-invades-national-assembly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTORS from Greenpeace brought chaos to the National Assembly yesterday, interrupting a debate on climate change and prompting the whole building to be evacuated.About a dozen campaigners in the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cash to encourage mobile recycling]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cash-to-encourage-mobile-recycling-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT is looking to launch an eco-bonus scheme for anyone who takes their old mobile phone back to the shop to be recycled.Junior Ecology Minister Chantal Jouanno said the bonus-malus would...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris museums face strike disruption]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-museums-face-strike-disruption-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MUSEUMS, libraries and theatres in Paris including the Louvre and the Château de Versailles could be hit by strike action today as staff protest against budget cuts and non-replacement of departing st...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Lorry strike could hit supermarkets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lorry-strike-could-hit-supermarkets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DELIVERIES to supermarkets in the weeks leading up to Christmas could be hit by an indefinite strike by lorry drivers.About half a million drivers belonging to five trade unions are planning to stop...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shock campaign for scooter safety]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shock-campaign-for-scooter-safety-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROAD safety campaigners have unveiled a new preventative campaign in an attempt to cut road deaths linked to scooters.The launch of the site, at www.mortelscooter.fr, comes as new research shows sco...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[eBay fined 1.7m for perfume sale]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ebay-fined-1.7m-for-perfume-sale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EBAY has been fined 1.7m by a Paris court for selling brand-name perfumes without the manufacturer's consent.The ruling in favour of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) group comes after the onl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants fail to reach VAT deal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurants-fail-to-reach-vat-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESTAURANTS have missed a December 1 deadline to reach a deal on passing the VAT rate cut on to customers and staff.Representatives from five major restaurant and hotel unions spent 17 hours in disc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No plans to raise minimum wage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-plans-to-raise-minimum-wage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE MINIMUM wage looks unlikely to rise next year in an attempt to keep costs down for businesses struggling in the current economic climate. A group of experts commissioned by employment minister X...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-12-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Postman keeps mail at home for months]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/postman-keeps-mail-at-home-for-months-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POSTMAN in Bourgogne has been arrested for keeping 300kg of post at his home to avoid having to deliver it.According to local paper Le Bien Public, police found several months of post at the man's...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[GPs want to give swine flu vaccine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-want-to-give-swine-flu-vaccine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO French doctors' unions have urged the government  to allow GPs to give out the swine flu vaccine in their surgeries to help reduce queues.The Confédération des Syndicats Médicaux Francçais and M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restos du Coeur expect record year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restos-du-coeur-expect-record-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WELFARE charity Les Restos du Coeur is predicting a record number of people will come to the group for help this year due to the economic crisis.The charity launches its 25th winter campaign today, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Celtic suspends Portsmouth ferry]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/celtic-suspends-portsmouth-ferry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The newest cross-Channel ferry service between France and England has been suspended indefinitely just days after one of its vessels was impounded in Portsmouth over safety concerns.Celtic Link Ferr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Pas-de-Calais put on flooding alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pas-de-calais-put-on-flooding-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has issued an "orange" weather alert - the second highest level out of four - for the Pas-de-Calais department in the north of France.The weather forecasting body said water levels alon...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Not quite the cash robbery of decade]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/not-quite-the-cash-robbery-of-decade-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SECURITY worker has been charged with stealing 9,000 from vending machines over a period of nine months -- entirely in 2 coins.The amount is a long way from the 11.6m that turned bank robber To...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Legal action over Sarko TV clip leak]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/legal-action-over-sarko-tv-clip-leak-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A France 3 employee has been charged with leaking a clip of Nicolas Sarkozy giving a lesson in manners to a TV technician ahead of a live interview.The footage, which has been watched 2.6 million ti...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France back at top of world wine list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-back-at-top-of-world-wine-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has reclaimed the title of the biggest wine producer in the world, after two years in second position behind Italy.New figures from the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin put F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Three steps for a 5 Ryanair flight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-steps-for-a-5-ryanair-flight-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CONNEXION has teamed up with Ryanair to offer readers the chance of jetting off to a host of exciting European destinations on one of 1,000 5 all-inclusive flights.The flights can be taken to Ryana...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jose Bové avoids jail for GM attack]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/jose-bov-avoids-jail-for-gm-attack-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER presidential candidate José Bové has avoided time in prison and been allowed to keep his job as a European MP for his involvement in an attack on genetically modified crops in 2006.Prosecutor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Violence erupts at winemaker protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/violence-erupts-at-winemaker-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE stepped in to break up a violent demo in Montpellier last night as Languedoc wine producers gathered to protest at falling revenues and a claimed lack of financial help.Between 3,500 and 10,0...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rural trains could be axed for buses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rural-trains-could-be-axed-for-buses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NUMBER of rural train services in France could be axed and replaced by coaches after an official report found large parts of the network were too expensive and polluting.The French national audit ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Clubs to foot  fan security bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/clubs-to-foot-fan-security-bill-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOOTBALL clubs should pay for match security outside of stadiums according to the Minister of the Interior Brice Hortefeux. He said that an average 11 riot police units were used for a Ligue 1 game ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu jab for school children]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-jab-for-school-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE VACCINE against swine flu will be extended to Frances five million school children from today.Parents of collégiens and lycéens should have received a bon de vaccination in the post, or will do...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pupils want mobile ban teacher sacked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pupils-want-mobile-ban-teacher-sacked-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STUDENTS at a lycée in Paris have written a joint letter calling for a teacher to be dismissed for banning mobile phones in her class.The final-year class at the Lycée Jean Lurçat lodged a complaint...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Toxic toy warning for Xmas shoppers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/toxic-toy-warning-for-xmas-shoppers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOME of the most popular toys on children's Christmas lists this year contain potentially dangerous levels of chemicals, a new study has found.Consumer affairs magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cops in Lescar go after 171kph teen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cops-in-lescar-go-after-171kph-teen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A 15-YEAR-OLD girl has been caught speeding along a motorway near Pau at 171kph.Police in Lescar, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, pulled over the car on Sunday afternoon after they spotted it driving t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restaurant VAT change overruled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurant-vat-change-overruled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSAL to axe the cheap rate of VAT for restaurants  forcing them to go back to paying 19.6% again instead of 5.5% - has been rejected by senators.The Senates finance committee put forward the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy and Carla appear in Simpsons]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-and-carla-appear-in-simpsons-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CARLA Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy have made an unofficial cameo appearance in The Simpsons.Yellow caricatures of the president and first lady star in an episode called The Devil Wears Nada which made ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Telethon raises 'too much money']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/telethon-raises-too-much-money-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE HEAD of an Aids charity has provoked a row by accusing the organisers of the annual Telethon of "leeching off people's generosity" and raising more money than they need.Sidaction president Pierr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School strike to go ahead tomorrow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-strike-to-go-ahead-tomorrow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of teachers will walk out on a national one-day strike tomorrow - a move that has been supported by France's biggest student union.Teaching union FSU called the day of action to campaign a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orange acts after 'exorbitant' bills]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/orange-acts-after-exorbitant-bills-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PHONE operator Orange has introduced emergency measures to protect mobile internet users after about 50 customers received huge bills for tens of thousands of euros.The firm says it will freeze any ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Leclerc wants more pharmacy rights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/leclerc-wants-more-pharmacy-rights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET giant Leclerc has demanded the right to sell over-the-counter medicines in its stores.The group has launched an ad campaign putting pressure on the government to allow it to sell 4,000 p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[56% worry about losing their home]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/56-worry-about-losing-their-home-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than half of people in France are worried about being made homeless, with 12% saying it looks "very possible", a new poll has revealed.Homelessness charity Emmaüs asked 1,000 people about their...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swastika printed on town hall ad]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swastika-printed-on-town-hall-ad-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN council in Provence has had to destroy thousands of leaflets promoting its Christmas market because it included images of the swastika.The mairie in Orange, in the Vaucluse, said a member of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No blame for AZF deadly explosion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-blame-for-azf-deadly-explosion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE VICTIMS of a massive factory explosion that killed 31 people and injured thousands have spoken of their anger after a court cleared oil giant Total and its management of any responsibility.The e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Web gambling law may miss World Cup]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/web-gambling-law-may-miss-world-cup-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to open up French gambling legislation to include websites look set to be delayed, meaning the reform might not be passed in time for the next summers World Cup.The plan to license online ope...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU orders payout for airline delays]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eu-orders-payout-for-airline-delays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIRLINE passengers whose flights are delayed for several hours have the same right to compensation as those hit by cancellations, a European court has ruled.In a judgment delivered yesterday, the Co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[156 closures as swine flu spreads]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/156-closures-as-swine-flu-spreads-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu has forced a growing number of schools to send classes home or close entirely, according to new official figures.According to the education ministry, 124 classes and 32 schools are closed ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mayors heckle PM over taxe pro axe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mayors-heckle-pm-over-taxe-pro-axe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of local mayors whistled at Prime Minister François Fillon in protest at the government's plans to reform the taxe professionnelle, a major source of revenue for them.Fillon was met with t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy wants to tax drug-dealers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-wants-to-tax-drug-dealers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRUG-DEALERS who are caught by police will face a tax bill as well as criminal charges under new plans announced by Nicolas Sarkozy.The president, who wants to "hit dealers in the wallet", is backin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police custody 'against the law' ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-custody-against-the-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in France are denying suspects the right to legal representation when taken in for questioning, the head of Paris's legal profession has claimed.The bâtonnier de Paris Christian Charrière-Bou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More mobile bills in the thousands]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-mobile-bills-in-the-thousands-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO more Orange customers have complained of mobile internet bills in the tens of thousands of euros.The mobile giant, which is owned by France Telecom, is investigating the huge bills which are all...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lagarde named 'star' of finance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lagarde-named-star-of-finance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHRISTINE Lagarde has been named the best economy minister in Europe for her work getting France out of the recession.The Financial Times said Lagarde had "become a star" and the panel of judges "lo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free money riot: who was to blame?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/free-money-riot-who-was-to-blame-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COMPANY that planned to hand out 100,000 in cash to thousands of people in Paris is facing legal action after the stunt was cancelled at the last minute and turned into a riot.According to police...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[46k mobile bill in country mix-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/46k-mobile-bill-in-country-mix-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN living near the Belgian border has been hit with a 46,000 bill for inadvertently connecting to the wrong country's mobile network.Eric Gernez, who runs a café near Valenciennes - about 10km f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Woman marries her dead fiancé]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/woman-marries-her-dead-fianc-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN in the east of France has married her boyfriend of six years -- a year after he died.Magali Jaskiewicz and Jonathan George had set a date for their wedding with their local mairie just two d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Christmas bonuses for lowest earners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/christmas-bonuses-for-lowest-earners-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LOW-INCOME households and the unemployed will get a one-off bonus next month to help them pay for Christmas.The annual prime de Noël has been paid out by local caisses d'allocations familiales since...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[11m French bank robber surrenders]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/11m-french-bank-robber-surrenders-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SECURITY van driver who stole 11.6m in cash from the Banque de France has turned himself in to police in Monaco after 11 days on the run.An international search operation was launched for Toni Mu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Call for smacking to be made illegal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/call-for-smacking-to-be-made-illegal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SMACKING a child serves no purpose and should be banned in France, a Paris MP and child welfare expert has recommended.Edwige Antier, who has 38 years' experience as a pediatrician and has written e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Royal sends condom vouchers to teens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/royal-sends-condom-vouchers-to-teens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Socialist presidential candidate Ségolène Royal has angered national education bosses by sending a "contraception pass" to thousands of teenage girls in Poitou-Charentes.Royal, who is the reg...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Side-effect fears hit flu jab launch]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/side-effect-fears-hit-flu-jab-launch-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE of the first people to be given the swine flu jab in France has fallen ill with a rare autoimmune disorder, while the government attempts to reassure the public about safety on day one of the vacc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Phone problems at the office]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/phone-problems-at-the-office-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[APOLOGIES to those trying to get in touch with the office today.Our phones have been cutting out or stopping completely all day.We hope normal service will be resumed on Monday and we will be able...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Youth group gives  web safety warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/youth-group-gives-web-safety-warning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE VAST majority of 11 to 15-year-olds have viewed adult material online, according to research by a youth protection charity.La Voix de l'Enfant asked more than 30,000 collégiens about their inter...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shoppers tighten Christmas belts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shoppers-tighten-christmas-belts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A THIRD of people in France say they will give second-hand presents this year to help reduce their Christmas spending.A Europe-wide study published today found consumers were looking to buy more use...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Law to keep email addresses for life]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/law-to-keep-email-addresses-for-life-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET users should have a legal right to keep their old email address when they switch provider, under new plans being debated in parliament. Two MPs want to force ISPs to automatically forward e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[December 8 strike could halt trains]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/december-8-strike-could-halt-trains-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAIL services across France could be disrupted on December 8 due to a planned national day of protest. Three drivers' unions - CGT, UNSA and CFDT - have called the industrial action to coincide with...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Euroferries' first sailing cancelled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euroferries-first-sailing-cancelled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CROSS-CHANNEL ferry firm Euroferries will not launch on Saturday as planned, despite having started taking bookings.A spokeswoman for the firm said last-minute problems had arisen that meant the lau...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Same-sex couple in adoption first]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/same-sex-couple-in-adoption-first-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO women in Besançon have set a French legal precedent after winning a 10-year battle to be allowed to adopt a child.A tribunal has ruled that primary school teacher Emmanuelle B and her partner of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France picks towns for Euro 2016 bid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-picks-towns-for-euro-2016-bid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 12 towns that will host matches if France wins its bid for the Euro 2016 football tournament have been selected.Lens, Paris, Nancy, Strasbourg, Saint Etienne, Marseille and Toulouse will use the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Baguette trips up particle collider]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baguette-trips-up-particle-collider-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN OWL has managed to knock out part of the massive Hadron atom collider on the Franco-Swiss border by accidentally dropping a piece of bread into the system.Bits of a French baguette fell into an e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police find 9m in hunt for driver]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-find-9m-in-hunt-for-driver-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE have seized nine of the 11.6m stolen from the Banque de France last week - but the rest of the cash and the suspected thief are still nowhere to be seen after four days.Security van driver T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Crisis fuels rise in shoplifting]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/crisis-fuels-rise-in-shoplifting-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE people are turning to shoplifting to get clothes and essential daily food items such as meat and baby milk, according to a new report.The research by retail security expert Checkpoint Systems f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Obesity getting bigger in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/obesity-getting-bigger-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 20 million people in France are overweight and the number of people with obesity has almost doubled in 12 years, new research has found.The latest edition of the three-yearly ObEpi report...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Post strike called for November 24]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/post-strike-called-for-november-24-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POST deliveries could be hit by disruption later this month as five unions plan a one-day strike over government reform plans.The unions, which represent 95% of La Poste workers, are planning the 24...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MacLaren insists pushchairs safe ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/maclaren-insists-pushchairs-safe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUSHCHAIR manufacturer MacLaren has said it will not be recalling any of its products sold in France, despite a safety scare in the US after 15 children lost a finger.The American consumer security ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[150 hit by carbon monoxide poisoning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/150-hit-by-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 150 people have been treated for carbon monoxide poisoning in two separate incidents in the north-east this weekend.Sunday mass at a church in Angres in the Pas-de-Calais had to be called off ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Electrocution risk in Nokia chargers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/electrocution-risk-in-nokia-chargers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NOKIA has recalled 100,000 mobile phone chargers sold in France this summer amid concerns they could electrocute users.The firm is urging anyone who has bought a Nokia mobile or a new charger since ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cigarettes up 6% from this morning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cigarettes-up-6-from-this-morning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A 20-a-day smoking habit will cost an extra 100 a year from today, with the price of cigarettes going up 6%.The rise, which is the first in two years, was due to come into effect on October 5 but w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu vaccine starts this week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccine-starts-this-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT six million people will receive invitations in the post this week to get the free jab against swine flu, as the public vaccination campaign gets underway.The Assurance Maladie will be sending ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[BA strike could hit Xmas flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ba-strike-could-hit-xmas-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PASSENGERS travelling on British Airways this Christmas could face disruptions as thousands of cabin crew vote on whether to take industrial action.Air France is also facing possible strike delays n...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Driver on the run after 11m theft]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driver-on-the-run-after-11m-theft-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE are trying to track down a security van driver suspected of making off with more than 10m in banknotes in broad daylight.The incident, one of the biggest French bank robberies in recent year...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Right to forget' law for web data]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/right-to-forget-law-for-web-data-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WEB users should be given more control over the personal information that sites collect and store about them, a parliamentary committee has recommended.A group of MPs looking at a proposed law on di...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nicolas Sarkozy on 21,000 a month]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nicolas-sarkozy-on-21000-a-month-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy's monthly salary has fallen by 14% this year, suggesting that even the head of state is not immune from the economic crisis.Figures revealed in parliament yesterday show the French p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marseille binmen call off strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marseille-binmen-call-off-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BINMEN in Marseille have called off their strike and have begun clearing an estimated 10,000 tonnes of rubbish that have piled up on the streets for the past week.The walkout at private collection f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marseille covered by week of rubbish]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marseille-covered-by-week-of-rubbish-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESIDENTS in Marseille have found themselves surrounded by thousands of tonnes of rubbish as a strike by binmen nears its second week.Local authorities in the city say the piles of waste lining the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anonymous CV plan  back on agenda]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anonymous-cv-plan-back-on-agenda-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JOB applicants at major firms in seven parts of France will no longer have to reveal their age, sex or nationality on their CV under a new pilot scheme aimed at combating discrimination.The governme...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[45 million want a new life in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/45-million-want-a-new-life-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 45 million people worldwide would like to move permanently to France and start a new life here, a survey has found.France came joint-second alongside the UK and Canada - and behind the US - in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report says mobile masts are harmless]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/report-says-mobile-masts-are-harmless-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES, schools and workplaces within close proximity of a mobile phone mast have no reason to be alarmed, according to a new report from the French parliament into the potential health risks of mobile...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy 'get lost' heckler loses case]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-get-lost-heckler-loses-case-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FORMER Socialist politican who was fined 30 for telling Nicolas Sarkozy to "get lost" has had his appeal thrown out by France's highest court.Hervé Eon, 57, was hit with the penalty for "offendi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Local tax burden up 8% on last year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/local-tax-burden-up-8-on-last-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of paying local taxes in France has shot up by 8% this year, compared with a 4.4% rise in 2008, new official figures have revealed. The two residential taxes - taxe foncière and taxe d'habi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[730m fund starts new cancer battle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/730m-fund-starts-new-cancer-battle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is to spend 730 million over the next four years on a new battle against cancer, aiming to fund research and improve life for sufferers.Although Mr Sarkozy singled out tobacco and alcohol as...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[National debate on French identity]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/national-debate-on-french-identity-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DEBATE on the question of what it means to be French starts today across the nation.Immigration Minister Eric Besson has asked all Frances 100 prefectures and 350 sub-prefectures to start holding...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Winter power cuts could be imposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/winter-power-cuts-could-be-imposed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOUSEHOLDS in France could be hit by a series of power cuts this winter as the electricity network tries to cope with a shortage of supply.Electricity network operator RTE has warned that the cuts m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cash stunt raises capital fears]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cash-stunt-raises-capital-fears-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PLAN to give away several thousand euros in cash in Paris streets has upset the head of the capital's police.Website Mailorama.fr said the giveaway will take place around the capital on November 1...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pilot hummed Elvis just before crash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pilot-hummed-elvis-just-before-crash-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO pilots who joked and laughed moments before their aircraft crashed on take-off at Pau airport are under investigation for involuntary manslaughter.Cockpit voice recorders reveal one of the pilot...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Footballers lose 30m tax break]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/footballers-lose-30m-tax-break-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOOTBALLERS and other professional sportspeople are to lose a 30 million tax allowance in order to help the social security books to balance.The National Assembly voted to get rid of the Droit à l'...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Emmaüs charity marks its 60th]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/emmas-charity-marks-its-60th-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMELESSNESS charity Emmaüs, founded by Abbé Pierre, is marking its 60th anniversary with a celebration at the Zénith de Paris concert hall today.About 4,000 people are attending the day, which will...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu cases surge in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-cases-surge-in-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu infection rates have surged in the Paris area with an 80% rise in child cases in the Ile-de-France.Just seven weeks since the epidemic started the health watchdog INVS estimated there had ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozys speech copy-paste job]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozys-speech-copy-paste-job-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TELEVISION station Canal+ has highlighted a sense of déjà vu in President Sarkozys speech to farmers this week  significant chunks were identical to one he made eight months ago.The president told...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Only one bid for new mobile licence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/only-one-bid-for-new-mobile-licence-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FREE is the only bidder to run France's fourth mobile phone network and it is claiming it will cut mobile phone bills in half.The company presented its dossier just before the deadline set by teleph...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Voluntary service one step closer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/voluntary-service-one-step-closer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SCHEME for young people to work voluntarily for charities has been passed by the Senate.Young people aged between 16 and 25 would be paid and receive pension rights and other social benefits for h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lift veil on world of arms sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lift-veil-on-world-of-arms-sales-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE should fully investigate all arms sales and bribes, a French senator has said after he was jailed for his part in selling weapons which fuelled Angola's civil war.Senator Charles Pasqua, 82, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[1.65 billion aid  for farmers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/1.65-billion-aid-for-farmers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has announced plans for a billion in bank loans to farmers and another 650 million in special grants.The aid package he outlined yesterday on meeting farmers in the Jura, in the e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Scientology fined 600,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/scientology-fined-600000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE French branch of Scientology has been fined 600,000 for fraud in an organised gang,  but can continue to operate.The Tribunal Correctionnel de Paris fined its two main structures, the Paris ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[War of words over Air France safety]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/war-of-words-over-air-france-safety-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE pilots and managers have stepped up a war of words over security on the airline following the crash of flight AF447 which killed 228 people flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.The head of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chirac corruption trial decision due]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chirac-corruption-trial-decision-due-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER president Jacques Chirac will find out this week if he is to face corruption charges over 35 fictitious jobs financed by the city of Paris while he was mayor.Judge Xavière Simeoni must decide...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands march to promote Occitan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/thousands-march-to-promote-occitan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CROWDS of up to 20,000 people have taken part in marches to promote the regional language Occitan.The event at Carcassonne was organised by the group Anem Oc! and drew participants from 30 departmen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gender quotas for  big firms planned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gender-quotas-for-big-firms-planned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE biggest French companies could be obliged to have at least 40% of female board members, if a proposed law goes through.The leader of the ruling UMP Party group in the National Assembly, Jean-Fra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GPS error leads tourists to farm]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-error-leads-tourists-to-farm-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GPS glitch means tourists heading to Toulouse are being directed to a farmhouse in Pouzac.Owner Valérie Soucaze said some days up to six to eight vehicles arrived at her farm  particularly during...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jean Sarkozy gives up La Défense job]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/jean-sarkozy-gives-up-la-dfense-job-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozys son Jean has renounced his claim to a job at the head of the body in charge of the powerful Paris business district La Défense.He said on France 2 last night that he was giving u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Hadopi 2 internet law wins last vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hadopi-2-internet-law-wins-last-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE controversial Hadopi 2 law to control internet access has been approved by the Constitutional Council  as long as MPs decide exactly how any sanctions on illegal downloaders would be imposed.Ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Orly disruptions until Saturday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/orly-disruptions-until-saturday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EASYJET flights to and from Paris will remain disrupted until Saturday morning despite service staff at Orly airport calling off their strike.A number of flights linking Orly with Nice, Toulouse, Ro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[School strike plan for November 24]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-strike-plan-for-november-24-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE's biggest teaching union is calling for a national one-day strike next month.The Fédération Syndicale Unitaire is planning the day of action on November 24 and is making contact with other te...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Political meddling hits French press]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/political-meddling-hits-french-press-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has been ranked only 43rd in the world press freedom index  because of "political interference".It is a drop of eight places in a year  but France has fallen 32 places from 11th since the i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Forced return of  Afghans criticised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/forced-return-of-afghans-criticised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE forced repatriation by chartered plane of three illegal Afghan immigrants has been criticised by human rights and welfare associations, the Socialists and two UMP Party MPs.Immigration Minister ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fine but no jail for Villepin]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fine-but-no-jail-for-villepin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOMINIQUE de Villepin could receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a 45,000 fine for his alleged role in a smear campaign against Nicolas Sarkozy.The former French prime minister is accused of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[40 arrested over highway robberies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/40-arrested-over-highway-robberies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 40 people have been arrested in a swoop on a gang of thieves who have been targeting foreign tourists on the A7, A8 and A9 motorways in the south.Around 500 police and gendarmes were invol...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Celebrations for  Asterixs 50th]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/celebrations-for-asterixs-50th-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOMORROW sees the first major event to celebrate the 50th birthday of comic book hero Asterix  a performance of classic French songs by singers dressed as characters from the books.The Le Tour de G...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pétain's furniture makes 23,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ptains-furniture-makes-23000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DESK, a chair and two bookcases, used as office furniture by Marshal Philippe Pétain, have sold to the president of a body which defends his reputation, for 23,000.The furniture, which originally...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Trains, planes and dole hit by strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/trains-planes-and-dole-hit-by-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAIL workers, job centre staff and France Telecom employees are out on strike today  with more industrial action expected in the coming week, including a proposed walkout by Eurostar.The strike by ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lawyer bids to lay blame on ex-PM]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lawyer-bids-to-lay-blame-on-ex-pm-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was accused of being the instigator of the Clearstream smear campaign against President Sarkozy in a four-hour blitz from the presidents lawyer.Thierry H...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rail strike chaos from this evening]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rail-strike-chaos-from-this-evening-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAIL passengers across the country will be hit by cancellations and crowded trains from this evening as the SNCF walks out on its first national strike in more than a year.The industrial action, whi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ethnic origin row on police database]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ethnic-origin-row-on-police-database-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS for two new police databases on gangs and terrorism have been attacked because they include mention of peoples geographical origin, sparking fears it is a way of getting round a ban on mentio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Easyjet moves Orly flights to CDG]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/easyjet-moves-orly-flights-to-cdg-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PASSENGERS travelling to and from Paris on Easyjet have been warned to check before they travel as a number of flights have been moved from Orly to Charles de Gaulle airport and others cancelled.Gro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Easyjet worst hit by strike at Orly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/easyjet-worst-hit-by-strike-at-orly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PASSENGERS flying from Orly airport in Paris face delays and cancellations today as a strike by service staff enters its third day.EasyJet is among the worst-hit airlines. It has had to cancel almos...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[24-hr strike halts Calais ferries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/24-hr-strike-halts-calais-ferries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEAFRANCE cross-Channel ferries have been suspended on the Calais-Dover route in a 24-hour strike over planned job cuts.Workers walked out at 8.00 today and are expected back to work at 8.00 tomorro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Heating oil bonus axed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/heating-oil-bonus-axed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HEATING oil bonus the prime à la cuve has been axed  to the anger of consumer groups.Last year the least well-off households, which do not pay any income tax, were eligible for a 200 payout if the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Savage' mountain stages for Tour]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/savage-mountain-stages-for-tour-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOUNTAINS dominate the 2010 Tour de France with a total of seven mountain stages including two ascents of the iconic 2115m Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenées.The number of climbs will suit this years...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More changes to taxe pro reform]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-changes-to-taxe-pro-reform-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW that aims to save businesses almost 12bn a year in tax is one step closer to being passed after it was completely rewritten in parliament.The part of the 2010 finance bill that would scrap th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New plates for  second-hand cars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-plates-for-second-hand-cars-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AS OF today, if you buy a second-hand car, move house, marry and change your name, you need a new-style registration document for your car and new-style number plates.The new documentation  certifi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Railway creche to open next year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/railway-creche-to-open-next-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WORKING parents will be able to leave their children at a creche inside their local railway station under a new initiative being tested out near Lyon.The service, reported to be the first of its kin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deaths in flats  went unnoticed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/deaths-in-flats-went-unnoticed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MANS body was left in his flat for two years before anyone noticed and in a separate case a womans suicide was only discovered nine months afterwards.The body of the 62-year-old man was found in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy's Elysée staff have scabies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozys-elyse-staff-have-scabies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STAFF working with President Sarkozy and wife Carla at the Elysée Palace have been diagnosed with the highly contagious skin disease scabies.Three of the palace guard are thought to have contracted ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dramatic sea  rescue after crash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dramatic-sea-rescue-after-crash-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX occupants of a private plane which crashed into the Mediterranean off the north-west of Corsica are recovering in hospital after a rescue operation.They were rescued from the sea after six hours...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants not  doing enough]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurants-not-doing-enough-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESTAURANTS are not doing enough to pass on a cut in VAT to their customers, a government minister has said.Minister for commerce and tourism Hervé Novelli said: I dont think they have done enough...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fury at La Défense job for Sarko son]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fury-at-la-dfense-job-for-sarko-son-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 23-year-old son of President Sarkozy has caused a political storm by bidding to join the board of Epad, the agency which runs La Défense, the financial suburb on the edge of Paris.La Défense aim...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No ban on rolling credit - Lagarde]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-ban-on-rolling-credit-lagarde-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FINANCE minister Christine Lagarde has refused to ban revolving credit, despite it being blamed by the Socialist Party for families increasing debt burden.She says she would prefer to see responsib...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fresh twist in Mitterrand row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fresh-twist-in-mitterrand-row-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CULTURE  Minister Frédéric Mitterrand is back in the spotlight after a newspaper claimed he acted as a character reference for two rapists.Mitterrand  who has faced calls to resign after it emerged...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Birthday party for Semaine du Goût ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/birthday-party-for-semaine-du-got-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE hundred chefs will be assembling in Place du Trocadéro in Paris today for a photo around a birthday cake, to mark the start of the 20th Semaine du Goût, which lasts until Sunday.The chefs will...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobiles set to be banned in schools]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobiles-set-to-be-banned-in-schools-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHILDREN under 15 could soon be banned from bringing a mobile phone to school under new rules being examined in parliament this week.The Senate has voted in favour of the regulations, which would pr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mitterrand accused of 'lies' on boys]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mitterrand-accused-of-lies-on-boys-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CULTURE minister Frédéric Mitterrand has come under renewed attack after his televised denial that he paid boys for sex  with National Front vice-president Marine Le Pen accusing him of lying.Mr ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Euroferries taking bookings on site]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euroferries-taking-bookings-on-site-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CROSS-CHANNEL ferry company Euroferries has moved a step closer to operation with the launch of a new website allowing bookings for Ramsgate to Boulogne services from November 14.However the ports o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Coach driver had 15 pints of lager]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/coach-driver-had-15-pints-of-lager-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COACH driver in Paris has been caught by police driving without a licence, the morning after a 15-pint drinking binge.Motorcycle police stopped the driver on his way to a hotel to pick up a group ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sylvester Stallone has Breton blood]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sylvester-stallone-has-breton-blood-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOLLYWOOD star Sylvester Stallone has Breton blood coursing through those bulging veins.His mother, Jackie Stallone, has been in Brest researching the family history of the Rambo and Rocky actor.T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu cases  low due to weather]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-cases-low-due-to-weather-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu has not so far spread as rapidly in France as had been feared  perhaps because of the mild autumn, experts say.The director of the National Health Monitoring Institute, Françoise Weber, s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Online gambling plans scrutinised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/online-gambling-plans-scrutinised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to open up gambling legislation are going before MPs today as budget minister Eric Woerth revealed about 50 online operators would be legalised in a bid to drive out the pirates.The plan to li...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pedestrians face 4 jaywalking fine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pedestrians-face-4-jaywalking-fine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEDESTRIANS in Paris who fail to take care when crossing the road could be hit with a 4 fine under heightened measures designed to improve road safety in the capital.Paris police have introduced th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rail strike plan for October 20]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rail-strike-plan-for-october-20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE MAIN rail union, CGT-Cheminots, and CFDT/Fgaac, a train drivers union, have announced a strike on Tuesday October 20.The rail workers are protesting about issues including working conditions, s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Argument over La Poste public vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/argument-over-la-poste-public-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT has dismissed the results of an unofficial consultation on the future of La Poste in which it is claimed more than two million people voted.Government spokesman Luc Chatel said the ba...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[4m regularly taking drugs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/4m-regularly-taking-drugs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than four million people in France are taking drugs regularly, health minister Roselyne Bachelot said as she launched a new bid to clear them off the streets.Telling people to open their eyes t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[210,000 identity thefts each year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/210000-identity-thefts-each-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 210,000 people a year in France are victims of identity theft, a study has shown.Researchers from a body studying social trends, Credoc, found that 4.2% of people asked had been victims of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cash incentives to turn up to school]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cash-incentives-to-turn-up-to-school-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOL pupils on the outskirts of Paris could earn up to 10,000 this year to spend together as a class in a new experiment aimed at reducing absenteeism.Education chiefs in Créteil have launched th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris to London cycle path]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-to-london-cycle-path-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CYCLE path 350km long is to be marked out linking London and Paris  with help from a ferry in-between.The scheme  called the  Avenue Verte or Green Way is being planned in partnership between th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Video backfires on telecoms boss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/video-backfires-on-telecoms-boss-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WARNING that the good life is over has come back to haunt France Telecom boss Didier Lombard after the suicide of the 24th employee in 19 months.Speaking at an awards ceremony in January, he lau...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Warning over 'tax refund' email scam]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/warning-over-tax-refund-email-scam-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WEB-USERS have been warned about a fake email doing the rounds promising a 180 rebate on overpaid French income tax.The message claims to come from the budget ministry and includes a link to the of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New 110kph limit 'not a priority']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-110kph-limit-not-a-priority-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to cut motorway speed limits from 130 to 110kph have been put on the back burner, according to the secretary of state for ecology, Chantal Jouanno. The proposal could have cut emissions of gre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scrap bonus sees car sales up 14%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/scrap-bonus-sees-car-sales-up-14-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTORISTS are rushing to take advantage of the governments car scrappage bonus scheme before it is gradually phased out in the new year, new figures suggest.The number of new cars sold in September...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farmers protest across France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-protest-across-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS carried out protests across France yesterday after a call to action by national farmers union FNSEA and their youth section, Les Jeunes Agriculteurs (JA).The protests brought together farme...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[530 more speed cameras in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/530-more-speed-cameras-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 500 new cameras are to be installed on roads throughout France next year.The 2010 budget, which was unveiled yesterday, includes provision for 530 extra radars. Transport Minister Domini...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Our helpguide on residential taxes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/our-helpguide-on-residential-taxes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LIVING in France, or owning a property here, brings taxation responsibilities - and the bills for the two main residential taxes are on their way.The taxe foncière is a tax on property, both residen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin denies Clearstream plot]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/villepin-denies-clearstream-plot-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin has denied in court he was involved in a plot to smear Nicolas Sarkozy during his bid for the presidency.Mr Villepin is accused of orchestrating a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ryanair scraps airport check-in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ryanair-scraps-airport-check-in-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RYANAIR has today scrapped all of its airport check-in desks and made it compulsory for passengers to print their own boarding card online.The company has gradually introduced the online-only policy...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Inside the October issue of Connexion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/inside-the-october-issue-of-connexion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The Connexion is the leading English-language newspaper in France, packed each month with essential news, interviews and practical information.In this month's edition:Help with homework: How can yo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cheque loophole still wide open]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-cheque-fraud-loophole-societe-generale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LOOPHOLE believed to have been used by convicted fraudster Warren Templeton to steal millions of euros from British expats is still wide open and could be abused again.Templetons victims made out...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chirac to avoid corruption trial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chirac-to-avoid-corruption-trial-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LONG-RUNNING investigation into alleged corruption by former French president Jacques Chirac looks likely to be dropped after prosecutors decided he had "no case to answer."Judges have been lookin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[500 million boost for young jobless]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/500-million-boost-for-young-jobless-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[YOUNG jobseekers are to benefit from a 500 million scheme to help them move into employment.Under-25s will be eligible for the Revenu de Solidarité Active (RSA) welfare-to-work scheme if they have ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mayor attacks  Grand Paris plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mayor-attacks-grand-paris-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAYOR Of Paris Bertrand Delanoë has demanded that the government withdraw current plans for developing Le Grand Paris (Greater Paris).The idea involves schemes to consolidate the wider Paris area as...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Govt drops support for Roman Polanski]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/govt-drops-support-for-roman-polanski-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The French government has decided to drop its public support for Roman Polanski, the Oscar-winning director held in Switzerland over a child sex case dating back more than 30 years.The government ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New site aimed at French adulterers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-site-aimed-at-french-adulterers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than 2,000 unfaithful French husbands and wives have signed up for a new social networking site ahead of its launch next month.Gleeden.com is designed for not-so-happily married people who are ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Changes after new telecom suicide]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/changes-after-new-telecom-suicide-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FRANCE Telecom worker threw himself from a motorway bridge to become the 24th employee to commit suicide in the past 19 months.The 51-year-old man, who was married with two children, left a note b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Le Pen: Polanski not above the law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/le-pen-polanski-not-above-the-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRONT National has attacked its political rivals for coming out in support of the arrested film director Roman Polanski.The 76-year-old Polish-born Polanski, who has French citizenship, was arre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New law on private school funding]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-law-on-private-school-funding-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW law on private school funding is a further erosion of the principle of the secular state, opposition politicians claim.Parliament has passed a law retaining a controversial 2004 rule that mair...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SFR loses right to trademark 'texto']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sfr-loses-right-to-trademark-texto-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH word texto is a part of everyday language and cannot be reserved as a trademark, a court has ruled.Mobile phone giant SFR has been trying to sue a company in Marseille since early 2008 ov...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands protest over deadly algae]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/thousands-protest-over-deadly-algae-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEVERAL thousand protestors gathered on the beach at Hillion in Brittany to demand action over the noxious green algae that has piled up along the Côtes-dArmor.Their call came as prosecutors said t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record budget deficit announced]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-budget-deficit-announced-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JOB cuts in the civil service, increasing the cost of hospital stays and reducing the amount of cash back vehicle owners receive for a car-scrapping scheme are among the measures to reduce Frances re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Milk strike halted until October 5]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/milk-strike-halted-until-october-5-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAIRY farmers in France have suspended their strike action for 10 days pending emergency talks in Brussels.Thousands of producers have been protesting since September 10 about low prices, which they...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Seasonal flu vaccines ready]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/seasonal-flu-vaccines-ready-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[VACCINES against ordinary seasonal flu are out in the pharmacies today - two weeks earlier than usual.The government is recommending people at risk should get vaccinated as soon as possible.The ur...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy sued over Villepin quote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-sued-over-villepin-quote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER prime minister Dominique de Villepin has launched legal proceedings against President Sarkozy accusing him of attempting to pervert the course of justice during the Clearstream trial.Mr Ville...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Giscard: I made up Diana love story]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/giscard-i-made-up-diana-love-story-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has poured cold water on rumours he had an affair with Princess Diana.Giscard's new romantic novel, The Princess and the President, caught the attention of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Balloon to drop  free air tickets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/balloon-to-drop-free-air-tickets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EASYJET is planning to drop free air tickets over Parisian business district La Défense tomorrow.At 13.30 a hot air balloon in the companys colours will drop 1,000 orange paper planes on to the mai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[6 out of 8 smoke detectors useless]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/6-out-of-8-smoke-detectors-useless-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX out of the eight most popular smoke detectors sold in France do not work properly, if at all. The majority of models either did not detect fires or detected them too late.There were more than 10...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Animal charity in accounting probe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/animal-charity-in-accounting-probe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MANAGEMENT at animal welfare charity SPA could face criminal charges after a damning report from auditors found a number of problems with the groups accounts.The 150-year-old charity  which has 58...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No let up in milk protests - farmers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-let-up-in-milk-protests-farmers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MILK farmers have vowed to go on with strikes and protests despite special loans being organised to help them.The announcement that 250 million is being set aside by the government to give them pre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Banking charges just gobbledegook]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/banking-charges-just-gobbledegook-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HIDDEN charges, gobbledegook and shoddy advice are being used by the majority of banks across the EU to violate customers rights and increase costs.A report from the European Commission said French...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Villepin 'victim of abuse of power']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/villepin-victim-of-abuse-of-power-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER prime minister Dominique de Villepin has accused Nicolas Sarkozy of an abuse of power as what some are calling the political trial of the decade kicks off in Paris.Villepin said he believed...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dawn raid on Calais Jungle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dawn-raid-on-calais-jungle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE made a dawn raid today on the Jungle  a wooded area near to the port of Calais where until recently an estimated 700  800 immigrants were camping out.Immigration Minister Eric Besson had ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Postal workers in national walk-out]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/postal-workers-in-national-walk-out-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POSTAL workers are striking across France today over plans to open up La Poste  a move which unions fear will lead to privatisation.However, although five unions have called the strike it is not cl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mopping-up starts after huge storms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mopping-up-starts-after-huge-storms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CLEAR-UP operations have started after violent rainstorms in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Alpes-Maritimes saw mudslides, rivers bursting their banks and cars swept away.Hundreds of firefighters and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Trial begins for ex-PM Villepin]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/trial-begins-for-ex-pm-villepin-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER PM Dominique de Villepin goes on trial today, charged with defaming President Sarkozy.Villepin is the most high-profile figure among five defendants and is accused of involvement in a smear, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Giscard hints at affair with Diana]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/giscard-hints-at-affair-with-diana-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER president Valéry Giscard dEstaing has dropped a playful hint that he had a romantic liaison with Princess Diana.The 83-year-old has written a novel called The Princess and the President whic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Milk strike anger continues to grow ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/milk-strike-anger-continues-to-grow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAIRY farmers across France are continuing to throw away hundreds of thousands of litres of milk in protest at a lack of support from the government and the EU.The strike actions, which are now in t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carrefour fined after food checks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carrefour-fined-after-food-checks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET chain Carrefour has been fined 72,300 for a range of offences relating to its food.The daily paper for the Paris area, Le Parisien reports that a court in the southern suburb Evry has f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GDF fined 1,500 for incorrect bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gdf-fined-1500-for-incorrect-bill-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ELDERLY woman who was threatened by gas supplier GDF over a disputed 7,000 bill has successfully sued the group for 1,500.The ruling by a court in Paris could make it easier for other energy cu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[15,000 heritage sites open doors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/15000-heritage-sites-open-doors-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCES monuments, famous buildings and heritage sites open their doors this weekend for the 26th Journées du Patrimoine.Last year the Palais de la République, the Elysée, Matignon, Sénat and Bercy...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ex-PM on trial in Clearstream affair]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ex-pm-on-trial-in-clearstream-affair-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is  appearing at the Paris Criminal Court in connection with the Clearstream affair.He is suspected of involvement in a leak in 2004 of what turned out to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy hospital  visit criticised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-hospital-visit-criticised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HEALTH union has criticised what they see as over-the-top arrangements for a planned presidential visit to a hospital in a Paris suburb.Sud-santé says the numerous security checks being planned at...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ségo site is  for sore eyes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sgo-site-is-for-sore-eyes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAYS after critics lambasted the 'cheap' new look on Ségolène Royal's website its appearance has changed again.Replacing the 'sunrise over the prairie' landscape and silver font is a purple 'potato ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu declared an 'epidemic']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-declared-an-epidemic-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE number of cases of swine flu has doubled over the last week  to 103,000 cases  and health minister Roselyne Bachelot says the epidemic has arrived.Health watchdog InVS said the week of Septemb...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strangers to get 280,000 legacy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strangers-to-get-280000-legacy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN has left all her 280,000 fortune to about 200 people she met by chance through life.Jeannine Vromant, from Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, died in 2008 at the age of 86 and, having no family and ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Electricity opened up to competition]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/electricity-opened-up-to-competition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMES and businesses across France will have a broader choice of who supplies their electricity from the middle of next year.France has agreed to fully open up the electricity market to competition ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PS election fraud must be probed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ps-election-fraud-must-be-probed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER Socialist Party leadership candidate Ségolène Royal is demanding the party investigate allegations of fraud in the election she lost  or sue the authors of a book making the claims.The presi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Loophole could save Scientology]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/loophole-could-save-scientology-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW law has been discovered that means that whatever the outcome of Frances Scientology trial, the French branch of the group cannot be dissolved.French Scientology  considered to be a cult by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hortefeux faces race slur charges]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hortefeux-faces-race-slur-charges-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERIOR minister Brice Hortefeux faces charges by an anti-racist group alleging racist defamation after his comments to an Arab youth in a video clip.The executive committee of the anti-racist grou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hadopi 2 due to be passed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hadopi-2-due-to-be-passed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW designed to punish illegal downloaders in France is finally due to be passed by the National Assembly today after months of fierce debate.The Hadopi 2 legislation will set out a system of em...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cheap cinema deal this week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cheap-cinema-deal-this-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SPECIAL 4 cinema seats are on offer until Wednesday as part of La Rentrée du Cinéma.The end-of-summer event has been extended to include Wednesday, allowing  people to watch some of the new release...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TGV runs over man sleeping on tracks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tgv-runs-over-man-sleeping-on-tracks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DRUNKEN music festival fan has escaped unharmed after a TGV ran over the top of him as he slept between the train tracks on the Paris-Quimper line.The train driver had spotted a body on the line a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Barclays hit by French card fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/barclays-hit-by-french-card-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GANG managed to withdraw more than 200,000 in one night from cash machines across the north of France using stolen British bank cards.At least 34 men and women travelled to Calais from London wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Milk strike could hit shop supplies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/milk-strike-could-hit-shop-supplies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRESH dairy could start to disappear from supermarket shelves early next week after 30,000 French milk producers walked out on strike.Independent milk producers association APLI has called the stri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interior Minister  racism furore]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/interior-minister-racism-furore-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OPPOSITION MPs have called for the resignation of Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux after he was caught on video making remarks about a man's race during an UMP Party event in the south-west.Introdu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doubt and anger over carbon tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/doubt-and-anger-over-carbon-tax-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE ANNONCEMENT that taxe carbone will be set at 17 a tonne has been met with strong criticism on how much it will cost to enforce and whether it will work.The price of a litre of petrol will rise ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[500 note may go in fraud law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/500-note-may-go-in-fraud-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 500 note should be scrapped to cut down on fraud, MPs have suggested.The measure is one of 30 in a report by a cross-party group of MPs, presented to the National Assembly today."France shoul...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report finds 2,000 women wear burqa]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/report-finds-2000-women-wear-burqa-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 2,000 women in France wear full Muslim dress in public according to the Interior Ministry  six times more than police had estimated.The figures are contained in a confidential report on the b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[1,000 tax on each mobile phone mast]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/1000-tax-on-each-mobile-phone-mast-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOBILE phone antennae and electricity pylons may be taxed as the government looks for ways to boost its budget after the business-based taxe professionnelle is scrapped.Almost 50,000 phone masts acr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions call for  strikes in October]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-call-for-strikes-in-october-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX unions are calling for a day of protest action on October 7.The move is in connection with a worldwide day of action for decent work, being called for by the International Trade Union Confeder...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Income tax cut to offset eco charge]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/income-tax-cut-to-offset-eco-charge-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOUSEHOLDS could benefit from a cut in income tax to compensate for a new levy on carbon emissions from next year.Prime Minister François Fillon said a tax reduction was one of the preferred option...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[150,000 could be dodging French tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/150000-could-be-dodging-french-tax-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAX-PAYERS in France who have bank accounts in other countries have been urged to come clean about them to the tax authorities.Budget minister Eric Woerth believes between 100,000 and 150,000 people...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[VAT-cut restaurant attacked by rivals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/vat-cut-restaurant-attacked-by-rivals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RESTAURANT owner claims his rivals subjected him to a campaign of bullying for passing a VAT cut on to his customers.Philippe Brusa, who runs a sushi restaurant in Thonon-les-Bains in the Haute-Sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Row over number of swine flu cases]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/row-over-number-of-swine-flu-cases-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SWINE flu is growing in France at a rate of 20,000 new cases each week, according to unofficial figures that have not been endorsed by the French government.The Groupes Régionaux dObservation de la...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[A month of bargain wine from tomorrow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/a-month-of-bargain-wine-from-tomorrow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of millions of cut-price bottles of wine go on sale this month as all of the major supermarket chains unveil their annual Foire aux Vins.Carrefour is the first of the retail giants to launc...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['No tall people' for Sarkozy visits]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-tall-people-for-sarkozy-visits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy has been accused of deliberately picking short people to appear alongside him in TV footage when he attends public events.The claim, which has been strongly denied by the president's...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cigarette prices rise next month]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cigarette-prices-rise-next-month-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CIGARETTE prices are due to rise 6% next month - making an average price of 5.60 a packet from October 5.It is the first price rise for two years and has come directly from tobacco manufacturers wi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hospital stays  could cost more]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hospital-stays-could-cost-more-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PATIENTS staying in hospital may have to pay an extra 4 a day next yearPutting up the forfait hospitalier is one of the ideas being considered by the government to help reduce a social security def...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF strike threat for September 22]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-strike-threat-for-september-22-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAIL unions are planning a day of strike action across the SNCF network on September 22.The four main rail workers' groups met on Wednesday to discuss industrial action in protest against proposed c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MP bowled over by Sarkozy's chopper]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mp-bowled-over-by-sarkozys-chopper-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN MP who was part of a reception party for President Sarkozy received a broken wrist after his arriving helicopter blew her over.Orne MP Sylvia Bassot was waiting to greet the president who was vis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hot summer for all - except Brittany]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hot-summer-for-all-except-brittany-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THIS summer was one of the sunniest and driest in the past 60 years, according to new data from Météo France.The weather forecast agency said 2009 was the fifth hottest summer on record since 1950....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burglaries on the rise across France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/burglaries-on-the-rise-across-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BURGLARIES in some parts of France are up by more than 60% on last year, according to new research.The Observatoire National de la Délinquance said house break-ins were up by 12% nationwide between ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Education ministry in grammar gaffe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/education-ministry-in-grammar-gaffe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STAFF at the Education Ministry have been left red-faced after they issued a press release on school reform littered with dozens of spelling and grammar mistakes.The information pack was handed to j...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taser ban for municipal police]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taser-ban-for-municipal-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MUNICIPAL police have been barred from using Taser electronic stun guns by the Conseil d'Etat because there was not strong enough supervision.However, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said a new la...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lotto winners pay for school canteen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lotto-winners-pay-for-school-canteen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LOTTERY-winning couple in the Charente have agreed to pay for a years supply of school meals for every child in their town.The anonymous pair have given 70,000 out of the 50m Euromillions jackp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Man finds 100,000 in bin behind shop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/man-finds-100000-in-bin-behind-shop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN who found 100,000 in bank notes in a bin behind a hardware shop has returned the cash to its elderly owners in full.Yvon Wonterghem, whose son owns the Bricorama in Saint-André on the outskir...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol price error fuels stampede]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-price-error-fuels-stampede-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of motorists flocked to a small petrol station in Picardy after it accidentally knocked a third off the price of a litre of fuel.The self-service filling station in Nogent-sur-Oise, near th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Suspended jail terms for Conti 6]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/suspended-jail-terms-for-conti-6-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX of the seven Continental tyre factory workers charged over the ransacking of a  sous-préfecture have been given suspended jail sentences of between three and five months.The seven workers were t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Loire lakes closed as 200 birds die]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/loire-lakes-closed-as-200-birds-die-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NUMBER of lakes running alongside the Loire in the Rhône Alpes have been closed to the public after more than 200 birds were found dead in the water.Fishing and watersports have been banned in the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Postcard delivered 72 years late]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/postcard-delivered-72-years-late-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POSTCARD that a young man sent to his fiancee has been delivered 72 years after it was posted to a Monaco woman, but arrived 40 years after she died.The card with an Alpine view was found by posta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[University grants rise by up to 3%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/university-grants-rise-by-up-to-3-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT is increasing the size of the grants it gives to almost half a million university students by up to 3% to help them cope with rising costs.About 100,000 students from under-privileged...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-09-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carrefour recalls E. Coli burgers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carrefour-recalls-e.-coli-burgers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET giant Carrefour has recalled a batch of frozen beef burgers that it believes has been contaminated with E. Coli.The firm said it had received no complaints from customers yet but noticed...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pick up post from your metro station]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pick-up-post-from-your-metro-station-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BUSY residents in the north of Paris will have the option of having letters and parcels delivered to their local metro station to avoid making a trip to the post office.The scheme, a joint venture b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[3 billion Swiss tax dodge revealed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/3-billion-swiss-tax-dodge-revealed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAX dodgers have been given a warning that Switzerland is no longer a safe haven for their millions as Budget Minister Eric Woerth revealed France has the names of 3,000 people with illegal, undeclare...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More parents apply out of catchment]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-parents-apply-out-of-catchment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[REQUESTS by parents for their children to go to schools outside their catchment area are up 5% compared to last year.About 47,500 requests for a dérogation à la carte scolairewere put in for childre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu vaccine from September 28]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-vaccine-from-september-28-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has received its first batch of swine flu jabs and is set to begin vaccinating people at the end of next month.However a new survey published today has found that almost two-thirds of people ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Girls wreak havoc in Metro muggings]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/girls-wreak-havoc-in-metro-muggings-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THIEVING girl gangs have robbed many hundreds of travellers on the Metro in Paris  and there is little the police can do because they are too young to be arrested and detained.Most are aged between...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions call for  postal strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-call-for-postal-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE major unions are calling on postal workers to strike on Tuesday September 22 against the privatisation of La Poste.The CGT, SUD, CFDT, Force Ouvrière and CFTC want a "big day of strikes and p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobile mast ban is Paris's first ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobile-mast-ban-is-pariss-first-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOBILE phone giant Orange has been banned from building a rooftop mast in a residential district in Paris after locals complained.The court ruling is thought to be the first case in France of an ant...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chainsaw husband cuts up furniture]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chainsaw-husband-cuts-up-furniture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CHAINSAW-wielding husband took things too far as he went along with his wifes demand to split things down the middle during their divorce  he cut up the sofa, the dinner table and a computer.Gen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy acts on bank bonuses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-acts-on-bank-bonuses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy has confronted the chief executives of the major French banks and announced a crackdown on inflated bonuses and excessive risk-taking.In his first major engagement since returning fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cost of university continues to rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cost-of-university-continues-to-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STUDENT unions have warned that the rising cost of starting university is forcing some people to think twice  especially in the capital.Frances two biggest student unions have both published data ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Woman throws thong at judge]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/woman-throws-thong-at-judge-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN who threw her thong at a judge in court has been arrested and taken into police custody.The woman, aged in her thirties, was sitting in the public gallery at Perpignan magistrates court when...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Another driver hit with smoking fine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/another-driver-hit-with-smoking-fine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DRIVER in Paris who was fined for smoking at the wheel has accused police of an abuse of power.The man was stopped on Sunday after he moved his car a few metres past a red light in the middle of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[The good times have rolled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/the-good-times-have-rolled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S 'national happiness quota' peaked in 2001 according to a Canadian study.The measure, ( Bonheur intérieur net ) seen as an alternative to gross domestic product, takes into account several e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France hits new peak for births]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-hits-new-peak-for-births-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE number of births in France is on the increase and hit 828,400 in 2008  up 1.2% from 2007.National statistics body Insee said there had been 796,000 infants born in metropolitan France and 32,40...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[All Paris job centres closed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/all-paris-job-centres-closed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALL job centres in the Paris area have closed to prepare for a flood of job seekers in September.Around 250 Pôle emploi offices have shut their doors today to process a backlog of cases.Pôle emplo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French fishing zone for Med]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-fishing-zone-for-med-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is planning an exclusive French fishing zone up to 70 nautical miles off the Mediterranean coast.Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the measure was necessary to protect French fishi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tourist sleeps in hôtel de ville]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tourist-sleeps-in-htel-de-ville-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITISH tourist spent a night locked inside a town hall after she mistook the hôtel de ville for a hotel.The woman, aged in her thirties, who has not been named, was travelling alone in Alsace and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[President enters bank bonus row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-enters-bank-bonus-row-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE president is expected to demand tighter limits on traders bonuses when he meets bank leaders tomorrow.It is expected Sarkozy will call for limits such as setting ceilings or spreading bonuses o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Roller-coaster fall woman dies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/roller-coaster-fall-woman-dies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MOTHER has been killed after being thrown from a roller-coaster at an amusement park near Beauvais.The 35-year-old woman, from Aisne, had been with her partner at the Saint-Paul park with their tw...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strikers threaten to pollute Seine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strikers-threaten-to-pollute-seine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STRIKING workers at a transport company in Normandy have threatened to pour 8,000 litres of toxic chemicals into the River Seine if their redundancy demands are not met.About 60 lorry drivers at the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PM promises to  clean up seaweed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pm-promises-to-clean-up-seaweed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government will pay for cleaning up Breton beaches clogged with toxic seaweed, PM François Fillon has promised.The phenomenon, known as la marée verte (green tide), has been getting worse...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Med beach closed after shark alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/med-beach-closed-after-shark-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BATHERS were ordered out of the sea near Perpignan yesterday afternoon after two sharks were spotted in the water.Two swimmers raised the alarm at about 3pm when they saw two fins in the water about...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris Plages close after huge success]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-plages-close-after-huge-success-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE hugely successful Paris Plages closes tonight after an exceptionally busy season which allowed many Parisiens to enjoy the beach without leaving the city.As temperatures hit 38C yesterday there ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mayor selling  chapel on eBay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mayor-selling-chapel-on-ebay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CHAPEL in the Midi-Pyrénées has gone on sale on the internet auction site eBay.The building is 450 square metres and dates from the 17th Century.It is described as having a romanesque porch, fi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Easyjet in court over work rights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/easyjet-in-court-over-work-rights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EASYJET is to be prosecuted over claims it failed to declare the number of staff it had working in France.The low-cost airline has been under investigation since December 2006, when social charges c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Aquitaine hit by hornet invasion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/aquitaine-hit-by-hornet-invasion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ASIAN hornets have started attacking people in the south-west of France, with seven taken to hospital with stings in the past week.A woman walking her five-month-old son in Saint-Vite near Villeneuv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[40C warning in new heatwave alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/40c-warning-in-new-heatwave-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has extended its orange heatwave alert to cover three more departments - and warned temperatures today could hit 40C. An ozone alert is also in place.The orange alert covers Rhône, Drôm...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Seaside trips for charity children]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/seaside-trips-for-charity-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHARITY Le Secours Populaire is taking underprivileged children to the seaside today.The event is the 30th Journée des Oubliés des Vacances  (day for those left out of the holidays). This year the c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cost of school supplies drops]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cost-of-school-supplies-drops-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE COST of getting children ready to go back to school has dropped by almost 9% this year, new figures have revealed.As households across France prepare for the rentrée on September 2, research fro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ryanair to axe  Manchester flights]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ryanair-to-axe-manchester-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LOW-COST airline Ryanair has announced it is axing nine continental services from Manchester, including those to Marseille.The firm says it will stop Manchester flights to the affected airports from...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rhône is placed on heatwave alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rhne-is-placed-on-heatwave-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HEATWAVE warning has been issued for the Rhône, with high temperatures expected across large parts of the south of France this week.Météo France has issued an "orange" alert for the department  t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Three sick pupils could shut school]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-sick-pupils-could-shut-school-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOLS could be closed if three pupils in one class fall ill with swine flu in a week, says Education Minister Luc Chatel.The decision would be made by the regional préfet, who would decide wheth...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Slow start to new Sunday trade plan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/slow-start-to-new-sunday-trade-plan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW rules on Sunday trading officially came into effect yesterday  but the impact was limited.The main difference was that food shops which already had permission to open until noon were able to op...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France comes out of recession]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-comes-out-of-recession-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE and Germany have become the first two countries in the euro zone to officially come out of recession.New figures released by the government show the French economy grew by 0.3% in the second ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No charges after teenager drowns]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-charges-after-teenager-drowns-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE are still investigating how British teenager Liam Manley drowned in a Dordogne lake but say there will be no chargesA post mortem examination on Liam, 14, who died while swimming in a lake at...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UMP supports burqini ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ump-supports-burqini-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S governing party has backed swimming pool officials in a Paris suburb who banned a woman from swimming in a burqini.The UMP party supports this ban not only for reasons of hygiene but als...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['No question' of a rise in taxes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-question-of-a-rise-in-taxes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BUDGET minister Eric Woerth has said taxes will not be increased despite the fall in government earnings.He said any attempt to increase taxes would just make the economic crisis worse and repeated ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Half of cyclists break law in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/half-of-cyclists-break-law-in-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT half of cyclists in Paris break the law, according to Paris traffic chief Gildas Robert.Going through red lights is the most common offence. Others turn without signalling, use their phones wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record month for cinema attendance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-month-for-cinema-attendance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH cinemas have recorded their best July attendance figures in almost 30 years  up 56.1% on the same month last year.But data released today reveals it was the big American summer holiday block...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['We are ready to close all schools']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/we-are-ready-to-close-all-schools-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EVERY school in France could be closed if swine flu becomes a nationwide pandemic, the education minister has revealed.In an interview with Le Figaro, Luc Chatel said the government was "preparing f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF may bail out SeaFrance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-may-bail-out-seafrance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STATE rail firm the SNCF is considering putting 70 million into its beleaguered subsidiary SeaFrance to keep it afloat.SeaFrance, a which operates Dover to Calais ferries, is close to bankruptcy an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris residents in water warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-residents-in-water-warning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESIDENTS and businesses in Paris and the Ile de France have been warned to cut down on water usage as levels have fallen after the dry start to the summer.There are now 43 departments across France...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Road deaths down 6.5% last month]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/road-deaths-down-6.5-last-month-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE number of people killed on French roads fell below 400 last month for the first July since records began.Figures compiled by the Observatoire interministériel de la sécurité routière show 389 ro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nuclear plant shut in fuel incident]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nuclear-plant-shut-in-fuel-incident-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE nuclear power plant at Gravelines  between Dunkirk and Calais  was evacuated after a significant incident at the weekend.While there was no radioactive leak to the outside air, staff were cl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Violent spouses  should be tagged]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/violent-spouses-should-be-tagged-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAGGING violent spouses with electronic bracelets could be trialled in France, says Family Minister Nadine Morano.The minister told the newspaper Le Figaro: I would like it to be taught to boys at ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Escaped wallaby tracked down]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/escaped-wallaby-tracked-down-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WALLABY called Will has been caught after spending 10 days hopping around the Charente countryside.The animals owner was on holiday when it escaped from its pen. It was later seen bounding thro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nature reserve hit by crude oil leak]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nature-reserve-hit-by-crude-oil-leak-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE government has promised more work to maintain the countrys network of oil pipelines after a major spill in a nature reserve.The Coussoulis de Crau reserve, in the Carmague national park between...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Son of Boche gets German nationality]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/son-of-boche-gets-german-nationality-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WAR baby Daniel Rouxel has become the first "Son of a Boche" to be given joint French and German nationality  more than six decades after his birth.The son of a French mother and a German Wehrmacht...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Toxic beach alert on Brittany coast]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/toxic-beach-alert-on-brittany-coast-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned to stay away from a number of beaches in Brittany because of toxic fumes from rotting seaweed. The problem has affected five beaches in the Côtes-dArmor, where thick ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sunday trading OK but no exceptions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-trading-ok-but-no-exceptions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NEW law on Sunday trading has been given the green light  apart from a section which took away power from the Mayor of Paris.France's constitutional guardians the conseil constititionnel said i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unmarked police cars catch 50,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unmarked-police-cars-catch-50000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GENDARMES in unmarked cars have caught a driver rolling along with his feet on the dashboard, another reading a newspaper at the wheel and many thousands chatting on their mobiles.Tests of unmarked ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Electricity prices to rise 1.9% ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/electricity-prices-to-rise-1.9-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE price of electricity for domestic EDF customers is expected to go up 1.9% on August 15.The rise, which is yet to be confirmed, would be slightly less than the 2% applied last summer  and well b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Virus wipes out Christmas oysters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/virus-wipes-out-christmas-oysters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OYSTER producers have warned they face going bust after millions of shellfish were wiped out by a virus for the second year running.The illness has hit between 50% and 80% of young oysters, dependin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drivers must slow in ozone alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drivers-must-slow-in-ozone-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS in the Ile-de-France, Var and Bouches-du-Rh&nbsp;ocirc;ne have been warned to slow down in an ozone pollution alert.The warning comes after air pollution monitors said ozone levels were abou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Extortion claim as speed fine rises]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/extortion-claim-as-speed-fine-rises-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAWYER caught in a speed trap has lodged a complaint of attempted extortion after a 135 fine was increased to 431 for non-payment.Pierre-François Divier had contested the original offence and se...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Three MPs come clean on expenses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-mps-come-clean-on-expenses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Three MPs have agreed to publish full details of their expenses online  but the other 574 are keeping quiet.Socialists Arnaud Montebourg, René Dosière and Jean-Jacques Urvoas have handed over the d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farmers refusing  to pay back grants]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-refusing-to-pay-back-grants-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRUIT and vegetable farmers have come to a stalemate with the Agriculture Ministry over whether or not they should pay back subsidies paid between 1992 and 2002.The EU has ordered that farmers shoul...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New national park to open in 2012]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-national-park-to-open-in-2012-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW national park crossing the border between the Haute-Marne and Côte-dOr departments has been announced by Prime Minister François Fillon.The 10,000-hectare Champagne et Bourgogne is expected t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Alert as folding chairs collapse]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/alert-as-folding-chairs-collapse-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPERMARKET giant Auchan has recalled folding garden chairs under the name of Papua because they can collapse.Several customers have already been caught out when the chairs gave way under them.The...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Euroferries set to start September 1]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euroferries-set-to-start-september-1-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROFERRIES has announced their Ramsgate to Boulogne high-speed ferry service will begin from the start of September.The firm has issued a press release stating its service will begin on September 1...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Car crash Brit in critical condition]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/car-crash-brit-in-critical-condition-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITISH tourist remains in a critical condition in hospital after being struck down by a drunk-driver in Rennes at the weekend.The 40-year-old man was trapped beneath the car following the acciden...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nine beaches shut by oil pollution]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nine-beaches-shut-by-oil-pollution-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NINE beaches have been closed at Marseille after storms dropped more than a months worth of rain in an hour and left them heavily polluted.The beaches at Huveaune, Borély, Bonnevein, Vieille Chapel...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands moved in Brest bomb hunt]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/thousands-moved-in-brest-bomb-hunt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[About 16,000 people in Brest were evacuated from their homes in a search operation for unexploded Second World War bombs.Mine disposal experts opened an 800-metre radius search area after preliminar...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-08-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Court accepts SMS  as divorce proof ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/court-accepts-sms-as-divorce-proof-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE'S appeal court has ruled that a text message can be used as evidence of an affair in divorce proceedings.The ruling stems from a case which hinged on a text which was found by a woman on her ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fruit n veg stalls special sale ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fruit-n-veg-stalls-special-sale-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRUIT and veg stalls can directly challenge supermarkets with a temporary law allowing them to set up in car parks across France over the next two weekends.A good harvest has produced an abundance o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Black days for national travel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/black-days-for-national-travel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE WORST weekend for French travel is underway.The crossover of the juilletistes and aoûtiens  (July and August holiday makers) will see 15 million people moving across the country over the weekend...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Surgery saves arm  from spider bite ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/surgery-saves-arm-from-spider-bite-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN'S arm has been saved after he was bitten by a poisonous spider in the south of France.However, despite the diagnosis of the Marseille anti-toxin centre that the venom found in the man's blood ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fireman started  blaze for 19 ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fireman-started-blaze-for-19-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO volunteer firefighters have admitted starting fires to boost their pay.The men, aged 22 and 25 face 15 years in prison for setting fires to earn a 19 and 38 call out bonus.They have admitte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy message  to ministers ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-message-to-ministers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NO FANCY holidays, stay contactable 24-hours a day and never be more than two hours flight from Paris, was the message from President Sarkozy to ministers at their last meeting before the summer brea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Burqas not a major problem - police ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/burqas-not-a-major-problem-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LESS than 370 women in France wear a burqa according to a police security agency estimation.The figure, quoted in today's  Le Monde newspaper comes less than a month after MPs created a commission t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Big discounts fail to lure shoppers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/big-discounts-fail-to-lure-shoppers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUMMER sales have not been the hoped-for success for prêt-à-porter and designer shops.Sales for the government-prescribed five-week period were down between 2 - 4% on last years totals with superma...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Privatisation of  La Poste returns ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/privatisation-of-la-poste-returns-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNIONS have promised to fight the privatisation of La Poste after the cabinet met this morning to discuss the procedure.The first stage, the transformation of the group into a 'société anonyme', was...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firefighters under arrest for arson]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/firefighters-under-arrest-for-arson-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO volunteer firemen are under arrest in Corsica  on suspicion of arson.The men are suspected of being responsible for three fires in southern Corsica in a week in mid-July. One, aged 22, has alre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drought warning  in the north ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drought-warning-in-the-north-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WATER restrictions have been put in place in 31 departments mostly in the north of France.The measures include a ban on washing cars, watering lawns or public parks and pavements and buildings not s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[High-speed Cav in Champs-Elysées win]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/high-speed-cav-in-champs-elyses-win-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN awe-inspiring finish Champs-Elysées saw British cyclist Mark Cavendish prove he is the fastest sprinter in the world as he won the final stage of the Tour de France.Manxman Cavendish is the first...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy released  from hospital]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-released-from-hospital-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy is to leave the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris today, 24 hours after he was taken ill while jogging.The president was taken in on Sunday afternoon after feeling ill while jogging i...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speeding drivers may get a break]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speeding-drivers-may-get-a-break-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS who break the speed limit by just a few kilometres per hour may not lose points from their licence for a first offence.A National Assembly committee voted to give motorists some leeway on a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Traffic congestion this weekend]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/traffic-congestion-this-weekend-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC conditions service Bison Futé has put in place orange and red alerts for congestion today and tomorrow.The problems are being caused by large numbers heading off for summer holidays as well ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Work absences up at Air France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/work-absences-up-at-air-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE hundred Air France planes took off in June without a full complement of cabin crew on board, twice the figure for the same period last year.Unions blame morale at the company following the cras...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Firefighters tame Marseille wildfire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/firefighters-tame-marseille-wildfire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIREFIGHTERS fought through the night to control a wildfire that was raging towards the eastern suburbs of Marseille.The fire, which started in the Carpiagne military camp, destroyed 1,100 hectares ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tobacco is up  for cigars only]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tobacco-is-up-for-cigars-only-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOBACCO prices have been readjusted  but only the price of cigars and cigarillos has gone up, by 4% on average.The price of cigarettes has remained stable and some brands of rolling tobacco have ev...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[51,000 businesses started in June]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/51000-businesses-started-in-june-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE THAN 51,000 new businesses were created in June â marking a massive increase in new starts since the creation of the auto-entrepreneur status in January.That is a 5.8% increase over May, whic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GPs to deal with  swine flu cases]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gps-to-deal-with-swine-flu-cases-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FROM tomorrow GPs will be peoples main port of call if they suspect they have caught swine flu.The change  until now people had been urged to call 15 and arrange for a hospital visit  has cau...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris Plage opens with 1 ice creams]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-plage-opens-with-1-ice-creams-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE eighth annual Paris Plage has opened along the Seine between the Tuileries Gardens and the Henri IV Bridge and at the man-made Bassin de la Villette in the northeast of the city.More than 2,000 ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Industry minister  to meet protestors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/industry-minister-to-meet-protestors-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WORKERS at a bankrupt car parts firm who were threatening to blow up their factory with gas if they did not receive large pay-offs, have agreed to remove canisters and meet with the industry minister....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Five drowned and three missing]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/five-drowned-and-three-missing-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIVE people have died in two drowning accidents and another three are missing.Three young women  two of them pregnant  and a 15-year-old boy drowned at Trouville in Normandy while swimming in an u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Madonna visits  injured in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/madonna-visits-injured-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MADONNA has visited the family of one of the men killed in last weeks accident when a section of staging collapsedThe star also went to two Marseille hospitals to visit the eight people who were in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy pays back 14k expenses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-pays-back-14k-expenses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has paid back 14,123 to the state after an audit found certain private expenses had been paid for by the state.The refund came immediately once the president was told about the ac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storm warning for tonight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storm-warning-for-tonight-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALMOST half of the departments of France have been placed on an orange weather alert with storm risks today (the third highest of four levels).The warning means be very careful, dangerous weather...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[700,000 watch free Hallyday concert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/700000-watch-free-hallyday-concert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FREE Johnny Hallyday concert attracted 700,000 spectators in the Champ de Mars, next to the Eiffel Tower last night.The numbers beat a previous record turnout of 600,000 in 2007 at the same spot f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Speed limit cut on the A8]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speed-limit-cut-on-the-a8-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SPEED limit on the A8 motorway has been reduced to 110kmph on its 24km stretch through the Alpes-Maritimes.The aim of the reduction  from a previous maximum of 130kmph  is to reduce the number...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dordogne recovers from violent storm]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dordogne-recovers-from-violent-storm-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DORDOGNE is recovering and picking up debris from the storm that struck the department on Monday when several houses were struck by lightning.About 100 homes still had no electricity last night ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prime à la casse  to be phased out]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prime-la-casse-to-be-phased-out-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BONUS for handing in an old, polluting car for scrapping at the same time as buying a new, eco-friendly one, will be phased out progressively.It was originally planned that the prime à la casse  ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New Bac figures show 86% pass]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-bac-figures-show-86-pass-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UPDATED figures for the Baccalauréat exams show a record 86% of candidates passed with all exam kinds combined.This compares with 83.7% in 2008 and 2007.The figures follow the épreuves orales de r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fête Nationale gets under way]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fte-nationale-gets-under-way-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INDIA is the guest of honour at this years celebrations for Frances Fête Nationale  the traditional procession on the Champs Elysées will be lead by 450 Indian soldiers in full dress, accompanied b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Swine flu outbreak at holiday camp]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/swine-flu-outbreak-at-holiday-camp-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWENTY four children and three adult organisers have contracted "swine flu" at a childrens holiday camp in Mégève, Haute-Savoie.The outbreak is the worst so far since the first cases of the illness...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy interview broadcast tonight]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-interview-broadcast-tonight-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has opted for a recorded interview to be broadcast tonight rather than the traditional live one from the Elysée on July 14.The president gave a half-hour interview to France 5, whi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Maximum security for grands départs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/maximum-security-for-grands-dparts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 13,000 police and gendarmes will be on the roads this weekend in a bid to keep traffic moving for the grands departs (people leaving for their summer holidays).They will be targeting speeding...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[20% rise in EDF  prices intolerable]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/20-rise-in-edf-prices-intolerable-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE president of the Commission of Economic Affairs, Patrick Ollier, has declared the proposed 20% rise in EDF prices over three years as untenable for customers, and unacceptable.He reacted stron...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More students get top grades]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-students-get-top-grades-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIFTY-NINE per cent of those passing the baccalauréat general this year did so with a mention  that is one of the highest grades.That compares to 49% who got a mention in 2008. It confirms a trend ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French voted worst tourists]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-voted-worst-tourists-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH people are the worlds worst tourists according to an international study among hotel staff.The survey, by TNS INfratest for the online travel company Expedia, concluded that the French were ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EDF wants to hike power prices 20%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-wants-to-hike-power-prices-20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POWER giant EDF wants to raise its prices by 20% over the next three years so that it can clear its debts  and it has warned the government that if the rise is refused then it will have to cut invest...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senate votes  through Hadopi 2]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/senate-votes-through-hadopi-2-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SENATORS have voted through the Hadopi 2 law, which will allow judges to impose punishments on those found to have made illegal downloads.The law is a complement to the Hadopi 1 law, setting up a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bac results out and up on 2008]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bac-results-out-and-up-on-2008-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Bac results are out and 78.4% of students succeeded at their first try at the general baccalauréat  which is a 2.9% rise on last year.Youngest of the 622,322 who passed was a 13-year-old from N...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lacroix fêted at lastshow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lacroix-fted-at-lastshow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STANDING ovation and banners saying Christian Lacroix Forever summed up the feelings at what could be Christian Lacroixs last fashion show as the audience gave their support to the beleaguered fa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hospitals and  clinics 'at war']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hospitals-and-clinics-at-war-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOSPITAL bosses have complained of a real attack by private clinics who have accused them of being too expensive in a publicity campaign.We do not at all do the same thing, said Claude Evin, pre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cups of coffee can halt Alzheimer's]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cups-of-coffee-can-halt-alzheimers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO strong coffees a day can help reverse Alzheimers, according to research just published.However, as with all food stories, there are no guarantees: the research has, so far, only looked at mice....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bankruptcies up  15% on 2008]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bankruptcies-up-15-on-2008-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIFTEEN per cent more French businesses went bankrupt in the second quarter of 2009 compared to 2008.A total of 14,000 firms went bankrupt in the period. The worst hits areas are industry (non-food)...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sunday working debate this week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-working-debate-this-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DEBATE on Sunday working gets under way again today in the National Assembly.The debates are expected to last until Saturday, so this week will be a decisive one in the long-running battle over libe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fruit prices fall after good harvest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fruit-prices-fall-after-good-harvest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GOOD fruit harvests have meant cheaper prices in the shops  up to 30% of a reduction since last year  and consumers are refusing to pay more for in-demand goods.Prices for fruit such as apricots h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[FN loses election  in Pas-de-Calais]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fn-loses-election-in-pas-de-calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRONT National has lost a crucial town council election. The far right-wing party was hoping to take its first town council in more than a decade in the elections at Hénin-Beaumont in Pas-de-Cal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Passengers injured in collision]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/passengers-injured-in-collision-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE train carriages were derailed and 13 passengers were injured after a farm trailer of hay fell onto the tracks near Limoges.Out of 450 passengers travelling from Paris to Cahors, most were unha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[40 masked raiders  steal from shop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/40-masked-raiders-steal-from-shop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORTY masked people walked out of a Leclerc supermarket in the Ile-de-France with 9,000 worth of goods.The thieves entered the supermarket in Etampes in the department of Essonne and grabbed electr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nutella sales are spreading]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nutella-sales-are-spreading-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NUTELLA sales are spreading and have risen 6% over the past year as it beats the sales crunch.The hazelnut-chocolate spread has grabbed 90% of the market for pâtes à tartiner (spreads) in France.N...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Atlantic crash jet fell like a stone]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/atlantic-crash-jet-fell-like-a-stone-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRASH investigators say the Air France jet that plunged into the Atlantic off Brazil killing all 228 on board fell like a stone and the people on board did not even have time to fix their seat belts...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Car scrapping boosts new sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/car-scrapping-boosts-new-sales-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAR sales have been boosted due to the effects of prime à la casse  money paid for scrapping an old car  with sales up 7% in June.The latest rise has meant that over the past six months new car sa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Roaming phone charges chopped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/roaming-phone-charges-chopped-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOBILE phone call roaming charges have been cut due to the European Unions new maximum tariffs.Making calls now costs a maximum of 43 centimes a minute (down from 46) within the EU while receiving ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New carbon tax discussed today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-carbon-tax-discussed-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TODAY and tomorrow a conference of experts is being held in Paris to discuss a new tax on carbon emissions.The idea of a carbon tax (officially contribution climat-énergie) was one of the key elemen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants' VAT cut from today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurants-vat-cut-from-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TODAY sees the start of the national reduction of VAT on restaurant prices  although many establishments have had reduced prices in place for several weeks.Eating out should become cheaper as the t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Carrefour starts  economy drive]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/carrefour-starts-economy-drive-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE BOSS of giant French supermarket chain Carrefour has pledged to reinvent the company and make it more loved, faced with dropping profits.Carrefour, Europes biggest supermarket company, saw ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Study reveals police racism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/study-reveals-police-racism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE who are of North African or black origin are respectively eight and six times more likely to be checked by the police than white people, a study has shown.The study by the CNRS, Frances larg...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-07-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[South-east TGV route is picked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/south-east-tgv-route-is-picked-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE ROUTE of a new high-speed rail link across the South-east will pass through Marseilles and Toulon on its way to Nice.The route will make it possible to reach Paris from Nice in 3hrs 50mins compa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Extradition plea on Dordogne murder]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/extradition-plea-on-dordogne-murder-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITISH labourer arrested at Luton Airport after the murder of a retired British engineer in the Dordogne is facing extradition to France.French and British legal authorities are trying to decide ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deckchairs can cut fingers off]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/deckchairs-can-cut-fingers-off-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUSTOMERS who bought wooden deckchairs from DIY giant Castorama have been warned they could lose their fingers if the chairs have not been assembled correctly.Castorama told customers to check chili...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Debate starts on national loan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/debate-starts-on-national-loan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT wants to borrow millions from the people of the country next year in order to build the after-the-crisis-France.According to an IFOP survey, 17% are interested in the idea of loanin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Man arrested after Briton murdered]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/man-arrested-after-briton-murdered-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN has been arrested after a retired British engineer and golf course designer was found murdered in the Dordogne.Peter Fuller, 67, had been beaten over the head repeatedly with a blunt object....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[LD Lines Dover  Dieppe ferry axed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ld-lines-dover-dieppe-ferry-axed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FERRY company LD Lines is ending its Dover to Dieppe service today because it is under used.A spokesman for the company said that the service, launched in February, had not generated enough volume b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fête du Cinéma starts 7-day run]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fte-du-cinma-starts-7-day-run-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHEAP cinema seats and plenty of films to watch: thats the formula for the success of the Fête du Cinéma which starts tomorrow and, to mark its 25th anniversary, runs for seven days instead of three....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[First hurdles for business setup]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/first-hurdles-for-business-setup-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FIRST complications for Frances simplest method of setting up a business will come into force in 2010.As of next year, those signing up to the scheme will be registered with their local chambre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Shops cross fingers for sales]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shops-cross-fingers-for-sales-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUMMER sales have started in most parts of France.The winter and summer sales windows account for about 40% of annual turnover for shops  most of which takes place in the first week.Between Janua...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Blast factory boss faces jail term]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/blast-factory-boss-faces-jail-term-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUDGES have been asked to jail the boss of the AZF chemical fertiliser plant for three years after the 2001 blast at Toulouse that killed 31 people, injured more than 2,000 and devastated 30,000 homes...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Better recycling cuts down rubbish]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/better-recycling-cuts-down-rubbish-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WE are still throwing away too much rubbish in France - 391kg per person per year - despite a rise in recycling.The French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe) says 37.8 million tonnes o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eight out in  cabinet reshuffle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eight-out-in-cabinet-reshuffle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NEPHEW of former French President François Mitterrand, Frédéric Mitterrand has been appointed the new minister of culture in a cabinet reshuffle.Eight ministers have been replaced by President N...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Historic speech fails to impress]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/historic-speech-fails-to-impress-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy left many commentators struggling to find positive words as he made history by addressing both houses of parliament at Versailles.He had given himself the opportunity to spell out ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Green film pushed by minister]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/green-film-pushed-by-minister-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PREFECTS were asked to screen the environmental film Home in towns ahead of the EU elections by the Ministry for Ecology.Ecology Minister and UMP party member Jean-Louis Borloo has admitted his depa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Headaches after Fête de la Musique]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/headaches-after-fte-de-la-musique-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE woke up bleary-eyed this morning after a day celebrating the Fête de la musique in sites ranging from the Elysee Palace to the tiniest back street.There were more than 15,000 free concerts thr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More TV shows for blind viewers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-tv-shows-for-blind-viewers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TV CHANNELS will soon have to broadcast a fixed number of programmes accessible to blind viewers.A new law will bring France in line with other countries which set a quota of programmes broadcast wi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Asylum seekers up after 3 year drop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/asylum-seekers-up-after-3-year-drop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ASYLUM seekers have risen in France by 20% in the past year, with the greatest number coming from Russia, the Balkans and Turkey.Figures from independent public body the Office français de protectio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hunt on for Vosges crocodile]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hunt-on-for-vosges-crocodile-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE hunt is on for what is thought to be a crocodile spotted in a pond in Xertigny in the Vosges.Several witnesses including the fire brigade, and the owner of the two-hectare Monnin pond, claim to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deputies back call for burqa inquiry]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/deputies-back-call-for-burqa-inquiry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DEPUTIES from left and right wings of the National Assembly have signed a call for a parliamentary inquiry into the burqa  the head-to-toe garment worn by some Muslim women.The move, which threaten...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobiles as travel passes in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobiles-as-travel-passes-in-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PASSENGERS travelling on public transport in Paris will soon be able to use their mobile phones as a travel card.It is hoped the technology, which will replace the current Navigo travel card (simila...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Elysée budget has soared nearly 20%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/elyse-budget-has-soared-nearly-20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN explosion of expenditure has seen the budget for running the Elysée soaring nearly 20% over the last year, according to a Socialist deputy who is a specialist on presidential financial affairs. ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France changes jet speed sensors]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-changes-jet-speed-sensors-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE has replaced all the pitot tubes in its long-distance A330 and A340 fleet, after they were implicated in the Rio-Paris tragedy in which 228 died.The speed sensors had been previously repo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prosecutors demand end of Scientology]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prosecutors-demand-end-of-scientology-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Church of Scientology in France should be dissolved due to alleged fraudulent activities, the Paris public prosecution service has demanded.The demand has been made as part of a court hearing in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[June protests down in numbers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/june-protests-down-in-numbers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE LATEST day of protests against the governments economic policies saw less than 150,000 people take part  10% of the turnout for the May Day marches.The head of the CGT, one of Frances biggest...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Flu outbreak is a first in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flu-outbreak-is-a-first-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FIRST outbreak of swine flu to originate in France has been confirmed at a collège in the outskirts of Toulouse.Seven students are affected and were taken to hospital, along with five of their f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[President to make dual-house speech]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-to-make-dual-house-speech-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy will address both houses of parliament in a congress for the first time.The president was given the right to hold such an address (similar to the USAs state of the union speech)...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobile phone film festival in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobile-phone-film-festival-in-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FIFTH Festival Pocket Films is under way in Paris.	It is hosted by the Forum des Images on Rue du Cinéma in the capitals new cinema district and runs until June 14.This year more than 800 fil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-12</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New blow for internet law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-blow-for-internet-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CENTRAL pillar of a law cracking down on internet piracy has been ruled unconstitutional by Frances highest court.The Conseil constitutionnel has ruled that internet access is a human right and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farmers' blockade threatens shops]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-blockade-threatens-shops-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS plan to block over half the supply lines to supermarkets from today.They say supermarkets are responsible for a drop in their earnings.The blockade is likely to have an affect on weekend s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Harry Potter train touring France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/harry-potter-train-touring-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A HARRY Potter themed train will be steaming into cities across France to celebrate the release of the latest film.The special train celebrating the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[8million Picassos stolen from museum]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/8million-picassos-stolen-from-museum-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A THIEF has grabbed an 8million album of 33 Picasso sketches from a Paris museum display case while both CCTV and special alarms were switched off.The theft from the Picasso Museum in the Marais is...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Stars 'buy' fake boat permits]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/stars-buy-fake-boat-permits-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ACTORS, footballers and popstars are among those caught up in a police investigation of the sale of fake boat permits in Marseille.	Over the past three years maritime authority the Direction Régiona...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Wealth tax deadline June 15]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wealth-tax-deadline-june-15-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE who live in France have until June 15 to pay their impôt sur la fortune (wealth tax) if they are eligible.The tax has to be paid by all French-resident people with total net assets that were ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2m fraud Briton jailed for 2 years]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2m-fraud-briton-jailed-for-2-years-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BRITON who swindled 2million from fellow expats in the Dordogne has been jailed for two years by a court in Bordeaux.Warren Templeton, 54, walked free from the court, however, as he was not commi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EU says no to mixed rosé]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eu-says-no-to-mixed-ros-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to make rosé from mixing red wine with white have been knocked back by the European Commission.French wine producers protested over the proposals after the Commission initially indicated they ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Union calls pilots to boycott Airbus]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/union-calls-pilots-to-boycott-airbus-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A trade union has urged pilots to boycott the Airbus model involved in last months Air France crash until safety improvements have been completed.In a memo posted on its website, Alter condemned Ai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Greens surprise in EU elections ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/greens-surprise-in-eu-elections-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE centre-right UMP party has dominated France's EU election vote with 27.8% of the vote, well ahead of nearest rivals the Socialist Party who picked up 16.4%The Socialist Party, formerly France's...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Green and centrist exchange insults]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/green-and-centrist-exchange-insults-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLITICIANS François Bayrou and Daniel Cohn-Bendit exchanged insults on a political debate programme last night.Green MEP Cohn-Bendit said after the show A Vous de Juger he thought Bayrou had gone ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Open weekend for butchers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/open-weekend-for-butchers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 1,000 butchers across France are holding open door events this weekend.The Confédération Française de la Boucherie Charcuterie Traiteurs  (CFBCT)has organised the event to promote recruitment...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Watch 24 hours of  ocean projects]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/watch-24-hours-of-ocean-projects-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Musée Nausicaä will be holding a special online event touring oceans of the world on Monday, June 8 to celebrate World Oceans Day.The 24 hours in the Ocean tour, which can be watched on www.naus...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Parachute drop  starts D-Day event]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parachute-drop-starts-d-day-event-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MASS drop of parachutists and a beach invasion today marked the start of events in Normandy for the 65th anniversary of D-Day.Veterans were gathering for memorial services at the Arromanches bea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Reality TV stars win jobs battle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/reality-tv-stars-win-jobs-battle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STARS of the reality TV show Temptation Island have set a precedent in winning their five-year court battle to be treated as staff of the TV company.The court of appeal decision against production c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Clerical error  loses 2.5 billion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/clerical-error-loses-2.5-billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CLERICAL error may have cost the tax payer 2.5 billion.The figure is an estimation put together by the newspaper Le Canard enchaîné to counter claims by the agency responsible, Cnav, that the err...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protesting dairy  farmers reach deal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/protesting-dairy-farmers-reach-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAIRY farmers protesting over falling wholesale milk prices have struck an agreement with the government after last-ditch talks late last night.The Ministry of Agriculture announced an agreement wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prefect assassin   targets president]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prefect-assassin-targets-president-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CORSICAN nationalist Yvan Colonna goes to court today in the second round of his civil case accusing President Nicolas Sarkozy of infringing his right to a presumption of innocence.Colonna was found...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rapid lycée reform needed says report]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rapid-lyce-reform-needed-says-report-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BETTER careers advice and changes to the system of different study options leading to the baccalauréat should be the priorities for a reform of lycée schooling, says a new report.Just leaving things...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Charles to be at D-Day events]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/charles-to-be-at-d-day-events-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRINCE Charles will attend the D-Day commemorations on June 6 following an initial snub of the Royal Family by the French government.Controversy over the commemorations broke out when it was reveale...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[RSA income support comes into force]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rsa-income-support-comes-into-force-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE  revenu de solidarité active income support scheme has come into force to streamline payments made to the unemployed and to those starting work.Anyone over 25, or with a child, receiving less th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Holiday confusion over June day off]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/holiday-confusion-over-june-day-off-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CHANGE in the law has transformed the Pentecost public holiday into a confusing situation where government officies close but many private companies remain open.June 1 was once a holiday, then a w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-06-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dame Vera shocked by D-Day decision]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dame-vera-shocked-by-d-day-decision-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORCES sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn is disgusted at the snub delivered to the Royal Family and UK veterans as France sought to distance Britain from the 65th commemoration of the D-Day landings.Dame ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[1 flights sale at Charles de Gaulle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/1-flights-sale-at-charles-de-gaulle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of air tickets are going up for sale at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport - with prices from as low as 1 to fly to New York or Madrid.The airport is selling 300 tickets by auction on June 20...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No sides in D-Day ceremonies]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-sides-in-d-day-ceremonies-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LEADING organisers of D-Day commemorations at the Normandy landing beaches say Britain will be as much a part of the event as America after yesterdays snub by the government.Following comments by g...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Voice your disgust at France's stance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/voice-your-disgust-at-frances-stance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BELOW is a letter expressing the sentiment felt by many British people on hearing that the June 6 commemoration of D-Day was first and foremost a Franco-American ceremony.The post and email addres...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Awareness plea of sun bed dangers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/awareness-plea-of-sun-bed-dangers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE French Academy of Medicine has reissued warnings over the dangers of using sun beds saying skin cancer cases have doubled in the past 10 years.It comes as an annual national day of screening tak...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[D-Day ceremony just US and France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/d-day-ceremony-just-us-and-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRENCH government has delivered a new snub to British veterans by claiming its D-Day commemorations were primarily a French-American affair.While assuring that the Queen Elizabeth II would be n...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Digital radio roll out begins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/digital-radio-roll-out-begins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DIGITAL radio broadcasts will begin in Paris, Nice and Marseille before the end of 2009, it has been announced.The Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), which oversees France's radio and TV broa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French lose their taste for wine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-lose-their-taste-for-wine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE AVERAGE French person drinks one glass of wine a day - compared to three glasses 50 years ago.Average wine consumption in the 1950s was 120 litres per person per year, a figure that has dropped ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[One bad turnout deserves another ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/one-bad-turnout-deserves-another-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNIONS have called for a fifth 'day of action' to protest the government's handling of the economic crisis following poor turnout at yesterday's protests.France's eight main unions have called for a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Trains services disrupted]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/trains-services-disrupted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN services are being disrupted as main rail unions go on strike.The SNCF said they expect about 75% of TGVs to be running, 50% of regional TER trains and 60% of Transilien services in the Ile-de...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Connexion office move in progress]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/connexion-office-move-in-progress-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION is moving offices over the next few days.This is likely to result in a few communication problems as we transfer our phone numbers.Please bear with us. In the meantime you can always...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dairy farmers fail in price protests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dairy-farmers-fail-in-price-protests-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTING dairy farmers have failed to win European action to boost milk prices despite widespread blockades and street demonstrations.Angry farmers brought dairies to a halt across Europe as they ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mystery surrounds customs raid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mystery-surrounds-customs-raid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUSTOMS denies it was responsible for a raid targeting businessmen on the TGV Paris-Geneva line.Around 20 alleged customs officers boarded the train at Bellegarde last month targeting passengers rep...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Confiscation for road offences]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/confiscation-for-road-offences-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PEOPLE who commit serious motoring offences would have their cars confiscated, then sold for the state or destroyed, under a new law being presented to Parliament.Driving with no licence  whether b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Millions take to streets and party]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/millions-take-to-streets-and-party-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than six million people will get together for street parties tomorrow to mark the 10th Fête des Voisins.The party is spreading throughout Europe, too. Last year the six million French people ta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Outcry as police question children]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/outcry-as-police-question-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE in the Gironde have been criticised after they questioned children aged six and ten for two hours on suspicion of having stolen bicycles.The boys were taken into the station for questioning a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Private rail row  after crash delays]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/private-rail-row-after-crash-delays-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN official inquiry is to be launched into the midweek rail crash that blocked the Paris-Bordeaux line and delayed about 30,000 travellers.Two freight trains were involved and sparked claims the pri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pilots strike may  cause summer chaos]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pilots-strike-may-cause-summer-chaos-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PILOTS union is threatening national strikes for the first four weekends of the summer break, according to La Tribune.The Syndicat national des pilotes de ligne (SNPL) has threatened to strike ev...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Town is put up for sale on eBay]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/town-is-put-up-for-sale-on-ebay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN has been put up for sale on eBay as a protest against the mayors plan to build a biogas plant to treat household waste.Lamorlaye, a town in Picardy of 9,000 inhabitants, was offered at a sta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions call for  two more protests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-call-for-two-more-protests-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCES eight leading unions are calling for more national protests, on May 26 and June 13.The protests are in the context of dissatisfaction over the governments and bosses handling of the econo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Website of lazy  MPs threatened]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/website-of-lazy-mps-threatened-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WEBSITE following MPs who sit back during debates has been threatened with a 100,000 fine from one of its targets.Website www.deputesgodillots.info run by two founders operating under the pseudon...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Hard' driving test made easier]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hard-driving-test-made-easier-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE driving test is to be changed to simplify the questions and to give examiners more say on deciding competent drivers.More than a third of the 514 possible test questions will be affected by prop...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ryanair to charge £5 to check in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ryanair-to-charge-5-to-check-in-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RYANAIR starts charging a £5 fee to check-in online from today.The airline has also announced it will abolish all its airport check-in desks by October 1, making the charge effectively compulsory....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Row over TGV food contract]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/row-over-tgv-food-contract-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CATERING staff on TGVs are striking over the quality of food being served to customers and workers rights after a new company was awarded the contract.Catering company Crémonini was given the contr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[University strikes draw to close]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/university-strikes-draw-to-close-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNIVERSITIES leading the protest movement against plans to reform higher education have agreed to reopen after months of closure.The most radical establishments, including Lille III, Paris III and P...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hard driving  test made easier]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hard-driving-test-made-easier-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE driving test is to be changed to simplify the questions and to give examiners more say on deciding competent drivers.More than a third of the 514 possible test questions will be affected by prop...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Forestry jobs get 100million boost]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/forestry-jobs-get-100million-boost-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE forestry industry is to get a massive boost worth 100-150million to safeguard up to 450,000 jobs.Although the industry is the third largest in Europe it is amongst the least productive. France ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sunday trading on  agenda  again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-trading-on-agenda-again-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FOURTH, and greatly watered down, version of a law opening up Sunday trading has been presented to parliament.In an effort to keep all parties happy the law as it stands would change little from t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bruni calls for  Suu Kyis release]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bruni-calls-for-suu-kyis-release-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CARLA Bruni-Sarkozy has sent an open letter to the government of Burma demanding the release of democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.In the letter, the wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed that...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rail strike set for May 26]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rail-strike-set-for-may-26-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAILWORKERS unions have called a national strike on Tuesday May 26.A spokesman for one of the unions, Unsa, said a declaration of intention to strike had been made to the SNCF management. It was now...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Farmers angry at  falling milk price]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/farmers-angry-at-falling-milk-price-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAIRY farmers are taking to the streets this week to protest tumbling prices, which they say have fallen 30% in the past month.A day of action has been called for tomorrow and farmers have already s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Kaas disappointed at Eurovision 8th]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/kaas-disappointed-at-eurovision-8th-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SINGER Patricia Kaas is disappointed with her 8th place at the Eurovision Song Contest after her song Et s'il fallait le faire (And if it had to be done) received 107 points.Kaas counts Russian Prim...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[LOreal loses its  eBay court case ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/loreal-loses-its-ebay-court-case-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EBAY has been cleared in a French court over the sale of fake L'Oreal products online.The ruling in the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance  the highest court in France  overturned a previous court ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chance to spend night in a museum]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chance-to-spend-night-in-a-museum-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOMORROW (Saturday) is the fifth annual Nuit des Musées (Museums Night).It is a chance for a free evening visit to one of hundreds of museums and historic sites around France.To make the event uni...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nature festival is open to all]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nature-festival-is-open-to-all-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE third annual Nature Festival will be taking place all over the country this weekend. It is a chance for families to learn about flora and fauna and how to protect natural habitats.Several thousa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[May 19 deadline for UK EU vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/may-19-deadline-for-uk-eu-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[IF YOU are not registered to vote in France  the deadline for British citizens to sign up for a postal or proxy vote in the UK is May 19.EU citizens living in France are able to vote in local and E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Midi-Pyrénées  on flood warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/midi-pyrnes-on-flood-warning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE departments of Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées in the Midi-Pyrénées have been placed on orange alert due to flood risks.This weather warning level (higher than green or yellow, lower than red)...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy visit cost 2.35m claims MP]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-visit-cost-2.35m-claims-mp-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozys visit to Nancy on Tuesday generated an economic loss of 2.35 million euros, the opposition has claimed.Socialist party MP for the Meurthe-et-Moselle Jean-Yves Le Déaut claimed ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs lift net surf ban during debates]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mps-lift-net-surf-ban-during-debates-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MPs will be allowed to surf the internet in the National Assembly debating chamber, it has been agreed.A group of MPs from both all parties has lifted the ban  enforced by an electronic block in th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cops fail to solve 80% of burglaries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cops-fail-to-solve-80-of-burglaries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE performance figures show that 80% of cases of burglary, vandalism and automobile and motorbike theft go unsolved.The figures from the National Research Institute for Delinquency reveal nearly...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Discrimination at work on the up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/discrimination-at-work-on-the-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than one employee in four in the private sector claims to have been a victim of discrimination, according to latest figures from anti-discrimination body La Halde.Some 28% of private sector wor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[President backs  down on hospitals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-backs-down-on-hospitals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOSPITAL directors will not become absolute despots under forthcoming health sector reforms, President Sarkozy has insisted.The president has spoken out to calm fears of opponents to the Hôpital, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No degrees for  student protesters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-degrees-for-student-protesters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Xavier Darcos has warned protesting students that those who have brought universities to a standstill will be refused their degrees.He claimed that 28 out of the 85 universities a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[40,000 crashes  due to animals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/40000-crashes-due-to-animals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 40,000 road accidents were caused last year by collisions between drivers and wild animals.Wild boars are the main culprits, closely followed by deer.Head of compensation at the Fonds de ga...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Driver fined 750 for doing 246km/h]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driver-fined-750-for-doing-246kmh-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DRIVER has been fined 750 and banned after being caught doing 246km/h (153mph) on the motorway.The 29-year-old, from Luxembourg, had gone through a radar trap in his Mercedes at 176km/h and was t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Wolf shot after attack complaints]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wolf-shot-after-attack-complaints-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOLF shot in the Haute-Savoie is the first to be killed by state hunters.Since 2008, six authorisations to kill wolves have been issued in areas in France but none of them have resulted in a death...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Worlds largest diet study begins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/worlds-largest-diet-study-begins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ORGANISERS of a major new online study of dietary habits are hoping 500,000 people in France will sign up to take part.	It is planned that  NutriNet-Santé  will become the worlds largest-ever nutri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Open day at opera houses on May 9]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/open-day-at-opera-houses-on-may-9-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OPERA houses across the country will open their doors to the public for free events on May 9.The event Tous à lOpéra! allows visitors to go behind the scenes with back stage tours, see rehearsals a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Milk recalled in chemical scare]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/milk-recalled-in-chemical-scare-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DAIRY giant Candia has recalled thousands of cartons of Viva and Grandlait milk because they could cause stomach problems.The company  which is the number one milk producer in France  has asked cu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Family carriages launched on TGV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/family-carriages-launched-on-tgv-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FAMILY-only carriages have been launched on two TGV lines between Paris and Marseille and Paris and Montpellier.The 4,400 seats went on sale yesterday for journeys taking place every Saturday betwee...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Roquefort relief over trade deal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/roquefort-relief-over-trade-deal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROQUEFORT cheese will not be subjected to a 300% duty charge after the EU and US reached a new deal over beef trade.Earlier this year the US had threatened to slap high tariffs on EU goods, includin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Stamp marks last  tour by Hallyday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/stamp-marks-last-tour-by-hallyday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FACE of French rock legend Johnny Hallyday will adorn a stamp marking his final tour, which begins tomorrow.The accolade is very rare during a persons life and marks the iconic status in France...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Postal sell-off plan is postponed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/postal-sell-off-plan-is-postponed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS for the controversial privatisation of La Poste have been postponed until after the European elections.The government wants to change the status of La Poste from établissement public to sociét...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bargain Caribbean breaks on offer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bargain-caribbean-breaks-on-offer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CARIBBEAN holidays from 489 for a week are on offer over the next nine days in an effort to boost tourism to the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique.A range of tour operators a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet law vote put back a week]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-law-vote-put-back-a-week-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VOTE on the proposed law to tackle piracy on the internet has been put back by one week.The vote was due to take place this afternoon, however president of the Assembly Bernard Accoyer said that d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Relaxed speeding laws proposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/relaxed-speeding-laws-proposed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTORISTS who exceed the speed limit by less than 5km would not be punished under a proposed change to speeding laws.The idea comes from Senator Nicolas About (Union Centriste) who has said the exis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prison guards and police clash]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prison-guards-and-police-clash-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of prison guards went head to head with police as they blockaded jails in a four-day protest over overcrowding and violent attacks.They set up barricades to block access to Europes largest...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Calls to tackle carte vitale fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/calls-to-tackle-carte-vitale-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INADEQUETE checks by social security authorities leave the system open to abuse by foreigners, according to a confidential document obtained by Le Figaro.The préfecture de police de Paris (PP) looke...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[65% disappointed with Sarkozy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/65-disappointed-with-sarkozy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 65% of French people are disappointed with Nicolas Sarkozys performance as president according to a poll marking his second year in power.Only 24% of those polled say they are satisfied with ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions mull next protest moves]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-mull-next-protest-moves-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNIONS are meeting today to discuss future strike action following protests on May Day.Hundreds of thousands of people joined demonstrations to mark May Day across France  with the leaders of eight...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[10.3b EU aid for French agriculture]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/10.3b-eu-aid-for-french-agriculture-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FARMERS and other agriculture sector businesses in France received 10.3 billion in the last round of European subsidies.All European countries have been obliged to publish on the internet a list of...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-05-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Civil parternships to be recognised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/civil-parternships-to-be-recognised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH civil partners living in France are to have their relationship status recognised in France for the first time.While the UK government already recognises the French pacs the French government...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[35b for Paris transport network]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/35b-for-paris-transport-network-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS will stretch to the port of Le Havre with a new TGV link and canal link, while 140km of new metro tunnels will be built around the capital.A huge engineering project to revitalise the French c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Just one tax form to save trees]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/just-one-tax-form-to-save-trees-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FIRST income tax forms have now arrived in peoples letterboxes - and unlike in previous years there is only one of them.Cutting out the duplicate copy of the form is said to be an environmental...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet law back in assembly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-law-back-in-assembly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW to combat internet piracy, including disconnecting users caught downloading films and music illegally, has returned to the National Assembly.The Loi Hadopi was thrown out in a surprise vote by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UMP pays 30k for pirating MGMT hit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ump-pays-30k-for-pirating-mgmt-hit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE UMP party has agreed to pay 30,000 for using the MGMT hit Kids at political meetings without permission.According to France Info the amount was agreed after lawyers for the group took the party...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment rises by 63,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-rises-by-63000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNEMPLOYMENT in France has risen by 63,000 over the course of a month.Lastest figures from the Pôle Emploi show the number of category A jobseekers  those immediately ready to start work but unable...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions oppose  Sunday opening]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-oppose-sunday-opening-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNION leaders have denounced reform to Sunday trading laws which the government has said will be debated over the summer.	Work Minister Brice Hortefeux said a new law on Sunday opening will be unvei...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Doctors take to the streets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/doctors-take-to-the-streets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOCTORS and hospital staff are taking to the streets in Paris and across France today to protest planned cost-cutting reforms in the health service.They say Health Minister Roselyne Bachelots Hospi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants must lower prices]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurants-must-lower-prices-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RESTAURANTS must promise to drop their prices by at least 10% to earn a break on VAT.A drop in VAT rates from 19.6% to 5.5% could be seen in France as early as July 1.Commerce Minister Hervé Novel...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ex-PM launches presidential bid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ex-pm-launches-presidential-bid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FORMER French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is set to challenge in the 2012 presidential campaign.He has been an outspoken opponent of President Nicolas Sarkozy and had been touted as a candi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax forms going out from today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tax-forms-going-out-from-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAX forms for 2008 income will go out to households in France from today.People have until midnight on May 29 to return the forms to their local centre des impôts, and a bit longer if they declare b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New elections for Perpignan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-elections-for-perpignan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW municipal elections must be held in Perpignan after the Conseil dEtat  ruled that last years were invalid after a polling station officer was found with votes stuffed into his socks.Last March...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New swim record in 100m freestyle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-swim-record-in-100m-freestyle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH swimmer Alain Bernard has become the first to beat 47seconds for the 100metre freestyle  but his new 46.94sec world record is not yet confirmed because he was wearing a swimsuit that had not b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Billion euro boost for jobless youth]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/billion-euro-boost-for-jobless-youth-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BILLION euros is to be injected into methods of getting young people back into work.The plans, revealed by President Sarkozy today, follow figures which showed the number of under-25s looking for ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Europe cuts cost of text messages]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/europe-cuts-cost-of-text-messages-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TEXT messages inside Europe will be 60% cheaper from this summer  with roaming texts costing just 0.11 excluding tax compared with the present 0.28.A vote in the European Parliament also prepares...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Personal debt law proposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/personal-debt-law-proposed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSED law on personal loans would give more rights to borrowers and more obligations to lenders.Among the measures to be discussed in June are: &nbsp;#61550; Banks should stress to borrowers ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Sham' debate on  masts and mobiles ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sham-debate-on-masts-and-mobiles-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DEBATE on the risks of phone masts and mobile phones taking place today has been labelled a masquerade by public health campaigners.Associations campaigning over potential health risks have ridi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[200 migrants arrested in Calais]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/200-migrants-arrested-in-calais-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY 200 migrants were arrested in the Calais area yesterday in a major police operation.	They are being kept in police custody for questioning at Calais, Coquelles, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Lille.T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Body anatomy exhibition banned]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/body-anatomy-exhibition-banned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE controversial anatomy show Our Body: The Universe Within has been ordered to close in Paris over claims it showed no respect for the dead  and fears it used the bodies of executed prisoners.O...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Barrier-free tolls tested at Antibes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/barrier-free-tolls-tested-at-antibes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN eco-friendly motorway toll system allowing drivers to pay without stopping is being trialled in the south of France.The Free Flow system, which is already in place in other parts of Europe, Ame...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy in gang violence talks]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-in-gang-violence-talks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy visits Nice today to lead talks on tackling urban violence.As well as inaugurating a new local police force, he will take part in a discussion on public safety and reducing...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Power workers play Robin Hood]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/power-workers-play-robin-hood-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POWER and gas workers are taking industrial action today and Thursday after negotiations between EDF, GDF and unions broke down again.It is the third week of action by unions over demands for a 1,5...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Stamp honour for black author]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/stamp-honour-for-black-author-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WRITER and philosopher Aimé Césaire will appear on two million stamps issued to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.Only former presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand have b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New work rules on  nurse placement]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-work-rules-on-nurse-placement-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NURSES will have their choice of working locations limited by a new law that came into effect this week.The measures have been introduced to improve the spread of nurses across France, In very ov...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[25,000 jobs for youth volunteers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/25000-jobs-for-youth-volunteers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy is planning to create work for more than 25,000 young people as paid charity volunteers to help on environmental initiatives, with old people or in schools.His proposals would mean 5...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Gas and power cuts as workers strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gas-and-power-cuts-as-workers-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ABOUT 65,500 homes and a hospital have suffered sporadic cuts in electricity and gas supplies as workers at EDF and GDF go on strike.A spokesman for ErDF, a subsidiary of EDF that oversees the distr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Complaints hotline for La Poste]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/complaints-hotline-for-la-poste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LA Poste wants to create a centralised complaints centre, cut waiting times to under eight minutes and open all Paris post offices late.The complaints centre will be setup by the end of 2009, with c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Lift ban on jobs for foreigners]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/lift-ban-on-jobs-for-foreigners-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEVEN million professional positions such as architect, vet, doctor and lawyer currently closed to foreigners should be opened up, a discrimination watchdog has told the government.Anti-discriminati...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[More blockades  expected at ports]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-blockades-expected-at-ports-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FISHERMEN at the Channel ports of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais have threatened more blockades to come.	The comments came as traffic returned to normal at Calais, Dunkerque and Boulogne-sur-Mer after two d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Boulogne port still blocked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/boulogne-port-still-blocked-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FERRY services at Dunkerque and Calais have resumed this morning after fishermen temporarily lifted a blockade of the ports.The port of Boulogne-sur-Mer remains completely blocked to traffic, includ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fake degrees claim probed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fake-degrees-claim-probed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HUNDREDS of Chinese students may have paid an average of 2,700 to buy their business studies degrees at the University of Toulon.Public prosecutors and the Ministry of Education are already investi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Countryside leads jobs creation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/countryside-leads-jobs-creation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CORSICA and Bourgogne are Frances top regions for creating new businesses.The largely rural regions came ahead of the traditional economic engines of the Ile-de-France, Rhône-Alpes and Provence-A...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Piracy law back on political agenda]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/piracy-law-back-on-political-agenda-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A LAW to cut off the internet accounts of users caught downloading illegally which was rejected in a surprise vote last week is to go before MPs again before the end of the month.A meeting of party ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No-show MPs may face fines]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-show-mps-may-face-fines-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MPS who are repeatedly absent from the National Assembly may face financial penalties.Secretary of state charged with parliamentary relations Roger Karoutchi announced he would like to see financia...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Exploding coffee makers recalled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/exploding-coffee-makers-recalled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OWNERS of Philips Senseo coffee machines have been warned to check their machines after seven million machines were recalled due to an explosion riskMachines affected were manufactured between July ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-15</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Red light radars being installed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/red-light-radars-being-installed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC light radars are to be installed to catch drivers who run red lights. Offenders will face fines of 135 and they will lose four penalty points from their licences.Four radars will be insta...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Livret A rate slashed to 1.75%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/livret-a-rate-slashed-to-1.75-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE interest rate for Livret A savings accounts is to drop to 1.75% on May 1, the lowest ever.The Socialists have criticised the governments decision to attack ordinary peoples savings. Howeve...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New number plates hit the road]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-number-plates-hit-the-road-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW number plates for cars will be introduced tomorrow.The new plates will be introduced on all new cars from Wednesday, and for second-hand cars from June 15.The number will no longer end with a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-14</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Burqa row returns  after housing ban]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/burqa-row-returns-after-housing-ban-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ANTI-discrimination group has said a housing bodys refusal to lodge a family because the mother wore a burqa is clear discrimination.According to newspaper le Canard Enchaîné the husband, wife a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[More poison pen  letters for MPs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/more-poison-pen-letters-for-mps-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE LETTERS containing bullets and threatening notes have been sent to politicians.President Sarkozy and UMP deputy of the Nord Christian Vanneste yesterday received threatening letters accompanied...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-10</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Internet users joy at law failure]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-users-joy-at-law-failure-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERNET users have been celebrating the National Assemblys rejection of the Hadopi law, which would have brought in new measures against illegal downloads.The Loi Création et Internet was reject...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Medical records to start in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/medical-records-to-start-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PERSONAL health records will be introduced to France through an online database which will be rolled out in 2010.The latest plan to introduce medical records into the French health service, which fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-10</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozys TV time faces guillotine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozys-tv-time-faces-guillotine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE AMOUNT of time the president talks in radio and TV broadcasts should be capped, according to Frances top administrative authority, the Conseil dEtat.The conseil has overruled a decision by bro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-09</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Obama eyes Sarkozy ear piece]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/obama-eyes-sarkozy-ear-piece-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE WHITE House has ordered a dozen inner ear piece for simultaneous translations after spotting Nicolas Sarkozy sporting the device at a Nato conference.According to Le Figaro newspaper, the head o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[State will pay for Strasbourg damage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/state-will-pay-for-strasbourg-damage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STRASBOURG will receive compensation for the damage caused by rioters during a Nato summit.The Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie has announced that the government will foot the bill after quest...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-08</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Protests against solidarity crime]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/protests-against-solidarity-crime-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTS are expected in 80 towns today against the fact it is a crime to help illegal immigrants.A collective of associations, including Emmaüs, La Cimade, Secours Catholique, and France Terre dAs...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sunday opening debated again]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-opening-debated-again-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE controversial question of relaxing Sunday opening is back on the political agenda.While the idea was shelved by the government at the end of last year following opposition from inside the ruling...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozys new phone unveiled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozys-new-phone-unveiled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMMUNICATIONS specialists have revealed the future mobile of Nicolas Sarkozy.The Ministry of Defence has ordered 14,100 of the latest phones  specially encrypted with their own network to increa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-07</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rioters must be punished severely]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rioters-must-be-punished-severely-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has said he wants to see perpetrators of violence at this weekends Nato summit in Strasbourg punished with the most extreme severity.Speaking on TF1 from Prague, where he is att...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Staff enjoy their working conditions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/staff-enjoy-their-working-conditions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 89% of staff say their conditions at work are good despite the financial crisis, according to a recent survey.The poll, taken by Obea-InfraForces for the newspaper and website 20 Minutes and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-06</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police use social networking sites]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-use-social-networking-sites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH police are using social networking websites to find information about people suspected of crimes.Why bother building up more and more police files when these days people just lay out their w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-03</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[France top asylum country in EU]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-top-asylum-country-in-eu-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is the most popular destination for people requesting asylum, according to a report by a refugee association.	The Office de protection des réfugiés et apatrides (Ofpra  Office for the protec...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-03</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Euroferries claims route imminent]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euroferries-claims-route-imminent-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROFERRIES Ramsgate to Boulogne ferry service, due to start April, remains unconfirmed.While the ferry company website says a service is imminent, the port of Boulogne will still not confirm any a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Amnesty condemns police violence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/amnesty-condemns-police-violence-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A REPORT published today by Amnesty International condemns police violence in France.The report, entitled France  police officers above the law includes case studies of deaths, excessive force and ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[National museums free for under 26s]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/national-museums-free-for-under-26s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NATIONAL museums and monuments will be free to enter for the under 26s from this weekend, the Ministry of Culture has announced.The new policy was announced at the beginning of the year but comes in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-02</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Worlds greenest officially opened]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/worlds-greenest-officially-opened-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE most energy efficient office block in the world opens today in Dijon.The 7 million Elithis Tower is fitted with 1,600 solar panels and will be open to scientists, researchers and universities w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Step-by-step guide to French tax form]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/step-by-step-guide-to-french-tax-form-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE CONNEXION has released its latest guide to the French tax declaration form.Every fiscal resident of France, whatever their nationality, must complete an income declaration to the tax authorities...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Eco-loans launch officially today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eco-loans-launch-officially-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ZERO interest loans for energy saving renovations should be available in banks from today.The government has officially published laws allowing the  éco-prêt à taux zéro which will be managed via ba...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Wildlife study launches today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wildlife-study-launches-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WILDLIFE survey launches today to gather information on life in gardens across France.The Observatoire des Papillons des Jardins asks people to keep an eye out for the different types of butterfly...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-04-01</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Green presenter in sustainable row ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/green-presenter-in-sustainable-row-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE phrase sustainable development has become nothing more than a cover up for polluting behaviour, according to environmental campaigner Nicolas Hulot.His attack on the overuse of the term comes ah...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Historic protest march on May day]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/historic-protest-march-on-may-day-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE LEADING French unions will march together on May 1 - la Fête du Travail - to mark concerns over the governments handling of the economic crisis.Union leaders say the arrangement is historic a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Happy Birthday Eiffel Tower]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/happy-birthday-eiffel-tower-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Eiffel tower celebrates its 120th birthday today with the start of a one-year project to repaint it. It is the 19th time the tower has been repainted in its unique brown colour which is designed...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mayotte votes to become department]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mayotte-votes-to-become-department-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MAYOTTE, an island between the north-west of Madagascar and the east African coast, will become Frances 101st department after a massive yes vote from the islanders.Ninety-five per cent of the is...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy plane fire delays trip ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-plane-fire-delays-trip-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ENGINE fire on the presidential plane delayed Nicolas Sarkozys state visit to Africa.Newspaper reports said the one-hour delay before boarding a different flight was enough to irritate Sarkozy, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Decree to limit directors' pay']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/decree-to-limit-directors-pay-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BOSSES of companies receiving state aid in the economic crisis are expected to have limits imposed by decree on the bonuses they can claim.A decree is a ruling by the prime minister or president wit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Facebook far-right gendarme suspended]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/facebook-far-right-gendarme-suspended-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A GENDARME who listed the Crusades, racist attacks and nationalism as interests on his Facebook profile has been suspended pending an inquiry.According to Le Monde newspaper, the officer also clai...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Illegal crucifix hidden in cupboard]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/illegal-crucifix-hidden-in-cupboard-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A VILLAGE in the Nord has placed a 1.2m crucifix inside a cupboard to get round a court ruling ordering it to be taken down.The town council of Wandignies in the Nord was told to take the religious ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-27</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Digital protest  over internet law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/digital-protest-over-internet-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTERS are organising file-sharing events in three major cities in France in protest at a new internet law that threatens to cut off users found downloading films and music illegally.Organisers ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Courteous driving  day today]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/courteous-driving-day-today-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTORISTS are being advised to stay zen while driving as part of a day of safety campaigning in France.The 10th  journée nationale de la courtoisie au volant - national day of courtesy at the whee...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New rail reduction card launched]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-rail-reduction-card-launched-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW kind of card offering reductions on train tickets has been launched, called a carte enfant famille.This is for families with relatively low incomes and at least one child under 18 but not enou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-26</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Police remove rainbow peace flag]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-remove-rainbow-peace-flag-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE officers have taken down a rainbow peace flag ahead of a Nato conference in Strasbourg, sparking a row over freedom of speech.The flag, which has been in the window of the Communist Party hea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Senate recognises foreign 'pacs']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/senate-recognises-foreign-pacs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Senate has voted to allow British and other foreign civil partnerships the same recognition in France as a French pacs.If this is given the final seal of approval in the National Assembly  as s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Quotas for driving offences revealed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/quotas-for-driving-offences-revealed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE are under pressure to hand out penalties to drivers in order to meet stringent quotas, a magazine has revealed.Unions have attacked road safety quotas which were revealed by magazine Auto Plu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-25</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Profit-sharing law to come in autumn]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/profit-sharing-law-to-come-in-autumn-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW company profit-sharing scheme will be discussed in the autumn, President Sarkozy has announced during a speech on the economy attacking both unions and irresponsible company directors. Sarko...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[10m compensation  for nuclear tests]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/10m-compensation-for-nuclear-tests-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[10 MILLION has been set aside this year in the start of a major drive to compensate people who have developed illnesses due to exposure to radiation from French nuclear testing.The money is to be u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Case closed on  assisted suicide]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/case-closed-on-assisted-suicide-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN INVESTIGATION into the assisted suicide of a women with an incurable brain tumour which disfigured her face has been closed a year after her death.Fifty-two-year-old mother Chantal Sébire lost a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Blind spot warning after Velib death]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/blind-spot-warning-after-velib-death-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE death of a 50-year-old man who was hit by a lorry while cycling in Paris has raised questions about vehicle blind spots.The accident is the first fatality involving a Velib  a free-hire bike a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-24</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[CCTV cameras to be tripled ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cctv-cameras-to-be-tripled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERIOR Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie has promised to triple the number of CCTV cameras on public streets by the end of the year.The number is expected to increase from 20,000 to 60,000. Ms Alliot-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Get a free bike check-up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/get-a-free-bike-check-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CYCLISTS are being invited to visit one of 700 sports or bike shops for a free bike check up.The Diagnostic Vélo (bike check-up) event is from March 21 to April 3. Participating shops can be found b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Strikers down but protestors up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strikers-down-but-protestors-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LESS people went on strike in yesterdays second national movement of the year  however more people took to the streets to demonstrate their anger over the governments handling of the economic crisi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Strikes hits travellers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strikes-hits-travellers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRANSPORT delays and cancellations should be expected across France due to today's national strike.A statement by the Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC) said disruption was expected acro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Annecy chosen for Olympic bid]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/annecy-chosen-for-olympic-bid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ANNECY has been chosen to represent Frances bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.Head of the French Olympic committee (CNOSF) Henri Sérandour announced Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie, had been cho...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mothers Day  March 22 in UK]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mothers-day-march-22-in-uk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTHERS Day in the UK is this Sunday, March 22.Anyone forgetting to send a card or spoil their mum can always claim they intend to celebrate Mothers Day French style, as in France it takes place l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Egotist comments spark strike row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/egotist-comments-spark-strike-row-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE HEAD of Frances business federation has attacked unions as egotists and demagogues.Critics have rounded on the head of Medef, Laurence Parisot, after she said the leader of one of Frances ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Events highlight pesticide dangers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/events-highlight-pesticide-dangers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE fourth Semaine pour les Alternatives aux Pesticides (Week for Alternatives to Pesticides) will see hundreds of events around France aiming to warn the public of the dangers of such chemicals.B...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[March 19 strike: What to expect]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/march-19-strike-what-to-expect-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Schools, public transport, banks and La Poste will be among services affected by the March 19 strikes.Unions are calling for the 5.2 million public sector workers in France to join the movement on T...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[No prison for under 13s]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-prison-for-under-13s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CHILDREN aged under 13 will not go to prison if reforms to the youth justice system are passed.Justice Minister Rachida Dati announced the withdrawal of a plan to jail those as young as 12 during a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Campaigners start mattress protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/campaigners-start-mattress-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMPAIGNERS have piled up mattresses in the street in Toulouse and Paris as a symbol of homelessness as the winter truce on evictions came to an end.The trève hivernale- during which landlords can...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Millions expected  on March 19 strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/millions-expected-on-march-19-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNION leaders hope at least two million people will take to the streets for a national strike on March 19  a follow-up to Januarys jeudi noir.They hope to equal or better the two million figure th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Euroferries step closer to launch]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euroferries-step-closer-to-launch-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROFERRIES website says the the company will begin taking bookings on its promised Ramsgate to Boulogne service on March 16.While the operator claims its high-speed service will start running on M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Inquest into pupil avalanche deaths]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/inquest-into-pupil-avalanche-deaths-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE THREE teenagers and ski guide killed in an avalanche in the French Alps should never have gone out, a surviving pupil has said.Alan Lorenzo, 16, told the AFP news service the trip should never ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fishing season  begins March 14]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fishing-season-begins-march-14-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE TROUT and salmon fishing season gets under way on March 14 in many parts of France.Exceptions include the Ile-de-France and some other northern areas of France where the season does not start un...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Socialists unveil liberty 'attacks']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/socialists-unveil-liberty-attacks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST leader Martine Aubry has unveiled a black book of attacks on public liberty since Sarkozy became president.The 170-page book is in the form of an A-Z of allegedly repressive measures u...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scams rocket  in rural areas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/scams-rocket-in-rural-areas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LEVELS of frauds have risen 96% in Poitou-Charentes in the last four years, a study has revealed. Statistics published by the Observatoire National de la Délinquance  (OND) put the region at the top...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restaurants joy at tax decision]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restaurants-joy-at-tax-decision-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CATERING industry representatives have hailed a victory with the first step towards reducing VAT in their sector.EU finance ministers have agreed on a number of industries which could benefit from r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Inquiry as pupils hit by riot police]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/inquiry-as-pupils-hit-by-riot-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LEADING education union, the FSU, has condemned police brutality after riot officers attacked a party of schoolchildren who were waiting in a station.The head of the police in Paris has ordered an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobile check-in scheme rolled out]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobile-check-in-scheme-rolled-out-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE and KLM are extending their mobile phone boarding card system to cover most of their European flights.The system, which allows passengers to board a flight with nothing but a mobile phone...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Drink ban for under-18s]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/drink-ban-for-under-18s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNDER 18s will be banned from buying tobacco and alcohol after MPs voted through a new law.Under current French law, 16-year-olds can buy alcoholic drinks like wine and beer (but not spirits) in bot...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prison plans on stolen computers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prison-plans-on-stolen-computers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BATCH of stolen computers due to be sent to a new prison contained its blueprints and access codes and other confidential information, it has been revealed. According to a report by the  L'Est Rép...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two boys die in train accident]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/two-boys-die-in-train-accident-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO boys from have been killed when they were hit by a train on a family outing to a football match in Paris.They were among a group of Lille supporters who were walking beside a railway line when a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[VAT drop essential for restaurants]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/vat-drop-essential-for-restaurants-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NATIONAL restaurant and hotel union Umih says a drop in VAT to 5.5% is a question of survival for the industry.Umih president Christine Pujol said: Only a charge of VAT at 5.5% will enable re...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[45% admit pirating films and music]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/45-admit-pirating-films-and-music-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEARLY half of daily internet surfers admit they download films and music illegally, a poll has revealed ahead of a debate to change the law on internet piracy.Music remains the most popular (27% ad...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fog surrounds new ferry service]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fog-surrounds-new-ferry-service-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EUROFERRIES Ramsgate-Boulogne service is still not confirmed by the French port, despite an announcement by the ferry company that it is due to begin on March 31.A spokesman for the Port of Boulogne...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs crack down on binge drinking]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mps-crack-down-on-binge-drinking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MPs have voted to ban open bars  the practice of all-you-can-drink for a set fee.They have also banned the practice of all-you-can-drink offers in connection with any sort of promotion.Fears for ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mixed signals over warning triangles]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mixed-signals-over-warning-triangles-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOTORWAY operators have said a law demanding drivers to place a warning triangle behind their broken-down vehicle on the hard shoulder is too dangerous and is advising motorists to ignore it.Since l...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris  Nice race starts on Sunday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-nice-race-starts-on-sunday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Paris  Nice, also known as la Course au Soleil  (Race to the Sun), gets under way on Sunday.The 1,250km race takes the riders through eight stages, down France via Vichy and ending up on the Cô...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Right-wing oppose gay parent law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/right-wing-oppose-gay-parent-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSED law giving legal recognition to step-parents is being opposed by some right-wingers, because it would include same sex partners.The proposals by the family minister, Nadine Morano, give e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fake bomb in jar of nutella]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fake-bomb-in-jar-of-nutella-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FAKE bomb has been found in a jar of Nutella accompanied with a threat saying first warning.The 825g jar was bought at the Cliscouët Intermarché in Vannes, Brittany and contained a battery, wire...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Poison pen writer targets UMP]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/poison-pen-writer-targets-ump-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POISON-PEN letter writer has been sending bullets to senior figures in the ruling UMP Party, accompanied by death threats.Justice Minister Rachida Dati, Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, Cul...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[New newspaper for the Dordogne]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-newspaper-for-the-dordogne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW English-language newspaper for the Dordogne department has been welcomed by the local community.Jérôme Bétaille, mayor of Eymet, described the launch of The Advertiser on March 1 as a very im...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dockers strike  over privatisation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dockers-strike-over-privatisation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNIONISTS at the port of Le Havre downed tools in protest at privatisation plans.The strike stopped work on freight containers, which is the ports main activity. However security, dock work relatin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[660,000 at Paris agriculture show]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/660000-at-paris-agriculture-show-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RECORD 660,000 people visited the Salon de lAgriculture in Paris this year.Salon president Jean-Luc Poulain said the number of visitors to the event, which showcases the best of farming productio...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Michelin publishes 100th guide]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/michelin-publishes-100th-guide-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UK CHEF Gordon Ramsay has won two stars for his Versailles restaurant in the 100th edition of the Michelin Guide.The UK chef opened the Gordon Ramsay au Trianon last year saying he had had a belly-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-03-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bank computer error hits 600,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bank-computer-error-hits-600000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COMPUTER bug has hit nearly 600,000 accounts with BNP Paribas  multiplying standing orders, cheque payments and direct debits.According to  Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui some of the banks clients have...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Job offer for  eBay Graduate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/job-offer-for-ebay-graduate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STUDENT who placed himself for auction for companies after five months of job hunting has been given a placement by the governments minister for youth.Yannick Miel, 23, placed himself for auction...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chtis star Dany Boon earns 26m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chtis-star-dany-boon-earns-26m-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE star of box office hit Bienvenue chez les Chtis Dany Boon is the highest earning cinema star in Europe raking in 26 million.He came top of a list of the ten highest earning actors and actresse...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment up by 90,200 in Jan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-up-by-90200-in-jan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNEMPLOYMENT in France rose by 90,200 in January.The number is 4.3% greater than Decembers figure and 15.4% higher than January 2008.The total number of job seekers in France is now 2.2 million a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fnac founder dies aged 96]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fnac-founder-dies-aged-96-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE founder of the high street giant Fnac Max Théret has died aged 96.Born on January 6, 1913 in Paris, he led his life as a militant socialist, and left for Spain in the 1930s to fight for republic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Department plans - more details ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/department-plans-more-details-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to dissolve certain regions of France have caused uproar.More details have emerged from the Balladur committee which is currently investigating ways to streamline the different levels of local...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Top chef quits Michelin success]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/top-chef-quits-michelin-success-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOP chef Marc Veyrat is leaving his celebrated restaurant lauberge de lEridan in Annecy for health reasons.The 58-year-old chef has decided to give up his three-star Michelin restaurant to focus o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Socialists dismiss department reforms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/socialists-dismiss-department-reforms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE HEAD of the Socialist Party Martine Aubry has called for protests against plans to reform regional government.The report, still under preparation by former prime minister Edouard Balladur, looks...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fine for smoking  at wheel 'stupid']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fine-for-smoking-at-wheel-stupid-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE lawyer of a woman who refused to pay a 22 fine for smoking a cigarette at the wheel has accused police of abusing their powers after the case against her was dropped. Jean-Baptiste Iosca, repre...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deadly explosion  trial begins ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/deadly-explosion-trial-begins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COURT case over an explosion at a Toulouse factory that killed 30 people, injured 20,000 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings will open this afternoon.The explosion at the Total-owned AZF fa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prison for barman after drunk died]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prison-for-barman-after-drunk-died-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A BARMAN has been sentenced to two years in prison after a customer died from drinking too much alcohol.Laurent Decarnin, 35, was found dead at his home after drinking huge amounts of alcohol as par...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Controversial body exhibition opens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/controversial-body-exhibition-opens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DISPLAY of plastinated human bodies, which was refused by a leading Paris museum has now opened at a new exhibition space in the centre of the capital.The exhibition, being organised by a Chines...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2.6 billion for  people not enough]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2.6-billion-for-people-not-enough-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SOCIAL aid programme of 2.6 billion has been judged insufficient to help people by unions and not large enough to restimulate spending by economist.A series of announcements were made by the gove...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Leaders meet for economic summit]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/leaders-meet-for-economic-summit-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE GOVERNMENT will this afternoon host a summit with union leaders and employers to discuss responses to the failing economy.Unions have already called another national strike on March 19 claiming t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rare dead whale brought ashore]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rare-dead-whale-brought-ashore-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A YOUNG humpback whale (baleine à bosse), nine metres long and weighing eight tonnes, has been brought ashore in the Manche department.Local whale expert Gérard Mauger, described the incident as a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Payment to be with dying relatives]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/payment-to-be-with-dying-relatives-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WORKERS could be allowed paid leave to be with a dying relative in their final days if a new law is passed.	MPs from all parties are predicted to pass a law offering a daily payment of 47 for three...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Confusion over uni reform future]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/confusion-over-uni-reform-future-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to reform the working practices of university lecturer-researchers are still on the agenda, Higher Education Minister Valérie Pécresse has insisted.The assertion came despite reports over the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unveiled: Frances top speed camera]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unveiled-frances-top-speed-camera-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCES busiest speed camera is based in the Var according to a regional newspaper.The Var Matin claims that the radar on the A8 at Adrets-de-lEstérel flashed more than 200,000 times during 2008 ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[60% watching their spending closely]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/60-watching-their-spending-closely-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOST French are cutting down on their daily spending to make their money go further in leisure time.A survey by polling group Ifop found that young people and factory workers were more likely to tri...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Star to boycott French film awards]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/star-to-boycott-french-film-awards-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE STAR and director of Frances most successful home-grown movies Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis has said he will boycott the countrys film awards after it received just one nomination.Comedian Dany B...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Chérie still top pet name list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chrie-still-top-pet-name-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE TRADITIONAL  mon chéri / ma chérie  has topped a poll of favourite pet names, just before Valentines Day.A survey by TNS-Sofres also found a vast array of other ways to address a partner, inclu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[TV show reveals radioactive risk]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tv-show-reveals-radioactive-risk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FEARS that radioactive material taken from Frances old uranium mines has been used in construction have been raised by a TV documentary.According to investigators for the programme Pièces à Convict...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France unveils new-ish look]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-unveils-new-ish-look-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE has unveiled a new look which will be rolled out across its fleet in the coming months.While the traditional blue, white and red remain, the companys name will be "cleaner" and contracte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[GM maize harmless says food watchdog]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gm-maize-harmless-says-food-watchdog-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GENTICALLY modified maize poses no health risks, according to Frances leading food safety body.According to Le Figaro, which says it has seen an unpublished report dated January 23, the Agence Fran...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Front National loses 7m case]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/front-national-loses-7m-case-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE FRONT National has been ordered by the Versailles court of appeal to pay back nearly 7m loaned to it to fight elections between 2006-2007.The case was brought by former FN party member and Euro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[University protest movement grows]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/university-protest-movement-grows-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BETWEEN 40,000 and 80,000 people took to the streets of 20 cities yesterday over plans to reform the working methods of university lecturer-researchers.Staff are concerned that the plans of Higher E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Robbers hit Sarkozy brother]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/robbers-hit-sarkozy-brother-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BURGLARS have hit the home of President Sarkozys younger brother François in the upmarket district of Neuilly-sur-Seine in Paris.The robbers gained entry to the property via a French window, while ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Wine industry fear over health bill]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wine-industry-fear-over-health-bill-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MEASURES to curb binge drinking could threaten traditional wine tastings.The new rules, along with greater restrictions to limit the appeal of smoking to young people form part of a health bill bein...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[National protest set for March 19]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/national-protest-set-for-march-19-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHT leading unions have set March 19 for a new day of demonstrations to demand more purchasing power for the French people.Unions leaders believe that their day of action on January 29 Jeudi Noir ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet squad for customs officers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-squad-for-customs-officers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH customs officers to get a special team dedicated to seizing illegal goods bought online.Fifteen agents will be employed in the new Cyberdouane team which will be launched officially today b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record sale for Frances prow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-sale-for-frances-prow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE prow of the France, once the worlds longest cruise ship, has been sold at auction for 273,200  twice its expected price.I never thought that just the prow of the ship could attain these sums...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Airports re-open after storms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/airports-re-open-after-storms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARTS of France battered by 140kmh winds are returning to normal after disruption to power supplies and transport.Both main airports serving Paris, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, were closed for the fi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions plan more strikes in Feb]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-plan-more-strikes-in-feb-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCES largest unions are planning a new day of demonstrations ahead of a meeting with President Sarkozy to discuss the state of the countrys economy.The leader of the CGT union, Bernard Thibault...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Luton Airport  closed by snow]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/luton-airport-closed-by-snow-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALL arrivals and departures to Luton Airport have been cancelled until at least midday after a second wave of snow hit southern England.Travellers heading between France and Britain could face disru...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tax breaks to help low incomes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tax-breaks-to-help-low-incomes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCRAPPING taxe professionnelle in 2010 and removing the first income tax band were among proposals made by President Sarkozy in a televised interview about the economy last night.He said next year t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Storms damage to cost 1.4 billion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/storms-damage-to-cost-1.4-billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RECORD number of insurance claims could push the costs of January storms in south-west France past one billion.At a meeting of insurers and the government the head of the  Groupement des Entrepris...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[German troops to come to France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/german-troops-to-come-to-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GERMAN soldiers will set up a military base in France for the first time since the end of the Second World War.While exact details have yet to be concluded, a battalion of 450-800 soliders is due to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[26b rescue plan comes under fire]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/26b-rescue-plan-comes-under-fire-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CRITICS of the 26 billion euro rescue plan for the economy say the government needs to take the bull by the horns before it is too late.Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry claimed there was litt...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strike spreading in universities]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strike-spreading-in-universities-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HIGHER Education Minister Valérie Pécresse has said she will not step away from reforms despite a growing strike among university teaching staff.A spokesman for the main teaching union for higher ed...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Minister denies book accusations]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/minister-denies-book-accusations-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOREIGN Minister Bernard Kouchner has vigorously denied any wrongdoing in carrying out consulting work in Africa.The minister defended himself in the National Assembly and in national media yesterda...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment hits 2.1 million people]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-hits-2.1-million-people-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[UNEMPLOYMENT in France reached 2.11 million at the end of December, new figures show  up 11.4% on the previous year.The figure represented a 2.2% rise on the previous month and relates to category...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Six departments on weather alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/six-departments-on-weather-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SIX departments in the north of the country remain under an orange alert from Météo France this morning as bad weather continues.The Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère and the Manche are still under on alert ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Report claims 3.5m in housing trouble]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/report-claims-3.5m-in-housing-trouble-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 3.5million are faced with housing problems and the number could double in the face of the economic crisis according to a recent charity report. The Fondation Abbé Pierre estimates that 3.5mil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[34 departments on orange snow alert ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/34-departments-on-orange-snow-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAFFIC and transport around the north and west are being disrupted by snow.This morning 34 departments were under an orange alert from Météo France, mainly because of risks of black ice on the ro...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Surprise strike hits Easyjet]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/surprise-strike-hits-easyjet-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SURPRISE strike by check-in workers left passengers at Paris Orly airport unable to board their easyJet flights.The stoppages affected six flights to Toulouse, Nice, Rome, Athens, Geneva and Berli...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Child death shows vaccine importance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/child-death-shows-vaccine-importance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DEATH of a girl from measles has highlighted the importance of vaccination, a top health official has said. The girl, aged 12, died at the weekend from the disease in the Haute-Savoie. It is the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-02-02</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Spelling plummets over past 20 years]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/spelling-plummets-over-past-20-years-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOL pupils spelling has plummeted over the last 20 years, a recent study has shown.An experiment by the association Sauvez les Lettres, which is campaigning for a return to more traditional teac...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy to meet unions over reform]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-to-meet-unions-over-reform-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has promised to meet with union leaders during February to agree on a programme for reforms for the coming year.Speaking after yesterdays mass strikes, he said: This crisis oblig...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[New nuclear power station at Penly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/new-nuclear-power-station-at-penly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PENLY in the Seine-Maritime is to be the site of Frances second third-generation nuclear power station.EDF, which is also responsible for building the first power station of this new type at Flaman...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-30</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cartoonist should be acquitted]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cartoonist-should-be-acquitted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CARTOONIST taken to court by a human rights group over claims his drawings were anti-Semitic should be acquitted, a public prosecutor has said.Artist Siné was taken to court by the Licra (ligue ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[5.5m French choose overtime offers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/5.5m-french-choose-overtime-offers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AROUND 5.5 million workers have chosen to work extra hours following the abolition of the 35-hour maximum working week, according to government statistics.A change in legislation which allows employ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-29</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[State to declare natural disaster]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/state-to-declare-natural-disaster-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE government will declare a catastrophe naturelle today, Prime Minister François Fillon has announced.The official label will affect insurance claims for flooding in the region which was hit by st...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Worlds biggest comic event begins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/worlds-biggest-comic-event-begins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 36th Festival International de la Bande Dessinée (comic books) opens tomorrow in Angoulême.This major event for la BD aims to give a snapshot of contemporary bande dessinée, according to organ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mass strikes hit  on Black Thursday]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mass-strikes-hit-on-black-thursday-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE national Black Thursday strike under way today is not hitting transport as badly as predicted but is affecting many different sectors.All education unions are calling for strikes and they expe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Cancer death rate  down but cases up]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cancer-death-rate-down-but-cases-up-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DEATH rates from cancer are dropping across France, according to a report out today.However people in the north are three times more likely to suffer from cancer than those in the south and inciden...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-28</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Dati to step down from role in June]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dati-to-step-down-from-role-in-june-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUSTICE Minister Rachida Dati will step down from her position in June to fight in the European elections.The news comes just a week after the minister told Le Figaro  non, non et non! when asked...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strongs winds hit north and west]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strongs-winds-hit-north-and-west-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WINDS of up to 130kmh are striking areas of west France.	A spokesman for Météo France in Toulouse said Britanny, and the west coast were on the front line of high winds and waves of up to 7m.Durin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Flu epidemic worst in 12 years]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flu-epidemic-worst-in-12-years-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE is in the grip of its worst flu epidemic for 12 years.More than 1.2 million people have been struck by the virus in the past five weeks according to GROG  a federation of regional bodies whi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-23</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Site is Royal mess says Obama team]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/site-is-royal-mess-says-obama-team-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEGOLENE Royals website did inspire Barack Obama  to do completely the opposite, Democrat campaigners in Paris have claimed.The vice-president of the Obama campaign team in Paris, Archippe Yepmou ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Opposition MPs boycott assembly]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/opposition-mps-boycott-assembly-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OPPOSITION MPs boycotted a government question time session in the National Assembly yesterday, for the first time since 1974.Prime Minister François Fillon found himself facing a half-empty house, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Truancy agents to spy on children]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/truancy-agents-to-spy-on-children-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Xavier Darcos wants to recruit 5,000 truancy agents, who will tell parents when their children do not go to school.He is expected to unveil an education action plan for the year t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-22</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Fire risk as wrong fuel delivered]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fire-risk-as-wrong-fuel-delivered-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AN ERROR at an oil refinery has placed at least 2,000 homes in the west of France at risk of boilers fires.A mistake in the fuel mixture at the Total refinery in Donges in the Loire-Atlantique has r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[6 billion aid for car industry]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/6-billion-aid-for-car-industry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE STATE has promised 56 billion to help the French car industry.Prime Minister François Fillon made the promise at the car industry estates general which brought together key players from gove...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Banks drop their 2008 bonuses ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/banks-drop-their-2008-bonuses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BANKS have withdrawn bonuses for their directors after President Sarkozy made it a condition to receive government funds.Previously the heads of Société Générale and Crédit Agricole had claimed that...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-21</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Driver fined for smoking at wheel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driver-fined-for-smoking-at-wheel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A WOMAN who was fined 22 for smoking at the wheel has written to President Sarkozy to say she has no intention of paying.Chantal Missègue, a health worker from Bordeaux was fined on January 13 whil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[I inspired Obama, claims Royal]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/i-inspired-obama-claims-royal-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BARACK Obama was inspired by me, former French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal has claimed.Socialist politician Royal, who will be attending the presidential inauguration today, albeit 200m ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Armed robberies on the rise]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/armed-robberies-on-the-rise-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTERIOR Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie has announced new crime-fighting measures after the number of armed robberies in France soared by more than 15% in a year.While overall crime has dropped sligh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bretons rage at language remark]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bretons-rage-at-language-remark-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE VICE-president of the Brittany independence party has condemned a suggestion that communes use French street names as unconstitutional.Christian Guyonvarch, vice president of the UDB  Union ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Socialists prepare crisis response]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/socialists-prepare-crisis-response-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE Socialist Party is to unveil its proposals for dealing with the economic crisis on Wednesday.This will follow an initial press conference this afternoon by new Socialist leader Martine Aubry.O...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bank heads claim 2008 bonuses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bank-heads-claim-2008-bonuses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DIRECTORS of Société Générale and Crédit Agricole have snubbed government demands to suspend bonuses.The head of Crédit Agricole, Georges Pauget, said that his bonuses had already been decided b...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[School uniforms help integration]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/school-uniforms-help-integration-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Xavier Darcos has said he favours the idea of children wearing school uniform.A uniform is a factor of integration, said Mr Darcos, on a visit to a London school.The minister,...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[US imposes 300% cheese import tax]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/us-imposes-300-cheese-import-tax-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AMERICA has put up the import duty on Roquefort cheese from 100% to 300% of the price.The move is in retaliation to the EU for continuing sanctions on the import of American beef, produced using an ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Air France to join mass strike on 29]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-to-join-mass-strike-on-29-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR France unions have called for employees to join mass strikes due to take place on January 29.A statement released last night by seven unions including the two biggest ones, the CFDT and CGT, cal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Mad cow deaths, officials cleared]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mad-cow-deaths-officials-cleared-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROSECUTORS are to appeal after a court cleared six health officials over the deaths of 117 children who became infected with human variant mad cow disease while receiving growth hormones in the 1980s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Zero-tolerance  against racism]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/zero-tolerance-against-racism-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ISLAMOPHOBIA and anti-Semitism will be punished with the same severity, President Sarkozy has assured.	The indivisibility of the Republic is a fundamental rule. There will be zero tolerance  those...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Livret A interest rate cut expected]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/livret-a-interest-rate-cut-expected-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INTEREST rates on the tax-free Livret A account  currently 4% - will be cut on February 1.While newspaper Le Monde claims rates will drop to 2.5%, the government has refused to confirm this.Gover...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bring back the guillotine]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bring-back-the-guillotine-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GOVERNMENT and opposition MPs have clashed over plans to curtail debate in the National Assembly.The government has accused the Socialist Party of posing an excessive number of practically identical...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Ban sale of mobile to under-6s]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ban-sale-of-mobile-to-under-6s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BANNING the sale of mobile phones to under-6s and adverts aimed at children is part of a new package of environmental measures due for discussion in parliament.The project is named Grenelle 2 foll...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Museums go free  for under 25s]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/museums-go-free-for-under-25s-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NATIONAL museums and monuments are to be free to visit for the under 25s and teachers from April 4.President Sarkozy spoke of the plans for free entry to museums and national monuments as part of g...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Paris-Nice TGV row over route choice]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-nice-tgv-row-over-route-choice-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW TGV train line for the south-east will not go to Marseilles or Toulon according to the president of the Alpes-Maritimes council.Council President Eric Ciotti (UMP) has declared that the govern...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Deportations pass 2008 targets]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/deportations-pass-2008-targets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE deported close to 30,000 illegal immigrants in 2008, surpassing its annual expulsions target.A total of 29,799 foreigners were forced to leave the country in 2008, up from 23,200 the previous...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plans for fourth  mobile network]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/plans-for-fourth-mobile-network-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW mobile phone network could be operating in France by the end of next year meaning better tariffs for consumers.Currently three mobile phone networks share the market; Orange, SFR and Bouygues...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy wants a Minister for Youth]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-wants-a-minister-for-youth-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW Ministry for Youth would be better able to address the concerns of young people, the president has said.At a meeting of education professionals today, President Sarkozy said that the new posit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Normandy cuts SNCF funding]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/normandy-cuts-sncf-funding-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE REGIONAL council of Basse-Normandie has stopped payments to the SNCF in protests at poor rail services.Council president Laurent Beauvais said that there had been too many problems in previous ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Driving tests to be simplified]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driving-tests-to-be-simplified-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVING tests are to be simplified in a bid to raise the current pass rate by 15%.The reforms, due to be presented tomorrow by Prime Minister François Fillon, aim to raise the pass rate from 50% to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[State loans could help businesses]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/state-loans-could-help-businesses-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE should follow Germany and offer credit facilities to struggling businesses, President Sarkozy has said.Speaking at a meeting attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sarkozy said: The id...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hospitals still highly regarded]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hospitals-still-highly-regarded-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MOST French people still have confidence in the system, despite recent controversies over hospitals, a survey shows.The CSA survey, published today, comes as President Sarkozy is expected to reveal ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anger at Datis supermum example]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anger-at-datis-supermum-example-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUSTICE Minister Rachida Datis quick return to work after having her first baby has sparked anger amongst feminists who say she sets a bad example.The 43-year-old minister returned to work just fiv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marseilles remains snowed in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marseilles-remains-snowed-in-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SKIERS and snowboarders took to the snowbound streets and hillsides of Marseilles as the rest of the city ground to a halt.Schools in the city are shut today and people are being advised to stay at ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[EDF may cut power to certain homes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/edf-may-cut-power-to-certain-homes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDF may introduce rolling blackouts to certain homes to avoid the breakdown of the national grid.Cold weather has placed a record amount of strain on electricity producers and two regions, Brittany ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French crave new revolution]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-crave-new-revolution-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MORE than half of French people want to see the overthrow of capitalist economics.This compares to and average of 31% in other EU nations.The figures were collected by poll group TNS-Sofres in a s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Big reductions to entice shoppers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/big-reductions-to-entice-shoppers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE winter sales have started across the whole France, however many shops have already lowered prices in a bid to boost sales in the current gloomy economic climate.Promotions have exploded in recen...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Aubry and Royal not speaking]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/aubry-and-royal-not-speaking-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST leader Martine Aubry is not on speaking terms with her former rival Ségolène Royal.We do not speak to each other directly, said Aubry, interviewed on the radio station RTL. However the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti web fraud  site launched]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anti-web-fraud-site-launched-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[An internet site dedicated to tackling fraudulent internet scams has been launched by the government.Web users can report illegal sales, gambling, fraudulent emails and companies they believe have s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Journalists turn down honours ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/journalists-turn-down-honours-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO journalists listed for New Year honours have turned them down, saying the distinction was unexpected and unmerited.The head of the political service at the radio station France-Info, Marie-Eve M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record power peak as temps drop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-power-peak-as-temps-drop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW record for electricity consumption has been registered, leading to fears of blackouts in Brittany and the south east.	The peak of 89,480 megawatts came at 18.45 on Monday night according to RT...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Peak time ads dropped from TV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/peak-time-ads-dropped-from-tv-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ADVERTISING was banished from TV screens on the public channels last night.The public France Télévisions channels can no longer broadcast adverts between 20.00 and 6.00  a measure that was announce...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Snow causes chaos at Paris airport]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/snow-causes-chaos-at-paris-airport-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FLIGHTS are returning to normal at Charles de Gaulle airport after heavy snow left hundreds of passengers stranded last night.Between 20% to 30% of flights were cancelled, creating long queues at ch...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Temporary layoff hours raised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/temporary-layoff-hours-raised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The government has raised the number of hours for which firms can temporarily lay off workers while continuing to receive state aid.In most industries the limit rises from 600 to 800 hours a year, w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dati back at work  days after birth]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dati-back-at-work-days-after-birth-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Justice Minister Rachida Dati will be back at work this week after giving birth to a baby girl in Paris on Friday.The minister had said she would only be taking a short week of maternity leave and...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Baby death under investigation]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baby-death-under-investigation-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Investigations into the death of a baby after a hospital error were opened on Sunday in the Ile-de-France.The parents of six-month-year-old Louis-Joseph who died at the Hôpital Necker in Paris after...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Hospital tragedies not typical]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/hospital-tragedies-not-typical-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[President Sarkozy has accused the Opposition and certain medical unions of trying to score political points over recent high-profile tragedies linked to hospitals.In a speech at the Elysée to hund...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ban car arsonists from driving]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ban-car-arsonists-from-driving-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Young vandals who burn cars should be banned from having a driving licence until they have compensated their victims, it is proposed.President Sarkozy made the suggestions after numbers of burned ou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France will  come out stronger]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-will-come-out-stronger-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NICOLAS Sarkozy promised in his New Year speech that France would come out of the financial crisis stronger than ever.He promised to face up to my responsibilities concerning the crisis so that eve...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2009-01-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[President to make New Year speech]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-to-make-new-year-speech-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[In his traditional presidents New Year speech tonight, President Sarkozy is expected to state that a new world can emerge from the current economic crisis.The speech, at 20.00 on TF1, is not expe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shelter for all  who ask for it]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shelter-for-all-who-ask-for-it-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The prime minister has promised that no homeless person who asks for shelter this New Years Eve will be refused it.This has been announced as the governments new policy on homelessness this winter...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-31</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Comedian faces denial probe]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/comedian-faces-denial-probe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A comedian is facing criminal investigation after inviting a Holocaust denier onto his live stage show.The Paris Public Prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the actions of comedian and actor Dieudo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Orange alert with black ice warning]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/orange-alert-with-black-ice-warning-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Much of the Paris area and of the north-east has been placed under an orange alert by Météo France because of snow and black ice.Driving conditions are difficult in many parts of France and people...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Man died due to lack of care beds]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/man-died-due-to-lack-of-care-beds-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A 57-YEAR-OLD man died because ambulance crews could not find an intensive care place in the whole of Ile-de-France.The Samu (ambulance) team searched in vain for a place in one of 27 hospitals, for...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cold front hits for New Year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cold-front-hits-for-new-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SNOWFALL and freezing temperatures will hit areas of France well into the first days of 2009.While rain is expected to be concentrated on the centre and south of the country, it will fall as snow at...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Departments and  regions to merge]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/departments-and-regions-to-merge-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCES 100 departments will soon merge with the 26 regions, according to a UMP Party spokesman.Frédéric Lefebvre, MP for the Hauts-de-Seine, ignited controversy after claiming on the radio stati...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Explosion in  Christmas fakes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/explosion-in-christmas-fakes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUSTOMS officers have seized more than ten tonnes of fake Ferrero Rocher chocolates in the run up to Christmas.The head of the  Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) Jérôme Four...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rescue for Vendée sailor Eliès ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rescue-for-vende-sailor-elis-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH sailor Yann Eliès has been rescued from his yacht where he was trapped after breaking his leg.He was transferred to the Australian Navy ship HMAS Arunta roughly 1,100 miles south of Perth.E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rail strikes over Xmas]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rail-strikes-over-xmas-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FOUR unions have said they will strike over the coming festive break.Action will take place on local levels except for a strike by Sud-Rail  whose overhead line inspectors will be taking part in a ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SpeedFerries: Refunds and deals]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speedferries-refunds-and-deals-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SpeedFerries multi-trip vouchers should be eligible for refunds, according to a leading UK credit card company.This comes as LD Lines offers a special deal for holders of these tickets for travel o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to enter recession in 2009]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-to-enter-recession-in-2009-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE will enter into recession at the beginning of 2009, predicts the government statistics institute Insee.In the last quarter of 2008 the economy will have shrunk 0.8%, with a further drop of 0....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[20,000 demanded for ethnicity list]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/20000-demanded-for-ethnicity-list-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A SOCIAL housing group should be fined 20,000 for keeping records on the ethnic background of people applying for houses, said a state prosecutor.The Office HLM de Saint-Etienne is accused of keepi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PM near miss pilot loses licence]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pm-near-miss-pilot-loses-licence-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE pilot of a private plane which almost collided with François Fillons jet has had his licence suspended. 	The court of Versailles suspended the licence of Xavier Thiry, the pilot of the single-e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Broadcasting bill passed  finally]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/broadcasting-bill-passed-finally-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE controversial broadcasting bill has been passed by the National Assembly. The bill, which has been subject to delaying tactics by the opposition who fielded around 850 amendments leading to 80 h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bring CCTV under control]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bring-cctv-under-control-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ALL public areas filmed by CCTV should be clearly signposted according to a report from the Senate.It recommends placing all 396,000 cameras (20,000 of which are in public areas) under the authority...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2,500 police on patrol in Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2500-police-on-patrol-in-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE patrols in Paris have been reinforced with an extra 500 officers following the discovery of explosives in a shopping centre.A total of 2,500 officers will be guarding public places over the C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Two year suspended sentence for death]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/two-year-suspended-sentence-for-death-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MOTHER who killed her severely mentally and physically disabled daughter has been given a two-year suspended sentence on appeal.Lydie Debaine, 65, was initially acquitted by a court in the Val dO...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Prime time ads scrapped from TV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/prime-time-ads-scrapped-from-tv-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[France's public television network has voted to scrap prime-time advertising on its channels.The government asked the head of France Televisions, Patrick de Carolis, to have the reform approved dire...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Education reforms delayed until 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/education-reforms-delayed-until-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LYCEE reforms have been delayed by at least a year by Education Minister Xavier Darcos.This means that they are now expected to take effect from the start of the 2010  2011 school year instead of 2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sunday opening compromise reached]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-opening-compromise-reached-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SHOPS could be allowed to open 10 Sundays a year, instead of a current five, as part of an agreement between reformers and traditionalists in the governing UMP party.President Sarkozy, who is leadin...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-16</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Private policing plans proposed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/private-policing-plans-proposed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIVATE security groups could take on jobs traditionally overseen by the police in France under new proposals.Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie has announced the creation of a Economic Securit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Euthanasia case goes to retrial]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/euthanasia-case-goes-to-retrial-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MOTHER who killed her severely mentally and physically disabled daughter will be retried today by the court of appeal of Versailles.Despite prosecution calls for her to receive a symbolic three ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Rocket launcher escapee sentenced ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rocket-launcher-escapee-sentenced-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ITALIAN robber Antonio Ferrara has been given 17 years for his part in a volient and coordinated escape from a Paris prison in 2003.Ferraras former lawyer, Karim Achoui, was given seven years for a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Chaos as bad weather strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/chaos-as-bad-weather-strikes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EIGHTY thousand homes were without electricity this morning and two people have died after bad weather hit across France.Heavy snowfall continues to affect the Massif Central and severe downpours ha...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-15</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SeaFrance in  troubled waters?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/seafrance-in-troubled-waters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FERRY company SeaFrance is refusing to comment on rumours it is in financial difficulty.The leader of the local branch of the PCF (the French Communist Party), Bertrand Péricaud, sparked the rumours...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[gendarmes raid school with dogs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/gendarmes-raid-school-with-dogs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A heavy-handed sniffer dog drugs raid by gendarmes in a class of young teenagers has been been criticised. Parents organised protests, while the FSU, the leading public service union, called it lam...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Call for action on dangerous games]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/call-for-action-on-dangerous-games-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMPAIGNERS have renewed calls to tackle dangerous playground games after two children were hospitalised in separate incidents. Education Minister Xavier Darcos also called for action after the inci...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No retreat on Sunday opening]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-retreat-on-sunday-opening-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESDIENT Sarkozy has insisted there is no question of him withdrawing his Sunday trading bill, as has been rumoured.His plans to liberalise Sunday trading laws  make it easier for shops to open  ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-11</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Single parent tax relief may be cut]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/single-parent-tax-relief-may-be-cut-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAX relief granted for single parents  whose children have left home, should be progressively phased out, the Senate has said.At present single parents who raised their children alone continue to g...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Baby kidnap sparks tagging debate]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baby-kidnap-sparks-tagging-debate-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE kidnapping of a three-day old baby from a hospital in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques has reignited the debate over electronically tagging newborns.Baby Diango, who was taken from the maternity hospita...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[EU elections - how to register]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eu-elections-how-to-register-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE DEADLINE to register for the European Elections is December 31.Any EU citizen aged 18 or over can register to vote in the country where they are living.Registration takes place at your local M...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-11</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Sunday trading debate postponed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sunday-trading-debate-postponed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A DEBATE and vote to open up Sunday trading laws has been postponed until next year.While the official reason has been the delay in passing public broadcasting reforms  the UMP governing party has ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Baby found safe after major alert]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/baby-found-safe-after-major-alert-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The baby, named Diango who was taken from a maternity hospital in Orthez yesterday, was found at around 10.00 this morning following a road check by police, near to the home of the woman suspected of ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record reward for jewel theft]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-reward-for-jewel-theft-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RECORD 700,000 reward is being offered in a bid to recover 85 million worth of stolen jewellery from Harry Winstons in Paris.Insurers Lloyds of London is offering the pay out - the biggest in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Fears of violence at Marseille match]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/fears-of-violence-at-marseille-match-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ONE thousand police officers are on high alert for a football match between Olympique de Marseille and Atletico Madrid after a supporter of the French team was given more than three years in prison by...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No giving up for Royal supporters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-giving-up-for-royal-supporters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SUPPORTERS of Ségolène Royal have created a video of her winning the 2012 presidential elections.The so-called Royalists who back the 2007 presidential candidate, have vowed to fight back after sh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Miss France 2009 is half-American]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/miss-france-2009-is-half-american-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH-US national Chloé Mortaud has been voted Miss France 2009.She is the first Miss France who is not only of French nationality. The 19-year-old has a mother who is originally from Mississippi, ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-08</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Bernard breaks freestyle record]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bernard-breaks-freestyle-record-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[OLYMPIC gold medallist Alain Bernard has set a new world record in the 100m freestyle short-course at the French national swimming championships in Angers.Bernard, who picked up his gold at Beijing ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Share losses could be tax deductible]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/share-losses-could-be-tax-deductible-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[INDIVIDUALS who have lost out on the stock market could write-off their losses against next years tax bill if MPs pass an amendment.Those concerned are individuals who have lost less than 25,000 d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[50 million of  jewellery stolen]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/50-million-of-jewellery-stolen-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROBBERS made off with jewellery worth 50 million from a Paris shop yesterday.The attack on the Bijouterie Harry Winston, Avenue Montaigne, Paris 8th, took place at 17.30.Three armed robbers burst...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA['Plan doesn't help purchasing power']]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/plan-doesnt-help-purchasing-power-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SARKOZYS e26 billion plan to save the French economy has been criticized for not doing enough to improve ordinary peoples purchasing power.Launching his plan with a speech in Douai, Nord-Pas de-C...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Free legal advice sessions Dec 6]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/free-legal-advice-sessions-dec-6-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 29th Rencontres Notariales has a theme of couples. The main event is at the Palais des Congrès at Porte Maillot, Paris, but others will also be organised by provincial chambres des notaires (d...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Increased property tax predicted]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/increased-property-tax-predicted-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TAXE foncière is likely to go up by about 15  20% in the next three years, say landlords' representatives.UNPI, a body representing property owners, is predicting an explosion in the taxe foncièr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Record low for prudhommes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-low-for-prudhommes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE workers turnout for yesterdays prudhommes elections hit a record low  at just 25.5% (down from 33% in 2002).The CGT cemented its place as the union with the most representatives on the conse...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[France to build to escape crisis]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/france-to-build-to-escape-crisis-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LARGE public infrastructure projects will be the cornerstone of pulling France through the economic downturn.President Sarkozy is expected to announce that medium-term building projects such as exte...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Nuclear reactor cost soars 20%]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/nuclear-reactor-cost-soars-20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE STATE-OF-THE-ART nuclear power station being built by EDF at Flamanville in Le Manche Normandy has risen by 20%.The European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) power station is now expected to cost 4 bi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Truffle market opens at 780kg]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/truffle-market-opens-at-780kg-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TOP of the range périgord truffles sold for up to 780 per kilo at the start of the winter market season.The prices were reached at the first truffle market at Sainte-Alvère in the Dordogne with mor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Restos du Coeur opens for winter]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/restos-du-coeur-opens-for-winter-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THIS years Restos du Coeur campaign has been launched amid worry that it will struggle because of the economic crisis.The charity was started in 1985 by the comedian and one-time presidential can...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Armstrong joins Tour de France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/armstrong-joins-tour-de-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[US CYCLIST Lance Armstrong will take part in the 2009 Tour de France.The announcement was made via the website of his team Astana.Armstrong, 37, has won the tour a record seven times following his...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Liberation arrest- Sarkozy weighs in]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/liberation-arrest-sarkozy-weighs-in-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has said he understands the emotion raised by the treatment of a newspaper editor who was arrested at his home, strip searched and questioned in connection with a libel case.His co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[MPs ready to evict reality TV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mps-ready-to-evict-reality-tv-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[REALITY TV shows will be banned from public channels if MPs vote them off.Minister of Culture Christine Albanel made the announcement in an interview in the Journal du Dimanche over the weekend.Al...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Homeless can sue if not housed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/homeless-can-sue-if-not-housed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[HOMELESS people who are not helped to find accommodation can take the government to court from today.Individuals, or families who meet priority criteria, can start procedures to obtain accommodati...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Youth justice laws to be overhauled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/youth-justice-laws-to-be-overhauled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[REFORMS to youth justice include weekend prison to enable children to continue schooling while serving a sentence.The reforms have been leaked in advance of their official presentation this Wednes...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-12-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment  soars to 2 million]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-soars-to-2-million-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE has seen its steepest jump in unemployment figures since March 1993, reaching 2 million for the first time since May last year.In October there were 2.4% more unemployed people compared to Se...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Celebrations for thinkers century ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/celebrations-for-thinkers-century-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE 100th birthday of influential anthropologist, philosopher and Académie Française member Claude Lévi-Strauss is being celebrated today.The occasion will be marked with the publication of around 2...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Forced shelter plan criticised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/forced-shelter-plan-criticised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROPOSALS to oblige rough sleepers to accept shelter during cold spells have been criticised by homelessness organisations.Following the deaths of three people in the Bois de Vincennes in eastern Pa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Crackdown on  mobiles in cars]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/crackdown-on-mobiles-in-cars-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DRIVERS will be warned of the dangers of using mobile phones at the wheel in a new publicity campaign.Government statistics say that 270 people died last year as a result of drivers using mobiles  ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Compensation bill for nuclear damage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/compensation-bill-for-nuclear-damage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MILITARY personnel, civilians and populations involved in nuclear tests could receive compensation from the government from next year.Defence Minister Hervé Morin has announced he is preparing a bil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Eiffel Tower piece sells for 500,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/eiffel-tower-piece-sells-for-500000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PIECE of the original staircase of the Eiffel Tower fetched 553,000 ten times its estimated price, in a Paris auction on Wednesday.The 2.7m high chunk, the third of its kind sold in a year, went ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[End of the line for SpeedFerries]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/end-of-the-line-for-speedferries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FERRY operator SpeedFerries has been closed after administrators failed to find a buyer.Administrators Ernst &nbsp; Young said that all operations between Dover and Boulogne would cease and said cus...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Appeals for calm as Aubry elected]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/appeals-for-calm-as-aubry-elected-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NEW Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry has appealed for calm and warned the UMP government that they were preparing to return to opposition.A recount by a party commission, later ratified by t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Media strike as MPs debate reform]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/media-strike-as-mps-debate-reform-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PUBLIC radio and television staff went on strike on Tuesday to protest government plans to scrap advertising as part of a broader reform of state broadcasting. Listeners to France Inter radio tuned ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Charity fined 12k for tent protest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/charity-fined-12k-for-tent-protest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A COURT has fined an association 12,000 for its role in a protest to highlight homelessness in Paris.The association Droit au Logement DAL was fined 12,000 for more than 300 infractions after they...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[State chateau sold for bargain 3m]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/state-chateau-sold-for-bargain-3m-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STATE-owned chateau with 176 bedrooms and 40 hectares of land has sold for a  bargain price of 3.6 million.The Château of Nainville-les-Roches, 45km south of Paris, was built for private use bu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No Formula 1 in France in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-formula-1-in-france-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A NEW Formula 1 track at Euro Disney will not be built, leaving the future of the sport in France in doubt.The track was the most likely candidate to host the 2010 French Grand Prix, following the c...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dati wants to ease bankruptcy steps]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dati-wants-to-ease-bankruptcy-steps-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUSTICE Minister Rachida Dati wants to reform bankruptcy procedures.The minister said: Justice is not all about penalties, its also an aid and the possibility to give a second chance  notably to ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Royal disputes Aubry victory]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/royal-disputes-aubry-victory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEGOLENE Royal will call for a fresh election if a recount of the Socialist Partys leadership contest finds the result is still too close.Over the weekend Royal lost by just 42 vote to Martine Au...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF say strike impact is limited]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-say-strike-impact-is-limited-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TODAYS rail strike is having a limited impact on services according to the SNCF.Regional trains are the most affected and some TGV services have also been hit.Most unions called off strike action...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Half of primary teachers on strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/half-of-primary-teachers-on-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[One in two primary school teachers was on strike yesterday, according to the Education Ministry.More than a fifth of secondary school teachers also joined the strike, as well as some university staf...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Education minister defends job cuts]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/education-minister-defends-job-cuts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[EDUCATION Minister Xavier Darcos today defended job cuts and reforms in the face of a national teachers strike.Teachers from pre-school through to university are protesting against government reform...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Offers to buy SpeedFerries ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/offers-to-buy-speedferries-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POTENTIAL buyers have made offers for the troubled ferry company SpeedFerries, administrators say.Ernst &nbsp; Young say they have received offers for both the business and assets of the company an...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-20</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Senate passes pilot amendment]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/senate-passes-pilot-amendment-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SENATORS have passed a bill to raise the voluntary retirement age of pilots to 65  despite a four day strike.Pilots with Air France caused massive disruption during four days of industrial action e...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Dover unaffected by strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dover-unaffected-by-strikes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[DOVER Harbour Board says it is business as usual at the port today, as strikes by about 300 harbour staff move into their second day.The workers, who are members of the Unite union, are protesting a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Dati defends  justice record]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/dati-defends-justice-record-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[JUSTICE Minister Rachida Dati has defended her reforms after a series of political and personal attacks.Her comments come after a petition against her incoherent policies was signed by more than 5...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Seven in ten teachers to strike]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/seven-in-ten-teachers-to-strike-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS mairie is leading a list of authorities that will not put in place minimum service measures for tomorrows teachers strike.Mayor Bertrand Delanoë said it was unrealistic to organise the care...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-19</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Temptation Island participants sue]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/temptation-island-participants-sue-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARTICIPANTS in the French version of Temptation Island are suing programme makers for workers rights and benefits as a result of their appearances.Eighty candidates of LIle de la Tentation and 40...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-18</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Anyone in Normandy lost a kangaroo?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anyone-in-normandy-lost-a-kangaroo-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FIRE fighters who rescued a young kangaroo near Evreux in Normandy still have no idea where he came from.The kangaroo was caught by a resident who saw him wandering around the roads.It is a young...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[One rail strike  postponed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/one-rail-strike-postponed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TWO unions have postponed a rail strike until Friday night.The Fgaac and CFDT, who had been due to strike today, said that industrial action would be put on hold as discussions with the SNCF continu...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-18</pubDate>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[SpeedFerries in administration]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/speedferries-in-administration-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BOULOGNE to Dover ferry company SpeedFerries has gone into administration, with all crossings until November 18 cancelled.A spokeswoman for administrators Ernst &nbsp; Young said customers with pre-...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Get ready for a week of strikes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/get-ready-for-a-week-of-strikes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[AIR FRANCE pilots continue to strike today as senators examine the bill that includes plans to raise their retirement age to 65.The firm says it expects many flights to be disrupted, but the actual ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-17</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Record number of licences lost]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/record-number-of-licences-lost-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A RECORD 100,000 people will have lost their driving licences by the end of 2008.The figure, compiled by the Ministry of the Interior and reported in Le Figaro is 10% up on last year.During the fi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Still no leader  for Socialists]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/still-no-leader-for-socialists-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE candidates are continuing to vie for the leadership of the Socialist Party.Ségolène Royal, Martine Aubry and Benoît Hamon will put themselves forward to party members, who will vote on Novembe...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-14</pubDate>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Air France strike hits 40% of trips]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-strike-hits-40-of-trips-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STRIKE by pilots at Air France will hit at least 50% of flights, the company predicts.The pilots union SNPL has called the strike in protest at plans to raise their retirement age to 65.MPs are...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Total tax break limit discussed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/total-tax-break-limit-discussed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A PROPOSAL to set a cap on the total amount of money you can store in tax-free schemes has been officially tabled.The finance commission of the National Assembly has passed the proposal in the first...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Noir Désir make internet comeback]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/noir-dsir-make-internet-comeback-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ROCK band Noir Désir, whose singer Bertrand Cantat was recently released from prison where he was serving a sentence for killing his girlfriend, have released two new songs online.The songs mark the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ten arrests over rail sabotage]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ten-arrests-over-rail-sabotage-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[POLICE have arrested 10 people in connection with a series of attacks on railways, which disrupted services over the weekend and on Monday.Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said the arrests wer...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ferry still held in Boulogne]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ferry-still-held-in-boulogne-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A CHANNEL ferry remains in the hands of French authorities as talks continue between its operator and port owners.SpeedFerries only boat SpeedOne  a high speed catamaran  is still being held in B...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[President moves to pardon deserters]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/president-moves-to-pardon-deserters-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozys Rembrance Day speech has made a gesture towards pardonning soliders executed for desertion during World War I.Speaking at the Ossuary at Douaumont, the president said he was ther...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Milk price row escalates]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/milk-price-row-escalates-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MILK producers in the Midi-Pyrénées are pouring gallons of it down the drain rather than deliver to supermarkets in the latest stage of a pricing row.The 30 independent members of Producteurs en Col...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[WWI marked at Verdun battlefield]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wwi-marked-at-verdun-battlefield-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TODAYS Armistice Day, marking 90 years since the end of WWI, will be the first to be commemorated by a French president outside of Paris and the first without a surviving veteran of the Great War.P...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Is Ségolène Royal ready to rumble?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/is-sgolne-royal-ready-to-rumble-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEGOLENE Royal will announce tomorrow whether she will stand for the position of  premier secrétaire  of the Socialist Party.In September she put her bid on ice after trailing in the polls but a r...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Casse-toi  pauvre con]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/casse-toi-pauvre-con-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FORMER Socialist politician was fined 30 for brandishing a sign with the words Casse-toi povcon at the car of President Sarkozy.Hervé Eon, 56, a former Socialist politician was fined by a cour...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Channel ferry seized by police]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/channel-ferry-seized-by-police-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SERVICES by SpeedFerries have been cancelled after French police arrested their only ferry in the port of Boulogne.All crossings have been cancelled since the SpeedOne catamaran was held on Thursday...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Take stereotypes  out of text books]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/take-stereotypes-out-of-text-books-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SCHOOL text books should stop reinforcing stereotypes, an anti-discrimination body has said.La Halde, Haute autorité de lutte contre les discriminations et pour l'égalité said a study into text book...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Royal wins key Socialist vote]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/royal-wins-key-socialist-vote-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SOCIALIST Party members have chosen the agenda of Ségólène Royal to form the basis of their conference - ahead of six other candidates.Although Royal in September announced she was no longer running...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Final preparations for Vendée Globe ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/final-preparations-for-vende-globe-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRANCE and Britains best sailors set off on November 9 on a single-handed race around the world. The Vendée Globe Challenge will set off from Les Sables dOlonne where the competitors are currently p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Train drivers strike bites]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/train-drivers-strike-bites-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAIN drivers are striking in protest at plans by the SNCF to extend new contracts.Unions are protesting in advance of a meeting on November 12 where rail directors and government officials will dis...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ministers' costs  rise by 20% ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ministers-costs-rise-by-20-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MINISTERS have employed nearly 400 extra staff, pushing their budget up by 20% according to an investigation by Le Monde newspaperAfter auditors criticised rises in the presidential budget and the N...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Women earn 32%  less than men ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/women-earn-32-less-than-men-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE ANNUAL 'French social portrait' reveals that women in the private sector still earn on average 32% less than men.The study is produced each year by government statistics group Insee and covers a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unemployment may  double next year ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unemployment-may-double-next-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE NUMBER of people claiming unemployment benefit could rise from 58,000 to 162,000 next year UNEDIC, the Union Nationale pour l'Emploi dans l'Industrie et le Commerce has put forward three scenari...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2009 budget passed after pension row]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2009-budget-passed-after-pension-row-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE National Assembly has voted through the social security budget for 2009, despite opposition over a retirement clause.UMP deputy Denis Jacquat gave the bill some last minute controversy with an a...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy salutes brilliant victory]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-salutes-brilliant-victory-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated Barack Obama on Wednesday on his "brilliant victory" in the US presidential election."I give you my warmest congratulations and, through me, those of all Fren...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Violence at Vichy EU conference]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/violence-at-vichy-eu-conference-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PROTESTORS burnt cars in violent skirmishes with police after an immigration demonstration at Vichy turned violent.Marchers had sought to draw links between the pro-Nazi government of France, which...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air France strike postponed]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-france-strike-postponed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STRIKE by Air France cabin crew has been postponed until December, but unions have called on all French pilots to walk out in November.The pilots union SNPL has called the strike in protest at pl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Privatisation of La Poste on hold]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/privatisation-of-la-poste-on-hold-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIVATISING La Poste is no longer a government priority, a presidential advisor has announced.Henri Guaino insisted in a radio interview that the plan  part of an EU-wide initiative to free up the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Red alerts lifted but floods remain]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/red-alerts-lifted-but-floods-remain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[METEO France has lifted its red alert warning for floods and heavy rain but seven departments remain on orange alert.La Nièvre, la Saône-et-Loire, l'Allier, la Loire, le Puy-de-Dôme and both Corsica...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cameras to catch  red light jumpers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cameras-to-catch-red-light-jumpers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CAMERAS designed to catch motorists jumping red lights and tailgating could be running in 2009.The announcement by Road Security Minister Michèle Merli came on the fifth anniversary of the installat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Wine makers fight prohibition law]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/wine-makers-fight-prohibition-law-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[WINE growers are ready to fight government plans to ban free wine tasting.The head of the Bordeaux great wines federation, Laurent Gapenne, attacked the idea of a wine tasting ban as "disastrous" fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Power cut hits south east]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/power-cut-hits-south-east-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A POWERCUT stopped traffic lights and trams in three departments and the neighbouring state of Monaco for nearly two hours.A spokesman for EDF at Marseille said the outage had been linked to a high ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-11-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Huge bonuses   to be taxed ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/huge-bonuses-to-be-taxed-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[LEAVING bonuses of more than 1million will be taxed from the first euro, after a vote by MPs.An ammendment designed to crack down on parachutes dorés, huge bonuses paid to directors when they leave...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Air and rail staff call for walkouts ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/air-and-rail-staff-call-for-walkouts-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[STAFF at Air France and the SNCF have called for strikes in the first week of November.Rail drivers will protest on November 6 against changes to work contracts. The strike starts officially at 20.0...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Number plates to  keep department ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/number-plates-to-keep-department-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[NEW NUMBER plates will keep not only the number of a person's department but will include a logo after a government u-turn.The Interior Ministry, which introduced a new number plate scheme to simpli...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-31</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Beajoulais Nouveau sails in plastic]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/beajoulais-nouveau-sails-in-plastic-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE first batches of Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 have set sail to the US in recyclable plastic bottles.A spokesman for Boisset, one of the two main producers of beaujolais nouveau said the bottles were ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Strike blocks national papers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/strike-blocks-national-papers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[SEVERAL national newspapers have been kept off kiosks due to a strike by a print and delivery group.Le Figaro, La Tribune , L'Humanité and La Croix are the largest daily titles that workers at the N...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Death toll rises  for want of firms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/death-toll-rises-for-want-of-firms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE cost of funerals has risen 35% in ten years to an average of 3,900 due to a lack of competition between funeral firms.According to consumer group UFC-Que Choisir, who carried out an investigati...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Brown and Sarkozy unite on finance]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brown-and-sarkozy-unite-on-finance-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the "first priority" of Paris and London was to stop contagion from the financial crisis spreading to eastern Europe's emerging economies.He met with Preside...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Tobacco smuggling up 242% this year]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/tobacco-smuggling-up-242-this-year-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[CUSTOMS officials have seized 151 tonnes of black market cigarettes  up 241% on last year.The rising prise of a packet and increasing number of checks on borders and the post are behind the figure...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Who bugged the town mayor?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/who-bugged-the-town-mayor-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TOWN mayor has asked the Interior Ministry to investigate all town halls and public office buildings after a microphone was discovered in his office.Vincent Morisse, the mayor of Sainte-Maxime nea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taser firm loses first libel battle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taser-firm-loses-first-libel-battle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A FIRM that imports and distributes Taser stun guns in France has lost the first in a series of high court battles over claims that the supposedly safe police weapon can be lethal.SMP Technologies s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarko rapper hit for tax fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarko-rapper-hit-for-tax-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RAPPER Doc Gynéco, who backed President Nicolas Sarkozy for election last year, has been handed a 10-month suspended prison sentence for tax fraud.Gynéco (gynecologist), whose real name is Bruno Bea...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police seize pics at Paris art fair]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/police-seize-pics-at-paris-art-fair-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ORGANISERS of the FIAC international art fair said they were shocked by a police raid.Officers removed photographs by Russian artist Oleg Kulik from the Grand Palais in Paris and took Moscow art gal...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-28</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Man jammed in toilet stops TGV]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/man-jammed-in-toilet-stops-tgv-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MAN trapped his hand in the u-bend of a TGV toilet.Firefighters cut him free after his arm became lodged in the u-bend after he tried to retrieve his mobile phone."He came out on a stretcher, wi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rapist escapes from courtroom]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rapist-escapes-from-courtroom-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[FRENCH police are searching for a convicted rapist who managed to slip out of court just before he was handed a 10-year jail sentence, a police official said Sunday.The chief suspect among four men ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Buy show tickets from tabacs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/buy-show-tickets-from-tabacs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RETAIL giant Fnac has launched a self-service scheme called Tick &nbsp; Go for buying tickets for shows and concerts at tabacs.In the same way as customers choose a cd or dvd, people will now be abl...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-27</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Plastic bag tax binned by MPs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/plastic-bag-tax-binned-by-mps-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A TAX on non-biodegradable plastic bags voted into the 2009 budget by a finance committee has been ditched by MPs.The measure was aimed at encouraging supermarkets to use biodegradable bags. Even ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Estate police to film themselves]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/estate-police-to-film-themselves-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE chief of police in the notorious Seine-Saint-Denis district of Paris wants officers to be filmed on duty to show the violence they are subjected to.His call comes after two officers were placed ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy leaves giant footprint]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-leaves-giant-footprint-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRESIDENT Sarkozy has a huge carbon footprint, equivalent to that made by 1,000 of his fellow citizens, according to an ecological magazine.His globetrotting in the presidential jet over the past 11...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Financial crisis hits holiday plans]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/financial-crisis-hits-holiday-plans-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[TRAVEL agents' federation SNAV has reported a 30% drop in holiday bookings compared to the same period last year.The secretary general of the organisation, which represents 60% of travel agents in F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-23</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Major healthcare shake up launched]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/major-healthcare-shake-up-launched-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A MASSIVE restructuring plan for French healthcare will be discussed by the cabinet today.No hospitals will close, said Health Minister Roselyn Bachelot.You can rifle through our drawers, even ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Friends rally to embattled DSK]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/friends-rally-to-embattled-dsk-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[French politicians have rushed to support Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the embattled head of the IMF who recently admitted to having an affair with a colleague.The IMF has launched an investigation in to...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Shock pics for cigarette packs]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/shock-pics-for-cigarette-packs-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[IMAGES of cancers and illnesses linked to smoking could adorn cigarette packets in future.Health minister Roselyne Bachelot has said she is favourable to the idea which began in the UK at the begi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PSG back in the French cup]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/psg-back-in-the-french-cup-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PARIS Saint-Germain can compete in the  Coupe de la Ligue after a court overturned the teams ban.The  Conseil d'Etat said the punishment handed out to the team after fans unfurled an insulting bann...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-21</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sister Emmanuelle dies aged 99]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sister-emmanuelle-dies-aged-99-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[RELIGIOUS figurehead Sister Emmanuelle has died in her sleep aged 99.The nun, who was due to celebrate her 100th birthday on November 16, recently published her last book  J'ai cent ans et je voudra...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy account hit by hackers]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-account-hit-by-hackers-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE government has launched a probe into withdrawals by thieves from President Nicolas Sarkozy's personal bank account, a senior official has said.An inquiry is underway, the President of the Repub...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Thousands protest education policy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/thousands-protest-education-policy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THOUSANDS of teachers have marched through Paris in protest at government plans to reform lycées.While unions claim 80,000 took part, the police put the figure at 32,000.Protestors came from acros...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-20</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[CCTV cams in Paris to quadruple]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cctv-cams-in-paris-to-quadruple-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PLANS to setup more than 1,200 new CCTV cameras in Paris will be discussed next week.The project, which could cost â¬50million , has already received the approval of Paris Mayor Bertrand DelanoÃ«....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Stop matches if fans spoil anthem]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/stop-matches-if-fans-spoil-anthem-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[MATCHES where the national anthem is jeered should be cancelled immediately, the government has announced.Fans whistled over the top of La Marseillaise during a friendly match between France and Tun...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Google Street View launches in France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/google-street-view-launches-in-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[GOOGLE has launched its Street View application for six French cities.The streets of Paris, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Marseille and Nice have been photographed in such a way that online visitors can ge...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[SNCF to make its  prices clearer ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sncf-to-make-its-prices-clearer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE SNCF has promised to make its ticket prices clearer after discussions with consumer groups.The head of the company's long distance section Mireille Faugère admitted there was "work to be done" t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ferry disruption  halted for talks ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ferry-disruption-halted-for-talks-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PORT officials who yesterday staged a strike that severely disrupted cross-Channel ferries are holding talks today.In the meantime union leaders have called off action which saw services between Bou...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy sues ex police spy chief]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-sues-ex-police-spy-chief-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[President Nicolas Sarkozy has filed suit for malicious falsehood against the former head of French police intelligence over diaries published in a news magazine, the president's lawyer said.The priv...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Poison probe for Russian lawyer]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/poison-probe-for-russian-lawyer-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Police in Strasbourg have started an inquiry into the suspected poisoning of a top Russian human rights lawyer, a court official said Tuesday.Lawyer Karinna Moskalenko, who is representing the famil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sorry Cécilia, um Carla, whoever]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sorry-ccilia-um-carla-whoever-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Le Monde newspaper has published a front-page apology asking for President Nicolas Sarkozy's forgiveness after mixing up the names of his third wife, Carla Bruni, with his second one, Cécilia.  In w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Taser head under arrest for spying]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/taser-head-under-arrest-for-spying-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Police have arrested the head of a French company that supplies Taser stun guns to security forces on suspicion of spying on a Trotskyist leader who has campaigned for a ban on the controversial weapo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bail out passes first hurdle]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bail-out-passes-first-hurdle-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The government bank has been voted through the National Assembly.President Nicolas Sarkozy met with bank chiefs to discuss the massive 360billion plan, offering loan guarantees and capital to avert...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-15</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Semaine du Goût helps good taste]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/semaine-du-got-helps-good-taste-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THREE thousand food professionals will visit 6,000 primary school classes this week for the Semaine du Goût, a national event aimed at waking up kids taste-buds and nurturing a love of good food.Ch...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Depardieus son dies of pneumonia]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/depardieus-son-dies-of-pneumonia-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The son of French film star Gerard Depardieu died Monday in a Paris area hospital from acute pneumonia, his agent said.Actor Guillaume Depardieu, 37, was known for a lifestyle of drink and drugs.E...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-14</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[No rise in cost of cigarettes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/no-rise-in-cost-of-cigarettes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The government will not put up the cost of cigarettes, the budget minister has said.In an interview this weekend Eric Woerth quashed press reports that a 10% rise would be implemented in January.H...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Protests against defence reforms]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/protests-against-defence-reforms-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Thousands of civilian workers protested on Saturday against the closure of military bases across France.Event spokesman Gilles Goulm said: The military are forced to stay silent but we work for the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-13</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French author wins Nobel prize]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-author-wins-nobel-prize-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio has been awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.Le Clezio, 68, who was born in Nice but had strong family connections with Mautitius, grew up with both the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[La Halde rules against burqa  ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/la-halde-rules-against-burqa-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The highest anti-discrimination authority in France La Halde has ruled in support of a language centre which barred a woman who wore a burqa.La Halde said that it was necessary for teachers to see t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Flu vaccine in  pharmacies now]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/flu-vaccine-in-pharmacies-now-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Flu vaccines are now available in pharmacies across France.Medical authority theAssurance maladie recommends the jabs for those more at risk; the elderly, asthma sufferers and people with diabetes....]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[2% loans launched  for Parisiens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/2-loans-launched-for-parisiens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Residents of Paris are eligible for special loans with interest rates of 2-4%.The loans were launched by the Mayor of Paris to help residents pay for courses, healthcare, driving lessons and specifi...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Brel's 'Amsterdam' sells for 108k ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/brels-amsterdam-sells-for-108k-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Jacques Brel's notes for the song Amsterdam have been sold for 108,750 at an auction to mark 30 years since the singer's death.In total the sale of personal items, which took place at Sotheby's in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Annual 12m boost for organic food ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/annual-12m-boost-for-organic-food-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[An annual sum of 12million has been set aside to help farmers convert to organic production.The money marks "a new start" according to the Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier. He said the money w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Bardot says Palin disgrace to women]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/bardot-says-palin-disgrace-to-women-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Screen legend and animal rights activitist Brigitte Bardot has attack Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palins stupidity in an open letter.Bardot, 74, said: "By denying the responsibil...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Driver killed in TGV car collision]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/driver-killed-in-tgv-car-collision-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A young driver has been killed when his car was struck by a TGV on a level crossing.Witnesses said the driver, a 21-year-old man, ignored barriers and warning signals before his Renault Clio was hit...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rebel authorities could be punished]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rebel-authorities-could-be-punished-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Education minister Xavier Darcos said he is preparing to take action against communes who broke the law by refusing to operate minimum service requirements during yesterdays strikes.Authorities in ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[French scientists receive top honour]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-scientists-receive-top-honour-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Two French scientists who discovered the HIV virus was responsible for AIDS have received the Nobel Prize for medicine in recognition of their work.Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier will s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Vote socks fraud election annulled]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/vote-socks-fraud-election-annulled-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The fraudulent municipal election results of Perpignan have been annulled by a court in Montpellier.Protests took place the day after the election in March after the brother of a UMP politician wh...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-07</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Anti-wind turbine protest criticised]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/anti-wind-turbine-protest-criticised-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Green groups have criticised the thousands of marchers who protested this weekend in Paris against the governments energy policies.While one of the organisers Jean-Louis Butré attacked what he call...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-06</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Police's religion request attacked]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/polices-religion-request-attacked-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A police demand for a council to hand over details of non-Christian staff has been condemned as "unacceptable" and "inappropriate" by the Interior Ministry.Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie h...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Recession to hit  French economy ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/recession-to-hit-french-economy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The French economy will shrink by 0.3% in the third four-month period of the year - technically putting the country into recession.Despite its predictions, government statistics agency Insee warned ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Corsica poll boost to French state ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/corsica-poll-boost-to-french-state-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[89% of Corsicans do not want independence for the island, according to a recent poll.The findings were published in monthly newspaper Corsica which titled the article Le sondage qui change tout 'the...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Directors' super bonuses condemned ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/directors-super-bonuses-condemned-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[THE government will bring in a bill to limit the enormous bonuses paid to financial bosses 'within weeks' its chief spokesman said.Spokesman Luc Chatel said that the French government had demanded t...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Paris baggage handlers arrested]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/paris-baggage-handlers-arrested-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Police have arrested 12 baggage handlers in connection with the theft of 450,000 worth of goods while working at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.An airport official said authorities had broken up ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Breast cancer campaign begins]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/breast-cancer-campaign-begins-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Top female MPs illuminated the Ministry of Health in pink to mark the beginning of a month-long breast awareness campain.Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot was joined by Interior Minister Michèle All...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-10-01</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy junior wins scooter case]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-junior-wins-scooter-case-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[President Nicolas Sarkozy's son Jean has been found not guilty of fleeing the scene of a 2005 scooter crash.Plaintiff M'hamed Bellouti, 37, was ordered to pay him 2,000 damages for taking "abusive"...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[PM plane in near miss at Paris]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pm-plane-in-near-miss-at-paris-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A plane carrying Prime Minister François Fillon was forced to take evasive action to avoid a small private plane that had strayed into its flight path, officials in his office said Monday.Fillon's F...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-30</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Channel challenges are a hit and miss]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/channel-challenges-are-a-hit-and-miss-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[An attempt to cross the English Channel in a pedal-powered airship has failed, shortly after a man flew across it using four jet engines on a wing strapped to his body.Stephane Rousson, 39, from Nic...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Grace period for motoring laws ends]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/grace-period-for-motoring-laws-ends-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[From Wednesday motorists who do not carry a flourescent jacket and warning triangle in their car will be fined 135.The day marks the end of a grace period following the introduction of the new law ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-29</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Congestion charges for towns scrapped]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/congestion-charges-for-towns-scrapped-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A plan to introduce congestion charges for towns across France has been scrapped because the law was becoming 'too complicated'.The Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo said the idea had been dropp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Internet law must  be passed urgently]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/internet-law-must-be-passed-urgently-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A law to allow telecoms companies to threaten and cut off internet users who illegally download films and music must be passed urgently, a UMP spokesman has said.Frédéric Lefebvre, who speaks for th...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Rebuild the world  financial markets ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/rebuild-the-world-financial-markets-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[President Nicolas Sarkozy said the world's financial system was in need of complete overhaul and promised to protect the French in a speech on Thursday.Speaking to 4,000 in Toulon, Sarkozy said he w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-26</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Three towns vie for Olympics]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/three-towns-vie-for-olympics-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Nice, Grenoble and Annecy have announced their candidacy to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said the city's proposed budget of 100 million euros was half that of its co...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cuisine festival  this weekend]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cuisine-festival-this-weekend-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Food fans can check out cuisine celebrations in towns across France this weekend.The Cuisines en Fête runs from September 26-28 with events ranging from free tasting sessions in small shops to cooke...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Jet man set for second attempt]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/jet-man-set-for-second-attempt-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Swiss pilot Yves Rossy will attempt today to fly across the English Channel at 190km using a homebuilt jet.Followed by the National Geographic Channel, he will jump from a plane at 3,000m and hit sp...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-25</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Local police to carry stun guns]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/local-police-to-carry-stun-guns-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Stun guns will be issued to 20,000 local police officers despite calls from human rights groups for the weapon's use to be suspended.Municipal officers will join the national police and gendarmes in...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Food industry price conspiracy]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/food-industry-price-conspiracy-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A consumer magazine has accused food producers of camouflaging price rises  a claim they reject strongly.60 millions de consommateurs said the most popular technique was to package much smaller qua...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-24</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Senate swings a little to the left]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/senate-swings-a-little-to-the-left-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The Socialist Party gained 23 new seats in the French Senate over the weekend  much better than even they had predicted.Votes were cast by around 50,000 delegates of town councils and regional coun...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Parliament to vote on Afghanistan]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/parliament-to-vote-on-afghanistan-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[French lawmakers are debating whether to keep French troops in Afghanistan after the deaths of ten soldiers. While both houses are controlled by the UMP party and likely to support the mission, the o...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Better service as tunnel re-opens]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/better-service-as-tunnel-re-opens-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Eurotunnel has announced it has reopened a 17-km section of the Channel Tunnel damaged by a fire.Train operators have been running a limited service through the southern tunnel which was undamaged ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-22</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy prepares  economy speech]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-prepares-economy-speech-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Nicolas Sarkozy is to give a talk next Thursday on the state of the French economy in the light of turmoil on the world markets.His staff said the president will hold a meeting in Toulon, away from ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-19</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cap tax shelter schemes at 10k]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cap-tax-shelter-schemes-at-10k-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A limit of 10,000 could be set on the amount of money French residents can store away from the tax man.The government has promised to set a cap on the amount of money that can be invested in tax fr...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-18</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petrol consumption continues to drop]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petrol-consumption-continues-to-drop-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The amount of petrol used by drivers in France during August has dropped 17% on the same time last year.Diesel consumption also fell 10.6% putting the general fall in fuel use to 12.3% - a new recor...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Marseilles picked as culture capital]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/marseilles-picked-as-culture-capital-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Marseilles has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2013.The city, one of the oldest settlements in France, beat Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse for the title.Culture Minister Christine Alba...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-17</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Positive drug test for boat captain]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/positive-drug-test-for-boat-captain-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The captain of a vessel implicated in the fatal sinking of tourist boat has tested positive for cannabis according to the police.He and another man in command of la Besogne are still being questione...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Royal leadership bid on hold]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/royal-leadership-bid-on-hold-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Ségolène Royal has temporarily pulled out of the race to lead the opposition Socialist Party, although she still hopes to mount a second bid for the French presidency in 2012.Polls put Royal behind ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-16</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Pope arrives for tour of France ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/pope-arrives-for-tour-of-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Pope Benedict XVI begins his first state visit to France on Friday, hoping to strengthen President Nicolas Sarkozy's call for a more positive view of Christian values in Europe.   The leader of the ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Reduced services across Channel]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/reduced-services-across-channel-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Eurostar has asked travellers to avoid travelling on its trains unless their trips are essential.The company has imposed a very restricted timetable following a fire in the Channel Tunnel last wee...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Le Pen announces  retirement in 2010]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/le-pen-announces-retirement-in-2010-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Front National leader Jean-Marie Le Pen has announced he will retire from the position in 2010."I have already passed the legal age of retirement by twenty years. Nothing is over but I will change m...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-12</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Poor weather hits  grape harvest]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/poor-weather-hits-grape-harvest-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The wine authority Viniflhor has predicted production of the drink will be down 5% this year on 2007.Producers are expected to make 43.6 million hectolitres, down on last year's 46.5 million which w...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Historic monuments need 11 billion]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/historic-monuments-need-11-billion-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The country's historic monuments need 11 billion euros to stop them falling apart according to the Ministry of Culture.The figure is more than three times the ministry's budget and has risen from fo...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Education protests vary across France]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/education-protests-vary-across-france-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Education workers across the country are taking part in protests today against the loss of 11,200 posts.They believe that government reforms will lead to a further 13,500 posts being cancelled next ...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-11</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Sarkozy review of police database]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/sarkozy-review-of-police-database-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[President Sarkozy has ordered a review of a police database which stores information on sexual orientation, health and political persuasion of people aged as young as 13.Critics of the Edvige databa...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-10</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Scientology to be tried for fraud]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/scientology-to-be-tried-for-fraud-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The Church of Scientology is to stand trial for organised fraud and false prescription of drugs.A ruling against the church in the civil case could lead to its dissolution in France.The affair dat...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-09</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[UMP conferences unity message]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ump-conferences-unity-message-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A STRONG message of unity has been the theme for the UMP summer conference, taking place in Royan in Charente-Maritime.PM François Fillon said the party represented unity, modernity, movement and de...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-08</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Mobile boarding  pass for  flights ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/mobile-boarding-pass-for-flights-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Air France and KLM have launched a service where mobile phones can be used to board flights between Paris and Amsterdam.It is the first time such a system has been used for international flights.P...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Triplets at 59-  doctors angry ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/triplets-at-59-doctors-angry-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A 59-year-old woman who received IVF treatment in Vietnam to sidestep France's age limit has caused anger among the medical profession.Medical ethics experts have criticised the behaviour of doctors...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ex Spain PM denies being the father]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/ex-spain-pm-denies-being-the-father-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The former prime minister of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar has denied being the father of Justice Minister Rachida Dati's child.He issued a denial after rumours were published on a Morrocan website.Dati...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-05</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Unions call for  education demos ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/unions-call-for-education-demos-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Education and student unions have called on members to gather in Paris on October 19 to demonstrate against school reforms.The march in the capital will be in addition to a 'day of action' set for S...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Petition to stop La Poste changes]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/petition-to-stop-la-poste-changes-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A petition against a law to privatise La Poste has been launched by a coalition of left-wing parties."We must get millions of signatures to counter a terrible project which aims to reduce public ser...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cabinet passes RSA project]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/cabinet-passes-rsa-project-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Cabinet ministers have approved a proposal to increase tax on capital gains to supplement the income of poor workers.The measure has been criticised by members of the ruling UMP party as a tax too f...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-04</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Interest free eco loans launch 2009]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/interest-free-eco-loans-launch-2009-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Homeowners will be able borrow up to 30,000 in interest-free loans for green home improvements from next year.The loans can be used for insulation and heating systems, with a ceiling of 30,000 a s...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Students to get up to 15,000]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/students-to-get-up-to-15000-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Students will be able to borrow up to 15,000 without parental guarantors from mid September.According to La Tribune the minister for higher education Valérie Pécresse said the new measure would com...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-03</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Back to school  whats new?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/back-to-school-whats-new-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[PRIMARY pupils return to school with a new four-day week calendar this academic year.The reduction in teaching hours, scrapping Saturday schooling is part of a set of government reforms, with more p...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Darling comments hit expat pensions]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/darling-comments-hit-expat-pensions-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[COMMENTS by UK Chancellor Alistair Darling that Britain faces its worst economic crisis in 60 years have plunged the pound to a record low against the euro.Sterling is currently worth 1.23 euros per...]]></description>
		<pubDate>2008-09-02</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Only 25% would work more - poll]]></title>
		<link>http://www.connexionfrance.com/only-25-would-work-more-poll-view-article.html</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Only 25% of French people are willing to work more to improve their income according to a poll by Le Parisien.Six people out of ten would prefer to keep their situation exactly as is, despite the fa...]]></description>
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