This French Life

Air Passenger Duty increase on flights from UK

FROM November 1 the Air Passenger Duty (APD) on flights from UK airports is to increase.

The increase will be levied on flights including those to Europe, pushing the tax up to £12 per person, while the rate to flights to destinations around the world will also rise.

The government has said APD is an environmental tax, although cargo flights and private jets don't pay the fee, with many airlines heavily critical of it.

French electricity prices set to increase by 3%

ELECTRICITY prices in France are set to increase by around three per cent in early 2011, finance minister, Christine Lagarde, said.

The increase is designed to help support EDF as it buys back solar generated electricity at above market rates to help promote its use.

Three hundred days on, French journalists still in captivity

For 300 days now, two French journalists from France Televisions have been held in captivity in Afghanistan, the longest period of detention of a French journalist in the field since the Lebanese Civil War.

via France 24

French Senate passes pension bill

President Sarkozy hopes the pension bill's passage through the Senate marks the beginning of the end of the crisis.

What happens next is that first thing on Monday, a joint committee of Senate and National Assembly members will meet to agree on a common text.

This final version will then be put to a simultaneous vote in both houses of parliament Tuesday or Wednesday.

via www.bbc.co.uk

News round up: Three cheers for strikers in France

CATCH up with what has been happening in France over the past few days and for more stories check out the French news headlines section.

Two new days of strike action in France announced

TWO new days of strike action have been announced by unions in France - Thursday, October 28 and Saturday, November 6.

The new protests come as the government increases the pressure in Parliament to squeeze through the legislation by the end of the week.

In a statement on the CGT union website, they highlight the support amongst the public that is being revealed in opinion polls for their opposition to plans that would raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62.

Unions are calling for a public debate on the changes and blame the government for the continuing protests and problems the public currently face.

Pension Reform: the French Exception?

Earlier this year and after some 70 hours of debate the pension reform bill pushing up the age of retirement was passed. So why are people still protesting? Well the bill still needs to get through France's upper house - that's expected to happen in the coming days, so those against the moves are making one last stand against them.

via www.france24.com

French workers vow to step up pension protests

French workers will step up their protests against pension reforms next week, a top trade union leader says.

Bernard Thibault, head of the CGT workers' confederation, made the statement as union leaders prepared to discuss plans to hold a seventh day of national protests across France.

via www.bbc.co.uk

France criticised in Press Freedom Index report

FRANCE has fallen one place in the Press Freedom Index compiled by the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontières, leaving it behind both the UK and the US, as well as countries such as Mali, Tanzania and Chile.

The annual report is based upon a questionnaire that is completed by journalists from around the world, with France sitting in 44th place.

World Radio Paris targets English language station

HOT on the heels of a French language radio station in London, comes news of an attempt to launch an English language station in Paris.

World Radio Paris (WRP) is working on creating a dossier showing support for its plans as it aims to win the righ to broadcast on an FM frequency.

The station is currently available online and is run from the American University in Paris where it has been in operation since 2005 thanks to a team of over 50 volunteers and AUP students.