This French Life

British Embassy in Paris flies the Rainbow flag

Flying #RainbowFlag to celebrate diversity and #LGBT rights incl for our own great team! pic.twitter.com/TML0e5jUyz

— Peter Ricketts (@HMARicketts) June 29, 2013

THE British Embassy in Paris is flying the rainbow flag on its Chancery during the celebration of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans) pride on 29 June 2013 in both Paris and London.

Ambassador Peter Ricketts said: "I am delighted to fly the rainbow flag over the Embassy to mark this week and to show our pride in our LGBT staff and our celebration of diversity in our staff and our society."

New lower price caps for mobile roaming from 1 July

From 1 July 2013, the European Union's Roaming Regulation will lower the price caps for data downloads by 36%, making it much cheaper to use maps, watch videos, check emails and update social networks while travelling across the EU.

Data roaming will now be up to 91% cheaper in 2013 compared to 2007. During this period the volume of the data roaming market has grown 630%. These two trends mean both consumers and mobile operators have significant new opportunities thanks to EU efforts.

via europa.eu

French auditor urges economic reforms to slash spending

France's national auditor has warned that further cuts in public spending are needed if the country is to get its ailing economy back on track.

The Cour des Comptes said the deficit is on course to exceed the government's 3.7% target due to lower tax receipts.

A cut in the "weight of public spending seems more necessary than ever", the quasi-judicial body said in a report.

via www.bbc.co.uk

Expat campaigner's anger over winter fuel payment cut

A LEADING campaigner for the rights of UK expatiates has voiced his anger at George Osborne's plans to end the winter fuel allowance for pensioners living in France.

Brian Cave, of the Votes for Expat Brits website, says the chancellor has used inflammatory phrases when outlining the 'temperature test' plan that will see those living in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus, lose their entitlement to the benefit from 2015 as they have warmer winter weather.

"The misinformed, misleading, nature of Osborne’s phrases are disgraceful," Brian Cave said.

"He has chosen loaded words which are meant to colour the thoughts of the listener so that the listener is made to understand something other than the truth.

French consumer confidence at record low

In June 2013, households confidence about the economic situation slightly declined. The synthetic confidence index lost 1 point with respect to May, falling to a new lowest level.

via www.insee.fr

Expats in France look set to lose winter fuel allowance

EXPATS living in France are set to lose their entitlement to the winter fuel allowance after the chancellor introduced a 'temperature test' in his spending review.

George Osborne said: "From the autumn of 2015, we will link the winter fuel payment to a temperature test. People in hot countries will no longer get it. It is, after all, a payment for winter fuel."

This means all pensioners living in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus, will no longer get the benefit as they have warmer winter weather.

The list of countries was drawn up by the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, which analysed which countries were warmer on average between November and March than the south west of England - the warmest part of the UK.

Gas drilling plan for Permis de Brive blocked

AN application to begin exploration for gaz de houille, or coal gas, covering the Permis de Brive in south west France has been blocked.

Ecology minister, Delphine Batho, has blocked the proposals put forward by Hexagon Gas, based in Singapore, saying there were doubts about the the company's possible use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Such techniques are banned in France and Delphine Batho said that decision would be respected.

Related: Shale gas plans in France

Mod style meets French life, with Ian Moore

STAND-UP comedian Ian Moore has his feet either side of the Channel, his work takes him to UK towns and cities, while his family life is firmly settled in France.

It is this contrasting lifestyle, as well as his love of the mod culture, that lies at the heart of his comedy sketches and his new book À la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France.

And thanks to his family connections he is able to experience real French life, although some still wonder about the sharp-suited Englishman and his fashion sense.

"We live in the Loire Valley because my wife's mother, who is French, still has family in the area," Ian said.

French Alps massacre: brother is arrested over murders of British family and cyclist

Man arrested by French/British Joint Investigation Team in connection with Annecy murder investigation http://t.co/KT7dyoxPeL

— Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) June 24, 2013

Zaid al-Hilli, 54, was held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder by detectives from a joint British and French squad investigating the massacre.

The arrest is the first in the nine month inquiry into the shocking murders in September last year.

British engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Ikbal, 47, and Mrs al-Hilli’s mother, Suhalia, 74, were shot dead in a secluded beauty spot in the family’s BMW.

via www.standard.co.uk

Barroso provides 'fuel' for the far right, says Arnaud Montebourg

YOU can thank the European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, for the rise of the far right in Europe, leading Socialist minister, Arnaud Montebourg, has said.

Speaking on France Inter, the ministre du Redressement productif, said Barroso was 'the fuel' for the rise of the Front National (FN) and other far right parties.

He spoke yesterday on the day that the FN secured 46% of the vote in a run-off with the UMP party for the Villeneuve-sur-Lot seat of disgraced Socialist MP Jérôme Cahuzac who stepped down following a tax evasion scandal.

Arnaud Montebourg targeted Jose Manuel Barroso for criticism, but also said that the European Commission was taking measures which worked against the people of Europe, claiming that it 'furthers the cause of all the pro-sovereignty, anti-European, parties in the EU'.

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has responded to French accusations that he is fuelling the rise of far-right parties by saying French politicians are making a "scapegoat" of the EU to distract from their own economic difficulties.

via www.france24.com