France

In a minute, we'll get to the new book and the new movie deal but first, let's clear up the matter of where exactly Peter Mayle, the best-selling author of "A Year in Provence" and "Toujours Provence," currently resides.Is it true that the Pied Piper of Provence, the British expatriate whose last five blockbuster books have celebrated the glories of living in the south of France, is now residing in the east of Long Island? That he has abandoned -- after stirring up the desire in millions of us to pick up and move to Provence -- the charming, remote village of Menerbes for the ever-so-chic village of Amagansett in the Hamptons?

Gov. Martin O'Malley will leave the country Saturday to visit France and Ireland during a week-long trip billed as trade mission, his office said. The governor's third international journey of 2013 will include visits to the Paris Air Show, meetings with a Lockheed Martin CEO and other aerospace leaders, a reception with Charles Rivkin, the U.S. Ambassador to France and a discussion of O'Malley's data program StatState with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Maryland first lady Catherine Curran O'Malley will join the governor for the first leg of the trip to France.

Gov. Martin O'Malley will leave the country Saturday to visit France and Ireland during a week-long trip billed as trade mission, his office said. The governor's third international journey of 2013 will include visits to the Paris Air Show, meetings with a Lockheed Martin CEO and other aerospace leaders, a reception with Charles Rivkin, the U.S. Ambassador to France and a discussion of O'Malley's data program StatState with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Maryland first lady Catherine Curran O'Malley will join the governor for the first leg of the trip to France.

Frances M. Finney, who overcame poverty, earned a college degree and became a city school teacher, died April 19 from heart failure at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Guilford resident was 82. Frances Mae Hopkins was born in Baltimore and was raised in her maternal grandmother's Etting Street rowhouse. "Like many African-American families in the 1930s and 1940s, she grew up poor and remembered being taunted by others because of the neighborhood where she lived," said a daughter, Joyce E. Stewart, who is director of implementation and compliance for the Housing Authority of Baltimore City.

JOHANNESBURG — Before the World Cup started, you could have gotten good odds that the French would go home as champions. On Sunday one of Europe's top bookmakers starting taking bets the French would go home before their final match. The bizarre turn of events, which has been brewing for years, finally bubbled over Sunday at the team's camp just east of Cape Town with a series of events that started with a conversation between captain Patrice Evra and coach Raymond Domenech and ended with the humiliated Domenech reading a statement to the media condemning the French federation's decision to kick forward Nicolas Anelka off the team a day earlier.

Francehas elected only the second Socialist president in its history -- the first being Francois Mitterrand, who spent 14 years in the driver's seat back when French presidential terms lasted seven years rather than five, and who made a hard-right turn away from economic socialism and toward spending cuts after his first two years in office. The best France can hope for now is that the newly elected Francois Hollande takes a similar plunge into a pothole of pragmatism and douses any budding socialist ideas.

On February 5, 2005, MADELEINE (Skirven) FRANCE, age 93, formerly of Country Meadows Nursing Center in Bethlehem, PA. Mrs. France was born in Baltimore, MD. She was the wife of the late Ralph H. France. She was the daughter of the late Theresa K. and William L. Skirven and the niece of the late composer Franz C. Bornchein and his wife, the late songstress, Hazel Knox Bornchein. Mrs. France graduated from Eastern High School in 1927. She was a graduate of Goucher College in 1931 and was the class President for over 20 years.

"France could not be France without greatness," said Charles de Gaulle. And in pursuit of "greatness," France is relishing its role as potential deal-breaker in feverish negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.Having squeezed the Americans to make concessions on agriculture that the European Commission trade negotiator, Sir Leon Brittan, said he would not have anticipated, it is now testing U.S. nerves on film and TV exports and making new demands on its EC partners.

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas France of Ellicott City, MD are happy to announce the marriage of their daughter, Lori Anne France to David Eugene Pickett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pickett of Upper Marlboro, MD. The couple was married on Saturday, September 16, 2006 at First Lutheran Church of Ellicott City by Pastor Glenn E. Ludwig. Kendra Terry was the Maid of Honor. Best Man was Leland Ehrenfried. Bridesmaids were Kara Bruner, Kelley Cameron, Andrea Pickett and Chandres Pickett. Groomsmen were John Dohony, Tony Rock, John Tickle and Tim Virostek.

Paris. -- Margaret Thatcher said in the early 1970s that 10 years are about as long as any democratic public will put up with a given leader. She failed to profit from her own observation and leave the prime ministership when she was at the peak of her accomplishment and reputation.Instead she stayed on, and found herself humiliatingly ejected from 10 Downing Street last year by the vote of her own party's parliamentary members.Francois Mitterrand was elected president of the French hTC Republic 10 years ago May 10. Is it the prudent time for him to go?

As part of this blog's effort to provide LGBT-related news and commentary, we'll be bringing you links to stories from around the web in a weekly feature called Looking Out . Here's a look at what's making a splash today: -- Same-sex marriage has made pretty high-profile strides in the last three weeks, but things are picking up across the Atlantic, too. France's gay marriage law has been deemed constitutional by the nation's constitutional council....

Jean-Pierre G. Meyer, former professor and chairman of the Johns Hopkins University mathematics department whose escape from Nazi-occupied France became the subject of a children's book, died April 24 of heart failure at his Guilford residence. He was 83. "He was conscientious and really very smart and kind, and that's not always a combination that goes together," said W. Stephen Wilson, a close friend and math department colleague. "He was department chairman for five years and no one has been chairman for five years since the 1980s to today," said Dr. Wilson.

Amy Michelle Gross has been appointed to replace Robert W. Schaefer as executive director of the France-Merrick Foundation, the Baltimore-based charity announced Tuesday. Schaefer is retiring after 17 years leading the area's fourth largest charitable organization with more than $200 million in assets. Established in 1959, the foundation is charged with improving Baltimore's quality of life. "It is a bittersweet time for our foundation," said Wally Pinkard, president of the France-Merrick Foundation, in a statement.

Two defending champions from the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association will participate in the inaugural Under Armour Brothers In Arms Classic high school football event this fall. Gilman, which has won the past two MIAA A Conference championships, is scheduled to play Manatee (Fla.) on Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland's Byrd Stadium. In the first game that day, two-time defending MIAA C Conference champion St. Frances -- which is moving to the A Conference this fall -- is set to face Friendship (D.C.)

Joseph A. Miklasz, a trial attorney who practiced in Glen Burnie and was a wine collector, died of cancer Sunday at Stella Maris Hospice. He was 71 and lived in Crownsville. Born in Baltimore, he was raised in Severn and in East Baltimore, where he lived with an aunt on Gough Street. His father, Joseph Miklasz, owned a combined grocery store, post office and filling station in Severn. His mother, Marie "Mamie" Miklasz, ran the operation. After attending St. Michael's School in Butchers Hill, he was a 1960 graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School, where he wrestled.

St. Frances guard Dayshawn Wells committed Sunday night to Bowie State, the reigning Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament champions. “He was our best defender,” said St. Frances coach Nick Myles, a Bowie State graduate. “I think it's going to be really good. It's the right level for him. He's a tremendous kid with a tremendous work ethic. He sacrificed a lot for winning.” Wells averaged around nine points and three assists for the Panthers, according to Myles.

A FRENCH POLITICAL commentator recently suggested that 10 years is, so to speak, the ''consume-by'' date on politicians. Ten years, more or less, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was overturned. The students were in the streets against Gen. Charles De Gaulle a decade after he returned to power in 1958, and he was gone a year later.The United States has written it into the Constitution. Just eight years and a president is out.The pertinence of the French writer's observation is that within a few months Francois Mitterrand will have been president of France for 10 years.

Maurice White heard rumors about Jimmy Patsos leaving Loyola after the 2012-13 season. The St. Frances shooting guard had committed to the Greyhounds in October, but decided to withdraw his pledge last month when talks about the Loyola coach leaving town intensified. Sure enough, Patsos landed the coaching job at Siena earlier this month. It didn't take long for White to hear from the new Saints coach. “Probably like four days after he [took the job],” White said.