Stories from 7 May 2006
African Diaspora: Hard times for Africans in France and Belgium
Several francophone blogs have tackled African immigrants’ latest tribulations in France and Belgium. Choosing Immigrants Le Pangolin criticizes French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy’s latest round of immigration policies. The blogger sees Sarkozy’s approach as a diversion from the real social issues raised by protestors of the CPE [Youth Employment Law]....
Iran: Free Osanloo!
Aknoun va Inja reports about a letter which is written by more than four hundred political and cultural personalities, to ask government for Mansour Osanloo's, bus syndicate leader, freedom (Persian). From this letter we learn Osanloo has already been in an isolated cell for four months without have any right...
Prominent Egyptian blogger arrested and several other activists
Originally by Socrates Alaa Abd El-Fatah, one of the Egyptian political activists, and one of the first bloggers in Egypt was arrested today together with around ten more activists during a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with sixty activists who were arrested over the past two weeks in a non-violent sit...
Echoes from the Tunisian blogosphere
Swobodin writes about how Project Gutenberg has over 10,000 books legally available for download in more than 50 languages, yet none of them are in Arabic. He goes on to talk about the inexistence of any Arabic books in an electronic format, and how Arab national libraries and cultural centers...
The Spice of Life
#1: From Argentina, Pomelo Pleasures presents: The Spice of Life: She wants it in her jam, me too!!! :) I am an absolute nut about mulled wine, and perhaps with good reason. I remember France during the holidays, going to a bazaar full of baked goods and steaming vats of...
Russia: Ban on Georgian Wine and Water
Beginning today, Russia has outlawed Georgian sparkling mineral water Borjomi, a health product that many ulcer patients have been relying upon since the Soviet times. Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's chief health inspector, has ordered the ban allegedly due to the discovery of a batch containing fake Borjomi. A few weeks earlier,...