France

Chinese web-users planned to boycott Carrefour from May 1st. But after having firstly added fuel to the fire, the Beijing authorities have finally decided to put a stop to the campaign, with an impressive police effort. See the report.

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Poster of Ben Ali. Photo: "Eikizilla"

Nicolas Sarkozy is on a three-day trip to Tunisia. A former Tunisian judge, suspended for having criticised his president and now under constant police watch, deplores the French head of state for turning a blind eye to the corruption and authoritarianism Ben Ali's "clan". Read more...

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Mokhtar Yahyaoui is a former Tunisian judge. In 2001 he drafted a public letter to president Ben Ali condemning the lack of independence of Tunisian magistrates. A few days later, he was suspended and has since been living under police surveillance.

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The banner, displayed at the premier league final between Paris St-German and Lens reads

"Paedophiles, unemployed and inbred: Welcome up north"

A group of Parisian football supporters responsible for a banner that accused their opponents of being "paedophiles and inbred" has been ordered to disband by the French interior minister. Members of the group react to the news and remind us of even more aggressive banners displayed in premier league stadiums. Read the rest and see the banners.

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Image from the pro-ana blog Fairydust

The French parliament is currently debating a law banning all blogs and websites that encourage or defend anorexia. The white paper refers specifically to "pro-ana" blogs, where the illness is considers extremely fashionable. Young anorexics react to the proposed law and tell us about the pro-ana movement. Read more...

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Chinese web-users angered by disruptions during the Olympic torch's tour through Paris last week are organising a campaign to boycott Carrefour starting May 1st, according to Reuters. Our Observer in China has sent us images of a mini-protest in front of a Carrefour store in Beijing. The police intervened in the affair, but only by asking the protesters to move on. Read more...

UPDATE (18 APRIL 08 10am): Protests against Carrefour have sprung up all over China and the demonstrators have extended their crusade to several other French companies including Luis Vuitton, Sephora and Dior. New pictures at the bottom of the post...

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The facade of Le Monde building in Paris. Photo taken from the metro by "Mademoiselle N"

The French daily newspaper Le Monde announced plans to lay off 130 staff, including some 90 journalists, in an economic reshuffle last week. But the news did not go down with the editorial staff, who today, for the first time in the newspaper's history, went on strike. Read more...

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Photo from the French military

A French luxury yacht hijacked by pirates on the coast of Somalia last Friday has highlighted a vast and growing problem in uncontrolled waters. Local bloggers explain that if the pirates get their ransom, attacks will only be encouraged. Read more...

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The Olympic flame had to be put out for half an hour during its tour around Paris because of havoc caused by mainly pro-Tibetan protesters. ChinaWolf, who set up a YouTube channel to "defend the Chinese reputation", explains to us why he thinks the protests were unacceptable. Read more...

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The British public was wowed by Carla Sarkozy's elegance and beauty yesterday when she met the Queen. And they didn't miss out on the chance to compare the French president's wife with that of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker-Bowles, who rarely enjoys any praise. We hear the view of a British "appearance management" consultant on each woman's choice of style. Read more...

Photos © "rashdas"

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