Stories about French from July, 2008
Climate change, the view from Haiti
Writing about climate change [Fr], Note d'Or doesn't remember it ever getting this hot in Haiti when she was a child and says the trade winds don't blow as often as they used to.
Lebanon: Sea turtles and water pollution
L'Orient-Le Jour posts a photo of a dead sea turtle [Fr] floating off the coast near Halat, Lebanon and urges the government to do something about water pollution.
MENA: Reactions to the Mediterranean Summit
As over 40 leaders from the Mediterranean region gather in France for the inauguration of the new Union for the Mediterranean, the blogosphere is filled with mixed feelings. Jillian York checks up on the Middle Eastern and North African communities, bringing us reactions from Morocco to Syria.
Death Penalty for Malagasy Farmers over Land Dispute
Twenty one farmers from the locality of Ankorondrano-Analavory (90 km west of Antananarivo) were sentenced by the state because of a collective act of rebellion that stemmed from a dispute over land ownership. An online campaign for clemency for the farmers and conversations about the verdicts are taking place, keeping online forums users and blogs busy.
China: Is Sarkozy the problem with Sino-French relations?
'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, what intoxicating words! So why is there still so much animosity between China and France?'
Colombia: Hostage Rescue Raises Concerns
After the rescue dubbed as “perfect” by liberated former Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who was rescued by the Colombian army on Wednesday July 2nd along with 14 other hostages being held captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for up to 10 years in some cases. The Colombian community has been voicing concerns about the repercussions the rescue might have, and what interests might have been behind it.
Israel's fan in Tunisia
Zizou from Djerba recently introduced his readers [Fr] to Souheil Ftouh, whom he describes as "surely the most pro-Jewish and admiring of Israel of all Tunisian Arabs :-)", a man whose perspectives, unorthodox for a Tunisian, left Zizou's readers respond a bit appalled.
India: Sacking overweight flight attendants
Natifnatal [Fr] writes about the Indian high court's decision to sanction Air India's sacking of overweight flight attendants about a new report from ActionAid, a British NGO, which shows the ratio of girls to boys in India has reached an historic low.
