Stories about Western Europe from August, 2007
Ukraine: “What Will the Elections Change?”
Taras Kuzio compares Ukrainian politicians to their French counterparts: “Yulia could become Ukraine’s Thatcher or Sarkozy – Yushchenko will always be a Chirac. Maybe a woman can do what a man could never.”
Tunisia: A new Mohammed cartoon crisis ?
Tunisian blogger A.L.G.Y of Cos-maux-polis is wondering whether a new Mohammed cartoon crisis is brewing. She explains that drawings of a man with the body of a dog wearing a turban were published in a local Swedish newspaper on August, 18th. As protests are underway in Pakistan and Iran, she...
Egypt: Princess Diana's Death
Egyptian Zeinobia marks the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death with this post.
France: The use of the French language in international communication.
The general delegation for the French language and languages in France, a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Communication recently published a report on the use of the French language in the digital world. The objective of the delegation is to promote the use of the French language in...
Morocco: Cat in Rabat's Reincarnation
A favorite Moroccan blogger, Cat in Rabat announces her blogging reincarnation and move to the Spanish blogosphere, as La Gatita Gringa.
Vietnam: wedding ceremony in photos
Yoann describes a Vietnamese wedding from a foreigner's perspective. He is pleasantly surprised that to hear familiar french songs during the ceremony (Fr).
Czech Republic, Germany: Gastarbeiter
Dr. Sean's Diary writes about labor migrations into and out of the Czech Republic.
Greece: On Fire
We've probably all heard it in the news by now: Greece is ablaze. Today the fires reached the ancient city of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics and home of the Olympia Museum, which houses one of Greece's greatest archaeological collections. Athens in Flames (From flickr user alefbetac) While the...
UK, Caribbean: Colours of Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest summer festival, is a celebration of both Caribbean culture and London's multicultural heritage. Images posted by various Flickr users give glimpses of the carnival's colours and faces.
Lebanon: Prostituting in France
Lebanese Rampurple links to a news article about a Lebanese pimp caught up in a prostitution racket in France.
Eiffel Tower Not ‘That Big’
Lebanese Mark, who lives in Kuwait, wasn't impressed with the Eiffel Tower during his trip to Paris and notes: “I was really expecting it to be much bigger. Weird.”
Europe: Elimination of Roma in 1944
Peshas Gypsy Gitan Blog writes about the elimination of the Roma by the Nazi in 1944: “The Roma kept very few written records the Generations gone before were remembered and kept alive in memory by word of mouth. Those murdered in the death camps were not only killed but they...
Senegal: Africa according to Nicolas Sarkozy
Francophone Africa was awaiting anxiously the newly elected French President's arrival. Nicolas Sarkozy's reputation certainly preceded him in Africa. He was minister of the interior under Jacques Chirac and was responsible for quenching the revolts of disaffected youths (ones he referred to as “racaille” (scum)). Today Africa is still reeling...
Sudanese Refugees in Israel
The Cutter, who is based in Italy, discusses the situation of Sudanese refugees in Israel – from another perspective – in this post.
Former Soviet Union: A 1945 Book
Scraps of Moscow feels “sort of funny using new media to post photos of old media” and writes about a 1945 book on the still-friendly Allies – or, the “soon-to-be Cold-War foes.”
France: Light punishment for racist comments by a high-school teacher.
Titophe on his blog Racisme et Histoire is worried that the French National Board of Education only reprimanded a high-school teacher for racist comments directed at a student of African descent (Fr).
Turkey: To each his own traitor
Guillaume Perrier, author of the blog Au fil du bosphore , muses about the toughening rhetoric in the Turkish political sphere (Fr) as the election for the Turkish presidential office comes to an end. Perrier asks whether the promises of uniting the country are already forgotten.
Europe: European Bloggers (Un)Conference
The Accidental Russophile links to the site of the European Bloggers (Un)Conference, to be held in Amsterdam on Sept. 27-28.
Bolivia: Following the Swiss Example
Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [ES] comments on a recent speech by President Evo Morales, who stated his desire for Bolivia to follow the example set by Switzerland. Machiado writes, “The reactions have been favorable because it is good that we want to be like Switzerland, and not like Venezuela...
African writers criticize Sarkozy in open letter
Jean-Luc Raharimanana, a Malagasy writer famous for his influential works on French colonialism, recently authored an open letter to French president Nicolas Sarkozy in response to the now infamous message to Africa and Africans he delivered in Dakar, Senegal. Nearly a month has passed since Sarkozy's speech, but its effects...
Iraq: Shame on Britain!
“I have a few words for the govt of Britain. Shame on you Britain for abandoning the only people that believed in helping you. Shame on you for refusing them entry to your country. Shame on you. I shake my head with disgust,” writes Neurotic Iraqi Wife in this post.
