france

Though the presence of Roma (more commonly known as “Gypsies”) is nothing new in Western Europe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy began an unprecedented immigration crackdown campaign on Roma in France this past summer. In July, Sarkozy announced plans to dismantle 300 illegal Roma camps in his country...

APDS Blogger: Hilary Tone

Though the presence of Roma (more commonly known as “Gypsies”) is nothing new in Western Europe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy began an unprecedented immigration crackdown campaign on Roma in France this past summer.

The European Union has called France a "disgrace" and is threatening to take legal action against the country after it expelled thousands of Roma migrants...If France is found to be in breach of European law it could be fined but it would also face "a serious loss of prestige" according to sources in the commission.

An Iranian newspaper said on Tuesday that France's first lady Carla Bruni deserves to die after she condemned Iran's decision to stone a woman to death for adultery.

Alarmist predictions in the press about the quality of French diplomacy are now commonplace in France, with diplomats saying that the country’s “soft power” capability is being seriously degraded.

A United Nations human rights body rebuked France on Friday for its crackdown on Roma and urged the government to try to integrate members of the EU's biggest ethnic minority rather than send them to eastern Europe. The 18 independent experts voiced concern that some of the hundreds of Roma flown to Romania in recent weeks under what France calls a voluntary repatriation programme had not been fully informed of their rights or freely consented.

...why are fewer students choosing to take French? And no offence to the likes of Charles De Gaulle, Asterix and the Michelin Man, but does it really matter?...The sudden decline in French-speaking could mark the end of a long-held attachment the British have felt to the language.

The lack of a central body in France to oversee the authenticity of halal meat has made some experts doubt that animals have been slaughtered following the correct Islamic procedures...France has Western Europe's biggest Muslim population and producers are battling for a piece of the 5.5 billion euro ($7.05 billion) halal meat market.

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