In the papers
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Anonymous article
SARKOZY VISIT TO TUNISIA
Libération (France)
The unease of the Ben Ali generation
Ahead of the French president’s visit to Tunisia, the French press take a closer look at the North African country. President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali has been in power for more than 20 years, and democracy under his government remains limited. Opposition forces that migh challenge his own party are simply banned, while government critics are repressed and the press tightly controlled. Still, Tunisians are starting to speak out, as demonstrations become bigger and more frequent.
Le Figaro (France)
When even the weather is no longer politically correct
Illustrating the extent to which any negative press is censored, a journalist from “La Presse,” the ruling party's mouthpiece, says the publication used to be a newspaper of reference, but now gives zero information. Not even the weather can escape the censors’ snip: an article titled “Help, it’s raining” was censored, while another one on damage caused by torrential rain was transmuted into “welcome manna from heaven.”
SAUDI BLOGGER FREED FROM JAIL
Christian Science Monitor (US)
Saudi official: why popular blogger Farhan was jailed
Saudi Arabia is another country where criticism remains a delicate matter. This US paper reports on the blogger Fouad Fahran, who was held without charges for four months and freed this weekend. The official explanation for his detention was taking part in so-called “electronic crimes,” whereby electronic media are used to criticise and offend without providing evidence to back up claims. Fahran’s blog in Arabic was indeed political; shortly before his arrest, he published a list of what he called his “10 least favourite Saudi leaders.” Now free again, he says he will go back to blogging, though he is not sure Saudi bloggers can rest any easier about speaking their minds.
GUNS IN AMERICA
The Easley Progress (US)
Teen to be charged with four counts of murder
This local paper reports on the latest deadly shooting in the US, this time in the state of South Carolina. 18-year-old Nathaniel Dickson is charged with shooting his father, stepmother, brother and stepsister. His motives unclear, investigators struggle to make sense of this family tragedy.
The Post and Courier (US)
The issue of gun laws in the US is still cause for debate. Another South Carolina paper reports on a controversial law to bar the public from getting access to lists of people carrying concealed-weapons permits. Gun activists who support the move say keeping the list secret protects gun owners and the public, while opponents say it’s wrong for the government to give licenses in secret. The number of people applying for concealed-weapons permits has gone up; in fact, the local chaplain could have one – a reverend cited in this article got a concealed-weapons permit a few years ago after going to a law enforcement conference where it was suggested that chaplains should carry guns to protect themselves. Carrying loaded handguns into public places can, of course, be dangerous; hence, the paper's closing argument is that the public has a right to keep checks on the permit system.
A BLIND MAN SEES
The Independent (UK)
The blind man who was given the gift of sight by gene therapy
A research trial in the UK has shown some promising results in gene therapy. Researchers injected a solution containing normal genes into the eye of a young man with a hereditary degenerative eye disorder. The young man says the small improvement in his vision has made a big difference in his life.
