Latest update: 01/08/2012 

- French economy - Olympic Games - Ramadan


Trouble for fasting in one country, and for breaking it in another

No Flash warning
To take advantage of all the features on FRANCE24.COM, please click here to download the latest version of Flash Player.

Muslims get into trouble for breaking their fast in Algeria – and for maintaining it in France. Plus, it’s almost summer time for France’s politicians, so the newspapers are grading the class of 2012, the government of Jean-Marc Ayrault - and guess who comes out on top?

IN THE PAPERS

There are a couple of very different stories about fasting during Ramadan in today’s papers. L’Humanité reports on a 36-year-old man in Algeria who was eating bread and drinking water,when he was surprised by police, and, according to the French daily, beaten and imprisoned.

Quite a different story north of Paris in Le Figaro: A regional manager visited one of the summer camps in his charge two weeks ago, and noticed during breakfast, that two of the camp leaders were not eating. The two workers were suspended for endangering the lives of the youngsters in their charge because they risked being hungry, tired and fainting. But a media storm brewed as a result. Want to know what happened next ? Watch the video!

In the class of 2012 Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac is among those getting good marks from the Parisien for finding a way to trim billions. But Le Figaro castigates the government for raising 7 billion euros in tax rises while failing to make any significant cuts in expenditure until 2013.

Massacre at the Boston Marathon
16/04/2013 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

Massacre at the Boston Marathon

Papers across the world react to the double bombing at the Boston Marathon. It's unclear for now who is behind the deadly attack but papers point the finger at terrorism. The Boston Globe says "it's a tough blow for a tough town". Meanwhile, social media focus on the more positive things to come out of the tragedy - from blood donors to an outpouring of sympathy from across the country.
'Don't tell us again you dislike the rich'
15/04/2013 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

'Don't tell us again you dislike the rich'

French papers this Monday focus on ministerial disclosure of their personal finances. President François Hollande has demanded transparency from his team in the aftermath of the Cahuzac scandal. Jérôme Cahuzac is the former Budget Minister charged with cracking down on tax evasion who spent weeks denying he had a Swiss bank account only to confess and outrage public opinion.
The Economist: 'What the world needs now is more Thatcherism, not less'
12/04/2013 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

The Economist: 'What the world needs now is more Thatcherism, not less'

Venezuela is about to elect a new post-Chavez leader. Barring a major upset it will be his heir apparent Nicolas Maduro. On Korea, an analysis in the Jakarta Post argues Beijing has been getting it wrong in its relationship with Pyongyang. Still with Asia, we look at bird flu concerns in China itself. And, The Economist hails the late UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a 'freedom fighter'.
'Street warfare in Paris: Thatcher vs Sands'
12/04/2013 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

'Street warfare in Paris: Thatcher vs Sands'

Le Figaro says Hollande has not done enough to put out the fire of the Cahuzac tax evasion scandal. Some MPs - on left and right - are baulking at one measure: greater disclosure of financial assets. Le Parisien, meanwhile, looks at political lies past and present. And there's street warfare in Paris: one right-wing elected official wants a street named after Margaret Thatcher, a Communist counterpart says 'Non'. He wants one named after Irish Republican hunger striker Bobby Sands.
'Adieu Iron Lady' and 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead'
11/04/2013 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

'Adieu Iron Lady' and 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead'

Papers continue to analyse Margaret Thatcher's legacy in spades. We look too at reactions in China and Japan to the continued tension on the Korean peninsula. And, at coverage of President Hollande's raft of measures aimed at 'moralising' French political life. One paper says his move to abolish tax havens is an 'oldie'. Another paper says he's seeking to be an 'apostle of virtue' by getting his ministers to engage in a 'financial striptease'.

React to the article
Comment this article typing your message in the above text zone. Please note that this is limited to 1500 characters or less.
(2) Reactions

Fake

by Anonyme - 02/08/2012 - 12:20

There is no ideological message. People who come from non-democracies with little or no respect for other cultures or religions insist on prominence in others. But it is France's fault for allowing so many of one culture and denying so many others who actually want to be french. If you love your religion and want to practise it however you want why not stay in the country where you are able to do so. Was a gun put to their heads forcing them to live in a secular country? Were they fooled by someone claiming that France is an islamic state? They are free to stay or leave. Clearly if France was like their countries of initial origin where they can practise islam openly they would have left. So why try to turn a wonderful country into the one you or your forebears can't stand to live in? Nonsense. But again it's France's fault.

Absurdity

by Anonyme - 01/08/2012 - 15:23

Your ideological message here is absurdly obvious when you put these two news together. You want to say although we sack Muslims because they fast in Ramadan, but never mind, because in Algeria the police arrest a 35 year old for breaking his fast.

Read more
Close