Roma people in France, and Sharia law in Mali

Roma communities are moved on from one place to another – with little sign of the "rupture" signalled by the new French government. We also get a glimpse into why Ivorian soldiers are being attacked, and the latest on the increasingly bizarre situation in the north of Mali, where authorities are applying Sharia law – or trying to.

IN THE PAPERS

By Kyle G. Brown

Liberation leads with a story on a group of Roma – 200 people, most of them children – who are moved from one area of Paris’ outlying suburbs to another. Support groups say the new government is pursuing the same hostile policies as its predecessor.

We get some insight from Libération into the latest violence in Ivory Coast, where soldiers were shot dead – it’s thought by forces loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo. And further north, L'Humanité reports on Islamist militants in control of the north of Mali - they're rebuffed as they try to implement Sharia law.

16/12/2009 - IN THE PAPERS

Rachida Dati "can't stand" Brussels anymore?

INTERNATIONAL PRESS REVIEW: The Guardian leads with the latest controversy surrouding Rachida Dati, a former French Justice Minister and Sarkozy protégé who is now an MEP. She was recorded saying she "could not stand it anymore" during a sitting of the European Parliament

16/12/2009 - IN THE PAPERS

French Minister says Muslims should dress and speak properly

FRENCH PRESS REVIEW: The French Minister for Families, Nadine Morano, yesterday said young Muslims should not speak slang or wear baseball caps backwards if they hope to integrate.

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