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More violence rocks Paris suburb Many immigrants (mostly Muslim) are living in squalid conditions in France. This is bad. Some of them are becoming increasingly edgy as their calls for help remain unheeded and are making their voice heard, in many ways... Many cars have been gutted by fire during the riots ...Mosques surrounded by the police... Violence has flared for a fourth night in a north-east Paris suburb, but not on the same scale as before. Six policemen were injured and 11 people arrested in the latest confrontations between angry youths and police in Clichy-sous-Bois. Police said one or more teargas canisters were hurled into a mosque from an unidentified source. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is to meet the parents of two teenagers whose deaths sparked the riots. Saturday saw hundreds of mourners pay homage to the teenagers by holding a peaceful procession in Clichy-sous-Bois, which has a large immigrant population. The authorities denied rumours that policemen were cha...

America and the UK knew that Iran was pursuing Nuclear Power before they attacked Iraq. Their evidence was more than just Satellite Photos. Russia knew well enough about it, actually, it supplied the technology to Iran... And yet, defying all logic, the US and the UK invaded Iraq, not Iran. Sure, it was an easier target, or, was it? ... Iraq has no Weapons of Mass Destruction. What’s next, now? Iranian President - Mr Ahmadinejad calls himself a friend of the people... His people, that is... Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected Iran's president in June 2005, was an obscure figure when he was appointed mayor of Tehran in the spring of 2003. He was not much better known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark as Tehran mayor for rolling back reforms. Since his election he has taken a tough stand on a number of foreign policy matters, in line with his hardline background. Revolutionary credentials Mr Ahmadinejad was born in Garmsar, nea...

Many of us in Malta would not have had the opportunity of listening to a radio show on BBC channel-4 last week. The show has caused some stir in the UK... The following article (taken from The Obsverver) provides various highlights on this radio chat show. It touches many issues that interest us in Malta right now - giving us many points to ponder upon... Read on... The spat between Joan Rivers and Darcus Howe illustrated just how hard it is to talk about race, writes Akin Ojumu Sunday October 23, 2005 The Observer Have you got something against black people? You probably wouldn't be reading this if you had. But if you are brave or foolish enough to admit your prejudices, you can expect to get clobbered for them. Quite right. But I felt some sympathy for Joan Rivers when she lost it with Darcus Howe on Radio 4 last week after he suggested she had a blind spot about race. He baited her; she responded: 'Don't you dare call me a racist.' It was riveting radio but it left ...

Immigrant frustration for Malta By Daniel Sandford BBC News, Malta Some reach the island of Malta by mistake, and feel trapped As you walk the historic streets of the Maltese capital Valletta, there is little sign of the turmoil on the Mediterranean islands. Tourists mingle with shoppers in the ancient streets laid out in an unusual grid pattern. In the centre of the tiny city is the building that houses the Malta Emigrants Commission. From these offices, generations of Maltese migrants prepared to leave and start new lives overseas. But the main corridor is now packed with young Africans - men, women and children. These are not people who are about to leave Malta, they have just arrived. It is the first sign that everything is changing. We took to the air in a helicopter to see the scale of the change. As we lifted off it immediately became obvious. Dotted around Malta International Airport are barracks that were abandoned by the British Army when it left. Plea for help The buildin...

To be or not to be Real A Maltese Young Person in Brazil Ray Bartolo is an avid reader of this blog. He is extremely articulate and we often exchange opinions - even though we may not be always in tandem on all issues... I like the guy! ---------------------- To be a part of 6 participants on a TV Reality show was something that I always dreamt of doing. And when I have a dream I make it a point that the dream will come true, and actually it did. Liquorish is no Grande Fratello or L’Isola dei Famosi, nor it is ‘Xarabank’ or ‘Becky’. Its not a super mega popular programme on the Maltese National TV station, yet the feeling I had when I was chosen to take part in this reality show was something which is not easily described and I couldn’t resist not to accept. Last July the adventure started. The dangerous forests of Brazil were our destinations. We had 13 flights in all, including 2 11hours flights. At start it was difficult for me to integrate with the other 6 participants. They all ha...

Points to Ponder Gozo Ferry Blues? Well, a bridge linking Malta to the tiny sister island of Gozo can be a solution...A cheaper one too considering it will save money on shipping costs, fuel, manning the ferry firm, etc. What do you think? Just think about it: If you work in Malta all you need is drive to your destination...Irrespective of the season, weather or time of the day...If you incur an accident in Gozo, you don't need to be flown by helicopter...an ambulance can speed you to Malta in under 45 minutes...If you need to travel by plane, a trip to the airport can take place at any time you need...And if you are studying in Malta - well, you can go home everyday if it suits you better... Our brothers across the Malta channel are finally building one... Sicily bridge constructor named Source: BBC The bridge has been lauded and criticised in equal measure Italy has chosen a winner for the 4.4bn euro ($5.3bn; £3bn) contract to build the world's longest suspension bridge tha...

What are we to believe? What are we to stand up for? Is truth a make-belief game that the powerful play on the weak? Are we all dumbo's bred to accept the news as biblical facts? Ray After all the hassle the Libyan accused of the Lockerbie bombimg may end up potentially a fre man... Forensic mix-up casts fresh Lockerbie doubt Tony Thompson Sunday October 9, 2005 http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1588101,00.html Dramatic new evidence of forensic errors could see the man accused of planting the Lockerbie bomb win a new appeal against his conviction, The Observer has learned. Lawyers acting on behalf of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi are said to have uncovered anomalies suggesting vital evidence used to convict their client came from tests conducted months after the terror attack. Pan-Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, when about half a kilo of plastic explosive was detonated in a cargo hold, killing 270 people including 11 on the g...

The European Union has started negotiations with Turkey...Opening the way for full membership... No Comment. Turkey sentences Armenian writer Source: BBC NEWS 7.10/05 Journalists have raised concerns about aspects of the penal reforms A journalist in Turkey has been found guilty of insulting Turkish identity and given a suspended six-month jail sentence by a court in Istanbul. Hrant Dink, of Armenian-Turkish descent, wrote a newspaper column which he argued was aimed at improving relations between Turkey and Armenia. The prosecution interpreted one part as an insult, but Mr Dink has said he will appeal against the ruling. The verdict follows criminal code reforms as Turkey seeks to join the EU. The reforms were intended to improve freedom of speech in Turkey. The article written by Mr Dink addressed the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians during Ottoman rule in 1917. Armenians, supported by several countries, want Turkey to recognise the events as a genocide. Turkey reject...