Today's other stories in brief
French MEP caught on tape complaining
STRASBOURG – French politician Rachida Dati, exiled to the European Parliament by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, has reignited debate about her commitment to her new job after being caught on tape apparently disparaging the parliament, writes Ruadhán Mac Cormaic.
The former justice minister, widely believed to be planning a return to national politics, was filmed apparently bemoaning her fate in a phone-call to a friend. “I’m forced to stay here messing around because there’s media with me and there’s the re-election of [José Manuel] Barroso . . . The thing is, when you’re in Strasbourg they can see if you vote or not. If not, it means you weren’t there,” she said.
Two Kurdish protesters killed
DIYARBAKIR – Two Kurds protesting against the banning of a pro-Kurdish party were shot dead and seven were wounded yesterday when shopkeepers attacked them in the southeastern Turkish town of Mus, security officials said.
One shopkeeper was detained for opening fire on the protesters, state-run news agency Anatolian reported.
A student was killed in clashes with police a week earlier as tensions began to rise in the mainly Kurdish southeast. – (Reuters)
French minister criticises Muslims
PARIS – A junior French minister has told young Muslims living in France they should dress properly, find a job and stop speaking slang.
Opposition politicians from the left denounced the comments by the minister for families, Nadine Morano, as racist.
Ms Morano, a member of French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s inner circle, insisted: “We are not putting young Muslims on trial.”
She added: “I respect their situation. What I want is for them to feel French because they are French.” – (Reuters)
Rival rallies staged in Tehran
TEHRAN – Hundreds of pro-government and pro-opposition students staged rival rallies in Tehran yesterday, and the capital’s bazaar briefly closed down in protest at an “insult” to the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The incidents, reported by official media and a reformist website, were another sign of tension rising in Iran once again six months after a disputed election that plunged it into its worst internal crisis since the 1979 Islamic revolution. – (Reuters)
Facebook photos 'disappoint' police
STAFFORDSHIRE – A British police force said it was “extremely disappointed” after a group of girls taken to a station for questioning dressed up in police clothes and posed for photographs which were later posted on Facebook.
The pictures, depicting the girls in miniskirts and high-visibility police jackets, were taken at Burton-on-Trent station. In one photograph, two pouting girls posed in police hats while another shows a girl draped over a patrol car.
The officers involved have been moved to new roles after an investigation. – (PA)