On this week's programme: Roma organizations call for a boycott of French products - A Palestinian goes on hungerstrike in Berlin - Alternative cremation in Belgium - The cricket crisis from a Norwegian perspective - The impact of the internet on the English language - The return of the Baltic tiger - And Romanian doctors making a difference in France.
Topics
Roma organizations fight back against France
An alliance of Roma civic organizations in Romania has called for a boycott of French products and services. The boycott is in response to the French government's clampdown on Roma and will begin on Monday.
France has expelled nearly 1,000 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria since announcing a high-profile crackdown in July, sparking international criticism and warnings of xenophobia. The Roma Civic Alliance is a federation of 21 NGO's trying to improve the life of Roma populations in Romania. Its President is David Mark and he told Helen Seeney more about the boycott.
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A Palestinian goes on hungerstrike for his rights in Berlin
Firas Maraghy has been on hunger strike for four weeks outside the Israeli embassy in Berlin. He's protesting because next May he'll be forced to make a decision. He can either leave his German wife and daughter and head home to East Jerusalem. Or he can stay with his family but lose his residency rights back home.
This tough choice stems from East Jerusalem's peculiar status. It's been administered by Israel since the Six Day War in 1967 although international law regards the area as occupied territory. Palestinians who live there are stateless and dependent on the Israeli authorities for documentation. And that's the source of Maraghy's problem. Cinnamon Nippard has the details from Berlin.
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Belgians test an alternative to cremation
The race to achieve a low-carbon economy is reaching into every corner of life and even death. In the US, six states have approved the use of a new, low-carbon method of disposing of human remains.
It's an alternative to cremation called resomation. It involves reducing the body to a mixture of liquid and minerals. The US seems more ready than Europe to embrace this new technology. But a group of funeral directors from the province of Flanders in Belgium is eager to take the lead. They're pressing their regional government to adopt the new approach. From Antwerp, Stephen Beard has the details.
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The crisis in cricket from a Norwegian perspective
The world of cricket is in turmoil following allegations of match fixing which have overshadowed the current test series between Pakistan and England.
Several Pakistani players are suspected of trying to fix matches and defraud bookmakers. It's been a worrying week for cricket fans, but others remain non-plussed. For example, Lars Bevanger in Manchester. And he explains why in this postcard from cricket-mad England.
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Has the Baltic tiger clawed its way out of recession?
Estonia is gradually finding its way out of the global financial crisis. And businesses there say they've learned important lessons. This tiny Baltic state was one of the worst hit nations of the European Union, indeed the world.
To cope with a 15-percent drop in gross domestic product last year, the public and private sectors undertook an unprecedented campaign of cutting costs and jobs. And they looked to diversify their products and their markets, taking a more international approach. But with the introduction of the euro currency just around the corner, Estonians are nervous about this next step in their economic progress. Karen Percy reports from Tallinn on how the recovery is coming along.
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Romanian doctors are making a difference in rural France
In France, there's been a huge shift of population from the countryside to the towns over the past few decades. And for many rural communities, it's a struggle to hang on to a café, a chemist, a butcher and a 'boulangerie'.
What many villagers fear most, though, is losing their local doctor as there's a growing shortage of doctors in rural France. But since Romania joined the European Union in 2007, some 1,000 Romanian doctors have packed their bags and headed to the French countryside to make new lives for themselves. For example in the little village of Nogent-le-Vernisson in the west of the country. John Laurenson has been finding out more.
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Is the internet changing the way we view the English language?
The Oxford English Dictionary is the last word when it comes to the intricacies of our language. The OED covers the language from its roots in Old English to present day jargon. Which is possibly why the complete version of the dictionary runs to 20 volumes.
The last edition was published in 1989. Since the mid 1990's, 80 lexicographers have been working on the new edition – and they'll need another decade to complete their work. But there's now speculation that this new edition will only be produced in a digital form. John Simpson is the Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. Helen Seeney asked him if it was likely that the print version would disappear?
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Spain's tourism industry takes a beating
The holiday season is slowly winding down and for many working in the tourism industry it hasn't been a good year. The recession has forced many people to downsize their holiday plans or even encouraged them to simply stay at home.
For years, Torremolinos on the Costa Del Sol in Spain, has been one of Europe's most popular holiday resorts. It has suffered from the downturn in travel. And as Nik Martin reports, it's not just foreigners that have been staying away this year.
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- Date
09.09.10 | 17:30 - 18:00 UTC
- Broadcast times
09.09.10 | 19:30 - 20:00 UTC, 09.09.10 | 21:30 - 22:00 UTC, 09.09.10 | 23:30 - 00:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 04:30 - 05:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 06:30 - 07:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 07:30 - 08:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 08:30 - 09:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 09:30 - 10:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 10:30 - 11:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 11:30 - 12:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 12:30 - 13:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 13:30 - 14:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 14:30 - 15:00 UTC, 10.09.10 | 15:30 - 16:00 UTC
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