So I just listened to a BBC World News Service radio report on Iran and the student movement (Julian Marshal was the anchor that hour). It focused on how much better things are in Iran since the revolution, on reformers in the Iranian parliament, and the emphasis was on the young people just wanting change to go faster than was reasonable. They did mention some arrests, but the focus was on how much freer everyone is in Iran these days. From the BBC report, one would have *absolutely no understanding of the reasons* behind the protests, except that they're ungrateful that progress isn't going faster than it is (but how things have improved! - great emphasis was placed on a split between the young people who just don't get it and the older people who were around in the early days of the revolution and understand just how good things are in Iran now). *Completely* unmentioned were the Mullahs (or Ayatollahs); on the BBC website's Middle East page the only stories on Iran are ones pertaining to the "positive" talks between the IAEA and Iran on its nuclear program, mourning the death of the twins, and one on a movement leader who's been released. Absolutely nothing mentioning threatened massacre by the government that shut down protests planned for today. And one wonders why Europeans might have a different viewpoint on the Middle East than we do. Well, opinions are shaped by the information one has - or doesn't have
*Big Mac attacks L'attac* In response to the ongoing strikes by its catering staff, school bosses at Robespierre secondary school in Epinay-sur-Seine ordered in Macdonalds. The strikers, rather than getting the support of their hungry charges, found themselves trying to block the delivery with the help of teachers, but failed. The children got their _Royale avec Fromage_. The strike collapsed. Reports suggest however that the pupils are calling for more strikes.
*Open skies: Uproar as Nobel prize winner arrested in Paris scuffle* Two British MEPs were arrested recently following a scrap with French police. Ulster MEP and Peace Prize winner John Hume and UK Tory MEP Edward McMillan-Scott were trying to get to Strasbourg on Air France. Big mistake. Told that the flights were full, again, and they would have to fly via another EU airport , again they attempted a shimmy through security - with dire consequences. Both MEPs were arrested by les Flics and banged up. Cue uproar in the EU plenary as member after member denounced the French State carrier and vowed never to support the Strasbourg home of Parliament again.