08 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost
British designer John Galliano has been given a suspended fine for two racist and anti-Semitic abuse rants in a Parisian bar. The former Dior designer was found guilty of making public insults on two occasions and charged 6000 euros (£5,200). Galliano was said to have made 35 anti-Jewish insults in the space of 45 minutes when he repeatedly insulted a French couple in February. He was also found guilty of similar charges from October 2010. Galliano claims not to remember the incidents due to his triple addiction to alcohol, sleeping tablets and Valium.
30 Jun 11 | Index Index, minipost
French journalists, Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier, have returned home after 18 months captivity in Afghanistan. The reporter and cameraman for television channel, France 3, were captured in 2009 while filming in the mountains of Kapisa. The pair were kept in solitary confinement for eight months and locked up for 23 hours a day. A media blackout was imposed on the French media throughout the first few months of their captivity out for “a political reasons and concerns for their safety”.
27 Jun 11 | Digital Freedom, News and features
New laws could could give French authorities web-blocking powers unrivaled in the democratic world. Félix Tréguer reports
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08 Apr 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The French Association of Internet Community Services, a group of more than 20 internet companies including Facebook and eBay, have gone to court over new a new regulation which obliges them to store extensive data on their users. The data includes full names, passwords and telephone numbers. Under the new law, Internet companies are obliged to share this information with French authorities as and when they are required do so. The Association has complained that the French government failed to consult with the European Commission prior to passing the law.
