Should muslim women in France be allowed to wear the burka? -- Sweden sets priorities for its upcoming EU presidency -- Roma families in Kosovo living in lead contaminated camps -- Austria braces Bruno -- Is racism replacing sectarianism in Northern Ireland? -- How a simple Swiss tool became a global brand, and Serbia strives for medals at Student Games.Tune in to Inside Europe on the radio or sign up for the Inside Europe podcast! You can also download the program from the Web site.Should muslim women in France be allowed to wear the burka?France is to set up a parliamentary commission to investigate the wearing of the burka by Muslim women in the country.It follows strong criticism by President Sarkozy of the head-to-toe Islamic veil in a speech earlier this week, in which he said it represented subservience. There've been calls for the burka to be banned, but critics argue the debate is stigmatising the country's five million Muslims. Five years ago a law forbidding the Islamic headscarf and other religious symbols in public places sparked heated argument in France and abroad. Alasdair Sandford reports from Paris.Sweden sets out its priorities for its upcoming EU presidencyNext week, Sweden takes over the 6 month rotating presidency of the European Union. The Swedish government says it’ll be stearing clear of bilateral disputes between member states. But it’ll have its work cut out for it dealing with tough foreign policy issues such as Iran, the Middle East and Afghanistan. Nina-Maria Potts has this report. A review of the outgoing Czech Republic EU presidencyDuring the first half of this year the Czech Republic has held the rotating EU presidency.But Prague’s presidency is unlikely to be remembered as a success: the government was forced out of office in March and replaced by a caretaker cabinet. So how do the Czechs view their time at the helm of the EU? Ian Willoughby has this report. Roma families in Kosovo have had to live in lead contaminated camps for a decadeHuman Rights Watch has called on Kosovo’s authorities to shut down lead-contaminated camps that have housed Roma families since 1999.Around 700 Roma live in the camps – they were resettled there after the war in Kosovo a decade ago. The camps are situated near a disused lead mine and the Roma – particularly children - are showing high levels of lead contamination. The high level of toxicity in the area was identified by the United Nations back in 2000. So why haven’t the Roma families been relocated? Wanda Troszczynska-van Genderen is with Human Rights Watch and told Helen Seeney more.Austria braces itself – for BrunoBritish comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen has been promoting his latest film Bruno, in which he plays a gay Austrian fashion reporter.Cohen’s over the top appearances at premieres in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Madrid have wowed his legions of fans. Critics, though, say his Bruno incarnation is just as offensive as the role he played in his last film Borat. So what are the Austrians making of all this? Are they seeing the funny side of Bruno? Or is the film likely to dent national pride? Steve Crilley has this postcard from Vienna.Will Britain become the digital capital of the world?The British Government has drawn up a plan to turn the UK into the “digital capital of the world”.The plan – dubbed DIGITAL BRITAIN – aims to help the country make the most of modern communications technology. Among the goals: universal access to broadband by 2012 and a fund to invest in next generation broadband. From London Stephen Beard reports.Dealing with umemployment stresses in GermanyFigures released here in Germany suggest that the recession has bottomed out and that consumer confidence is rising.But analysts are warning that unemployment is likely to rise in the coming months. The German banking association, the BdB, predicts that the number of people out of work could reach over four and a half million next year – up from more than three and a half this year. Losing your job not only means an uncertain financial future. It can also result in social and psychological changes. Susan Stone has this report on how a number of unemployed people in Berlin are coping with these issues.Is racism replacing sectarianism in Northern Ireland?The people of Northern Ireland are becoming more racist and homophobic. That’s the finding of a survey which was released this week as dozens of Romanians packed their bags to leave the province.About 100 Romanians – mainly Roma – were attacked by local gangs last week in Belfast. The survey was published by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and suggests that racist violence is taking over from the province’s traditional conflict between Catholics and Protestants. Francoise Barlet is with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities. Helen Seeney asked her if she agreed with that assessment.How a simple Swiss tool became a global brandNow, what is that every self-respecting boy scout is supposed to have in his pocket?And how did something that began as a simple tool become a global brand? Our next report has the answers to both those question. It concerns the company which manufactures the Swiss army knife which is celebrating 125 years in business. To mark the anniversary, the Forum of Swiss History has created an exhibition charting the knife’s development. Imogen Foulkes went along to find out more. Serbia strives for medals and kudos at the Student GamesThe Serbian capital, Belgrade, is busy preparing for an influx of sporty students from around the world.From the 1st to the 12th of July they’ll be competing in the Universiade, a sports festival which takes place every 2 years in a different city around the world. Only students between the ages of 17 and 28 are allowed to take part in these so-called youth Olympics. The recession has forced Serbian organizers to reduce their budget for these forthcoming Games. But as Filip Slavkovic reports the people of Belgrade are looking forward to showing off their city to the competers.

[ Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:05:00 GMT ]

Listen

Download

Listen on your iPhone