noteable irish neighbour

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Beer in Bangladesh amusing legal loophole

By Roland Buerk, BBC correspondent in Dhaka

The makers of the malt drinks say they are not breaking any laws, It looks like beer, it tastes like beer, but in law at least it is a malt beverage. A company in Bangladesh believes it has found a legal loophole to get around the Islamic country's ban on alcoholic drinks. But their discovery has created a furore among Islamic parties and the threat of legal action from at least one leading international brewer.

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SHOP ‘TIL THEY DROP
The Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay brought the plight of undocumented migrants in Britain into the spotlight. We were told how the unfortunate victims were trafficked and exploited by ruthless gangs of ‘snakeheads’. We solemnly frown when we hear how gang masters prey on the vulnerable victims of mafias. But these problems have wider and deeper causes.

The ‘illegal’ immigrants are vulnerable to exploitation precisely because of their (lack of) legal status. They have no rights, are terrified of being deported, and can’t go to the authorities for help. The government claims to be dealing with the ‘problem’, while the situation stays the same. So, who benefits from this crime and why is nothing done to change the situation?

Shock Horror... Benji rants on supermarkets and immigration from SchNEWS

also in SchNews this week, Haiti update, although you might be better off going to Haiti support group

also
Throttled by history Haiti's political class has failed it, but the first black republic has also been squeezed dry by a vengeful west

Gary Younge, for the Guardian, in Port-au-Prince, Monday February 23, 2004