Miss Kolka

So Benazir Bhutto has been assasinated. Did she get too close to her own people? Perhaps it was bound to happen. A woman fighting for democracy in a muslim country who already escaped attacks two months ago when she returned from exile and where 140 of her supporters died. Bhutto was not perfect but she didnt deserve to die for her beliefs. No one does. Not long time ago she was asked if she wasn't scared for her own life in Pakistan's deadly politics. She answered:

"I dont believe a true muslim will attack me, I believe Islam forbids suicide bombings ... " Well someone did get her in the end, but certainly not a martyr going to paradise to meet the 72 virgins.

How sad it all is, her father hanged, her two brothers killed and now the "icon of Democracy" gunned down at a rally, just a week before the highly contested elections. Leaving behind a mourning husband, 3 children and a country in chaos.

What a mess.

Oh and merry christmas, gleðileg jól, et Joyeux Noel

I have figured out the difference between a journalist and a editorialist (the latter should actually include the former but its not necessary to go in the other direction). I never actually wanted to be a journalist - how can the information of Presidential elections in Uzbekistan where the President is elected once again, and in a fake democratic election even, be useful to my overall knowledge? All we seem to talk about on international channels are elections, vote rigging, arrest and attacks. Oh, and more elections. Then Israelis decide to build more settlements just on the eve of the second round of peace talks with the Palestinians and we are just suppose to say - "Oh, this could be a problem" - well you can be damn sure it is a problem and against international law. All this on the same day as Mr famous writer decides to die. You haven't heard about it? What, that Julien Gracq is dead? Oh, you don't know who Im talking about? Well neither did I but it seemed crucial to announce the death of the 97 year old on the channel today - well for one part because he was the director's favourite writer. "but," as I tried to reason with my senior producer " he is not that of an international figure you know - even though he might have been known by all the french intellegentsia of course.." didn't matter - why do I even try, Im not listened to anyway.

Rambling on just as Rageh Omaar witnesses some flip floppers from Africa...

To get back to my first point - A journalist who is dictated by wires is not a true editorialist. Someone who doesn't have any personal input is not a editorialist. An editorialist gives an opinion - it can be a protested opinion - it should be protested even ... and at least I imagine, An editorialist goes back home and has had a interesting conversation out of the day. Not some stupid quarrels about figures and statistics - repeated from a computer screen. What's the point? Why to even pretend? Im not a journalist, and I bloody will voice my opinions... no matter the angle

I keep seeing things on CNN that somehow I find offending. The latest is an advert often aired on the clearessence products "especially formulated for people of colour". Ok perhaps I get lost sometimes in all the political correctness of it all but an advert encouraging black people to have whiter skin somehow does not belong on a news channel. If I would be coloured would I be offended in the same way? The bottom line of the advert being "Let the real you.. shine through.." is somehow weird. Are you not the real you with your original skin colour? Or is there something more I am not understaning about having a dark skin? I know we live in a world of appearences, that the average 50 year old white male has the suppremacy of all world powers.. but still - Do we have to try to convince people of colour to become white? Exactly when people with clear skin want to become darker...

Not everybody can have the "perfect" skin of Snow white..well, anyway she is more likely to get skin cancer than the rest of us then... you can't have it all.

And the award goes to....

Oh yes

France 24 is one year old. We celebrated gracefully with champagne, well some were more graceful than others perhaps, We also had music, dancing, lots of laughter and more champagne.

I invite you to go and see the most crazy moments of the channel - with some very well chosen bloopers over the past year.

Some escuisite watching...

Shame it was shown yesterday - I could have contributed beautifully with my 4minute bulletin today, where lots of tiny mistakes F... up the whole thing, there is no other word. Thankfully, it went completely unnoticed!

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