in an attempt to
stem
the
influx
of North African migrants entering France. Hugh Schofield reports from Paris.
Tensions are rising between Paris and Rome over the issue of Tunisian immigrants. Some 20,000 of them came to the Italian island of Lampedusa after the uprising in Tunisia. And they have now been issued with temporary permits by the Italian authorities. But this has angered the French government because now the Tunisians are exercising what they see as their right to travel inside Europe, which for the vast majority means coming to France. France has stepped up patrols near the border with Italy and last month sent back nearly 3,000 Tunisians across the frontier.
A nationalist party in Finland opposed to immigration has seen a dramatic surge in votes in the general election.
With most of the votes counted, the True Finns Party appears to have quadrupled its share and looks set to win about a fifth of the seats in parliament.
True Finns is also opposed to European Union bailout packages for cash-strapped European economies. And correspondents say their new influence could
hold up
any further such deals.
It is now known that a series of powerful storms in the central and southern United States in recent days has killed at least 40 people. Six states were affected. North Carolina, where 18 people were killed, experienced 62 separate tornadoes,
prompt
ing the governor to declare a state of emergency.