This is our new Friday Digest! Every Friday, this weekly news round-up gives us the occasion to share with you news from various topics: politics to arts, entertainment, media, science, sports, fun and less fun news… This digest is a list of news published this week on the Internet (Friday to Friday), selected by the Sama Team, and it is by no means exhaustive.

If you want to suggest a news to be added in the next Friday Digest, contact us.

The list goes from oldest to newest news.  See you on Sunday, for our weekly Twitter Sunday!

Google-branded Chrome OS netbook to launch on December 7th
The headline pretty much reveals the brunt of it, but indeed, it looks like next week Google is going to start talking about how its Chrome operating system is coming along. Multiple sources have told us that Google will be holding some sort of event on Tuesday, December 7th — we’re not sure if it’ll be a live event, a webcast, or something else entirely — and that the shindig will see the launch of that Google-branded…
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/sources-google-branded-chromebook
-to-launch-on-december-7th/

Super Bowl: ‘One of Biggest Human Trafficking Events in the U.S.’
Last year’s Super Bowl in Miami was pretty big — country superstar Carrie Underwood opened with the national anthem, legendary ‘60s rockers The Who performed during halftime, and the New Orleans Saints took home the big trophy. And according to the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, tens of thousands of sex trafficking victims were brought to Florida to service the increased demand for commercial sex…
http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/super_bowl_one_of_biggest_human
_trafficking_events_
in_the_us

World AIDS Day 2010: Here’s the Good News
From the Pope’s comments on condoms to a promising new pill, this year has seen some positive steps in the battle against HIV/AIDS. But the fight is far from over. In December 1996, TIME ran a story titled ‘AIDS: Hope With an Asterisk.’ Fourteen years later, that sentiment stands. Here is our take on three bits of good news, asterisks included: Infection Rates A new report from UNAIDS says the epidemic has stabilized…
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/01/world-aids-day-2010-heres-the-good-news/

State Department To Columbia University Students: DO NOT Discuss WikiLeaks On Facebook, Twitter
Talking about WikiLeaks on Facebook or Twitter could endanger your job prospects, a State Department official warned students at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs this week. An email from SIPA’s Office of Career Services went out Tuesday afternoon with a caution from the official, an alumnus of the school. Students who will be applying for jobs in the federal government could…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/04/state-department-to-colum_n
_792059.html

Iran nuclear program self-sufficient, top official claims
Iran now produces everything it needs for the nuclear fuel cycle, making its nuclear program self-sufficient, the head of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization told state media Sunday. The Islamic republic has begun producing yellowcake, Ali Akbar Salehi told Press TV. Yellowcake, an intermediate stage in processing uranium, is a uranium oxide concentrate which is then heated to remove impurities…
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/12/05/iran.nuclear/index.html

Thabo Mbeki begins Ivory Coast political mission
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has arrived in Ivory Coast for the African Union to help mediate a political crisis, diplomats say. Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara have both sworn themselves in after claiming victory in a presidential run-off. Mr Ouattara was initially declared the winner but the result was overturned in the incumbent’s favour. The AU has warned…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11920739

Hertz To Offer Electric Vehicles By The Hour
Hertz Rent A Car is set to offer electric vehicles at an hourly rate starting December 15th in New York City, with expansion of the service to San Francisco, Washington D.C., London, up to 50 college campuses in North America, and markets in Texas and China by the end of 2011. For what it calls the ConnectByHertz “car sharing” service in Manhattan, the company aims to make 20 electric vehicles (EVs) available by…
http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/05/hertz-ev-plans-2011/

South Korea Begins Naval Firing Drills
Brushing aside North Korean warnings of war, South Korea began live-fire artillery drills on Monday, less than two weeks after the North’s shelling of a South Korean island sharply escalated tensions between them. A senior government official confirmed the drills had begun at a number of locations along the Korean coastline, but he said no exercises would be staged near the island that was shelled, Yeonpyeong…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/world/asia/07korea.html

Continental and mechanic guilty in deadly Concorde crash
Continental Airlines and a mechanic were found criminally responsible Monday for the Concorde crash that killed 113 people in 2000. John Taylor received a fine of 2,000 euros ($2,656) and a 15-month suspended prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Continental Airlines was fined 202,000 euros ($268,400). The mechanic was the only person found guilty in the trial in Paris, France. He was not present for the verdict…
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/06/france.concorde.trial
/index.html

Assange arrested in London on Swedish warrant
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Tuesday in London on a Swedish warrant, London’s Metropolitan Police said. Assange was arrested at a London police station at 9:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. ET) and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrate’s Court later in the day, police said. Swedish authorities had issued the warrant for Assange so they can talk to him about sex-crime allegations unrelated to WikiLeaks’…
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/07/uk.wikileaks.investigation
/index.html

Cantona cash withdrawal protest irks EU finance leaders
A call by French ex-footballer Eric Cantona for people to punish banks by withdrawing all their cash has been condemned by EU ministers. Cantona went online to call for customers to empty their accounts on Tuesday in a “revolution” against a “corrupt, criminal” banking system. He is said to have at least 38,000 supporters in France and elsewhere. Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11935112

Nobel Peace Prize ceremony boycott grows
Several governments have declined invitations to attend Friday’s ceremony to award imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Commission said Tuesday. The committee said China and 18 other countries have decided not to be represented “for various reasons.” It noted that number has tripled from six weeks ago. The countries joining China in its boycott include Russia, Ukraine…
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/12/07/nobel-peace-prize-boycott.html

Climate change warning at UN Cancun summit
Ministers have begun talks at the UN climate summit in Cancun amid warnings that time is running out to curb climate change and save the UN process. The top UN climate official, Christiana Figueres, said the fate of low-lying islands should be “a wake-up call”. Big differences remain between nations on issues such as cutting emissions, protecting from climate impacts, and inspections of others’ emission curbs…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11939768

Will reading WikiLeaks cost students jobs with the federal government?
U.S. agencies have warned some employees that reading the classified State Department documents released by WikiLeaks puts them at risk of losing their jobs. But what about students considering jobs with the federal government? Do they jeopardize their chances by reading WikiLeaks? It’s a gray area, said law professors and national security experts who spoke with CNN. The topic has been debated intensely…
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/08/wikileaks.students/index.html

Zuckerberg and Icahn Join Buffett and Gates on Giving Pledge List
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, may be the world’s youngest billionaire. But he’s already pledging to give away most of his wealth. He and 16 other households have joined the Giving Pledge, a campaign by Bill Gates and Warren E. Buffett to commit wealthy individuals to giving away at least half of their holdings by the age of 65. Among the other new signatories to the pledge are the billionaire investor…
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/zuckerberg-and-icahn-join-buffett
-and-gates-giving-pledge/

Haitian Vote Results to Be Reviewed
Citing the “manifest dissatisfaction of numerous voters,” Haiti’s electoral council announced Thursday that it would rapidly recount the preliminary election results that set off violent protests, shutting down the country. The council said that the top three vote-getters, as well as national and international election observers, would be invited to oversee a re-examination of the vote count sheets at the official…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/world/americas/10haiti.html

Peace Prize to Be Awarded to Imprisoned Dissident
Imprisoned in China and with close family members forbidden to leave the country, the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is to be represented at the prize ceremony here on Friday by an empty chair. In Beijing, the Chinese authorities, who have been incensed by the choice of Mr. Liu, continued to pour vitriol on the award while intensifying their crackdown on scores of people…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/world/europe/11nobel.html