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.

Libya protests: 84 killed in growing unrest, says HRW
There are reports that the government has sent in militias to quell the unrest. The number of people killed in three days of protests in Libya has risen to 84, according to the New York-based group Human Rights Watch. The main focus of the demonstrations against Col Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year-old rule has been the second city, Benghazi, where one hospital reported 35 deaths on Friday. Protests are said to be continuing…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12512536

Peaceful Moroccan protesters demand limit on royal powers
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Morocco on Sunday demanding King Mohammed give up some of his powers, dismiss the government and clamp down on corruption. In the capital Rabat, some people in the crowd waved Tunisian and Egyptian flags in recognition of the popular uprisings that overthrew the two countries’ presidents. At least 5,000 people marched across central Rabat, according to Reuters reporters…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/peaceful-moroccan-protesters-demand-limit-on-royal-powers/article1914500/

Twitter Reinstates UberSocial And Twidroyd, UberMedia iPhone Apps Still Await Review
Looks like Bill Gross’ UberMedia has had its API access reinstated for at least two of its apps this Sunday afternoon, after a dramatic turn of events led to them being shut down on Friday under the auspices of privacy, monetization and trademark violations. In the their return, Blackberry client UberTwitter will be changing its name to UberSocial and Android app twidroyd will be making no name changes — Both have complied with…
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/20/twitter-reinstates-ubermedia-apps-ubersocial-and-twidroyd/

Libya protests: Gaddafi’s son warns of civil war
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, has warned that civil war could hit the country. His comments came in a lengthy TV address as anti-government protests spread to the capital Tripoli, and were brutally countered by security forces. Saif Gaddafi offered political reforms, and admitted that the police and army had made “mistakes”, but said the death toll was lower than reported. Human Rights Watch says at least 233…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12520586

Tell the SEC: Keep Conflict Minerals Out of Our Electronics!
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a U.S. financial oversight body, has developed the first draft of reporting requirements for companies covered by the U.S. legislation on Congo’s conflict minerals. Tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold are essential to the performance of our SMART technology used in cell phones, laptops, digital cameras and other high-end consumer electronics. These minerals are sourced…
http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-sec-keep-conflict-minerals-out-of-our-electronics

Scores Killed in New Zealand Earthquake
Residents of Christchurch braced for a tense night after a powerful earthquake struck New Zealand’s second-largest city during the busy lunchtime rush on Tuesday, killing scores of people, flattening office buildings, destroying homes and leaving large swathes of the city without electricity and running water., Prime Minister John Key said that at least 65 people were confirmed dead in the 6.3-magnitude quake…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/asia/23zealand.html

Workers Sickened at Apple Supplier in China
Last week, when Apple released its annual review of labor conditions at its global suppliers, one startling revelation stood out: 137 workers at a factory here had been seriously injured by a toxic chemical used in making the signature slick glass screens of the iPhone. Apple, describing it as a “core violation” of worker safety, said that it had ordered the contractor to stop using the chemical and to improve safety conditions at the plant…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/technology/23apple.html

Are zero carbon homes a lot of hot air?
In five years time, all new homes built in the UK will be required to be zero carbon, with no net carbon emissions over a year. CNN spoke to green house-builders and environmentalists to answer some burning questions about zero carbon homes. Why do we need zero carbon homes? Some 26% of UK’s carbon emissions come from homes, making it a significant area for reducing emissions overall, according to UK Green Building…
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/22/zero.carbon.homes/index.html

Cell phone exposure increases brain cell activity
The radiation emitted after just 50 minutes on a mobile phone increases the activity in brain cells, according to a new government-funded study. The effects of that brain activity are not known, said the researchers, who called for more study. Phones that were turned off did not create the same brain activity. The small study, published in the Journal of American Medical Association, is the first to look specifically at how electromagnetic…
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/22/cell.phone.brain.activity/index.html

Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Crops Contain Organism Causing Animal Miscarriages, Scientist Says
Recent research claims that Monsanto’s Roundup Ready genetically modified crops contain an organism, previously unknown to science, that can cause miscarriages in farm animals. This disturbing find comes on the heels of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s decision to deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA). Roundup Ready is designed to survive Roundup, Monsanto’s weed-killing chemical. Purdue University’s…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/monsanto-roundup-ready-miscarriages_n_827135.html