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  • Wednesday, 25 November 2009
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Tensions High in Corsica Following Blast, Worker Protests

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Tensions are high on the French island Corsica after an explosion damaged a customs boat.

No one was injured in the blast, which appears to be linked to labor unrest over the privatization of a state-owned ferry company. Bomb teams continue to search for explosives on boats leaving the Mediterranean island.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the dispute, throwing stones and fighting with police. Union workers have blockaded most of the islands' ports, stranding thousands of tourists for several days. Police action has now cleared at least one port, allowing tourists to begin returning home.

The French government plans to sell the ferry company because EU rules bar Paris from funding the debt-ridden enterprise.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.