Nicolas Sarkozy

By Al Jazeera Staff in Africa on March 9th, 2011
Rebel fighters move toward the front lines outside Ras Lanuf [GALLO/GETTY]

 

As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Africa on February 22nd, 2011
Protesters chant anti-government slogans in Tobruk [Reuters]

As the uprising in Libya enters its tenth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on May 23rd, 2010

File 2653

The wearing of headscarves and face veils has generated much controversy in Europe in recent years.

Here in France, the government this week approved a draft law to ban the wearing of full face veils in public spaces, opening the way for the text to go before parliament in July.

The bill calls for $185 fines and, in some cases, citizenship classes for women who do not comply with the ban.

Anyone convicted of forcing a woman to wear a veil could face a year in prison and a $18,555 fine.

Similar legal processes are being considered in other European countries.

Many consider the targeting of face veils to be part of the same cynical and populist anti-Muslim campaign that has also taken aim at the wearing of headscarves, the building of minarets and Muslim reactions to 'blasphemous' cartoons.

They suspect that a populist European Right will conti

By John Terrett in Americas on March 31st, 2010
Photo by AFP

President Obama says he's not interested in seeing a sanctions regime against Iran in months - he wants to see one within weeks.
 
He was speaking at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the two met for more than an hour at the White House.
 
In their private meeting, the pair discussed the Middle East, Afghanistan, financial reform, climate change and convincing countries to join UN Security Council sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme – something that's close, according to President Obama.
 
"We have to continue to apply pressure, not just on Iran but we have to make sure that we are communicating very clearly that this is very important to the United States." 
 
Question from reporter: "How long?" 
 

By Abid Ali in Business on February 15th, 2010
Photo from AFP
Discipline in any team is important. Players pulling in opposite directions can destroy unity – we expect everyone to behave with some moral fiber.  That’s why John Terry lost his England job. But what do you do with a country like Greece that actually lied about its debt problems?
 
 
So what should Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy do? Should they bailout Greece or kick it out of the union? Gordon Brown has been pretty clear: if Greece needs financial help then it should go cap in hand in the International Monetary Fund. But it’s easy for Brown to make such comments his nation is not part of the euro zone.
 
By David Chater in Europe on December 26th, 2009
Photo from AFP

The Battle of the Minarets is spreading across the borders of Switzerland and spilling into France where it’s starting to shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the country’s real attitude towards its six million Muslims.

Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, is a champion of his country’s Republican values, forged in the Age of Reason and Enlightenment. He was quick to declare that he was shocked and scandalized by the result of the Swiss referendum last month which backed a ban on the building of minarets.

But one of the men who shares the same cabinet table as him, the Industry Minister, Christian Estrosi has a radically different attitude.

He  also happens to be the Mayor of Nice - a minaret-free zone - and he’s vowed to keep it that way.

By Gabriel Elizondo in Americas on November 28th, 2009
Photo by AFP
It was billed as a summit of presidents of Amazon countries. But most of the presidents didn’t bother to show up, making the ‘summit of presidents’ in Manaus one with few actual presidents in attendance.
 
About half of the mysterious place called "the Amazon" is in Brazil. The other half is divided between 8 other countries - Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
 
So Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president, organised Thursday's one-day summit of Amazon countries as a chance for them to come together a forge a common agenda ahead of the all important Copenhagen climate change summit starting on December 7 - which is being billed as the biggest climate change meeting in generations.
By Alan Fisher in Europe, Middle East on November 13th, 2009
Photo by Reuters

It's all about joining the dots.

The visit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Paris is the latest step in a process which could bring peace talks with Israel.

The two sides talked last year with the Turks as mediators. The Gaza War brought those discussions to an abrupt halt.

Now in the last 10 days, there's been some significant movement, which in some quarters is inspiring hope of renewed talks.

First, the Turkish foreign minister popped over to Paris. It's understood he was briefing the French on how far things had developed last year.

Then, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu arrived for lunch on Wednesday and stayed for nearly two hours.

Those close to him say he's willing to talk to the Syrians again "without preconditions".

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