- FRANCE 24

02/05/2012 - PAKISTAN

Osama Bin Laden's legacy is tough for Islamabad to shift

On May 2nd 2011, al Qaeda's leader and charismatic founder was killed in a raid carried out by the US military. Osama Bin Laden had been hiding for 5 years just yards away from Pakistan's most prestigious military school. It was a victory over terrorism for President Obama, but an insult which is hard to forgive for the Pakistani army. An inquiry launched by the Pakistani government has yet to make its findings public.

30/04/2012 - SUDAN

AU, Russia seek to intervene as tensions heighten between Khartoum and Juba

Over the weekend, Sudan rejected an African Union decision to ask the UN Security Council to endorse its call for the two Sudans to quickly halt hostilities and complete a peace pact within three months. Now, after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Sudan seems ready to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the conflict with South Sudan.

18/04/2012 - UK

Olympic fever begins to take hold in Hackney

100 days from now, all eyes will be on London as the Olympic games get underway. The biggest sporting event on the planet will give the British economy a welcome boost. Local communities stand to benefit a great deal too, and not just in the short-term - regenerating London's deprived east end is a key part of the run-up to the Games. A year after violent riots across London made the headlines, the borough of Hackney will again be in the spotlight, but this time for all the right reasons.

17/04/2012 - EGYPT

Courtroom chaos as Egypt's football violence trial gets underway

The trial of dozens of people charged over Egypt's worst football violence in history opened amid chaotic scenes. A recess had to be called after the defendants, insisting on their innocence, disrupted proceedings. Seventy-five people, including nine police officers, face charges ranging from murder to negligence for their alleged involvement in the clashes during a match in Port Said in February.

01/02/2012 - AFGHANISTAN

Could the Taliban retake Kabul?

A leaked NATO report says the Taliban, backed by Pakistani intelligence services, are on course to retake control of Afghanistan in 2014 after NATO-led forces withdraw from the country. The "state of the Taliban" report was compiled from information taken from 27,000 interrogations of 4,000 captured al Qaeda and Taliban operatives at the US Bagram air base. The document drew immediate criticism from Pakistan.

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14/12/2011 - EUROPE

Should gun controls be tightened?

When lone gunman Nordine Amrani opened fire on holiday shoppers in the Belgian city of Liege on Tuesday, the authorities were caught on the backfoot. Although Amrani was already known to police, he had no signs of mental illness and even those closest to him are struggling to comprehend Amrani's actions. The attack comes just months after Anders Behring Brevik shot dead dozens of Norwegian youths. Now, experts are calling for European gun laws to be reviewed.

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08/11/2011 - IRAN

Tehran has worked on designing atomic bomb, IAEA report alleges

The UN's nuclear watchdog says Iran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be conducting secret research. US nuclear proliferation expert David Albright says: "I think the facts lay out a pretty overwhelming case that this was a pretty sophisticated effort aimed at miniaturising a warhead for a ballistic missile".

07/11/2011 - SYRIA

Assad forces continue crackdown despite holy celebrations

Syrian forces cracked down on protesters again on Sunday on the Islamic holy day of Eid al Adha. The Arab league says Syria has failed to honour its peace plan and has decided to meet again on Saturday November 12th.

01/11/2011 - FRANCE

Protesters urge economic equality ahead of G20 meeting

Up to 10,000 people attended the so-called "Black Bloc protest", an anti-capitalist march, ahead of the G20 meeting in nearby Cannes later this week. Environmental and left-wing groups poured into the streets of Nice, protesting the "irresponsible financial system" and urging economic equality.

31/10/2011 - UNESCO

UNESCO grants Palestinians full membership

UNESCO has voted in favour of granting full membership to Palestinians, effectively becoming the first UN body to recognise a Palestinian state. 107 member states voted in favour of the move, while 14 voted against and 52 countries abstained. It was a diplomatic victory for the Palestinian Authority, but the UN cultural agency is already facing a backlash - Washington has suspended its funding to the body.