On Sunday, the North African wing of Al Qaeda threatened that it will be killing a French hostage within fifteen days in case the French government doest meets its requirements. AQIM or Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb declared that seventy year old Michel Germaneau is still in their capture. In exchange they are demanding a prisoner, as responded by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President. On Sunday, it gave the final ultimatum that is fifteen days starting from the 12^th of July. Within the deadline the French government needs to respond and that too with a positive response if they want Michel Germaneau to return safe. AQIM has previously killed British captive Edwin Dyer after Britain refused to fulfill their demands. It declared that if Sarkozy fails to come up with a response and that too with a positive one then, he will be committing the same mistake as that of the ex- Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The President of the USA Barrack Obama and the Prime Minister Of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu are confident that the latter will conduct peace talks directly with the President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas. Obama pointed out that the bonds that existed between US and Israel cannot be broken. The meeting between the two world leaders took place in the Oval Office and it lasted for over 90 minutes. The US President also stated that in the recent years the relationship between the two countries has broadened and the bond is improving with each passing day. The President stated that the US was concerned about the safety of Israel and that the nation believed in actions rather than words.

The President of Israel stated on the necessity of the direct peace talks that should be conducted for the settlement of peace in the region. He stressed on the importance of the unique opportunity and time to do so.

Christian Wulff has been declared as the new and tenth President of Germany on Thursday, soon after he was chosen in a thwarting third round of voting organized by the electoral college of state and federal parliamentarians. His oath ceremony was organized in Bundestag, in lower House of German Parliament, where ex President Horst Kohler was also president. In fact, the need for a new President arose when the former President resigned without any prior notice a month ago. The other members present at the oath taking ceremony include Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as the members of German Parliament (both chambers). Wulff aged fifty one is the youngest of all Presidents in the history of Germany. He ensured from the very begging that he will be giving similar scopes to the native population in terms of education and jobs. We wish Wulff all the best and hope that he succeeds in keeping up his promise to the fullest.

President Obama signed the toughest US sanctions on Iran where he stated clearly that he would strike at Tehran’s potential to finance its nuclear plan followed by deepening its isolation. In addition to UN security council as well as European sanctions, the measures aim at choking off Iran’s access to refined petroleum products ( the once that are imported) such as gasoline and jet fuel. In fact, the sanction was also aimed at curbing Iran’s access to the international banking system. Obama pointed out at the White House ceremony that with these sanctions as well as with other they are aiming to strike the heart of the Iranian government’s potential to find as well as develop its nuclear plans. What is intended out here is that the US government is all set to show the Iranian government that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. So, let’s see how far Obama succeeds in keeping up to his words.

On Wednesday Christian Wulff was elected as the new President of Germany. Well it was not that easy for her; he had to undergo three crucial rounds of voting. Wulff, bagged the title by winning 625 of 1,244 votes in the specially convened Federal Assembly. Following this, were the third and the final round where she won the highest of all votes thereby leaving all the candidates behind? The presidency became vacant after the Horst Koehler resigned for the post unexpectedly on 31^st of May. Believe it or not, but then, this election turned out to be a nail biting situation for Merkel after she failed to surpass Wuff in the voting. Wulff clawed back fifteen ballots in the second voting round, but then he ran short of 615 votes. However, things turned in his favor in the last minute and he emerged out as victorious after leaving behind his final competent i.e. Joachim Gauck