Fault lines – Obama’s war in Afghanistan – 13 Nov 09 – Pt 2
Fault Lines brings together a panel of guests and a studio audience to discuss Obamas war in Afghanistan. Hosted by Avi Lewis.
Elderly Californians hit hard by healthcare cuts – 19 Oct 09
The issue of healthcare is the focus in the second part of Al Jazeera’s special series on the once-flourishing state of California.
It may not be the largest US satte, but it has by far the most people and teh numbers are growing fast.
By the year 2020, 14 per cent of the US population will be in California.
That is one out of every seven Americans, many of whom will be elderly.
Six million Californians are already over the age of 60, and that number is set to double in the next 10 years.
But it is the elderly who have been some of the hardest hit by spending cuts, aimed at reducing a $26bn deficit.
More than $260 million have been cut from a statewide programme, providing support for the elderly at home.
Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reports on the situation that is becoming more acute with every passing day.
Refugee crisis looms in Yemen – 09 Oct 09
John Holmes, a senoir United Nations humanitarian official, has been visiting refugees in Yemen left homeless by the fighting between government troops and Houthi fighters.
"We can’t assess just how serious the situation in the Saada governorate is because we don’t have access there for the main inetrnational organisations, although there are, of course, non-governmental organisations like the Islamic Relief and we are able to provide some form of assistance," Holmes told Al Jazeera.
"This is precisely what I am here to discuss and assess to do the best we can in the circumstances."
The Yemeni government is concerned that the battle could become a prolonged conflict forcing it to seek international assistance for the internally displaced people.
Since early Septembre, 30,000 internally displaced persons have been in refugee camps and 120,000 more are in need of aid, according to the UN.
Calls for a ceasefire by international aid agencies have been rejected by both sides.
The conflict between the Houthi fighters, who belong to the Shia Zaidi sect, and government forces first broke otu in 2004, but last month the fighting intensiifed as the group pushed to topple the govenrment.
Hashem Ahelbarra reports from the al-Mazarq camp in Hajjah, north of the country.
Czech Republic’s leaders at odds over EU treaty ratification – 07 Oct 09
Jan Fischer, the Czech Republic’s pirme minister, has told EU leaders he fully expects his country to back the EU’s Lisbon Treaty by the end of this year.
But Vaclav Klaus, the president of the Czech Republic, who some describe as a Eurosceptic, is openly hostile to the treaty and will not sign it befoer a legal challenge in the Czech Constitutional Court is heard.
The Lisbon Treaty cannot take effect unless all 27 EU countries ratify it. All but the Czech Republic and Poland have done so.
Jonah Hull reports.
Syria and Saudi Arabia hail ‘new era’ in relations – 07 Oct 09
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has arrived in Syria for talks with Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, aimed at healing a rift that has aggravated Arab discord over Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon.
Relations between the two countries deterioarted after the February 14, 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the kingdom’s strongest ally in Lebanon.
‘New era’
This week’s visit will be the first by a Saudi king to Syria since the assassination and many in Lebanon hope a full reconciliation betewen Damascus and Riyadh will have positive effects in Beirut.
Kamel Wazne, a political analyst, todl Al Jazeera: "This is a breakthrough in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Syria.
"It would be a victory for Saudi diplomacy if they can shift Syria’s position on Iran into neutral terrtiory."
King Abdulalh’s trip is being hailed as a new era for relations between Damascus and its rgeional neighbours.
Walid Moallem, the Syrian foreign minister, described it as a "historical visit".