 » Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, met in Paris in the latest attempt to assure the world that the euro zone is not about to fall apart. Among their suggestions were balanced-budget rules in all 17 euro-zone countries, harmonised corporate-tax rates and a levy on financial transactions. But one idea was notably absent: jointly guaranteed "Eurobonds", which a number of politicians and analysts say are the only way to dig the euro out of its hole. See article » The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) killed nine Turkish soldiers in the south-east of the country. Amid growing public anger at the PKK, Turkey started bombing the rebel group's bases in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The PKK has stepped up its attacks since Turkey's June election, which returned the Justice and Development (AK) party to office. » Hundreds of people involved in the rioting that swept through London and other English cities were processed swiftly through the courts, though concerns were raised that some of the sentences were too harsh and would not have been handed down for similar offences committed outside the riots. Senior police officers continued to bristle at government criticism that they reacted poorly to the disorder. See article
All shook up  » Rick Perry officially entered the Republican race for president, immediately vaulting over his rivals in one poll of Republican voters to lead the field. Texas's longest-serving governor is to the right of Mitt Romney, hitherto the clear front-runner. Soon after announcing, Mr Perry took his first stab at monetary policy by stating that Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, would be committing an "almost treasonous" act if he undertook a further round of quantitative easing. See article » After Mr Perry's entry into the race, Tim Pawlenty promptly announced his exit. The former Minnesota governor's campaign had underwhelmed from the start. See article » A federal appeals court ruled that the mandate requiring people to obtain health insurance in Barack Obama's health-care reform act is unconstitutional, the first time that an appeals court has decided against the mandate. More appellate reviews are expected before the matter ends up in the Supreme Court. See article » The authority that runs the Bay Area's metro system came under fire from civil-liberties groups after it shut down mobile-phone transmissions at subway stations in San Francisco to thwart a protest against police. It is the latest in a number of actions taken against social-networking services around the world that civil libertarians claim infringes free speech.
Hazare hazard  » India's government tumbled into a pit of acrimony by briefly arresting Anna Hazare, an elderly activist, at the start of a rally against corruption in Delhi on the ground that he was violating police orders. Mr Hazare's detention transformed the protest into one about freedom of expression, with thousands taking to the streets in Delhi and elsewhere. When the authorities backtracked and released Mr Hazare, he went on hunger strike. See article » Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's democracy movement, met a government minister and took a brief drive outside Yangon. The last time she left the city, in 2003, her motorcade was mauled by an armed mob. This time a government spokesman gave a press conference and said that Miss Suu Kyi's banned political party should somehow be brought into national politics. She held back from giving her own account of meetings with the government. » Thailand's new government, led by Yingluck Shinawatra, was drawn into controversy in only its second week when Japan granted a visa to Thaksin Shinawatra, a fugitive former prime minister who happens to be Yingluck's brother. Japan ordinarily denies visas to foreigners with outstanding jail sentences. Mr Thaksin's enemies in Thailand suspect that the new foreign ministry is pulling strings to try to rehabilitate him. » Jhalanath Khanal resigned as Nepal's prime minister after seven months in the job, unable to overcome the same divisions that thwarted his predecessor. Both were members of the same Marxist-Leninist party and both failed to secure a consensus between the Maoists, who hold a majority in parliament, and the other parties, who loathe them.
A destabilising situation » A series of several dozen bomb attacks across Iraq on one day killed at least 89 people and unnerved the government ahead of the withdrawal of American troops later this year. See article » Libyan rebels made further advances, taking control of the main roads leading from Tunisia and Algeria to the capital, Tripoli, cutting off Muammar Qaddafi's supply lines. See article » Solomon Mujuru, Zimbabwe's former military chief, died in a fire at his farm. Mr Mujuru's widow is the country's vice-president; his death further destabilises Zimbabwean politics. See article
On her way  » The hopes of Argentina's president, Cristina Fernández, of winning a second term in a presidential election in October were boosted after she won more than 50% of the votes cast in simultaneous primary elections, well ahead of her nearest rivals, Ricardo Alfonsín and Eduardo Duhalde, who each won 12%. See article » Rockhopper, a small British company, raised its estimate of the size of an oil deposit it says it has found off the Falkland Islands, to up to 1.3 billion barrels. Argentina, which claims the islands that it calls the Malvinas, has barred shipping related to oil development in the archipelago from its ports and waters. » Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, said his government will repatriate $11 billion in gold reserves. It will also diversify its cash reserves into the currencies of allies, such as China, Russia and Brazil, and nationalise the gold industry. » In Brazil the agriculture minister resigned, becoming the third minister to leave Dilma Rousseff's government amid corruption claims in as many months. See article » Canada's Conservative government said that its navy and air force would once again carry the "Royal" prefix, reversing a policy adopted by a Liberal predecessor during the 1960s. | 
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