Erstellt am: 27. 1. 2014 - 14:01 Uhr

Monday's Reality Check

Geneva 2 talks on Syria, Austria's bishops at the Vatican, continuing violence in Ukraine, US State of the Union address, UK schoolchildren learning Mandarin by immersion

EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

UN-Arab League Special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi

Syria talks continue

Kitty Logan reports from the ongoing Geneva 2 talks on the future of Syria, and what has been agreed over the weekend.

While aid is planned for the besieged city of Homs, and the government says women and children are free to leave, any progress on an agreement to end the conflict seems very unlikely indeed.

APA-FOTO: GEORG HOCHMUTH

Members of the Austrian Bishops' conference meet in St Peters

Austria's bishops visit Pope Francis

Austria's bishops are at the Vatican today for talks with Pope Francis. It's the regular meeting that takes place every 5 years between the pontiff and Catholic leaders around the world, and as usual, the Vatican issued an agenda for the talks in the form of a questionnaire. However, as in many issues, Pope Francis has broken with tradition in the way the way the Bishops have been asked to prepare. Alexandra Mantler of the ORF Religion department, tells Elizabeth Alcock why this meeting is different.

EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

Violence continues, but the government is still cautious

Continuing violence in Ukraine

The justice ministry has been occupied by protesters over the weekend, and it seems ever more likely that the government will declare a state of emergency.

Our Kiev correspondent, David Stern, explains the developments over the weekend and the current situation in the Ukrainian capital.

EPA/Olivier Douliery

Can Obama sweet talk his way back to popularity?

Obama's State of the Union address

US President Obama makes his annual State of the Union address tomorrow. Political analyst James Boys discusses the issues he is likely to focus on as Obama tries to boost his flagging popularity.

dpa-Zentralbild

Learning Chinese may give European children a head start

Mandarin immersion learning

Dan Whitehead visits the UK school that is teaching its pupils in Mandarin as well as English.

FM4 Reality Check

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