With the lives of two French journalists hanging in the balance, Islamic hostage-takers granted Paris a 24-hour reprieve as Foreign Minister Michel Barnier pursued crisis talks in the Middle East. The two journalists were shown in footage aired on Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera, urging the French government to repeal a ban on Islamic headscarves in state schools as demanded by their captors. Radio France correspondent Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper also called on the French people to demonstrate against the law, set to go into effect on Thursday, and warned their lives were at stake. Al-Jazeera, which aired the video shortly after an initial 48-hour deadline issued by the Islamic Army in Iraq had expired, reported that the shadowy Sunni Muslim group had extended its ultimatum by 24 hours. Full Story
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