Dominique Strauss-Kahn under house arrest on Broadway

The former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was accused of sexual crimes, arrived Friday evening in the Manhattan building where he will reside temporarily under constant surveillance after leaving prison Rikers Island.

The arrival of former French finance minister in the building south of Broadway near Ground Zero, site of the twin towers destroyed in the attacks of Sept. 11, was confirmed to AFP by police.

"It is here," said a police official requesting anonymity, while his brothers erected metal barricades to keep away from many journalists.

"I do not really like (it is there).I find it a little scary, "said Gemma Harding, a woman dressed in his 31 which has magnetized the flashes of many photographers in front of the temporary residence of Mr. Strauss-Kahn.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from prison after a New York judge had approved all the documents establishing the conditions that accompany his parole.

Several addresses were given successively for the dwelling which reside temporarily the former boss of the International Monetary Fund, accused of sex crimes against a hotel employee.

Mr.Strauss-Kahn had to move to an apartment on 65th Street in Manhattan, but the place has been changed due to "invasion" of journalists who upset the neighborhood, said Friday his lawyer, William Taylor.

The man of 62 years will remain "a few days," Judge Michael Obus of New York Supreme Court, in this residence near Ground Zero, owned by the local press to the company Stroz Friedberg responsible for ensuring its implementation house arrest.

He can overcome this temporary residence, unless a case of force majeure.

Mr.Strauss-Kahn will then leave this apartment for another permanent which he may leave for specific reasons - hearings, appointment of lawyers, doctor visits or synagogue - if requested by at least six hours advance, "said Justice in New York.And he can not go out between 10:00 p.m. to 6:00.

Judge Michael Obus was signed earlier this afternoon, the release order of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, jailed since Monday in the Rikers Island prison after his lawyers and his guarantor court had provided the bond of one million dollars and a deposit of five million.

Former IMF chief is accused of sexual assault and attempted rape on May 14 against a housekeeper Guinea 32 years of the Sofitel Manhattan.

Justice had authorized his release Thursday if a set of conditions were met. Besides the security and the security deposit, he had to prove that he was living in a Manhattan residence under surveillance 24 hours 24.

The next meeting of Mr.Strauss-Kahn to justice was set for June 6 At that hearing, he will plead guilty or not guilty to seven counts against him.

If he pleads guilty, there will be no trial but sentenced to several years in prison, whose number will be negotiated with the judge. If he pleads not guilty, as his lawyers have suggested, a trial will take place.

In France, writer and journalist Tristane Banon, who said he was sexually assaulted in 2002 by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, decided against pursuing and will not testify against him in the United States.

She informed by his counsel, Mr. David Koubbi, it reserved "for later" his decision to press charges.But in all cases of possible criminal acts occurring in 2002 would be required in 2012.

Meanwhile, speculation continued to go well on the estate of Mr. Strauss-Kahn to head the IMF.According to European sources, the French Christine Lagarde was "almost inducted" as a candidate of the European Union and "you should already have a signal from Deauville" at the G8 summit on 26 and 27 May in the Normandy resort.

Chancellor Angela Merkel supported lip to Christine Lagarde, saying she had to "particular esteem".

The United States said they were "prepared to support" as a candidate who can create a "broad" support among members of the institution.

The IMF announced Friday that it would open Monday until June 10 nominations for the post of general manager and he stared for "objective" to appoint his number one "by 30 June."

He also denied Friday a report in the New York Times describing the relationships between employees of the institution as marked by leniency vis-à-vis sexual harassment."Harassment is not tolerated in this institution."

As for the future of the former hexagonal poll favorite, "politically, it will be Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his alone" to say "if it can or can not be a candidate in the primary PS, "said Francois Hollande, himself a candidate in the primaries, taking the foot of the Socialist-cons had already drawn a line on an application" DSK ".

Municipal: Berlusconi's party losing ground in its stronghold of Milan

The Italian right is adverse to tie in Milan, the economic capital of the country and traditional stronghold of Silvio Berlusconi, left, who won the first round 48% of the vote in municipal elections, according to final results.

The candidate of the People of Freedom (PDL, right) Mr.Berlusconi, the outgoing mayor Letizia Moratti, with 41.6%, was accelerated by the candidate of the left, the lawyer Giuliano Pisapia, with 48%, contrary to the predictions of pollsters.

The left has won the first round Bologna and Turin, two cities traditionally "red".

In Turin (north), the leftist candidate Piero Fassino won with 56.66% of the vote against 27.3% for his rival on the right, and Bologna (center) Virginio Merola has obtained an absolute majority (50, 5%) against 30.3% in the right-wing candidate.

During the municipal elections, which represents the last big test for Silvio Berlusconi before the legislative elections of spring 2013, the turnout was 71.07% against 72.85% the previous local elections.

In contrast, in Naples, controlled by the far left and where voting takes place against a backdrop of yet another garbage crisis, the LDP candidate Gianni Lettieri was a tie in favor (40.5%), well ahead of his challenger Luigi De Magistris (26%), according to nearly complete results.

Nearly 13 million Italians were called to elect mayors on 8100 1310 Italian municipalities, but only 11 cities were affected more than 100,000 people, including Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna.

FRANCE: Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York for alleged sexual assault

The Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was arrested Saturday at JFK Airport in New York before his departure for France and placed in custody for an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in the city.

Mr.Strauss-Kahn, known as "DSK", was unloaded from an Air France flight to Paris just minutes before takeoff, officials said.

By late evening Saturday, French official was in a police station in Harlem in New York pending a formal indictment, according to police sources.

"We have placed in custody and delivered to the New York Police Department (NYPD), told AFP on condition of anonymity, an official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "We did it at the request of the NYPD," the source said.

Strauss-Kahn "was placed in custody. He is asked about an alleged sexual assault.He was not charged, "he told AFP by telephone on NYPD spokesman Michael Debon.

According to police sources, Mr Strauss-Kahn would have hurriedly left the Sofitel Hotel where he was staying, leaving his mobile phone and personal belongings. A housekeeper told police she was assaulted by the Director of the IMF as he left naked in his shower.

Earlier, the New York Times announced the arrest of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, former finance minister and a leading French political figures, likely candidate for the Socialist Party's primary for the presidential election of 2012.

"Mr.Strauss-Kahn has been unloaded from an Air France flight by officials of the Ports Authority of New York and New Jersey and delivered to investigators in Manhattan, "writes the New York Times, quoting a spokesman of the Authority.

"He is accused of sexually assaulting an employee of a hotel in Times Square in New York earlier in the day" on Saturday, the source said.

An IMF spokesman in Washington made no immediate comment.

Contacted by AFP in the early evening, the lawyer for Mr. Strauss-Kahn in Washington, William Taylor, was unaware of the case.Contacted later, he said he had never managed to reach his client.

The New York Times, "It was 4:45 p.m. when undercover investigators from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have suddenly taken on board of Air France Flight 23 (...) and took Mr. Strauss-Kahn in custody, "said John Kelly, spokesman for the Authority.

"It happened 10 minutes before scheduled flight departure," the spokesman quoted by the newspaper.

Officials of the Authority acted on the basis of information from the New York Police investigating "a brutal assault of an employee of the Sofitel New York, located at 45 West 44th Street, according to the same source.

Mr.Strauss-Kahn had planned a visit in Berlin on Sunday and should be received by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It should normally attend Monday at a meeting of finance ministers from the euro area in Brussels, then a speech Wednesday at the 12th Economic Forum in Brussels, an event organized by the European Commission.

Mr.Strauss-Kahn was appointed in September 2007 to head the IMF for a fundamental reform that institution.

In 2008, the IMF had ordered an investigation of its director after an extramarital affair between the former Minister of Finance, 62, and a former head of the Africa Department, Ms Piroska Nagy.

The investigation established that she had received no special treatment, and that "there was no harassment or favoritism or any other abuse of authority."

But then the IMF had criticized a "serious misjudgment" in a case that had made the front of the world press.

Economist acknowledged his candidacy for the French presidential election in 2012 to wear the colors socialists is acclaimed in the polls.

Socialist nomination in 2006, it was widely anticipated by Ségolène Royal, finally beaten by Nicolas Sarkozy, who then supported his candidacy for the IMF.

FRANCE: Gas shale: the Assembly vote against exploitation by hydraulic fracturing

French deputies adopted Wednesday by 287 votes against 186 the UMP bill prohibiting hydraulic fracturing technique for exploration and exploitation of gas and oil shale.

Groups UMP and New Centre (NC) voted for the text presented by Christian Jacob, the president of the UMP.The opposition, finding several provisions "ambiguous", voted against this bill that the Senate will look to turn on 1 June

The technique of hydraulic fracturing highly controversial because of its impact on the environment, is to liberate the carbides, inject large amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals ajduvants.

The text, introduced by Christian Jacob, the president of the UMP, and as amended in committee, speaks only hydraulic fracturing and the repeal of the exploration permit who use them, which would pave the way for potentially using another technique.

The bill provides that the exclusive licensee of Research shall, within two months, state in a report to the administrative authority of the techniques used in their operations.

In case of non submission of the report or whether it is stated that the licensee uses hydraulic fracturing, the license granted by the Government will be repealed.

The Minister for Ecology Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, who brought the government's support of this text, acknowledged that the licenses granted they have "not been in good terms" and "things have been made upside down. "

"With this text, it is an opportunity to go further in the implementation of the precautionary principle," she said, by ensuring, in connection with article 2 of the bill, it "is indeed abrogate all research permits that have no raison d'etre after the ban" of hydraulic fracturing.

The Socialist Group, which had seemed at first to accept the version of the text developed by the Committee on Sustainable Development, has backtracked.

"It is a text that does not legally," said Pascal Terrasse (PS)."We do not trust you," he said in calling for total repeal of all operating permits granted.

Several hundred people, including all the heads of associations and environmental movements, protested Tuesday in the vicinity of the National Assembly to protest against the proposed law as "poor".

IRAQ: Mutiny in a murderous detention facility in Baghdad

AFP - Ten suspected members of Al Qaeda and eight policemen were killed in Baghdad after a night in a prison riot caused by man accused of orchestrating the carnage last year in a church in the capital, has here Sunday morning.

The shooting occurred when security forces fear a resurgence of activity of the Iraqi branch of the Islamist, who might seek to avenge the death of the head of the organization, Osama bin Laden.

The mutiny, which lasted several hours in a detention center for counterterrorism unit of the Ministry of Interior, has killed four officers, including General Moayed al-Sayed, head of the unit for the sector Karrada, and four other officers said on condition of anonymity a senior Iraqi terrorist-cons.

It began when police were questioning an alleged leader of al Qaeda, al-Houthaifa Bataoui to try to obtain information on possible projects of reprisals by the organization.

Mr.Bataoui was accused of having coordinated the bloody attack on the Syrian Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad October 31, 2010, during which 44 worshipers, two priests and seven members of the security forces had died.

Upon his arrest in November with 11 other suspected members of Al Qaeda, it had been presented by the authorities as the leader to Baghdad of the Islamic State in Iraq, the local branch of Al Qaeda.

During his interrogation, Mr.Bataoui arrived shortly after midnight to grab the weapon of a lieutenant he has done before taking hostages and releasing nine other inmates, all members of the cell dismantled in November, the official said cons of terrorism.

The group then went to the office of General Saleh, who was shot in the head. Ten insurgents have seized more weapons and grenades.

Five inmates then tried to flee aboard a police car but were killed by special forces who arrived as reinforcements.The other five were holed up in the prison until the death of the last of them, around 4:30 (0130 GMT), said the official, who said a prisoner had been injured.

"The cell was dismantled in November accused of numerous terrorist operations, not only against the church," he told AFP."Many investigations were under way about them and that is why they were still detained in counter-terrorism unit."

The detention center housed 220 prisoners, including 38 suspected members of Al Qaeda.

An official with the Interior Ministry has reported five deaths, including four policemen and al-Houthaifa Bataoui and six wounded, including five policemen and an insurgent.

After the death of Osama bin Laden, security measures were tightened in Iraq, where al Qaeda still has the ability to conduct operations bloody, despite the setbacks that the organization has wiped recent years.

The Islamist is also suspected of being responsible for the suicide car bomb attack against a police station in Hilla, in which 24 policemen were killed Thursday.

This mutiny may again raise the question of the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security at least eight months of the departure of U.S. forces, which are still 45,000 men in Iraq

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Manchester United and Schalke corrects joined Barca in final

By aligning lone striker Raul, Ralf Rangnick had taken a gamble on his midfield to cut muscle transition ball between the lines of Manchester United. But, as one way, Schalke has hardly existed against the Red Devils, and was heavily tilted at Old Trafford (4-1).

Manchester, even with a team carried by a trio bis offensive Valencia-Berbatov Nani-unpublished, confirmed the undeniable superiority of his community. Never Alex Ferguson's men have appeared in real trouble and if they were not as dominating as the go into the game, they have proven to be equally effective.

Finally, after two meetings, the qualification of Alex Ferguson's men could not be more logical.On Wednesday, the Red Devils have mastered the early game, negating the few German offensive tendencies. Farfan only managed to break the lock but the Mancunian hit the Peruvian could not find the part (8e).

Manchester while control

After a pleasant half hour but no clear chances, it is ultimately the Mancunians who would initiate hostilities. Ball on a good recovery Nani, Valencia was alone with Neuer. The Ecuadorian, a crossfire at ground level, the German goalkeeper was crucified (26th, 1-0).

In the process, gave Manchester a little more breadth to its domination by doubling the bet.Gibson, well served by Valencia back, let fly a shot that dries Neuer could not divert enough (31e, 2-0).

Paradoxically, it is in the hole that players were Gelsenkirchen resources to respond. On a recovery of approximately Smalling, Uchida recovered the ball on the right. The Japanese, with much success, managed to pass the ball to Jurado which reduced the mark of a beautiful half-volley into the top corner of Van der Sar (35th, 2-1).

Behind, the match resumed its course on the same pace.Schalke was trying clumsily to the physical impact, while Manchester was content to manage the adverse timid attempts.

Schalke sank

After the break, the Germans finally managed to get some play on their own, but was once again Manchester, cons, who would get the most candid opportunities.

Shortly before the hour, Anderson, at the edge of the box, fired in a magnificent strike from the left towards the top corner of Neuer. The German goalkeeper was able in extremis to push the ball for a corner with a superb flight (56th).

Following the match would confirm the slow erosion of Schalke. The Red Devils, taking advantage of the many approximations of their opponents in the evening, would put even triple by Anderson.The Brazilian found the penalty spot by a center of Berbatov, is playing defense in two Neuer before crucifying once again powerless (72nd, 3-1).

In the process, the match would even turn the demonstration. Berbatov again pierced the German defense on the right side and found Anderson.The Brazilian, to six meters, concluded this new opportunity with a flat foot unstoppable (76th, 4-1).

And as to give a more pronounced bitterness at the loss, the men saw themselves Rangnick - logically - a goal disallowed Klass Jan Huntelaar in any end game (82nd).

The addition would have been even heavier if Neuer, in stoppage time, had not made a new high-class parade before Owen (90 +2).

Remains in a relaxed, the Devils players have proved they were the most credible challenger Barça, Real Madrid's winner Tuesday in the other semifinal. And the opponent they meet in the final of the Champions League on 28 May at Wembley, should offer a challenge of any magnitude.

UNITED KINGDOM: A marriage without any fault and with a hint of modernity

The marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was hailed Saturday as faultlessly brilliant and a strong sign of renewed commitment on the part of the monarchy.

"This marriage gives the signal for a change, a renewal as the monarchy has not seen since the death of Princess Diana," the Telegraph noted, for whom "everything went smoothly."

"Marriage shows a new generation, more relaxed and closer to us," wrote The Times.

The paper points out many small signs that a "new conception of the monarchy" is running.It evokes a marriage "more relaxed, more natural and intimate" than Charles and Diana in 1981.

Thus, Prince William slipped his stepfather with a smile "and when I think it would be a family affair", arriving at the altar.

Wink to popular tradition, the couple made an impromptu exit from Buckingham Palace in an open car, the traditional balloons trailing behind the bumper.

In the early morning, Harry, the younger brother of the groom had arranged a breakfast for the night owls of the feast of the day.As for the queen, she was a party in the evening for the weekend, leaving the palace to "young".

All signs of normality that allows everyone to identify with the royal couple, the BBC noted, away from the pump-century stilted marriage of Charles and Diana in 1981.

"The fact that Prince William has chosen a love marriage rather than an arranged marriage portends a different future for the monarchy, less bound by tradition, closer to people, and loyal to his mother in it," Diana says the Telegraph.

The "people's princess" remains extremely popular among the British, was present in everyone's mind Friday, the crowd massed on the course."Diana would have been proud," the Times noted Saturday.

And former private secretary to the princess saw the wedding a "reconciliation": Camilla, Charles's second wife, appeared on the balcony a few meters from Kate who was wearing the engagement ring to Diana.

"A great family event is an opportunity for this type of repair," commented Patrick Jephson.

In fact, the British, as polls showed little interest in the royal wedding, answered "present" with a million people in the street and more sitting in front of their TVs for the ceremony.

The "perfect day" on Friday gave the British people the opportunity to "rediscover a sense of national identity," said The Sun, the first draw of the country.

A success that is timely, following a series of marital failures that undermined the image of the monarchy. Of four children of the queen, only Edward was still married to his first wife Sophie Rhys-Jones, even if they do not live together. Both Andrew and Anne especially Charles were divorced in an unprecedented media commotion.

Saturday morning, while the cleaners were clearing the remains of the festival, speculation was rife about the destination of the honeymoon.

But one thing seemed clear: "William has called for peace," noted the BBC.After an official visit to Canada in early June, the young prince should take its place, the second in line of succession to the throne, whatever the public want to see replace Charles.

"After the show the curtain falls," wrote the Guardian, for whom the "place of royalty," but also "the economy, and above all the workings of our democracy just as problematic as before."

GAME VIDEO: Hold-up data over a giant 77 million users of Playstation Network

Sony is currently facing one of the most serious cases of computer security in recent years. One (or several) computer hacker had access to personal data of nearly 77 million subscribers to online gaming (Playstation Network) and online music (Qriocity) of the Japanese giant.

"A person could get your name, date of birth, address, email, password and ID," said Sony in a message posted on his blog Tuesday evening. The manufacturer of the Playstation game console adds that it is possible that the bank details of customers (billing addresses, credit card number) have also been compromised.A problem of such magnitude that Sony advises all users of its services to notify their bank and closely monitor the progress of their account.

The announcement was greeted by freshly fans of video games on Playstation. They were already, for a week without access to online services of their favorite console without knowing, until today, what was happening online. Sony has the vee the veil on this interruption in confirming that a computer intrusion had taken place between 17 and 19 April. This attack had pushed so close to all these services online.Having initially said that everything should return to normal within one or two days, the group now speaks more Japanese than a week at least to be able to resolve the problem.

A security server after drying?

"This information comes with six days of delay, Sony has absolutely no respect for these customers," protested a user on the blog of the Japanese manufacturer. Others threaten the electronics giant with legal action if their bank accounts would be emptied by hackers or the origin of the attack. United States, the case has even been taken up by politicians.The Democratic senator from Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has sent to Sony executives a letter deploring the lack of open communication in this story. The Japanese group has, moreover, the FBI warned [the U.S. domestic intelligence service] days ago, according to The New York Times dated Wednesday.

The question is how such a misadventure Digital was possible. Sony does not fit, for now, not in the details of this computer attack. Silence does not prevent Internet users multiply hypotheses. The track most credible, as the U.S. expert Brian Krebs security, appears related to recent change of server centralization of information ax players in the Playstation network.Sony has actually done in late March, an update to the Playstation Network to open all users access to a new server hitherto reserved for a small minority of developers. However, the security of the server left it seems to be desired. Many Internet users were thus found that the server change made it possible to enter credit card numbers cans and perform as if nothing had happened, shop online. Is that on this occasion that hackers were able to easily recover data from all users of the PlayStation Network?

SOUTHEAST ASIA: New fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia

AFP - fighting with heavy weapons broke out Saturday between Thai and Cambodian troops at the disputed border between the two countries in the aftermath of clashes that left six people dead, officials said the two sides.

"The new fighting started around 6:00 (23HOO GMT Friday) with gunfire and mortar shells" in the same place Friday around a disputed group of temples, said a spokesman for the Thai army in the region, Colonel Prawit Hookaew.

"We are negotiating to stop the fighting," he added.

Phnom Penh has confirmed new incidents.

"The fighting started at 6:15," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Defence Chhum Socheat, adding that the artillery was used.

No new casualties have yet been reported.

Friday, soldiers from the two neighbors had clashed for more than six hours, killing three of them in each camp and forcing thousands of villagers to be evacuated on the Thai side.

Phnom Penh and Bangkok had rejected another the responsibility for opening fire.

These were the first serious incident since early February when the fighting for four consecutive days had killed at least ten people, including seven Cambodian side.The United Nations had called for a cease-fire permanent.

These incidents took place a hundred miles farther east, near the Khmer temple of Preah Vihear.

These ruins of the eleventh century, whose classification by UNESCO in 2008 had rekindled tensions within the sovereignty of Cambodia by a ruling of the International Court of Justice in 1962.

But the Thais its main access control, and both countries claim an area of ​​4.6 km2 below the building that has not been delineated.

The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in particular because of the presence of many mines left behind by decades of civil war in Cambodia.

YEMEN: The Security Council is launching a "call for restraint" but fails on a statement

AFP - The Security Council of the UN, which met Tuesday for the first time on the situation in Yemen, failed to agree on a joint statement, some diplomats expressing their "concern" about the bloody repression of Yemeni regime.

A press statement was drafted by Germany and Lebanon, two members of the Security Council, but was eventually blocked by a minority, diplomats have said.

"There was a call for restraint and we heard some disturbing reports on Yemen," he told reporters Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

"The members of the Security Council had a discussion that was worth it," she said without further detail.

Since late January, the violent protest of the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh has more than 125 deaths among the protesters.

The ambassador added that the Council had expressed its support for the mediation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), charged with finding a solution to the crisis in Yemen, where the president clings to power despite a strong challenge from the street .

"We expressed our concern about the deteriorating situation in Yemen and we called for restraint and dialogue," said Peter Wittig, German ambassador to the UN, led to the meeting.

However, he did not specify if it was the German position or that of the Security Council.

Before the meeting, he told reporters that negotiations were not "bogged down" and that "any further bloodshed would be avoided."

The foreign ministers of the GCC began Tuesday night in Abu Dhabi meeting with a delegation from the Yemeni regime on how to find a political solution to the crisis in their southern neighbor.

JAPAN: The shutdown of the plant in Fukushima last between six and nine months

The operator of the nuclear accident in Fukushima (north-eastern Japan) said Sunday it would take about three months to begin to reduce the radioactivity and between six and nine months to cool the reactors.

"We estimate it will take approximately three months to ensure that the radiation level begins to drop," said Tsunehisa Katsumata, president of the board of directors of the company Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO).

"Having completed this first step, it will take three to six months before we can reduce radiation leaks at a very low level," he said at a news conference.

The company says this second stage will aim to achieve "cold shutdown" reactor (cold shutdown), thus allowing the intervention of technicians.

Located 250 km from Tokyo, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (No. 1) was severely damaged by the magnitude 9 earthquake and the giant tsunami that devastated the north-eastern Japan on March 11.

TEPCO and the Japanese authorities have been trying to prevent this incident from escalating nuclear and cause massive radiation leaks.

Mr. Katsumata said the company hoped to "cool the reactors and storage pools of spent fuel so complete and stable."

The cessation of cooling circuits and backup generators is at the origin of the series of incidents that occurred on the site. The staff had to inject huge amounts of water to control the temperature of the fuel.

TEPCO said it would "give priority to prevent hydrogen explosion in Units 1, 2 and 3."The workers will inject nitrogen into the reactor to maintain the lower the ratio between hydrogen and oxygen," the company said in a statement.

A few days after the disaster of March 11, explosions occurred at Units 1 and 3, caused by an accumulation of hydrogen in the building housing the facility.

TEPCO will also strive for not releasing highly radioactive water.

"On the reactor 2, we begin to clean up highly radioactive water in June," said Mr.Katsumata.

The injection and dumping bulk water since March 11 has resulted in highly radioactive water leak in the engine rooms and in trenches adjacent to the facilities, some of which sank in the sea

Barack Obama outlines his solutions to fight against the U.S. deficit

Barack Obama has set Wednesday as a target of reducing the budget deficit of U.S. 4,000 billion dollars over 12 years or less.

His plan would reduce the deficit to 2.5% of GDP in 2015 and 2% by the end of the decade, sources said parliamentarians who read the draft before the President of the United States does not pronounce his speech.

Barack Obama told the leaders Democrats and Republicans in Congress before making his speech.Vice President Joe Biden will meet in early May the leaders of both parties to develop a definitive program for reducing the budget deficit by the end of June.

The head of the White House also wanted to begin discussions with parliamentarians Republicans and Democrats on the issue of worsening deficits budétaires.

He explained that the budget savings would be realized by combining spending cuts and increased revenue through higher taxes.

The U.S. president wants to end special tax benefits that were granted to the wealthiest classes of the time of his predecessor George W.Bush.

"I refuse to renew them again," he said.

Antiplane Ryan

It plans to achieve $ 770 billion in savings on expenditure items not related to security and $ 480 billion in savings on Medicaid and Medicare programs.An additional savings of at least 1,000 billion could be reached on these two programs by 2033.

Barack Obama said that his budget plan is to reduce the debt service of $ 1,000 billion.

He added that the Pentagon budget will be reviewed in order to eliminate unnecessary and increase efficiency.

The fiscal deficit of the United States is likely to reach 1,650 billion this year and U.S. president to a device by which budget cuts would be automatically activated if the budget targets were not achieved by 2014.

The goal is that deficits do not exceed 2.8% of GDP on average during the second half of the decade.This device is not the first, the other presidents that have implemented in the past.

A week earlier, Paul Ryan, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives put forward a draft budget devoted a goal of deficit reduction of 4.400 billion.

Obama wanted to present a project that contrasts markedly with the Ryan plan, in that it wants to combine tax cuts with a complete overhaul of the Medicare system.

LIBYA: Diplomatic initiatives are multiplying as fighting trample

Diplomatic initiatives are multiplying to relieve the population and find a solution to the conflict in Libya, where fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi on Saturday in the trampling of the country.

While NATO and U.S. differ on the risk of stalemate situation on the ground, the African Union and the European Union have taken the initiative, a few days of a meeting of the Contact Group on Libya, April 13 in Doha (Qatar).

From this weekend, a group of African leaders, the South African President Jacob Zuma and his counterparts of the Congo, Mali, Mauritania and Uganda, is expected in Libya.Stated goal of this "panel" of mediators of the African Union (AU) met Sunday with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and leaders of the insurgency in their stronghold of Benghazi (east) on Sunday and Monday to try to obtain a cease-fire.

On Tuesday, EU foreign ministers have meanwhile planned to meet with a representative of the National Transitional Council (CNT), a first for the EU as a whole. France, Qatar and Italy have already officially recognized representative body of the insurgents.

The EU is also preparing to launch a military-humanitarian mission to help the besieged people of Misrata, bombed last month and a half by the forces of Gaddafi.Germany has already expressed its readiness to participate in this mission, which has yet to be accepted by the UN.

Thursday is Turkey, the only Muslim country in NATO, which had proposed a "roadmap" for Libya which has included establishing an immediate cease-fire and the creation of "humanitarian space safe ".

One of the common concerns of these missions is to send humanitarian assistance to the Libyan people, especially Misrata where several boats carrying food and medical aid arrived in recent days.

According to a spokesman for the rebels in the third largest city, located some 210 km east of Tripoli, four people were killed, including two children, and ten injured Friday by shells and rockets fired at houses . Besides the gunfire, snipers were positioned on rooftops and target civilians, including children, by insurgents.

A Misrata, as in the east held by the insurgents, the alliance has been criticized, accused of failing to "fulfill its mission to protect civilians," said a spokesman for the rebels.But he acknowledged that "NATO planes destroyed completely barracks and battalions Gaddafi around the city."

At the other end of the country's front line stood still on Saturday as is the case for ten days at the site of Brega Petroleum (East) and the city of Ajdabiya under rebel control, about 80 km to the east.

In the morning, journalists were allowed to move closer towards the front Brega, for the first time since Wednesday. They were stopped en route by leaders of the insurgency, who refused to specify where the front."Military Secret", they explain.

No exchange of gunfire was audible in the sector, according to an AFP journalist.

On the only road connecting the two towns, the rebels were preparing to go into the trenches, charging Grad rockets and other ammunition in the back of pickup equipped with multiple rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.

Two army soldiers captured in front of Gaddafi were brought in cars. All around, fighters triumphant shout "Allah Akhbar" (God is greatest) when taking pictures of soldiers with their mobile phones.One of loyalist prisoners seems healthy, the other seems seriously injured.

The French writer Bernard-Henri Levy is expected to share in the day from Saturday to Benghazi (east), the stronghold of the rebellion which he defends the cause for a visit "independent."

During the weeklong stay, the writer could also go to Brega and Ajdabiya.

OLYMPIC GAMES: Six new disciplines in Sochi-2014

AFP - The IOC Executive Board has agreed in London on Wednesday to include six new events at the Olympics in Sochi in 2014: women's ski jumping, skiing halfpipe men and women, the figure skating team, the mixed relay in biathlon and team relay luge.

The other five candidate events, ski and snowboard slopestyle, both men and women, and the alpine ski event team will be decided later which should take place late May or early June, after further studies Feasibility sites in Sochi, said the IOC sports director Christophe Dubi.

The six new tests should represent an additional contingent of 150 athletes.

"The introduction of these new tests will be appreciated by athletes and spectators," said Jacques Rogge, IOC President. "These are exciting sport, which perfectly complement the existing program and increase the number of women participating in the Olympics."

YEMEN: The security forces opened fire on protesters in Taiz

AFP - A protestor was killed Sunday by police firing on protesters demanding the departure of the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Taiz, south of Sana'a, eyewitnesses said.

The young man was mortally wounded in the chest as he tore a portrait of the Head of State, the witnesses said.

Police opened fire and threw tear gas to disperse demonstrators who tried to march on the governor's seat in this city, told AFP several of them.

"At least 250 people were injured by gunfire or poisoned by tear-gassed by the police," said one witness.

Thousands of protesters camped since mid-February in the center of Taiz, Sana'a and demanding as in Aden (south) the fall of the regime of President Saleh, in power for 32 years.

LIBYA: Resigned, the Libyan foreign minister flees UK

AFP - Faithful servant of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan foreign minister, Musa Kusa, who announced his resignation Wednesday at his arrival in London, was in recent years in all negotiations and turnovers that had allowed the return of Libya in the comity of nations frequentable.

Chief of Intelligence from 1994 to 2009, Musa Kusa, 59, was a strong man of the revolutionary committee, the backbone of the Libyan regime, and the prisoners of Muammar Gaddafi.

He has been responsible for large files including Libya in Africa and regards its relations with the West.

It was thus a key negotiator in the business of the Bulgarian nurses that led to their release in July 2007 and in 2003 the dismantling of Libya's nuclear program that opened the way for lifting the trade embargo imposed by the United States against Libya in 1986.

He is best known for his role in compensating the families of victims of the Lockerbie bombing (1988, 270 dead) and the UTA DC-10 (1989, 170 dead), removing the remaining obstacles to the normalization of relations Tripoli with the West.

After two decades, embodied the dark side of the Gaddafi regime, symbolized this Tripolitan recent years the opening.

Born into a poor family, scholarship and holds a Masters of the American University of Michigan (1978), he began his career in special services such as security official Libyan embassy in Northern Europe.

In 1980, Koussa was appointed ambassador to Libya in London before being expelled in the same year by the British after stating his determination to liquidate the "enemies of the revolution" on British soil.

In 1984, he joined the Mathaba, a Foundation to coordinate the liberation movements worldwide, especially in Africa and Latin America.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1994, he was later appointed head of intelligence, a position he held until 2009, before being responsible for Foreign Affairs, replacing Abdulrahman Shalgham, Libyan ambassador to the UN, who had also defected a few weeks ago.

Tens of thousands of Britons on the streets against austerity

AFP - Tens of thousands of Britons were demonstrating peacefully Saturday at midday in central London to protest against austerity, responding in mass to the appeal of unions.

"Participation is beyond anything we dreamed it's fantastic.. This is the biggest event in a generation in London," enthused the general secretary of Unite union, Len McCluskey.

"There is a palpable anger in this country and hundreds of thousands of people came here to say. According to police, there would be almost half a million people," he said.

No official estimate was available, however.Before the event, the Confederation of British trade unions, Trades Union Congress (TUC), predicted "more than 100,000 people, and certainly much more" and the media had forecast 250,000 to 300,000 people.

Unions hope the gathering will be the largest in London since the 2003 war against Iraq (one million) and the broader social movement for two decades.

About 4,500 police were mobilized for fear of spills, such as occurred during the student demonstrations this fall.The unions have also provided an important service order to preserve "family atmosphere" of this event, bringing people of all ages.

"Do not break Britain!", "Defend our public services!" Proclaimed the banners of the demonstrators. Many had come with family, strollers and vuvuzelas, the famous horns used by fans at the World Cup football in South Africa.

"I'm here because the government makes us pay to repair what did the bankers.It is currently building a society where the rich are even more weak and more needy, "said Gillian Siddons, a retiree of 60 years.

"We want to show the government what we think of his politics," added Jim Waters, 62.

The government decided to impose a course of unprecedented rigor in the UK, with cuts of more than 90 billion euros by 2015.

USA: Justice is a blow to Google's digital library

It was one of the most ambitious of Google. But since Tuesday night, the giant project of the Internet to scan then upload all books published worldwide has suffered a serious setback. A U.S. federal court has decided that this great work "googlesque" was "way too far" and allowed the giant Mountain View (California) to crush the market for online publishing.

More concretely, the American judge Denny Chin ruled, at the request of the Department of Justice on the legality of a 2008 agreement between Google and the two main associations of the U.S. edition: Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers.He found that too much to compromise the benefit of Google and found that virtually gave him the right to post any book without permission of the author.

The agreement in question provided for the creation of a fund, fed by Google, to compensate authors. The Internet giant had thus committed $ 125 million. In return, the multinational could quietly continue to scan all books published in English in the world. Authors who did not want to be included in this virtual library were, themselves, notify Google. This posed a problem for books "orphans" - those we can not find the copyright holders.This system has not pleased the judge Denny Chin, who argued that the search had to ask permission to scan books.

"Not only the literature"

The ruling was eagerly awaited. "We are disappointed by the decision because we believe it is important to bring to the world millions of otherwise hard to find books," he lamented in a statement Tuesday night Hilary Sware, spokesman for Google. But the real issue lies elsewhere: it is rather a story of "big money".

It is no coincidence that, in addition to the U.S. Department of Justice, the prosecution received the support of the Open Book Alliance.Which includes the major competitors of Google - starting with Microsoft and Yahoo's agreement, subject to the judge "allowed Google to interfere a little more privacy and awarded him a monopoly in the internet search" said Gary Reback Tuesday night, co-founder of the Open Book Alliance.

For Google, the works are, in fact, not only in literature. Since 1998, Larry Page, co-founder (with Sergey Brin) Google's dream of a virtual digital library that would work hand in hand with its search engine. Since its IPO in 2004, the group began to scan books. It is now more than 15 billion digital works.

Not dead yet

These pages can be very lucrative.Indeed, if users can use Google to search the contents of a book, the search engine benefit to retrieve information about their reading habits - which would sell more personalized advertisements.

Microsoft, which tries to impose its search engine against Google Bing, did not want to see his enemy to raid the market. Others, like Amazon, do not want a new competitor to sell books online. In December 2010, Google has, in fact, the U.S. launched a virtual library.

But the Google project is not dead, however. Judge Denny Chin has hinted that he might reconsider his decision if the agreement was renegotiated.If Google is trying so hard since 2004 to achieve its ends, it is likely he will return to discuss with publishers and authors.

JAPAN: Radioactive contamination recorded in several food

Abnormally high levels of radioactivity were found in milk and spinach in the prefectures of Fukushima and Ibaraki, near the nuclear plant accident, said Saturday the government spokesman, Yukio Edano.

"A level of radioactivity exceeding the legal limit in Japan was detected in a milk sample collected in Fukushima Prefecture and six samples of spinach in Ibaraki prefecture," he said.

These levels are not hazardous to health, however, said Mr.Edano has urged people to remain calm, announcing the results of samples taken from food samples.

"Compared to the average consumption of milk of Japanese, even if someone would start to drink contaminated milk for a year, the dose of radiation he would receive would be equivalent to a single scanner" in hospital said the spokesman, speaking of the prefecture of Fukushima.

"Even if a person was still eating contaminated spinach for one year, the level of radiation would be equivalent to one fifth of the dose received during a scan," he added.

The Ministry of Health has ordered local authorities to investigate to determine the exact origin of contaminated food, knowing where they were distributed, and based on the result, halt the sale and take appropriate action, "said M . Edano.

JAPAN: At the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Nikkei continues to fall

AFP - The Tokyo Stock Exchange Tuesday lived one of the worst days in its history, the Nikkei collapsing of 10.55% in a stampede of investors against a backdrop of worsening nuclear crisis in Japan.

At the close, the Nikkei 225 index of blue chips plunged by 1015.34 points to 8605.15 points, suffering, in percentage, the third largest drop since its inception more than a half century.

The broader Topix index of all securities in the first table, which covers businesses in a broader number of sectors, its share fell to 9.47%, losing 80.23 points to 766.73 points.

The activity reached a record high of 5.78 billion shares traded on the primary market, representing an activity nearly tripled compared to normal.

The Nikkei had dropped 6.18% Monday, three days after an earthquake and tsunami that devastated the north-eastern Japan, destroying or damaging infrastructure and production facilities.

On Tuesday, the index began the day sharply down and displayed in sharp decline of 6.45% in mid-session.

But it is a real wave of panic that rose on the market to resume 0330 GMT, after the government had admitted that the level of radioactivity measured at the Fukushima nuclear power was dangerous to health.

None has appeared spared.

Among the electronics giants, Panasonic collapsed 11.27% to 866 yen and Sony of 8.86% to 2,324 yen.

Automaker Toyota declined 7.40% to 3,065 yen, its rival Nissan fell 3.32% less than candid to 698 yen, as Honda was down 3.90% to 2,974 yen.

Construction firms, which had surged Monday with the prospects of major work needed to rebuild the devastated north-east by an earthquake and tsunami, fell heavily in their turn, like real estate.

JAPAN: The north-east of the country hit by a massive tsunami, the Pacific on alert

AFP - A powerful earthquake - a magnitude 8.9 - struck Friday northeastern Japan, a major triggering a tsunami several yards on the Pacific coast which has so far killed four people and a dozen missing.

Waves of 10 feet swept the coasts of the prefecture of Sendai, reported the media, which broadcast pictures of flooded houses and cars under water in coastal cities.

The provisional results, according to media reports, is four dead and many wounded and eight missing in a landslide.

But according to the images of television, the toll expected to rise and the Department of Defense has dispatched ships for relief.

A tsunami warning was also issued on almost all coasts of the Pacific by the U.S. Centers for tsunami evacuation order was triggered Mariana Islands.

The quake, measuring 8.9 according to the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS) who had previously estimated at 7.9 and 8.8, occurred at 24.4 km depth to 2:46 p.m. ( 5:46 GMT) and a hundred miles off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture.

"We have been shaken so violently that he had to cling to not fall," testified an official of the municipality of Kurihara, hardest hit in this prefecture.

"We could not get away from the building because the tremors did not stop to succeed," she told AFP by telephone.

Nuclear power plants in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures were automatically adopted, said its operator, the company Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), which serves the capital.

The Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, has ensured that no radioactive leak was found.

Networks of fixed and mobile telecommunications were heavily disrupted, noted AFP.

In Tokyo, located some 380 km away, the skyscrapers built on special earthquake resistant structures, have pitched very long after the earthquake that lasted for more than two minutes.

A roof collapsed Friday on a building in central Tokyo where 600 students participated in a graduation ceremony, leaving many injured, according to firefighters and the media.

In offices and homes, objects fell from shelves, elevators have been stopped automatically, while millions of people rushed into the streets.

Ten fires were reported in the capital, and there were several casualties in the media.

In the Tokyo area, a refinery was on fire Iichihara, according to images broadcast on Japanese television.

Narita International Airport, located about fifty kilometers east of Tokyo, has suspended the traffic and decided to evacuate the buildings.

The rail and road transport were also disrupted in large parts of the archipelago.

Shinkansen express trains were stopped across the northeast and the motorways of the Tokyo area closed a few minutes after the earthquake.

According to Jiji Press, the parking lot of the Disney Resort, located on the eastern outskirts of the capital, was under the waters of the nearby ocean.

In Tokyo, four million homes were without power, according to media reports.

"I was in the office, on the tenth floor of my building. The walls began to tremble, then all the furniture. I never knew that here I was scared!" Said Horikane Saki, an employee Office of Ginza down with his colleagues a few minutes after the quake.

Thousands of residents and employees of this district of shops and business were still massed in the streets over an hour and a half after the earthquake, fearing aftershocks.

LIBYA - EXCLUSIVE: Muammar Gaddafi: "The people will deal with terrorists and traitors"

The Libyan leader did not budge. While regular forces Libyan Sunday launched a violent offensive against the cities taken by the insurgents, Muammar Gaddafi repeated in an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 broadcast Monday that the "crisis" through which his country is the result of "a conspiracy "orchestrated by the network of Al Qaeda. Affirming that Libya played a "vital role in regional and even global peace," he posed as a partner in the fight against international terrorism.

Muammar Gaddafi also condemned the interference of the international community, including France, which on Sunday welcomed the establishment of the Libyan national, established by the insurgency. "Really, it makes you laugh, this interference in the affairs of a country.It is as if we interfered in the affairs of Corsica or Sardinia ... "

"Al Qaeda has a plan," he accuses. I think that the terrorists of Al Qaeda have tried to take advantage of the situation in Tunisia, Egypt, but they were down in Libya. They are dormant cells who woke up and took up arms to kill members of the army, police. "

"We are partners in the fight against terrorism, says Muammar Gaddafi. There were armed Islamic extremists in Algeria, as there was in Iraq or Pakistan ... We are the same thing, we have armed factions who are fighting us.There was a resolution of the Security Council UN [against the Libyan regime, which includes an asset freeze of Libyan officials, ed], but ignored Al-Qaeda! "

"It makes you laugh the interference!"

If the Libyan League for Human Rights puts the figure of 6,000 deaths since the violence began in mid-February, Muammar Gaddafi admits that there were "hundreds" dead "on both sides, the side of Army and police and the rebels. "

However, it underlines the fact that the world has a picture "distorted" the situation there. "To my friends and the world, I say it is a distorted picture that was given to peaceful demonstrations.Several chains have manipulated the truth. Do not grow the business as if there was a big problem. (...) Now we open the doors to foreign journalists and we invite the world to open their eyes. "

And explain its view of the situation: "The bearers of weapons in Benghazi have no clear demands. In Benghazi is the revolution of 1 September [in reference to 1 September 1969, when Muammar Qaddafi overthrew King Idris I and proclaimed the Libyan Republic, ed]. We must get rid of people who are armed traitors. The people will look after them.In some areas, machine guns have been distributed and the population was able to block these terrorists. "

On his relations with the United States and the European Union, Gaddafi obvious astonishment. "It's strange, our relations were good. Perhaps there a security issue in the Mediterranean, to block emigration ... We also Libya major oil companies Spanish or French, and Suddenly these countries have forgotten the interests that are theirs. "

LIBYA: The ICC opened an investigation for crimes against humanity against Gaddafi

AFP - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Thursday an investigation for crimes against humanity in Libya, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for his son and several senior Libyan officials.

"We would like to announce that March 3, 2011 the prosecutor's office decided to open an investigation into crimes allegedly committed against humanity in Libya since February 15," said Mr. Moreno-Ocampo in a press conference at The Hague.

"We have identified certain individuals who enjoy a de facto authority," said Mr.Moreno-Ocampo added, referring to Qaddafi, his inner circle, including his son. "

The prosecutor also cited "the foreign minister, the head of the regime's security and military intelligence, the chief of personal security of Mr.Gaddafi and head of the organization of internal security ", without giving names.

"We want to take this opportunity to notify that if the forces under their command have committed crimes, they could be held criminally responsible," continued the prosecutor.

The Security Council UN was Saturday, in a resolution, before the prosecutor of the ICC of the situation in Libya, whereas "systematic attacks" against the civilian population of this country "may be treated as crimes against humanity ".

According to the Libyan League for Human Rights, the repression was 6,000 dead, 3,000 in Tripoli and 2.Benghazi-000 to a balance sheet significantly larger in the latter city, that killed 220 to 250 put forward by local hospital officials and the ICRC.

AFGHANISTAN: NATO accused of killing 65 civilians in eastern DRC

Sixty-five civilians, including about forty children, were killed by NATO forces in mid-February in Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan, according to revised figures provided Sunday by a fact-finding mission appointed by President Hamid Karzai.

A total of 21 boys, 19 girls, 10 women and 15 adult men were killed in the series of operations conducted by NATO forces in Kunar province, said the mission in a statement quoted by the Afghan presidency.

Mr.Karzai ordered the government officials responsible for security to raise this issue with international forces, add services without more details.

In response, the spokesman for the NATO force in Afghanistan (ISAF), Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, said he was "deeply sorry" for "civilian casualties that could have resulted from this operation."

But he disputed the outcome of the fact-finding mission, saying only five to seven civilians may have been injured.Investigations into this matter were continuing, he added.

On Thursday, the inquiry commission announced that 62 civilians had been killed in these operations in the district of Ghaziabad.

On 20 February, President Karzai, saying relying on information from the Afghan intelligence service (NDS), has said that ISAF had killed "50 civilians" during several days of operations in Kunar.

The international force, consisting of about 132,000 soldiers to two-thirds American, is regularly accused by the authorities of killing civilians in its air operations and ground against insurgents, which she admits sometimes after investigation.

The death of these civilians builds resentment of the population against foreign forces, more than nine years after their arrival in the country.

Civilians bear the brunt of the Afghan conflict. At least 2,400 were killed in 2010 by the Afghan NGO (ARM Afghan Rights Monitor) and 3,200 were injured.

GREECE: The 24-hour general strike marred by incidents in Athens

Clashes erupted Wednesday in central Athens between dozens of youths and riot police, splitting in two a procession of demonstrators protesting against the austerity as part of a general strike for 24 hours, was a journalist the AFP.

The security forces, deployed by cable to the Ministry of Finance, at the bottom of the central square of Syntagma fired tear gas to repel irritants and young people, who were of various projectiles.

The police then deployed to push beyond the square mass of protesters split into two incidents and many were coughing and choking.But échaufourrées continued down from the parliament with the firing of Molotov cocktails by young troublemakers.

Police said the various processions union in Athens and Piraeus have collected some 20,000 people, and more than 60,000 according to union estimates, a significant mobilization. In Salonika, the police amounted to some 16,000 demonstrators.

Some 5,000 policemen were deployed in central Athens against the possibility of such excesses, almost automatically give in recent years at events and in particular that had marred the last union demonstration accompanying a general strike on December 14.

The Minister of Citizen Protection, Christos Papoutsis on Tuesday called for calm and "responsibility" to safeguard the country's image in front of the "international community".

The demonstrations were organized by the two major power plants in the country, the GSEE and ADEDY private to the public, and by the communist trade union front Pame, as part of a day of action against the treatment of 24H austerity prescribed in the country by the Union duropéenne and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for his financial rescue.

IVORY COAST: A demonstration pro-Ouattara violently dispersed in Abidjan

At least three youths were shot dead and several were wounded Saturday in Abidjan when security forces loyal to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo out broke up a demonstration in support of Alassane Ouattara, witnesses said.

When the elements of the Defence Forces and Security (FDS) "arrived at the roundabout" of Mayor of Abobo (north, the stronghold of Mr. Ouattara), "they fired on the crowd, people 's is scattered, but they pursued people, "he told AFP capita.

"Three youths were shot dead" in the vicinity of the roundabout, he said, citing several wounded.This assessment was confirmed by two other witnesses.

The popular neighborhood of Abobo since January has been the scene of clashes which killed at least a dozen SDS.

The camp of Alassane Ouattara, Gbagbo accepted by much of the international community had called on Saturday in demonstrations in Abidjan and throughout the country, along the lines of the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, from Gbagbo to power.

TUNISIA - FRANCE: Business Tunisian parents Alliot-Marie revive the controversy

AFP - The parents of Michele Alliot-Marie bought Dec. 30, in full journey controversial foreign minister in Tunisia, shares owned by businessman Aziz Miled in a company, said Tuesday the weekly Duck chains.

Michèle Alliot-Marie defended her parents and immediately spoke out against the "excesses" of new attacks against it.

"Their privacy is theirs.The acquisitions they make for themselves than they are for, and nobody else, "she said in a statement.

Bernard and his wife Mary, aged 94 and 92 years were already minority partners (with about 13% of capital) in the real estate company (SCI) which Ikram owned Tunisian Aziz Miled their friend and his son Karim, as the satirical newspaper.

Also according to the weekly, Miled sold them, December 30, Sentido Beach Hotel in Tabarka, all their shares of the SCI.The Minister was also present in the hotel, the newspaper said.

"Everyone would be honored to avoid falling into the excesses which do not grow those that are appropriate," responded the chief diplomat, saying "could not conceive that we can address the family policy and in this case to my parents. "

"I assumed the attacks, even unfair, even unfounded, even personal (...). When you have finished moving my life, including private, fine-tooth comb is that of my parents that investigation, "she said.

According to the newspaper, which is the source of previous revelations about the theft of the minister and his family aboard the private plane of M.Miled late December, the exact amount of the transaction spouse Mary is not known.

In a statement sent to AFP, Bernard Marie explained himself on this transaction. "Mr. Miled is one of my friends. The transactions we conduct with my wife and I do not watch it and do we," he said, customs clearance and his daughter.

"On the occasion of Christmas, I proposed to my girl that we went to Tunisia rather than Dordogne as we had originally planned. We stayed from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2 at the hotel Tabarka (north-western Tunisia, ed), and I paid the hotel bill myself as flights Paris-Tunis-Paris had been settled by my daughter, "said MrMary.

"I am committed since the summer with Mr. Miled in a transaction that involves the purchase of a SCI, which owns an option to purchase an apartment under construction. This stay in Tabarka (north West of Tunisia) for Christmas gave me the opportunity to certify the signatures of my wife and myself on the surrender of shares, "said Mary.

Michèle Alliot-Marie has faced calls for his resignation for having proposed a security cooperation with Tunisia and have used twice during his Christmas vacation in Tunisia, the plane of Aziz Miled, while the revolution Jasmine began.

This was presented as a close brother of the deposed president.But it is not on the list of Tunisian officials of the former regime whose assets freeze was requested by the European Union.

The minister had claimed the bonds of friendship between her parents and herself to Mr. Miled, who came to visit them in France. She had defended him, saying that Mr. Miled had been victim of the system financially Ben Ali.

President Nicolas Sarkozy had defended his minister, while acknowledging that "this was not the best idea to go in Tunisia" at this time.

Many Socialist leaders have criticized the minister, the MP Pierre Moscovici asking again Tuesday the resignation of Michele Alliot-Marie.

IRAQ: At least 30 killed in a suicide attack near the town of Samarra

AFP - At least 30 people were killed and 28 wounded Saturday by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive vest in a bus of Shiite pilgrims near Samarra north of Baghdad, security sources and medical.

A previous review of the sources had reported 27 dead.

"The bomber ran on board the bus stopped at a checkpoint a few kilometers from Samarra, and detonated his explosive vest inside the vehicle," said a police official.

"We received 30 bodies, including two women, and 28 wounded including two women," said an official at the General Hospital of the Sunni city of Samarra, 110 km north of Baghdad.

The pilgrims were returning from a ceremony of mourning for a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra and "the victims are all Iraqi.This is the bus passengers and bystanders, "said the driver of an ambulance.

The soldiers forbade journalists from approaching the site of the attack and the hospital.

Samarra which houses the mausoleum are buried the 10th and 11th imams revered by Shia Twelver Ali al-Hadi (827-868) and Hassan al-Askari (847-874) in which the faithful commemorate the death Saturday.

The destruction of the Samarra shrine bombing in February 2006 had triggered violence between Shiites and Sunnis in which tens of thousands of people had been killed.

Thursday, nine Shiite pilgrims were killed and 39 wounded by a bomb planted on a road north of Baghdad.

In January, six cars had exploded bombs in less than a week, leaving at least 57 dead and nearly 300 injured pilgrims who traveled to an annual ceremony of mourning and whipping in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, south Baghdad.

Attacks in recent weeks show that the sectarian conflict in Iraq still lingers within one year of departure of the last U.S. military contingent.

The Samarra bombing is the deadliest in Iraq since Jan. 27 when a car bomb has killed 48 during a funeral in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad.

The month of January was particularly bloody, with a total of 259 deaths (159 civilians, 55 policemen and 45 soldiers) according to official figures, the worst toll since 273 died in September 2010.

This upsurge of violence in contrast to the relative calm observed in November since the conclusion of an agreement to share power between different factions and the formation in December the government of Nouri al-Maliki.

Mr Maliki accused "terrorist apostates" in his vocabulary term for Al-Qaeda, which is violently anti-Shiite, of being the perpetrators of the attack Shiites.

Shiite pilgrimages have been repeatedly targeted by Sunni armed groups since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, caused by the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

EGYPT: The mobilization anti-Mubarak shows no signs of slowing

The protest against President Hosni Mubarak has stepped up Tuesday with a parade of hundreds of thousands of people in Cairo and the provinces, the most important events since the beginning of the movement on January 25.

In Cairo, Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolt, was crowded.Mobilization showed no sign of abating despite the chilly nights, fatigue and spartan living conditions on the roundabout has become a village of tents removed.

The crowd was a triumphant reception at cybermilitant and part of Google Wael Ghonim, released Monday after 12 days "blindfolded" in the hands of the much feared state security services.

"I like to call it the revolution Facebook but after seeing people here, I would say that the revolution of the Egyptian people.It's great, "said the younger man, surrounded by thousands of demonstrators.

Become a symbol of protest, Wael Ghonim confirmed in an interview on Dream 2 TV station that he was the administrator of the Facebook page "We are all Khaled Said", named after a young man beaten to death by police, a move that played a key role in launching the movement.

"I'm not a hero, you are the hero is you who have stayed here on the spot," he told the demonstrators.

"The people want to topple the regime" could be read on banners."We are the people we are the power," some chanted.

According to an AFP photographer Tahrir Square, the number of demonstrators exceeded that of previous rallies. According to witnesses in Alexandria, he was the same in the big city of northern Egypt.

"None of our requests has been heard," said Mohammad Nizar, 36, Tahrir Square. "They have announced a wage increase. They try to fool ourselves. It is a pot of wine policy to reduce people to silence."

In an attempt at appeasement, M.Mubarak, 82 years and almost 30 years as head of state, announced the creation of a commission to amend the Constitution, under the "national dialogue" began Sunday between the government and opposition, including for the first time, the Muslim Brotherhood, bete noire of the regime so far.

On Monday, the Head of State promised a 15% increase in salaries of civil servants and pensions from 1 April.

He also called for the formation of a commission of inquiry into the violence of February 2, Tahrir Square, where deadly clashes have pitted pro-and anti-Mubarak.

The opposition denies particular articles of the Constitution related to very restrictive conditions of candidacy for the presidency and the presidency.

In all cases, policy-including the announcement on 1 February the President he would not seek a sixth term in September and have not calmed the anger of the protesters still demand the immediate departure of Mr Mubarak .

Scenarios of his departure are considered by the foreign press.The site of the German weekly Der Spiegel wrote that he could come and perform "a medical extension in Germany.

The German Government has assured that there was "no formal application or informal request" to that effect.

Tuesday, the U.S. has deemed "crucial" that Egypt is moving towards a democratic transition "in good order," while France has called for "the emergence of democratic forces" for a transition that must take place "without violence and as quickly as possible. "

In Cairo, new shops and restaurants have reopened and many Cairenes resumed the way to work.The curfew remains in force in the capital, Alexandria and Suez (is) 20:00 (1800 GMT) to 6:00 am (0400 GMT).

Since February 3, events occur most frequently in the tranquility.

Clashes between police and demonstrators during the first days of protest, and between activists for and against Hosni Mubarak's February 2, killed nearly 300 people dead, according to UN and Human Rights Watch, and thousands injured.

The crisis could be costly to the economy's most populous country in the Middle East - at least $ 310 million per day according to Credit Agricole - the instability that has scared off tourists and could cool the ardor lasting foreign investors.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian central bank has injected "large dollar amounts" in the market to curb speculation that has put pressure on the Egyptian pound.

The Cairo Stock Exchange, closed since Jan. 30, should reopen on 13 February.

NUCLEAR POWER: The entry into force of the START Treaty sealed the rebuilding of Russian-American relations

The new Russian-American treaty of nuclear disarmament START signed April 8, 2010 came into force on Saturday, after the exchange of instruments of ratification between the chiefs of diplomacy of both countries.

"Today we have exchanged instruments of ratification of a treaty reducing nuclear dangers imposed on the Russian and American peoples and the world," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a ceremony with his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the annual security conference in Munich (southern Germany).

The treaty is the centerpiece of the "restart" of relations between Washington and Moscow after tensions emerged at the end of the presidency of Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush. It was signed by MM.Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in Prague in April 2010 after lengthy negotiations.

This treaty is valid for ten years and renewable for five years provided that each country can deploy up to 1,550 warheads, a reduction of 30% over 2002.

It allows the resumption of mutually verifiable nuclear arsenals of both superpowers, interrupted in late 2009 at the expiration of the previous bilateral agreement on disarmament, in 1991.

It has however been criticized for its lack of ambition, because it ignores the thousands of nuclear warheads stockpiled by Russia and the United States.

Although six other countries (excluding North Korea whose capabilities are still embryonic) have nuclear weapons, Washington and Moscow still hold over 90% of the world's nuclear arsenals.

And it sets limits for vectors (missiles and bombers at long range) actually deployed - 700 countries by over 100 in reserve - more or less correspond to the reality on the ground already, the Russians were already below this threshold and the Americans very little above.

Mr.Lavrov told the Munich conference that the agreement would improve "international stability".

Whatever the limitations or reservations, the event marks a new era symbolically called for by his vows before the same conference two years ago the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, namely to "press the button "to restart the Russian-American relations.

These had been damaged by the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.The U.S. intervention in Iraq in 2003 and criticism of Vladimir Putin against the American tendency to dictate to the world his behavior at that same forum in Munich in 2007, had already deteriorated relations between the two former Cold War adversaries .

This treaty will allow Washington to go to Moscow for further discussions on limiting short-range weapons as well as the famous stock mothballed nuclear warheads, which he will one day get rid of too, as confirmed Saturday Clinton.

The treaty was not ratified without difficulty and is accompanied by documents which are reported reserves of Moscow.

The fundamental point of disagreement concerns the decision of the Obama administration to pursue construction of a European missile shield. Russia said it would accept the project unless they can participate in their own right.

EGYPT: When different generations of critics find themselves in challenging

Who leads the revolt? And who could, if the Egyptian president was leaving office, driving the transition? A week after the start of the protest movement, and while tens of thousands of protesters again gathered Tuesday in downtown Cairo to demand the departure of Hosni Mubarak, no leader has yet to embody the imposed alternative.

"Most opposition parties have very limited ability to mobilize," says Nadim Shehadi, an expert member of the think tank Chatham House in London. These events are not run by the opposition but from the street.The traditional opposition parties have never been at the forefront of this movement. "

Young online activists, spearheaded the protest

According to Nadim Shehadi, the opposition would, however, currently structured. The older generation, fragmented and repressed, joined youth groups cyberactivists who stormed the Web to shake a moribund political landscape for nearly three decades.

Among this new generation of opponents, the Movement of 6 April is one of the main actors of the protest movement, said Samir Shehata, Center for Contemporary Studies in the Arab world of Georgetown University.This movement emerged in 2008 in the wake of the revolt of cotton workers.

Samir Shehata also cites the Kifaya, or Egyptian Movement for Change, one of the spearheads of the dispute. This group, which brings together activists from various trends, emerged in July 2004, launching a campaign against Hosni Mubarak. Kifaya members were particularly far mobilized against the prospect of succession to power of Gamal Mubarak, son of the president.

Kifaya is Arabic for "Enough."A message that resonated in the streets of Cairo and other cities of Egypt such as Cairo or Alexandria, in recent days.

Mohamed el-Baradei, figurehead activists

January 27, Mohamed el-Baradei himself left Vienna, Austria, where he resides, and to return to Egypt to join the protest. The former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which suggested that the transition is a recognized and respected figure on the international scene, but credibility in the local scene is more difficult to establish .

"I think the influence of Mohamed el-Baradei is minimal, said Nadim Shehadi.Before these events, his popularity was very low and his chances of being elected very limited. "

Mohamed ElBaradei, however, an obvious figurehead for the network of activists behind the protest. His National Association for Change, a nonpartisan coalition founded a year ago, rallied all the opposition groups, including the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, officially banned but tolerated by the regime.

Shortly after the arrival of Mohamed ElBaradei last week, the Muslim Brotherhood said they were seeking to form a broad political committee with the former diplomat.Speaking to a crowd at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Sunday night, one of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and former MP, Mohammed el-Beltagui said the move "argued Mohamed el-Baradei to drive change." "We're trying to establish a democratic arena, before they can begin to play inside," he added.

The Muslim Brotherhood, a strong presence in the streets since the beginning of the dispute, have networks of charitable associations, schools and hospitals, enabling them to establish their influence in the vast lower class.

A committee of ten persons to lead the transition

Other representatives of the opposition were quick to join Mohamed el-Baradei.Among them, the liberal Wafd party, a great nationalist party founded in 1919 but which now has only a limited audience, the dissident Ayman Nour, who came in second place far behind Hosni Mubarak in the presidential election of 2005; or Osama al-Ghazali Harb, president of the Democratic Front.

According to the U.S. daily The New York Times, the new generation of online activists and opponents older held since Sunday a series of meetings to try to plan a response to a motion. Nadim Shehata says that this coalition has agreed on a list of ten names, including Mohamed ElBaradei, Ayman Nour and Osama al-Ghazali Harb.This committee would lead a unity government if President Hosni Mubarak left the office.

"Young people continue to pursue these discussions," says New York Times Ibrahim Issa, a prominent intellectual of the opposition.

If all these opponents want the departure of the Egyptian president, remains to agree on how to use. Monday, they certainly all called for "a million march" held Tuesday.

Iran: An Iranian-Dutch executed by hanging

A woman with dual Dutch and Iranian nationality, was arrested after participating in antigovernment demonstrations in 2009, was hanged in Iran for drug trafficking, reported Saturday's semi-official Mehr news agency.

"A trafficker named Zahra Bahrami, daughter of Ali, was hanged today for concealment and sale of narcotics," Mehr wrote, citing the court.

According to the daughter of this woman of 45 years, cited by the advocacy organization Human Rights International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the drug trafficking charges were fabricated after arrest Zahra Bahrami for his participation in demonstrations in December 2009.

Mehr reported that she was convicted of importing cocaine from the Netherlands in Iran and that 450 grams of the drug were found on her.

Iran does not recognize dual nationality.

FRANCE: Carlos Ghosn explained the case of industrial espionage at Renault

REUTERS - Renault has followed the "usual process" by maintaining secrecy for several months on the internal investigation that led him to dismiss three of its officers suspected of espionage on its electric car program, said Carlos Ghosn, the CEO, in an interview published in the Sunday newspaper.

The prosecution announced January 14 the opening of a preliminary police investigation on this issue.Renault had filed a complaint against X for the day "for acts that constitute industrial espionage, bribery, embezzlement, theft and handling stolen goods, committed by an organized gang."

Ghosn aware since August 2010

If the first public information about the suspicions of the group date from the early, early internal warnings date back nearly five months.

"In late August, the ethics group, Christian Husson, who is also our general counsel, and the boss of Renault's safety came to see me," said Carlos Ghosn in the interview with JDD."They have shared information of very high concern about the integrity of some of our senior staff."

Asked to explain the reasons which led the group to keep the information confidential, he said that "Renault has very specific procedures for such cases.""I decided that the usual process would be used," he adds.

He refused to specify if Renault has used a private investigator to conduct its own investigations.

"Everything we have is now in the hands of justice," says he.

"We were unbeatable"

"It is not for me to go here into details of what we did. But we were blameless in relation to the law," he says.

"An investigation services spy-cons has been open since last week. I repeat, they have all the elements.Today, we expect that justice do its job, "he says.

The three officers covered by the suspicions of Renault, laid off at first, were dismissed. They have since announced the filing of a complaint for malicious prosecution or defamation case to case.

"His target is our strategy in the electric car", explains Carlos Ghosn in the Sunday newspaper. "We launched in 2006 in the most total skepticism.Today, we are the only ones in the world to manufacture both the battery, motors and chargers, to produce the whole system. "

"When a manufacturer is in technological advance, do not be naïve, ca lot of people interested."

He stated that the leaks do not correspond to information "technology" but it could be information on the "economic model" Renault's electric.

Carlos Ghosn assurance that it had "no doubt" the identity of the recipient of such information.

"We await the results of the investigation which I'm told it should last several months," he said.

The record floods over 600 dead

AFP - The president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff declared Saturday a national mourning for three days after torrential rains that killed more than 600 dead in the mountains near Rio where desperate people are facing chaos and shortages.

According to the latest report from the Civil Defense, at least 610 people perished in this disaster, one of the worst in Brazilian history.

On the other hand, 14,000 people are homeless in this agricultural region and resort to a hundred kilometers from Rio, where peaks rising to 2,200 meters.

Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday sent a message of solidarity to the victims and families of victims posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Rio, where he said he was "appalled by the tragic consequences of heavy rains and expressed his" spiritual solidarity to the people Rio.

A seven-day mourning was also declared in the State of Rio in memory of the victims most of whom were surprised in their sleep by the rivers of mud that took everything in their path.

A Teresopolis, 100 km from Rio, where 263 deaths were counted, people buried their dead.

In the municipal cemetery "a dog, Leao, do not leave the grave of his mistress, Maria Cristina Santana, buried two days ago," said one undertaker told AFP.

Inside the morgue, "it's like a horror movie," he told AFP a voluntary worker, Michelle Tosetti.

The bodies are so decomposed that medical examiners do more photo identification for fear of scaring the families of survivors and also because the photos are not used for anything, "she said.

Now, families are asked to describe the tattoos and any particular sign. In some cases, DNA testing by saliva are made.

The rain had stopped resumed in the afternoon.The soil remains saturated with water and the risks of further landslides remains high.A dozen agricultural areas are still isolated and as relief overtook them, the death toll rise, firefighters have warned.

"I think at the end of it all, we have over a thousand bodies," said Mauricio Berlim, a municipal cemetery sexton.

The Secretary of Health, Solange Sirico, warned against "the risk of epidemics such as hepatitis and leptospirosis.

She also asked people "not to drink well water is contaminated" and it appealed for donations of medical supplies and volunteer doctors.

A Nova Friburgo where 274 people were killed, the streets of this peaceful city, founded by Swiss emigrants in the early nineteenth century and valued by Cariocas for its mild climate, back images of ruins and chaos.

The people trying to leave the city, but gasoline is rationed and the road is dangerous because the yield point in several places.

Important economic consequences ahead: it was already very difficult to find fresh vegetables in Rio, the region serrana (mountain) is the main vegetable production area of the state of Rio.

The tourism sector has already lost 30 million dollars, said the vice-president of the Brazilian Hotel, Michel Chertouh.

This tragedy has generated a wave of solidarity throughout the country. Twenty tons of food were collected by Civil Defense and Rio several hundred people gave their blood.