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.

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

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."

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."

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.