USA: Barack Obama wants to support revolutions in the Arab world

Barack Obama is extending his hand again the Muslim world. After the speech in Cairo in 2009, and that of Jakarta, in 2010, the President of the United States wanted to mark again the disconnect between the policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush, behind the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and his own.

But since his last message to the Muslim world, six months ago, the Arab spring reworked maps in North Africa and the Middle East.However, "although these countries are very far from our borders, we know that our fate depends on them," said the president of the United States in the introduction to his speech on U.S. policy towards the Arab world , delivered at the State Department (the equivalent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France), in Washington.

It was also the first speech of this kind since the death of Osama bin Laden, May 1.This has allowed Barack Obama to condemn the violence and stressed that the Arab world now sees the extremism of Al-Qaeda "an impasse".

"Punishment does not work"

That's why "the United States must necessarily change our approach" vis-à-vis the Arab world, said the Nobel peace 2009. For Washington, this shift is primarily to consider the hours of leaders who repress the demonstrators are now counted."The strategies of repression will not work anymore," said Barack Obama as a warning to the Libyan regime, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.

"We can not intervene everywhere ... Our experience in Iraq shows how difficult it is to impose a regime in a country. But if we had not acted in Libya, thousands of people have died.Today, Qaddafi has more control of the country, "the president said about the intervention of the international coalition which is involved in Washington since March 19 last.

Similarly, in Syria, "Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is now facing a choice: He can lead the transition, or move away," warned Barack Obama in particular demanding an end to violence against demonstrators.Otherwise, Bashar Al-Assad - that Washington has unilaterally sanctioned Wednesday - and his regime "will be challenged from within, and will continue to be isolated outside," he said.

With regard to Yemen, Barack Obama called President Ali Abdullah Saleh to "respect its commitments regarding the transition." Coincidence or not, the ruling party said during the speech that the agreement between Saleh, in power for 32 years, and the opposition, would be signed Sunday.Initiatives in the Middle East "more urgent than ever" The tenant of the White House has even rebuked his traditional ally of the Arabian Peninsula, Bahrain, calling the government "to establish the necessary conditions for dialogue" and the opposition "to accept and participate in dialogue." When the army had suppressed the demonstrations against the government in early February, Washington had not responded. "In the coming months, the U.S. will exert maximum efforts to support reforms in North Africa and the Middle East, "insisted Barack Obama, who announced plans to help Egypt and Tunisia, where the head of state was chased by protesters.But "initiatives more urgent than ever" concern the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for which the diplomatic efforts for a resumption of peace negotiations are currently on the rise. In his speech, Barack Obama went further than before, setting the parameters of an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, without going so far as to unveil a U.S. peace plan.
Washington now has goals for the borders of Israel and a future Palestinian state are based on those of 1967 and the latter to be demilitarized. "We'll agree on the duration of this period of transition, and the effectiveness of security arrangements should be demonstrated," he added.But if diplomatic efforts are progressing, the security issue it is far from settled. Barack Obama conceded that the presence of Hamas in the unity government of Palestinian territories "complicated negotiations." As for the Israelis, they would have approved construction of 620 homes in east Jerusalem on Thursday, says an NGO. Not sure it makes things easier ...

EUROPEAN UNION: EU finance ministers commit the rescue of Portugal

The EU finance ministers gave the green light Monday to a rescue plan for Portugal, which provides 78 billion euros in joint loans with the IMF in exchange for austerity.

"The ministers agreed unanimously to grant financial assistance in response to the request of the Portuguese authorities," they announced in a joint statement issued at a meeting in Brussels.

The conditions of the assistance plan had been established at the beginning of the month: the country must receive the Europeans and the International Monetary Fund, amounting to two thirds / one third, 78 billion euros in loans over three years.

In exchange, he must take further austerity measures, restructure and strengthen the capital of its banks, to privatize and reform the health system in particular and the administration, with the goal of clean and replenish public finances.

According to the forecasts so far by the Portuguese government, the public deficit should thus be reduced by 5.9% this year to 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013.

The program is "ambitious" but "preserves the most vulnerable groups of society," stressed the EU finance ministers on Monday.

He "will tackle the challenges with determination budgetary, financial and structural facing the Portuguese economy" and "will also help restore confidence and protect the financial stability of the euro area," they insist, calling on "all Political Parties (Portuguese) to ensure a rigorous application and fast program.

After resisting for several months of pressure from financial markets, Portugal in April became the third country in the euro area to seek external financial assistance.

Before him, he had to put up last year of rescue for Greece (110 billion) and Ireland (85 billion).

Green light finance ministers seemed acquired after the announcement last week from the support of Finland, hitherto uncertain.

The True Finns, a right wing nationalist who won 19% of the votes in the elections of April 17, had in fact repeatedly stated their opposition to assistance to Portugal.But they finally decided to join the government.

Finland is one of six countries in the euro area receiving the highest possible credit rating on its ability to repay its debts (AAA), making it a crucial partner for the bailouts in Europe.

The Joint Ministerial Statement also includes a condition imposed by the Helsinki agreement, namely that "the Portuguese authorities will seek to encourage private investors to maintain their exposure" in the country, "based on voluntary ".

Even before the implementation of internationally austerity measures taken so far by Lisbon to try to calm the markets, lower wages and increase in VAT in particular, have made the plunge into recession Portugal where he was released in late 2009 .

The Portuguese GDP shrank by 0.7% in the first quarter, having already fallen 0.6% the previous quarter, according to statistics released last week.

The Portuguese Minister of Finance had said in early May that the new measures related to international aid plan could lead to economic contraction of 2% in 2011 and 2012, an upturn is expected only in 2013.

Syria: Repression bloody Deraa, the epicenter of protest

The crackdown by the Syrian regime hardens a little more. Monday, tanks and soldiers armed to the teeth have penetrated for the first time in Deraa, birthplace of the challenge set in the South, according to witnesses on the spot. A change of tactics by the regime which suggest that Bashar al-Assad is playing its trump card, "says Jean-Bernard Cadier, a specialist in international politics of France 24:" He can not turn back now. "

Contacted by France 24, a resident of the city has traced the events of the morning. "Just after the prayer, we heard gunshots. We tried to know where the shots came from. Here we have seen at least eight tanks military who took the road of the old city.They asked us to stop all form of protest. There is nobody to help us and they can shoot us! "

Panicked face this sudden military deployment, the population has increased calls for help with the means at hand. "People are using loudspeakers in mosques to ask for help. Electricity has been cut off, the telephone network as well," said Isabelle Dellerba, France 24 correspondent in Beirut. "Ambulances are struggling to reach victims. The wounded are lying on the ground in the streets, there are also dead."

Deraa, prime target of the regime in Damascus

Scenes of war are told by many people on the spot."Men are ambushed government forces in public buildings and shooting at houses," said one of them told Reuters. "They shoot in all directions and move behind the tanks, which protect them," related another. A witness contacted by AFP already reported five deaths.

Isabelle Dellerba, the current confrontation between the regime and the protesters should go crescendo. "Bashar al-Assad could decide to take a new direction by launching operations against punches home the most important challenge," she says.

And not only Deraa. Activist Syrian Human Rights, contacted by AFP reported heavy fighting in Douma, located on the outskirts of Damascus."On Monday, Syrian security forces and armed supporters of President Bashar al-Assad stormed the city Duma. They fired on civilians and arresting people."

Sign of the escalating security of the regime in Damascus, the government of Bashar al-Assad has ordered the closure of the border with Jordan.

As a reminder, these bloody confrontations abound for three days. The crackdown left at least 120 dead between Friday and Saturday, according to a list of names compiled by the Committee of the martyrs of the revolution 15-Mar.

Sunday at Jableh, near Latakia, thirteen people were also killed and several others injured by police, told AFP from an activist for human rights.This brings to 366 the number of victims since mid-March.

The leftist candidate, Ollanta Humala, led the first round

The leftist candidate Ollanta Humala will play the second round of presidential elections in Peru, but the identity of his rival, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Keiko Fujimori, is still very uncertain, according to projections and partial official count on Sunday night.

The former Lieutenant-Colonel Humala, 48, who was beaten in the second round in 2006, obtained 27% of the vote, according to partial results announced by the electoral body (ONPE) with 43% of the votes counted, around 22:30 local (0330 GMT Monday).

But much indecision reigned over his rival for ONPE, former Wall Street financier and former Liberal prime minister (2005-06) Pedro Pablo Kuczynscki, 72, came in 2nd place with 23.6% voice.

Behind him, Keiko Fujimori, the populist right-wing member of 35 years and daughter of former authoritarian President of the years 1990-2000 now imprisoned Alberto Fujimori obtained 21.8% of votes.

According to the polls to exit polls, on the contrary that Fujimori would face Humala in the second round: she would surpass Kuczynski 1.8 to 3 points, according to the institutes.

"They gave us dead, and here we resurrect!" Kuczynski began his supporters in Lima, calling for patience.

According to some pollsters, Kuczynski could be caught, as the late arrival of voting provinces, supposed him to be less favorable.

But a reliable picture of the second round, June 5, might not emerge for several days, as in 2006, due to a slow count of official recounts.

"Everything leads us to believe that we will be in the second round," he told his supporters Humala Sunday night, giving them an appointment "on July 28th (the date of nomination) to the Presidency, for a big change, a major redistribution wealth ".

"We are in the second round!" Keiko Fujimori also provided at the center of Lima, to a crowd chanting "Chino" Chino "," nickname of his father.

A possible second-round Humala Fujimori has been described by analysts as heralding a sharp polarization of political life: "Humala is the leftmost, the rightmost Keiko, the two models are authoritarian," has said AFP has Luis Benavente Group opinion of the Catholic University of Lima.

He put a face to face left-nationalist candidate, accused by his opponents of being close to President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela illiberal, and the daughter of a former head of state autocratic prison for massacres of civilians during the repression of the guerrillas of the 90s, and corrutpion.

A choice "between a dark past and a leap into the void," said Alejandro Toledo, the centrist former president (2001-06), distanced with 15.4% of votes.

For the Nobel Prize for Literature Mario Vargas Llosa, Alberto Fujimori defeated for the presidency in 1990, the duel would be "a disaster".

Nearly 20 million Peruvians voted without incident on Sunday to elect a successor to Alan Garcia (center right) after a campaign dominated by the urgency of sharing the record growth (+ 8.78% in 2010), which has forgotten the way 34% of people living in poverty.

Toledo, conceding defeat, said Humala "was able to channel the anger of Peru", for this growth without distribution of profits.

Humala, who fought in the 90 Maoist guerrillas, is very popular in the Andean regions underdeveloped.

Since 2006, he moderated his rhetoric and anti-liberal marked his distance from Chavez, whose support had probably cost him the victory five years ago.

The Peruvians also renewed their unicameral parliament. According to the partial count, it comes out fragmented, with Humala's party in the lead, followed by Keiko Fujmori.

JAPAN: At least four people dead and hundreds injured after a new earthquake

Four people were killed and over one hundred injured when the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Thursday night the north-eastern Japan, there already devastated nearly a month by an earthquake and tsunami giants According to the Agency Disaster Management and Media.

A woman of 63, who was on life support, died in Yamagata Prefecture, according to the Agency.

Two men aged 79 and 85 were killed in Miyagi Prefecture, according to public broadcaster NHK and Jiji Press.

In the city of Tome (Miyagi Prefecture) a woman of 83 years died after being admitted to hospital, Jiji said, quoting a doctor.

She has reassessed the number of injured at about 140, after the shock, identified as a replica of the magnitude 9 earthquake of 11 March.

The earthquake occurred at 11:32 p.m. (2:32 p.m. GMT) at a depth of 49 km, according to the American Institute of Geophysics USGS. Its epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean, 66 km east of the city of Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture).

An alert for a tsunami up to two meters high was lifted half past one later without there having been a reported abnormally high waves on the shore.

The Nuclear Safety Agency said no nuclear power station in the area had been damaged.Staff working on the site of the central hilly Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) had been evacuated as a precaution to the interior.

Some 3.3 million homes were without power in the north-east, said the local power company, Tohoku Electric Power.

The giant earthquake and tsunami of 11 March killed more than 27,000 dead or missing, police said.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Paris for a strengthening of UNOCI

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday was "very concerned about the situation in Côte d'Ivoire," where violence increase, and indicated intent to apply for a strengthening of the UN force in the country (UNOCI).

The French President considered "scandalous" firing with heavy weapons "against innocent civilians" during a press briefing on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.

"But there is a UN force" on the spot, "he said.And the purpose of the resolution intends to propose France "will ask the UN force to prohibit at least the heavy weapons in Abidjan," he said.

The West African leaders on Thursday urged the UN to strengthen the mandate of its mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and to impose sanctions "more binding" against the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo.

After a two-day ordinary summit in Abuja, Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, 15 countries), made the call while post-election crisis in Côte d'Ivoire worsens and there are fears a civil war.

UNOCI, 10,000 men strong, is in a delicate situation.Under fire from supporters of Gbagbo, who demands his immediate departure, designating it as an "enemy of Côte d'Ivoire" and biased, it is regularly the target of their attacks.

The mission also came under strong criticism recently from the camp of Alassane Ouattara, President recognized by the international community, who urged him to "take action" and "use of legitimate force" to protect civilians caught in the violence.

Since the presidential election of November 2010, 462 people were killed according to the UN, including 52 during the past week.

The international community press for months and unsuccessfully Laurent Gbagbo to cede the presidency to his opponent.

TUNISIA: The Islamist Nahda movement allowed to form a political party

The current banned Tunisian Islamist Nahda was authorized by the provisional government to reform a political party, reported Tuesday the official news agency Tap.

This initiative will allow the moderate Islamist Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, who returned from exile in London January 30, two weeks after the fall of President Zine Ben Ali to stand for parliamentary elections.

Nahda (Renaissance) had been banned during the two decades of dictatorship Ben Ali, forced to flee the country after four weeks of "jasmine revolution" and now a refugee in Saudi Arabia.

Rachid Ghannouchi, who is 69 years old, is considered a moderate intellectual.His organization, founded in 1981, is seen as less conservative than the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

Ennahda, who says he's ideologically close ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power in Turkey, was the main opposition force in Tunisia at the coming of Ben Ali.

In the elections of 1989, two years after taking power by Ben Ali, the party won 17% of the vote officially, but his actual score was probably closer to 30 or 35%, according to observers.

Punishment which then hit the movement was forced into exile in 1989 Ghannouchi. The Islamists have played a role in the revolution that led to the downfall of Ben Ali.

FILM: The French film delivers its rewards

With 11 nominations at the 36th ceremony of Caesar, the film by Xavier Beauvois' Of Men and Gods "collect in advance the honors of the profession that brand again its distance from the box office by ignoring" Little Tissues "from Guillaume Canet and "Camping 2" Fabien Onteniente.

After a great year for cinema hexagonal (over 206 million cinema admissions, 35% for French films), appointments spend yet most beautiful successes of 2010, "Potiche" to "Tour "from" The Heartbreaker "to" The Ghost Writer "by Roman Polanski.

The Academy of Caesar accompanies the unexpected triumph of the film by Xavier Beauvois (more than 3 million viewers), already crowned by the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, "Of Men and Gods," which recounts the fate of the monks of Tibehirine , abducted and murdered in Algeria in 1996, is quoted in ten categories.

It is proposed to Cesar for best film, best director, best original screenplay, best sound, picture editing, best costumes, sets, best actor Lambert Wilson and twice for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin.

Nominees in major categories:

Best Film

"The Heartbreaker" by Pascal Chaumeil, "The Name of the people" by Michel Leclerc, "The Ghost Writer" by Roman Polanski; "Tour" Mathieu Amalric, "Of Men and Gods" by Xavier Beauvois; "Gainsbourg, life heroic "by Joann Sfar;" Mammuth "Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern.Her Nolan, "The Social Network" by David Fincher, "Invictus" by Clint Eastwood, "Bright Star" by Jane Campion; "Heartbeats" by Xavier Dolan, "In his eyes" by Juan Jose Campanella; "Illegal" d Olivier Masset Depasse.

Best First Film
Simon Werner disappeared "Fabrice Gobert," The Heartbreaker "by Pascal Chaumeil," Gainsbourg, heroic life "by Joann Sfar;" All That Glitters "Géraldine Nakache
"Turk's Head" by Pascal Elbe

A Caesar of honor will be awarded by the Academy to the American director Quentin Tarantino during the Feb. 25 ceremony will be broadcast live at 21:00 Clear Channel Canal +.

MEXICO: The Mexican justice dismissed the cassation appeal of Florence Break

AFP - A Mexican court of three judges on Thursday rejected the appeal in cassation Break of Florence, the French woman sentenced to 60 years in prison in Mexico for kidnapping and imprisoned for over five years.

"Justice of the Union does not challenge the final decision of the court of appeal against Florence Break", now aged 36 years, according to the ruling made public before the forty journalists.

The three judges of the Supreme Court made their decision after less than two hours of meeting.

The French, who has always protested his innocence, has no recourse to justice in Mexico, but it can still enter international organizations, said the second counselor of the Embassy of France in Mexico, Florian Blazy.

"We need to revise the ruling. There are other international remedies," said the French diplomat. The situations envisaged by the embassy even before the trial were those of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights or the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"I do not know how is Florence, but I can imagine," said Mr.Blazy.

Cassez, arrested in December 2005 during a mock inquiry held for television, was sentenced to 96 years in prison in the first instance, a sentence reduced on appeal to 60 years in prison in March 2009.

The arrest of Florence Break, along with his former partner Israel Vallarta, had been a television broadcast made at dawn on December 9, 2005 as a live broadcast in a "rancho", a house countryside on the outskirts of Mexico City.

The French had claimed she was arrested yesterday and held incommunicado until dawn.The police had then acknowledged having made a "recovery".

For advocates of the young woman, the cassation appeal (amparo) filed in August 2010 was to demonstrate that all the charges "built on sand" on "false evidence" in the words of counsel French Break Florence, Frank Berton.

At the beginning of the case, the opinion was unanimous Mexican Cassez been hostile to media and the verdict was no appeal against the "evil French".

But in five years, the activities of lawyers and press-depth investigations, including from French journalists on the spot on a record of more than 10,000 pages, had sown doubt in circles wider and wider in Mexico.

In November 2010, the French had received two notable supporters: that the Catholic Church of Mexico and a former federal Attorney-General, the equivalent of the Minister of Justice, who claimed to believe in his innocence.

The church had found a "total violation" of human Cassez and his "absolute innocence".

Former Minister Ignacio Morales Lechuga said for his part that the procedure "has not respected the rules of the Mexican criminal law, violated the rights of the condemned" and "led to freedom by letting the real perpetrators of crime" .

Break The case also became a contentious diplomatic row between France and Mexico, especially since the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy in Mexico in March 2009.

Three months later, in June 2009, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has ruled out personally in a speech for radio and television, the solution advocated by French President to transfer Cassez France.

This decision of the Supreme Court comes as Mexican has been officially launched, a few days ago, the year of France in Mexico.