UNITED STATES: A violent tornado killed at least 24 victims in Missouri

AFP - At least 24 people were killed Sunday in a tornado that struck the small town of Joplin, in the State of Missouri (center), local media reported, less than a month after other hurricanes had caused enormous damage in the southeastern United States.

President Barack Obama has sent a message of "deep condolences" to relatives of victims.He assured that the federal government stood ready to help the Americans.

According to the newspaper Springfield News-Leader, Ryan Nicholls, head of the Office of Crisis Management of the Springfield-Greene County (east of Joplin), confirmed that 24 people had been killed.

Joplin, located a few kilometers from the states of Kansas and Oklahoma, was hit hard by the tornado, the paper said.

In early May, tornadoes, the deadliest in nearly a century, had hit the southeast United States, which killed 354.

"Department stores Home Depot and Walmart Joplin were razed. Gas stations, buildings.Wherever I turn my eyes, everything has been severely damaged or completely destroyed, "said John Miller, a freelance photographer working for the News-Leader.

"I saw fire and medical crews remove a small girl in a car at Home Depot," said Miller, adding that "part of the building of the department store fell on the vehicle."

The governor of Missouri Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and requested the intervention of the National Guard.

"These tornadoes have caused extensive damage across Missouri, and constitute a certain risk to its inhabitants and their houses," Nixon said Sunday evening in a statement.

"We have made every effort to assist families in Missouri, find missing persons, and provide emergency medical assistance," said Nixon.

He also said that tornadoes were not completed.

"I urge Missouri residents to closely monitor the latest weather reports and follow the instructions and warnings of emergency services so that these deadly tornadoes continued their advance in the state of Missouri," he told Jay Nixon .

Jerry Williams, a senior at the University of Missouri said, for his part, he lived experience "horrible.""It's as if someone had dropped a bomb," he told the News-Leader.

Saturday, a deadly tornado struck the town of Reading in eastern Kansas, killing one man and damaging about 80% of its homes.

A tornado also caused the death of one person Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, authorities said. At least 18 people were injured.

Bin Laden, a hunt that lasted nearly ten years

AFP - The information collected and analyzed for years have finally formed a puzzle: the hunt for Bin Laden has sharply accelerated last summer when the U.S. services have come back to the residence he occupied the north of Islamabad, as the story of a U.S. official.

Since Sept. 11, the most wanted man in the world remained elusive.Until the night of Sunday to Monday, when U.S. commandos killed him in the building of a wealthy district of Abbottabad, about fifty kilometers from the Pakistani capital.

"From the moment we have identified bin Laden as a threat, the CIA has gathered evidence on people's inner circle, including his personal messengers," said a senior official of the Obama administration on condition of anonymity in a conference call.

One of these messengers of particular interest to U.S. intelligence.Members of Al Qaeda captured had given his "nom de guerre" and had described as a protege of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the attacks of Sept. 11, and a trusted assistant of Abu Faraj Al- Libbi, the number three al Qaeda captured in 2005.

"They also presented the man as one of the only messengers that bin Laden had confidence and showed that he could live with him and protects him. But for years, we could not the be identified by his real name or know his whereabouts, "said the senior official.

It was not until 2007 that his identity is discovered.But no question the senior official revealed. A few months ago, the Americans finally discover the area where the messenger was, with his brother in Pakistan.

"But we could not always know exactly where they lived." They took great care.

"The fact that they are so cautious has reinforced the feeling that we were on the right path," he says.

August 2010, turning the hunt for the leader of Al Qaeda

August 2010: the breakthrough. Their house is finally located, it is a "complex in Abbottabad" in a neighborhood populated by retired military.Barack Obama is informed.

"When we saw the complex where the brothers lived, we had a shock," said the senior official.

The complex occupies a large area. It is "eight times larger than other houses in the neighborhood." When it was built in 2005, he was at the end of a small dirt road.From other houses have been built around.

Satellites, drones, human intelligence? The senior does not detail how the observations were made, but every detail of this residence is duly appraised.

Security measures? "Extraordinary," he said.The walls rise up to 5.5 meters and is topped with barbed wire, access is possible only by "two secure portals.

Another incongruity, the occupants are burning their garbage when the neighbors have a collection service.

The apartment building also clashes in the environment with "little windows on the exterior" and its three floors topped walls of two meters to mount on the roof while protecting themselves from prying eyes.

No internet, phone.And how the two brothers could they have offered this Properties valued at one million dollars where they live with their families and a third family that is very similar to that of Bin Laden?

After studying the issue "all angles", the conclusion is obvious: there is a "strong likelihood" that it is the leader of Al Qaeda.

Friday at 8:20 (12:20 GMT) Barack Obama authorizes the transaction.It is still Sunday afternoon in Washington early Monday morning in Pakistan, when "a small American team" boarded helicopters for this "particularly dangerous operation," says another senior U.S. official.

The raid itself as "surgical" not to cause casualties among women and children who occupy the residence or the neighbors. Bin Laden, a son and two brothers, his messengers, are killed and a woman used as "human shield by a fighter." Another woman was wounded.The senior official said he could not go into details and does not specify whether the prisoners were made.

One of the helicopters to mechanical problems, he can not take off. The commandos and destroy the pile aboard another aircraft with the body of bin Laden.

The commandos will be 40 minutes remained on the ground, the hunt is over.

BURKINA FASO: President Blaise Compaore took over the Ministry of Defence

The Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, whose country has been faced with mutinies of soldiers, has assigned the Ministry of Defence in the new government, whose composition was announced Thursday night, according to decrees read on state television RTB.

"The president of the (Burkina Faso) Faso, supreme commander of armed, took office as Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs," reads one of the decrees.

This position is particularly sensitive in the present context, the regime of President Compaore, a soldier who seized power in a coup in 1987, facing more than a month to the mutinies of soldiers who received up his own personal guard.

These riots occurred in parallel with other protest movements of most of society in Burkina Faso which began in late February.

Fifteen new ministers enter this government comprises 29 ministers (against 38 previously), all members of the ruling party or the presidential movement.This is the team most ressérée history of Burkina Faso.

Djibril Bassolé, former joint mediator of the UN and African Union (AU) for Darfur (Sudan), was appointed foreign minister.

Economy and finance back to Lucien Marie-Noel Bembamba, brother-in-chief of the State, Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security, Jerome Bougouma, another close to Blaise Compaore.

The new team includes three women appointed to the Ministries of National Education, Social Action and Promotion of Women.

This government was formed by the new Prime Minister Luc Adolphe Tiao, a journalist by training and former ambassador to Burkina Paris, appointed Monday to replace Tertius Zongo, who was fired after a mutiny within the leader's own presidential guard of State, April 14.

Mr.Compaore had also replaced the main army officials, including Chief of Staff.

The new team of faithful head of state, while many observers had expected an opening to members of civil society and opposition, will have to try to stem a wave of protest unprecedented in history of the country.

Since late February, all segments of the population, youth, students, judges, soldiers, traders, expressed with varying degrees of violence across the country against Compaore's regime and the high cost of living while most of the 16 million Burkinabe live with about 1.5 euro per day.

Balance: At least six deaths, injuries, looting, damage to property.

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.

LIBYA: Obama fixed the issues and the limits of U.S. involvement

Reuters - Barack Obama in a speech on the situation in Libya, said Monday that the U.S. would, in concert with their allies, seek to hasten the day when Moammar Gadhafi should step down, but he stressed they would not use direct force to overthrow him.

In a televised address to the nation, Bush, accused by many members of Congress not to have explained the role of the international coalition in Washington, defended its decision to intervene militarily in the conflict in Libya.

At the same time, he clarified the limits of the action of the United States and sought to counter the impression that he had no clear goals nor credible strategy out of the conflict.

"For generations, the United States plays a unique role as an anchor of international security and defending the fundamental freedoms." Bearing in mind the risks and costs of military intervention, we're obviously reluctant to use force to solve the many problems facing the planet. But when our interests and values ​​are at stake, we have a responsibility to act. That's what happened in Libya over the past six weeks, " the president said.

"Libya is directly between Tunisia and Egypt, two countries that have inspired the world when their peoples have stood up to take control of their destiny. For over 40 years, the Libyan people is led by a tyrant, Muammar Gaddafi.It deprives its people of freedom, uses his wealth, murdering its opponents at home and abroad, and terrorizing innocent people in the world - including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.

GADDAFI DOES NOT "OVERNIGHT"

"Tonight, I am able to say that we stopped the progression of lethal Gaddafi," he said before a gathering of officers at the National Defense University in Washington, 10 days after ordering that the United States participating in Operation "Dawn of the Odyssey."

"We hit the air defenses (Gaddafi), which allowed the establishment of a no-fly zone.We targeted the tanks and other forces that were strangling the cities, and we cut to a large extent the supply lines, "he said.

The U.S. president also said that the award of U.S. Command in NATO would intervene on Wednesday.

"We will deprive the system of any weapon, interrupt his source of income, help the opposition, and we will work with other countries to hasten the day when Gaddafi will leave power," continued the president.

This, he said, "will not happen overnight," and he admitted that Qaddafi might be able to cling to power."Expanding our military mission to a regime change would be a mistake," he pointed out, however.

Obama spoke on the eve of the scheduled conference in London on Tuesday attended by 35 countries on the situation in Libya.

The issue of Obama's speech was to identify and clearly define the purpose and scope of the mission of the United States to Libya, to be understood by Americans, preoccupied with domestic economic problems, which are already of a dim view of the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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 +.

IRAQ: At least 10 policemen killed in a suicide bombing in Samarra

AFP - A suicide car bombing against police left 10 dead and 16 injured Monday morning in the Iraqi city of Samarra (center), announced a lieutenant-colonel of the police.

A policeman on guard outside the door, fired on the bomber but he managed to bring his white van filled with explosives into the compound of the Rapid Response Unit, arrived in the south two weeks ago to protect the ceremonies marking the death of an imam revered by Shiites, said the senior officer who wished to remain anonymous.

February 12, near the Sunni town located 110 km north of Baghdad, at least 30 people were killed and 28 wounded by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive vest in a bus of Shiite pilgrims.

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.

BELGIUM: Belgium beats the world record for the longest political crisis

AFP - With a wink or instead on a serious tone, the Belgian press has widely celebrated Thursday, with large front pages, the world record for the longest matched by political crisis the country increasingly torn between between Flemings and French.

The country has indeed spent Thursday mark 249 days without being able to form a real government since the parliamentary elections of 13 June 2010. Is the time it took to Iraqis, holders of record so far, to reach last year to a power-sharing agreement between Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.

"Finally the world champions!" Headline of the daily reference in Flanders, De Standaard, which he resolutely chose the party of humor.Its front page is covered by a photo showing Belgian soccer fans cheering after a victory.

For once, everyday Dutch and French are attuned to their front pages.

"Record broken!" Say in chorus the French newspapers Le Soir and L'Echo. He adds that "it is not finished" and published a tally of 249 days reminiscent of a prison cell wall, with series of sticks marked with chalk on black background.

"Fortunately, we have our cheekbones to laugh. Yellow.But amidst this endless political gridlock, you'd better choose the derision that depression, "said one of the chroniclers of the Evening.

More serious, the newspaper La Capitale refers to the "world record that shames us", while De Morgen title "the sorrow of Belgium", in reference to the novel "The Sorrow of Belgium" Flemish disappeared from the famous novelist Hugo Claus .

For La Libre Belgique, "the situation can not continue forever because the markets, we know, not only the current void and want a real government prepares structural reforms."

Flemish and French fail to agree on a common vision for the future.The first, spurred by their main party, independence training, require very extensive regional autonomy. The second fear a loss for their community and eventually splitting the country.

TURKEY: Several dead and dozens wounded in an accidental explosion in Ankara

AFP - A powerful explosion occurred Thursday accidental origin in a workshop of an industrial district of Ankara killed three and thirty wounded, said the local mayor, Yasar Fethi, the news channel NTV.

"Three people are dead, unfortunately," said Mayor Yenimahalle the district to which the industrial and commercial area Ostim the Turkish capital, where the accident occurred.

The official said "there is a 90% chance that this is an accident," caused by the explosion of the boiler room of the building due to a gas leak.

Workers could be buried under the rubble, the official said.

The blast occurred in a large studio in a building with four floors producing generators and drilling rigs.Maximum 80 workers employed in the workshop, says Yasar.

According to images broadcast by NTV, many ambulances arrived on the scene transported the wounded to hospital while others were injured, most lightly affected and apparently in shock, receiving on-site first aid.

Television channels have also raised the Runway to explain the disaster. The authorities have not yet decided.

Rescuers accompanied by sniffer dogs were busy in the cold area of the accident to search for potential workers trapped under the rubble of the building, including at least two floors have been very badly damaged.