FRANCE: Dominique Strauss-Kahn is charged with "sexual assault" in New York

The Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the French Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been formally charged Sunday with sexual assault and attempted rape a few hours after being arrested at the airport in New York, officials said Source police.

Strauss-Kahn, known as "DSK", Socialist candidate preferred by the French presidential polls for 2012, "has been charged with sexual assault, forcible confinement and one of attempted rape on a young person 32 year old woman in a hotel room in New York, "Ryan told reporters Sesa, a spokesman for police in Harlem (north of Manhattan).

Mr.Strauss-Kahn, 62, was still detained at the police station in Harlem, where he was taken in the afternoon of Saturday, after being arrested while preparing to leave for Europe.

It should be referred to the prosecutor in the day Sunday, and should remain at the police station in Harlem by then, it was clear from the same source.

FOOTBALL - THE CASE OF QUOTA: Zidane broke his silence and defends Laurent Blanc

AFP - The case of quotas was marked Saturday by Zinedine Zidane in support of Laurent Blanc, who has had a hectic day, between his private flight from Merano (Italy) Bordeaux, tracked by the press, and a denial of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the announcement by a regional media of his alleged resignation.

The position of Zidane, beacon generation black-blanc-beur, was eagerly awaited.Her silence became heavy while the world champions in 1998 tore at each other on the White case, with Vieira and Thuram accusers and Dugarry, Lizarazu, Desailly and Jacquet, coach of the defenders.

"It would be crazy to let him go because of it"

To the question "Should he step down as coach?" Zidane replied in an interview published Sunday in L'Equipe: "Of course not. But I can tell you it was very, very touched. I think he started doing a great job. And he has a real project, but you must leave things in their place, it would be crazy to let him go because of this. It must continue. "

"Regarding Lawrence, we'll make it simple and clear: I know him well, he is obviously not racist, says 'Zizou'.I'm going even further: it never reasons like that because it's not an issue for him! I think that's also how he has made clear in a discussion take.

White spent a Saturday in leading media.The FFF had formally denied to AFP his resignation presented by the conditional site-West France on Saturday morning, also denied information by the Ministry of Sports.

"I got the phone (...) at no time was there any question about it (...) It does not have to tell me everything, but at no time did I felt on the verge of resignation, "for his part told AFP press chief of the Blues, Philippe Tournon.

Laurent Blanc is silent before being heard by the Commissions of Inquiry

White left Meran (northern Italy) in early afternoon Saturday, when he was in treatment, said a reporter from AFP.The coach is then arrived at about 5:15 p.m. on board a private plane at the airport Bordeaux-Merignac, found a photographer for AFP.

"Out of respect for the Committees preparing to audition, Laurent Blanc will not make any statements before the hearings and render findings. He will speak, however much later," said Mr.Tournon.

The coach has until Monday morning to even be heard by the mission of the Department of Sports and by the internal commission of the FFF, a source familiar with the matter.

Davenas Lawrence, one of two members of the Committee of Inquiry of the FFF, said Saturday at the AFP: "Until further notice, a hearing will be in Paris, probably during the weekend," the later Monday.

Chantal Jouanno Sports Minister must present the findings of the investigation department on Monday afternoon.Those of the internal investigation of the FFF should be reserved for a special federal council next Thursday.

In the case of quotas, for now, only the national technical director (DTN) François Blaquart, which depends on both the department and the FFF is temporarily suspended. It is seems likely that the heavier penalty.

EGYPT: Muslim Brotherhood created their own political party

AFP - The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the most influential movement oppositon, have created their own party Saturday, with the ambition to contest half the seats in parliamentary elections scheduled for September, the first since the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak .

The new party, dubbed the "Party of Freedom and Justice", has denied having an orientation "theocratic" and said he would be "independent" of the Brotherhood, whose pronouncements are often the distrust of the population.

The Advisory Board of the movement decided to launch the party and adopted at the same time its political program, said at a news conference Mohammed Hussein, Secretary General of the brotherhood born there over 80 years.

The party, headed by a politburo member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed al-Mursi, will coordinate its positions with the Brotherhood while remaining an independent body.

"It will be a civil party and not theocratic," repeated Mr. Mursi. The Egyptian constitution bans parties based on religion.

According to Dr. Mursi, the Party for Freedom and justice will run for between 45 and 50% of seats in parliamentary elections in September, the first poll since Mr.Mubarak has stepped down under pressure from the streets Feb. 11.

The army, which Mr.Mubarak handed over the reins of the country to his departure, announced in late March it would give legislative power to the future parliament elected in September, then the executive power at the head of state chosen by ballot at the end of the year .

The ambitions of the new party should raise the dismay of other political parties who have engaged in rebellion against the old regime and who may fear being marginalized if they do not present a united front.

"This announcement is depressing to political forces in the country," he told AFP Rashawan Dia, an expert on Islamist movements at the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

"The revolution was not Islamic.We must now reconsider the idea that the Muslim Brotherhood are the most important force in the country, "he said.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the Mubarak regime nemesis, were officially banned from the Egyptian political sphere, but were tolerated in practice.Drawing on influential social support networks, he presented their candidates as "independents".

After a breakthrough in the legislative elections of 2005, which saw them win nearly 20% of the seats, the Muslim Brotherhood came out empty handed from the first round of the legislative end of 2010, and had decided to boycott the second round, alleging massive fraud and violence.

The brotherhood is particularly active in the mosques, where it carries out actions to help the disadvantaged, in universities and within unions.

Founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, it is the oldest movement of Sunni Islam.His doctrine organized around the doctrine of "Tawheed" (Oneness of God), the fusion of religion and politics.

During its history it has oscillated between violent opposition to power and collaboration, between pleas for an Islamic state and insurance companies respect the democratic game. It thus remains an enigma and creates fear of Westerners, who fear the establishment of an Islamic regime in Egypt.

LIBYA: In Doha, the "contact group" trying to prevent the stagnation of the conflict Libyan

The foreign ministers of the "contact group" on Libya will meet in Qatar on Wednesday when the stalemate of the situation causes a tension among the allies.

On the eve of this meeting, France and Great Britain, who were at the forefront of military intervention in the sky Libyan Tuesday urged NATO to step up its raids to destroy heavy weapons forces of Muammar Gaddafi.

In Luxembourg, where he attended a meeting of European ministers, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister said Tuesday that NATO, which took over the United States, Great Britain and France March 31, did not play its role adequately.

"NATO has absolutely wanted to conduct this operation on the military.Well now, there is now (...) It is not acceptable Misrata can continue to be under fire from the bombing of Qaddafi's troops, "he said.

His British counterpart, William Hague, also requested that the Alliance is intensifying its efforts."We must maintain and strengthen our efforts within NATO," said the Foreign Secretary.

For more than three weeks after the first air strikes against the regular forces Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi is still in place and the insurgents, whose representatives will travel to Qatar, do not seem able to overthrow him by force.

With the failure of mediation attempts by the African Union, the prospects for a compromise were parallel remote.

"A new Somalia?"

Established at the London conference, March 29, the "contact group" on Libya to fly the political aspect of the Allied intervention.

Representatives of the National Transitional Council (CNT), established by the rebels in their stronghold of Benghazi (East), will be heard by the Ministers in Doha.

They should also hold talks with Musa Kusa, a former Libyan foreign minister who defected and fled to London last month, said the British government.Koussa was concerned that his country from becoming "another Somalia".

The Doha meeting comes as the stalemate threat and that the humanitarian crisis is accentuated in Misrata, the last major town held by rebels in western Libya and besieged for weeks the troops of Muammar Gaddafi.

At least 250 people died in six weeks in this city located 220 km east of Tripoli.

"When one pulls gun on Misrata is that there are many guns that must be identified and neutralized (...) It should be on it more efficient," stressed Alain Juppe.

NATO, which has intensified its air attacks during the weekend around Misrata and Ajdabiah, destroying several tanks forces Gaddafi rejects criticism of the French and British.

In a statement, she said it "vigorously conducts its military operations in Libya under the mandate given to it" and that "the pace of operations is determined by the need to protect the civilian population."

Late Tuesday night, the Alliance announced that its air force had destroyed five tanks in the area of ​​Misrata."Our aviation continues to strike targets around Misrata regime," the Canadian General Charles Bouchard, Commander of NATO.

The rebels have announced they have demanded weapons to countries that have recognized their Transitional National Council as the sole representative of the country, namely France, Qatar and Italy.

"We presented a list of military equipment and technology we need," said Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, official spokesman of the CNT in Benghazi.

COTE D'IVOIRE: The battle continues Abidjan, Laurent Gbagbo called for "resistance" against France

The battle of Abidjan Saturday saw a new rise in power with the attack against the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, the headquarters of the president recognized by the international community, Alassane Ouattara, by men of outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo.

His spokesman, Ahoua Don Mello, however, strongly denied in the evening to AFP that the attack was carried out by his forces: "This is absolutely false.There was no attack of Golf, "he said, calling the incident an" imaginary attack. "

"President Gbagbo called for resistance against the bombing and the actions of the French army in Ivory Coast, because ultimately it is the French army that attacked us," he also said Ahoua Don Mello.

"Our troops are trying to rebuild after suffering a barbaric attack of the rebels backed by the UN and Licorne," he added.

Conducted after a relatively quiet day in Abidjan, the shooting against the Golf Hotel are the first aimed directly at the hotel where Mr. entrenchedOuattara and his government since the beginning of the post-election crisis in Ivory Coast, there are more than four months.

"We are being attacked with heavy weapons and light. It shook the walls, the staff are being evacuated in the basement," said a hotel employee. According to several witnesses, the fire started before 5:00 p.m. local and GMT and was completed shortly after 18:00.

Defence Forces and Security (SDS pro-Gbagbo) "are now attacking us and trying to push them," said a veteran Republican Forces of Mr. Ouattara.

"The shots are very, very close. Snipers fired bursts of Kalashnikov.The pro-Gbagbo attack us on all fronts ", including from the opposite edge of the lagoon along the Golf Hotel, said a resident of the Golf Hotel.

"Before the attack on the golf hotel, a convoy of soldiers FRCI Forces (Republican, pro-Ouattara) was ambushed as he left the hotel to Abobo (north of Abijan)," he told AFP an official military camp Ouattara.

"There are at least four dead and ten wounded," he added.It was not immediately possible to confirm this assessment.

Peacekeepers defending HQ Ouattara returned fire Saturday after the mortar attack, said the UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI).

"It came from the other side of the lagoon (south of the hotel) and the residence of President Gbagbo (located in the same district of Cocody)," said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman of the UNOCI.

"In accordance with their mandate to protect the golf hotel where the president and his team Ouattara, peacekeepers have responded by targeting the source of the shots coming from the other side of the Lagoon.We purposely avoided the residence of President Gbagbo, "added the spokesman.

In Washington, the spokesman for the State Department reiterated on Saturday condemned the violence perpetrated by the forces of Laurent Gbagbo, describing his attempts to negotiate a "ruse to regroup and rearm.

On the ground, a lull prevailed in Abidjan Saturday after heavy fighting the previous day's heavy machine gun and small arms fire that raged on the perimeter that includes the residence of Mr. Gbagbo, the RTI and the school gendarmerie.

Laurent Gbagbo's troops are fighting hard in the fiefs they held and where they enjoy a degree of mobility, according to testimony consistent.

Alassane Ouattara troops trying to secure the rest of the economic capital that suffers from a serious food situation.

The organization of human rights Human Rights Watch on Saturday accused forces pro-Ouattara and the pro-Gbagbo of committing massacres in western Ivory Coast, claiming possession of new evidence of atrocities already denounced by the UN and NGOs.

Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara raped or killed hundreds of people and burned villages in late March in western Côte d'Ivoire, HRW said in a report published in New York.

The NGO also claims to have evidence of atrocities committed by the forces of Laurent Gbagbo, including a massacre at Blolequin March 28 more than a hundred men, women and children from northern Côte d'Ivoire and neighboring countries .On the 29th, ten of the same origin were killed and eight Togolese Guiglo in a village near Blolequin, HRW added.

In this context, the UN and the French Licorne force have confirmed their presence Saturday in the strategic port of Abidjan after the lifting of European sanctions, announced Friday against two major ports of Côte d'Ivoire - Abidjan San Pedro - as well as against several related companies including the cocoa sector.

Large stocks of cocoa beans, the main source of foreign currency, the world's largest producer, have been waiting for weeks to go for export.

On the other hand, an Air France flight arrived Saturday morning at the Abidjan airport, according to a French military source, who for the resumption of commercial flights is "effective."

UK: Hundreds of thousands of Britons in the streets against the austerity plans

AFP - Britons are descended en masse on Saturday in the streets of London to say no to austerity, a manifestation of a magnitude rare in a country not customary for such demonstrations social, but tarnished by vandals.

The unions, who dreamed of making this day a milestone in the mobilization against the austerity policy, believe they have won their bet, even if they complain clashes with police at the march, which ended in nine arrests five policemen injured.

"We are absolutely delighted: there are hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps half a million, welcomed Paul Nowak, an official of the organization.

A spokesman for the Confederation of British unions, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said that "between 250,000 and 300,000 people" had responded, and some media evoked in the absence of police estimates, 400,000 to 500,000 participants.

"This is the biggest event in London for a generation," enthused the union Unite.

This rally is actually the largest in London since the war against Iraq, which brought together nearly one million people in 2003.It is also the largest social movement since the riots two decades ago and which precipitated the fall of Margaret Thatcher.

A large police contingent had been set up by the TUC, in addition to the 4,500 police officers mobilized, not to relive the excesses of student demonstrations this fall, who had stunned the British.

But clashes have broken out anyway in the march. Disrupters were attacked with paint and glass bottles of stores and banks and smashed windows, around Oxford Street, a major shopping street.

Bulbs filled with ammonia were thrown at the police, police said.The Ritz has been made the target of projectiles and activists broke into the famous department store Fortnum & Mason.

Unions have bitterly deplored the violence scenes, especially as the parade itself was held for more than five hours in a friendly atmosphere.

Many had come with family, strollers and vuvuzelas, the famous horns used by fans at football matches in South Africa.

Scots played the bagpipes and musicians and dancers have joined the march, giving it an air of carnival.

"Do not break Britain," "Defending our public services," proclaimed the banners.

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

"People are gathered today the spokespeople of Great Britain deep," shouted the leader of the opposition Labour Ed Miliband as a warning to the government, which imposed a cure to the country of unprecedented stringency with wage freeze for civil servants and removal of more than 300,000 public sector jobs.

"Of course people are worried and even angry at times, but we inherited an economic situation that we must take steps to bring public finances back in balance," pleaded the Minister of Education Michael Gove.

MIDDLE EAST: Islamic Jihad claims two new rockets at Israel

Al-Quds Brigades, armed wing of the radical Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility on Wednesday morning the firing of two rockets at Israel, in a statement released in Gaza.

Al-Quds Brigades have attributed the authorship of two rocket attacks against the town of Beersheba in the Negev (southern Israel) and that of Ashdod, near the border with the Gaza Strip.

"This is an initial response to the Zionist crimes committed against our people in Gaza," the statement said.

These new rockets are part of an escalation of violence since Saturday between armed Palestinian groups in Gaza and Israel.

Eight Palestinians, four civilians including two minors, and four Islamic Jihad fighters were killed by Israeli fire in Gaza on Tuesday, the deadliest day in the Palestinian territory controlled by Hamas for more than two years.

On the night of Wednesday, two Islamic Jihad militants were wounded, one seriously, during an Israeli air strike in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Liveblogging: France launches military action in Libya

What you should remember:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that French fighter planes had penetrated into Libyan airspace to prevent the forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to attack the city of Benghazi, a stronghold of the opposition.


The statement by the French head of state concluded an international summit on the situation in Libya, which gathered in Paris this Saturday the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister David Cameron and many Arab and European politicians.
A military plane was shot Saturday morning while flying over the city of Benghazi.The aircraft belongs to the opponents of Muammar Gaddafi.
According to the insurgents in Benghazi, forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombed roads leading into town. The regime denies the accusations and says its planes remained on the ground, according to the cease-fire it announced Friday.

For those who follow us from the iPhone or iPad, click here.

BAHRAIN: The king declared a state of emergency for three months

AFP - The King of Bahrain Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa has declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for three months, following the arrival of troops from the Gulf came to help contain the Shiite challenge.

"Due to circumstances that crosses Bahrain (...) King declares a state of emergency for a period of three months," said a statement broadcast by state television.

The statement said the king instructed the commander of the armed forces to restore order by using the army, police forces, units of the National Guard and "any other force, if necessary" .

This last statement appears to refer to units sent to Bahrain by its partners of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

This decision comes as Shiite protesters block streets in Manama and are gathered in a square in the capital, following the arrival of troops from the joint force of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called "Shield Peninsula ", in this small kingdom ruled by a Sunni dynasty.

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.

Opening the trial of the perpetrator of a cartoonist Muhammad

The trial of a 29 year old Somali man accused of attempted murder against the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard of Mohammed opened Wednesday just before 9:30 am (0830 GMT) in the court of Aarhus (center), noted AFP.

The hearing of the trial court was transferred into the premises of the Court of Appeal because of the busy media, surrounded by extraordinary security measures with police dogs and metal detectors.

Geele Mohamed, whose name was revealed for the first time publicly at the hearing, had burst a year ago at night in the house of the cartoonist, armed with a hatchet and a knife, shouting that he wanted kill him, according to the testimony of the draftsman.

"My client admits only possession of knives and intrusion into people's property," he said at the hearing counsel for the Somali, Mr. Niels Strauss.

Kurt Westergaard, 75 years old today, had been spared by hiding in her bathroom, before the police stop a suspect after having wounded twice.

The Somali, who has denied the charges since his arrest on the evening of 1 January 2010, faces life in prison.He is charged with attempted murder and terrorism as well as assaulting a police officer and illegal possession of weapons.

According to the Danish intelligence service, he was close to Somalia's Islamist al-Shabab and leaders of Al Qaeda in East Africa.

Nine days of hearings are scheduled and the verdict is expected around the first week of February.