INTERNET: Syria Goes to War against Facebook

Served to suppress the popular uprising that opposes the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leadership does not forget all the social media front. These days, Damascus has decided to launch an attack on Facebook.The "crime" of the famous social network? Having closed last Friday, the page electronic Syrian Army that supports the Syrian president without having informed his leaders when it had over 60,000 fans, reported Tuesday the Arabic version of the American CNN news site.

A few hours later, the ax fell on a clone of this page of pro-Bashar created by "sympathizers" in the words of the Syrian government daily Al-Thawra.

Earlier this week, the newspaper also accused Facebook of "supporting the alleged Syrian revolution."In short: Damascus suspected site of playing a double game, recalling in passing that the pages of the opposition continued, they, on their merry path digital.

If leaders of the social network have always kept to stand at the recent events that have affected the Arab world, it must be noted, however, he allowed the protesters to organize the Egyptian and Tunisian easier. Remains that Facebook is not accustomed to close the pages and do not typically occur in cases of flagrant and repeated violations against its rules.Contacted by FRANCE 24, the company declined to respond.

Call to spam

The directors of the famous Egyptian Facebook page "We are all Khaled Said", which was particularly illustrated in the uprising against the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak, advance, them, the following explanation for the closure of page E-Syrian Army: they ensure that its officers have violated the code of conduct on Facebook.

"We are all Khaled Said" reproduced well, a message posted on the "wall" of the electronic page of the Syrian Army to its members explaining the procedure for "spam" (flood of spam) - which is prohibited - Facebook groups calling for revolution in Syria.

But Internet Syrian lend, themselves, to Facebook noblest motives. The social network would react to the information of the British daily "The Telegraph" that in recent days, opponents of Syria were tortured to reveal their access codes to Facebook, they say.

Much refute accusations that Damascus.The daily Al-Thawra "said, meanwhile, that" those responsible for the electronic page of the Syrian army preparing to launch an offensive that Facebook will remember "to avenge the alleged bias of the social network.

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."

GERMANY: The thesis of an Islamist attack raised after the shooting Frankfurt

German federal prosecutors suspected that the shooting Thursday in which two U.S. soldiers were killed the day before in Frankfurt Airport (West) was an attack "motivated Islamist."

If the motive is confirmed, this is the first time since September 11, 2001 killed an Islamist attack in Germany - which were partially prepared the 2001 attacks in the United States and which have failed for several projects terrorists.

"Given the circumstances, we may suspect that this attack is an act motivated Islamist," said federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe (West), responsible for terrorism cases, which took up the investigation.

On Wednesday, a source close Kosovar identified as investigators Arid Uka, 21 years old and lives in Frankfurt, drew on military U.S. Air Force who came from England and had to travel by bus to Ramstein base, 140 miles away. Two soldiers died and two others were seriously injured. One remained in critical condition Thursday.

According to Boris Rhein, interior minister of the regional state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, the suspected killer would be a "radical Islamist" who acted alone and apparently unrelated to a "network" terrorist. He worked at the postal facility of the airport and allegedly confessed, saidRhein.

The new Federal Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich found it unnecessary to address the security measures in Germany.

A special committee comprising the police U.S. investigators was established to elucidate the motivations of young Kosovar stopped just after the fact.

According to information from the public channel ARD, his weapon was "apparently stopped.The man shouted "Allah Akhbar" (Allah is the greatest ") before opening fire and was arrested in possession of many ammunition, reported several media.

It was not known by the German authorities as a dangerous Islamist, security sources said, but after ARD was close to a radical Moroccan preacher arrested a few days ago during a "crackdown".

The young Kosovar to be presented Thursday to a judge of the Federal Court to adjudicate on his detention.

Kosovo Albanian origin in Mitrovica (north), he had no criminal record in his country, a senior police official in Kosovo.

He lived in Germany with some of her family and investigators are looking in particular on his Facebook page where he made no secret of his convictions radical media reported.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday U.S. President Barack Obama "outraged by this attack," no effort be spared in this folder. And the chief diplomat Westerwelle pledged Thursday to his counterpart Hillary Clinton "a rapid and complete clarification of this attack."

Ramstein hosts a major U.S. base, which serves as a platform for logistics and other operations in Afghanistan.The U.S. Army has several other bases in the region.

An Islamist group disbanded in the fall of 2007 before he proceeds to act, "Sauerland cell" Ramstein was in sight. Its members were convicted in March 2010 for having dreamed of "a new Sept. 11.

Germany had previously eluded other Islamist attacks. In July 2006 particular, bombs placed by Islamists in suitcases on two regional trains did not explode. In 2003, attacks against Jewish interests had been foiled.

MADAGASCAR: Back from exile compromise Marc Ravalomanana

AFP - Former President of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana was prevented from returning to Antananarivo on Saturday after being denied boarding at Johannesburg airport by an airline citing an order from the Malagasy civil aviation, was a journalist the AFP.

"I'm going to Madagascar for the sake of peace, not war, why does blocking me is here now?" Said the press Ravalomanana, visibly angry after the airline Airlink signified to him the refusal boarding at the airport OR Tambo.

A company employee showed him a letter from the Civil Aviation Authority Malagasy saying: "Marc Ravalomanana is persona non grata in Madagascar.Also to preserve public order, do not take on board ".

In Madagascar, at the airport Antanananarivo, several thousand supporters of Marc Ravalomanana had gathered Saturday morning in anticipation of the arrival of former president who had announced his return home today after two years of exile.

The Malagasy regime in place Rajoelina had estimated that his return was announced a "big bluff" and warned it would stop immediately deposed president if he continued to return.