The ashes of the volcano eruption threatens Scotland

Icelandic volcanic ash Grímsvötn could reach the north of Scotland on Tuesday mid-day and part of Great Britain, France and Spain by Thursday or Friday if the eruption continues at the same rate, according to a notice sent Sunday to the airlines.

This warning is based on weather forecasts to five days should be viewed with caution because of changes which might occur between now and then on air currents, officials said European Meteorology.

Sunday, the air traffic control agency Eurocontrol reported in mid-day it did not anticipate any impact on European and transatlantic flights for the next 24 hours at least.

The Grímsvötn, beneath a glacier in southeast Iceland, erupted on Saturday, leaving out a huge plume of white smoke reached an altitude of 20,000 meters.

Its eruption has forced the management of the Icelandic Civil Aviation to order the closure of the main island's airport, Keflavik, located about forty miles from the capital,
Reykjavik.

CASE DSK: Christine Lagarde says she deserves the position of DSK?

According to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Christine Lagarde? Only the first harbinger of Thursday's resignation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the possible candidacy of the current French Minister of Economy to the position of CEO of the institution gained credibility - at least in Europe .

"She has a very strong authority, which is vital to find a consensus in negotiations on important issues," said Anders Borg, Swedish Minister of Finance on the British television station Sky News.Christine Lagarde could also benefit from support from Berlin, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung - which qualifies it as "favorite".

Thursday noon, the main "interest" has called for "a gathering of European candidate" without discussing his own case. In France, Secretary of State for Transport, Thierry Mariani, acknowledged Thursday that it would be a "good candidate" but that it will be "difficult". Indeed, the nomination of Christine Lagarde does not have only advantages.

Why would it matter?

A true international stature: Four years spent in Bercy allowed Christine Lagarde to enforce internationally.So much so that in 2009, the influential British economic daily The Financial Times elected "best Minister of Finance of the euro zone."

She knows the situation in the euro area: Europeans want someone like Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has the necessary relations among countries in the euro area to conduct effective negotiations to resolve the crisis of sovereign debt. This is the case of Christine Lagarde, who participated in the development of all successive bailouts - Greece, Ireland, Portugal.

It has the American Fiber: The French minister is not a pure European product. She worked for nearly ten years in Chicago law firm Baker & McKenzie (1995 to 2004), it was one of the leaders.Of dealings with the United States which would not displease overseas because "even if the United States did not appoint the director of the IMF, their influence on the functioning of the institution is important," says Christine Rifflart, an economist at the French Office of Economic Conditions (OFCE), France 24.

She is a woman: Christine Lagarde is currently the only woman among the potential candidates. So far, all directors of the IMF have been men.The accession of the French Minister of Economy at the head of the international organization could be a powerful symbol of "able to forget the origin of European and French Christine Lagarde," Judge Robert Wade, an economist at the London School of Economics at France 24.

Why she would do the trick?

Even France? The current legal woes now former CEO of the Fund are that France is not among the favorites to field a candidate.A disadvantage of the more important since the IMF was established in 1946, four of its ten directors were the French (Pierre-Paul Schweitzer from 1963 to 1973, Jacques de Larosiere from 1978 to 1987, Michel Camdessus from 1987 to 2000 and then Dominique Strauss-Kahn from 2007 to 2011).

Yet a European? Since its inception, the IMF has always been a European director. This is the result of a tacit agreement with the United States, which, in turn, keep your hand on the direction of the World Bank. Emerging countries would like their growing weight in the global economy is finally translated by a director from their ranks.They may therefore be opposed in principle to all those who come from the Old Continent.

The "pan" Bernard Tapie: In France, Christine Lagarde could end up before the Court of Justice of the Republic for "abuse of authority." Indeed, the prosecutor asked in early May, the opening of an investigation. The minister is accused of having done everything to encourage the businessman Bernard Tapie in the dispute between, for over ten ANSl at Credit Lyonnais. The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine said Wednesday a report by the Court of Auditors very critical of the Minister of Economy. A political and legal scandal could be fatal to his possible candidacy for the leadership of the IMF.

DIPLOMACY: Pakistan and the United States show their willingness to restore confidence

AFP - U.S. Senator John Kerry, appointed by President Barack Obama, and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad said Monday that both countries wanted to restore mutual confidence after the crisis resulting from the elimination of Osama bin Laden .

"We are strategic partners with a common enemy," said U.S. Senator John Kerry.

After assuring that the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would announce "soon" a visit to Islamabad, Mr.Kerry said he had "explained" to the heads of the Pakistani army and state and government, he was "here with the support of President Barack Obama (...) to rebuild confidence between (our) two countries. "

The Democratic chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, is the first senior U.S. official to visit Pakistan since a helicopter-borne U.S. commandos killed the leader of al-Qaida May 2 in Abbottabad, a city-garrison two hours drive north of Islamabad.

This attack, "illegal" according to Islamabad, caused a stir at a population overwhelmingly anti-American, not for the death of bin Laden, who has raised little protest, but for the "violation of sovereignty" Pakistan.

For their part, officials and prominent U.S. lawmakers have accused Pakistani authorities of incompetence at best, complicity at worst after learning that the leader of al-Qaeda had been hiding for years in a city- garrison, more so near the capital of Pakistan, its key ally in its "war against terrorism."

In a statement, Mr Gilani followed the lead of Mr.Kerry, "stressing the need for mutual trust, mutual interest and respect the sovereignty of Pakistan to strengthen the national consensus on the war against terrorism in order to finally achieve our common goal of defeating the forces of terror. "

"Pakistan is involved in the full solution to ensure lasting peace in the region and it is the strong interest of Pakistan and the United States to rebuild trust between their governments and institutions," concluded chief of the Pakistani government.

The CIA, which conducted the commando operation on 2 May, said she had not warned the Pakistani authorities for fear of leakage.U.S. officials have since reported suspicion of "complicity" in the military and intelligence community to explain the presence of brain attacks of Sept. 11 in a city housing more than 10,000 soldiers.

For its part, Pakistan, protesting feebly since 2004 against the very frequent firing missiles CIA drones targeting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the tribal areas of northwest, bordering Afghanistan, has raised its voice after the raid against bin Laden. He threatened to Washington to review its policy of cooperation on counterterrorism if such an incursion happened again.

CUBA: Cubans could again travel abroad

AFP - The Cuban government will allow, for the first time in more than 50 years, tourism trips abroad for Cubans, according to a reform plan released Monday by the authorities.

The government will "consider the provisions that allow Cubans to travel outside as tourists," said one of the 313 economic reform measures adopted in April by a historic congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

The document released Monday gives no details on how to leave these trips abroad, but formalizes the decision to allow Cubans to travel as part of economic reforms launched by President Raul Castro.

Permission to travel is a key demand of the Cuban population. It is not forbidden to travel, but restrictions are so numerous that very few Cubans are able to do so.

Cubans must obtain such an invitation from the outside and ask for permission, which can be rejected without justification.All steps bureaucratic cost also very expensive for an average salary of around 15 euros per month.

The Cuban government does not publish statistics on travel by Cubans abroad.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Laurent Gbagbo says Desmond Tutu's desire to see the country "heal its wounds"

AFP - Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo has "insisted he had to heal the wounds" of Côte d'Ivoire, told journalists on Monday the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, after meeting Mr.Gbagbo in Korhogo (north), in his house arrest.

"We had a brief but cordial exchange, we were pleased to note that former President (Laurent Gbagbo) has expressed the desire to see the country return to normalcy," said Archbishop Tutu, after meeting the president fallen for 45 minutes.

The archbishop was with the former Secretary General Kofi Annan and former President of Ireland and former High Commissioner for Human Rights UN, Mary Robinson.

"In his speech (Mr.Gbagbo) has insisted that he had to heal the wounds of the country. That's what we came to encourage. As you have seen, he looks healthy, he told us himself. He looks relaxed and he requested a Bible, "said the Nobel Prize for Peace.

It is the first known visit by officials from Mr.Gbagbo since he is under house arrest in Korhogo.

Dressed in a blue shirt and black pants, smiling, the former president shook hands with three members of the group known as Elders (Elders) and told them "thank you for coming," noted a AFP, while the press had been allowed to attend the beginning of the meeting.

Promoting "healing and reconciliation"

Members of the Elders arrived Sunday in Abidjan with the objective of promoting "healing and reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire after a post-election crisis more than four months resulted in the arrest of Lawrence Gbagbo came to power and Alassane Ouattara, who won the election on November 28.

Arrested with his wife Simone and a hundred people and detained at the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, the headquarters of Mr. Ouattara, M.Gbagbo was transferred on April 13 in Korhogo, where he has been under house arrest.

His wife, for his part was transferred April 22 to Odienné (northwest).

The hearings by the Ivorian justice the former head of state, his wife and about 200 former officials of his regime under house arrest throughout the country to begin Wednesday.

However, the Ivorian Minister of Justice Ahoussou Jeannot Kouadio, who also made the trip on Monday in Korhogo, told AFP that the date of commencement of the hearing of the former president was "not certain" Mr. Gbagbo himself has said that its lawyers were "not available".

The deposed head of state is accused of being responsible for abuses, extortion and incitement to hatred.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in more than four months of crisis and fighting in Ivory Coast, authorities said.The United Nations reports, more than 1,000 dead.