Thursday, April 21, 2011

COTE D'IVOIRE: African Union lifts its sanctions

AFP - The African Union has lifted sanctions on Thursday against the Ivory Coast decided on December 9 following the presidential election, announced in a statement.

The Council for Peace and Security of the African organization, meeting in Addis Ababa, decided "to terminate the suspension of the participation of Côte d'Ivoire to the activities of the AU," the statement said.

December 9, Côte d'Ivoire had been suspended the activities of the AU as the dispute around the election of Alassane Ouattara - contested by incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo - would not have been resolved and Mr. Ouattara, recognized by the international community would not be able to assume his duties.

Mr.Gbagbo was arrested April 11 in Abidjan following an offensive military forces supporting Alassane Ouattara.

The AU has welcomed calls for reconciliation launched since then by the elected president and urged him to quickly appoint a government of unity and reconciliation.

Monday, April 18, 2011

ITALY - FRANCE: Brussels tranche the discord between Rome and Paris on the train of Tunisian immigrants

France had the "right" to suspend temporarily Sunday rail traffic with Italy, said Monday the European Commission, while the two countries meet on the issue of Tunisian immigrants.

France explained "it was a very temporary interruption (...) and now traffic passes normally," and it seems "that it does not fall under the regulation of the Schengen border control," said Commissioner European Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström.

According to information provided by France, the decision was motivated by "reasons of public order," she said, holding that "apparently, they have the right to do that."

The French decision to suspend a few hours Sunday during the movement of trains from Ventimiglia (Italy), while a convoy of Tunisian migrant rights activists accompanied the French and Italian man would cross the border, angered Rome, which protested against a "violation of EU principles."

Friday, April 15, 2011

LIBYA - EXCLUSIVE: In Misrata, the rebels besieged desperate NATO

Every night for five weeks, a rain of shells fell on Misrata. And every morning, the last bastion of anti-Gaddafi rebellion in the west of the country buries its dead. According to our correspondents on the spot, they would already be close to 400 to have died since the fighting began. Number continues to increase ...

Our reporters visited the main hospital in Misrata, where doctors are faced with a steady stream of victims of all ages. "I was at my house. I just went out the garbage and suddenly the bombs [in the army Gaddafi ed] fell all around me," said one wounded about fifty years, lying on his hospital bed.A story similar to that of other victims in the room.

"I do not know what to do to stop this massacre, laments a doctor. The government army sends troops into civilian cars and NATO can no longer differentiate between rebels Gaddafi," says he disappointed.

Meanwhile NATO ...

However, NATO is expected as the messiah by the insurgents.They do not believe in the powerlessness of the Atlantic Alliance, which has already struck strategic positions on the city earlier this week without discouraging the bombing of the loyalist forces.

Moktar join our reporters, who took the lead a small group of rebels. He just locate a position Gaddafi: a building on which floats the green flag of the Colonel. Both men are stationed on the roof. They are the eyes of the army. They are responsible for directing the shooting of the different points of Misrata.

Why NATO strikes Does not this building? Difficult to understand ... This position is indeed visible and isolated. And, therefore, to thank you for an airstrike.

Monday, April 11, 2011

AUTOMOTIVE: The number 2 Renault resigned

Reuters - In accepting the resignation of Patrick Pelata, Renault stops the ascent of one who had reached the number two position in the group, but hopes to put an end to the matter of fake spy poisoned for several months in preserving at the same time the CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Patrick Pelata announced in early March that the manufacturer would take the diamond "all the consequences, to the highest level of business is to say to (himself)" on error in the case of industrial espionage in which the group considered itself a victim.

"At first it's Patrick Pelata which seems to be to shield the CEO," then told Reuters a source close to Renault."So as they say in any case, it
have fuses. "

However, during the first board of directors special March 14, after which Renault had admitted his error and apologized to the three frameworks
wrongly accused, the resignation of Chief Operating Officer, aged 55 and right arm of Carlos Ghosn, was denied.

This time, when a new board devoted to the extraordinary preliminary findings of internal audit on the dysfunctional mess that made possible its
resignation was accepted.

"It's a loss for Renault, as number two Pélata did a solid job in steering the company in recent years," said Stuart Pearson
auto analyst at Morgan Stanley.

"This casts doubt on the practical implementation of the strategic plan that has only just been announced - Pélata would have been one of the principal architects.Difficult to say
immediate successor thereto. "

The departure of chief operating officer could save Carlos Ghosn, although it has always supported the accusations of espionage while claiming not to have held the record details.

Carlos Ghosn launched in February a new strategic plan for Renault to six years and few of them, internally, among analysts at the State or shareholder, who seem ready to consider leaving.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

EARTHQUAKE: Tsunami warning lifted in north-eastern Japan

Tsunami alerts issued for the coast north-eastern Japan were lifted, reported Friday morning (Japan time) the public television station NHK.

The review was launched after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on Thursday north-east, threatening the coasts of the region, which is located including the plant in Fukushima-Daiichi ucléaire.

The epicenter of the quake at a magnitude of 7.4, was located 66 km off the coast of Sendai and Fukushima 116 km.

The earthquake and tsunami of March 11 were 28.000 dead or missing and severely damaged the plant in Fukushima-Daiichi, where workers work tirelessly
for four weeks to try to cool the fuel rods and avoid a meltdown of the reactor could cause a major nuclear disaster.

Monday, April 4, 2011

PRESIDENTIAL HAITIAN: Government calls for calm before the announcement of preliminary results

AFP - The Haitian government has appealed for calm Monday in a few hours of the announcement of preliminary results of the second round of the presidential election, fearing violence as those who had followed the results of the first round last December.

Secretary of State for Public Security, Aramick Louis, asked the candidates to urge their supporters "not to violent demonstrations in the streets," regardless of the result which would be announced at 17:00 am (2200 GMT), by spokesman for the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Richard Dumel.

The second round was between March 20 popular singer Michel Martelly, poll favorite, the University Mirlande Manigat, a former first lady aged 70.

Without waiting for the official publication of results, both sides claimed victory in recent days.

The publication of preliminary results in early December of the first round ranking Michel Martelly, 50, in third place - and thus excluding the second round - had thrown thousands of demonstrators in the streets for several days.

Faced with an outburst of violence that left several people dead, the authorities had to review the results and had returned the singer in the race to the detriment of the government candidate, Jude Celestin.

For supporters of Michel Martelly, there is no doubt that the singer called "Tet Kale" ("shaved" in Creole) will succeed Rene Preval, who was constitutionally barred from claiming a third term.

"It is slow to give results, but the president is none other than Tet Kale," said a man listening to the radio on a street in Port-au-Prince, the capital devastated by an earthquake Earth in January 2010.

"At least we can go out tomorrow," replied another man sitting beside him, explaining that in the case of the announcement a victory for Ms. Manigat, there could be violence.

The PRC had announced last week that the consultation had been tainted by fraud and that several hundreds of minutes sent by different polling centers had been canceled.

Monday, schools remained closed in Cap-Haitien and Les Cayes, the country's largest cities after the capital Port-au-Prince, local radio reported.Les Cayes, a city where violent clashes had taken place particularly in December, armored MINUSTAH, the strength of peacekeeping to the UN, were in position in the streets, and vehicles of the Haitian police

The second round was marked, a few days before the consultation by the return to Haiti of former President Jean Bertrand Aristide, who remains very popular among disadvantaged seven years after being ousted in an armed insurrection, with the blessing France and the United States.

Two months earlier, was the former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier who had returned to the country after 25 years of exile in France."Baby Doc" was sued by the Haitian justice for corruption and embezzlement, while several complaints of crimes against humanity have been filed against him by former opponents to his regime.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Liveblogging: The Libyan insurgents seek a cease-fire under certain conditions

LIBYA: The insurgents are ready for a cease-fire under certain conditions, announced the National Transitional Council (CNT) as the forces of Muammar Gaddafi have consolidated their positions in eastern Libya, especially in south 'Ajdabiya (160 km south of Benghazi). SYRIA: Protests against the ruling Baath Party erupted in Damascus and Latakia Deraa after Friday prayers despite the announcements and promises of power to try to calm the situation. At least 4 people were killed. YEMEN: Supporters and opponents of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have mobilized massively in Sanaa on Friday when security forces and the army deployed an unprecedented fear of clashes between rival groups.

To follow the events from a smartphone, click here.