PAKISTAN: Terrorists kill four people in Karachi

Militants attacked Sunday a Pakistani air base in Karachi, killing four people, said a spokesman for Pakistani naval forces.

According to the Express television channel TV, five explosions were heard on the Naval Air Station.

Officials of the intelligence services have said that between 15 and 20 attackers were inside the base of Mehran and had attacked three aircraft hangars.

Witnesses reported gunfire and saw smoke rising from buildings.

"We have four dead and five wounded, but the balance may go up," he told Reuters an official security services, who requested anonymity.

Images on television, we can see flames and smoke rising from the site.

The Pakistani Taliban have vowed to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden, killed May 2 in Pakistan by American special forces.

FLYING RIO PARIS: The black box flight AF 447 are readable

AFP - Investigators of flight AF447 from Rio to Paris announced Monday that it managed to "collect all the data contained" in the two black boxes of the Airbus A330 of Air France crashed in June 2009 and this summer will publish a first report the causes of the disaster.

After 23 months at the bottom of the Atlantic, all the data contained in the recorders could be read over the weekend and collected, said in a statement the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) responsible for the technical investigation into the accident still unexplained.

Analysis of the black boxes would "take several weeks, after which a report will be drafted and made public during the summer," said BEA.

The two recorders, one containing the flight parameters, the other sound recordings in the cockpit, contain crucial data to try to explain the disaster, which had been 228 deaths there nearly two years off Brazil .

So far, investigators have determined that the malfunctioning (icing at high altitude) and speed sensors of the device, said pitot probes, manufacturer Thales, was one of the failures established in the disaster. But they believe that their failure can not alone explain the crash.

TUNISIA: Libyan rebels took control of a major border crossing

AFP - Libyan rebels took Thursday morning one of the key border between Libya and Tunisia, Libya, near Wazzan (Libya) and Dehiba (Tunisia), and a hundred soldiers pro-Gaddafi went unarmed side Tunisia has found an AFP correspondent.

While gunfire echoed sporadically around 10:30 am (0930 GMT), this correspondent has seen pro-Qaddafi 102 soldiers, including officers, who went under the supervision of Tunisian military about 200 meters from the border, side Tunisia. The Tunisian military interrogators at a time.They include 13 officers including a colonel Staff, said a military source told AFP.

According to testimony of Customs and Tunisian military there, the Libyan soldiers wounded loyalists were evacuated to hospital Dehiba.

The green flag of Libya was removed from the Libyan border post, distant only 50 meters from the Tunisian post.

One of three military helicopters dispatched to the Tunisian area Wednesday night flying over the area Dehiba, located about 40 km from the Libyan city of Nalout, theater these days of intense bombing of forces loyal to Colonel Qaddafi.

The AFP correspondent was able to verify that the checkpoint had been captured by insurgents since it came safely into Libyan territory and was welcomed by the rebels.

Instead of green flags, the rebels hoisted with flags of the monarchy, the symbol of the rebels, while a tractor was busy destroying a large portrait of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, which marks the entry into Libya.

According to the second chief of the operation of the rebels, "between 5 and 10" pro-Gaddafi soldiers were killed and 25 wounded.From the rebel side, there was "a minor injury," said Youssef, a first loan.

At the checkpoint, strewn with bullets, could be seen in the late morning thirty pickup, equipped with several missiles "Grad 25 kg" as a rebel.

After being supplied with water, most of the rebels walked away quickly towards the Libyan town Wazzan towards a mountainous area, Ghzeya, home of the pro-Gaddafi, said the rebel leader who now says fear cons-attack on the checkpoint where rebels continue to mount guard.

The attack against the post, said Youssef, was conducted "to allow the wounded" to move to Tunisia.

Libyan insurgents on a 4x4 briefly pursued the elements pro-Gaddafi Tunisian territory before ironing on the Libyan side.

Shortly before, the rebels had seized Wazzan, about 3 km from the border post.

In anticipation of renewed fighting in this area, the Tunisian army was deployed on Wednesday to 10 km north of Dehiba a company of a hundred men of the 1st Mechanised Brigade of Gabes, a large port city 150 km further north.

In recent days, fighting between pro and anti-Gaddafi came close Tunisian territory. Monday, several mortar rounds of the pro-Gaddafi had fallen in the area Dehiba, causing a "strong protest" in Tunis from the Libyan authorities.

Fighting violent shaking for several days west of Libya.Over 100 people were killed last weekend in Nalout Yefren and two towns south-west of Tripoli pounded by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, according to locals.

14,100 Libyan nationals have fled the fighting and moved to Tunisia in the area of ​​Dehiba April 6 to 19, police said Tunisian border.

ITALY: The justice reform accelerates the benefit of ... Berlusconi

The Italian Chamber of Deputies Wednesday passed a law reducing the legal time limits, a measure which, if passed by the Senate, will
the effect of avoiding the Chairman Silvio Berlusconi on trial for witness tampering.

Under the jeers from the opposition benches, the House voted by 314 votes against 296 the bill reducing the statute of limitations for criminal defendants to
criminal record.

It would shorten the eight-month trial Mills, named after British lawyer David Mills in which Berlusconi is accused of having given 600,000 dollars in exchange for false testimony.Berlusconi denies it, but it is now unlikely that a verdict could intervene before the action is extinguished.

Opponents have expressed for several days before the Parliament and the House debate was lively.

"We wish to reiterate that not only laws but also the principles of the Constitution that the government stalled," said Dario Franceschini, president
House Democrats of the Left, the main opposition party.

The measure is part of a broader program initiated by the Justice Minister, Angelino Alfano, presented by the government as a necessary reform of the judiciary, but critics say tailored to avoid jail Berlusconi.

Alfano, a Sicilian than 40 years often presented as the political heir of Berlusconi, has denied that his reform of the Italian judiciary, known for its slowness, is intended to
help Berlusconi escape to the judges.

The bill must still be passed by the Senate, where the center-right government of Berlusconi controls the majority.

Rome will grant temporary visas to migrant Tunisians

AFP - Italy has decided to issue temporary residence permits "humanitarian" immigrants recently arrived on Tunisian soil, enabling them to travel to all countries of the European Schengen zone, said Thursday the Minister of Interior Roberto Maroni.

"We decided to grant temporary residence permits for humanitarian protection, which will (such migrants, ie) to travel in the countries of the Schengen area," said the minister, noting that "the overwhelming majority of immigrants say they want to join friends and relatives in France or other European countries. "

The minister appeared before the Chamber of Deputies the agreement reached this week with the Tunisian authorities, after the visit Monday of the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in Tunis.

It was on this occasion on Friday confirmed he would meet his French counterpart Claude Gueant "to define a common response system so that France and Italy may involve all countries of the European Union."

Mr Maroni said that the temporary permit applied only to migrants have arrived on Italian soil.According to the agreement with Tunisia, newcomers must be returned to Tunisia.

Since January, with the fall of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the insurgency in Libya, Italy is facing an exceptional influx of immigrants, with over 22,000 landings, mainly from Tunisia.

The majority of these immigrants from francophone ensures want in France.

Syria: The power refers to the end of the state of emergency in force since 1963

AFP - Syria, which considers the demands of his people "legitimate", plans to cancel the law on state of emergency and will establish mechanisms "effective" to fight against corruption, said Thursday Boussaïna Shaaban Councillor of President Bashar al-Assad.

This statement came as Syria was the scene since March 15 of a protest movement against the regime, especially in the south, which killed more than a hundred dead by militants of Human Rights .

The official news agency announced at the same time an immediate increase in salaries of 30%.

"Syria will consider revocation of the law on the state of emergency" declared in the country coming to power of the Baath party in 1963, said Ms. Boussaïna at a press conference in Damascus.

She added that "new mechanisms to fight against corruption will be established."

The claims of the inhabitants of Dera southern city where demonstrations against the regime are the most important are "legitimate," she said otherwise.

"The claims are important and legitimate.They are on the desk of President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian leaders, "she said.

However, she wanted to make the distinction between the inhabitants of Deraa and "people who have guns (and) have no claim (who) are just trying to cause violence."

"I can say with certainty that those affected are not the people of Deraa but those who want to destabilize the security Deraa prior to destabilize security in the entire country," she said.

"If there are legitimate demands of the people, then the authorities will consider seriously but if someone just wants to cause trouble, then that's another story."

She reported an "ongoing investigation" to determine who were responsible for these events, however, speaking of "financing" foreign ".

"There are indications that there are foreign funding and arms trafficking (...) But we can say that finance or planning it," she said.

Regarding the number of deaths since March 15, she has previously indicated that there had been "10 deaths".

Activists defending human rights talk to them more than 100 deaths in the repression of demonstrations for one day Wednesday Deraa (100 km south of Damascus).

Ms. Boussaïna criticized the foreign media of exaggerating the death toll in the demonstrations.

"The problem is that some media outlets want to exaggerate the number of dead," she said at the press conference.

The authorities charged Wednesday in clashes Wednesday in Deraa an "armed gang", accusing him of killing four people and "to store weapons in the mosque," al-Omari, a rallying point for protesters.

The protest movement began on March 15 in Syria following a call via a Facebook page titled "Revolution against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

This page has called for new protests Friday in the country.

A runoff between the candidates for Martelly and Manigat

AFP - The Haitians had to go to the polls Sunday for the second round of presidential elections that must decide the singer Michel Martelly and intellectual Mirlande Manigat.

More than three months after a first round that was almost canceled due to fraud, the second round could take place in some confusion after the triumphant return Friday in Haiti of former President Jean Aristide, who worries the West.

This introduces an additional unknown back in the already complex equation of Haitian politics, many supporters of Mr.Aristide likely to boycott the polls.

The other unknown factor remains the participation of some 800,000 Haitians still living in makeshift camps after the earthquake that devastated the city and its province January 12, 2010.

Also returned to Haiti in the inter-turn after 25 years of exile in France, the former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier had complicated the political game.He is pursued by the Haitian justice for corruption and endorsed by several complaints of crimes against humanity.

According to a poll released last Thursday, Michel Martelly, right-wing populist better known by his stage name "Sweet Micky", would win on Sunday with 53.4% ​​of the vote against 46.6% only to Ms. Manigat.

The former first lady aged 70 years could not pronounce her last Friday night campaign speech because of a blackout during his last campaign rally in Port-au-Prince.

Participation is notoriously weak in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, and makes any predictions very difficult: only 23% of registered voters had moved in the first round, Nov. 28, to decide the initial 18 candidates.

In a country without an army and controlled by UN peacekeepers, the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon expressed hope Saturday that the vote takes place "in a calm and peaceful."

Preliminary results will be announced March 31 and final results on April 16. The roughly 4.7 million voters must also choose their senators and deputies Sunday.

The first round results announced in early December had resulted in violence that left several dead.

COTE D'IVOIRE: deadly fighting continues in Abidjan and the west

Heavy fighting erupted Wednesday in the town of Duekoue in central-western Côte d'Ivoire, killing at least two deaths, while five people were killed in Abidjan.

The rebels supporting Alassane Ouattara, recognized by the international community as the winner of the presidential election on Nov. 28, rejected any involvement in the clashes in central-west.

Residents of Duékoué reported several hours of clashes in the city, the scene of tension for years, but remained under the control of supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo out since the end of the 2002-2003 civil war which had cut the country in two.

The rebel forces that dominated the North during the civil war now argue the former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara. They have threatened to push southward to force Gbagbo to step down.

Security in Abidjan, economic capital, has rapidly deteriorated since gunmen loyal to Ouattara took control of the northern suburbs.Of the pro-Gbagbo responded by establishing roadblocks and killing those they suspect of being rebels.

The fighting has spread in recent days to areas hitherto spared.

Witnesses reported that security forces had launched an operation against supporters of Ouattara and suspected rebels in Williamsville and Port Bouet 2, neighborhoods west of Abidjan, killing at least three people.

There is shooting everywhere, reported Alidou Dao, a resident of Port Bouet 2. Many people leave, "he added.

A resident of Williamsville said he saw his neighbor down the street and two others taken from their home by uniformed men who then murdered.A spokesman for the police could not be contacted immediately.

According to Human Rights Watch, the atrocities committed by forces loyal to Gbagbo have been organized on such a scale that they could constitute war crimes, but men supporting Ouattara has also been accused of executions.

Police fire

A Attécoubé, near the center of Abidjan, where the mission is based peacekeeping UN (UNOCI), young pro-Ouattara attacked and torched a police station and two of them were killed by gunfire from police trying to repel the assault, reported a witness, Junior Seiba.

Calm returned after the fighting in Duekoue, but thousands of people fled to seek refuge at the Catholic mission, reported one resident.

There was fighting in other towns in the west of the country since the presidential election but Duekoue is a strategic town on the road leading to the main cocoa producing regions.

Referring to a grenade attack that killed one person and injuring 18, UNOCI Wednesday called for stopping the escalation of violence.

Doctors Without Borders, for its part warned that the crisis sharply reduced access to healthcare for the population.

Tuesday, Alassane Ouattara, Gbagbo has warned that the offer of honorable exit made a few days ago by the African Union (AU) was his "last chance" to leave power smoothly.

He also urged the security forces supporting Gbagbo to switch sides to end a crisis that risks plunging the country into another civil war.

Laurent Gbagbo, in power since 2000, refuses to give his presidential chair and relies on the Defence Forces and Security (SDS) to break any challenge.

Friday, Gbagbo's camp had rejected a proposal to Addis Ababa by a panel of African heads of state mandated by the AU and of putting up a
national unity government led by Alassane Ouattara.Gbagbo found himself at the same time provide a safe conduct if he would step down.

Taking note of the failure of Laurent Gbagbo, the AU had then demanded that Alassane Ouattara is installed in his functions as head of state.

The EU underlines the role of women in the recent revolutions in Arab

AFP - Women played a "crucial role" in the changes taking place in Tunisia and Egypt, said Tuesday the head of European diplomacy and Ashton's Vice-President of the European Commission, Viviane Reding, on the occasion of International Women's Day.

"Women have played a crucial role in triggering the changes taking place in North Africa. In a climate of violence, they are engaged in the struggle for change," said the two European officials.

"We hope that the crucial role that women have played so far will be taken fully into account the institutional changes that are already discussed in the region.Women must be central to discussions on the new order that will be implemented, "they added.

Women defying stereotypes and taboos, have emerged as essential actors in the various uprisings that have shaken the Arab world's autocratic regimes.Whether in jeans and T-shirt or draped in black, tens of thousands of women have made their voices heard in the streets of Tunis, Cairo, Manama and Sana'a, demanding reforms in these countries.

In Bahrain, where thousands of demonstrators calling for the mainly Shiite dynasty fell of the Sunni Al-Khalifa, women have participated in mass mobilization, their traditional black abayas forming an ocean in events where men and women marched separately.

In conservative countries like Libya or Yemen, women have defied social norms to join the protest, marching through the streets and speaking openly to reporters in front of the camera.

Asma Mahfouz, a young Egyptian whose blog video calling for the mobilization was a huge success, is considered one of the voices that triggered the unprecedented revolt that led to the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak on February 11.

"Only by taking decisive action now we will ensure that women and girls for a future without discrimination or violence in a world with equal opportunities for all and all," felt especially Mrs Ashton Reding.

AFRICAN UNION: Nicolas Sarkozy says stand "alongside Egyptian and Tunisian peoples"

French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Sunday in Addis Ababa African leaders to learn from the riots in Tunisia and Egypt to "forestall" the desire for change and renewed their populations, as patron of the G8 and G20 support the mainland.

For the first performance of a French head of state before a summit of African Union (AU), Mr.Sarkozy has taken advantage of events that stir Africa for weeks to deliver to the audience of heads of state and government of which he was the guest of honor councils "friend" of France for good governance and democracy.

Widely criticized in France for too long argued against the street ousted regime of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the President reiterated that he stood "with friendship and respect along with the Tunisians and Egyptians" , which he praised the "yearning" to change.

As in the statement released Saturday evening with British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he also condemned "violence from whatever source, (which) is never the solution."

On the sixth day of revolt in Egypt, a report identifying Sunday more than 100 deaths and 2,000 wounded, mainly civilians, since the beginning of the contest.

But if he had requested by name Saturday to President Hosni Mubarak to make changes, Nicolas Sarkozy has used a cryptic tone Sunday to discuss the crisis in Egypt, drowned in a parable on democracy for all its African counterparts.

"France respects the sovereignty and the right of peoples to determine themselves (...) But there are values that are universal (...) all politicians must reckon with them, "he said while the AU has appointed to head the President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has led over thirty years his country with an iron fist.

"In today's world, we can not govern like that of yesterday. This change, or it is sudden, the door is open at one time or another, to violence. Or this change, it precedes, accompanies it and then it can be accomplished smoothly (...) The peaceful, France wishes, "he told the French president.

Regaining his cap pattern of G8 and G20, Nicolas Sarkozy has been renewing its support to Africa.And first to his old claim to get a permanent seat on the Security Council of the UN.

In response to the president of its General Assembly, the Swiss Joseph Deiss, who has raised the sea serpent UN, the President has challenged the UN to achieve reform in 2011. "Do it this year, do not wait," he told him the applause, "to acknowledge billion Africans in the place they deserve and France will support you!"

To wrest support from Africa to his struggle for control of money markets or raw materials, Mr.Sarkozy also called for the establishment of the much contested tax on financial transactions, according to him only possibility to keep the aid commitments to poor countries.

"France is ready to implement innovative financing, even if other countries do not follow it," he said.

African leaders warmly welcomed the French promises. Chairman of the AU Commission Jean Ping said he "is confident that the G20 allows Africa to play its full role" and the President of Malawi Bingu wa Mutharika hailed Nicolas Sarkozy a "true friend of Africa ".

EGYPT: Noor, the miracle of Egyptian Web

Since Thursday night, almost full (about 90%) of the Web is hamstrung by the Egyptian authorities. But Noor, an Internet service provider (ISP), appears to have passed between the cracks. Even if the connection is erratic hosted sites, the vast majority of websites hosted by the Egyptian ISPs are always accessible.

This preferential treatment has prompted many reactions on Twitter, where users Egyptian argue that maintaining the sites hosted by Noor is a partnership between the company to the authorities in Cairo.Although it is not a public company, Noor is one of the figureheads of technological development desired by the Mubarak government and has signed many trade agreements with major economic entities.

In August 2004, in an interview published by the newspaper "Al-Mougaz" and taken over by the "newsletter" of the ISP, its founder, Basel Dalloul, welcomed the success of his group, four years after its launch: "The Egyptian government asked me five years ago to seek investment opportunities in the framework of President Mubarak of Egypt to the 'hub' of information technology."

A cog in the Egyptian economy

Oil companies Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC) and ExxonMobil, among others, use the services of Noor, like the Egyptian Exchange. Although it is not the market leader among users "lambda" Noor is through these partnerships, a significant cog in the economy.

This strategic deployment, begun by the group since the early 2000s, is the brainchild of Basel Dalloul. The latter, who just resell Magnet Interactive Group after having been in ten years, a respected technology sector, decided to answer the call of the Egyptian government.His first challenge: to democratize the use of Internet in a country where the Web is still confidential and where it is estimated the total number of Internet users within 500 000.

Developed through a partnership with Telecom Egypt, Noor, founded in 2000, moved quickly to a vast majority of users access the Web Basic (dial-up), via telephone lines from the incumbent operator in Egypt.

A service that will eventually give up, because of the large number of licenses granted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to ISPs.

Supplier of Coca-Cola, Toyota and Nestle

Beginning in 2004, while operators like Orascom, getting down to expand their services to individuals, Noor establishes partnerships with many market players in the country. It now provides internal access to the Internet to many groups based in Egypt, including Coca-Cola, Toyota, Renault, Mitsubishi, FedEx, Nestle, Bristol Myers or Lafarge.

Today, the park Egyptian Internet has grown considerably and is flirting with the 17 million users, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).And since Thursday evening, the four main providers of Internet access, Link Egypt, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone / Raya, and Etisalat Misr had their broadband networks suspended. Only a few lines "dial-up seem to escape the blackout. ADSL proposed by Noor, meanwhile, is still "online" yet.