HAITI: The date of the second round of presidential elections scheduled for March 20

The publication of the final results of the first round of presidential Haiti will be held on February 2, announced Friday the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), indicating that the second round would take place March 20.

"The final results of the second round of elections will be announced April 16," we read in the electoral calendar.

In detail, the electoral timetable is as follows: publication of final results of the first round will be held Feb. 2, then the election of 17 February to 18 March.The second ballot will be held March 20, preliminary results of the second round will be announced March 31 and finally, the final results of the second round will be announced April 16.

Since the first round of presidential elections on 28 November, the country is plunged into a political crisis linked to qualification for the second round, alongside the former first lady Mirlande Manigat, Jude Celestin, the government candidate, according to Preliminary results released in early December by the POC.

These results have been denounced by supporters of the candidate who came in third place, Michael Martelly.They were also challenged by an audit of the votes of the Organization of American States (OAS), which suggested a duel between Mr. and Mrs. Manigat Martelly the second round.

Close to the outgoing president Rene Preval who was appointed to succeed him, Jude Celestin is accused of fraud by his opponents.

To break the deadlock, the party of Mr.Celestine Wednesday took the decision to remove him from the ballot, but the candidate has not indicated what his intentions were.

President Préval, who was originally scheduled to leave power on February 7, has already said he plans to stay in office until the electoral process to succeed.

"We need things to be clarified before the 7", Wednesday urged the Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin. "We need to know what will happen because the situation is too confusing," he told reporters before a meeting of the organization in Washington.

CYCLING: Lance Armstrong ends his international career

Lance Armstrong, Tour de France legend, has ended his international career ended on Sunday last stage of the Tour Down Under in Australia.

At 39, the American champion, seven-time Tour de France, had indicated that it was his last international race.

He does not expect a special celebration to bid farewell after a career marked by so many controversies arising from allegations of doping.

"I leave knowing that I gave the best of myself and did not need that poses a plaque or a statue is set myself up", had said before the race, the Texan, whose sporting activity should continue with a few races at his home in the United States, and in mountain bike events and triathlons.

"I won seven times Tour de France because I think it has changed the approach of our sport," he said on that occasion. "It has revolutionized the way of training, mental toughness in a team, how to prepare for the races and run them, and how to sell the sport, telling stories to the world".

A federal investigation is underway in his country, launched after the doping allegations against him by his former teammate Floyd Landis.

Lance Armstrong has also dismissed the rumors started by the Australian media about wanting to buy the Tour de France.If he thinks it's a super idea, "he also believes it would be" expensive "and says he never had" any serious discussion "about that possibility.

The Constitutional Court partially annuls Berlusconi immunity

AFP - The Italian Constitutional Court decided on Thursday to a compromise on the immunity law that protects the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial will resume against him, but he may avoid appearing in his absence related to its function .

The law, partly invalidated by the Court, allowed far to Silvio Berlusconi, facing several lawsuits, not to appear in court as he leads the government.

Two trials against him in Milan, one for tax evasion (Case Mediaset) and one for corruption control (Mills trial) can therefore restart but the president of the Council will continue to enjoy a wide margin of maneuver for avoid.

The Court reduced the scope of the law called for "sufficient cause" adopted in April 2010 and valid until October 2011, without striking, eliminating the automatic nature that allowed Mr Berlusconi to avoid all appearance, a provision deemed "illegitimate."

Under the decision the 15 judges of the highest judiriction Italian, it will be conducting the trial judges to decide case by case whether the ground of "legitimate cause" provided is valid or not and if it is truly impossible to Mr.Berlusconi to attend the hearing because of his occupation.

The Court recognized as valid reasons, however participation in government meetings, meetings between State and regions, international summits and any kind of preparatory meetings or essential to the function of head of government.

Professor Giovanni Guzzetta, University of Tor Vergata in Rome, called the constitutional decision of "balanced".

Berlusconi's lawyers, Niccolo Ghedini and Piero Longo showed their "appreciation". They were pleased that the law "in its general framework has been recognized as valid and effective."

Osvaldo Napoli, vice-president of the LDP, the party of Mr.Berlusconi, the Chamber of Deputies, regretted that the leader of the government should now "take its time to explain why he did not have time to be in court." "Pontius Pilate would have been more daring," he said.

Evidence that the sentence tends to satisfy everybody, four members of the anti-Berlusconi Popolo Viola (purple people) have opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate this "victory". "This award allows Berlusconi to try like everyone else, it means that the judge will decide when to call Berlusconi and Berlusconi will not see her coming," welcomed Gianfranco Mascia del Popolo Viola.

During a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, the eve of the verdict, Mr.Berlusconi had assured him that the Court's decision left him "completely cold", saying this would not prevent him from governing.

It would have been politically embarrassing but for Berlusconi to resume duty routinely appear in court when he has a slim majority in the House of Deputies for a total break with his former ally Gianfranco Fini, in late 2010.

Mr. Berlusconi, 74, has had numerous brushes with the law since he entered politics in 1993 but has never been definitively convicted.

Even if they will resume, as the court reporters from several newspapers, the trial against Mr. MilanBerlusconi took a long overdue and are to be prescribed even before reaching the decision of last instance (Court of Cassation).