JUSTICE: France is reluctant to allow the ex-wife of Marc Dutroux

The Minister of Justice Michel Mercier said he had "no intention of saying yes to the home in a French convent Michelle Martin, the ex-wife and accomplice of the murderer pedophile Marc Dutroux, Wednesday leaving the Council of Ministers.

"We have not been seized by Belgium" in a formal request for this welcome, "said Mercier.

If that were the case, "we will implement the agreement between Belgium and France, we look at things," he added.

But "I'm not going to say yes, for my part," said the Keeper of the Seals.

Belgium Tuesday lifted the last obstacle to the liberation of the former wife of Marc Dutroux, who still has to wait for the green light from Paris to visit a French convent, which has agreed to host it.

This former teacher of 51 years was sentenced in 2004 by the Assize Court of Arlon (south-east) to 30 years in prison for his involvement in the crimes committed in the mid-1990s by her ex-husband, convicted his hand to life without possibility of early release.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: With Messi, Barca is a great step towards the final

This Act III of the series of "clasicos" which pitted FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, was expected by all Europe football. Even if Barca, winning 2-0 at the Bernabeu, made a big step towards the final of the Champions League, the summit has finally given birth to a mouse.

In his den the Santiago-Bernabeu, Real Madrid, Mourinho has opted expected to refuse the game and wait for his opponent to trap it against the best. The strategy of "Soft" does not work. Worse, it has sealed his team and especially given the "clasico" a bitter taste, where the physical commitment took precedence over the talents of 22 actors.

On the ground, the tactical duel between Mourinho and Guardiola has materialized into open warfare.By the half, the goalkeeper of Barcelona, ​​Pinto was sent off after an altercation with Arbeloa in the corridor leading to the locker room.

At the hour mark, defender Pepe also distinguished himself by engaging in an actual attack on Dani Alves and won a red turn. Mourinho exceeded, then went after the refereeing corps and was expelled in the wake.

Three "facts of the game" finally culmination of a meeting that never gave way to the beautiful game it promised on paper.And that would almost double from Messi anecdotal, although it will obviously be a determining factor in sporting terms.

2-0 away winners, the Catalans have a foot and a half in the final. And Real will have to show something in the return match in a week if he wants to double its eternal rival in the race for the final of the Champions League.

Clashes in series

Faced with Madrid encamped in defense, Barca took the game very logically to his account from the start. Xavi reserved the first chance of the game by clearing a heavy strike from 30 meters in the axis.Casillas, well placed, capturing the carefree leather (5th).

In the aftermath, Real managed to react, but the attempt of Cristiano Ronaldo, eccentric left, fleeing through the Catalans (6e).

The quarter-hour mark, the match had already significantly muscular. In this flood of rough action, David Villa was trying to turn realize the dominance of Blaugrana. Upon receipt of a beautiful opening signed Xavi, former Valencian transplanted into the shaft and arming a curling shot that passed within inches of cage Madrid (12th).

As we approach the half-hour mark, Barça had clearly taken an advantage over his rival (82% of possession), but was always vague in the area of ​​truth.Xavi, again served by Messi was on the verge of scoring the right but his shot from 6 meters was easily repelled by Casillas (26th).

Paradoxically, the Real, curled up until then was close to making a difference in stoppage time of the first period. Cristiano fired in a sublime strike that difficult Valdes repelled along the axis. Ozil, receiving, striking turn toward the goal, but Valdes was able finally to deflect the ball of the right foot (45 '+1).

Messi savior

In the second half, the match resumed on the same pace, with a wait-Real who was content to proceed against and block offensive Catalan.

The expulsion of Pepe in the 61st minute, would tilt the game.Seven minutes after the attack on Madrid's Dani Alves, Pedro, head repeated a deflected shot from Villa but missed the target. And from the start of the last quarter of an hour, hello Barca's Messi would eventually come.

Afellay on center, the Argentine prodigy managed to deflect the ball and catapult into the nets of Casillas in the silence of Bernabeu (76th). And the nightmare would continue even for Madrid.Ten minutes later, Messi, party of 45 feet, dribbling four defenders and arming a superb diagonal shot along the ground which had deceived Casillas (87th).

The end game in an atmosphere poisonous, at least had the merit of taking place in relative calm.

Remains with only two goals conceded at home, Real now has every chance to leave the Champions League next week at Camp Nou. If he wants to reverse the trend, he will make a copy much more successful and find the arguments that have allowed the weekend, to blaze in Valencia (6-3).

Increased tensions between Rome and Paris on a train of Tunisian immigrants

AFP - Some 200 activists of human rights, Italian and French but also of Tunisian immigrants, blocked roads Sunday to the station of Ventimiglia, the French border, where trains to France were canceled.

"We'll stay here until we moved the beds to sleep tonight at Ventimiglia, because we want to take a train to France tomorrow morning," said speaker by a militant Italian.

Activists of Human Rights, many Italians but the French had planned to board a "train the dignity" of Ventimiglia (north-west Italy) starting at 1:17 p.m. (11:17 GMT ) to Nice (southern France), along with Tunisian candidates for immigration.A match was to take some of them to Marseilles.

But in mid-day on all regional trains in the direction of France, was canceled by the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes, said a French controller.Information confirmed by the illuminated signs indicating the train departure.

In Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini gave "instructions to the Italian ambassador in Paris to express the strong protest of the Italian government" after the cancellation of trains.

Wishing to express their dissatisfaction with the Consulate of France in Ventimiglia, protesters and Tunisian immigrants have been identified in the station area by carabinieri.vest They then ini station.

"The train will depart from Dignity Ventimiglia to cross the border and arrive in Marseille.Italian, French and Migrants, together, will challenge the government to block open borders, guaranteeing free access to European territory, and remember that no human being is illegal ", the organizers had announced in a statement.

SYRIA: Bashar al-Assad appointed a new prime minister

AFP - Thousands of people accompanied the remains of Sunday killed eight demonstrators Friday Duma, near Damascus, when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed the outgoing Minister of Agriculture Adel Safar to lead the new government.

The protesters have announced new protests this week when the Internet was cut more than six hours and that the mobile communications were very difficult because, officially, a "congestion" of the network.

"Eight dead were buried Duma today.There are three other protesters were killed but neighboring villages and Sbinah Arbin, "said Mazen Darwish, head of the National Centre for Information and free expression, closed since 2009, who attended the funeral.

He said "tens of thousands of people attended the funeral. They chanted slogans in homage to the martyrs, and demanded the freedom to have attacked the official press."

"Where are the gangs," proclaimed the banners to make a mockery of the official version blaming "armed bands to have opened fire Friday from rooftops.

Some calls to the "fall of the regime" were suffocated by the crowd.The funeral is part of the Great Mosque of Duma to the cemetery through the streets of the city. There was no visible presence of security forces.

For his part, al-Atrash Muntaha, spokesman of the Syrian Organisation for Human Rights "Sawasiyah", who also attended the funeral, assured that "the protests will continue. The people do not keep silent over because the barrier of fear has fallen. "

On Friday, eight protesters were killed during demonstrations after a presidential speech was disappointingly low.

One resident said 90 people arrested by security forces have been released but there are 15 whose whereabouts are unknown.

The appointment of Safar, "a gesture"

Moreover, Assad "has issued a decree instructing Adel Safar to form the government," according the official news agency Sana.

Baath Party member, Mr. Safar, 58, is an expert on agricultural especially in arid regions."It's a gesture toward this population particularly affected in recent years by a terrible drought," he told AFP an economist.

The government led by Mohammad Naji Otri, in place since 2003, has not survived the challenge and submitted his resignation Tuesday.

But this appointment did not satisfy the protesters.They call for a "week of martyrs" with a day of protest on Tuesday to "boycott" on Wednesday that mobile phones have offered a free hour to the public for supporting the regime, and rallies on Thursday at the headquarters of the Baath Party to mark the anniversary of the founding of the party in 1947.

They also asked their supporters to march on Friday in all Syria to show "The dissatisfaction of the people."This will be the fourth Friday in which the Syrians are expected to take to the streets to show their displeasure with the lack of liberalization.

"The challenge is limited in scale but rooted," he told AFP a Syrian businessman who wished to remain anonymous.

And if the number of protesters remained limited, the challenge has expanded geographically. Friday demonstrations were held together for the first time in the northern, predominantly Kurdish.

In total, about 80 protesters were arrested since Friday in Damascus, Homs, Duma Deraa and Deir Ezzor (450 km northeast of Damascus).

COTE D'IVOIRE: Pro-Ouattara seize Yamoussoukro and enter the port of San Pedro

"The increase [military] should continue. The sole purpose is to restore the election results and to establish democracy. Côte d'Ivoire is one and indivisible. Gbagbo few hours to go, otherwise it will be walking Abidjan on and it will be harder for him, "said Wednesday evening on FRANCE 24, Guillaume Soro, Prime Minister appointed by the Ivorian president recognized by the international community, Alassane Ouattara.

"We do not encounter resistance"

On the third day of their lightning advance into southern Ivory Coast, pro-Ouattara took control of the strategic port of San Pedro, the first port of export of cocoa in the world on Thursday.

Wednesday already, Yamoussoukro was also passed into the hands of supporters of Alassane Ouattara.Hometown of former President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the Ivorian administrative capital fell easily. Just a few shots from an assault rifle were heard, according to the testimony of some of its inhabitants. Guillaume Soro said "want to avoid fighting in that city." According to several testimonies gathered by the AFP, the Republican Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI) support Alassane Ouattara and then continued their way south, leaving a small detachment in the city.

For three days, FRCI progressing smoothly towards the south, taking control of cities as symbolic Gagnoa, in "country Bete" (center-west), home region of Laurent Gbagbo."We do not encounter resistance, but rallies," said Guillaume Soro was still at the microphone to FRANCE 24. We've already been contacted by several generals who were not publicly disclosed for security reasons.The only difficulties we encountered [three days], it is with the militias and mercenaries on the side of Duékoué (west). "

Shots heard in Abidjan

Although Guillaume Soro would not confirm that the armored forces pro-Ouattara were heading to Abidjan now - "I will not reveal here the military strategy of Republican Forces," he said - he did no secret that controlling the Ivorian economic capital was the ultimate goal of the offensive.

In town, the tension was already palpable on Wednesday. According to AFP, shots, including heavy weapons, were heard in several neighborhoods north of the town and many residents have returned home hurriedly.

PORTUGAL: The Parliament rejected the austerity plan, the Prime Minister resigns

REUTERS - Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates has presented his resignation Wednesday evening after the rejection by parliament of the austerity measures proposed by the
minority Socialist government.

President Anibal Cavaco Silva was charged with handling current business and said he would receive on Friday leaders of political parties.

Jose Socrates warned that the rejection of the austerity measures would compel Portugal, like Greece and Portugal, to seek international assistance, a solution he is hostile.

The decline of the euro against the dollar accelerated after the rejection of the austerity program, the single currency back below the 1.41 dollar.Around 2100 GMT, the euro yielded 0.8% against the greenback.

Parliament's vote is not a surprise, the main opposition, the Social Democratic Party, said Monday that it would not support such measures.

The cost of debt Portuguese has also registered higher before the vote in parliament.

Insurance against default on sovereign debt Portuguese was more expensive on the market for CDS (credit default swap) while the yield spread between government bonds and German Portuguese widened.

Lisbon had hoped to get his plan before the EU summit dedicated to the comprehensive plan for the debt crisis, which begins Thursday.

All opposition parties voted for a resolution to reject the measures, which are part of the stability and growth for the years 2011-2014.

Only the Socialists, who hold 97 of the 230 seats in Parliament, voted in favor of the measures.

RUGBY - SIX NATIONS TOURNAMENT: France enters into a disastrous tournament on a high note

AFP - England won the Six Nations rugby despite defeat (8-24) in Ireland after victory (28-9) XV de France against Wales (halftime: 11-6 ), Saturday at the Stade de France during the 5th and final day.

The British, who had not won the event since 2003, however, have missed the Grand Slam after their defeat Saturday in Dublin.

The XV de la Rose, which was thus raised Bookmark nations of the Northern Hemisphere for the World 2011 in New Zealand (September 9 to October 23), ahead of France (2nd), Ireland (3rd ), Wales (4th), Scotland (5th) and Italy (6th) after the defeat (8-21) Saturday at Edinburgh Italians.

The French led 11-6 at the break thanks to an essay by Lionel Nallet and two penalties from Morgan Parra, against one for James Hook. The Welsh fly-half added three points after the break before lining Nallet on a new ball recovery.

Parra transformed and added a penalty to respond to that success by Hook few minutes earlier. The temporary exclusion of the opener facilitated the task of the French who added a third try by Vincent Clerc, transformed by Parra.

The EU recognizes the legitimacy of opposition to the regime of Gaddafi

AFP - EU leaders believe that opposition to Muammar Gaddafi in the National Transitional Council (CNT) is an interlocutor "legitimate", said the EU president Herman Van Rompuy.

"The opposition in Benghazi is considered a legitimate political interlocutor," he said after an EU summit in Brussels on Libya.

The Heads of State and Government of the European Union "welcomed and encouraged the National Transitional Council (CNT) based in Benghazi (east), which is regarded as a political interlocutor" for the EU and a partner "worthy of faith, "he said.

Representatives of the CNT had several interviews with European leaders Friday on the sidelines of the summit, including Mr Van Rompuy, the head of European diplomacy Ashton and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, said the EU president.

In this regard, the French head of state assured that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was "no longer an interlocutor" and should "go."

INTERNET: Syria restores access to Facebook and YouTube

Facebook is back in Syria and the White House was delighted. FRANCE 24 Observers have confirmed that this was the subject of many tweets since Tuesday afternoon after two and a half years of censorship, the Syrians can again log on to Facebook. An adviser to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has even split congratulations to Damascus for this gesture.

But the star network social web, often cited for his alleged role in important events in Tunisia and Egypt, is not the only one to be available again in Syria.YouTube, the online video platform owned by Google, has also resurfaced after many years of enforced absence on the Web Syrian.

Two symbolic gestures that the Syrians were discovered by themselves. Authorities have not actually announced officially the lifting of censorship. "It's an important gesture, but not sufficient for a variety of other sites, less known, continue to be inaccessible," said Bassam al-Kadi, a FRANCE 24 Observer based in Damascus and site manager Syrian Women Observatory .

This is particularly the case for Elaph, the largest online newspaper in the Arab world, or Asharq al-Awsat, one of the most renowned Arabic dailies.The Syrian authorities are not ready to let their people have unlimited access to the global network. Why then this leniency toward Facebook and YouTube?

Less censorship for more control

Several commentators believe that the authorities' decision to Damascene Facebook and YouTube is a gesture of appeasement to the people. It would be better safe than sorry and have reasoned President Bashar el-Assad. "For sure this decision is a direct consequence of events in Egypt and Tunisia", recognizes Nourane Kuli, another Syrian Observer for FRANCE 24.

However, the explanation does not seem satisfactory."In my opinion, the main reasons are that the authorities can better control what is going on these sites and they also realized that censorship was not necessarily effective," said Bassam al-Kadi. Indeed, part of the population - as in Egypt and Tunisia - were already using proven methods to circumvent censorship (proxy, virtual networks, etc.)..

Still, making Facebook accessible to all is not without risk to the Syrian regime, but it is a risk that seems perfectly calculated and controlled. "The situation here is very different from Egypt or Tunisia.The use of the Internet is not the same, there is no real activists on social networks which makes sites like Facebook less useful, "concludes Bassam al-Kadi.

EGYPT: The irreducible Tahrir Square are not about to sleep

A few hours after the end of the event that brought together nearly one million Egyptians in Cairo, nearly ten of thousands of protesters are still present on Tahrir Square towards which all eyes converge.

Armed with tents and sleeping bags, hundreds of them, including women and young children, are sleeping on the ground. "I come every day protest last week on this site. Tonight I will sleep here in the middle of my countrymen because it is a memorable day," said Hamdy, an unemployed 49 year old .He said the movement might take a more violent turn on Friday, after prayers, if the will of the people is not heard.

A strong smell of burning from several areas of the vast square, where fires were lit to protect against the cold. But the atmosphere gradually warms to the announcement of the impending speech by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak's voice echoing in the square

It is almost 23 o'clock, when the voice of rai finally resonates through speakers instead and radios made by protesters. In a painful hiss, the voice of rai, so unpopular in those places, however, has been listened gravely.Unsurprisingly, just concluded, the statement raises a very strong backlash.

Some Cairenes, frustrated by the reaction of President Mubarak, kneel and take his head with both hands. Others hide their faces with their flags. Hosni Mubarak, who has held power for 30 years, has announced he will not abandon the presidency before the next presidential election scheduled for September 2011.

Instead, bit busy until then because of the late hour, suddenly caught fire. Spontaneously, protesters come alive to form more compact groups, to better block against the regime. "He does not want to leave, but he will leave. We are left," they cry, unanimous.Later, a group led by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood slogan chanted demanding that Mubarak is "tried and sentenced to death." Alerted by the commotion visible from several kilometers Tahrir, foreign journalists who had deserted the flock up, cameras in hand, to gather initial reactions.

"He does not understand"

Came from Alexandria, to live a "historic day", Rawan, a young student in international business, is struggling to hide his disappointment. "We were millions in the streets today across Egypt to tell him to go, but Mubarak did not understand, he does not listen to the people," she laments.

For his part, Omar despair.This philosophy student fears the effects of the status quo. "If Mubarak persists, demonstrations continue. Our economy and our future will be so threatened," he says. He said the president must withdraw and leave a transitional government amend the constitution and hold a presidential election.

Tomorrow we will be even more

Already, a call for new events is launched. "We'll come back tomorrow, we will remain a week if necessary, or even a year. Mubarak is 30 years remained in power," quips Karim, a hairdresser at home aged 21. His forehead still bears the scars of the violent demonstration on 28 January during which a policeman hit him with a wooden club."I do not want a step backwards, says he visibly upset by the speech. We suffer, we, the poor Egyptians, and we can not get out until this corrupt regime will remain in place. "

Reconstructed as a seller of cigarettes on the sly Tahrir Square, like many Cairenes, Karim invites you to its customers for the next day. "You see, tomorrow we will be even more than today," he said before vanishing into the crowd of demonstrators. Around 3 am, the voices of the protesters were still ringing in the neighborhood of Tahrir Square, which is aptly named because it is the place of the "Liberation".