YEMEN: The opposition accuses President Saleh to refuse to sign the agreement to end the crisis

AFP - A mediator of the Gulf monarchies left Sanaa Saturday after the failure of his mission, the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh denied having refused to sign a plan to end the crisis providing his resignation, according to the opposition.

Mr Saleh told the Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Latif al-Zayani he refused to sign the plan to end the crisis "as President of the Republic", as stipulated in the document according to the spokesman of the opposition, Mohamed Qahtani.

Mr. Zayani conveyed this position to the Joint Forum (Parliamentary Opposition), which required that Mr.Saleh sign the agreement, an official of the coalition.

The agreement was expected to be signed on Sunday in Riyadh, attended by the heads of diplomacy of the GCC (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar).

It provides training through the opposition of a government of reconciliation and resignation of Mr. Saleh after a month. It also plans to grant immunity to Mr. Saleh and his staff to hold a presidential election within 60 days after the resignation of Mr. Saleh and draft a new constitution to be submitted to a referendum.

The plan was approved by the opposition and the ruling party, General People's Congress (GPC), but never explicitly by Mr.Saleh faces a growing challenge from the streets since January.

The Head of State had concerted the afternoon, before receiving the mediator of the GCC, with more than 400 personalities from government, parliament and the GPC "to discuss the initiative of the GCC," said Tarek al-Shami, spokesman of the party.

In a statement, the ruling party said the head of state was "not concerned with the signing of the agreement to be signed by the GPC and the Joint Forum," while the text of the plan provides that the document is signed by the president and the opposition.

The ruling party said the vice-chairman of GIC, Abdel Karim al-Iryani, political adviser to Mr.Saleh, would lead the government delegation in Riyadh.

But the opposition refused to go to Riyadh as the president would not sign the text. "We are ready to go to Riyadh, but on condition that Saleh sign," he told AFP an official of the Common Front.

"Mr.Saleh is ready to sign the document in his capacity as chairman of GIC but not as president of the republic, "replied the deputy secretary general of the GPC, Sultan Al-Barakani.

The opposition had in recent days accused the regime of seeking to torpedo the agreement and has blamed a "savage massacre" after the death of 13 demonstrators in Sanaa.

Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Saleh, in power for 32 years, since late last January and made more than 145 dead.

On Saturday, two soldiers and four civilians were killed in Aden, the main city in southern Yemen, in exchanges of fire between soldiers and gunmen, according to the Defense Ministry and hospital officials.

At the call of the protesters, the city of Aden, one of the hotbeds of protest, was paralyzed by a general strike.

LIBYA: Misrata bombed despite "stop" operations of the pro-Gaddafi

REUTERS - The Libyan government denied Sunday that the army was withdrawing from Misrata's third largest city in Libya, as was said before the insurgents who held this important port city in western countries.

"The armed forces do not withdraw from Misrata.They stopped their operations because Misrata tribal leaders have decided to take action to restore the course of life, "said Khaled Kaim, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya.

He said nearly 60,000 civilians are willing to fight for their city, only city held by insurgents in the western part of the country.

The rebels say, them, very few people support Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan leader they accuse of paying mercernaires to impersonate people.

Saturday, the rebels said the soldiers had left the city Gaddafi but they stayed outside and were able to bombard.

Soldiers loyal to the Libyan colonel captured by the opponents had said the army had received orders to withdraw from the port city.

Khaled Kaim has also indicated that NATO planes have carried out attacks against targets in Sirte, Garian, Aziziah, Tripoli and Hira Saturday.

YEMEN: The foreign ministers of the Gulf met in Saudi Arabia

The foreign ministers of Gulf states on Sunday in Riyadh were trying to revive their plan to end the crisis in Yemen, where a wave of protests calling for more than two and a half months the departure of President Ali Abdallah Saleh.

A delegation of the parliamentary opposition Yemeni expected in the afternoon in the Saudi capital, hopes to obtain details of ministers that their mediation provides for the departure of Mr.Saleh, in power for 32 years.

"We will meet ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh to seek clarification on their initiative, first and foremost on the departure of President Saleh," he told AFP Said Noomane Yassin, leader of the Forum common, a coalition of the parliamentary opposition.

Ministers should review "what has been agreed" in their previous meetings on 3 and 10 April "on contacts with conducting the Yemeni government and the opposition as part of their initiative for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, according to a statement of the GCC.

The Joint Forum is the departure of Mr.Saleh - the main claim of unprecedented protests began in late January in the wake of popular uprisings that have shaken the Arab world - a prerequisite for any political settlement, while the latest proposal of the GCC states that President Saleh held a mere transferring his powers to Vice President.

Mr Saleh, who has lost the support of part of the army of powerful tribes and religious leaders, said he was ready for a "peaceful transfer of power but under the Constitution."

He showed no signs of any rapid departure.Friday, he repeated that he was "constitutional legitimacy" in a speech before tens of thousands of his supporters in Sana'a.

In an attempt to bring the two parties, U.S. and European diplomats have had contacts with the Joint Forum in recent days in Sana'a, according to a Western diplomat who requested anonymity.

"The Joint Forum has obtained assurances U.S. and EU on the success of the initiative of the GCC, including a rapid departure of President Saleh," said the diplomat.

The United States, who fear chaos in Yemen where al-Qaeda is very active, have lent their support to the mediation of the GCC, saying that dialogue on a political transition was "urgently needed".

"The timing and nature of this transition will be determined through negotiations," added the State Department.

But the opposition Yemeni currently excludes any dialogue with the regime and threatened Saturday not to travel to Riyadh if a government envoy was present in the Saudi capital.

"We will go to Riyadh if there is any delegation or representative of the Government in the Saudi capital Sanaa to avoid giving the impression that there will be negotiations," said Mohamed Salem Saturday Bassandaoua which drives his opponents Yemeni delegation in Riyadh.

"No government official will do today in Riyadh," he told AFP a source close to the government.

On the ground, the Yemeni protesters were organizing new events Sunday, the punishment was more than 100 deaths.

LIBYA: In Berlin, NATO members face their differences on the Libyan case

AFP - NATO will be Thursday in overcoming serious differences over the conduct of military intervention in Libya, following the decision of the Contact Group on Libya, meeting in Qatar, to create a fund to aid rebellion.

The discussions between foreign ministers of 28 countries of the Atlantic Alliance, who early in the Libyan crisis response contradictorily February 15, could be difficult, France and the United Kingdom requesting that more allies to bomb alongside their troops Muammar Gaddafi.

On the eve of the meeting in Berlin on Thursday and Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister, David Cameron, are agreed on the need for greater "military pressure" on Gaddafi, who " remains determined to maintain its war effort against his own people. "

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who must also attend the meeting, denounced in turn the "savage attacks and ongoing" Gaddafi regime against civilians and "new atrocities", citing reports that forces have used artillery and mortars against residential areas Misrata (west) and cut off water and electricity in the city.

At its meeting Wednesday in Doha, the Contact Group stressed the need to provide rebels take eastern Libya the means to defend himself, while refusing to explicitly include in the aid of military equipment.

A score of countries and organizations participated, co-chaired by Britain and Qatar, almost four weeks after the start, March 19, a multinational military intervention under a UN mandate.

The final statement, the Contact Group has decided "the establishment of a temporary financial mechanism" to provide the National Transitional Council (CNT), political arm of the rebellion, "ways to manage aid and respond to urgent needs "areas controlled by rebels.

No indication was given about the endowment fund, but the rebels said she expected that funds frozen under the sanctions against the Qaddafi regime are made available.

The Group acknowledged the CNT as representing "self" of the Libyan people and reiterated the necessity of departure of Colonel Gaddafi to end the crisis.

He also decided to provide support to the rebellion, including "material support" in the framework of resolutions 1970 and 1973 of the UN, which include an arms embargo.

Asked about the significance of this decision, the British and Italian Ministers of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini and William Hague, appeared to diverge.

Mr Hague referred to the provision of means of communication, but Mr.Frattini said that "Resolution 1973 does not supply arms, weapons non-offensive weapons for self-defense."

Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al-Thani, said that "the Libyan people have the right to defend itself against the continuous attacks of the pro-Gaddafi" and "self-defense requires devices, which are not offensive but defensive. "

The head of French diplomacy, Alain Juppe, for his part said about supporting the rebels that was intended to "assist in obtaining financing, to strengthen" but "has not been discussed arms deliveries.

The rebellion has indicated it may require some states to the international coalition of arms "defensive" to protect civilians.Chammam Mahmoud, head of information within the CNT, ruled that the Council finances the purchase of weapons with the new funds, ensuring that it should "meet the basic needs of the Libyan people."

"It is important that the coalition shows its full commitment to protect civilians, end seats, worthy of the Middle Ages, and Misrata Zentena (west), and to return troops to their barracks Gaddafi" French sources said after the meeting of MM.Cameron and Sarkozy in Paris.

The United States who had taken command of the coalition as a first step, before announcing the withdrawal of their ground attack aircraft, revealed Wednesday that U.S. fighter jets bombed air defense always Jamahiriya.

The five countries emerging BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - gathered Thursday in Sanya, China, voted against the use of force in Libya and the Middle East.

Only South Africa had voted in favor of UN resolution paving the way for air strikes in Libya, the other four countries - notably China and Russia, permanent members of UN Security - s 'being abstained, fearing civilian casualties.

On the ground, the rebel forces have taken the strategic town of Ajdabiya (east), 160 km south of Benghazi, the scene of deadly fighting in recent days, but the units are pro-Qadhafi maintained their pressure.

Two loud explosions were heard Wednesday in Tripoli.NATO said it had bombed ammunition dumps near Al-Aziziyah, about twenty miles southwest of the capital.

Earlier, Libyan state news agency had reported air raids on NATO Misrata and Al-Aziziyah (west) and the Sirte, the hometown of Colonel Gaddafi, 600 km east of Tripoli.

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Libya, Khaled Kaaim, said Wednesday evening that Qatar was providing French-type anti-tank missiles to rebels in Benghazi Milan (east) and accused elements of Lebanese Hezbollah to fight alongside insurgents in Misrata.

The new Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdelati Laabidi, Cyprus will meet Thursday at his Cypriot counterpart Marcos Kyprianou.

COTE D'IVOIRE: The headquarters of Alassane Ouattara has been targeted by pro-Gbagbo

The battle of Abidjan is far from over for the forces loyal to Ivorian President elected Alassane Ouattara. Saturday, the Defence Forces and Security (FDS) of his rival, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, seem to have intensified their offensive-cons after strengthening their positions in the disputed areas of Plateau and Cocody.

Laurent Gbagbo, who lives in a fortified bunker located in the basement of his residence in Abidjan, still refuses to relinquish power. He seemed on the verge of defeat there are still three days after the blitzkrieg of pro-Ouattara now called "the people to resistance," according to his spokesman Ahoua Don Mello."President Gbagbo called for resistance against the bombing and the actions of the French army in Ivory Coast, because ultimately it is the French army that attacked us," said Ahoua Don Mello. The latter has also said that troops loyal to outgoing President "are trying to rebuild."

HQ Ouattara under fire from pro-Gbagbo

Symbol of the renewed vigor of the Gbagbo camp Saturday, the Golf Hotel, headquarters of Alassane Ouattara, has been a surprise attack in the afternoon. A first since the beginning of the post-election crisis in Ivory Coast, there are more than four months."The attack consisted of sniper fire from heavy gunfire and shelling has caused panic in the hotel. In addition to the hotel staff and civilians, some of the peacekeepers were Refugees in the basement, in the kitchens, "explains Luc Bragon a special envoys FRANCE 24 Côte d'Ivoire at the scene at the time. The UN military responsible for the safety of the elected president Alassane Ouattara responded to positions held not pro-Gbagbo. "These are only a few hundred meters from the hotel," says Luke Bragon.

A given that counselors prefer minimize Alassane Ouattara."Following this attack, the camp plays down Ouattara this event, which demonstrates, however, that the headquarters of the elected president is vulnerable and that the pro-Gbagbo in Abidjan are gaining ground," said Marc Smith, special correspondent for FRANCE 24 in Coast d'Ivoire.

For its part, the spokesman for the Gbagbo camp, however, strongly denied that the attack was carried out by his forces: "This is absolutely false. There was no attack of Golf", he told AFP, calling the incident an "imaginary attack."

The fact is that despite a quiet night, several hundred people chose to flee Sunday morning near the Hotel du Golf.

SAUDI ARABIA: Authorities deployed a vast apparatus of preventive security

AFP - The security forces were deployed en masse on Friday in Riyadh and other Saudi cities where no event was reported, despite a call Facebook a "day of anger" in the oil kingdom.

The United States, the main ally of Saudi Arabia had called again Thursday to respect freedom of expression in the kingdom after an incident that left three wounded in eastern countries, where most minority Shiite.

Militants had launched on social networks Facebook and Twitter calls for a demonstration in an upscale neighborhood north of the Saudi capital after Friday prayers.These calls also apply to other cities like Jeddah and Dammam in the west to the east.

These unidentified militants demanding the establishment of elected institutions to replace the Shura consultative council whose members are appointed by the king and government, also left to the discretion of the sovereign.

But no event was reported earlier this afternoon in Riyadh or other cities of the kingdom.

The capital was gridded from morning by security forces, and dozens of police cars took up positions in Olaya, a commercial area in northern Riyadh.

Around the mosque where a demonstration was to start, hundreds of police were deployed and checked the identities of drivers.

No events have been reported in Jeddah, the major port city in western kingdom.

The situation was also quiet in the eastern province, according to a witness.

The police were heavily deployed in the Shiite region where three protesters were injured Thursday night when police dispersed a demonstration in Al-Qatif calling for the release of prisoners, witnesses said.

But according to a Saudi official, a protester fired at police who returned fire."The man was wounded and arrested," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Shiites, who form 10% of the estimated 28 million Saudis consider themselves victims of discrimination in the kingdom ruled by a Sunni dynasty which advocates a strict vision of Islam.

Saudi authorities have recently reminded that demonstrations were banned in the kingdom.

A view that their American ally disagrees: "What we told the Saudis and everyone in the region (Middle East) is that we will support a set of universal values," he Thursday said Ben Rhodes, an advisor to President Barack Obama.

These values ​​include "the right to assemble peacefully, freedom of expression," he said.

The activists behind the calls for protest, often based abroad, also demand a minimum wage to 10,000 riyals (2,667 dollars) and job creation for Saudis in a country where unemployment is estimated at more than 10% and 30% among those aged 20 to 30 years.

On 23 February, King Abdullah announced a package of social measures for more than 35 billion dollars. Other Gulf states have followed suit and Thursday, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has provided financial support of $ 20 billion in Bahrain and Oman, two members most affected by the wave of revolt.

AVIATION: EADS revises its offer price of tanker aircraft for the U.S. Army

The European aerospace and defense group EADS has modified the content and price of its final response to the call for tenders to renew the fleet of tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday its President North America, Ralph Crosby.

"We've actually revised our proposal and our prices," saidCrosby during a press conference.

EADS, parent company of aircraft manufacturer Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing had announced Thursday they have filed their final offer for the mega-tanker contract, valued at $ 35 billion, they are fighting for many years.

Boeing said it had revised its offer to make it more competitive with Airbus to EADS but had previously refused to say whether he had changed his.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Gbagbo camp considers "inappropriate" for the resignation of the governor of the BCEAO

REUTERS - The West African leaders have intensified pressure on Saturday Laurent Gbagbo in overturning the Governor of the Central Bank of African States (BCEAO), a relative who continued to provide the outgoing president Ivorian access Accounts of Côte d'Ivoire.

Meeting in Bamako, the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic and Monetary Union of West African "noted the resignation of Governor Philip Henry Dacoury-Tabley.

As part of international sanctions aimed at forcing the incumbent president from power, the BCEAO was announced last month it would no longer accept the signature of Laurent Gbagbo, but he still had access to accounts.

"The conference is concerned at the impact of not implementing the decision on the stability of economic, financial and Monetary Union", said the leaders in Bamako.

Gbagbo was declared winner of presidential elections on 28 November by a Constitutional Council in his hand. Alassane Ouattara was judged winner of the poll by the independent electoral commission, a victory recognized by the United Nations.

The current vice-governor of the bank will take the office of governor until the appointment of a replacement.

Alassane Ouattara was invited to propose a successor to Dacoury-Tabley, what will be done "quickly", according to his Prime Department Guillaume Soro.

The French ambassador accredited more

"We are satisfied. It's what we wanted," said Patrick Achi, spokesperson of Alassane Ouattara. "This will reduce the amount of money leaving the account. We're headed to the audit but it will happen in stages," he added.

Patrick Achi has also requested the replacement of the Director of the BCEAO in Côte d'Ivoire, which he said is also a supporter of Gbagbo.

The camp of the incumbent president has denounced the measure, which puts him in danger by the Ivorian banking system.

This decision was "hasty and inappropriate," said Ahoua Don Mello, spokesman for the Gbagbo government."Côte d'Ivoire think it is dangerous to mix politics with the economy and monetary policy," he said.

The camp of the outgoing president appears to now control the revenues from exports of oil and cocoa, despite attempts by the international community to cut off.

A spokesman for the Gbagbo government announced on television alongside the Ambassador of France in Ivory Coast, Jean-Marc Simon, was not accredited.

The Quai d'Orsay, recalling in a statement that France fully acknowledges Alassane Ouattara as Ivorian President has found the decision "null and void and without any legal effect."

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen is to lead his party

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said Sunday that he intended to remain as head of his party despite calls for his resignation, including within his own training, but he will ask Tuesday for Fianna Fail to renew his confidence.

"I have come to the conclusion that I should continue to lead" Fianna Fail, said in a press statement Brian Cowen, who has consulted for 48 hours within his center-right party.

While the Irish media were lost in conjectures Sunday on his imminent departure, he argued he was not "in the national interest" that he resigns.

But he said he would ask his party to renew its confidence in a secret ballot held on Tuesday, during the meeting of the parliamentary group of Fianna Fail.

"By taking this initiative, I think to better serve the interests of the party," he continued, saying "confident about the outcome" of that vote.

Brian Cowen, the lowest in the polls, is under fire from critics since he accepted that his country be call for international assistance to prevent the sinking of Irish banks.

He is also accused of "collusion" with the former boss of Anglo Irish Bank Sean FitzPatrick.The latter has indeed revealed in a book, excerpts of which were published recently, have played golf and dined with Brian Cowen, then Minister of Finance, just before the development of the rescue plan of this institution.

"I'm not guilty of economic treason," replied Brian Cowen to opposition MPs who were harassing this week in Parliament.

Brian Cowen directs since 2008 the coalition government formed by Fianna Fail and the Greens.

His popularity has plummeted since the announcement of the plan of international aid (85 billion euros), missed by the Irish who had the sense to abandon a portion of their sovereignty.

The Prime Minister has thus received only 10% approval rating in the latest survey available, and his party only 14% of the vote in the upcoming general elections.

The government has promised to organize after the adoption, scheduled under a month, the next budget. This budget is the most severe the country's history, according to the requirements of the EU and the IMF in exchange for the rescue of the island, including the financial sector has suffered the brunt of the crisis. It remains to stop the exact date of the election.