Syria: Opposition calls for general strike

The opposition in Syria on Tuesday launched an appeal for a general strike for Wednesday, once again defying the regime of Bashar al-Assad, subjected to increasing pressures abroad, the United States announcing measures " Extra "in" coming days ".

"Wednesday will be a day of general strike in Syria," said a statement posted on the Facebook page "Syrian Revolution 2011," Engine of the protest movement launched in mid-March against the regime.

"Let's make Wednesday a Friday (usual day of events), with massive demonstrations, no school, no university, no shops or restaurants open, not even taxis."

The unprecedented protest movement of the system continues despite the magnitude of the repression that has, according to NGOs, over 800 deaths and at least 8,000 arrests.

The head of American diplomacy, Hillary Clinton announced that "additional measures" would be taken "in the days to come" in response to this repression. She has also accused Damascus of having "adopted the worst tactics of its ally Iran."

She was speaking after talks with the EU diplomatic representative, Catherine Ashton, who called the situation "extremely alarming".

Ashton said she traveled to Washington to "discuss what we can do.""It is extremely urgent that the Syrian government to act," she said, failing which the international community would consider "all options".

The French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on his part that a majority was "taking shape" with the UN to condemn the repression, indicating that a veto threat from Moscow and Beijing on a text still existed.

The countries of the European Union are working to broaden its sanctions against the Syrian regime to a dozen people including President Assad, because of repression, with an expected decision in principle on Monday.

Discussions to this effect were held Tuesday in Brussels between ambassadors from the 27 EU states, according to diplomatic sources.

The EU has already imposed sanctions (freezing of assets, prohibition of entry visas) to 13 Syrian officials including members of the president's family and an arms embargo that could be used for law enforcement purposes .

On the ground, the authorities have denied the existence of a mass grave in Deraa, southern town where the dispute arose, admitting however that five bodies had been discovered there.

"This information is totally false," said an official at the Interior Ministry was quoted by the official SANA news agency, speaking of a "smear campaign (...) fabricated."

SANA, quoting a local official in Dera, said that five bodies had been discovered in the city Sunday and the local prosecutor had opened an investigation. The agency did not specify how the bodies were discovered or how the victims died.

The activist Ammar Qourabi, the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria said Monday the discovery of mass grave, said Tuesday told AFP that a second had been unearthed.

"One contained 24 bodies and another seven, including the five mentioned by the authorities as well as unidentified woman and her son."He called on authorities to investigate.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, based in London, he insisted on the existence of a single grave, containing five bodies.

The army had besieged Deraa, located 100 km south of Damascus, April 25 to quell the protest, before beginning its withdrawal on May 5

Rami Abdel Rahman has also reported the arrest Sunday of a leader of the protest, Anas al-Choughri in the coastal city of Banias (west).

More than 800 people, including women and children, were killed in the crackdown and at least 8,000 were arrested, according to human rights organizations of human rights.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad for his part attributed these problems to "armed terrorist groups", some of which are in the pay abroad.

LIBYA: Chief of Staff of the British army will intensify strikes

The Chief of Staff of the British Army, General David Richards, NATO's request that steps up air raids on Libya "to increase the pressure" on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, in an interview published Sunday by the Sunday Telegraph.

"The noose is tightening around Gaddafi, but we need to increase the pressure through military action more intense," J. General and it requires a broadening of targets "selected by NATO in Libya.

"The military campaign so far has been a significant success for NATO and our Arab allies.But we must do more, "the general said, adding:" if we do not set now, there is a risk that the conflict could lead to what Gaddafi is clinging to power. "

"At present, Nato does not attack the infrastructure in Libya.But if we want to increase the pressure on the Qaddafi regime then we must consider increasing the range of targets we can hit, "says the officer.

"We do not aim directly Gaddafi, but if it happened it is in a central command and control struck by NATO and he is killed, then it would be within the rules" commitment, the Judge said.

"We must tighten the vise to demonstrate that Gaddafi is to damn him and he must go," insists General Richards.

NATO took command of operations in late March of the international coalition intervened on March 19 in Libya to stop violence against civilians and establish a no-fly zone, under a resolution of the Security Council UN.

The Libyan capital and surrounding towns are covered by the almost daily raids.

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: According to Alain Juppe, the situation in Misrata "can not continue"

The situation in Misrata in Libya, a city subject for several days at the firing forces of Muammar Gaddafi, "can not last," said Wednesday the French foreign minister, Alain Juppe, stating that he would inform the Secretary General of NATO.

"Misrata is in a situation that can not last and I'll talk in a few hours with the Secretary General of NATO," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the minister to France Info radio.

The Libyan military leader of the rebels on Tuesday accused NATO of "letting people die of Misrata (west) under fire from forces of Muammar Gaddafi.

Recognizing that in Libya, "the risk of getting bogged down there," Alain Juppe said he did not return to the international coalition "to start reclaiming the land."

"We have formally requested that there be no collateral damage on civilians, it makes intervention more difficult because of Qaddafi's troops have understood things and tend to be closer to civilian populations," said he said.

"We support all our strength the National Transitional Council (opposition), it must also be organized. Finally the field all depend on them.We're here to protect civilians, not to start from the reconquest of the territory, "insisted the minister.

He reaffirmed that Libya was moving towards a political solution, implicitly recognizing that international military action is not sufficient to reach a departure from office of Muammar Gaddafi.

The latter regime is the target since February 15 of a popular uprising that turned into a civil war between insurgents and forces loyal to the leader.

FORMULA 1: Sebastian Vettel started 2011 by winning the Australian Grand Prix

The German Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) won Sunday in Melbourne Australia Grand Prix Formula 1, first event of the season, ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Russian Vitaly Petrov (Lotus Renault).

The reigning world champion, after dropping three in as many races on the circuit at Albert Park, has finally vanquished the curse of Australia and won the race handily. With a few laps left to his heir Hamilton, Vettel has occupied all the time the race leader.

He won with 22 seconds ahead of Columbia, giving the impression of having always dominated his subject.

Hamilton, earning 2nd, McLaren can thank for the outstanding work done in a few weeks.The MP4-26 (model 2011), completely out of touch during all the winter tests, achieved a dramatic increase in the favor of the change in its rear part.

Third, Vitaly Petrov continues its metamorphosis. The Russian, used weekends drafts last year, his first season in the discipline, has transcended Australia.

Obnoxious Perez

After a good qualifying Saturday, punctuated with a 6th place, Petrov has made a great start Sunday, allowing him to finish third, the first podium of his career in F1. A result which also marks the progression of Lotus Renault.

Fernando Alonso was fourth in a Ferrari not at the podium.Australian Mark Webber in the second Red Bull continues to run bad at his home GP, he finished in 5th place, just ahead of Jenson Button (McLaren, 6th), a great leader of the race.

Mexico's Sergio Perez (Sauber) completed a fantastic first race, he finished seventh, ahead of teammate Kamui Kobayashi of Japan. Brazilian Felipe Massa (Ferrari) is ninth, while Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso), 10, has assembled the last point at stake

Mercedes has had a calamitous start to the season, with the abandonment of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher before the halfway point. Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica's replacement, injured in rally in February, has experienced first weekend very difficult, punctuated with a sad 14th place.

Obama lifted the suspension of military trials at Guantanamo Exception

The U.S. president Barack Obama will lift the suspension of new military trials at Guantanamo exception and decided to rules governing the indefinite detention of prisoners in U.S. military base on the island of Cuba, said Monday the White House .

"The Defense Secretary will issue a decree annulling its previous suspension of the submission of new charges in military courts," said the American presidency in a statement.

The suspension of new military trials at Guantanamo had been one of the earliest actions of President Obama, the very day he took office January 20, 2009.

In the case of Guantanamo detainees who have been neither charged nor convicted and are not likely to be transferred to a third country, Obama gave the order to conduct "regular reviews crossings," and detailed process.

The White House, however, assured that "the administration remains committed to closing the prison at Guantanamo and maintain a system of legal custody, and based on sustainable principles."

She also renewed the commitment of the administration to try to try selected detainees in federal courts.

On January 22, 2009, Obama had signed a decree ordering the closure in the year of the prison of his predecessor, George W. Bush.But this promise was not fulfilled, largely because of congressional initiatives.

After putting a spoke in the wheels of Obama by prohibiting the coming of Guantanamo detainees on American soil for anything other than trial, the Congress decided in December to ban the Pentagon in 2011 to use its funds to close Guantanamo and in particular for any "transfer, release or assistance" to inmates in the United States.

TUNISIA: The head of the Jewish community denies the rumors of a synagogue fire

The president of the Jewish community in Tunisia, Roger Bismuth, said on Wednesday told AFP that no anti-Semitic acts were reported in Tunisia since the beginning of the popular revolution, warning against rumors that reported Tuesday the burning of a synagogue.

"At no time, Jews have been targeted by attacks or even words moved during the revolution.Tunisia is a revolution, for all Tunisians, "said Roger Bismuth.

The head of the Jewish community in Tunisia, which has about 1600 people, has opposed a "formal denial" to "a rumor that has reported a synagogue on fire" Monday night at El Hamma, near the coastal city of Gabes (south).

"There is no synagogue in El Hamma. There is a mausoleum, with the tomb of a rabbi, a place of pilgrimage. On Monday night, several buildings in the region have been targets of looting and gate keeper's mausoleum was vandalized and removed a few chairs, "he said.

"It was not the Jewish community itself.A local UGTT (the main union Tunisia) was also ransacked and other buildings, "he said.

"We must pay close attention to rumors. People try to pretend that there is a willingness to attack synagogues. Wrong.We're not worried, we did not ask for reinforcements of security to the government because we believe that there is no reason to do so, "he said.

Tuesday, several officials of the local Jewish community had told the AFP and other international agencies had been burned a synagogue in El Hamma, after allegations relayed to Paris by a vigilance against anti-Semitism.

Several representatives of the Tunisian League of Human Rights denied to AFP the allegations, making them also cautions against the many rumors circulating in the country while security is not yet fully restored.