SPAIN: Hundreds of people defied a ban on protests

AFP - now "illegal" but determined to hear their ras-le-bol of the crisis and unemployment, hundreds of youths were mobilized Saturday in the camp alternative to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, despite the electoral truce No events.

Chanting "we are now illegal," an immense crowd welcomed Friday at midnight on the start of the truce, after, at the stroke of the clock, symbolically launched a "silent scream" of scotch tape on the mouth, arms raised to heaven.

Saturday morning, a thousand protesters still occupying the "village" of tents and plastic sheeting blue.

The crowd, much larger than previous days, had begun to thin in late night. Thousands of young people were then kept in the main square, watching sat in a circle, talking, playing music, sleeping in tents or under the stars.

The agency Efe, based on counting a specialist company, puts the figure of 19,000 protesters Friday night at the Puerta del Sol and surrounding streets, crowded.Other media put the number at 25,000 to 60,000 in Madrid and throughout Spain.

"This is something necessary, because in Spain we did not know that people were able to do that. We live finally something," says Julia Estefania, a political science student of 20 years came from Toledo.

She and her friends have rested a few hours, lying on cardboard."Sleep, sleep, I did not feel like finally we're stretched to six hours," said Irene, 18, another girl group.

The police presence, despite a ban on protests, remained quiet throughout the evening, limited to a few police cars parked around the square.

The government, embarrassed by this spontaneous movement occurred a week of regional and local elections on Sunday ahead disastrous for the Socialists, had said on Friday to show "understanding".

The Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, had suggested that police action could be avoided provided that no overflow takes place.

In this context, the youth movement, building on its growing popularity, plays on the ambiguity of the law and the embarrassment of the government, repeating that he is "apolitical", "citizen" and that the days of Saturday and Sunday will be devoted to the pursuit of a "reflection" collective.

"We act in full respect of the truce election meetings will be held but no action will be decided," Lopez said Saturday, a spokesman.

Since Tuesday, the spontaneous movement brings together a mosaic of young people but also people from all backgrounds and all ages, unemployed, students, retirees and employees.

Unique, colorful and pacifist movement, on behalf of the "right to be indignant," denounced the stranglehold of the major parties on Spanish politics, social injustice, the excesses of capitalism, "political corruption" and means a laboratory of ideas for future reforms.

Most importantly, it betrays the frustration of millions of Spaniards who face unemployment reached a record high of 21.19% and hit nearly half of those under 25 years, the salary cuts, fallout from the economic crisis.

The movement, born on the place most emblematic of the old center of Madrid, dares inevitable comparison with the recent Arab uprisings.

"In Tahrir in Madrid, the world, world revolution," declared Friday a big banner in black letters.

The protesters now have "firm intention" to continue moving on Monday, said Juan Lopez, that is to say beyond the original schedule which was to coincide with local elections.

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.

FRANCE: François Fillon will not participate in the debate on secularism

REUTERS - Prime Minister Francois Fillon will not participate on April 5 at the convention organized by the UMP on secularism, Matignon said Wednesday, adding that the decision had been taken long-standing agreement with Nicolas Sarkozy.

"He was fulfilling a long with the president that he would not go," they say at Matignon, confirming information given by the website of Le Figaro.

"This is not the place to express the government's position," says one in the entourage of Prime Minister.

The secretary general of the UMP Jean-Francois Cope had nevertheless invited the Prime Minister in this debate, says the website of Le Figaro.

François Fillon and Jean-Francois Cope had formally signed the peace on Tuesday, after the tensions caused by criticism of the secretary general of the UMP to the Prime Minister.

The "boss" of the majority party had accused the prime minister not to "play group" in distancing himself from the debate on secularism.

In an interview with Le Figaro, to be published Thursday, Jean-Francois Cope defends again organizing this debate controversial and arouses opposition from representatives of six major religions.

"When we have this debate on April 5, we finish with the hysteria of the debate on the debate leading finally to the real answers," he said.

"This debate will not give rise to confusion." My letter to a Muslim friend, published yesterday in L'Express, is the most honest answer to the fear of a possible drift, "he adds.

TUNISIA: The election of a Constituent Assembly announced for July 24

AFP - The Tunisian President Fouad Mebazaa Acting announced Thursday evening in a televised address to the nation, the election July 24 for a Constituent Assembly charged with drafting a new constitution for the post-Ben Ali.

"We announce today entered a new era (...) through a new political system that breaks definitively with the former regime," saidMebazaa.

To do so, elections will be held July 24 for "the formation of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) who will prepare a new constitution," he added.

"Place to work and stop sit-ins, including the Kasbah (the government district in the heart of Tunis), reacted Ali Ben Romdhane, deputy secretary general of the powerful trade union UGTT (General Union of Tunisian workers) who had contributed to the events that brought down Ben Ali.

"We will work with other political forces to help the public authority to carry out its mission.The agenda is clear, there is more blur, "he told AFP.

"This is a victory of the people and the revolution," he told AFP Hamma Hammami, head of the Tunisian Communist Workers Party (PCOT), while expressing reservations about the particular period "too short four and a half months "he said in the election of the ANC.

Mr. Mebazaa implicitly also announced the dissolution of the current Constitution that "no longer meets the aspirations of the people after the revolution" of January 14 (the fall and flight of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali) and "an obstacle to transparent elections. "

Mr.Mebazaa, whose interim mandate expires on March 15 under the current Constitution, said he would stay in place "Contrary to rumors" that he had lent the intention to withdraw.

"I pledge to continue my mission (...) to the deadline of 15 March," he said.

The interim president and the transitional government, which must be the new Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi, will form the "public authority" whose actions "cease the day of the election of the Constituent National Assembly," Has he said.

In view of this election, detailed the president, "a special electoral system" be prepared "at the latest before the end of March" by the "High Committee for the achievement of the revolution, political reform and democratic transition. "

The High Commission now comprises two bodies: the Council and the Commission of Experts, told AFP its chairman, Ben Achour Yadh.

The text will be voting "the subject of consultations within the Council of the High Commission, composed of personalities, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations" who participated in the revolution or have sustained " .

This seems clearly out of the process the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) party of Ben Ali, suspended pending its dissolution by the court.

The acting president urged Tunisians to "get back to work" when the economy is being impacted by problems that peppered the popular uprising that led to the escape of Ben Ali.

A source close to the government, Beji Caid Essebsi expected to announce Friday its transitional government, a cabinet of "technocrats" after the resignation of five ministers two days, two representatives of opposition parties.

This will be the third government since the fall of Ben Ali, the first two having been led by Mohammed Ghannouchi.

FRENCH POLICY: After MAM, Francois Fillon, in turn, attacked on his holidays

After the controversy caused by the escapades of the Tunisian Foreign Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie ("MAM") in December, it was the turn of Prime Minister Francois Fillon, to cross a zone of turbulence. This Wednesday, "Le Canard chained" reveals that family vacations as head of government has spent in Egypt at Christmas time were partly paid by the Egyptian authorities ...Anticipating the release of the weekly satirical French, Matignon Tuesday detailed the conditions that trip along the Nile, which ran from December 26 to January 2.

In the statement issued by the Prime Minister, it is stipulated that Francois Fillon, his wife and children, were sheltered by the regime and used a plane "of the government fleet" graciously provided by Cairo for a tour the whole family Fillon at Abu Simbel. "He also made a boat trip on the Nile under the same conditions", further clarify the text.

"Mixing genres"

"The hierarchy is respected, the Prime Minister has hit even harder than the Minister of State," quipped on his side "Le Canard chained" which states that the device used by the leader of the French government during his stay in Egypt belonged President Hosni Mubarak himself. "How can we demand the departure of a chief of state and have a critical eye on his diet when you become indebted to him?" Went on air on FRANCE 24 Brigitte Rossigneux, the journalist who signed the article in the satirical newspaper.She says "do not mix genres, because it was not a State visit, but rather a private residence with his wife and children."

For his part, Martine Aubry, the boss of the Socialist Party (PS) expressed "dismay" by this new case, saying the government had "lost the sense of public spirit." The Minister of Labour, Employment and Health, Xavier Bertrand, François Fillon responded that "[could] not behave like tourists."His stay in Egypt was responding to "safety," he said, accusing the opposition to the passage to draw "a smokescreen".

This revelation comes as the Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie is accused of having used it twice in late 2010, the private jet of a businessman close to the famous clan Tunisian Ben Ali on the occasion of his holiday in Tunisia.Overwhelmed by opposition calls for his resignation last week, criticized by the media, the patron saint of French diplomacy fought back as best they could attack which is the subject and has received support from Matignon.

Specifically French Republic and impeccable

If the holiday in Tunisia and MMA Francois Fillon in Egypt have certainly taken place in different contexts - those of the Minister of Foreign Affairs took place in Tunisia full revolution while those of the Prime Minister were held before the uprising in courses in Cairo - these two cases converge on one point: to reveal a common practice at the top of the French state which is being offered for travel and private stays abroad by authoritarian regimes ...

The daily Le Parisien "and recalls in its Wednesday edition" African hunting parties "of former President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in the Central, then headed by the capricious and violent Emperor Bokassa," the holidays Mitterrand in Aswan, "or" Cuban cruises Jack Lang, "the former Culture Minister, on the yacht Fidel Castro. According to Brigitte Rossigneux, "a story like that would have triggered the immediate resignation of the minister implicated in countries such as Canada or the United States."

Yet if these two cases are as loud today because they add to the recent controversy arising from the case-Woerth Bettencourt and the resignations of Secretary of State for Greater Paris, Christian Blanc and Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony, Alain Joyandet, last July. The first was forced to leave his post after it was learned that he had paid his personal cigars by his department to the tune of 12,000 euros. The second had rented, meanwhile, a private jet for a total of 116,500 euros for a ministerial trip to the West Indies.A series of law that undermines the "Republic impeccable" advocated by President Nicolas Sarkozy during his presidential campaign in 2007. The latter has also asked Wednesday his team at the Council of Ministers, now "focus on France" for their holidays and approval by the Prime Minister their invitations abroad.

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.