TUNISIA: Funeral of Mohamed Brahimi, explosion at a police station near Tunis

 

National funeral was held Saturday, July 27 for the opponent Mohamed Brahmi, murdered on July 25 outside his home in Tunis. In addition, a policeman was wounded in La Goulette, a suburb of Tunis, by the explosion of a booby trap to the police, according to local media quoted by AFP.

Aged 58, Mohamed Brahmi was shot Thursday fourteen bullets fired at close range outside his home in Tunis by two men on a motorcycle as he stepped car related authorities and witnesses. His funeral took place on Saturday morning. He will be buried near the grave of Chokri Belaïd. The latter, also opposed, had been murdered in the same way on February 6. His death provoked the largest demonstrations in the country since the fall of Ben Ali in January 2011.

At the call of the opposition, thousands of people took to the streets Friday across Tunisia in protest against the murder of Mohamed Brahmi. Thousands of Islamists demonstrated in parallel to support the government and reject calls for his resignation.

At Gafsa mining basin in the center of the country, witnesses reported the death of an anti-government protester, Mohamed Mofti, at a rally where several people inthe also e ty injured by tear gas.

Member of the assembly to draw up the new constitution and founder of People's Movement (Echaâb), a secular and nationalist Mohamed Brahmi did not spare his criticism of the party Islamist Ennahda in power. 

Forty-two members announced in the evening they resigned from the Constituent Assembly, which has 217 members, in protest against the assassination of the leader of the Popular Front, a coalition secular left.

Khamis Kssila, Nidaa Tounes party, announced at a press conference that the retiring members would stage a sit-in to demand the dissolution of the assembly and the formation of a national salvation government, an option rejected by Prime Minister Ali Larayedh. 

Mohamed Chokri Belaïd Brahmi and killed by the same weapon

The Tunisian authorities have also announced Friday actively seek radical Islamist prime suspect in the assassination of the opponent Mohamed Brahmi and that a few months earlier Chokri Belaïd, killed by them with the same weapon.

Twenty-four hours after the assassination of Brahmi, the government published a list of 14 people – radical extremists, some belonging to Ansar Ashariaa, main Salafi organization in Tunisia – involved in both murders.

Four were arrested, eight are fugitives, including Boubaker Hakim, described as the prime suspect, and two are on parole, according to the Minister of the Interior. Boubaker Hakim, 30, is "a terrorist element among the most dangerous, researched the international level," said Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou. Born in Paris and known as Salafi, he was already wanted in Tunisia for possession and trafficking of weapons, said Lotfi Ben Jeddou, saying he had escaped and recently the police and many weapons were found at his home.

The murder of Mohamed Brahmi happened the day of the Republic Day, holiday in Tunisia, while the precursor of Arab Spring of 2011 country prepares to vote on its new constitution prior to the presidential election, expected before the end of the year. The day Friday was declared a day of national mourning.

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Murder of Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman paid

 

It is a verdict that could revive tensions between the black and white communities in the United States. George Zimmerman was tried, Saturday, July 13, not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin, a black 17 year old shot and killed last year in Florida The jury of six women. – five white, one Hispanic – deliberated more than 16 hours before deciding to 22h (2h GMT Sunday, July 14).

"Mr. Zimmerman, I signed the judgment for the jury's verdict. Your electronic bracelet you will be removed at the exit of this room. And you have nothing to do with this court, "said Justice Deborah Nelson in a brief statement after the verdict was read.

George Zimmerman, which was punishable by life imprisonment, remained marble to the verdict before a smile of relief, while his parents hugged and his wife founded into tears. "I think the trial of George Zimmerman was outrageous," said his lawyer Don West. "I'm happy for George Zimmerman, but I'm also excited that the jury made sure that this tragedy does not turn to parody," he added.

Indignation

The verdict, however, sparked outrage among the dozens of people came to express their support for the victim's parents in court Sanford. However, they did not attend the hearing. Many protesters chanted: "No justice, no peace." "Although my heart is broken, my faith is intact. Together, we can ensure that this does not happen again, "he wrote his father by Tracy Martin on Twitter now.

The Hispanic and 29 years old original defendant said he was attacked by Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed at the time. For the floor, George Zimmerman, volunteer vigil in his neighborhood who believed himself invested with an official mission, was chased and shot without justification.

He could be convicted of murder without premeditation, but the jury has therefore retained no charges. "Today, justice has betrayed Trayvon Martin and his family," indignant Roslyn Brock, president of the National Association of Colored People, said in a statement.

"Despair"

"We immediately invited the Justice Department to conduct an investigation into civil rights violations committed against Trayvon Martin. This case has given new impetus to the movement to end racial profiling in the United States, "she adds.

"Avoid violence, it would lead to further tragedies. Find a way to build, not destroy you in this time of despair, "he wrote on his Pastor Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist, on Twitter.

It happened February 26, 2012 in Sanford has not been the subject of a brief in the local newspaper if the police had immediately proceeded to arrest George Zimmerman.

Believing that he had acted in self-defense, the police have arrested a month and a half after the death of Trayvon Martin, which gave place in large demonstrations across the country. 

No trouble reported at this time Barack Obama has even commented on this case, which led to the resignation of the police chief of Sanford and attracted the attention of the Department of Justice in this town of 54,000 souls nearby Disney World in Orlando.

Bernie the Rionda, the prosecutor handling the case, and his two deputies have expressed "disappointment" with the outcome of the trial. "But we accept it. We live in a great country with a great judicial system. It is not perfect, but it is the best in the world and we respect the jury's verdict, "he said.

According to the Seminole County Sheriff, no trouble was reported in Sanford, whose population is 30% black. The leaders of the defense committees Trayvon Martin had called for calm Friday, whatever the verdict. "If Zimmerman is convicted, he should be no jubilation inappropriate, because a young man lost his life," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, activist civil rights. "If he is not convicted, we will avoid violence because it only leads to more tragedies," he asked.

According to FRANCE 24's correspondent in Washington, Philippe Gassot, there will still protests, "these protests that led Zimmerman to justice." , Politicians should also respond quickly Philippe Gassot remember the little phrase of Barack Obama, who had intervened in the case, stating that "Trayvon Martin could be one of his children."

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UNITED KINGDOM: Kate and William: the baby was worth 284 million euros

 

God save the baby. The birth of the first child of Prince William and his wife Kate, scheduled for July 13, will bring a nice windfall for the UK economy. In a study published Monday, June 17, the Centre for Retail Research (CRR – Center for Studies on retail sales) estimates the positive impact of 243 million pounds (or 284 million).

This time consumerist whip anticipated could be good for a British economy, with growth of 0.3% over the first three months of 2013, fight against a return to recession. For the British research institute report's author, the joy of his subjects majesty Queen Elizabeth II is, above all, result in an orgy of festive spending (87 million pounds, 101 million ) alcohol and food. "In true British tradition, celebrate the birth will primarily grow 4.8 million Britons toast to the health of the newborn and nearly three million bottles of champagne should be open on this occasion, "said the CRR.

The star stroller

Buying children's toys and souvenirs (80 million pounds – € 93.5 million), as well as the sale of books and DVDs dedicated to the royal couple and the birth (76 million Sterling – € 89 million) complete the spending spree announced.

Even if it is forecast that these numbers do not come out of nowhere. Royal events traditionally relate much to the British economy. The marriage of the royal couple had thus raised a whopping 530 million pounds of sales souvenirs, books and others.

The benefits can also be positive for some than for others. Thus all manufacturers of strollers hope that Kate and William will choose to ride their brand new baby. "The royal family that has adopted for their arrival [highly publicized, Ed] at Buckingham Palace will undoubtedly become the star of the sales this year," says Joshua Bamfield, Director of the Centre for Retail Research. On the subject, rumors are rife in the British popular press and Dutch brand Bugaboo now looks set to win the jackpot (and bell) of this birth.

ISRAEL: The Israeli army revived the Six-Day War on Twitter

 

Forty-six years after the Six-Day War, the Israeli army has decided to immerse users in the past through Twitter. On a dedicated account especially the conflict @ IDF1967, messages in Hebrew revive in real time what flash conflict between the 5 to 10 June 1967 Israel & rsquo , Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

"In response to repeated provocations of Egypt, the State of Israel and the army entered the war. We will not sit idly by while the enemy forces tighten the noose around our necks, "could be read in the first tweet posted on June 5.

Hour by hour, this account tells the story of the war which ended in a defeat of the Arab countries and the occupation by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Arab Jerusalem. Photos and videos from the era are also available online. It finds pictures of Yitzhak Rabin, who was then Chief of Staff of the IDF.

"There is the old media and there is Twitter. Forty-six years after the outbreak of the Six-Day War, we replay this great war, "said another Twitter message.

IDF fan of social networking

For Amnon Aran, a political science professor at the University of London, this initiative of the IDF is not new. "The Israeli army uses the Internet extensively. She has done against Hamas, "said FRANCE 24 that specializes in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, referring to the operation against Gaza by Israel in November 2012. The army of the Jewish state was then extensively used social networks to communicate in real time on the offensive against Hamas.

But unlike the virtual campaign last fall, the new operation does not have an international focus. For Amnon Aran, Israel seeks above all to mark the anniversary of the conflict "to reaffirm glorify the war in Israeli society. This is for those who want to remember this victory. " As proof, the IDF uses only Hebrew on this Twitter account. "If they wanted to make propaganda, they would have chosen English. This is ultimately neither neutral nor propaganda. This addresses the Israeli collective memory in the first place, "said the researcher.

IDF also reveals no new information on the conflict or documents kept secret. "These are things that can be found in books or academic work, note Amnon Aran, who carefully read the published since June 5 messages. These are mainly military facts. They do not talk about politics. "

In a message on the first day of the war, @ IDF1967 recounts: "Earlier, we heavily bombed Syrian batteries that had previously fired shells to Rosh Pina."

The Twitter account is part of a series of very popular projects to revive history in real time. Since August 2011, the account @ RealTimeWWII, attended by more than 280,000 subscribers, recounts the events of the Second World War. @ TitanicRealTime, which counts more than 70,000 users, was also allowed to live until April last minute by minute the sinking of the famous ocean liner in 1912.

EUROPE: Brussels limit the use of three pesticides to protect bees

 

Good news for bees. Three deadly pesticides for them, marketed by Bayer and Syngenta industry are in the viewfinder of the European Commission confirmed Friday, May 24 its decision to restrict their use for two years. "The restrictions will come into force on 1 December 2013 and will be reviewed at the latest within two years. They aim pesticides used in the treatment of plants, including cereals, attracting bees and pollinators, "the Commission said in a statement. Pesticides have been identified as one of several factors that may be responsible for the decline of bees.

These restrictions apply to the use of three neonicotinoids (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) for seed treatment, soil application (granular) and treatment foliage plants, including cereals (with the exception of winter cereals), which attract bees.

A decision supported by 15 countries

Member States will have to remove or modify existing authorizations to comply with the restrictions of the European Union by 30 September 2013. They may authorize the use of existing stocks until 30 November at the latest, the Commission said, adding that "national authorities are responsible for compliance with restrictions."

The Commission decision was supported by fifteen countries, including France and Germany, in a vote late April. Eight, including the United Kingdom, Italy and Hungary, and four voted against, including Ireland, the current President of the EU abstained. "Last month, I promised to face many risks identified in the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority, to do everything in my power to ensure the protection of our bee population, "said Tonio Borg, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, in a statement.

The remaining authorized uses will be reserved for professionals. Exceptions will be limited to the possibility of treating crops attractive to bees in greenhouses and in open fields only after flowering, the Commission said …… ..

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FRANCE: The CAC 40 is found for the first time it was before the European crisis

 

The Paris Bourse has passed the symbolic threshold of 4,000 points on Friday, still boosted by accommodative monetary policies of central banks around the world.

At 24:07, the CAC 40 index took 0.51% to 3999.50 points, after briefly traded above the 4,000 points level reached for the last time on July 7 2011, before the turmoil of the debt crisis in the eurozone.

The Paris index started the session in the red before recovering gradually in the absence of major economic news.

The German Dax and Dow Jones also

The CAC 40, however, is still far from its peak in September 2000, where he was approached 7,000 points. A few months after the collapse of the financial institution Lehman Brothers, it fell to 2,500 points in March 2009.

In recent weeks, the stock market rose almost continuously in the hope that central banks continue their accommodative monetary policy, given some reassuring economic indicators of the two sides of the Atlantic.

The Dax in Frankfurt, as the Dow and the broader S & P 500 in the United States have recently reached record highs.

"The markets are rising because the rates are very low everywhere and investors seeking yield, which causes them to take more risks," said Eric Turjeman, head of equities at Amundi management expertise .

AFP

DIPLOMACY: UN declaration "historic" on violence against women

 

Western and Muslim countries have overcome their deep divisions Friday to agree on a statement by the UN described as historic denouncing violence against women and sets a code of conduct to combat .

After nearly two weeks of talks in New York between the 193 member states of the UN, Iran, Libya, Sudan and other Muslim countries originally trè , s reluctant agreed to include this statement in a paragraph emphasizing that violence against women and girls could not be justified "by any custom, tradition or religious consideration."

For their part, Western countries, notably in Scandinavia, pushing the adoption of a vigorous made concessions on the terms of the rights of homosexuals and sexual rights.

Over 6.000 representatives of civil society participated since March 4 this 57th annual UN Commission on the Status of Women. Applause and cheers greeted the announcement of the adoption of the text late Friday night at the UN headquarters in New York.

Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, described the meeting as "historic." Just after the UN announced that Ms. Bachelet left his post to resume his political career in Chile, where she was president.

During the negotiations, Iran, the Vatican and Russia were leagued in a conservative alliance, according to diplomats to try to sweeten the draft final declaration supported by United States, Canada and Europe, including Norway and Denmark. The impasse threatened until the last minute to derail the meeting, as was the case in 2003.

Conservative countries as opposed to that of forced sex to a woman by her husband or partner be considered rape and challenged references in the text to the right , abortion.

Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt said Friday that the text under discussion in the UN was contrary to Islam and lead to the "total forfeiture of society" and in case of adoption. 

"The Commission urges States strongly condemn all forms of violence against women and girls and refrain from invoking any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligation to end" this violence, the declaration proclaims.

She adds that states must "pay particular attention to the abolition of discriminatory laws and practices against women and girls or perpetuating or consider acceptable violence in their respect. "

Countries should "treat and eradicate domestic violence a priority," says the text. 

"This is the type of language likely to cringe in Iran and other Muslim countries who advocate radical Islam," said a Western diplomat present at the meeting.

The conference was held in the context of mobilization after Taliban attack in October against a teenager Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, struggling to promote the education of girls in her country, and gang rape a young Indian woman last December.

According to a World Bank report mentioned at the conference, women aged 15-44 years are more likely to die a violent death than malaria, AIDS or cancer combined.

AFP

KENYA: Kenyan Presidential: impatience and suspicions over the delay results

 

Forty-eight hours after the close of voting, the winner of the presidential election to Kenya was still waiting Wednesday. While recounts of ballots were delayed, the climate of anxiety grows with the population, for whom the memory of the 2007 presidential bloodbath is still present.

According to Stephanie Braquehais, FRANCE 24 correspondent on the scene, expensive electronic system, allowing a quick count of votes, did not work. "It comes back to a manual count. Agents throughout the country are back with the official documents at the headquarters of the Commission "she says.

Kenyatta threatened by invalid votes

The biggest dispute: invalid votes. The Commission supports the inclusion of the latter in the total count. However, the coalition of outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, head according to the first partial results, opposes it. "It is almost more than 5% of invalid votes," says Stephanie Braquehais, "if these votes are counted, it would mean that Kenyatta – which exceeded 50% approximately 40% of polling stations – could fall below the 50% mark. This would pave the way for a second round. "

Out of the question for the clan the son of the first president of the country, believes that this calculation could deprive him of a victory in the first round against his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga .

The large number of invalid ballots is attributed to the complexity of the poll: Kenyans voted for six elections. In addition to electing a new president, voters had indeed appoint their deputies, senators, governors, members of the departmental assemblies and a quota women in the National Assembly.

The bad memories of 2007

These delays in the dissemination of results are all the more difficult to bear they revive the fear scenario to reproduce 2007, according to an activist quoted by Stephanie Braquehais.

"More delays continue, the credibility of the Election Commission is in question. And if credibility is in question, then the speculation began to circulate, "explains reporter. In fact, political parties have already accused each other of cheating.

In 2007, the announcement of the defeat of Mr Odinga face to President Mwai Kibaki led to the worst violence since the country's independence. More than 1,000 people were killed and 600,000 displaced. As the candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, it must be held in April by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity related to his alleged involvement in the organization of violence.

Dozens of policemen injured in sectarian violence in Belfast

 

AFP – Forty-seven police officers were injured Sunday in sectarian violence in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, during a parade organized by supporters of a connection to the Ireland, according to a new report from the police announced Monday.

The previous record had reported 10 police officers injured.

Loyal members of the Protestant community, in favor of keeping Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, Sunday tried to disrupt a march organized by Republicans Catholic supporters of attachment to the Ireland. Both sides have attacked police who tried to keep them at bay.

The police were covered by bricks, stones and Molotov cocktails. Four were hospitalized and 43 were treated for minor injuries.

"I am both angry and sad that my men were targeted by an attack as important," said one of the police officers in Northern Ireland, George Clarke.

"The problems are not only the lives of people in danger, but (…) we are also wasting a lot of money that could be better used for schools and hospitals," he added. "Violence can not be a solution," he said, adding that calm had returned in the night from Sunday to Monday.

Northern Ireland has witnessed three decades of intercommunal strife that have some 3,500 dead. A peace agreement was signed in 1998, but sporadic violence still occur.

DIPLOMACY: Turkey urges UN to set up refugee camps in Syria

 

The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu ask

Thursday dice UN to implement "without delay" camps in Syrian territory to retain the Syrians candidates for exile.

Speaking before the Council, he stressed that Turkey could soon face an influx of Syrian refugees on its soil. 80,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey, 4,000 cross the border every day and 10,000 expect this boundary to pass, he said.

Recalling that the UN says there are more than 2 million people displaced in Syria, the Turkish minister added: "faced with such a humanitarian disaster, the UN must begin é establish without delay IDP camps inside Syria. "

"It is obvious that these camps will receive full protection," he said, without specifying how to protect them. 

Turkey "can not cope with the current flood of refugees," said the minister advocating "party focus now on the measures to be taken within the borders of Syria. "