Barack Obama begins his European tour

AFP - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived Monday morning in Ireland, the first stage of a European tour a week and land of his ancestors, has been a photographer for AFP on board the presidential plane Air Force One.

The President's plane, which is accompanied by his wife Michelle landed in Dublin about 9:30 (0830 GMT), slightly earlier than expected.

Mr.Obama, who planned to stay 24 hours in Ireland, will hold talks with President Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Enda Kenny, while Ireland is facing a serious economic crisis.

But the highlight of his visit to the island, under high security to be its displacement in the small village of Moneygall, which is from his great-great-great grandfather.

Cobbler's son, the grandfather of Obama, Falmouth Kearney, lived in this village located 130 km from Dublin up to 19 years in 1850 before emigrating to the United States, driven by famine like of thousands of his countrymen.

In this village, waiting for Obama as the prodigal son, still lives a distant cousin of the president, Henry Healy, an accountant for 26 years.

Obama is expected late in the day to speak outdoors on the steps of the Bank of Ireland, in the center of the capital which are expected tens of thousands of people.

On Tuesday, Obama is expected in London.

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israeli Prime Minister rules out any withdrawal to 1967 borders

AFP - Israel has disappointed on Thursday rejected a call by U.S. President Barack Obama to the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state on extending Palestinian Territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, while the Palestinians reacted with caution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out immediately any "withdrawal to 1967 lines," while refraining from frontally oppose to Obama before the meet Friday in Washington.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel for its part to "give the peace process the chance it deserves," the Palestinian leadership calling for "an emergency meeting."

In a highly anticipated speech on the Middle East, Mr.Obama voted for the first time on Thursday for a Palestinian state based on the lines of June 1967, that is to say, the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with exchanges in which both parties would agree to establish secure and recognized borders for both states," said Obama.

But Mr.Netanyahu expressed hope that Obama "would reaffirm commitments" U.S. 2004 "Israel would not withdraw to the June 1967 lines indefensible," said an official statement issued before his departure for the United States.

He emphasized here that these "commitments had received overwhelming support from both houses of Congress," in allusion to the support is often arranged in the past Israel to the U.S. House, before which he is scheduled to speak next Tuesday.

Benjamin Netanyahu has categorically ruled out that the "major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria" are found on the Palestinian side of the border, referring to the major Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank.

He referred to a letter from U.S. President George W.Bush in 2004 to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the time excluding a pure and simple return to the armistice lines of Israel before the war of June 1967, implying an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.

According to his entourage, the Israeli prime minister was "disappointed" by the stance of U.S. President on a number of subjects in the first place "because it did not address the problem of refugees" as Israel hear it, that is to say, excluding the return of Palestinian refugees to Israel.

A senior Israeli official has however downplayed the differences between the two leaders, pointing out that Mr.Obama reiterated the U.S. opposition to the approach of the Palestinians to recognize their state before the UN in September without a peace agreement first.

"We're not worried, but further clarification will be needed," said the official who requested anonymity.

Palestinian side, the spokesman of President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeina, called "Netanyahu's opposition to a return to 1967 borders blow to the efforts of Obama and rejection of peace in the Middle East."

The spokesman also condemned the green light on Thursday by a planning commission of the Interior Ministry to build 1,520 new homes in two neighborhoods of Jewish settlement in occupied East Jerusalem and annexed.

For its part, the spokesman of the Islamist movement Hamas in power in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, called on Bush to "perform concrete actions to protect the rights of Palestinians and the Arab nation."

Mr Abu Zuhri also rejected calls from U.S. President to resume peace negotiations and recognize Israel.

For its part, the head of British diplomacy William Hague has supported the position of Mr. Obama.

"I particularly support the clear message that the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutual exchanges accepted," he said.

IRELAND: Queen Elizabeth II will visit historic and highly monitored in Dublin

Queen Elizabeth II Tuesday began a historic visit to Ireland under surveillance, the first movement of a British monarch since independence in 1922 was troubled by the threat from dissident republicans.

The police are on the warpath in both London and Dublin and Belfast, fearing that Republican dissidents opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland will build upon the movement to attempt a resounding action.

No fewer than 10,000 police and troops deployed in Ireland for a visit and several people were arrested in recent days, suspected of belonging to the dissident republican movement.

On Monday, a bomb threat from dissident Irish republicans caused a commotion of battle police in London. The "Mall" that leads to Buckingham Palace was closed for several hours after an alert, which proved unfounded.

The fear of an assassination of a dissident group was reinforced by threats brandished late April by a masked man at a rally in Londonderry, Northern Ireland."The queen is not welcome," he had started, saying speak on behalf of the Real IRA who is credited with the recent increase of attacks in Ulster, including the murder of a police officer in April.

The tumultuous relationship between Irish and British have largely subsided since the peace accords of 1998 and the first visit by a British monarch since 1911 figure is a gesture of reconciliation.But resentment still against the former colonial power.

At the time of the independence of Ireland, London has retained in her lap the province of Northern Ireland, mostly Protestant.

Sinn Féin, often accused of links with the IRA (Catholic separatists), found the visit "premature," before acknowledging that it represented a "unique opportunity" to establish "a new relationship based on equality and mutual respect ", joining the majority sentiment.81% of Irish people are friendly to visitors, according to a survey.

Tuesday, Elizabeth II is to lay a wreath at the "Garden of Remembrance (Memorial Garden), erected in honor of victims of the war of independence," a powerful symbol of reconciliation, "the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

She must decide Wednesday night a highly anticipated speech, joined for the occasion by Prime Minister David Cameron and the head of British diplomacy, William Hague. The movement will end Friday.

AFGHANISTAN: A suicide attack against a military base kills nine soldiers

Nine soldiers, four and five Afghan Force NATO in Afghanistan (ISAF) were killed Saturday in a suicide attack claimed by Taliban insurgents in the headquarters of the Afghan army to the east the country.

"Five ISAF soldiers were killed in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan," said the NATO force said in a statement without specifying their nationality.

A spokesman for ISAF, Major Tim James, confirmed to AFP that the attack in question was the suicide bombing in the morning in the headquarters of the Afghan army to the east located in the area Gambires near Jalalabad, the largest city in eastern Afghanistan.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed that "four Afghan soldiers were killed and eight people injured, four translators" during the attack.

The ministry said the attack was perpetrated by a suicide bomber who donned a military uniform.

One hundred soldiers of the ISAF, primarily responsible for advising the Afghan army, stationed at this base in the province of Laghman, according to Commander James ISAF.

One of the worst attacks against NATO since 2001

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, contacted by AFP, claimed the attack, among the deadliest for the NATO forces since their arrival in the country in late 2001.

Six NATO soldiers were killed Dec. 12 in southern Afghanistan during an attack.

The attack against the Afghan base is the tenth suicide attack in Afghanistan since early April.It is also the fifth in three days targeting Afghan security forces and international across the country.

On Friday, a suicide bomber managed to penetrate the headquarters, in principle secure, the police in Kandahar, the southern Afghan city, killing the police chief of the province of the same name and two of his bodyguards.

More than 130 000 soldiers present

NATO must send Afghan forces gradually, starting in July and by late 2014, the responsibility for security throughout the territory.

Some 132,000 soldiers from the NATO support the Kabul government against the insurgency since late 2001 by the Taliban, ousted by an international coalition.

Suicide bombings and small mines placed along the road are the favorite weapons the insurgents have focused primarily on the police and Afghan army and foreign troops, but are also numerous civilian casualties.

On 14 March, at least 36 people were killed and forty wounded in a Taliban suicide attack against a military recruiting center in Kunduz, one of the major cities of northern Afghanistan.

The city of Jalalabad was the scene, February 19, one of the most deadly attacks perpetrated in the country in recent years, when many Taliban suicide bombers stormed a bank where police came to collect their wages.Thirty-eight people were killed and 70 injured.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned against a precipitous withdrawal of NATO forces and warned that spring 2011 would probably be "violent" because of Taliban efforts to resume their offensive.

Yemen: President Saleh promised a new constitution and a parliamentary system

AFP - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, subjected to growing popular opposition, promised Thursday a referendum by the end of 2011 on a new constitution paving the way for a parliamentary system demanded by the opposition.

Speaking to thousands gathered in Sanaa, M.Saleh also pledged to "continue to protect" the protesters, whether for or against his regime, after clashes that left at least two dead in violence in the country.

"I propose a new initiative to prevent the country's insurgency," said the Yemeni president, announcing "a referendum before the end of the year on a new constitution clearly stipulates the separation of powers."

He said the Constitution should "establish a parliamentary system, giving all executive powers to a government elected by Parliament in late 2011 or early 2012."

The mandate of MrSaleh, in power for 32 years ending in 2013.

Last week, the head of state, an ally of the United States in the fight against the followers of Osama bin Laden in the region, but increasingly politically isolated, rejected a plan proposed by the crisis opposition for departure before the end of the year.

The opposition had declared then determined to oust him.

Wednesday, medical sources have assured that a young man wounded by police Tuesday night before the University of Sanaa, where camping since February 21 angry students, died in hospital.

The Interior Minister Rashid Metahar Masri denied but Amnesty International has confirmed the death of a protester, calling on authorities to end the night attacks against the demonstrators.

The same day, an official security services said a supporter of the regime had been killed in the province of Hadramout, in south-eastern Yemen.

The U.S. expressed "deep concern" over violence in Yemen."We remain deeply concerned over the continuing violence in Yemen, and we continue to call the security forces, as the demonstrators to show restraint and to refrain from violence," said Mark Toner, a door Speaker of the State Department.

The deteriorating situation in Yemen, a poor country on the Arabian peninsula, had prompted the U.S. State Department to advise its nationals to leave the country.London and Ottawa have also urged their nationals to leave.

The Yemeni regime is challenged since late January with events in Sana'a, Taiz, Aden and the rest of the country.

Since the beginning of the protest movement late January against the regime of President Saleh, thirty people were killed in the violence, according to Amnesty International.

SOMALIA: Allied forces take over a position insurgents Shebab

The pro-government forces resumed Saturday Somali control of a border town with Kenya as part of a major offensive against insurgents Shebab has caused many deaths in the ranks of the African Union force in Mogadishu .

Saturday morning, a coalition of allied forces in TFG troops chased the insurgent town of Bulo Hawo, located on the border with Kenya and Ethiopia, according to several sources.

"We have total control" of the city, told the press Khalif Abdi Mohamed, head of the local district.

Shebab a commander, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the withdrawal of insurgent fighters in the city Saturday, but added that it was a strategic withdrawal.

"We will resume Bulo Hawo.Shebab troops who have withdrawn for military reasons are not far away, "he said.

The Shebab, who profess allegiance to Al Qaeda, control most of southern and central Somalia and vowed the loss of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) backed by the international community.

The pro-government troops who retook the city are made up of militiamen led by local warlord Barre Shire Hirale and members of the armed group Jamaa wal Sunnah Sufi Ahlu, supported, according to several security sources interviewed by AFP, by elements of the Ethiopian army who carried out artillery fire during the fighting.

Bulo Hawo, which adjoins the Kenyan town of Mandera, had already been taken to Shebab in October 2010 before being abandoned a few weeks later by pro-government forces on substantive disagreements with the TFG.

The recent fighting in Bulo Hawo were triggered at the same time as the offensive by government forces and African Union force (AMISOM) in Mogadishu from 19 February.

The simultaneous opening of these fronts - a third was opened in Beledweyne (center-west) - is it seems to stretch the lines Shebab and prevent them from concentrating all their troops in Mogadishu.

After controlling a network of trenches and tunnels in Mogadishu, used by insurgents for their supply and infiltration operations, the TFG forces and the Burundian contingent of AMISOM had delivered Feb. 23 to resume a bloody battle strategic positions in the north of the city.

According to military sources corroborating Amisom recorded in this offensive the biggest losses since its deployment in March 2007, well beyond the eight deaths officially accepted by the force.

"The official date given is completely false.In fact, 43 soldiers of the Burundian contingent of AMISOM were killed, four others were missing and 110 were wounded during the latest offensive joint Somali government in Mogadishu-Amisom, "he told AFP a military source Mogadishu, who requested anonymity, contacted by telephone.

A senior Amisom and the commander of the force refused Saturday to Nairobi to reveal the exact number of casualties in their ranks, preferring to emphasize the importance of the positions listed the insurgents, including the building of the former Ministry of Defence, which dominates the north of the capital, and the former dairy plant.

"The positions we have conquered the past two weeks break the grip of militant extremists in Mogadishu," has provided to the press Wafula Wamunyinyi, deputy representative for Somalia of the Committee of the African Union.

KAZAKHSTAN: President Nazarbayev to call an early presidential election on April 3

AFP - The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has set Friday to advance a presidential election on April 3, after excluding a few days to extend his term by plebiscite, while promising to stay in power.

"In accordance with paragraph 3-1 of Article 41 of the Constitution of Kazakhstan, an early presidential election is scheduled for April 3, 2011," is it stated in the decree signed by Mr. Nazarbayev.

Kazakh President has been elected for seven years in December 2005, winning the election with over 91% of the vote. Subsequently, a constitutional reform has reduced the presidential term to five years while lifting the ban on Mr.Nazarbayev to run again.

The head of the Kazakh state, 70, said Monday the organization of early elections at an unspecified date, rejecting the holding of a referendum to extend his term until 2020 as desired by the Parliament.

Kazakh President, in office for over twenty years and the Soviet period, however, had promised in a speech to the nation late January that he would remain in power as his health permitted.

On Wednesday, the Parliament, where all seats are controlled by the Nur Otan party, headed by the Head of State, adopted a constitutional reform allowing the president to convene a Presidential Early in this former Soviet republic in Central Asia abounding of hydrocrabures.

This revision of the Basic Law following the rejection by Nazarbayev signed an initiative by five million citizens, validated by Parliament for a referendum abolishing the 2012 presidential and 2017 to maintain the head of State in power until 2020.

Power Kazakhstan said this week that the president would be overwhelming victory at the polls early.

"I'm sure Nursultan Nazarbayev won 95.9% of the votes of the electors of Kazakhstan," said a presidential advisor Ermoukhamet Ertysbaïev, in an interview with pro-government newspaper Liter."Like last time, there will be lots of applications from dwarf (policies) that have absolutely no chance," he said.

No election in Kazakhstan has been recognized as free by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since independence in 1991.

Mr. Nazarbayev and his counterpart in Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, is the last two leaders of former Soviet republics to have been leading their countries of Soviet times.

In 2010, Kazakh President has been given the title of Elbassy (Leader of the Nation of Kazakhstan), a status it confers lifetime, the power to decide major policy directions of the country and a lifelong immunity .

The decision of Mr.Nazarbayev did not extend his term by referendum came after sharp criticism from Western allies, the United States and the European Union.

The West generally avoids criticizing Kazakhstan, to maintain good relations with this strategic oil power flanked by Russia and China.

According to NGO human rights, opposition and independent media are repressed, while the country is de facto headed by a single party since the 2007 legislative elections, in which Nur Otan won all the seats.

EGYPT: Police conduct a discreet return to the streets of Cairo

Two days after leaving the army the task of maintaining order in the streets of Cairo, police made his comeback this Monday in the Egyptian capital. It was a test day to the regime of Hosni Mubarak and the demonstrators, who were violently opposed to the service of order on Friday. Started in the morning, this return took place in complete secrecy. These are the first traffic officers who have appeared in the center of the city, followed in the day by uniformed police.

The news has not pleased some of the protesters actually making a difference between the police and the army."The soldiers sympathized with us, nothing to do with police brutality, which are themselves corrupt and sadistic with the people," says Hany, a young protester posted near Tahrir Square in the heart of the capital. Other Cairenes as Imad prefer to laugh. "I admit that I have not really missed and I would have preferred that they remain stashed or on vacation," he said.

Absent subscribers

Deployed sparingly, often very close to the protective shadow of army tanks, police intervene in civil case by case basis. They refrain from provoking the people. Some of them are content to call to order bystanders taking pictures with their phones.In their sights, too, Western journalists, some of which have been confiscated equipment and cameras. Experienced a mishap the previous day by a team of France 2, on the initiative of the intelligence service of the army.

In the districts held by the Muslim Brotherhood, very active in the streets since the start of the protest on January 25, the police remained conspicuously absent. In El-Manial on the island of Rhoda, it is the district vigilance committees that manage the traffic. Sometimes armed with sticks and knives, young people will monitor suspicious movements. Day and night.