Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Conservatives narrowly won the Nationalists are making inroads

AFP - The Conservative members of the alliance outgoing government won a narrow victory in Sunday's parliamentary Finland, where nationalists have achieved a historic breakthrough by becoming the third political force.

Of the 200 parliamentary seats, the Election Commission has granted 44 to the National Coalition (Conservative), 42 Social Democratic party (SDP) which was in opposition and 39 to right-wing nationalist True Finns who are much better though what they had been led to expect the polls.

In terms of votes, the National Coalition won 20.4%, 19.1% before the SDP and the True Finns 19.0%, according to the electoral commission has registered a high turnout of 70.4% against 67.9 % during the 2007 legislative elections.

The fourth largest party, the Center led by outgoing Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi, won 35 seats with 15.8% of votes.

"My dear friends, we wrote the story!" Ignited the head of the National Coalition Jyrki Katainen, which should become the next prime minister.

The True Finns won them 34 seats compared to the outgoing Parliament. From the smallest parliamentary party, they become the third largest.

This result is a personal victory for their charismatic leader Timo Soini has proposed a populist, eurosceptic who has managed the controversial debate on immigration.

"Sometimes it pays to keep his conviction, even if it runs into an obstacle and if it is mocked," he told Mr.Soini his supporters.

"The True Finns have now a deputy in every riding!", He was welcomed.

The True Finns are the only party to have improved over the last legislative elections.

The decline most cooking is the center becomes the fourth political force in the new Parliament, losing 16 seats.

"Of course it's a disappointment, but people have told us what they wanted and we must listen," said Ms Kiviniemi."The conclusion is obvious, with such results, we find ourselves in the opposition," she lamented on air on national television YLE.

She will probably leave the head of government to his Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen because "traditionally, training agree that the leader of the party best represented in terms of seats forms the government," he told AFP political analyst Ilkka Ruostetsaari , University of Tampere.

The National Coalition has been at the helm of several governments in Finland, but until then she has never represented the first force in Parliament.

Mr.Katainen focused during the campaign a very pro-European, particularly on financial aid to members of the EU hit by the crisis. However, the True Finns have made this topic an impassable barrier, insisting that "everything else was negotiable," but not this.

If he becomes Prime Minister, Mr Katainen must therefore be a coalition government, including the SDP would be for business.

For the Socialist leader Jutta Urpilainen, which was so disparaged because of a lack of image and difficulty to appear natural and sincere in public, this result also constitutes a victory.She had been instructed to straighten a party losing ground after he slipped into opposition in 2007.

"I am pleased that our message on employment and justice has been heard by the voters," she said.

"Let's all have fun tonight because tomorrow we go back to work, Finland needs of the Social Democrats!", She proposed to his followers.

The new government should be formed before the end of May.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

At least 126 bodies found in mass graves in the north-east

AFP - Ten more corpses arrived Wednesday at the mortuary of Matamoros from mass graves in the town of San Fernando, north-eastern Mexico, bringing the total to 126 temporary body unearthed since April 1, announced the Justice the State of Tamaulipas.

According to Pedro Efrain Gonzalez, Tamaulipas prosecutors, some of the bodies found were buried for over a year.

The Mexican government awarded Tuesday the responsibility for the crimes and mass graves discovered Zetas cartel.

Another source of prosecutors who requested anonymity, it is likely that the number of bodies found continues to increase as and when research.

"Do not be surprised, we can come to exceed the figure of 180 bodies as research continues and new discoveries are possible," said the source told AFP.

According to the same charge, mass graves, often located several kilometers from each other in the large town of San Fernando, correspond to different cases of violence, not one.

Monday, April 11, 2011

AUTOMOTIVE: The audit report reveals a "serious failings" in Renault

AFP - The audit report made by Renault after the incredible false espionage case that shook the band edge of "serious failings" in the management and appoints officials, said Monday the ministers of Economy and Industry waiting for "lessons" are drawn.

"The reports show there were obvious shortcomings, which include two things: the review of governance rules and sanctions," said Christine Lagarde on France Inter.

"I have instructed state officials to the Board of Directors of Renault support the recommendations of the audit committee," she said.

The French manufacturer, 15% of capital in the hands of the state is holding on Monday its board of governors who must review the audit report on the genesis of this false espionage.

According to the Minister of Industry, Eric Besson, "the audit report said 'there were serious shortcomings that must learn +, and we actually believe that we must learn from these serious malfunctions".

He said on LCI that those responsible for this fiasco in the group "are listed in the audit report," while refusing to reveal their identity.

About the possible resignation of CEO of Renault, Carlos Ghosn, Mr. Besson said he was returning to the board of directors of the group "to learn".For its part, the group's number two Patrick Pelata had offered his resignation which was refused by Mr. Ghosn.

"There will be a board, and I understand that the president of Renault wants to learn from this case by proposing a number of initiatives and reorganizations within its management," he said.

The case "shows a management system and a way to govern who can no longer be perpetuated," he firmly told.

According to the Journal du Dimanche, two other officials of Renault, Christian Husson, legal director, Jean-Yves Coudriou, Chief executives are also on trial.

Mr.Besson, however, refused to comment on the amount of compensation claimed by the three group executives falsely accused of espionage before being dismissed, and according to the weekly Marianne totaled over 11 million euros in total .

"I do not know. It is the Board of Directors today I think the talk", said only Mr. Besson.

He however felt that it was the company to pay these claims, even if "it would be logical" that its leaders are contributing, "he added, recalling that Mr.Ghosn pledged to give up a part of his remuneration as a result of this case.

But according to Minister of Industry, "it can not be astronomical sums that are damaging to the company itself," even if we consider the "moral damage" in this case.

According to Marianne, Michel Balthazar, Rochette and Bertrand Matthieu Tenenbaum demand respectively 3.2 million, 3.4 million and 2.4 million euros in damages for pain and suffering.

These amounts, together with the various redundancy, would climb the addition of over 11 million euros, according to calculations of the weekly.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Parliament elects a young policewoman at the head of the country

AFP - The Kosovo parliament has elected a woman Thursday, police general, Atifete Jahjaga, as President of Kosovo, thus ending a political crisis.

"Based on voting (...) I see qu'Atifete Jahjaga was elected president of Kosovo," said the president before members of the Electoral Commission, Berat Buzhala during an emergency session of the parliament.

A week ago, the Constitutional Court had declared unconstitutional the election of construction magnate Behgjet Pacolli as president, which sparked a political crisis in Kosovo.

The ruling coalition and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the main opposition party, had reached agreement Wednesday on the nomination of Ms. Jahjaga, who was until recently an unknown on the political scene of Kosovo.

Ms. Jahjaga, 36, was elected with 80 votes of 100 deputies present. The other candidate, Suzana Novoberdaliu Alliance for New Kosovo (AKR) Mr. Pacolli, received 10 votes.The Kosovo parliament has 120 seats.

The 16 members of the opposition party boycotted the vote self-determination, accusing the authorities have rushed to organize in order to retain power.

"Until yesterday, I do not even think of taking a high political position, but I was ready to serve my country," said the new president of Kosovo after being sworn in by members.

"The ideal of all Kosovo's accession to the European Union (EU) and a permanent friendship with the United States.I am sure that our dreams will come true, "she added.

The new president of Kosovo is a member of any political party, as his responsibilities within the police forbade it.

Monday, April 4, 2011

PAKISTAN: Taliban claim deadly attack twice in a Sufi shrine

AFP - Two suicide bombers killed Sunday at least 41 people by detonating bombs at the entrance of a Sufi shrine in central Pakistan, a country gripped by a wave of deadly attacks extremely Taliban allied with al-Qaeda police said.

The attack targeted the pilgrims who came to pray at the tomb of Sultan Ahmed, a Sufi saint of the 13th century, more known as Sakhi Sarwar in Dera Ghazi Khan district where the Taliban and other groups their allies are relatively active.

"Two suicide bombers blew up the bombs they were carrying when police tried to prevent them from entering," he told AFP Zahid Hussain Shah, a police officer contacted by phone on the scene.

"For now, we counted 41 dead," he said, adding that more than 70 people were injured.The victims are mostly pilgrims and people from, like every Sunday in many holy shrines of Islam in Pakistan, spend a day with family.

It was the fifth suicide attack in five days in Pakistan.

"Holy War" against Islamabad and Washington

Nearly 4,200 people were killed in three and a half years throughout Pakistan by a wave of more than 450 attacks - suicide for the most part - mostly perpetrated by the Taliban allied with al-Qaeda.

In the summer of 2007, they said - in unison with Osama bin Laden himself - jihad, "holy war" to Islamabad for its support since 2001 to end the "war against terrorism" in Washington .

Their targets are the institutions and security forces but Sunni insurgents multiplied in recent times, attacks against civilians, especially minorities, including Shiites (20% of the population), and symbols of Sufism, two schools of thought in Islam they see as impious and heretical.

Many attacks that targeted Shiites and Sufis (a mystical doctrine which are both followers of Sunni and Shia) have been in recent months by the Taliban or allied groups.

Sunday, two suicide bombers failed to enter the mausoleum, where the crowd is usually very compact every Sunday, prevented by the police now keep all places Sufi saints in the country, confirmed Ahmed Mubarak The police chief in the region.

A senior local official of the security forces told AFP on condition of anonymity, that those responsible for the sanctuary had received threats from militant fundamentalists.

Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab province, is located not far from some tribal areas of north-west frontier with Afghanistan, a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban, the main sanctuary of Al Qaeda worldwide and a rear base for Afghan Taliban .

Pakistani Taliban and their allies claim generally those attacks that target security forces in retaliation, they say, the Pakistani army offensives and the regular shooting of missiles from unmanned drones American CIA to executives of Al-Qaeda and Taliban Pakistani and Afghan tribal areas.

Friday, April 1, 2011

AUTOMOTIVE: The scrapping benefits still to French carmakers

AFP - New car registrations in France jumped 8.9% in the first quarter, taking advantage of the latest effects of scrapping, but new orders began to decline in March, said Friday the Committee of French Automobile (CCFA).

"We have generally done better than expected first quarter, welcomed the President of the CCFA Patrick Blain at a press conference.

In the single month of March, new car registrations rose 6.1% unadjusted.

French carmakers have seen this month on very different trajectories.PSA Peugeot Citroen has reported a 13.5% jump in registrations, especially from his Citroen, while the Renault group fell 12.4% due to supply problems on models of its brand low-cost Dacia.

In the first quarter, registrations yet benefited from the boost from the scrapping. Initially set at 1,000 euros and then gradually reduced to 500 euros last July, this premium ended December 31, but manufacturers had until March to deliver the ordered vehicles.

The market has also benefited from "the good performance of orders" in January and February, "said Blain, but started to weaken in March.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi appears in court for the first time in 8 years

The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi appeared Monday in court in Milan for the first time in eight years, for a preliminary hearing for a possible trial, according to an AFP journalist.

He went directly to car inside the courthouse with his escort to visit the offices of a judge for preliminary hearings on the seventh floor of the imposing Palace of Justice in Milan.

This preliminary hearing, the first of a series of four or five, must be used to decide whether to be tried or not to tax evasion and breach of trust on the alleged overbilling of TV rights bought by Mediatrade-RTI, a company his empire, the Paramount and other U.S. majors.

Mr. Berlusconi made a hand sign to the many cameras waiting outside the entrance.Thirty activists from his party, the People of Freedom (PDL), also were waiting outside with banners proclaiming: "politics at the ballot box not in the courts," "Justice does not exist where there is no freedom "or" Silvio you must resist, resist, resist. "

The hearing scheduled at 08:00 GMT will be held in camera. However, Mr.Berlusconi might make a statement at its output.

Before going into court, the chief government complained in a telephone call to one of its private channels, the charges are "ridiculous and baseless."

He also lashed out at opponents of the leftist opposition, saying that "Italy, communism has never changed, there are still people who use the penal code as an instrument of ideological struggle."