EGYPT – REPORT: In pictures: Bibles burned and charred walls of a Coptic church in Giza

 

Lost at the end of a dusty alley of Giza, the Coptic church Kordossa neighborhood seems strangely quiet Sunday, August 18, a few hours of Sunday mass. Simply push the heavy iron gate in a painting depicting the Archangel Michael to enter any anxiety that plagues the Christian minority in Egypt since the crushing of protests conducive to Islamist ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

The church is more than an empty shell, with arches and blackened ceiling show a violent fire. Some benches half charred were pushed into a corner of the building, the remains of religious robes and Arabic-language Bibles are visible among the ashes. The caretaker of the church, Reda Abdallah, shows team FRANCE 24 the extent of damage and returns to the course of the attack, which occurred on Aug. 14 , t last, at the same time gave the Egyptian forces storm the main camp to the pro-Morsi Rabaa mosque in Cairo.

"Islamiya, Islamiya" "We first heard the cries out … The cries of an angry crowd chanting" Islamiya, Islamiya! ' and chanting slogans against our pope [the Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II] and General Al-Sissi. There were about a thousand people, mostly young people from 20 to 25 years, but also some older people. Many of them were armed with sticks and knives, they came here directly after ransacked the local police, "recalls Reda Abdallah.

Faced with this hysterical crowd, the keeper had no choice but to escape through the back door. The locks of the outer portal did not take long face the attackers. Between 16:30 and 18 pm, they have methodically vandalized the entire site, setting fire to the church and the adjoining room parties, while scoring Islamist slogans on the walls outside. Three people were injured in the attack. Not a police officer came to investigate on the spot

The young Coptic Korollos Khalil attended the scene from the roof of his house, which adjoins one of the buildings burned. He also reviews the way his father was busy frantically to water the inside wall of the housing to prevent it from catching fire in turn. "I could not even touch the wall with my hand it was so hot!" Exclaims the child of eight years, still shocked by the violence of the attack.

His parents tried to alert the authorities. In vain.

"My husband and I called the police a hundred times. Sometimes the police said they were coming … but they never came, "says the mother of Korollos Khalil. The caretaker of the church confirmed that no police officer has visited the site to investigate between the date of the attack on 14 August, and the arrival of the team of FRANCE 24 , Aug. 18.

Abandoned to their fate, the Coptic Kordossa could not count on the solidarity of the immediate vicinity – predominantly Muslim. Elsam Ahmed, who lives 20 meters from the church, said he received two wounded Copts home. The man of fifty years described the attackers as "addicts, lowlifes, thieves took away fridges and everything they could find."

Despite the vocal support of the Patriarch Tawadros II General Al-Sissi, the Coptic Kerdassa fear being released by the police in the event of another attack pro-Morsi. "We are afraid for our children, our fate is in God's hands," says Reda Abdallah with a resigned air.

NATURE: The olinguito a new mammal out of the fog cloud forests

 

So far the olenguito did not officially exist. Certainly, this small family pet raccoons already lived for hundreds of years quietly in South America, but nobody knew it was an unlisted animal ,. A team of researchers from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington revealed, Thursday, August 15, this new species of carnivorous mammals.

"When you look at it, we just feel that it is a cross between a big cat and a teddy bear," said Kristopher Helgen, zoologist at the Smithsonian and specialist mammals . No new carnivorous mammal had been found in the western hemisphere since the Colombian weasel in 1978.

Importantly, the identification work conducted by the research team for a decade has put an end to a scientific error of nearly 100 years. The man was, in fact, already seen olinguitos before. "There has even been one that has wandered from zoo zoo in the United States," said Kristopher Helgen. But until now, they were confused with their cousins, the olingos. "Yet olinguitos are smaller, do not have the same coat and if you look well resemble very little to olingos" said Kristopher Helgen.

A carnivore that eats fruits

To make sure they were in the presence of a new species, scientists have made in the Andes. Specifically in the cloud forests of Ecuador and Colombia. This is where they found and studied olinguitos for several years. They then realized that this little carnivore … ate mostly fruits. It is certainly rare, but not impossible: the biological order Carnivora is a collection of animals (lions, cats, bears, etc..) That originally ate all the meat but some, such as Panda, changed diet.

The olinguitos are solitary about 75 cm long that live in trees "which they descend almost never" animals, says Kristopher Helgen. The research team also found that the new species was not endangered and there are currently a number thousands in South America. Watching them, they found it was not that kind of olinguitos, but there were actually four subspecies. "I do not think we discovered before long a new species that has many subspecies," says Kristopher Helgen.

Other new mammals remain to be discovered promises that zoologist, who is currently studying several possible new species. At the company's information, Google maps and other technologies, meeting with olinguitos proves, according to Kristopher Helgen that "the Age of Discovery new animals is far from over. "

PRESIDENTIAL MALI: Mali: the challenges facing the next president

 

Who Ibrahim Boubacar Keita or Soumaila Cisse will be called to preside over the destinies of Mali? This Sunday, August 11, some 6.9 million voters Mali will have to decide between the two finalists in the presidential election, which, in the absence of pre-program cis, seem to further highlight their personality as their vision of the country for the five years to come.

The burning issues, however, are not lacking in this country economically paralyzed from the military coup of 22 March 2012 that toppled President Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT). Endemic corruption, disobedience of the army, Tuareg separatists jolts northern and jihadist threat … The ability of the next head of state to quickly address these questions depends longevity in power.

Economic reconstruction

These are the reins of a nation just emerging from war that inherit the future Malian leader. Pointing country before the war, the 175th (out of 187) of the classification developed by the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), Mali's GDP to contract by 1.5% during the events of 2012. A decline would have been even more so without revenues, including the exploitation of gold mines in South untouched by the fighting.

"The reconstruction especially for the north, where the Islamist insurgency and the French intervention destroyed the entire infrastructure of the three major cities of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, observes Michel Galy, professor of gen , opolitique the Institute of International Relations in Paris. But after reconstruction comes time development. For over 30 years, if not 50, nothing has been done to the north, where thousands of CFA francs invested were scattered in the sands of corruption. In this region, especially in the Tuareg villages, there are no schools, no wells, no roads, no health centers. Everything is done. "

"Malians expect the next president homogenization of wealth between the center and the outskirts of the north and south of the country abounds Emmanuel Dupuy, a specialist in international relations in the prospective Institute and Security in Europe (IPSE) he leads. The new government will work towards the development of Mali basement designate foreign companies can operate and then distribute the windfall across the country . "

Aware that regional inequalities are a source of instability, the international community has also conditioned the granting of its 3 billion euros of aid that they are equitably distributed s, especially in the North.

It is also necessary that the northern half, cut the rest of the country during the Islamic occupation, or with institutions capable of managing money. "The economic recovery through the restoration of administrative bases throughout the country. This is one of the major challenges of the future head of state ", Emmanuel Dupuy analysis.

National reconciliation

Halved after the coup jihadists, which was then associated with the Tuareg rebellion, Mali has again its territorial sovereignty since the military intervention French in early 2013. Nevertheless, in some parts of the North, including in Kidal, the Tuareg irredentism experiencing some turbulence. "The Tuareg rebels were present in five countries in Mali but they represent only a residual military force, says Michel Galy. They remained neutral during the campaign mainly because they expect the release of new negotiations that the future president will have to organize, under the terms of the preliminary peace agreement, within 60 days after election to define the status of the Azawad claimed by the rebels. "area

Weakened, divided, the Tuareg separatist movement has much to do for the autonomy of the region. "It will be difficult for the new president to give their view of the nationalist turn What made the campaign. At best, the MNLA [National Liberation Movement of Azawad] may benefit from decentralization, which would apply to the whole country. "

For experts, the Tuareg issue, however, is only part of the reconquest of national unity. "The head of state should make an extra effort vis-à-vis all the Malian people and not just Touareg MNLA says Emmanuel Dupuy. From a political point of view, it must involve the losers of the election. In view of the irregularities that took place during the first round, it may be that the president is elected with a number, after all, limited voice. The weakness of the score so the force to agree with the representatives of other political parties to form a government. To meet the country and meet its challenges, the president whatsoever must find a way to reach some sort of national consensus. "

This strategy may prove to be risky. "If the new president based his power on the consensus, then enroll in the right policy of former President ATT online. And it is this that caused his fall, says André Bourgeot, director of research at CNRS. Meanwhile, Malians ask the next president to establish strong institutions capable, for example, to fight corruption. But this does not happen on the political mégotage. "

The role of the army

Although they quickly left office after the coup, the military, who love nothing less than to feel abandoned by the state, remain a source of instability in a country accustomed , to coups. "The new government will have to consider how to restore the concept of a republican army, which is not yet complete. It is a work reorganization can take time, "says André Bourgeot. "The real challenge is to remind the military obligations and duties of protecting the sovereignty of Mali," insists his part Emmanuel Dupuy.

But then, the Malian armed forces are not the only ones to carry out this mission. Since the war, some 12,000 foreign soldiers, including 3,000 French still are deployed on the territory under the International Support Mission in Mali (Misma). Support which, for many observers, can be interpreted as a trusteeship Malian military. "The president must show that his army can perform the same tasks that foreign troops and will work for a better division of labor between international forces and soldiers Malian, "said Emmanuel Dupuy.

But for the researcher, rather than the army, is a Malian youth who might oppose frontally new power. "It is feared that this impromptu election inadequately prepared and organized in a hurry does not meet the challenges of rejuvenation and urbanization of its population . Discontent may occur otherwise, not necessarily by a coup. I think qu'IBK as Cissé know that if they are elected, their terms will not be a mandate that will lead to an end. "

GIBRALTAR – SPAIN: Fishing, new bone of contention between Gibraltar and Spain

 

Gibraltar, a British territory south of Spain, the major stumbling block in relations between London and Madrid, is again at the center of tensions. At the origin of the dispute, the decision of the British government to jettison 70 concrete blocks bristling with spikes designed to prevent the passage of trawlers and attract fish. Spanish fishermen have seen in the construction of this artificial barrier, which exists in various places on the Spanish coast, a sign of hostility from the "Rock" for them.

Before the British insult, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs therefore sounded "the end of recess." A series of restrictive measures, which we are assured Spanish side are unrelated to the concreting of the British enclave ensued.

Spanish replica

Controls at customs border by which moved every day thousands of British, were first reinforced, creating waiting queues several hours. The technique, quite legally, is well known to residents of Gibraltar during a diplomatic crisis. On Monday, the head of the government of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, has accused Spain of deliberately inflicting unnecessary for children queues, "the elderly and disabled persons, citizens of the European Union, in high temperatures "for revenge.

The zeal of the customs officers of the conflict is "a completely independent thing," insisted the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, in an interview granted e Sunday newspaper "ABC". The Minister of People's Party, also added to his defense that Spain had a duty to firmly control "smuggling, money laundering and smuggling." It is well known, quipped "El País" Gibraltar "a den of pirates, a nest of smugglers and a haven for fraudsters."  

Threats on the Rock

The Spanish authorities have also banned the passage of Concrete customs and now are threatening a fee of 50 euros for entry and exit of each vehicle, to reduce congestion at the border … caused by the Spanish police.

Madrid also launched the idea of ​​strengthening tax audits, review the grant of 60,000 telephone lines and regulate the thriving trade in paris online, or to limit the air traffic.

Of "reminiscences" of francisme

Measures "disproportionate" indignant London who said "seriously concerned" about these tensions. "We want an explanation from [the Spanish government] about reports that it could take further action against Gibraltar", announced Monday a spokesman for David Cameron.

The tone is up a notch with the local government of Gibraltar compared the Spanish threat to "clear reminiscences policies and tactics developed against Gibraltar by the fascist Franco regime in the 1950s and 1960s. "

The Spanish opposition sees, for its part, in this case a perfect opportunity found by the government to distract and stifle political and financial scandal, the Bárcenas case in which the Rajoy government mired for weeks.

FOOTBALL: The Argentine "Tata" Martino, new coach of FC Barcelona

 

Less than a week after the announcement of the departure of Tito Vilanova, who must undergo a new operation of his cancer, FC Barcelona has already hired a new coach.

The Catalan club officially announced Tuesday, July 23, have offered the services of Argentine Gerardo Martino.

"FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Gerardo Martino to become the first coach of the football team for the next two seasons. The drafting and signing of the contract are pending, "reads the official website of the Spanish Champion team.

Since the beginning of the week, the Spanish press was already echoing the arrival of Argentine coach, who should bring in his luggage his current deputy Jorge Pautasso and its pre physical separator, Elvio Paolorroso.

"A game-oriented offensive"

Known as the "Tata" (grandfather in Spanish), the new coach of the Blaugrana, aged 50, has directed several clubs in South America. This was made known in 2007 as coach of the Paraguay he had conducted in 2010 in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Since 2011 he was the head of the Argentine team of Rosario, Newell's Old Boys, where he played as a midfielder in the 80s. Last month, he led his players to victory in the final tournament of the Argentine championship.

Hailing from Rosario as Lionel Messi, Gerardo Martino has already favored by the star of FC Barcelona. "I love Gerardo Martino. It is a great coach," said last year was the star striker to the newspaper Ole.

His brother, Matias Messi, has also welcomed his arrival on his Twitter account saying: "Welcome to Tata! Everything goes well, and continues on track. "

According to the Catalan daily Sport, the new coach of Barça supporter "of a game vocation clearly offensive." He became the fourth coach of Argentine club history after Helenio Herrera (1958-1960), Roque Olsen (1965-1967) and César Luis Menotti (1983-1984).

With news

Crash in San Francisco: a third victim has died

 

A third person, injured July 6 in the crash of Asiana flight 214 to San Francisco, succumbed to his injuries, said Friday the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH).

The victim, a "minor" whose condition was "critical" for a week, died Friday morning, said in a statement setting .

His death adds to those of two Chinese girls, declared dead the day of the crash.

"A minor who was injured in the crash of Asiana Airlines died this morning. This is a girl who was in critical condition and died of his injuries, "said the hospital.

"Parents have asked us not to give additional information (on the victim) for the moment," added the facility.

Two injured treated SFGH, which hosted the largest number of injuries after the accident, are still in critical condition.

The first results of the investigation into the cause of the crash, led by the U.S. Agency Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), indicate that the aircraft was much too slow and too low in its approach to the runway.

The tail section broke off after hitting a dike separating the trail of a body of water. The plane then crashed into the stomach, before catching fire.

The pilot of the plane, which was being qualified on the Boeing 777 co-pilot and his instructor, which was the first flight as a trainer, have started talking among themselves low speed of the aircraft at the last minute, less than ten seconds before the crash, according to conversations recorded by the black boxes.

The Asiana Airlines flight 214, the second South Korean company, was carrying 307 people, 123 of which are from the accident unscathed.

AFP

CINEMA: "Hijacking" Somali piracy seen by the Danish Film

 

To make a force of international news, attacks of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean would one day be brought to the big screen. This fall, the United States, is expected "Captain Phillips", a film by Paul Greengrass with Tom Hanks and Catherine Keener in the title roles, which returns to the recent hijacking of a cargo U.S..

Outside Hollywood, Danish cinema has also discussed the issue with "Hijacking", panting and effective thriller Tobias Lindholm who, after receiving a warm welcome at the last Festival Venice, out Wednesday, July 10 in French theaters. 

Far from Hollywood guns

"Hijacking" back on two recently held hostage by Somali pirates on Danish oil and the film could have been lost in the water, sometimes disorders of the film "inspired by facts re , LIVE "in which more than a filmmaker could not avoid the wreck. But control and dexterity with which Tobias Lindholm directs his story – and plans held camera – allow him to avoid the many pitfalls of such .

The main highlight of this deeply human drama is in two characters: on one side, the ragged and bon vivant Mikkel (Pilou Asbaek), chef of the crew forced to play intermediate between pirates and employers, on the other, the austere Peter (Soren Malling), CEO of the Danish owner of the cargo company, which insists on not wanting to negotiate that & rsquo , with the attackers present on the ship. More than a meticulous reconstruction of a news story, "Hijacking" portrays two men brought, despite themselves, to manage an extreme emergency.

In fact, Tobias Lindholm is far from Hollywood guns. Here, no martial music, finely chopped editing, slow motion sequences heroic or breast tears with families of the hostages desperately waiting for news. The storming of the ship, which could ensure a great time sensational, is not even shown on the screen

.

Claustrophobia and intimate violence

The action scenes vitamin content, the Danish filmmaker rather claustrophobic anxiety of the hostages, cloistered in tiny cabins for months and Calvary subdued violence cold negotiations sanitized offices of Danish oil company.

Along the way, the film leaves its protagonists gradually shed their stereotypical traits to be in the public eye. Peter, for example, is not an uncompromising and ruthless boss with fine glasses. It is measured as a man whose sense of responsibility willingly push to pay any ransom to ensure the safe life for its employees.

Similarly, Omar (Abdihakin Asgar), the English spokesman for pirates, is more affable than actually threatening. In fact, Tobias Lindholm is careful to portray the attackers as bloodthirsty villains, and no hesitation to show in one of the few scenes of the film hope , trying to sing "Happy Birthday" with their hostages.

What good, after all?

But taking and well-crafted as it is, "Hijacking" ultimately not escape the question "why bother?" Neither pure entertainment or documentary – despite his relentless accuracy when it comes to restoring the facts – the film was not even the ambition to scrutinize, as brilliantly done Kathryn Bigelow "Zero Dark Thirty" the mecha , mechanisms leading to violence and moral sacrifice. 

In the press release of the film, Tobias Lindholm says "Somalis certainly will not agree with that, but the giant fridges sail off their country and I can understand why starving kids want to take it. Why the international community does it do anything? This is a terribly complicated problem. "

Essentially told the Danish point of view, the movie bears no little interest to the geopolitical issues that can lead to acts of piracy in this region. Film captivating and cleverly staged, "Hijacking" remains in the background, too to the surface to create an entire membership.

"Bloody Sunday" and "United 93", made, them, by Paul Greengrass, also followed this path of realistic reproduction of facts which, in spite of many qualities, let viewers a taste of too little. "Bloody Sunday" came back on the events of 30 January 1972 in Northern Ireland, when 14 protesters were killed by gunfire in the British army while "United 93" told the dice , tournement, September 11, the plane that crashed near Pittsburgh.

Hopefully his "Captain Phillips" fits into the no Kathryn Bigelow, which can not cease to admire the ability to overcome the constraints of strict reconstruction to better probe the complexity of the world.

FRANCE: Estrosi for travelers: "You will go, but before you pay"

 

The UMP mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, interviewed Sunday in issuing the Grand Rendez-vous Europe 1 on Roma and Travellers, called "the mayors of France to re flip "and offered them his" how to ".

"I have not let go of anything," he assured, saying he spoke with people from illegally installed on a plot of his city trip. "I went to see him and I said, 'Well, you'll leave.' The community would have replied 'No, we are here for three weeks and it is we who impose on you, Mr. Mayor, to stay there for three weeks, "says the elected . "'I have other mate and I materai" said he had told them.

Estrosi and list the measures put in place if the travelers do not leave. "I'm going to put cameras everywhere to monitor your every move. We will note those returning, those who leave, how minute, when and what you will do in the city […], "said the member of the Alpes-maritimes, always yielding a conversation which he had with members of the community.

Bill of € 620,000

"I'll take the plates one after the other, I referred a court as a precaution to seize vehicles," he explains the antenna. "You know, these beautiful and big cars with which they derive their beautiful and large caravans for which the French, [they] may take a lifetime to have the same [sic]."

The mayor of Nice then said to have introduced a bill of € 620,000 as a result of damage caused by caravans of "two soccer fields [of the city] in which kids can not play back. " "'Not only will you leave but before leaving, you will pay. And if you do not pay, ok, seizure of vehicles and sell them to repay what Nice and French taxpayers do not have to pay ".

Asked about his vision of travelers, the mayor of Nice simply replied: "When you break somewhere between an offender it is." Words that should not displease the former president Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front, last week – just in Nice – had raised the "pre , presence and stinging odor "of the Roma in the municipality.

With news

Egypt: The army launched a 48-hour ultimatum to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi

 

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the chief of staff of the Egyptian army, gave Monday a "last chance" for political leaders to "take their responsibilities to historical circumstances in which the country faces. " In a message read on television message, the military command said that within 48 hours, the people's demands to be satisfied, saying the country could not afford to lose time.

The army could announce his own road

If this deadline is not met, the armed forces announce their own roadmap and measures to overcome the crisis, said Al-Sissi. He also said that the army, which has managed the transition from the fall of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 and the election of Mohamed Morsi summer , last, no longer wished to be involved in politics or government.

This statement was greeted by an explosion of joy on the part of anti-Morsi gathered in Tahrir Square, the nerve center of the dispute. "Morsi is not our President, Sissi with us," chanted the demonstrators.

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, however, did not explicitly ask for the resignation of President Mohamed Morsi, main claim millions of opponents who showed Sunday, June 30

With news

TENNIS: Rafael Nadal's surprise elimination in the first round of Wimbledon

 

Rafael Nadal was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon by Belgian Steve Darcis, world 135th, author of a huge surprise by winning in straight sets 7-6 (7/4 ), 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 on Monday.

This is the first time in his career that Nadal, winner of the London grass in 2008 and 2010, losing in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament.

Further evidence of the immense sensation that rocked Wimbledon since its opening day, the Spaniard was never inclined Grand Slam against a player ranked as badly as Darcis, 135th in World , 29 years.

Already last year, Nadal had left the tournament early with a defeat in the second round against the Czech Lucas Rosol. 

He suffered martyrdom because of his left knee, which was then forced to leave the circuit for seven months.

Revenue in February, he managed an amazing return by reaching the final of the nine tournaments he has played for seven titles in total, including two weeks ago won at Roland Garros.

But on Monday, knee pain, bandaged as usual, seems to have caught since Nadal became increasingly diminished over the game, though, as usual, n ' did not want to dwell on the subject.

"I do not want to talk about my knee this afternoon. All I could say would sound like an excuse. And I do not want that. This is not a good day to talk about it. This is sport, sometimes you play well, sometimes you play bad today not much has worked for me, "he said, refusing to validate the comparison with the defeat of the last year against Rosol.

"It is difficult to adapt to grass, this is probably the most demanding surface for me. I have not found my rhythm, "he added.

Before the tournament, he spoke without any preparation tournament on grass in the legs, he had confided his fear to find a very challenging area for the joints.

Struggling to his backhand from the start, he had more and more difficult to move stop to see his series of 22 consecutive victories since his dice faced Novak Djokovic in the final of Monte Carlo in mid-April.

Thus Darcis, unlikely hero with his 12 disposals in the first round of a Grand Slam in 18 occasions, created the event on the first day of the short N.1 Wimbledon with an ace on match point.

"Nobody expected my victory today. In agreement Nadal did not play his best tennis and I knew that the first match on grass is always difficult. But this is a great victory for me, "said the Belgian, 44th World in 2008 that had won a match so far at Wimbledon.

"Yes, but I've always played on grass, even if it has not necessarily been the case in this tournament. I had already beaten a Top 10 here on the Central with Berdych last year at the Olympics, "said Darcis.

While the Belgian find Polish Lucasz Kubot in the second round defeat Nadal releases a little the way Roger Federer, placed in the same part of the Spanish table and easy winner Romanian Victor Hanescu of Monday in the opening match on Centre.

AFP