UNITED STATES: Paul Ryan of Wisconsin elected, touted as running mate Mitt Romney

 

AFP – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the White House Saturday morning would reveal the name of his running mate, according to which the media should be elected from Wisconsin (North) Paul Ryan , ending speculation about the identity of his potential vice president if he wins in November.

Mr. Romney must make the announcement to 9:00 (1300 GMT) in Norfolk, Virginia (east), aboard the USS Wisconsin, a ship disused World War II, said Friday evening his campaign in a statement.

Citing sources close to his entourage, television channels CNN and NBC, and the Huffington Post online media, ensure that Mr. Romney chose the representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, 42, who chaired the powerful Budget Committee in the House of Representatives.

Among the names most frequently mentioned in recent days were also the governor of Minnesota (North) Tim Pawlenty, 51, and Senator from Ohio (north) Rob Portman, 56.

One who hopes to unseat Barack Obama on Nov. 6 began Saturday in Virginia in a campaign tour bus in four key states, which led him to North Carolina (east), Florida (southeast) and Ohio (center).

This decision, most important he had to take since launching his presidential campaign, comes two weeks before the national convention of the Republican Party in Tampa, Florida.

This is where Mr. Romney and his running mate will be formally invested to tackle the outgoing Democratic president Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in November.

If the selection of Mr. Ryan was confirmed, it would be bold. Paul Ryan has been a champion of fiscal conservatism to the risk of displeasing the voters undecided.

At 42, he became one of the most influential Republicans in the House of Representatives, by addressing the staggering debt of the State.

The serious face and emaciated, Paul Ryan is far from being a newcomer to politics: it was seven times elected to the House and worked on Capitol Hill, cen ge of the Congress of the United States for nearly half of his life.

It argues for a new branch of the economy, and proposed earlier this year a draft budget supposed to "offer the nation a better way for the future "and" show how we plan to save this country from future debts, doubts and decline ". 

The Conservatives had called Romney to make this bet.

"Choose Paul Ryan, the intellectual leader of the Republican Party, the man who laid the foundations of the political program of the post-Obama," the analyst wrote such neoconservative William Kristol in the Weekly Standard magazine.

The Wall Street Journal had also supported the selection of Mr. Ryan.

Experts stressed, however, that his tax plan and budget is the "political dynamite" that Romney would assume.

The announcement of the choice of running mate comes at a delicate time for Mitt Romney while polls give President Obama a clear lead over his Republican rival who finds himself under pressure at three months of pre Presidential November.

Mr. Obama distance his opponent both in national opinion surveys in most of the dozen states "undecided" that will determine the outcome of the election of November 6.

A national poll released Thursday put Fox News Obama leads with 49% of the vote against 40% for Mr. Romney. Another survey by CNN on the same day gave the outgoing Democratic president to 52% against 45% for M. Romney.

According to experts, Mitt Romney is adversely affected by the attack ads of muscular Democrats, who ridiculed for example her recent trip abroad, or against his tax plan deemed worthy of a "Robin Hood in reverse", taking the middle class to give to millionaires.

Conversely, the continuing economic difficulties the country represent a liability for Obama. And Mr. Romney has a formidable war chest, which could give a decisive advantage in the fall when the presidential campaign in full swing.

OJ – Canoe Slalom: Tony Estanguet: "It's great to finish the story like that"

 

Four years after his failure at the Beijing Olympics, Tony Estanguet has succeeded to win a third Olympic title in a canoe, in the artificial basin of Lee Valley.

At 34, the Pau coming off the apotheosis of his career by becoming the first French to glean three Olympic titles in the same disciple, better that the EPR ist Lamour and judoka David Douillet.

"It's not important to enter the legend. The important thing is to have done, "he said just out of the water.

The charismatic canoist finally outstrips the German Sideris Tasiadis and Olympic champion in Atlanta (1996) and Beijing (2008), Slovakia's Michal Martikan, who was also three in a row and finishes only third ; me.

Listen to his reaction to the micro RFI:

Tony Estanguet, triple Olympic, World and Europe has achieved nothing short of a feat on Tuesday 31 July in the stormy waters of the basin of Lee Valley.

Henceforth, the standard bearer of the delegation tricolor of 2008 aims to join the International Olympic Committee (IOC), through the Athletes' Commission, whose members will be elected during Games for a term of eight years.

FRANCE: The government is strengthening environmental bonus for "clean" cars

 

AFP – The government will increase the environmental bonus for "clean" cars and financially support an automotive players to the penalty, like PSA, which on Wednesday unveiled a loss worse than expected and should detail his plan to cut 8,000 jobs.

The government's plan "fits with a very, very great determination in the recovery of the automotive industry, is an extremely important act, we must deal with emergencies, those social plans, "said Jean-Marc Ayrault, Prime Minister, in the courtyard of the Elysee, at the Council of Ministers has approved. 

President Francois Hollande hailed a "comprehensive plan" and "part time" said the spokesman of the government-Najat Belkacem Vallaud.

The government plans to increase the bonus for electric vehicles of 5,000 euros to 7,000 euros and 2,000 to 4,000 euros for hybrids, but this bonus will be conditioned to maitien sale prices by manufacturers.

It also provides that the State only buy vehicles "urban use" electric. The government should also require the surveillance of the free trade agreement EU-Korea, accused of opening the door to Europe for Korean cars very competitive.

The project provides financing facilities for suppliers and manufacturers in trouble with the drop in auto sales in Europe, and to redirect investment already planned to research and development (R & D).

A total of 350 million euro credit "investment for the future" will be "redirected" to builders, small business bank Oseo should mobilize 150 million euros for "support" ; cash subcontractors, and they may request more than 450 million euros of funding. 

"Good thing"

Aid for innovation are "good thing" responded Philippe Varin, CEO of PSA, the locomotive of French automobile sector which has published some very poor financial performance in the morning .

The group, who concussed the entire industry and government on July 12 by announcing a plan for elimination of 8,000 jobs and the closure would soon be of Aulnay-sous-Bois, suffered a net loss of 819 million euros in the first half, four times higher than anticipated by analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires. Wednesday, ratings agency Fitch has already now downgraded a notch PSA from BB + to "BB" after the publication of interim results.

This did not prevent the action of the group to grow by 1.28% to 6.32 euros in a market up 0.56% to 12:15.

Analysts hailed the efficiency measures of 1.5 billion euros announced Wednesday by 2015.

The performance of the group are scrutinized by the entire automotive industry, and unions who had gathered in central Committee (IAC) this morning at the Paris headquarters of the group, Avenue de la Grand Army.

"It's not for group employees to pay the bill," responded Jean-Pierre Mercier, CGT, after the publication of results. 

Several hundred employees from sites of Aulnay and Rennes had gathered in front of the building in Paris at the foot of a banner "No to the closure of PSA Aulnay", while in a terrible hubbub certain employees shouted "murderer Varin".

Make the most

The elected staff have unanimously requested the appointment of an accountant to review the group's finances. It should begin its mission on Aug. 27, thereby pushing "the machine to temporarily lay off". "It's a small point but in the long war that will lead, it is no small step," says Mercier.

The CEC comes after days of tension with the government and will be an opportunity to learn more about the job cuts, closing of Aulnay-sous-Bois, the reduction in activity Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine) and the impact on other sites.

"We submitted a project for 8000" deletions Post has told the press M. Varin, adding that "technically if you change the number, you repeat the process."

"The proposed plan will result in the form of consultation I hope by the end of this year," he added.

Received Monday by Jean-Marc Ayrault, he was committed to avoid redundancies and to "do their utmost" to "re-industrialization" of the site in Aulnay Under this plan "unacceptable" in the state by President Francois Hollande July 14.

Mr. Ayrault, who is involved in the case, received Wednesday morning Carlos Ghosn, the boss of the other French carmaker, Renault, who made no comment on the plan.

As for Mr. Montebourg, mounted in front of several high profile cases, including Rio Tinto plant in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, threatened with closure, or the ongoing restructuring at Sanofi, it remains critical ;'s processes.

A UMP, François Fillon called it irresponsible, while Jean-Francois Cope accused of "threatening thousands of businesses" and jobs.

"There is an overall plan that should provide strong support to this sector", welcomed the President of the Socialist Group in the National Assembly, Bruno Le Roux.

HEALTH: France remains cautious about the effectiveness of preventive anti-AIDS Truvada

 

Reinforced by the recommendation of a committee of experts, the FDA, the agency that monitors food and medicine in the United States, has authorized the marketing of Truvada on the ground improve ; Rican. Taking a daily basis, the blue pill is intended to reduce the risk of transmission of the AIDS virus in healthy subjects but the risk of contamination is important. Gilead Sciences, the U.S. laboratory that develops the anti-retroviral, indicates that this prophylactic treatment is part of a general prevention device that does not detract from the condom use and other preventive measures. In Europe, we welcome the arrival of this new preventive tool with great care.

"This is a pure history of money!"

If the majority of French associations to fight against AIDS is concerned about the rapid commercialization of such medication, Act Up, she makes no secret of his hostility. Interviewed by FRANCE 24, Hugh Fischer, prevention coordinator within the organization, denounced a race to the money for the benefit of U.S. laboratories. "Gilead Sciences wished at all costs be the first to market the drug for short take its competitors despite all the negative studies published on this subject. This is a story of pure cash! It should have more depth the experimental protocol before launching it on the market. "

Coincidence or coincidence, the marketing authorization comes at one week of the International Conference on AIDS held in Washington from July 22 to 27. A boon for the pharmaceutical company that will touch on this occasion and makers of the European market.

The possibility of loosening preventive practices

Beyond the financial windfall that the marketing of this drug is, associations are concerned about AIDS prevention so unanimous risk of loosening of use the male condom. While the latest figures for its use show a steady decline in its use among young people, it is feared that taking Truvada Stavros Dimas this trend.

For Sandrine Fournier, project manager for preventing gay association Sidaction, "everything is a matter of compliance," she says FRANCE 24. In theory, preventive treatment of Truvada is 90% effective. But the compliance and dosages the patient is paramount in successful treatment. Clinical trials conducted between 2007 and 2009 from healthy homosexual couples had resulted in a success rate of 44%. According to Hugh Fischer, "nobody is able to fully take medication. I'm positive, I take the Truvada combination therapy for my long time and it is very difficult to follow the treatment every day. "

Not until mid-2013 in France

Still in the trial in France, treatment is unlikely to be sold any time soon on this side of the Atlantic. It must first laboratory Gilead files an application for authorization to market with French drug agencies (MSNA) and European (EMA). According to Professor Jean-Francois Delfraissy, director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (IMMI), the drug should not make its appearance in the Hexagon before the end of the second half of 2013.

There remains the problem of financial support. The amount of Truvada in treatment for a patient varies from 12 000 to 14 000 dollars per year. According to Sandrine Fournier, "the case is also political. What French community will fund the cost of such treatment? "Prevention is expensive as Truvada may finally increase a little sick of the injustices of the under-die ; oped which are still not, at present, triple therapy for all.

SCIENCE: The Cern particle discovers a "compatible" with the Higgs boson

 

Reuters – Scientists at CERN in Geneva showed a new subatomic particle that could be the Higgs boson, considered crucial in the formation of the universe.

"I can confirm that a particle was found which is consistent with the theory of the Higgs boson," said John Womersley, Director General of Science & Technology Facilities Council UK at an event in London. 

Joe Incandela, spokesperson for one of two teams trying to prove the existence of the famous elementary particle, has told his side of people collected at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva: "This is a temporary result, but we think it is very solid" …. ….

The Higgs boson is a central component of the Standard Model, the theory that illuminates the fundamental structure of matter.

This theory, which describes the interactions between particles at the quantum level, is based in part on the idea that two of the four fundamental forces, the weak force and electromagnetic force, are to me ; my nature. 

This force, called electroweak bring together electricity, magnetism and light, but this unification is conceivable that if the force-carrying particles have no mass, which n is a priori not the case.

In the 1960s, the Belgians Robert Brout and François Englert, on one side, and the British Peter Higgs, the other, were resolved by postulating the existence of the "boson" ;, which would have allowed the field to other particles acquire mass, just after the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago.

FOOTBALL: Euro-2012: against Estonia, the Blues wear their preparation

 

AFP – France team to offer a final trial run on the road to Euro-2012 against Estonia on Tuesday in a friendly at Le Mans, one last time to refine the automation and s' the next day fly to Ukraine army of some certainties.

The easy victory against Serbia (2-0), Thursday, assured the readiness of men of Laurent Blanc and endorsed the theory of a gradual rise in ; as we approach the deadline, and this clash against England on June 11 in Donetsk. It would be unfortunate to squander this beautiful building and ruin, just before the big trip to the European Championship Wednesday, a capital trust patiently built after 20 games without a loss of row.

Only Yann Mvila injury, suffered a sprained right ankle and a major doubt for the first match against England, came scrambling and jostling of the coach plans since the beginning of the course, 18 May But even this hazard has not had the gift to undermine morale, which are offered two days of rest (Friday to Sunday), to cut a little history with the football before plunge.

All that remains now but to freeze a hierarchy and to finalize the eleven who will start the heavy burden of the final phase.

Complete the puzzle

Estonia, that France has ever faced in its history, appears in this respect as an ideal sparring partner: a team located far from the global elite ( 54th in FIFA rankings) to avoid any unpleasant surprises, but a marked increase for several years (defeat in the Euro dam against Ireland), although saddle just suffered a heavy defeat in a friendly against Ukraine (4-0), the second opponent of France in Group D. 

White suggested that the team fielded Tuesday would be very close to that change in response to the English. Remains to complete the puzzle and put names in the boxes missing.

One thing is certain, the team will be built in France 4-3-3, the tactical scheme which offers more balance and is the reference from the Blues success in Bosnia in September 2010 (2-0).

The trio A. Diarra-Cabaye-Malouda scored points against Serbia in the middle just behind the attacking trident-Nasri Benzema, Ribery and should confirm good agreement while Nasri, benefits more obscure and not yet the unanimously to right, will also play very big.

The other question concerns the identity of the left side, Gael Clichy, fresh and excellent English champions Thursday, directly threatening the position of Patrice Evra.

As for Koscielny, his approval rating never ceases to rise in the eyes of the coach, his partnership with Mexes has worked perfectly against the Serbs. White will he shake up the hierarchy and to launch a new center hinge in less than a week of D-Day?

All these questions make this last game a go a bit peculiar.

TENNIS: Victoria Azarenka, World No. 1, is surrounded by a 100% French team

 

AFP – Belarussian Victoria Azarenka is but the world No.1 played a little home at Roland Garros where she is surrounded by his team 100% French and his latest recruit, Amelie Mauresmo.

Sat Sumyk, Breton coach of the new wonder of tennis, had decided to take some days off before the start of Roland Garros on Sunday. So it's Amelie Mauresmo who is responsible for preparing Azarenka this week, tapping balls and talking, a lot.

"Amelie loves to talk and listen to me," said the player with long blond hair, born 22 years ago in Minsk and has retained as lead counsel the importance of "being me themselves in all circumstances ".

It's been six weeks since the former world No.1 joined the structure of the current world No.1, where France is omnipresent. 

Furthermore Sumyk, resulting in the Belarus since 2010 and which led to his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, "Azarenka Team" consists é ; also two other French: a chiropractor, Jean-Pierre Bruyere, and a sparring partner of 32 years, Julien Jeanpierre, former 133rd world and winner of the Australian Open juniors in 1998.

This team, "my family," said Azarenka, is entirely devoted to the young mistress of all qualified by pleasant, outgoing and "funny".

Christmas together

Sign of a real bond, they spent last Christmas together, along with Sergei Bubka Jr, 170th worldwide and Azarenka boyfriend and the father of it, the legend the pole vault. 

The role of Mauresmo, the newest, is primarily to advise the Belarus. "He saves time thanks to my experience and my experience", says the French 32-year retiree courts since 2009 and had already vee cu a similar experience with the first Michael Llodra.

"I'm glad to have him on board, said Azarenka. She has much experience and much to teach me, not only on the court but also outside, how to manage a career. I do not think I need a major change in my game It is there to work out the details. "

When Mauresmo joined structure in early April, Azarenka had just undergone its first defeat of the season, after twenty-six wins in a row, series stopped in Miami … the French Marion Bartoli.

Since then she has not won a tournament but confirmed, with two finals in Stuttgart and Madrid, to be one of the major contenders for Roland Garros, even if the clay is not his best surface.

Systematically overcome with emotion and pressure, Mauresmo has never exceeded the quarterfinals Porte d'Auteuil. Beaten at this stage in 2011 by eventual champion Li Na, Azarenka wants to go further this year.

"We come to win, as always," concludes Sumyk Sat.

The nationalist Tomislav Nikolic win the presidential election

 

The populist nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic is ahead of incumbent President Boris Tadic in the second round of presidential elections Sunday in Serbia, according to estimates released in the evening.

Nikolic won 49.4% against 47.4% for Mr Tadic, according to partial results on a nationally representative sample considered by the CESID, an independent body responsible for monitoring the poll.

"If this trend continues, Mr. Nikolic wins the presidential election," said an official of CESID.

Shortly before the announcement of these results, the Progress Party of Serbia (SNS) of M. Nikolic claimed that its candidate had won the election.

"Serbia has a new president, Tomislav Nikolic," he told reporters Aleksandar Vucic, the number two in the SNS.

Nikolic lost twice, in 2004 and 2008 presidential elections against Tadic.

More than 6.7 million voters were eligible to vote. Open at 0500 GMT,

polling stations closed at 1800 GMT. An hour before the vote, turnout was 41.5%, significantly lower than that recorded in the first round two weeks ago.

Fervent pro-European, M. Tadic, 54 – who led Serbia, politically and economically isolated in the 1990s, the EU threshold – called the vote "referendum for European Union ".

After voting, he called his countrymen to fulfill their electoral duty "large numbers" to "confirm once again the democratic nature of our society" ;. He did not hide his "optimistic" about his re-election.

In power for eight years, Mr. Tadic calls for an accelerated rapprochement with the EU and provides be able to complete the process of accession negotiations during its new mandate.

Serbia was granted candidate status in March to integration in the EU and expects to get a date for starting negotiations.

To do so, he delivered at the International Criminal Tribunal for former political and military leaders of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. He also improved relations with Kosovo in Belgrade, as demanded by Brussels, but did not recognize the independence proclaimed in 2008 by the Albanian majority in that territory.

Mr. Nikolic, 60, converted into a populist pro-European after long disputed such an option for his country, had relied in particular on the growing discontent of the population due to the poor economic situation in Serbia, where unemployment is 24% of the population.

Once allied to the former Serbian strongman, Slobodan Milosevic, he went up to promise to restore the economy by building "a canal linking the Danube to the sea Ege e ", without explaining how it intended to implement such a huge project about 600 km long and crossing, Serbia addition, two other countries. 

His alliance before the second round with a party hostile to the EU has been used by his opponents who have questioned the seriousness of his commitment to the accession sion of the block 27.

The election campaign was marked by accusations of fraud during the general elections of May 6, from the camp of Mr. Nikolic at Tadic , swept by a claims investigation and prosecution by the findings of international observers who monitored the ballot.

LEAGUE 1: Montpellier is close to the title, PSG maintains the suspense

 

AFP – Montpellier, snatching victory against Lille (1-0), has retained its three-point lead over the runner, PSG (winner of Rennes 3-0), and thus a major step towards its first championship of France, Sunday at the penultimate day that saw Auxerre drop in the second division.

The 38th and final day will determine the identity of the champion, the team qualified for the Europa League via the fifth place and the two clubs Auxerre accompany the lower floor Interior, on the occasion of a struggle to maintain extremely tight and for another eight clubs. 

In the top three highlights two lessons: Montpellier and PSG are directly qualified for the Champions League, while Lille is blocked at third place, synonymous with dam end of August and may not succeed himself in the charts.

For the title, while still playing, even if his fate will Montpellier still in hand, since a victory would crown the Auxerre for the first time in its history. PSG on his side must win at Lorient and hope a new leader of missteps.

Issuing Héraultais arrived in the very last moment, when Giroud has issued an assist for Ait Fana. A goal that came after a match that has seen the guardians Jourdren Landreau and shine at the expense of celebrities such as expected Giroud and Hazard, just in sight.

It was more dramatic at the Parc des Princes, where Nene caught Giroud leading scorer (21 goals) with a hat-trick: a goal in the game, a free kick and a penalty. Menez was another great man, with an assist and a penalty provoked, and very active in all. But he will be suspended next Sunday (for accumulation of yellow cards) …

Gignac mark

And whipped, Rennes loses big, since he sees him steal his Bordeaux fifth place and its corresponding European sesame. A penalty of Gouffran in injury time against Lorient (1-0) allowed the Girondins to sign a fifth consecutive victory and a glimpse of Europe, a horizon that seemed completely incongruous last fall, when they were crawling in the depths of the rankings.

The other candidates have seized their chance. Saint-Etienne (6th) sold to Nancy (3-2) despite the 15th goal of Aubameyang. But the match Bordeaux-Saint-Etienne next Sunday could be likened to a small final for little Europe. Rennes is also back, facing Dijon.

Dijon precisely neutralized Toulouse (1-1), virtually eliminated from the race to C3 with the fifth straight game without a win. Dijon remains mired in the red zone, two points of Ajaccio, which is also slipped after its draw (1-1) against Lyon, which had nothing to play. Gourcuff, who was returning well, saw its momentum halted by a red card early in the second period for a gesture of annoyance.

It's Brest who performed the right operation, beating Valenciennes (1-0) on a free kick from Grougi, the specialist for set pieces.

Auxerre, however, has been the awakening of Marseille (3-0), including the first goal of the season in France Championship Gignac, to return in the second division he had not attended since in 1980.

In the match of misfiled, Sochaux win went to Caen (3-1). Both clubs however, remain under the threat of relegation.

Nice has only one point ahead of the red zone. Pejcinovic defender scored both goals against Evian (1-1), then against his side for his family.

MALI: A shrine desecrated by fighters of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu

 

REUTERS – fighters of the Islamist group Ansar Dine Malian attacked and burned the mausoleum of one of the most venerated saints of Timbuktu, a World Heritage of Unesco, reported Saturday residents and a regional manager.

The militants of Ansar Dine, linked to Al Qaeda, swept with other armed groups in March and April in northern Mali, seizing the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

Friday they broke windows and the wooden gate of the tomb of the scholar Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar, before setting it on fire, witnesses said. This is the first such attack in Mali.

"What you do is haram! (Forbidden). Ask directly to God rather than death, "said one of the gunmen to the inhabitants, who tried to visit the grave, reported Ahmed Ibrahim, witness of the scene. "Having uttered these words, three of them entered the mausoleum. They tore and burned the eyes of all pieces of white cloth that covered the mausoleum of the saint, "he added.

The armed men, who regard the veneration of the holy Muslim as contrary to Islam, have announced that they would return to destroy other mausoleums. Unesco did not react immediately.

"There is a risk that people will revolt because it is an event that affects the dignity of people. This tomb is sacred, it's too hard to bear, "said El Hadj Baba Haider, elected representative in parliament born in Timbuktu.

The Malian government has strongly condemned the desecration in a statement read on national television. "The government condemns in the strongest terms this act perpetrated unspeakable in the name of Islam, a religion of tolerance and respect for human dignity."

Ansar Dine, led by Iyad Ag Ghaly Tuareg, rejected independence in the north proclaimed by Tuareg rebels of the MNLA, and wishes to impose Islamic law across Mali.

Noncommissioned officers overthrew March 22 Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure, plunging the country into chaos with Tuareg rebels backed by Islamist fighters took the opportunity to seize the northern Mali.

Timbuktu, nicknamed "the city of 333 saints", is listed as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1988. It is home to 333 tombs of saints of which 16 are classified as World Heritage of Unesco, the mosques of Sankore and Sidi Yahia Djingarei-ber, and the famous libraries and dozens of thousands of ancient manuscripts.