THEATER: "Men and Gods", and Polanski "Gainsbourg" at the Cesar awards

"Men and Gods," by Xavier Beauvois and "The Ghost Writer" by Roman Polanski are the big winners of the 36th Cesar ceremony of French cinema, presented Friday night in Paris.

"Gainsbourg (heroic life)," Joann Sfar's first film, has also been awarded three times in a balanced place winners during an evening of almost three hours by Antoine de Caunes and chaired by American actress Jodie Foster.

Named best film, "Men and Gods" tells the story of Tibhirine monks murdered in Algeria in 1996.Spiritual work and demanding already seen by 3.2 million viewers, she received three Caesar, in addition to the Grand Jury Prize at last received the Cannes festival.

In his speech, Xavier Beauvois had a thought for the filmmaker Francois Truffaut and referred to the 2012 presidential election in France.

"I do not want that in capmagne election happens, we speak ill of the French Muslims, I want people to be with them is the lesson of this film," he said.

"Men and Gods" also earned the César for best supporting actor Michael Lonsdale for his luminous incarnation of a physician-monk, Brother Luke.

"Better late than never," said the actor rewarded in this way for the first time in nearly 80 years.

Awarded four times, including the Cesar for best director, "The Ghost Writer" allows Polanski to return to light after a year marked by legal troubles that forced him to spend several months under house arrest.

Franco-Polish filmmaker was freed last July after the refusal of Switzerland to extradite to the United States, where the court wanted to hear for a sex scandal.

"The Ghost Writer," who made a million entries, tells the story of a negro literary hired to complete the memoirs of British Prime Minister.

Politico-sentimental comedy by Michel Leclerc "The name of the people" received two statuettes, one for Sara Forestier, voted best actress. The young woman was particularly competing against Catherine Deneuve, heroine of the comedy "Potiche.

The Cesar for best first film was awarded "Gainsbourg, heroic life," by Joann Sfar, who runs the fantastic tone of the story the story of the singer Serge Gainsbourg, who died 20 years ago.Reincarnated on the screen, Eric Elmosnino, was crowned best actor on Friday night.

The Cesar for Best Actress was awarded to Leila Bekhti for "All That Glitters" and Best Male Newcomer went to Edgar Ramirez to Carlos, the film ".

The Cesar for best foreign film was awarded "The Social Network" by David Fincher, one of the favorites for the Oscars which will be held Sunday in Los Angeles.

For the first time, the Academy of Caesar rewarded an animated film.The prize went to "the Illusionist", work by Sylvain Chomet based on a script by Jacques Tati unfinished.

The Cesar for best short film was crowned "Logorama", already awarded last year in Hollywood for the Oscar for best short animated film.

Special tributes were paid to film greats missing last year: the actor and director Bernard Giraudeau, Alain Corneau and filmmakers Claude Chabrol.

A Caesar of honor was awarded to American director Quentin Tarantino. The creator of "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown" ended his acceptance speech by three French words uttered with enthusiasm: "Vive le cinema!"

COTE D'IVOIRE: African Union proposes a power-sharing or new elections

AFP - Four African presidents panel on the Ivorian crisis were preparing to meet Tuesday in Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara, leader of the state recognized by the international community, following a meeting with his rival, incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, background violence.

On the second day of their visit, Idriss Deby (Chad), Jikaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Jacob Zuma (South Africa) and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (Mauritania) should meet by mid-day with Mr. Ouattara at the Golf Hotel where he was entrenched with his team, his entourage said.

As to Mr. Gbagbo on Monday, the panel must submit to Mr.Ouattara's proposals to end by 28 February solutions "binding" on both sides.

According to a South African minister, the four Heads of State delegated by the African Union (AU) to resolve the crisis post-election power-sharing offer or an interim government until new elections.

The panel of mediators, which includes the South African President Jacob Zuma, "attempts to find a compromise solution, whether sharing the presidency between the two presidents or government (...) of interim until new elections, "he said Tuesday at the AFP Deputy South African Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Ibrahim.

"I do not think the panel looks for one or the other, both Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, because it would lead to a destabilization of the country," said Ibrahim, interviewed on the sidelines of the session Parliament in Cape Town.

The panel met with Mr. Ouattara, originally scheduled for Monday evening, could eventually take place. In the entourage of Mr.Ouattara, we explained that he wanted to express his dissatisfaction and a lack of representation of West Africa in the delegation.

The Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, a panel member, agreed to drop to travel to Abidjan for "security reasons": more than a thousand pro-Gbagbo youths were waiting at the airport the former mediator in the peace process Côte d'Ivoire (2007-2010) whom they accuse of being an ally of Mr. Ouattara and the former French colonial power.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which adopted a harder line that the African Union with the threat of force to dislodge Mr.Gbagbo has also strongly criticized the continuation of the visit of the panel cut one of its members

"The ECOWAS Commission was concerned to see that the panel has nevertheless decided to conduct the tour immediately without the participation of a senior member whose contributions to the peace process in Côte d'Ivoire are priceless and deserve better assessments and more respect, "she said.

For her, the situation on the ground was not "conducive to the holding of a mission of such importance."

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, James Victor Gbeho, who recently ruled sternly attempts to compromise with Mr.Gbagbo has also canceled his trip to Abidjan.

The new mediation occurs when the Ivorian capital is experiencing a resurgence of tension since the weekend.

After nearly three months of crisis, the camp Ouattara, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, called on his people to take action to expel the president.

According to local newspapers, at least six people were killed Monday in clashes between supporters of very violent M.Ouattara and Forces for Defence and Security (FDS) loyal to his rival in the popular districts of Abobo (north), Kumasi and Treichville (south).

These clashes have resulted for several hours at the scenes of urban guerrillas, witnesses said.

The post-election violence killed at least 300 deaths since mid-December, the UN says.

INTERNET: Facebook, friend of Egyptian and Tunisian authorities

Use rather than censor. This, it seems, the new approach that the military authorities in charge of the transition in Egypt have decided to adopt towards social networks. On Thursday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (AFSC) has opened its own page on Facebook where all Egyptians are invited to speak. Will stand out from the previous regime or simple phone communication?

"We ask the children of Egypt to ask their questions here and we will reply within 48 hours," reads the new page. Customers Egyptian, Arabic and more generally, have jumped at the chance. In one night, nearly 4,000 comments have been posted.

Besides messages of congratulation to the new strongman of Cairo, the main applications concern the release of prisoners and the preservation of the achievements of the revolution. Others may even make suggestions for the less original, as the surfer who moved its candidate for the post of Minister of Economy because, he says, is "a true nationalist and a good expert in economics" .

This gesture of opening 2.0 of the army intervenes while Amnesty International has made public Thursday, a new report accusing the authorities in Cairo to always use force against prisoners.The International Organization for Defense of Human Rights ensures even have proof that the past weekend, two inmates were killed as a result of abuse.

Light year Digital

Whether in Egypt or Tunisia, communicating via social networks have become indispensable for the new custodians of power.

In Tunis, the new ministers have mounted one after the other their Facebook page. First to have taken the plunge, February 8, the Ministry of Industry and Technology currently has more than 15,000 "fans" on his page.

But the member of the government's most popular social network is, ironically, the new interior minister, who managed to mobilize more than 115 000 "fans" in less than a week. Like his colleagues, however, that man does not publish official announcements. This Friday, the Prime Minister inaugurated, in turn, their Twitter account.

The examples of Egypt and Tunisia are certainly light years digital situation faced by other Arab states plagued by protests. Libya, Yemen and Algeria have none - or almost - official presence on Facebook or Twitter.Only Bahrain appears to be doing the game

The Ministry of Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid Al Khalifa, have an account on the microblogging network. If, on the wire, the Bahraini chief diplomat recalls the events that stir his country, to better distinguish them from the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.

More pragmatically, the Interior Ministry made a regular item on the traffic situation in the capital Manama, where protests disrupt traffic on certain routes.

MEXICO - FRANCE: Case Break: Mexico withdrew from the Year of France in Mexico

REUTERS - The Mexican authorities said Monday they had no intention of transferring Florence Break in France and they announced their withdrawal of the Year held in Mexico in France.

They respond to the request of Nicolas Sarkozy, who has again claimed Monday that the repatriation of French 36 year old sentenced to 60 years in prison in Mexico for complicity in kidnapping.The French president has proposed serving her sentence in France.

Nicolas Sarkozy also announced that the Year of Mexico would be maintained and would always mention the case of Florence Break.

The Mexican government has decided to withdraw from the event, accusing France of the diversion for political purposes.

"The trial of Cassez demonstrated his guilt," said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, referring to victims and witnesses called to testify.

Nicolas Sarkozy received Monday for the tenth time the parents of the young woman, whose last appeal was rejected last week by the Mexican justice system, while it has always protested his innocence.

International Convention

"I am ready to speak with Mexican officials the conditions of this transfer and guarantees they would like to receive in exchange," said the French president.

He recalled that his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, had proposed in a letter this transfer, under an international convention in Strasbourg, and said he would call on this.

The Mexican government responded that this Convention does not accept a state to any transfer request made by another State.

Nicolas Sarkozy has instead announced the continuation of the Year of France in Mexico, which began Feb. 3.

Family, friends, counsel for Florence Break, Frank Berton, and French leaders demanded the cancellation of some 200 cultural events, historical or economic need to punctuate the year in Paris and the provinces.

The French president said that removing these events constitute an "offense to the Mexican people" and would be contrary to the interests of Florence Break.He said he based his decision in consultation with the young woman with whom he had just spoken on the phone and he said he wanted to dedicate this year in Mexico.

"(...) I ask that every official will have the opportunity to speak during these events begins by talking about Cassez, its location, so we do not forget," he added Head of State, who said he wanted to make his own speech on the occasion of one of them.

Hostages

Arriving in Mexico in August 2003 for a vacation, Cassez had decided to move to Mexico where she became acquainted with Israel Vallarta, presented by the Mexican police as the leader of a gang of kidnappers.She became the girlfriend, but claims to have known nothing of his activities.

The police acknowledged that his arrest had been staged for television and she had no place December 9, 2005, as originally announced, but the day before.

Upon his arrest, three hostages, including a girl, were found on the ranch where she was.

Me Berton, who attended the meeting at the Elysee Palace, confirmed he would report within a fortnight from the public prosecutor of Paris against the Mexican Minister of Public Security, Genaro Garcia Luna .

The lawyer said that this complaint for forgery and forgery of public and fabrication of evidence would also apply Luis Cárdenas Palomino, former right-hand Garcia Luna to the head of the Mexican Federal Investigation Agency.

Genaro Garcia Luna was responsible for the Mexican police during the arrest of Florence Break.

Egypt: Egyptian journalists are trying to turn their revolution

A journalist's flagship national television driven from Tahrir Square, the editors called for the resignation, an editorial upset overnight ... Egyptian journalists working for state media try, too, to make their revolution.

"During the first 10 days of the protest movement, coverage of events by the Egyptian media has been shameful, denounces Rasha Abdulla, director of Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo, cited by the U.S. daily" The Washington Post. "It was like they were living on another planet."

Since then, things began to change."The change is radical, confirms Wael Qandil, editor of the independent daily" Al-Shourouk. "The editors who spent their time to kowtow to power calling for transparent elections and the official media are now allowed to deal with Muslim Brotherhood members who were previously excluded from the media landscape. "

"The revolution in Al-Ahram!"

In "Rose el-Youssef," one of the four main government dailies, the employees demanded the resignation of their editor, Abdullah Kamal, and managing editor, Karam Gabr.For the second consecutive day, journalists and employees have demonstrated Wednesday in front of the newspaper's headquarters, preventing the executive to join its offices. In "Al-Jumhuriya," another state-run daily, the atmosphere is the same, the editor Ibrahim Ali being disowned by his staff.

Within the daily "Al-Ahram, the most widely distributed in Egypt, the voltage is also keen. According to the website of the newspaper, more than one hundred employees gathered in the lobby on Tuesday, demanding permanent contracts."The revolution throughout Egypt, the revolution of Al-Ahram '!" They chanted, repeating also slogans against corruption but also against the newspaper owners.

Their editor, Omar Saraya has yet made these days a 180 degrees. "Until now, he was a pillar of the regime of President Hosni Mubarak said Tamer Ezzedine, FRANCE 24's correspondent in Cairo. It now shows friendly demonstrators." In a forum, Omar Saraya praised the "nobility" of the revolution, calling on the regime to rapidly implement reforms.

But these last-minute reversals are not always pay.The television star presenter Egyptian Amr Adib, come talk to those camping for more than two weeks in downtown Cairo, was jostled and insulted before being driven from Tahrir Square.

"Take the train"

The journalists of Radio and Television of State, meanwhile, tried to protest on Wednesday to denounce the coverage of recent events on their media. "The gathering could not take place, they were only forty at the headquarters of Radio Television, said Tamer Ezzedine.But several groups have formed on Facebook to say they were not accepting the lies that were disseminated. "

Another journalist in the crosshairs of the profession, Makram Mohammad Ahmad, President of journalists' union. As the responsible official media, he has been appointed by the Head of State. At a demonstration outside the headquarters of the union, members of the organization have called to leave his post. They also allege that the union not to have expressed its solidarity with the Egyptian journalist Mohamed Mahmoud Ahmad, was killed while covering the protests.

According to his wife, Mohamad Ahmad Mahmoud filming clashes from the balcony of his office when security forces shot him, to the head, January 29.He died six days later from his injuries.

To Wael Qandil, if the change in tone is real, it is still too early to speak of genuine freedom of expression. "The state media following the evolution of official discourse, he says, they are just trying to take the train. But those who would use a real freedom of expression are still under attack of power. "

TUNISIA: The interim government is continuing its battle against the former ruling party

AFP - The Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on Monday urged members reunited for the first time since the fall of Ben Ali, to authorize the Interim President to rule by decree-law, bypassing parliament dominated by the former ruling party power.

The battle against the former all-powerful Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) had taken the first step Sunday with the announcement by the Ministry of Interior of the "suspension" of the party before a "dissolution" next.

MPs gathered in front of the palace of Bardo in Tunis headquarters of the Parliament, the prime minister has urged politicians to preserve the achievements of the popular revolution that led to the downfall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14.

A bill to that effect "will enable the Interim President (Fouad Mebazaa) to adopt ordinances pursuant to Article 28 of the Constitution," said the Prime Minister.

"Time is precious.These decree-laws, Tunisia really need to overcome the dangers "threatening the gains of the revolution, insisted Mohammed Ghannouchi.

"There are people who want to return to Tunisia in back, but we must honor our martyrs, who fought for freedom," he said, calling the 125 members present (out of 214 elected members) to adopt the text, expected to rise on Wednesday before the House of Councillors (Senate).

Members should decide in the day on this "bill empowering the president to take interim decree law", according to the unified agenda of the session.

Specifically, the untouchable and all-powerful party under President Ben Ali, who claimed to have 2 million members in a country of 10 million people, has yet no right to organize meetings or rallies, and all its premises are closed.

But many of its cadres are still present in the government and police. The opposition fears that the RCD, the only party that benefited from facilities around the country, only takes all the elections scheduled in six months.A delay also challenged as being too short by many political groups banned under Ben Ali.

This offensive against the RCD operates in a time of great tension in various regions of the country (north, south and center), while the government has to ease the curfew in force since January 12 after a clean sweep at the head of the police.

The recent appointment of 24 new provincial governors are struggling to pass. In several areas, demonstrators demanded their departure just days after taking office because of "RCDisme.

The governor of Gafsa (West Central) has had to leave Sunday its offices under military protection.

Further north, the city of El Kef was a weekend of rioting that people attribute to ochestrées provocations by the RCD. Two people were killed Saturday by a police commissioner, the police building was set on fire twice, and groups of looters have caused panic in the city.

BURMA: Prime Minister Thein Sein appointed president of the country

AFP - Prime Minister of Burma and retired Gen. Thein Sein, was Friday appointed president of the country, officials said official sources at the end of a process that allows the junta to lock the power.

According to a timeline announced for several days, Thein Sein, including 47 to 65 years in the army, was promoted to the highest political position by a committee of MPs elected in the November elections, and appointed by the military junta .

"Thein Sein was elected by a majority of votes," said a senior Burmese official.

Tin Aung Myint Oo, also a former general, and Sai Kham Mouk, a member of the Shan ethnic group and part of the Solidarity Party and the Union Development (USDP, pro-junta) were in turn appointed Vice-Presidents.

Thein Sein will come in the weeks to form a government.

The only unknown of the new Burmese regime, but perhaps most important, concerned Than Shwe, 77, who ruled with an iron fist since 1992 and has, so far, given no information about his future.

If the army is unquestionably at the head of the country, will play the role as chief, also feared that powerful, is the subject of numerous rumors and speculation.

Burmese sources have assured that he would retire.

But analysts say that after a reign of terror in the country for nearly two decades, it will retain a function, even the background, to avoid retaliation and to ensure his safety and that of his clan.