FRANCE: Investigated allegations of paedophiles from the former French Minister

AFP - Paris prosecutors said Wednesday that they had launched a preliminary investigation on claims that a former Minister sexually abused boys in an orgy of Morocco several years ago.

Child protection police will conduct investigation and had to speak with the Minister of education former Luc Ferry, which was sensational on another former Minister claims, officials said.

Ferry let slip the claim on the politician, that he was not named, when it appeared on television Monday to discuss the scandals sexual French such as the arrest of New York from IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has tried to rape charges.

The ferry's intention seems to be to quote a story revealing the extent to which French law prevented the politicians and journalists from discussing individual sexual behviour behind closed doors.

But his comments cause a storm of criticism, with political figures piling demand it provide authorities with evidence of wrongdoing or withdraw the claim as a considerable rumors unfounded.

On Wednesday, face criticism, Ferry backpedalled in an interview with the weekly news magazine L'Express website.

"I was trying to defend the press respects the privacy and is not guilty of defamation," he said. "I have no evidence, or no specific details on this subject, but when I was a Minister I've heard about."

Ferry served as education Minister in Government of centre-right former between 2002 and 2004. It was does not clear his comments if he was accusing a former colleague or a Minister of administration earlier.

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Yemen: Three French aid workers missing in the Yemen

AFP - Three French aid workers in Yemen, two of them women, were reported missing on Saturday in Hadramawt province in the country's southeast, a Yemeni security official and Paris told AFP.
              
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the three were reported missing when they failed to return to their residence in Seyun for lunch, adding that "their mobile phones were suddenly switched off."
              
"Units of the security forces were immediately deployed to search for them," added the official, who said in response to a question that he could not rule out that they had been abducted.
              
"The most likely thing is that they have been kidnapped," he said.
              
The three have been working in Seyun since mid-April for Triangle Generation Humanitaire, a French NGO working in Yemen since 1998.
              
The foreign ministry in Paris confirmed that three French nationals had gone missing in Yemen on Saturday, and added that the French authorities were doing everything possible to find them.
              
"We received this information from our embassy in Sanaa about the disappearance of three of our nationals in Yemen," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.
              
He said the French authorities were "in close contact with the Yemeni authorities, including the security forces" to locate the missing people.
              
Foreigners have frequently been kidnapped in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state by tribes who use the tactic to pressure the authorities into making concessions.
              
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in Yemen over the past 15 years, and most have later been freed unharmed.

TENNIS: Sharapova and Li Na reached the French Open semi-finals

Russia’s Maria Sharapova and China’s Li Na moved into the semi-finals of the French Open on Wednesday after emerging triumphant from their quarter-finals. Meanwhile, top seed Rafael Nadal is set to take on Roland Garros rival Robin Soderling. By News Wires (text)   REUTERS - Maria Sharapova and Li Na set up a French Open semi-final clash of styles after Russian elegance and Chinese determination powered them past their last-eight opponents on Wednesday. Whether it was Sharapova’s yellow dress or the bright Roland Garros sun, German 15th seed Andrea Petkovic was left dazed and dazzled in a 6-0 6-3 defeat while Li had more of a tussle in a 7-5 6-2 win over Belarus fourth seed Victoria Azarenka. “I don’t remember the last time we played but I’m very excited to be in the semi-finals,” Sharapova said courtside when asked about her 2009 last-16 win over Li on the Paris clay.  "It's really exciting to be back in the semis", says Russia's Maria

The clinical performances whetted the appetite of fans on the two main courts for the remaining men’s quarter-finals.

 Holder Rafa Nadal plays Robin Soderling, the only man to have beaten him at Roland Garros, in a repeat of last year’s final while British battler Andy Murray takes on the only unseeded player left in either draw—Juan Ignacio Chela. Red-hot Novak Djokovic and record 16-times grand slam champion Roger Federer are already through to a dream men’s semi-final. Racing through the first set without any need for extravagance, Sharapova looked almost as shocked as her opponent but the second was more of a duel with the Russian’s grunting constrasting markedly with her poise around court. The former world number one sealed her progression when Petkovic netted a routine forehand on her own serve. First Chinese Sharapova, the most experienced woman left in the draw with a title at each of the other three grand slams, last won a major in 2008 and has been hampered by injuries and illness since. A slow start to the second grand slam of the season became a shrewd bid at peaking at the right time for the seventh seed once the top three seeds crashed out early. Now the Russian, who has wowed the galleries with the same shade of fashionable dress each match and even came on court with a trendy handbag, is taking the tournament even more seriously with her first French Open title in sight. Dogged defending champion Francesca Schiavone or French crowd favourite Marion Bartoli await in Saturday’s final but Sharapova must first negotiate a passage past fighter Li. The first Chinese to make it this far at Roland Garros never gives up on any point and January’s Australian Open runner-up also has the backing of millions of fans back home. The sixth seed charged back from going a break down at 2-1 by hitting every shot with all her might so that Azarenka, a hot tip after her good form in the buildup events, just could not dictate any game. Li repeated the same trick in the second set before surging to victory. “This is a huge surprise for me,” Li said.

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French Q & A open: Federer's "perfect outsider" to Roland Garros this year

What have been the first highlights of the tournament this year?

Rafael Nadal was wrong. He was fighting a set down to beat John Isner America, who is seeded 39th in the world. Nadal has always had trouble with Isner, but [struggle], was a surprise that set the tone for the France Open this year.

There was excitement women because the tournament is very open. There is no clear favorite. Caroline Wozniacki, the first player ranked in the world, passed to the second round, and then fought against the Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak. The Williams sisters do not play this year. Kim Clijsters, who has been the most competitive player this season, was injured and came back just for this tournament. She won her first match of the tour, but we still do not know what it is really worth. Then he won last year, Francesca Schiavone. Since his Grand Slam victory last year, we cannot say that it was brilliant. She defeated American Melanie Oudin Tuesday, 6-2, 6-0, but that wouldn't prove anything.

Wozniacki has not yet won a Grand Slam tournament. It might be his time, but the pressure could prove too much for her.

What is the atmosphere like French open this year? Is - this is any trend that is committed to the public?

After seeing the Nadal fight, everyone seems to think that its time has passed and have turned their attention to Novak Djokovic. In the recent past, the tournament has been dominated by Nadal and Roger Federer, but a new page in Roland Garros history could be turned. For the first time, Federer is not the favorite, and this means that we are in the new territories.

The public is very patriotic, and among the French, it looks like there will be another year without a hometown champion. Among men, there are Monfils, Gasquet and Tsonga, but the crowd is not enthusiastic about one of them. Another disappointing year is planned for French players.

The revelations among players at Roland Garros 2011?

It is too early to say. In the biggest upset so far, French qualifier Stephane Robert eliminated Tomas Berdych, a semi-finalist last year. But Robert is 31 years old and nobody really expected him to go further.

There was Alexandr Dolgopolov, which is old and ranked 22 of 22 years and has been very good at the Open of Australia. If it goes further than he can become the culmination of the tournament.

Your choices for the fields in this year?

Everyone is leaning toward Djokovic, but I will because it is the perfect outsider this year with Federer. For women, it is a hard call, but I've taken of Clijsters because she deserves to win in Paris. She lost in the final in 2001 and 2003.

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IMF: The French Minister of Finance Announces the submission to the head of the IMF

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde entered the race for the head of the Monetary Fund International on Wednesday, seeking to replace former Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as of the week last amid accusations of sexual assault.

"This is a huge challenge that I turn with humility and in the hope of achieving the widest possible consensus," Lagarde told a Paris press conference, saying she planned to travel extensively in the coming weeks to consult the other Member States.

If elected, the old centre-right politician of 55 would be the first woman to lead the international ready organization based in Washington since its founding in 1945.

Career as a high-profile of Christine Lagarde

-Born on January 1, 1956, in Paris

-1981: Joins the direction of Paris the firm Baker & McKenzie

-1999: Transfers of Chicago at the head of the Executive Committee of Baker & McKenzie

-2002: The Wall Street Journal ranks Lagarde as the fifth most powerful European business woman

-2005: Becomes French Trade Minister in the Government of Dominique de Villepin

-2007: Becomes Minister of Agriculture and fisheries

-2007: Becomes Minister of the economy and employment

-On May 25, 2011: announces his candidacy as next IMFchief

Before joining political in 2005, the Minister of finance to dapper grey hair spent much of his career as a lawyer at the United States, where she directs the firm Baker and McKenzie in Chicago.

LaGarde has won praise and respect of international leaders for his hanged in negotiating international deals under pressure during the Presidency of the g-20 France. She played a key role in bringing the IMF and the European Union to agree on contingency plans for the members of the indebted EU Greece, Ireland and the Portugal.

Many European countries, including the Germany, United Kingdom and Italy, are supporting the candidacy of Lagarde. The United States has yet to announce the candidate it supports.

Since its inception, the IMF has continuously led by a European under an informal agreement whereby the United States appoints the President of the World Bank. Four of ten IMF chiefs in history were French.

However, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa countries known as BRICS, have called for a break in this tradition. "We believe that it is scandalous to have the position reserved for a European," said Nogueira Batista, Executive Director of the IMF's Brazil and one of the signatories of the joint statement of BRICS.

Committee of 24 members of the IMF is due to established a list of three candidates ahead of June 30 for a successor to levy. Appointment of leaders of the 187-member organization is open until June 10.

The tycoon of the infamous

Announcement of Lagarde has a notorious French Tycoon in a French judicial inquiry into his alleged involvement in cash.

According to the allegations, Lagarde mediated in 2007 a case between Bernard Tapie, a former singer and owner of the club of football and French Socialist Minister Bank Credit Lyonnais on sales of Adidas shares in 1993.

The conflict ended in 2008 with Tapie, a former bankrupt who was imprisoned in the 1990s for games rigged, granted EUR 285 million.

The members of the opposition of the Socialist Party (PS) have called for a judicial inquiry, and a select panel of judges has until mid-June to decide whether an investigation should be launched.

But while he was Finance Minister Lagarde decision, some members of the opposition believe Sarkozy was behind it, and that he was using Lagarde reward Tapie to support his presidential candidacy in 2007.

LaGarde Wednesday dismissed the charges, insisting on the fact that it was "a perfectly clear conscience".

Strauss-Kahn situation comes timely to Nicolas Sarkozy, who will have to face a presidential election in a year. Known by its initials DSK and of which the legal process is closely monitored in France, the former head of the IMF was tipped to win primary American style of PS later this year as the candidate with the best chance to beat Sarkozy in the vote.

DSK is believed to be about to announce his candidacy in the presidential election, when he was arrested in New York.

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