Translation/Traduction by/par Bill Nelson
Monde 
L’aviation française annonce avoir bombardé des positions islamistes dans le nord-est du pays. Le ministère de la Défense confirme ce dimanche soir une vingtaine de frappes, mais pas sur la maison du chef du groupe armé Ansar Dine. Plus tôt dimanche, le secrétaire américain à la Défense Leon Panetta a accepté de conduire des missions de ravitaillement en vol des avions français. Le soutien américain pourrait aussi concerner les troupes africaines.
France confirms 20 air strikes on Islamist positions in the NE of the country, but not on the head quarters of the Ansar Dine. Earlier on Sunday the American Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta praised and offered support the French air missions. American support will also be directed towards African troops.
Monde 
Dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi, les armées malienne et française ont repris le contrôle de l’aéroport de Tombouctou, la cité mythique du nord du Mali. Les militaires français se positionnent maintenant pour la reprise de la ville.
Army re-takes the airport of Tombouctou. During the night of Sunday and on Monday the combined Malien and French armies took back control of the Tomboctou airport, the mysterious city of north Mali. The French military are now positioned to re-take the town.
Monde 
Les forces françaises et maliennes contrôlent les accès de Tombouctou, l’un des fiefs islamistes dans le nord du Mali. Elles ont d’abord pris le contrôle de l’aéroport de la ville. Un peu plus de deux semaines après le déclenchement de l’opération Serval, la guerre connaît un tournant décisif.
Will the control of Tombouctu be a turning point in in the Mali war?
The French and Mali forces now control the entries to Tombouctu, one of strongholds of the Islamists of North Mali. Just over two weeks after the launch of the operation Serval, the war is experiencing a decisive tourning point.
About bill
Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer.
The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013.
Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI.
Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug
2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website.
But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien.
The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50.
Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea.
Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
