The European Commission and Microsoft have finalised the proposal for a 'browser ballot' in Windows, following the Commission's concern that Microsoft was unfairly using its operating system monopoly to gain control of the browser market.
The browser ballot will give Windows users an option of switching to one of twelve competing browsers when it is made available in an update to the new Windows 7, as well as Vista and XP.
Microsoft said in a statement that "today's resolution follows years of intensive examination by the European Commission of competition in computer software. The measures approved today reflect multiple rounds of input from industry participants relating to competition in Web browser software and interoperability between various Microsoft products and competing products."
The agreement on browser ballot, named the 'choice screen,' is to last five years, and its effectiveness is to be regularly monitored during this time. If successful, it could reduce Internet Explorer's market share.
The complaint regarding the alleged browser monopoly was first brought by Opera Software in January 2009, and the idea of a browser ballot, and Microsoft first agreed to the idea back in July. Since then, the nature of the ballot has been discussed in detail, and now, finally, a conclusion has been reached.
EU, Microsoft agree on browser ballot
Volcano eruption in Philippines prompts evacuations
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from areas near Mount Mayon in the Philippines on Tuesday, after the lava started flowing out of the volcano. Local scientists caution that Mayon might be on the verge of a powerful eruption.
"After the series of ash puffs and ash explosions of 1,000 metres, we cannot rule out a major explosion," said Cedric Daep, the head of local disaster relief operations, commenting that officials are intending to eventually evacuate up to 50,000 people.
"We are in the process of evacuating nearly 10,000 families around the 6-8 kilometre danger zone around the volcano. We have enough food for all these people for only a month," Daep added.
An alert for the area surrounding Mayon has been raised, and about 20,000 people were evacuated from the foothills of the volcano. Thousands more people are expected to be moved out of the area later. They are currently living in evacuation centres set up by the Philippine government. Authorities noted that it might be until Christmas before most will be able to return to their homes.
"It's 10 days before Christmas. Most likely people will be in evacuation centres, and if Mayon's activity won't ease down we will not allow them to return to their homes. It's difficult and sad, especially for children." said an emergency management official, Jukes Nunez.
The governor of the province where the Mayon volcano is located, Joey Salceda, commented that, in case of an eruption, the government was trying to have "zero casualties".
Mayon erupted last in 2006; its most deadly eruption was in 1841, when 1,200 people were killed after the village of Cagsawa was buried. The volcano stands over 8,000 feet above sea level and has erupted 49 times since records were started, in 1616. The Philippines are also located along the "Ring of Fire", an area in southeast Asia prone to earthquakes, volcanos, and other seismic activity.
Suicide bomber kills at least twenty in Pakistan town
Local officials in the town of Dera Ghazi Khan in Pakistan said on Tuesday that at least twenty people were killed after a suicide car bomber attacked the house of a provincial governor. The Al Jazeera news agency reports that seventy people were injured from the blast.
According to Siddiq-ul-Farooq, a spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League, the bomber drove his car into the wall of Dost Muhammad Khosa's home, damaging it. Khosa and his relatives, however, were not at home, Farooq added. The house was reportedly close to a market, which also suffered from the explosion.
A reporter for Al Jazeera, however, noted that it wasn't immediately clear if Khosa was intended as a target in Tuesday's attack.
"There are many people trapped in the rubble after the powerful blast demolished some 10 shops [...] The rescue work is under way and we fear the toll may go up. It was a terrorist activity, similar to those being carried out in other parts of the country," said town commisioner Hasan Iqbal.
A local resident, Raza Khan, was witness to the chaos that resulted after the detonation. "The whole market has collapsed. There is smoke and people running here and there," he said to the Associated Press. A local health official told Agence France-Presse news agency that "the hospital in the town has been crowded by people looking for their relatives. Rescue efforts are still going on."
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" makes maiden flight
Boeing's newest commercial aircraft, the 787 "Dreamliner", made its first test flight Tuesday in Everett, Washington at 18:00 UTC. Boeing claims that the new 290+ seat wide-body, twin engine jetliner is more fuel efficient than previous Boeing models.
The release of the "Dreamliner" is almost two and a half years behind schedule. The project has been plagued by various issues, including strike action, parts shortages and design problems. The aircraft is thought to have attracted 840 orders to date, though some have been cancelled due to the delays, making the 787 worth in the region of US$140bn (€96bn, £86bn) for Boeing.
An aerospace analyst, Richard Aboulafia, said that "[The test flight] will provide a badly needed perception that the program is on some kind of schedule again, but it's still a long way from the ultimate result." Boeing's European rival, Airbus, is preparing to release a similar aircraft, the A350, in 2013.
Alleged tax-haven scheme linked to Canada's largest brokerage firm
In a continuing crackdown on tax evasion, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has alleged that brokers with a branch of RBC Dominion Securities, Canada's largest brokerage company, helped clients set up accounts in the small European principality of Liechtenstein in order to avoid taxation on their wealth.
In affadavits submitted by the CRA, brokers with an RBC Dominion Securities office in Victoria, British Columbia, allegedly helped clients set up 16 offshore entities with a division of the LGT Group in Liechtenstein. While that is not a crime under Canadian law, auditors allege that the entities were used to help Canadians hide worldwide income. Thirteen individuals are either being audited or have made voluntary disclosures, admitting to tax evasion. The agency is presently investigating to see if there are any other individuals participating in this scheme. Regarding the inquiry, dubbed "Project Jade", the CRA will only say that it was launched on information from a "confidential informant".
RBC issued a written statement, saying "As a firm, we have never encouraged Canadians — not 25 years ago and not today — to set up entities in Liechtenstein, and we have never instructed our investment advisers to recommend that practice," and "we comply with all CRA requirements. This means that we provide all our clients with the forms they need to meet their personal tax obligations, and also file reports with CRA that form the basis for reviews such as this."
Three RBC employees are presently being investigated, with one remaining unidentified.
Guantanamo inmates to be transferred to Illinois
The White House is expected to announce today that several inmates from the United States' controversial detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are to be relocated to a prison facility, to be acquired by the Federal Government, on the US mainland.
The Thomson Correctional Center in north-western Illinois is expected to accommodate around 100 prisoners from the Cuba base. The closure of the camp is a key policy for US President Barack Obama and an unnamed White House official is quoted as saying "Closing the detention centre at Guantanamo is essential to protecting our national security and helping our troops by removing a deadly recruiting tool from the hands of al-Qaeda". Thomson prison, in Thomson, Illinois, approximately 150 miles from Chicago, is expected to be sold to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and, in turn, part leased to the Department of Defense will hold both federal prisoners and detainees from Guantanamo in the same facility.
Illinois State Governor Patrick J. Quinn and Richard J. Durbin, the state’s senior senator, are expected to be briefed about the plan at the White House this (Tuesday) afternoon. Both Democrats, the senators have previously campaigned for the prisoners to be located in Thomson in the hope that it would bring jobs to the local economy as well as making use of a near empty prison complex. However, Republican congressmen for Illinois, Representatives Mark Steven Kirk and Donald Manzullo have expressed skepticism, claiming the move could make Illinois a target for terrorism.
Cyclone Mick wreaks havoc on Fiji
Cyclone Mick, the first storm of the 2009–10 South Pacific cyclone season, has left at least four people dead after battering Fiji on Monday.
The storm inflicted widespread damage throughout the nation, although the island of Viti Levu bore the brunt of the impact. At the height of the storm, wind gusts of 110 km/h (70 mph) blew across the island.
Mick forced thousands into shelters and cut power to a large portion of the country. It triggered severe flooding and uprooted countless trees, and some residents are still without power.
"There's a lot of damage," said Tim Sutton, a spokesman for UNICEF. "Lots of trees down, power lines down everywhere, all the roads around Viti Levu are still closed with flooding and landslides." He described the cyclone as "very vicious".
Although the storm itself has been downgraded and has started to dissipate, officials say that the death toll could increase as contact is established with some of the smaller islands. However, advanced warnings likely reduced the number of fatalities.
On a lighter note, an emergency group of surgeons delivered seven babies during the cyclone's onslaught
Two killed as Islamic militants storm Philippine jail
At least 31 inmates are believed to have escaped and a further two, including a prison guard, killed after a group of up to one hundred Islamic militants stormed a prison in Isabela City on Basilan island in the southern Philippines. The escapees are believed to be affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, of whom two are thought to be responsible for the decapitation of a group of soldiers in 2007.
The attack occurred shortly before 02:00 local time and Al Rasheed Sakalahul, Vice Governor is quoted as saying that "more than half the inmates […] had escaped". Following the attack, a brief firefight ensued in which a guard and a rebel were killed. Sakalahul went on to say "there is a pursuit operation to get back the escapees. We still don't know how the gunmen were able to spring out the prisoners. There is an ongoing investigation." Of those killed, one was a prison guard and the other was a rebel, both killed in the firefight which followed the break in.
The incident is the third of its type on the island of Basilan in the last five years.
At least eight die in Afghan capital suicide bombing
At least eight people have died in the Afghan capital Kabul after a suicide bombing hit the Wazir Akbar Khan diplomatic and governmental residential district, according to officials.
The car bomb exploded this morning outside the Heetal Hotel shortly before the start of a three-day conference on corruption in the capital, killing at least eight. President Hamid Karzai said that the dead included two bodyguards of former vice-president Ahmad Zia Massoud. The former vice-president's house was damaged, and police suspect that he may have been the intended target of the attack.
Kabul has suffered many attacks in recent months. Last month, a rocket strike near a hotel in the capital injured four people, and another car bomb attack outside a NATO base injured six.
At least 22 killed in blast in central Pakistan
A car bomb has killed at least 22 people and injured 70 injured in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan according to local officials. The bomb exploded in a market in the town in the central Punjab province.
"The whole market has collapsed," said local resident Raza Khan to the Associated Press news agency. "There is smoke and people running here and there."
According to district health officer Dr Pervez Haider Altaf, rescuers were searching for survivors. Officials have declared a state of emergency. "The hospital in the town has been crowded by the people looking for their relatives. Rescue efforts are still going on," he said.
The town commissioner, Hassan Ibqal also spoke of the rescue attempts. "There are many people trapped in the rubble after the powerful blast demolished some 10 shops […] The rescue work is under way and we fear the toll may go up," he said, blaming the attacks on terrorists. "It was a terrorist activity, similar to those being carried out in other parts of the country." he added.
The attack also damaged the house of Zulfiqar Khosa, the Punjabi chief minister's adviser, although he was not hurt. It is unclear whether he was the intended target of the attack. So far no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Mark Ingram wins 2009 Heisman Trophy
Ingram, the third consecutive sophomore to win the award for the top American Football player in NCAA Division I, was visibly emotional about receiving the award. The award was the first for Alabama.
The margin of victory was the closest ever for the award, with just 28 points separating Ingram from the second place finisher: Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. "I'm a little overwhelmed right now," Ingram said. "I'm just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner."
Ingram, who had 1542 yards rushing and 322 yards receiving this season, emerged as one of the favorites in the middle of the season, but it was the rough showings by fellow front-runners Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy in their conference title games that solidified Ingram's status and elevated Gerhart.
In the SEC title game, the second-ranked Crimson Tide defeated top-ranked Gators, holding Tebow to 184 yards through the air. In the Big 12 title game, Texas won a close game, 13–12 over Nebraska. In the game, McCoy had 247 yards through the air and was intercepted 3 times. A strong performance against in the same game propelled Nebraska defensive-end Ndamukong Suh to the fourth-place spot Heisman point total.
Ingram — who scored 18 touchdowns so far this season — will meet McCoy in the national title game Jan. 7.
Ingram also acknowledged the support of his family, his team and other students on campus. "Everybody that's been in the Alabama family has been supporting me," Ingram said. "Walking to class, students flashed me the Heisman pose."
Sunday, December 13, 2009 University of Alabama running back Mark Ingram has won the 2009 Heisman Trophy, it was announced Saturday night.
Maori flag to fly along side the New Zealand Flag on Waitangi day
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has announced that Cabinet decided on Monday that the controversial Maori sovereignty flag Tino Rangatiratang from 2010 is to be to be flown on New Zealand’s national day, Waitangi Day on Auckland Harbour Bridge, Premier House, Parliament and other significant sites controlled by the Government.
This follows consultation lead by Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples with Maori about what Maori flag should be flown on Waitangi Day. Mr Key says that "More than 1200 submissions were received and 80 per cent favoured the flag commonly referred to as the 'tino rangatiratanga' flag as the preferred Maori flag".
The Prime Minister stressed that "the Maori flag will not replace the New Zealand flag, but fly alongside it, to recognise the partnership the Crown and Maori entered into when signing the Treaty of Waitangi” and that no changes are being made to the status of the New Zealand flag. Furthermore, Dr Sharples added that the New Zealand flag remains the symbol of the nation, and there is no intention to change this.
While the Prime Minister comments that flying the Maori flag is a step towards better race relations, already the choice of flag is proving to be a point of contention. While Dr Sharples has admitted that the choice of flag was not universally supported in Cabinet, with government MPs such as Nationals Tau Henare refusing to comment on whether they personally supported the choice.
Waitangi day is on February 6, each year and celebrates the Waitangi signing of New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi).
WHO: Polio reemerging in Africa
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier today that polio has reemerged in several countries in Africa. WHO Africa regional director Luis Gomes Sambo made the announcement at the beginning of a Zimbabwe conference regarding child immunisation.
"Several polio-free countries have suffered setback in polio eradication. The number of countries with polio outbreaks following wild poliovirus importations has increased from thirteen to nineteen in 2009," Sambo commented.
He also added that "we need better management of the available resources for immunization, human resources, technologies and we need increased funding to improve the capacity of governments to purchase vaccines and we need also greater mobilization of people. We need to inform people that to bring their people to vaccination campaigns."
The Zimbabwe conference takes place at a time when there has been a considerable decline of under-five mortality in the region. Sambo, however, said that sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 51% of all under-five deaths globally in 2008. At this rate, he noted, Africa cannot achieve the fourth UN Millennium Development Goal to reduce under-five mortality rate by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.
The countries that have had increases in polio included Angola, Chad, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The WHO attributed the rise mostly to lack of immunisations. The agency estimates that 75% of children on the continent receive vaccines, and has said it will try to raise the number to 85%.
Dubai receives bailout from Abu Dhabi
The government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates has agreed to give US$10 billion to its neighboring emirate, allowing the state-owned Dubai World conglomerate to repay its immediate debt obligations. Dubai says more than $4 billion of the injection will be given to Dubai World's property firm, Nakheel, to repay its Islamic bond that matures Monday. The remaining funds will go towards additional expenses.
News of the last-minute bailout caused Asian stocks to rebound and pushed European shares up, which saw gains for a third straight session. Markets in the UAE also rose, with Dubai's index moving up by 10 percent and Abu Dhabi's jumping by seven percent. Despite the good news, Algebra Capital Managing Director Dino Kronfol says Dubai is not out of the woods yet. "This is not something that is going to be resolved in a matter of weeks. It's going to take some time," Kronfol said. "It's going to involve restructuring and we'll have to see how that transpires. But nonetheless, this is a positive development today."
The situation is completely different from just a few weeks ago, when Dubai World shook up global markets by asking for a standstill on its $26 billion debt. The government of Dubai made matters worse when it announced it would not guarantee the state-owned company's bills.
Dubai World's creditors still need to approve the standstill and effectively have until December 28 to make a decision. That is when the grace period of Nakheel's bond ends. The government of Dubai has issued a new law allowing the conglomerate to file for bankruptcy if its restructuring is not successful. But Kronfol says, if the process focuses on necessary aspects, it will succeed.
"If the restructuring actually deals with Dubai's contingent liabilities," Kronfol said, "as a long-term solution, this actually really will help put the whole debt situation of Dubai behind us and really allow the markets to look more positively at 2010 and beyond."
Government sources say Dubai World's restructuring process could include asset sales, but they would be limited to the Nakheel and Limitless companies and not include Istithmar World, which owns U.S. Luxury retailer Barneys.
Africa makes first draft version of UNCCC treaty, with harder goals
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, after four days of negotiations, Africa countries have made the first draft version of future possible treaty, to replace the 1997 Kyoto protocol. Africa leaders demand 5% of GDP of developed world citizens to be given as a finance to developing countries for struggle with global warming. Along with this, developing countries expect rich countries to increase their emissions cuts goals.
Funding for developed countries was previously expected to be 130 billion US dollars. The new proposal is about 11 times larger, according to 2008 GDP estimates. In an interview in Copenhagen, China’s representative Su Wei commented, "The developed countries need to speed up the process and come forward with more ambitious targets by 2020."
Many nations offered emissions cuts pledges, which vary from 4% to 17% cuts by 2020, compared with 1990 levels. The Africa's draft proposes a goal of 65% cut for every developed country. Though the new goals are harder, Anders Turesson, European Union representative at UNCCC, doubted in the ability of them to prevent 2-degree warming. In an interview in Copenhagen, he said, "We are concerned about the environmental integrity of these texts and we do not see how they will deliver the 2-degree target. Hopefully we will be able to step up our ambitions as we move forward in the negotiations."
British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband criticised the draft text for absence of a certain temperature raise threshold, said that the new texts "are shorter texts than we’ve had before, which we can negotiate around because the imperative here is to get on with it and get to an ambitious solution".
Bloomberg news company interviewed several people from New York environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Its policy director David Doniger expects most difficulties to come at the end of the UNCCC, when Barack Obama and Wen Jiabao arrive at the summit: "It’s really come down to a set of difficult issues. It’s a lot easier for lower-level negotiators to come to an impasse and go home. It’s not easy for senior officials and definitely not easy for heads of government." As international climate policy director of NRDC Jake Schmidt commented similarly, "It’s going to be a tense negotiation over emissions cuts for developed countries."
Berlusconi to remain in hospital after assault
The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is to remain in the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, following yesterday's assault which left him with facial damage, two broken teeth, a broken nose and cuts to his lips. The assault on the 73-year-old media mogul came at the end of a political rally where Prime Minister Berlusconi had addressed the assembled crowd.
Berlusconi will now stay in hospital until at least Tuesday, and according to a bulletin released to Italian Media, he is able to eat, but only with difficulty.
He was approached and hit in the face by 42-year-old Massimo Tartaglia, who was carrying a replica of Milan's Duomo Cathedral at the time, made out of some form of heavy material according to eyewitnesses. Tartaglia is now in police custody, and has been charged with aggravated assault.
The leader of the Northern League, an Italian Far-Right organisation, Umberto Bossi, said what had happened was an "act of terrorism" and described the attack as a "worrying sign".
In a statement released to the media, Berlusconi's spokesman, Paolo Bonaiuti, said that "we try to keep him at rest. He would like to re-immerse himself into his frantic activity, but doctors say caution is necessary."
Google mobile phone rumours ramp up
Rumours have increased over the possible release of a Google branded smartphone in the New Year, running its Android mobile operating system. Speculation has been rife after it was reported that Google have distributed handsets to its employees for testing worldwide.
It is believed to be being built by the Taiwan based manufacturer HTC, who have already released two phones based on the Android operating system and will feature the newly released Android 2.0. It is currently named the Nexus One. On their official blog, Google have confirmed the existence of a handset and the fact that it is currently being tested, but have relased no more details.
It is also understood that it will be sold directly to consumers and will not be locked to any particular network, in a sharp departure from previous handsets sporting Android. Ben Schachter, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech Inc, based in San Francisco, said: "If all of a sudden everyone is getting on the internet via their mobile device, Google needs to make sure it has an influence on that...they need to make sure they have influence on how the mobile web will develop."
Google is one of the founding members of The Open Handset Alliance, creator of the open-sourced mobile OS Android.
Ryan Giggs named BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Welsh footballer Ryan Giggs was named as the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year in a ceremony Sunday night. The 36-year-old Manchester United and Welsh international player has won a record eleven Premier League titles in his career, and made over 800 appearances for his club.
Giggs holding the Premier League trophy in 2008
The award is given in December each year to a British sportsman or woman, and is voted for by the public. Giggs is only the fifth footballer to win since the award started in 1954, the most recent being David Beckham in 2001.
Formula One driver Jenson Button was runner-up, and heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis came in third.
Giggs said that winning came as a shock. "I grew up watching this programme. To see the people that have won it and to be here is unbelievable," he said in his acceptance speech.
"I am playing for the greatest manager that has ever lived and I'm playing for the greatest club," Giggs said. "Perhaps I've become more appreciated as I have got older. It's unusual for a 36-year-old to be playing with a team like Manchester United for 20 years but I am enjoying it and long may it continue."
Through his career United is the only club Giggs has played at. This year he made his 800th appearance and scored his 150th goal, and in April he also won the PFA Player Of The Year award.
Seve Ballesteros won the event's Lifetime Achievement award. The Spanish golfer, who is suffering from a brain tumour, was unable to attend the event, but received a standing ovation. His award was presented at his home in Padrena by fellow golfer José María Olazábal.
"It's a pity I'm not there. I'm very sorry, I know I'm missing a good show, thank you very much to everyone," Ballasteros said.
15-year-old diver Tom Daley won Young Sports Personality of the Year for the second time, as well as being one of the ten contenders for the main award. "It's been a good year for me and I would just like to thank everyone who has helped me," Daley said.
Comedian Eddie Izzard received a special award for his contributions to the charity event Sport Relief. Earlier this year he completed 43 marathons across the United Kingdom in 51 days, running a total of 1,100 miles. Izzard said that he decided on the challenge as "a health idea". He trained for only five weeks before setting out.
"Everything was painful. People asked me if I enjoyed the running, but I enjoyed the stopping! I staggered, I ran and I crawled," he admitted when accepting the award. His efforts netted over £200,000 for charity.
The awards were presented at the Sheffield Arena, in front of 11,000 people.
Iran releases five detained Britons
Iranian authorities have released five British yachtsmen who were detained last week in the Persian Gulf. A statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that, after investigation, it reached the conclusion that their illegal entry was a mistake.
Britain's Foreign Office confirmed the release, and said the yachtsmen are being towed to international waters, and were expected to head to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Iranian naval forces detained the Britons on the 25th of November as they sailed from Bahrain to Dubai for a race. The chair of Sail Bahrain, Andrew Pindar, which owns the yacht, said the vessel "may have strayed inadvertently" into Iranian waters due to a problem with its propeller.
State radio quoted a statement by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as saying that "after getting necessary guarantees, Iran released the five. We reached the conclusion that they entered Iran’s territorial waters by mistake."
The news comes hours after British Foreign Minister David Miliband spoke to his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki by phone and pressed him for clear information on the incident. Miliband denied the sailors had any malicious intent. He said the incident has "nothing to do" with politics or Iran's nuclear program.
British actress Maggie Jones dies age 75
British actress Maggie Jones has died at the age of 75. The actress was best known for playing the role of Blanche Hunt in the British soap opera Coronation Street. She died on Wednesday morning in hospital. Jones played Blanche for 35 years but did not become a main character until 1999.
Jones was admitted to hospital in October of this year for "life saving" surgery. It is still currently unknown what she was admitted for. The script writers for the show had to write her out of storylines. Because the show is written six weeks in advance she appeared up until recently.
An ITV spokeswoman released a statement acknowledging the passing of Jones. William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow on the show, said that Jones was a "brilliant actress" and had an "amazing dry wit". He added: "I don't think Maggie ever realised how much she was loved — not only by everyone on the show but by the millions of Blanche fans out there. She will be greatly missed."
Religious and political leaders criticise Swiss ban on minarets
Religious and political leaders from around the world have criticised the ban on building minarets as part of the Swiss referendum held in November.
Leaders from the Vatican and the Muslim community around the world have deplored the vote as an attack on religious freedom. The Swiss government has also expressed shame at the result, and expects repercussions from Muslim countries with which it does business. Some politicians from other countries, however, defended the ban.
The co-president of the European Greens-European Free Alliance in the European Parliament, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, has already called upon Muslims to withdraw their funds from Swiss banks, echoed by warnings from Turkish State Minister Egemen Bagis, chief negotiator in European Union accession talks, who said in an interview with the Hürriyet that "I am certain this [the vote] will prompt our brothers from Muslim countries who keep their money and investments in Swiss banks to review their decision," he said.
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the ban revealed "intolerance" and called for it to be reversed. "If you are not allowed to build minarets, that means that religion is being oppressed," he said.
Reaction from some Muslim leaders was even stronger. "This is the hatred of Swiss people against Muslim communities. They do not want to see a Muslim presence in their country and this intense dislike has made them intolerant," said Maskuri Abdillah, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama.
Egypt's Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa called the ban an insult to all Muslims. "This proposal […] is not considered just an attack on freedom of beliefs, but also an attempt to insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland," he said
The Swiss Government—which had opposed the vote—attempted to reassure Muslims that "this is not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture," with the Conference of Swiss Bishops saying that it "heightens the problems of cohabitation between religions and cultures."
Amnesty International, along with other rights organisations, stated that the result of the vote meant that religious freedom, as codified in the European Convention on Human Rights, was no longer ensured, and the Swiss Green Party is considering bringing the matter up at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Reaction from France and Germany was more nuanced, with the French leading political party's spokesman Xavier Bertrand saying that he was "not sure that minarets are needed in order to practise Islam in France", and Germany's Wolfgang Bosbach calling criticism unconstructive; he said that there was fear of Islamisation "and this fear must be taken seriously."
Some right-wing groups in France, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands called the vote a success of the people against the elite and for other countries to undertake similar steps. France's National Front said that the "elites should stop denying the aspirations and fears of the European people, who, without opposing religious freedom, reject ostentatious signs that political-religious Muslim groups want to impose," with Italy's Northern League adding "Switzerland is sending us a clear signal: yes to bell towers, no to minarets."
Pakistani Member of Parliament killed by suicide bomber
A Pakistani provincial politician was killed earlier today by a teen-aged suicide bomber in the northwestern Swat valley.
Shamsher Ali Khan, a member of the Awami National Party, was receiving guests at his residence in the town of Kanju, when a young man, armed with explosives. walked into the grounds of the house. He blew himself up, killing Khan and injuring over twelve other people. According to police, two of the victim's brothers were among those hurt. The blast was so strong it damaged portions of the building.
The guests were reportedly gathering to celebrate the end of Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holy festival. "People were coming to exchange Eid greetings with him when a man came and blew himself up," said a relative of the MP, Farooq Khan.
Chelsea Clinton engaged to banker Marc Mezvinsky
Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Bill Clinton, U.S. President from 1993 to 2001, has announced that she is engaged to her long-term boyfriend. The 29-year-old announced her engagement to Marc Mezvinsky to friends via e-mail. Mezvinsky is the son of Ed and Marjorie Mezvinsky who both served in the United States Congress.
Last summer false rumours circulated that the coupled had already secretly married. Ms. Clinton's mother, Hillary Clinton, was forced to deny those rumors. Ms. Clinton is currently attending Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Porfirio Lobo wins Honduran presidential elections
Porfirio Lobo, a wealthy rancher, has won the presidential election in Honduras, with about 56% of ballots cast, according to results. Election officials say voter turnout was high, in spite of a call by ousted President Manuel Zelaya to boycott the poll. Lobo declared victory after election results showed a broad lead for the candidate from the opposition National Party.
Speaking at a rally late Sunday, Lobo told supporters he will work to improve security, create new jobs and restore international ties. Lobo noted that he wants to bring about profound changes that will enable Honduras to return to the place it was four years ago, before Zelaya took office.
"The people will never be defeated, they will always go forward. Today they demonstrated to the world another test of their abilities and determination," said Lobo at his acceptance speech.
Election officials said about 62% of voters took part in the vote, which eclipsed turnout figures from the 2005 election. The official numbers contradicted earlier claims from Zelaya, who said his supporters estimated that less than half of registered voters took part.
The ousted leader called on voters to boycott the election, saying the de facto government is illegitimate. Zelaya has been living inside the Brazilian embassy as Honduran officials seek to arrest him on charges of abuse of power and treason.
"We took a sample at the polls and the rate of abstentions was over 60 per cent in most cases," Zelaya commented to the Al Jazeera news agency. "This means the election had low turnout, which means it did not enjoy the support of the majority of the Honduran people."
Somali pirates seize Greek-owned tanker
Somali pirates have seized the Greek-owned Maran Centaurus, an oil tanker with 28 crew members on board, yesterday, according to reports.
Officials say the tanker, which can transport more than two million barrels of oil, was sailing from Saudi Arabia to the United States when it was hijacked. A tanker full of oil could be worth millions of dollars, and possibly pose a significant security and environmental threat. Authorities, however, couldn't immediately ascertain how much oil the vessel was carrying.
The ship's crew consists of sixteen Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians, and one Romanian, the Al Jazeera news agency reports.
Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the past two years, demanding and receiving millions of dollars in ransom from the hijacked ships' owners.
4-year-old boy killed by dog in Liverpool, England
A four-year-old boy has been killed by a dog in the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. The child has been identified as John Paul Massey. The animal belonged to his uncle. The boy's 63-year-old grandmother Helen Foulkes tried to protect the boy but ended up getting bitten by the dog in the process. She had to receive hospital treatment for the injury.
The dog itself was shot dead in the front garden of the house where the attack had taken place. The police had said that they did not take further action after receiving a report about dog breeding earlier this year.
Chief Superintendent Steve Ashley from the police force said about the incident: "In February this year a housing officer rang Merseyside Police to say they had received complaints of dog breeding at the address. At that time the police said it wasn't a police matter and no action was taken by Merseyside Police.
That is contrary to our policies and an investigation is now launched into exactly what happened in February."
LHC sets new particle energy acceleration record
The world's Large Hadron Collider accelerated its protons to an energy of 1.18 TeV at 00:44 GMT+1 today. This set a new world record, surpassing the 0.98 TeV record set at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Tevatron collider, which was commissioned in Chicago in 2001. The event came ten days after the LHC collider restart.
Yesterday at 20:48 UTC, one proton beam was accelerated to 1050 GeV (1.05 TeV) in LHC. Three hours later, the next record was set by two beams of opposite direction, 1.18 TeV each.
The CERN researchers are delighted with the quick progress and are happy with the excellent performance of the machine. Steve Myers, director of accelerators and technology at the Cern particle physics laboratory near Geneva, commented on LHC optimistically, comparing it with the twenty-year old Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP): "I was here 20 years ago when we switched on Cern's last major particle accelerator, LEP. I thought that was a great machine to operate, but this is something else. What took us days or weeks with LEP, we're doing in hours with the LHC. So far, it all augurs well for a great research programme."
High proton beam energy is needed to get many proton-proton collisions. However, all elements of the system need to be monitored carefully, and sudden energy increases are undesirable to ensure that the machine operates within normal parameters, in order to avoid a repeat of the superconductive magnet quench and consequent six-tonne liquid helium leak catastrophe on September 19, 2008, nine days after the first start. The damage caused by the leak, and the subsequent repairs and upgrades to the LHC that were needed, caused a delay of more than a year in the commissioning of the collider.
"We are still coming to terms with just how smoothly the LHC commissioning is going. It is fantastic. However, we are continuing to take it step-by-step, and there is still a lot to do before we start physics in 2010" said Cern's director general Rolf Heuer.
US President Obama delivers address on Afghanistan plan
Tuesday evening, United States President Barack Obama went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, to deliver a televised address to announce his new approach to the War in Afghanistan.
President Obama announced an increase of 30,000 US troops to be sent to Afghanistan.
"The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans," said the President.
"These additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011.
Obama said that Afghanistan is not another Vietnam War and that the best approach is not to leave. However, he rejected a semi-permanent US presence that exceeds US needs and capabilities.
He said the US must be nimble and concise in combating Al-Qaeda wherever it might appear.
Obama said that America has underwritten global security for more than 60 years and that America seeks a better future that can only be achieved if "other peoples' children can live in freedom."