Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader, has suffered a setback in his sodomy trial, as a court decided to accept the key DNA evidence that had been earlier rejected as inadmissible. The country’s High Court, on Wednesday, said it would let prosecutors use the evidence in their bid to link Anwar to traces of semen found on his accuser, a 25-year-old former aide. The surprise reversal of the decision came after an appeal by the prosecution, and after the court had heard new testimony from police. “It is clear that [Anwar's] arrest was lawful and the detention was for a lawful purpose,” judge Zabidin Mohamed Diah told a packed courtroom. “This court has no choice but to allow these…
Continue reading …
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues travel warnings and advice for British citizens. See the snapshot they paint of the world today • Get the data The world is a scary place right now; what with the Japan disaster and the Arab and Middle East unrest. Where’s safe to go to? Well, for British citizens, the safety of foreign countries is ranked by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office – the FCO. The FCO regularly issues travel advice for British citizens, telling them where is safe to go. It’s obviously not the only foreign office in the world to do this – the US State Department does too , for instance. But the criteria are very different. The US issues 34 warnings for its citizens of places where the US Government’s ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. So, as well as dangerous places like Iraq, it includes countries like North Korea or Iran, which have no US embassy. The UK’s definition is broader. It covers 53 countries where either no travel at all or essential travel only – to the whole country or part of it – is recommended. It’s all about safety. The definition means there are no restrictions on travelling to North Korea for instance – it just doesn’t take account of whether or not you’ll actually be able to get there. We thought it would be interesting to take a snapshot of those ratings – reflecting the turmoil in the world today. You can see the result above using Google Fusion tables – you may be able to do better (we had problems mapping Gaza and the West Bank, for instance). It’s a fascinating picture – not only of the UK’s world view – but also of conflict, disaster and terror in the world today. There are a load of caveats. Many of the warnings are against travel to specific regions – a distinction you won’t see on the map above. That includes countries like Russia, for instance – where the FCO advises against travel to regions caught up in violence, such as Chechnya or North Ossetia. The FCO also combines Israel and the Palestinian Occupied territories into one travel bulletin. You can download the full data below . What can you do with it? Data summary Download the data • DATA: download the full spreadsheet from Google Fusion tables More data Data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian World government data • Search the world’s government data with our gateway Development and aid data • Search the world’s global development data with our gateway Can you do something with this data? • Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group • Contact us at data@guardian.co.uk • Get the A-Z of data • More at the Datastore directory • Follow us on Twitter • Like us on Facebook Conflict and development Japan disaster Arab and Middle East unrest Google Foreign policy Simon Rogers guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
The US did its damnedest to prevent the return of the elected president it helped oust in 2004. That it failed is a turning-point Late at night on 17 March 2011, former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide boarded a small plane with his family in Johannesburg, South Africa. The following morning, he arrived in Haiti. It was just over seven years after he was kidnapped from his home in a US-backed coup d’etat. Haiti has been ravaged by a massive earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people and left a million and a half homeless. A cholera epidemic carried in by United Nations occupation forces could sicken almost 800,000. A majority of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. Now, Aristide, by far the most popular figure in Haiti today, and the first democratically elected president of the first black republic in the world, has returned home. ” Bon retou, Titid ” (“good return, Titid” – the affectionate term for Aristide) read the signs in Port-au-Prince as thousands flocked to accompany Aristide from the Toussaint L’Ouverture airport to his home. L’Ouverture led the slave uprising that established Haiti in 1804. I was able to travel with Aristide, his wife, Mildred, and their two daughters from Johannesburg to Haiti on the small jet provided by the government of South Africa. It was my second flight with them. In March 2004, the Aristides attempted to return from forced exile in the Central African Republic, but never made it back to Haiti. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other US officials warned Aristide to stay away from the western hemisphere. Defying such pressure, the Aristides stopped in Jamaica before travelling to South Africa, where they remained until last weekend. Just before this Sunday’s election in Haiti, President René Préval gave Aristide the diplomatic passport he had long promised him. Earlier, on 19 January, then US state department spokesman PJ Crowley tweeted , referring to Aristide: “today Haiti needs to focus on its future, not its past.” Mildred was incensed. She said the US had been saying that since they forced him out of the country. Sitting in the plane a few minutes before landing in Haiti, she repeated the words of an African leader who criticised the historic abuses of colonial powers by saying, “I would stop talking about the past, if it weren’t so present.” Mark Toner, the new state department spokesman, said last week: “Former President Aristide has chosen to remain outside of Haiti for seven years. To return this week could only be seen as a conscious choice to impact Haiti’s elections.” Aristide did not choose to leave, or to remain outside Haiti, and the Obama administration knows that. On 29 February 2004, Luis Moreno, the No 2 man in the US embassy in Haiti, went to the Aristides’ home and hustled them off to the airport. Frantz Gabriel was Aristide’s personal bodyguard in 2004. I met him when he was with the Aristides in the Central African Republic then, and saw him again last Friday as the Aristides arrived home. He recalled: “It was not willingly that the president left, because all the people that came in to accompany the president were all military. Having been in the US military myself, I know what a GI looks like, and I know what a special forces [soldier] looks like also … when we boarded the aircraft, everybody changed their uniform into civilian clothes. And that’s when I knew that it was a special operation.” The US continued to prevent Aristide from returning for the next seven years. Just last week, President Barack Obama called South African President Jacob Zuma to express “deep concerns” about Aristide’s potential return, and to pressure Zuma to block the trip. Zuma, to his credit, ignored the warning. US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reveal a concerted drive, over years, to hamper the return of Aristide to Haiti, including diplomatically punishing any country that helped Aristide, including threatening to block a UN security council seat for South Africa. After landing in Port-au-Prince, Aristide wasted no time. He addressed the people of Haiti from the airport. His remarks touched on a key point of the current elections there: that his political party, the most popular party in Haiti, Fanmi Lavalas, is banned, excluded from the elections. He said: “The problem is exclusion, and the solution is inclusion. The exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas is the exclusion of the majority … because everybody is a person.” Looking out on the country he hadn’t seen in seven years, he concluded: “Haiti, Haiti, the further I am from you, the less I breathe. Haiti, I love you, and I will love you always. Always.” • Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column © 2011 Amy Goodman. Distributed by King Features Syndicate Jean-Bertrand Aristide Haiti South Africa US foreign policy Barack Obama Jacob Zuma United States WikiLeaks The US embassy cables Amy Goodman guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Portugal’s opposition parties have withdrawn their support for austerity policies that may lead to the Lisbon government’s collapse on Wednesday. The government’s expected defeat in a parliamentary vote is likely to trigger an international financial rescue. The vote…
Continue reading …Tunebug readies the Rumble, adds speakerphone capabilities to its SurfaceSound speakers
March 23, 2011 No Comment
Back at CES we took a look at Tunebug’s Bluetooth Shake and Vibe speakers , which for those that need a quick refresher, turns any surface into a speaker with SurfaceSound technology. Well, now the company has landed here at CTIA Wireless with a more mobile focused product — the Rumble. The package actually includes that aforementioned Shake (although, in this case it’s being called the TuneRing), which is the triangular shaped part that turns any surface into an impromptu speaker, but the TunePad is really the key addition. That’s the base part that you’re peering at above, and not only does it provide a surface for the Shake, but it also now has a microphone to morph the package into a Bluetooth speakerphone. We got a look at the whole shebang on display here at the show, and while we couldn’t get a handle on the sound quality in a room full of rowdy tech journalists, it did seem surprisingly loud. The $149 kit also comes with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack, USB to 3.5mm charging cable, and a helmet mount. Ironically, the Rumble isn’t actually ready to rumble yet — you’ll have to wait for this summer, but hit the gallery below for some hands-on shots. Gallery: Tunebug Rumble hands-on Tunebug readies the Rumble, adds speakerphone capabilities to its SurfaceSound speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Despite news of funding cuts dominating the headlines it’s clear that only some councils still prioritise the green agenda – we ask how everyone can stay green without heading into the red This week, the Local Government Association and the Department for Energy and Climate Change signed a Memorandum of Understanding which sets out how local and central government can work together to tackle climate change. The document focuses on meeting targets and aims to help councils reduce emissions by participating in schemes like the Green Deal . But with cuts hitting local government hard and many ‘soft-options’ like libraries and swimming pools already bearing the brunt, how far up the agenda will green credentials come? Forum for the Future’s Sustainable Cities Index , which tracks sustainability progress in 20 of the UK’s largest cities, is perhaps proof enough that councils are still striving to achieve results in this area. Indeed, on achieving top spot in the list for the second year running chief executive of Newcastle city council Barry Rowland explained, ” sustainability is right at the top of our agenda, and we intend to keep it there “. However it was reported last week that London has failed to meet EU targets to curb emissions and given Mayor Boris Johnson more time to reduce harmful particles in the air – a sign that in London, councils are not doing enough. In this Q&A we’ll be asking how local government can stay on top of the green agenda despite budget cuts. Our panel will be online between 12pm – 3pm on Wednesday 23 March and comments are open for your questions and contributions now. Panel: Paul O’Brien is chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and previously worked with South Lanarkshire Council Anna Warrington is senior sustainability advisor at Forum for the Future Sam Coe is regional partnerships manager for Keep Britain Tidy . His main role is to develop relationships with local authorities, housing providers and any private sector organisation interested in improving their local environments Chris Shaw is assistant director of environmental regeneration charity Groundwork Gavin Fletcher heads up the Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire (GWLL’s) conservation team and has a wide range of experience in bio diversity, nature conservation and the management of gardens and allotments Councillor Sarah Russell is councillor responsible for the environment at Leicester city council Councillor Joe Goldberg leads on finance and sustainability at Haringey council Martyn Williams is senior parliamentary campaigner at Friends of the Earth who are currently working on campaigns to ensure Government supports councils in tackling climate change This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the local government network to receive more like this direct to your inbox. Local government network blog Sustainable housing Kate McCann guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Coroner’s report into the bombings on London transport network expected to offer recommendations for improving security Inquest verdicts on those killed in the 7/7 bombings will be delivered on 6 May, the coroner, Lady Justice Hallett, has announced. The findings of the five months-long hearings into the deaths of the 52 victims of the attacks on tube trains and a bus in central London are expected to offer recommendations for improving security. Hallett heard evidence from 309 witnesses, including members of the security and emergency rescue services, during the hearings at the Royal Courts of Justice, as well as testimony from injured victims and their rescuers. Three bombs exploded on tube trains during the rush hour on the morning of 7 July, 2005, and one an hour later on a bus travelling through Tavistock Square. The attacks were carried out by four British-born suicide bombers of Pakistani origin, led by Mohammad Siddique Khan, a 30-year-old British Muslim from Leeds, who detonated a bomb on a train at Edgeware Road. Altogether 56 died, including the bombers themselves: seven victims on a Circle Line tube at Aldgate station in east London, six on another Circle Line train at Edgeware Road; and 26 on a Piccadilly Line train between King’s Cross and Russell Square. A further 13 died 57 minutes later on board the bus. More than 700 people were injured. The verdict will be issued on the day after the May local elections and the AV referendum on changing the voting system at general elections. 7 July London attacks UK security and terrorism London Stephen Bates guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Some authors had complained they had not given permission for books to be scanned and made available online Google’s controversial plans to create the world’s biggest online library have been shelved by a US judge. In a ruling filed in the US district court in Manhattan, judge Denny Chin ruled the company had gone “too far” in its ambitious plans and rejected a legal settlement with authors and publishers that Google reached in 2008. The web giant has scanned millions of books, many held at some of the world’s greatest libraries including Oxford University’s Bodleian and Harvard’s libraries, and made them available online via its eBooks platform. The plan has split the publishing industry and attracted fierce criticism from authors and rival tech firms. While Google said it would show only snippets of works that are in copyright, some authors complained that they had not given their permission for the scanning in the first place and were wary of Google’s future plans. In court Google rejected calls for an “opt-in” solution where copyright owners would decide whether or not to be part of the scanning project. The company said the idea was not viable. Chin suggested he might look more favourably on a settlement that allowed copyright owners to “opt in”. “While the digitisation of books and the creation of a universal digital library would benefit many,” Chin wrote, Google’s current pact would “simply go too far”. It would “give Google a significant advantage over competitors, rewarding it for engaging in wholesale copying of copyrighted works without permission,” he said. The agreement rejected by Chin was negotiated with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers. Under the settlement, Google would continue to digitise books and sell access online and the company would pay $125m (£76.9m) in royalties every year to the copyright owners of the books being scanned. Copyright concerns persisted, however, as the ownership of many of the works being scanned by Google could not be established. Hilary Ware, managing counsel for Google, said the judge’s decision was disappointing. “We believe this agreement has the potential to open up access to millions of books that are currently hard to find in the US today,” she said. “Regardless of the outcome, we’ll continue to work to make more of the world’s books discoverable online through Google Books and Google eBooks.” “Publishers are prepared to modify the settlement agreement to gain approval,” said John Sargent, chief executive of Macmillan, in a statement issued by the Association of American Publishers. He said they would work to overcome the objections raised by the court. Google co-founder Larry Page was the author of the firm’s plans to make 150m books accessible via the search engine. He has been promoting the idea since shortly after the company was formed in 1998. Google began working with several libraries in 2004 to scan and digitise books and other writings in their collections, and has said it has completed 10% of the effort. The search engine currently allows users to search about two million books that are out of copyright, including the works of William Shakespeare. That service will be unaffected by the ruling. Chin’s decision is the latest in a series of setbacks. The plans have attracted criticism not only in the US but across Europe and in China and Canada. It is also separately being investigated by the US Justice Department on competition and copyright grounds. Google United States Digital media Libraries Intellectual property Ebooks Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Islamic Jihad claims attacks on Beersheba and Ashdod as Israeli vice-premier calls for new offensive in Gaza Strip Palestinian rockets have struck two cities deep in Israel, wounding one man and prompting a deputy to the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to call for a new offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The attacks, which drew retaliatory air strikes from Israel, marked the biggest escalation of hostilities since Israel launched its assault on Gaza two years ago. Islamic Jihad, a smaller Gaza faction and occasional Hamas ally, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Beersheba and Ashdod that followed a surge of shelling between Israel and Hamas that killed four Palestinian civilians and five militants on Tuesday . After the deaths on Tuesday in Gaza, Netanyahu voiced regret for the civilian casualties, which he said resulted from errant Israeli shelling. The Israeli vice-premier, Silvan Shalom, said the situation recalled the runup to Israel’s 2008-2009 Gaza war, in which around 1,400 Palestinians died. Hamas has mostly held its fire from the enclave since. “We may have to consider a return to that operation,” Shalom told Israel Radio. “I say this despite the fact that I know such a thing would, of course, bring the region to a far more combustible situation.” With dissident movements rocking the Arab world, the US-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has broached reconciliation with Islamist Hamas, which defeated his Fatah faction in a 2006 ballot and seized control of Gaza in a civil war a year later. Shalom said Hamas might have opened a new front with Israel “to stop any possibility of dialogue among the Palestinians or to come to the intra-Palestinian negotiation in a far stronger position”. Hamas is shunned by the west for rejecting peace with Israel. Under Hamas rule, Gaza has been kept under grinding embargoes by Israel and neighbouring Egypt. Security and economic prospects have improved under Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, which has a limited mandate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Islamic Jihad said it fired Grad rockets, assembly-line weapons more sophisticated than some shorter-range projectiles militants have used in the past, at Beersheba and Ashdod, 20 miles and 25 miles from Gaza respectively. An Israeli military spokeswoman said a Beersheba man suffered moderate shrapnel wounds and that the second rocket landed outside Ashdod’s centre, causing no damage. Authorities closed schools in Beersheba and advised residents to be ready to take shelter at the sound of sirens. Islamic Jihad said it sought to avenge “the Zionist massacres against our fighters and people” and would continue to fight “until the full liberation of our lands”, a reference to Israel, as well as the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas has described its attacks, which included the firing of more than two dozen mortar shells and rockets at the weekend, as retaliation for Israeli air strikes. Hamas has at times proposed a long-term truce with Israel. Netanyahu said Israel sought no further flare-up but would continue to respond to Palestinian attacks. Gaza Israel Palestinian territories Middle East guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
TUNIS, Tunisia — The UN chief says that the international campaign to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya must continue until Moammar Gadhafi stops military action against his own people. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that “until he stops, I think that this military operation to enforce a no-fly zone will have to continue.” Ban spoke during a visit Tuesday with post-revolutionary leaders in Tunisia, Libya’s neighbor. Ban said that the military operation by an international coalition is neither interference in Libya’s internal affairs nor “occupation by foreign forces.” It is “simply protecting the civilian population.” He added that “the first and foremost thing should come from Col….
Continue reading …