Prince William, Kate begin Canadian tour in Ottawa

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By Randall Palmer

(Reuters) - White cowboy hats, an emergency helicopter landing and a flight over the fictional home of Anne of Green Gables await Prince William and his new bride Kate in Canada on their first official trip overseas.

The potential future king and queen of Britain and Canada began their Canadian tour in Ottawa on Thursday afternoon, a trip designed in part to strengthen bonds between the monarchy and Canadians, whose head of state is Queen Elizabeth.

"Welcome to Canada, honeymoon capital of the Commonwealth," quipped Governor General David Johnston, the queen's representative in Canada, as he received the royal couple at Rideau Hall, his official home.

Prince William drew a sentimental "awwww" from the crowd in front of Rideau Hall when he told them: "Before we were married, we had a longing to come here together."

He spoke briefly in French, but was clearly a bit embarrassed, adding in English: "It will improve as we go on."

Kate, who did not make a speech, wore a navy lace Cecile scoop-backed dress, designed by Canadian Erdem Moralioglu.

Earlier the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge placed a wreath at the National War Memorial, and stopped to chat and shake hands with veterans and some of the thousands of spectators who came out to see them in downtown Ottawa.

A record-breaking crowd was expected to welcome them at Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill on Friday.

The couple will tour seven cities in four provinces and one territory before heading to California on July 8. Prince William, a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot in Wales, will co-pilot a Sea King helicopter making a training emergency landing on water in Prince Edward Island.

They will sail in a frigate from Montreal to Quebec City, take a bush plane to isolated Blatchford Lake in the Northwest Territories, not far from the Arctic Circle, and be presented with ceremonial white cowboy hats ahead of the Calgary Stampede rodeo.

WELCOMING ROYALS

Marilyn Job, 58, got to the National War Memorial six hours before William and Kate laid a wreath there, snagging a prime spot next to the red carpet.

"The monarchy is an important function of Canada," she said, describing it as critical for the couple to rekindle affection for the institution. "It will die otherwise."

Prince William is far more popular in Canada than his father, Prince Charles, next in line to the throne, and the couple's glamorous April 29 wedding only added to the appeal.

"They'll do the right thing and they'll stay together," said Kelly Webster, 42, who shook hands with Prince Charles when he and Princess Diana visited Ottawa in 1983.

Standing next to Webster at Rideau Hall was Mary Aubrey, 21, holding a clutch of royal wedding and engagement books. "I've been a royal nut since the engagement," she said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement he was sure the tour would forge an enduring relationship between Canada and the couple, "one of deep affection and loyalty," as shown with Queen Elizabeth since her first tour in 1951.

WHY A MONARCHY?

Yet a good section of the Canadian population cannot see why there should be a Canadian royal family. Depending on how questions are framed, up to half of respondents say Canada should abandon the monarchy once the queen dies.

The anti-monarchist strain is strongest in French-speaking Quebec, where many still see Britain's triumph over France in Quebec in 1759 as a raw wound. The Quebec Network of Resistance will demonstrate against the royal visit in Quebec City.

But the anti-monarchist feeling seems less strong than in Australia, which held an unsuccessful 1999 referendum on abolishing the monarchy.

Ipsos pollster John Wright said that while Canadians are divided on the monarchy, few would want to endure the required constitutional battle and likely referendum to make any change.

"The fact is, Canadians would rather have the royals up to the cottage for a beer on a sunny weekend during an occasional visit than have to experience water boarding by political debate for years on end," he told Reuters.

The tradition of royal tours to Canada extends back 225 years to 1786, when another Prince William made the first royal trip to Canada. He later became King William IV.

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Libyan rebels hope French weapons will break Misrata stalemate

A Libyan rebel controls an anti-aircraft machine gun on the outskirts of Misrata. Rebels are in discussion with France to supply guns and ammunition. Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images

Libyan rebels in Misrata said on Thursday night that they are in discussions with France to supply weapons and ammunition to fighters in the besieged coastal enclave.

The frontlines have remained in stalemate for more than a month, with the city enduring nightly bombardments from rockets, and rebel fighters saying they lack the heavy weapons to break the ring of government forces around the city.

"We are in discussion with France to supply us with the guns," said rebel military spokesman Ibrahim Betalmal. "We are trying to do our best to get ammunition and guns from France and inshallah [God willing] we are going to get those guns. These are negotiations with France, not with Nato."

The news comes after reports from Paris said France airdropped weapons and ammunition to rebel forces battling pro-Gaddafi forces in the western mountains who are pushing towards Tripoli from the Tunisian border.

Rebels in Misrata say their efforts to expand the pocket around the battered city are frustrated because of a lack of artillery, mortars and tanks. For the past four weeks successive rebel offensives pushing west towards Tripoli have been turned back by pro-Gaddafi forces dug in around the town of Zlitan.

Nato has stepped up air strikes against government positions in the past two weeks and has used warships for shore bombardment, but they have not been coordinated with rebel troop movements.

Betalmal said negotiations were being handled by the rebel government, the National Transitional Council, and refused to speculate on what kind of weapons might be offered or when they might arrive. The UN has imposed an arms embargo on Libya and Nato warships patrol the coastline to intercept ships suspected of bringing weapons to either government or rebel forces.

"We notice that Nato over the past two weeks has increased air strikes for which we are grateful," said Betalmal.

Libya's opposition leader had earlier on Thursday said that rebels needed more weapons and funding, as China and Russia raised concerns over revelations that France had supplied arms.

Mahmoud Jibril, of the Transitional National Council, said foreign deliveries of military hardware would give the rebels a chance to "decide this battle quickly [and] to spill as little blood as possible".

French military spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard said on Wednesday that France had airlifted weapons to Libyan civilians in a mountain region south of Tripoli. The deliveries of guns, rocket-propelled grenades and munitions took place in early June in the western Nafusa mountains, when Gaddafi's troops had encircled civilians.

Gaddafi's prime minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi predicted that France "will suffer for this", saying that the weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists.

"Many more French citizens will die because of these acts," al-Mahmoudi told a small group of reporters in Tripoli, according to a partial transcript of his remarks obtained by the Associated Press.

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Violent Clashes in the Streets of Athens

ATHENS — Confrontations between the police and protesters reached a violent climax here on Wednesday as armored riot officers beat back demonstrators and fired volleys of tear gas into the crowds who had gathered outside Parliament. Inside, lawmakers approved a package of austerity measures aimed at helping Greece avoid a default.

On the second day of a two-day general strike called by unions, rogue protesters also attacked the Finance Ministry on Syntagma Square across from Parliament and set fire to a post office in the ground floor of the building. The King George Palace, a luxury hotel that faces the square, was evacuated in the afternoon.

A police spokeswoman said that 31 police officers were injured and that 30 people had been detained, leading to 11 arrests. Local news media reported that dozens of protesters were hospitalized, and video clips showed the police striking people with their batons.

Amnesty International released a statement on Wednesday condemning the “repeated use of excessive force by police in recent demonstrations, including the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of tear gas and other chemicals against largely peaceful protesters.”

The day began noisily but peacefully. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament, shouting “thieves” and “traitors” at the politicians deliberating the unpopular measures. But as the day went on, some young people, many masked and clad in black, began hurling rocks, broken furniture and firebombs at police officers, many of whom scooped up the rocks and hurled them back.

Although dramatic, the street violence was a sideshow from the broader drama unfolding in Greece today: the slow suffocation of the middle class. That brought the vast majority of the protesters — old and young — out into the streets this week.

“I’m here because I don’t have hope,” said Eliseos Fitros, 49, who said he had worked in the tourism trade and was not unemployed. “I have two kids in university. What is their future? I’m worried that in two or three months the economy will collapse.”

Unemployment has soared above 16 percent here — and more than 30 percent for those under 29.

“I’m new to these kinds of protests,” said Theodore Katris, a student in European culture, as he stood downtown with a surgical mask on his chin to protect him from the tear gas. But he said he felt compelled to demonstrate. “I’m 22 years old. I have nothing, I have no future,” he said.

“My grandparents had to move to America to survive, and I think that because of these policies, my generation will have to, too,” Mr. Katris said.

In another sign of the fury at lawmakers, protesters hurled bottles and a chair at Thomas Robopoulos, a Socialist member of Parliament who had a police escort. After first saying he would oppose the austerity measures, Mr. Robopoulos ultimately voted in favor on Wednesday.

Late into the evening, tear gas and black smoke wafted over the center of this dense city, its off-white walls plastered with graffiti. Earlier, the police and protesters had skirmished on shopping streets. Some demonstrators were forced to retreat into a nearby Metro station, where volunteer doctors also treated those who had been overcome by tear gas or been beaten by the police.

But in the strange patchwork of Athens, just blocks from the scuffles, people sat calmly in cafes and tourists made their way up to the Acropolis — if not to the airport, because of a work stoppage by air traffic controllers.

Amid the chaotic street scuffles, immigrants from South Asia pushed carts full of bottled water and sold swimming goggles and liquid Maalox, which protesters smeared around their eyes to counter the sting of tear gas.

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Kabul attack raises concern ahead of Afghan pullout

While the human cost of the Taliban's deadly assault on a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital Tuesday became apparent in the hours after the attack, the incident has also raised questions about the nation's ability to handle its own security in the coming years.

As Washington and its NATO allies prepare to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 pull-out deadline, Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed that his troops would be ready to take over.

Still, with the death toll rising to 19 a day after the attack, concern was mounting that the Western military departure would create a power vacuum in the country and allow the Taliban to seize power.

Tuesday's barrage occurred at the InterContinental Hotel in Kabul, as a group of civilians discussed the impending power transfer under tight security.

While eight militants died in the operation, the highly orchestrated attack seems to have been designed as a show of force for the Taliban. The ensuing five-hour standoff ended when NATO choppers fired rockets at militants stationed on the roof of the hotel.

The attack at the hotel is one of the biggest and most complex ever staged by the Taliban in the capital. It's not clear if the insurgents disguised themselves as security or labourers in order to mount their assault.

The attack comes as U.S. President Barack Obama continues to talk about progress both in the war in Afghanistan and in the campaign against the Qaeda terror network.

Last week, the U.S. president said that 33,000 American troops will leave Afghanistan by next summer. The first 10,000 are expected to be back on U.S. soil by the end of this year.

The capital has been relatively stable, even as violence flared elsewhere in the country. But the hotel attack has shattered the calm in Kabul, meaning security officials are on high alert as Canadian troops also prepare to end their combat mission next month.

Latifullah Mashal, a spokesman from the Afghan security agency, said that the attack was a desperate attempt to raise fears in the capital.

"The enemy failed to carry out their plan because they were all killed and there was no major cost to civilian life," said Mashal.

"They want to undermine things in the seven areas of transition. . . . We say to them that we Afghans have the ability to stop terrorist attacks and we will."

While Afghan security officials downplayed the attack, so did security expert Paul Chapin, who said that the West shouldn't be overly concerned about the timing of the attack.

"I don't think we ought to read too much into it," Chapin told CTV News Channel on Wednesday.

He added that while the attack was bold, it was directed at a hotel, which could be considered a "soft" target.

Still, he said that as Western troops leave, Afghans are prepared to step up and take care of their own security. And while there may be bumps along the way, he said eventually, the strategy could pay off.

"It's a troubled society, it's been at war for two generations. It's going to take time for people to learn how to live a normal civilian existence," he said.

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Kabul attack: Nato kills Taliban squad members who launched suicide assault

Aghanistan: residents could see the blacked-out hotel on a hilltop on the western outskirts of Kabul illuminated by red tracer bullets and explosions Photograph: Massoud Hossaini/AFP

Nato helicopters fired on and killed members of a Taliban squad who attacked a landmark Kabul hotel on Tuesday night where senior Afghan officials were staying.

At least six Taliban, some of them suicide bombers, were involved in the assault on the Inter-Continental, which began when militants in civilian clothes burst into the hotel while many guests were in the dining room and others were attending at least two receptions, including a wedding party.

The Nato rocket attack appeared to have brought an end to the fighting, which lasted for more than four hours. The bodies of six civilians, believed to be hotel employees, were found by police, according to the Afghan interior ministry.

From miles across the city, residents could see the blacked-out hotel on a hilltop on the western outskirts of Kabul illuminated by red tracer bullets and explosions.

Afghan police and commandos flocked to the hotel to engage the attackers with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades soon after the attack began at about 9.30pm.

According to the authorities, at least two attackers were shot dead and four blew themselves up, a tactic that has been used several times before on fortified buildings, including hotels, in the capital.

The Taliban's spokesman was quick to claim credit for the assault, claiming he had been in contact with one of the attackers inside the hotel.

The spokesman told Associated Press: "One of our fighters called on a mobile phone and said: 'We have gotten on to all the hotel floors and the attack is going according to the plan. We have killed and wounded 50 foreign and local enemies. We are in the corridors of the hotel now taking guests out of their rooms – mostly foreigners. We broke down the doors and took them out one by one."'

His claim was denied by senior Kabul police officer Mohammad Zahir, who said the militants had been isolated on a "small section of the roof" and had not been able to go around the hotel, room to room. He said an unknown number of insurgents were firing from positions outside the hotel and that about five officers, including Zahir himself, had been wounded.

The insurgents were armed with machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades, according to Samoonyar Mohammad Zaman, a security officer for the interior ministry, who said there were 60 to 70 guests at the hotel.

Another Afghan official said a group of senior provincial officials had been staying at the hotel at the time.

Bette Dam, a Dutch journalist at the scene, reported on Twitter that he had seen at least four rocket-propelled grenades being launched from the hotel into the nearby house belonging to Mohammad Qasim Fahim, one of the country's vice-presidents.

Afghanistan's interior minister, General Besmellah Khan, was reported to be present and was overseeing operations along with the city's police chief and an Afghan army commando unit.

Jawid, a guest at the hotel, told AP he jumped out of a one-storey window to escape the shooting.

"I was running with my family," he said. "There was shooting. The restaurant was full with guests."

The 1960s hotel, which has at least 200 rooms and is no longer formally part of the Intercontinental chain, is not the magnet to western travellers it once was, many of whom now stay in more recently built hotels. But it is popular with well-heeled Afghans and leading political figures, and it hosts a number of important conferences each year.

The last major attack on a similar hotel used by foreigners was in January 2008, when several Taliban gunmen killed six people in a commando-style attack on the nearby Serena hotel, which has been hit in several random rocket attacks since then.

However, the latest attack on such a well-defended hotel, which is impossible to approach without going through at least two security checkpoints, is embarrassing to the Afghan government as it prepares to take responsibility for security in Kabul province as part of much vaunted "transition" strategy.

The attack came the night before the start of a conference about the gradual transition of civil and military responsibility from foreign forces to Afghans, although an Afghan government official told reporters that the hotel was not one of the venues to be used by the conference or its delegates.

Afghan authorities have already been nominally in charge of Kabul for some time.

Attacks in the Afghan capital have been relatively rare, although violence has increased since the 2 May killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid in Pakistan and since the start of the Taliban's annual spring offensive.

On 18 June, insurgents wearing Afghan army uniforms stormed a police station near the presidential palace and opened fire on officers, killing nine.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials from the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan met in Kabul to discuss prospects for making peace with the Taliban.

"The fact that we are discussing reconciliation in great detail is success and progress, but challenges remain and we are reminded of that on an almost daily basis by violence," Jawed Ludin, Afghanistan's deputy foreign minister, said at a news conference.

Libya Dismisses International Court Warrants for Gadhafi, 2 Top Aides

Libya has dismissed arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for leader Moammar Gadhafi and two top lieutenants on war crimes charges linked to their suppression of an opposition uprising.

Justice Minister Mohammad al-Gamudi said Monday that Libya does not accept the legitimacy of the court.

The ICC issued the warrants earlier Monday against Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi.

The ICC indictment accuses Gadhafi and his aides of deterring protesters through the use of detention, torture and lethal force, such as ordering snipers to fire on civilians leaving mosques.

The judges' statement said there are reasonable grounds to believe the three were "criminally responsible" for the murder and persecution of hundreds of civilians during peaceful protests in February.

The judge said Mr. Gadhafi - who has ruled for 42 years - had "absolute, ultimate and unquestioned control" over the state. They described Seif al-Islam as the most influential person in an inner circle that established a state policy aimed at quelling civilian protests "by any means."

The head of the rebel Transitional National Council welcomed the ICC move and warned that anyone who tries to hide Gadhafi also will face justice.

In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the warrants are another indication Gadhafi "has lost his legitimacy." He said the Libyan leader must be held accountable.

Britain, France and Italy all praised the warrants.

The court said the three indicted Libyans must be arrested quickly to stop them from covering-up their alleged crimes and committing new ones.

Gadhafi is the second sitting head of state to have an ICC arrest warrant issued against him. One was previously issued for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, but has yet to be served.

A NATO campaign of air strikes on Libyan government targets entered its 100th day Monday. Witnesses reported hearing two loud explosions in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, with smoke rising from the area near Mr. Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

The alliance says it has been acting under a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for action to protect Libyan civilians from government attack.

Also Monday, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird made an unannounced trip to the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, saying he wants to see how well prepared opposition leaders are to run the country if they defeat Mr. Gadhafi's government.

Tunisia's state news agency said Monday three Libyan government ministers, including Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, were holding talks with "several foreign parties" on the Tunisian island of Djerba. It did not give further details.

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Wen arrives in Berlin for visit to Germany

BERLIN - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived here Monday night for an official visit to Germany.

In a written statement issued upon his arrival, Wen said that China and Germany have increased mutual understanding and trust, and enhanced mutually beneficial cooperation in recent years, particularly in the process of coping with the global financial crisis.

He added that China-Germany relations are facing new opportunities for development.

Wen said during his stay in Germany, he will co-chair the first China-Germany inter-government consultations together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and meet with German President Christian Wulff.

"We will set new goals and tasks for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern," he said.

"I'm confident that this visit will further promote the China-Germany strategic partnership," he added.

Germany is the last stop of Wen's current three-nation Europe tour, which has already taken him to Hungary and Britain.
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Libyan Rebels Defend NATO After Errant Strikes

Photo: Reuters

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi (file photo)

Libya's rebel military is defending NATO after airstrikes killed a number of Libyan civilians. The show of support follows Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's condemnation of the alliance as murderers.

A rebel military spokesman called NATO a legitimate force that is doing its job, carrying out the United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians.

Colonel Ahmed Bani argued that anyone who speaks differently about the alliance or blames them for any shortcomings is against the freedom of the Libyan people. Operating from a United Nations mandate to protect Libyans, NATO's air operation has been a linchpin for the rebels seeking to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Listen to Elizabeth Arrott’s debriefer with Susan Yackee about the current situation in Libyan rebel stronghold Benghazi:

NATO's mission has come under increased scrutiny in recent days, as strikes Sunday and Monday claimed the lives of several civilians, including children, in the west of the country. 

Last week, alliance aircraft mistakenly fired on a rebel column in Brega, in the east. NATO expressed regret for the loss of civilian life.

In an audio message broadcast late Wednesday, Gadhafi condemned the strikes, saying NATO was killing "our children and grandchildren."

The Libyan government has repeatedly accused the alliance of deliberately targeting civilians, a charge NATO has called "outrageous."

Rebel spokesman Bani, addressing reporters in Benghazi Thursday, laid the blame for the recent deaths on Gadhafi, saying his attempt to cling to power by any means is the reason for the casualties.

Bani added his condolences for those killed, saying whoever dies, on either side, is Libyan.

The rebels' defense of the campaign comes as Italy seeks a halt in the fighting to provide a safe corridor for humanitarian aid.  The call was reportedly echoed by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, quoted in British media as arguing the time is right for a political solution.

France rejected the suggestion, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the coalition must step up its pressure on Gadhafi.  The official said a halt in the air campaign, now it its fourth month, would only give government forces time to regroup.

Meanwhile, International Criminal Court judges are scheduled to decide next week whether Gadhafi will face arrest for crimes against humanity. The court announced on Thursday that a hearing will take place in The Hague on Monday.

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Apple gains multitouch patent for mobiles

Apple has been granted a patent for multitouch interaction on a mobile device display that has raised questions as to whether it threatens iPhone and iPad competitors.

Apple has been granted a patent for multitouch interaction on a mobile device display.Screenshot: Stephen Shankland/CNET News

The patent, granted on Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after being filed in 2007, covers the movement of content within a frame on a touchscreen, without affecting other content on the display.

The abstract for patent number 7,966,578 describes "a computer-implemented method, for use in conjunction with a portable multifunction device with a touchscreen display, comprises displaying a portion of page content, including a frame displaying a portion of frame content and also including other content of the page, on the touchscreen display".

The patent covers a specific kind of multitouch activity, but covers its use in applications ranging from browsing to maps and word processing. It even includes a claim on storage media that contain programs covered by the patent. There is considerable disagreement among commentators on the breadth or narrowness of the patent.

According to intellectual property lawyer Nick Phillips, a partner at Barlow Robbins, the patent appears to be "extremely broad and to cover the multitouch interface that we are used to seeing on smartphones".

The patent abstract describes the results seen when 'N' — one or more — fingers are used on a device interface. "An N-finger translation gesture is detected on or near the touchscreen display," it says. "In response, the page content, including the displayed portion of the frame content and the other content of the page, is translated to display a new portion of page content on the touchscreen display.

 It certainly allows Apple to assert a claim against a number of its rivals who use these multitouch interfaces. 

– Nick Phillips, Barlow Robbins

"An M-finger translation gesture is detected on or near the touchscreen display, where M is a different number than N," it continues. "In response, the frame content is translated to display a new portion of frame content on the touchscreen display, without translating the other content of the page."

Phillips believes the patent could allow Apple to ask for licensing fees from competing mobile device makers.

"It certainly allows Apple to assert a claim against a number of its rivals who use these multitouch interfaces, although as ever the question will be whether it is too wide to be valid," Phillips told ZDNet UK. "As I read the claims, the interface has to recognise at least multitouch gestures but would cover an interface which recognised single-finger and multitouch gestures."

However, patent attorney Matt Macari disagrees, writing on his Litigating Apple blog that the patent is actually very narrow and unlikely to have a major impact on the smartphone or tablet market.

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"You don't have to be a patent attorney or a paranoid Apple competitor to understand that this patent doesn't afford Apple broad patent coverage over all capacitive multi-touch interfaces," Macari wrote. "Let's start now with understanding what it's not. It's not a patent on fire or the wheel. And it's not a market killer."

The iPhone-maker has received multitouch patents before — one in 2009 covered basic pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-scroll functionality, while another in 2010 dealt with the use of multitouch for complex image and parameter adjustments. The patent adds new types of functionality to Apple's multitouch patent arsenal.

Nokia's new N9 MeeGo phone (hands-on)

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

Finnish mobile giant Nokia introduced its latest smartphone, the Nokia N9, today. We at Crave Asia managed to try the new MeeGo smartphone at the Nokia booth at CommunicAsia in Singapore. Here are our early impressions of this sleek-looking mobile.

Weighing just about 4.7 ounces and measuring less than half an inch, the N9 comes in either a 16GB or 64GB configuration. The phone feels great in our hands, and the curved 3.9-inch Corning Gorilla glass AMOLED screen looks fantastic. The display runs at a 16:9 FWVGA (854x480 pixels) resolution.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

Nokia has also clarified that the polycarbonate used for the N9's chassis is colored throughout, which means that if there's a scratch, there would be no change in color. The polycarbonate body may seem a little "cheap," but it gives the handset a funky look. The N9 will come in three colors--black, cyan, and magenta.
You'll notice that the smartphone doesn't have any buttons on the front, with only the volume controls and a lock button located on the right side of the device.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

The phone runs on MeeGo 1.2, and the user interface greatly resembles the one found on Symbian Anna. The icons in particular, share the same new look, and the overall visual experience is very appealing.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

The smartphone relies on swipe gestures to navigate from screen to screen. You can swipe right to left, or up to down. Ideally, you should swipe from the edge of the screen, or you may find that it doesn't work correctly with some apps.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

The Nokia N9 has only three screens to speak of. The first screen is where your notifications happen, from social-media feeds to e-mails.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

The second screen is a list of all your apps, and there's no way to sort them for now. So the more apps you have, the more you have to scroll to find the app you want. This can be slightly tedious.

The third screen shows all your open apps, and you can tap on any of the windows to jump straight into the app. To close an app, all you need to do is tap and hold on any app, and an "X" will appear on the top right corner of each app, which you can tap to close. There's also a "close all" button you can use.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

The 8-megapixel camera was quite responsive, but we didn't have the chance to test its low-light settings. The phone also lets you tweak a variety of shooting modes, including changing the ISO to a maximum of 800 for shooting at night.

(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET Asia)

 

Nokia has also integrated NFC in the N9, and it's not just for making mobile payments. The company demoed the pairing of a Bluetooth headphone using NFC (instead of the usual PIN code method).
The performance of the prototype device felt very snappy, and it looks almost ready for retail. As a MeeGo device, the N9 will be running apps based on the Qt platform. Hopefully, N9 buyers will be spoiled with choices in terms of apps once the phone gets released.

The Nokia N9 will retail at $660 and $749 for the 16GB and 64GB models respectively. The phone will be available at the end of the year--the same time period where we can expect to see Mango-flavored Windows Phone 7 Nokia devices.

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Confidence motion sets the stage for a tough summit

EU leaders will try to plot a way forward for Greece, writes ARTHUR BEESLEY , European Correspondent

THE CONFIDENCE motion in Greek premier George Papandreou sets the stage for a difficult summit at which EU leaders will seek to plot a way forward for his country without sparking further turmoil in sovereign debt markets.

The leaders, who are trying to overcome deep divisions over the scope of a second Greek bailout, gather in Brussels tomorrow for dinner with European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet. The talks will then resume on Friday.

While the leaders are under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to provide certainty over a second rescue package for the country, the talks will take place against the backdrop of renewed strain in debt markets.

“It’s obvious Greece will need the continued support of the EU and continued international support,” European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso told reporters yesterday.

Central to the argument here are moves to enlist private creditors in the rescue effort, something that opened a deep rift between German chancellor Angela Merkel and Trichet.

Merkel has now relented from her push for something more than a voluntary scheme to bring private investors into the rescue effect.

This brings her back in line with the ECB, but tensions remain.

“We think that there is a justification of sharing with the private sector if it doesn’t give rise to a credit event or a default, even selective default, and if it’s all done in total harmony with the ECB,” Barroso said. “So I think we’re going to listen to what the ECB has to say.”

Officials preparing for the summit have worked on the assumption that Papandreou would survive the confidence vote and that he will be in a position to deliver a parliamentary majority next week in favour of a drastic new austerity and privatisation plan. A positive vote in both cases would clear an important hurdle in the way of the €12 billion bailout loan which Greece needs to avert defaulting on its debt in the middle of next month.

However, the IMF will not decide to release its €3 billion portion of the loan until the European authorities provide clarity over a second rescue package for the country.

This puts the focus on EU leaders, yet they, in turn, are relentlessly urging Greek leaders to execute deeply unpopular reforms. The country remains under exceptional international pressure.

Barroso kept his foot on the pedal yesterday, saying the Greek people must accept there is no alternative to the difficult path of austerity and privatisation.

“What is the alternative?” he asked. “The alternative would be worse than the current situation, I’m absolutely convinced of that: a major crisis in Greece.

“The EU and the IMF won’t support any other programme. I need to be absolutely clear on this. Everyone needs to take their responsibility.

“The EU is prepared to support Greece if Greece is prepared to follow the terms of the agreement we negotiated with the Greek government.”

The leaders will confirm at the summit the appointment of Italian central bank governor Mario Draghi to succeed Trichet, who retires this autumn.

They are also poised to finally sign off on a long-looming overhaul of the European Financial Stability Facility temporary bailout fund and on the treaty change required to establish the permanent fund that will succeed it in 2013 – the European Stability Mechanism.
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Most Japanese wish to scrap reactors

TOKYO – More than four out of five Japanese want to see Tokyo abandon nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima atomic crisis, a survey said Sunday.

Resource-poor Japan relies on nuclear power for a third of its electricity supplies, and Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s government has said it will remain a major pillar of the nation’s energy policy.

But a survey in the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper found that 82 per cent of Japanese wanted to see it phased out.

Just over nine percent wanted all reactors shut down immediately, while almost 19 percent said they should each be permanently decommissioned when their next routine inspection was due.

The majority, just under 54 per cent, wanted to have them shut down when electricity supply and demand allowed.

Only 14 percent wanted no change.

“The survey reflected the strength of the public’s distrust in the government’s nuclear policy,” the newspaper said.

The findings came after four of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant northeast of Tokyo were heavily damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and deadly tsunami on March 11.

The world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986 has caused radioactive material to spew into the air, ground and sea and forced the evacuation of 80,000 people in a 20-kilometre (12-mile) radius.

Workers have pumped water into reactor cores and fuel rod pools, leaving more than 100,000 tonnes of contaminated water in basements, drains and ditches, some of which has leaked into the ocean.

In the survey, 67 percent of the 1,853 respondents said Japan should not build any more reactors, while 22 percent said Japan should reduce the number being planned.

Only six percent said the government should go ahead with its project to build 14 new reactors by 2030.

Whatever You Do, Don't Buy a Chromebook

The first Chromebooks, from Samsung and Acer, are finally starting to ship, after a six-month tease by Google for its foundational Chrome OS. (Samsung's white 3G model is now shippng, and its three other models and Acer's sole models are available for preorder.) Please, save youself $350 to $500 and avoid these cloud-only laptops. Spend your money on something you'll both use and enjoy, like an iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1. I write these words from a Chromebook, where my 802.11n network feels like it's traversing molasses when using Google Docs and other Internet service.

The sad truth is that the Chrome OS vision of all your computing occuring through the Internet is an unsatisfying reality. I've tried to be open to the idea and given the beta Chrome OS the benefit of doubt in its early versions. But as the ship date approached, I began to get nervous that Google couldn't take Chrome OS beyond being an awkward sub-OS.

Now that we're at the point of Chromebook reality, I cannot in good conscience be generous. The Chromebook concept is a failure, as is the foundational "Webtone" idea that Google got from Sun Microsystems.

Simply put, I don't believe Chrome OS will ever get as good as a world of real apps that tap into the Internet but don't depend on it. The Web apps that run on Chromebooks' Chrome OS -- and they're the only apps that can -- are still primitive and not that capable. Google itself still doesn't have its Google Apps -- the key apps it expects every Chrome OS user to rely on -- yet working in offline mode. That was promised for March, and still it's MIA. Remember, this is Google: a company that has no trouble shipping apps before they're ready.

The Web is not good enough to be your app library
I've been using a beta Chromebook since they were first available in December 2010 and working regularly on an iPad and MacBook Pro, as well as testing most major tablets, trying out the Atrix Lapdock (a dockable smartphone), and dabbling in Windows 7 periodically. It's become quite clear that the Web is an insufficient venue to handle all your computing needs.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was right when he ended the Web-app-only strategy of the iPhone after its first year and switched to an Internet-enhanced native apps model. I didn't have an iPhone back then (2007), so I didn't experience what early iPhone users went through in a Web app-only world. But the iPhone as we know it did not explode until the native apps came. For Chrome OS, we don't need to wait: Windows 7 and Mac OS X are here today, and they can run Web apps, too.

The Chrome OS Web apps, as I said, are primitive. If you've used Webmail, you know what I mean. Imagine if all your apps were like that. They just don't compare to the quality of "real" apps, whether on a tablet or computer. Google's own cloud services, such as Google Docs, are awkward on Chromebook -- even moreso than they are on a PC. If Google can't do Web apps well, don't expect anyone else to.

The Web is not good enough to be your information center
But there's more reason why the Chromebook is a concept you should not waste your money on. For one, online access is uncertain -- both its availability and its quality. If you're a traveler, Wi-Fi charges will rack up fast at airports, Starbucks, and hotels. And the free Verizon Wireless 3G access that comes with one of Samsung's Chromebooks is a laughable 100MB a month -- a teaser amount if I ever heard one. You'll quickly be shelling out real money for 3G data access; after all, Chromebooks can't do anything put play a cached version of Angry Birds (once you've loaded it over the air, of course) without a connection. If those promised services ever appear, streaming music and video would break the bank. Photos too will be data hogs as you move them from online photo services to your Chromebook each time you want to view them or work on them.

Plus, do you really want all your personal information stored in the cloud? Or have access to your data dependent on securing a reliable data connection and the money to keep its meter running?

If you use a Chromebook only in Wi-Fi hotspots, such as at home and at the office, the meter won't be running, so the Chromebook is more plausible in terms of reliable connectivity. But then you are, ironically, tethered to your wireless networks. It's a brick elsewhere, while all your data is in the cloud, even if just as a waystation from other computers.

Then there are the contextual activities we take for granted, but don't exist in the Chrome OS world. For example, forget about printing -- you need a Windows PC on a network to be a waystation to your printer unless you're one of the few people with an ePrint-capable Wi-Fi printer. Also, don't even consider syncing to your iPod; there's no way to connect to iTunes. Or to your BlackBerry, Droid, Zune, or other media devices. (Apple's forthcoming iOS 5 will let its devices work without a computer, so ironically they may be the only realistic companion devices for a Chromebook.)



The browser-in-a-box is not good enough to be your computer
The Chromebooks are touted as simpler, cheaper devices that you can afford to lose, both because they're not costly and because they contain no data or apps. Thus, their hardware is quite primitive, per Google's specs. That keeps battery life comparable to that of an iPad, and it restricts the weight to three or four pounds. You can use a mouse or external USB keyboard, as well as acccess some external storage via what are essentially FTP windows.

This may sound great for a company that doesn't want to buy computers or maintain them. But what are the chances that they can rely solely on Google Docs and similar services? Very small. Better to use VDI technology with real computers or even simple netbooting of "dumb terminal" Macs over the network. The cost wil be higher than using Chromebooks as wireless dumb terminals, but they'll actually be able to do the work.

For the rest of us, the Chromebooks lack Bluetooth, so you can't use wireless peripherals, which are gaining in popularity. You also can't use Bluetooth headsets for apps such as Skype or media players -- but given the communications issue I've cited, using Skype and digital media probably isn't realistic on Chromebooks anyhow.

Plus, with the rare exception of ePrint models (which the iPad was supposed to popularize last October, but has failed to do so), you can't connect a printer except if you have a PC on all day acting as its print server and are willing to go through Google's very convoluted setup.

iPads and other tablets can't do some of these things, either, but they're not pretending to be an alternative to Windows and Mac OS X (a claim made by Google's executives when they formally announced Chrome OS last December). In addition, they work much better with apps, with easier work-arounds for wireless printing. They also work with Bluetooth to varying degrees.

This constrained hardware does simplify the Chromebooks. It also makes them commodity products for which the manufacturers can do little other than style the case, choose the keyboard and trackpad feel, and select the screen quality. They're basically just boxes. Samsung's Chromebooks are nice-looking boxes, a very strong copy of the Apple MacBook design, just as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is clearly a clone of the iPad's design. Acer's Chromebook looks like a generic Windows laptop.

Ths means that the real driver and innovator behind the Chromebook is and will be Google.

Can Google really deliver a polished product?
That worries me, and it should worry you. Google plays with lots of technologies, and it has a culture of releasing incomplete software, then dropping it suddenly. Google throws half-baked technology against the wall, hoping it will cook itself as it travels in the air or as it sticks on the surface. I know Google has spent years on Chrome OS, so this is not a whimsical product. But those years of invesment aren't apparent in the final result.

Worse, the Chromebooks are advertised as having the benefit of improving over time due to regular self-updates. That means they're not ready for prime time and you're paying to be a beta tester. Major OSes like Windows and Mac OS X get updates periodically, but what ships is considered a viable product in its own right -- not so with Chrome OS, just as it has not been so with Google Docs.

I'm tired of being told that half-baked is innovative. Thirty-plus years into the PC revolution, it's time to expect that products work well when they're sold for money. Apple has understood that, which is why it's the only PC maker to grow every quarter. Google doesn't.

The Chromebooks are an interesting but failed experiment, not a product.

Even if you would use the Chromebook as a secondary, supplemental device -- an adjunct to your PC or Mac -- you'll have to contend with all these issues. Frankly, a tablet is a better option to be such an adjunct: It fits both the Mac and PC environments better, it supports apps whether or not you have a wireless connection, and it's much easier to carry around.

Maybe the Chromebook has some appeal because it's both new and trying to do something different. Kudos to Google for that. But if you want to invest in innovative experimentation, go for an iPad 2 or one of the better Android tablets (a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or a Motorola Mobility Xoom); they're actual products, as well as innovators. Or just get a lightweight laptop -- a MacBook Air or a Windows ultralight -- so you have your computer and Web apps world, too.

Just don't buy a Chromebook.


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Lady Gaga has monsters, Cheryl Cole has soldiers

Has Cheryl Cole gone Gaga?

The British singer, who is not the global phenomenon that is Lady Gaga, has written a message to her fans following her embarrassing fallout with the makers of the U.S. version of “X Factor”, who apparently did not want her on the judging panel having initially said that they did.

Cole’s website was silent throughout the fiasco which dominated British tabloid headlines for days, but she has finally broken her silence with a missive posted on Sunday reassuring the world that she is fine despite the setbacks and has been spending time with her friends, family and “doggys”. Well, in fact she doesn’t mention any setbacks, but merely describes the last few weeks as “the weirdest”.

What struck me about the post was her reference to her fans as “my little soldiers” who “mean the world” to her. It recalls Lady Gaga’s description of her most avid followers as “little monsters”, a term of endearment which hints at a relationship beyond the normal star-fan connection. Some people view this axis as unhealthy, and liken it to a personality cult, whereas many of the millions of fans in question embrace Gaga and say she is an inspiration to them. Will Cole be able to replicate this kind of bond with her devotees?


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Leader board: Rory McIlroy sets 36-hole record at U.S. Open

BETHESDA, Md. — In one of those can’t-miss moments in sports, thousands of fans covered every inch of space on the hill behind the 10th green at Congressional. They spilled onto the clubhouse veranda, pressed their faces against the windows and lined up against the balcony railing to watch Rory McIlroy deliver a performance never before seen in the U.S. Open.

“It was Tiger Woods of 11 years ago,” Ian Poulter said.

In some respects, it was even better.

McIlroy, the sympathetic figure at the Masters, was as close to perfect as golf allows today during a stunning assault on the record book. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland became the first player in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open to reach 13-under par, and despite a double bogey into the water on the final hole, his 5-under 66 was enough set the 36-hole scoring record at 131.

• LEADER BOARD

He had a six-shot lead over former PGA champion Y.E. Yang (69), matching the U.S. Open record set by Woods in 2000 at Pebble Beach for the largest margin at the halfway point.

McIlroy went 17 holes without missing a green. He went 35 holes without making a bogey.

“It’s very near the best I can play,” he said.

Not since Woods destroyed his competition at Pebble Beach in 2000 for a record 15-shot victory has anyone made golf look this easy, at least for two rounds.

As if playing under complete control were not enough, McIlroy hit a wedge from 114 yards some 15 feet behind the flag on No. 8, then watched it roll down a slope and into the cup for eagle. The only time he came close to making bogey was on the par-4 11th, when he blasted out of a bunker to 8 feet and made the putt.

He tied the U.S. Open record of 12 under — previously held by Woods in 2000 and Gil Morgan in 1992, both at Pebble Beach — on the par-5 16th with a 4-iron from 223 yards that settled 8 feet from the cup.

“I told him, ’I don’t think you’ll see a better golf shot,’” his caddie, J.P. Fitzgerald, said.

Then came the 17th, when McIlroy hit 7-iron from 175 yards that covered the flag, barely cleared the bunker and left him 15 feet below the hole for yet another birdie to go to 13 under.

That number just isn’t seen on leaderboards at the U.S. Open.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Steve Stricker. “Pretty incredible what he’s done so far.” McIlroy knows better than to start the celebration before Sunday. He was buoyed by support coming into the U.S. Open because of the calamity at Augusta National from two months ago, when he led by four shots going into the final round of the Masters and shot 80, the kind of collapse that isn’t easily forgotten.

“It’s been two very, very good days of golf,” McIlroy said. “I put myself in a great position going into the weekend. But I know more than probably anyone else what can happen. So I’ve got to stay really focused and try and finish this thing off.”

The second round was halted for 42 minutes because of thunderstorms, and Yang held it together on the stronger back nine to at least stay in range. The South Korean is no stranger to big deficits in the majors. It was only two years ago, in the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine, that he trailed Woods by six shots going into the weekend and wound up winning by three.

“I’m not going to chase anyone,” Yang said. “I’m just going to play my game.”

Sergio Garcia had a 71 and joined Snedeker at 2-under 140 among those who finished the second round. Just his luck — and Garcia doesn’t have much of that in the majors — he is playing solid golf at a major where someone else is playing out of this world.

Also at 140 were Matt Kuchar, Robert Garrigus and former Masters champion Zach Johnson.

“It’s only two days,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to give it to him yet.”

The second round was suspended by darkness, forcing 21 players to return Saturday morning to complete their round. And it left everyone who finished wondering if there was any chance of catching McIlroy.

“Rory is obviously running away with it, so we are pretty much playing for second unless something crazy happens tomorrow,” PGA champion Martin Kaymer said. “I hope he wins, though. He’s a nice person and he deserves it, especially after the Masters.”

Lee Westwood wasn’t ready to concede after a 68 left him 12 shots behind, although he made yet another reference to Pebble Beach in 2000 when he said his goal was second place, and added, “We’ll see what Rory does.”

“He’s had leads before,” Westwood said.

As for what advice he would give McIlroy?

“I’m supposed to beat him over the next two days,” Westwood said. “I’m hardly going to give him advice, am I?”

It was hard to ignore what felt like a coronation for McIlroy as he eased his way around the golf course. Toward the end of his round, the gallery in the grandstand gave him a standing ovation as the freckle-faced wonder boy with the bounce in his step simply walked onto the green.

McIlroy played with four-time major winner Phil Mickelson, one of the biggest crowd-pleasers in golf who simply was along for the ride. Mickelson, who also made double bogey on the 18th, shot a 69 to finish at 1-over 143.

“He’s striking it flawlessly and putted great on the greens,” Mickelson said. “His first two rounds were very impressive.”

During one stretch on the front nine, Mickelson made three birdies in four holes and didn’t make up any ground. McIlroy laid up from the rough on the par-5 sixth and hit wedge to 5 feet for birdie, then holed out for his eagle on the eighth.

The burst of cheers when the ball dropped for eagle was enough to make the group ahead take notice as they stood on the ninth tee. There was Retief Goosen, hands on hips, looking over at the green. Stricker took one last look as he walked off the tee to confirm his suspicions on who hit the shot.

Deep down, he knew it all along.

“We figured it was probably him just the way he was going,” Stricker said. McIlroy wasn’t finished. From 190 yards, he hit a 6-iron to about 5 feet behind the hole at No. 14 for birdie, then finished with his back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th to reach 13 under.

Only four other players have reached 10 under or better at any point in a U.S. Open — Morgan, Woods, Jim Furyk at Olympia Fields in 2003 and Ricky Barnes at rain-soaked Bethpage Black in 2009. None of them got there after only two rounds, much less the 26 holes it took McIlroy. As for 13 under?

“I didn’t see 13 under on this golf course after any day,” Snedeker said.

McIlroy’s only mistake came on the last hole. From the left rough, McIlroy was aiming for the front right portion of the green away from the water. He turned it over just enough for the ball to bounce off the bank and into the water, and he failed to get up-and-down.

He lost two shots, but not his perspective.

This was golf at its absolute best, and the scoreboard showed it.

Congressional was softened by overnight rain, which was obvious with the “splat” from balls landing on the green, instead of bouncing hard and into the rough as they so often do in this major.

But the measure of great golf not always comes from the leader, but those chasing him. What made Woods’ record win at Pebble Beach so impressive is that he finished at 12-under 272, and no one else was better than 3-over par. Such was the case at Congressional. Among those who had finished 36 holes, only seven other players had managed to break par, and no one was within nine shots of McIlroy.

“He’s decimated this U.S. Open golf course, and this is no easy test,” defending champion Graeme McDowell said. “It’s an amazing display of golf.”

In the last 14 rounds at the majors, McIlroy has been atop the leaderboard six times.

He has been in the lead after every round except the one that matters.

“I’ve played two really good rounds of golf, but I know I have to play another two really good rounds of golf if I want to win this tournament,” McIlroy said. “So that’s all I can really think about.”