Apple v Google: US judge dismisses patent lawsuit
A US judge has dismissed Apple's case in which it alleged that Google's Motorola unit was seeking excessive royalty payments for patents.
Motorola has sought 2.25% of the price of Apple products that use some of its patents, which Apple said was too high.
Last week, Motorola asked the court to set a price but Apple said it would not pay more than $1 (£0.60) per device.
Firms that own industry-essential patents are expected to offer them under fair licensing terms.
Motorola said it was still open to negotiations with Apple and was interested in reaching an agreement.
"Motorola has long offered licensing to our extensive patent portfolio at a reasonable and non-discriminatory rate in line with industry standards," the firm said in its statement.
Obama, Romney focus on swing states in late campaigning
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney made their final urgent pleas to voters on Monday in a closing sprint through vital battleground states that will determine who wins their agonizingly close race for the White House.
Both candidates sought to whip up a strong turnout from their supporters and to sway independent voters to their side in the last hours of a race that polls showed was deadlocked nationally. Obama had a slight lead in the eight or nine battleground states that will tell the tale on Election Day on Tuesday.
The Democratic incumbent, appearing in Madison, Wisconsin, drew a large crowd that was warmed up by Bruce Springsteen.
"Wisconsin, tomorrow you have a choice to make," he said. "It is a choice between two different visions for America."
On the defensive throughout the year for presiding over persistently high unemployment, Obama said the choice was between the Republicans' "top-down policies that crashed our economy" and his own approach to moving the country forward.
Romney was in Lynchburg, Virginia, telling voters: "One final push is going to get us there.
"We're only one day away from a fresh start, one day away from the start of a new beginning," he said.
Obama was making stops in three swing states and Romney was hitting four. Their goal was to piece together the 270 Electoral College votes needed for victory in the state-by-state battle for the presidency.
All eyes were on the Midwestern state of Ohio, whose 18 electoral votes could be decisive. After voting early in his home state of Massachusetts, Romney was considering a last-second visit to Ohio on Tuesday to try to drive turnout, aides said.
AD BARRAGE
The election's outcome will impact a variety of domestic and foreign policy issues, from the looming "fiscal cliff" of spending cuts and tax increases that could kick in at the end of the year to questions about how to handle illegal immigration or Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The balance of power in Congress also will be at stake on Tuesday, with Obama's Democrats now expected to narrowly hold their Senate majority and Romney's Republicans favored to retain control of the House of Representatives.
In a race where the two candidates and their party allies raised a combined $2 billion, the most in U.S. history, both sides have pounded the heavily contested battleground states with an unprecedented barrage of ads.
The close margins in state and national polls suggested the possibility of a cliffhanger that could be decided by which side has the best turnout operation and gets its voters to the polls.
In the final days, both Obama and Romney focused on firing up core supporters and wooing the last few undecided voters in battleground states.
Romney reached out to dissatisfied Obama supporters from 2008, calling himself the candidate of change and ridiculing Obama's failure to live up to his campaign promises. "He promised to do so very much but frankly he fell so very short," Romney said at a rally in Cleveland on Sunday.
Obama, citing improving economic reports on the pace of hiring, argued in the final stretch that he has made progress in turning around the economy but needed a second White House term to finish the job. "This is a choice between two different versions of America," Obama said in Cincinnati.
FINAL SWING-STATE BLITZES
Obama will close his campaign on Monday with a final blitz across Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa - three Midwestern states that, barring surprises elsewhere, would be enough to get him more than the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.
Polls show Obama has slim advantages in all three. His final stop on Monday night will be in Iowa, the state that propelled him to the White House in 2008 with a victory in its first-in-the nation caucus.
Romney will visit his must-win states of Florida and Virginia - where polls show he is slightly ahead or tied - along with Ohio before concluding in New Hampshire, where he officially started his presidential run last year.
The only state scheduled to get a visit on Monday from both candidates is Ohio, the most critical of the remaining battlegrounds - particularly for Romney. He has few paths to victory if he cannot win in Ohio, where Obama has kept a small but steady lead in polls for months.
One in every eight jobs in Ohio is tied to car manufacturing and Obama has been buoyed in the state by his support for a federal bailout of the auto industry. Ohio also has a strong state economy with an unemployment rate lower than the 7.9 percent national rate.
That has undercut Romney's frequent criticism of Obama's economic leadership, which has focused on the persistently high jobless rate and what Romney calls Obama's big-spending efforts to expand government power.
Romney, who would be the first Mormon president, has centered his campaign pitch on his own experience as a business leader at a private equity fund and said it made him uniquely suited to create jobs.
Obama's campaign fired back with ads criticizing Romney's experience and portraying the multimillionaire as out of touch with everyday Americans.
Obama and allies said Romney's firm, Bain Capital, plundered companies and eliminated jobs to maximize profits. They also made an issue of Romney's refusal to release more than two years of personal tax returns.
China-bashing ad takes voters for a ride
Candidates clash over whether automakers sent jobs overseas
In the final days of a close US presidential race, both candidates have been battling intensively in swing states, particularly Ohio. And one of the key issues they have been debating is whether automakers General Motors and Chrysler have shipped jobs to China.
Republican Mitt Romney's campaign, seizing on a recent news report that Chrysler is planning to open a Jeep plant in China, launched TV and radio ads in Ohio and Michigan to attack President Barack Obama.
"Barack Obama says he saved the auto industry. But for who? Ohio, or China? Under President Obama, GM cut 15,000 American jobs. But they are planning to double the number of cars built in China, which means 15,000 more jobs for China," the radio ad says.
"And now comes word that Chrysler plans to start making jeeps in, you guessed it, China. What happened to the promise made to autoworkers in Toledo and throughout Ohio, the same hardworking men and women who were told that Obama's auto bailout would help them?" says the adThe TV commercial sends the same message, accusing Obama of selling Chrysler to Italian firm Fiat, which is going to build jeeps in China.
Campaigning in Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia on Nov 3, Obama accused Romney of being "dishonest" in the ads.
"It's not true. Everybody knows it's not true," Obama told a cheering crowd in Mentor, Ohio. He then said the car companies themselves told former governor Romney to knock it off.
Obama has repeatedly rebuked Romney over that ad in the past days. At a rally on Nov 2 in Hilliard, a suburb in Columbus, Ohio, Obama accused Romney of frightening voters.
"This isn't a game. These are people's jobs. These are people's lives. And you don't scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes. That's not what being president is all about," Obama said.
In a counterattack, the Obama campaign aired TV ads in Ohio and Michigan, saying Romney's ad was false. The ads emphasized that Chrysler Jeep was not cutting jobs, but adding them in Ohio. The ad then reminds voters of Romney's New York Times opinion piece in August 2011 headlined "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt".
Chrysler and Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne said repeatedly in the last week that Chrysler is not moving any US Jeep production to China. On the contrary, it is planning to add Jeep jobs in the United States. And its production in China is only intended for sale in the Chinese market.
GM, meanwhile, also defended itself from Romney's attack.
"We've clearly entered some parallel universe during these last few days. No amount of campaign politics at its cynical worst will diminish our record of creating jobs in the US and repatriating profits back to this country," GM spokesman Greg Martin was quoted as saying by the Detroit Free Press.
The Obama campaign has often touted the $85 billion auto bailout, made mostly after 2009, as a success, stressing that Obama is willing to make tough, albeit unpopular, decisions to save US jobs.
C.D
Zimbabwe to establish special election courts
Zimbabwe will establish special courts to deal with cases of political violence during the forthcoming elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Thursday.
Acting chairperson Joyce Kazembe told news agency New Ziana in an interview that special magistrates and electoral courts would be set up to try cases of politically-motivated violence in elections set ostensibly for the first half of 2013.
Warning that punishment on culprits would be severe, she said the special courts would deal with complaints of electoral offences raised by aggrieved political parties.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission would also attend to grievances from disgruntled political parties and candidates, she added.
"There shall be special magistrates' courts and electoral courts set by the Chief Justice to address and deal with election related cases," said Kazembe.
The Code of Conduct for political parties, she said, was clear on what would happen if it was violated.
She said ZEC had held workshops with all 23 political parties in the country to familiarize them with the election Code of Conduct and the Electoral Act so they could avoid violating electoral laws.
Among other things, the political parties are expected to form multi-party liaison committees to deal with conflict resolution in line with the Code of Conduct and the Electoral Act.
The committees will be at national, provincial, district and ward levels.
"We have engaged the organ of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Media Commission and Zimbabwe Republic Police.
"They have already set up a small committee that will lay the groundwork on how we can collaborate together to combat any conflict within the society so that it does not degenerate into violence," Kazembe said.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008 withdrew from the presidential election race alleging that his supporters were being subjected to acts of political violence.
President Robert Mugabe has of late been emphasizing on citizens co-existing despite their political affiliations.
Somali PM announces new cabinet
Somalia's Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdoon on Sunday announced much-anticipated 10-member cabinet.
The ministers include two women. One of them, Fowsiya Adan, was named Foreign Minister, first time in the country's history.
Speaking at the joint press conference at the State House in Mogadishu, Shirdoon said that he formed small cabinet with security as a priority.
"Considering the difficult situation our country is in, I have formed a small cabinet of full quality that can lead the country to reliable stability in this difficult time," Prime Minister Shirdon said.
The Minister of defense portfolio went to Abdelhakim Mohamoud Haji Fiqi who held this position in government of former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdulahi Farmajo between 2010 and 2011.
It was the leanest government formed for Somalia thus far since successive interim administrations the country had for the past decade.
The prime minister is expected to present his cabinet and its program to the Somali parliament in next few days when a vote of confidence will be carried out to endorse or reject the new ministerial line-up.
Somalia has been without a central government since former ruler Mohamed Siyad Barre was ousted in 1991.
Damascus bomb kills at least 11
The state television report gave no further details. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based watchdog, said at least 11 people had been killed and 30 wounded by a car bomb in the area known as "Mezzeh 86".
The district, situated on a hilltop near the highway to Lebanon, is mostly inhabited by members of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority, a sect of Shi'ite Islam that has dominated power in majority Sunni Muslim Syria since the 1960s.
Seif al-Sham, an Islamist rebel unit, claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted what it described as a meeting point for the army and police, as well as militia loyal to Assad and known as shabbiha (ghosts).
"The operation was in response to the savage actions of the regime," a statement by the group said.
Elsewhere on Monday, a suicide bomber killed at least 50 members of the Syrian security forces and Assad loyalists in an attack in the Hama province, the Observatory said, and at least 20 rebel fighters were killed in an air strike in Idlib province, near the northwestern border with Turkey.
Private sector continues to fight against VAT in Turks & Caicos
The Turks and Caicos Independent Business Council (TCIBC) are stepping up their efforts to halt attempts by the United Kingdom to impose a value added tax (VAT) regime in their overseas territory.
A release from the private sector organisation announced that it has started “Phase 2” in their “battle against VAT” as the country prepares for elections next Friday (November 9).
In the statement the TCIB -- a group of influential Turks and Caicos business leaders – maintained that VAT would have a detrimental effect on the islands’ economy and local businesses and they accused Governor Ric Todd of acting in a “high handed, arrogant colonial-style” for not consulting business stakeholders on the move.
The TCIB have now instructed their London-based lobbyists and public relations consultants, Media House International to step up their lobbying efforts against the new tax at the seat of the UK government in Westminster, in the UK media, and the global offshore press.
According to the TCIB, a recent anti-VAT petition garnered over 3000 signatures, estimated at over half of the country’s electorate, who are demanding that the government delay its implementation of VAT until a full analysis is done on the impact it will have on the Islands’ economy.
The private sector body maintained that the rule of the London-imposed interim government currently in power will come to an end with the November 9 elections and therefore they argued the new tax should be a decision made by the newly elected government.
So far they have gained support from the leaders of both parties who have been unified in their public opposition to the introduction of VAT.
The TCIB stressed that they do not object to increases in taxation for the country, however they accused the interim government of hastily introducing an extremely complex tax that is expensive to implement, expensive to collect and places additional resource and cost burdens on the business community
Reinstatement Of Public Servants’ 10% Pay Cut
His Excellency Governor Ric Todd has announced that the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) can reinstate the 10% pay cut made previously from public servants’ salaries it was announced today, Fri, 2 Nov 2012.
The Governor explained that the Interim Administration has carefully examined the affordability of reinstating the pay cut and believes that this would now be affordable from 1 Feb 2013.
The restoration has been an intention of the Governor’s Office for some time and, indeed, new Deputy Governor Anya Williams, again raised this topic with UK ministers when in London in the first week of her appointment in October.
In the circumstances the Governor has concluded that the newly elected Government would have to agree to this proposal in accordance with two conditions:
1. That any reinstatement takes into account the conclusions and recommendations of the TCIG Pay and Grading review
2. That the incoming elected Government following the ballot on Fri, 9 Nov 2012 is satisfied that the reinstatement continues to be affordable alongside its other expenditure priorities.
“I have always expressed my support and admiration for the dedicated and professional public servants of the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said Governor Ric Todd. “When the pay cut was announced it was made clear that we would work to restore it at the earliest possible opportunity.
“I am delighted, therefore, to be able to make this announcement. I have often repeated our commitment to doing so at the earliest opportunity. Taking into account the significant economic and political progress made in the Turks and Caicos particularly over the past year, and the healthy indications of the Quarter 2 financial data published on 29 Oct, we closely examined the affordability of this measure and proposed it to UK Ministers. This has now been agreed to subject to the agreement of the new House of Assembly who need to consider its affordability alongside the other spending priorities of the new government.”
Subsequent to the Governors statement RTC News spoke with the Governors press Officer after the story was released today.
Anya Williams, Deputy Governor, added, “It is our intention to examine all pay and grading issues in order to more properly recognise the vital role of our public servants in the TCI. This is an important first step to seeing pay rates restored as part of our continuing programme to make the public service even better. It is only right and proper that our civil and public servants, teachers, health professionals, uniformed services and emergency responders are properly remunerated for their achievements.”
This 10% deduction was previously made as part of measures taken to reduce Turks and Ciacos islands Government expenditure following the financial collapse of the previous administration in 2010.
Claudin Ulyess charged for Possession of Unlicensed Firearm
A 29 year old male plead guilty in the Supreme Court to Possession of Unlicensed Firearm and Possession of Ammunition.
It was reported that on Friday 17 August 2012 Tactical Unit officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police conducted a search on a grey Toyota Corolla car owned by a Claudin Ulyess. During the search a 9mm pistol with 6 rounds of 380mm ammunition was found.
Claudin Ulyess was charged also for Possession of Unlicensed Firearm with intent to cause fear to which was withdrawn.
After hearing the facts Judge Hayles accepted the plea and Ulyess was sentenced to 5years imprisonment.
According to Sergeant Andy Harry of the Criminal Investigation Division, “I hope this sends a strong message to any individual who may be in possession of an illegal firearm or ammunition to turn it in to the authorities.”
He continued: “We will continue to urge members of the public who may know or have any information relating to anyone with firearm(s) to report it to the authorities. If you have a firearm in your possession and are afraid to bring it in, you can call us and tell us where it is and we will pick it up.”
Publication Of Notices Issued by Commission for Politicians.
The Integrity Commission has compiled and published register of government contracts and interests declared by political candidates.
In accordance with Section 49(1)(f) of the Constitution which came into force on 15 October 2012, a person may be disqualified from being appointed as a member of the House of Assembly if they are a party to any contract with the Government and has not disclosed in a notice to the Integrity Commission the nature of such contract and his or her interest in it.
In the run up to the elections which take place on 9 November 2012, The Integrity Commission has a number of legislative responsibilities concerning the publication of information and making this readily available to the public of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Candidates have therefore been submitting notices to the Commission and were required to do so by no later than 25 October 2012, the date for close of nominations. Thereafter, the Commission is required under Section 49(3) of the Constitution to publish any notice delivered to it for the purpose of informing the electorate before the date of the election.
The Commission has therefore compiled this information on a register which is now available and accessible on the Commissions page of the government website: www.gov.tc. This has been utilised on a temporary basis until such time as the Commissions website is fully operational. In addition, the Commission will make further arrangements for the register to be more widely available and will also have the register open for public inspection at its offices situated in Waterloo Plaza, Waterloo Road, Grand Turk.
Eugene Otuonye QC, Director of the Integrity Commission stated that “it is extremely important that this information is publicly available to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. In doing so, the Commission is fulfilling its primary responsibility under the Constitution which is to promote integrity, honesty and good faith in public life in the islands”.