Secularists make strides in first post-Gadhafi elections
The first free elections in Libya since the ouster of Col. Muammar Gadhafi saw the National Forces Alliance (NFA) secure 39 seats in Libya’s elections for the country’s 200-member parliament, known as the General National Assembly.
Libya’s parliament is split into two groups for elections, with 80 seats reserved for members of political parties and the other 120 seats open to independent candidates. No party is capable of gaining a majority alone, but with 39 seats in tow, the NFA is well-positioned to establish one via alliances with newly elected independents.
It was a significant victory for the NFA and its leader, Mahmoud Jibril, a U.S.-educated economist who defected during last year’s Libyan civil war to serve as interim Prime Minister for the rebel government.
The victory of Jibril’s alliance presents a contrast to other Arab Spring nations such as Egypt and Tunisia, which saw Islamist groups secure victories in post-revolution elections.
Over 100 parties and 3000 candidates competed for the 200 open seats, which saw roughly 62 percent of registered voters submit their ballots.
Windows 8 release date announced
Microsoft announced on Wednesday that its Windows 8 operating system will go on sale on the retail market on Friday, Oct. 26. The release comes three years after Microsoft’s last OS, Windows 7, hit the market.
Windows 8 has been designed with tablet users in mind, and so the OS has experienced a significant redesign. Two modes of use will be available: the desktop setup with a start menu, taskbar, and icons, and a new interface known as Metro that will resemble the OS of the Windows Phone and will be optimized for use with touch-screen devices. A separate version, known as Windows RT, will include only the Metro interface and will be included on certain tablet devices.
Of note is that the release of Windows 8 is expected to coincide with the release of Surface, Microsoft’s first tablet device, which was unveiled in mid-June.