Uzbek vote declared "undemocratic"; Pope uses Christmas address to call for environmental responsibility...

26 December :: Uzbekistan's elections have been criticized for official manipulation and declared "undemocratic", with international observers citing a number of procedural measures and alleged incidents of intimidation that prevented a free and fair vote; Karimov, Uzbekistan's only post-Soviet president officially won 88.1% of the votes tallied; the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes Uzbekistan, reported the election "was held in a strictly controlled political environment, leaving no room for real opposition, and the election generally failed to meet many OSCE commitments for democratic elections"... Pope Benedict XVI has called on the world community to do more to protect the natural environment and promote ecological sustainability; Truthdig reports "During his midnight Christmas mass at the Vatican on Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI paid special attention to what he called the “ill-treated world” and our “selfish and reckless exploitation” of energy. He’s not just all talk: it turns out the Vatican bought carbon credits this holiday season to offset emissions"...