Friday, September 28, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note II in India for Rs 39,900: Worth it?

Samsung Galaxy Note II - And now that it’s finally here, we do a quick round up of what we felt were the most pressing points around the launch of the new phone. Is it priced too high? Will it also have to compete with low cost tablets? And what are we most excited about?

The price Samsung Galaxy Note II:
Ok, this is probably the first aspect that most users look for before they consider buying the smartphone. The Galaxy Note II will cost Rs 39,990 and while this might sound steep right now, remember that while the S III launched at Rs 42,000, it was available on retail for Rs 38,000. So prices are likely to be significantly lower within a few days of it retailing. As of now, Flipkart is offering it for the same price, but we’d be very surprised if this continues to be the trend.

Samsung has assured users of an interest free EMI option spread out over nine months which means that the smartphone will cost around Rs 4500 per month should you go for this. This is a great deal to offer, especially if you don’t want to burn a Rs 40,000 hole in your pocket.

The screen size Samsung Galaxy Note II:
 This is the aspect that makes the Note II what it is: a phablet . It’s not just a smartphone to make calls with, but a 5.5 inch screen with1280 x 720 pixel density, which can drastically alter the video watching experience on a hand-held device. For those who like to watch movies, read magazines, the big screen should definitely be a big plus point.  But remember that you can’t just put this device in your jeans pocket.

The Stylus Samsung Galaxy Note II:
As far as innovation goes, this is definitely a plus point, especially given that Samsung is trying to sell this device as the perfect companion for ‘creative’ people.  And we all fancy ourselves a little bit creative don’t we? Nice positioning Samsung!

The OS: Galaxy Note II ships with the latest Android OS Jelly Bean or Android 4.1. With features like Project Butter for faster functioning of the device, Google Now  ( a Siri like voice commands app but with the power of Google) , a smarter keyboard functionality and sharper notifications. For all Android fans, Jelly Bean should be reason enough to give this one a try.


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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

American optimism a boost for Obama

NEWS: Americans are becoming more optimistic about the direction of the country, giving a boost to President Barack Obama in the final stretch of the race for the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Wednesday.

The telephone poll, conducted from 7-10 September, showed 39% of Americans believed the country was moving in the right direction, while a still-high 55% believed it was on the wrong track.

The numbers represented a sizable change from August, when 31% of those surveyed thought the country was going in the right direction and 64% on the wrong track.

It was the highest level for the "right direction" rating since April 2010.

The numbers are the latest positive sign for the Democratic incumbent, who polls show is slightly ahead of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the race to the 6 November election.

"It's good news for Obama, frankly, because the more people who think things are going in the right direction now, the easier it will be for him to get re-elected," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark.

Small 'bounce'

"As that number begins to creep up, it's all good news for the party in power."

The poll was conducted by telephone with 1 089 adults and is considered an accurate measure within 3.1 percentage points of how the entire US adult population would have responded if surveyed.

Asked whom they would vote for if the election were held today, 48% said they would vote for Obama and 45% said they would support Romney. The three percentage-point difference was in line with Reuters/Ipsos daily online tracking polls.

Recent polls have indicated that Obama left last week's Democratic National Convention with a small "bounce" after months of being a neck-and-neck race with Romney, a former Massachusetts governor.

The improved ratings could stem from the convention buzz and from a sense that Americans are feeling better about the US economic climate, Clark said.

"It's possible that this is the beginning of an improvement of perceptions in how things are going in the economy," Clark said, noting that the poll measured "optimism" and did not take into account metrics such as US unemployment figures or stock market levels.

Neck-and-neck

Government data on Friday showed that US employers added a less-than-expected 96 000 jobs in August, a fact that Romney's campaign has emphasised as a sign that Obama has been a poor steward of the US economy.

The poll indicated that an equal number of Americans viewed Romney and Obama as having good economic credentials, however, with 44% saying Romney was stronger on jobs and the economy and 44% saying the same about the president.

The two candidates also were close in their perceived strength on immigration and taxes, but Obama was favoured on the issues of healthcare, national security, foreign policy and the war in Afghanistan.

Obama has played up missteps by Romney on a recent trip the Republican made to Europe and the Middle East, while highlighting his own role in overseeing the end of the Iraq war and the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The poll showed Obama's overall approval ratings as more or less stagnant. Fifty percent of those surveyed approved of how the president was handling his job, compared with 49% last month. Forty-six percent of respondents disapproved of his job performance in September, compared with 48% in August.

Source: news24.com
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iPhone 5 Fast Facts: Features, Price & Availability

iPhone 5 Fast Facts: Features, Price & Availability: Apple unleashed a pile of announcements this morning at its presser at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. But if you’re looking for a fast breakdown of the iPhone bits, here’s what went down today:

 iPhone 5 Fast Facts: Features, Price & Availability
New size: At 7.6mm in depth and 112 grams, the new handset will be 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the predecessor.

Bigger screen: A taller (but not wider) 4-inch Retina Display at 1136 x 640-pixel resolution, which allows for additional row of app icons on the homescreen.

4G/LTE: Across all the carriers — Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. We don’t yet know what kind of pricing or surcharges may be involved however. Also on board: Support for HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA networks. Also dual-channel WiFi, with support for 802.11a/b/g/n routers and 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency spectrums.

A6 processor: Apple reports it is twice as fast as the previous A5  (which incidentally is being put into the newest iPod touch).

Camera: On the rear camera, there’s the same number of megapixels as the iPhone 4S — 8MP — but it now comes with panorama mode, faster photo capture, sapphire crystal lens, backside illumination, hybrid IR filter, a five-element lens, f/2.4 aperture, spatial noise reduction and a dynamic low-light mode. Notably, the new phone will allow for simultaneous image and video capture, just like many Android devices do.

iOS 6 (of course), plus Siri support for launching apps

FaceTime over cellular networks

New dock connector: Enter “Lightning,” Apple’s newest connection standard that’s 80 percent smaller than the previous 30-pin version. (The company will also be offering adaptors so the new device will still work with old accessories.)

Colors: White & Silver (white front with an aluminum backing), and Black & Slate (black front with an anodized-looking rear panel).

Better battery life: 8 hours of talk time (3G), 8 hours of web browsing over 4G/LTE, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music playback and 225 hours of playtime.

Dates: Pre-orders start this Friday, 9/14, and devices will ship on September 21 in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. More countries will join in the availability list on the 28th, with a total of 100 countries getting it by the end of the year.

So,  iPhone 5 Fast Facts: Features, Price & Availability   

Source: technobuffalo.com

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Top iPhone 5 News On 2012

Top iPhone 5 News On 2012 – A lot of iPhone 5 news have been released, doesn’t mean you have to miss out what happened, for that reason we have collected the top iPhone 5 news that will help you to recover what you miss, you can also share this news to your friends using our twitter and facebook.


iPhone 5 Feature
  • iPhone 5 To support larger display and FaceTime camera.
  • iPhone 5 will use in-cell technology to be Thinner.
  • iPhone 5 To support 19 Pin Dock Connector and Relocated Headphone Jack.
  • iPhone 5 Design – Screen Taller.
  • iPhone 5 will be 7.6 mm thick
  • iPhone 5 Video Action Shows the 4.0″ iPhone Screen
iPhone 5 Images & Video
  • iPhone 5 Leaked parts – Video.
  • iPhone 5 Prototypes Spotted in Thailand.
  • Leaked iPhone 5 images.
  • Leaked Images of iPhone 5 Main Board
  • iPhone 5 Will Look Like in Your Hands [Images]
  • iPhone 5 leaked Nano SIM tray [Images]
  • Video Showing the Completely Assembled iPhone 5
  • iPhone 5 Video Shows Completely Redesigned Headphones
  • iPhone 5 High Definition Alleged Photos – Images
iPhone 5 Production
  • Sharp To Start Shipping iPhone 5 Display This Month.
  • Apple iPhone 5 Production.
iPhone 5 Release Date
  • Apple iPhone 5 Media Event Live Video stream Online 2012
  • iPhone 5 Release Time Countries – Cities Timezone
  • iPhone 5 Pre-Orders will Start on Friday September 14th

Source: absinthejailbreak.com
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iPhone 5

 Everything you need to know about iPhone 5 - Apple’s next generation iPhone.

Apple is widely expected to unveil the hotly anticipated 6th generation iPhone at a special event on September 12, which was officially announced on September 4th.

Based on the September 12 event invite, the next iPhone is likely to be called “iPhone 5″.

iPhone 5 Features:

According to rumors, Apple’s next iPhone could come with the following features:
  • Taller 4-inch display with 1136×640 resolution
  • Unibody, two-tone design
  • Apple’s next generation A6 chip
  • Global 4G LTE support
  • Thinner than iPhone 4S
  • In-cell display technology
  • Ability to take Panoramic photos
  • 1GB RAM
  • Marginally increase in capacity of battery
  • New smaller dock connector
  • NFC chip
  • Completely redesigned in-ear headphones
  • iOS 6 with over 200 new features
iPhone 5 Mockups:
Check out this hands-on video of the realistic iPhone 5 mockup to get a good idea of what the next generation iPhone will look like.

Here’s what a taller 4-inch iPhone screen looks like in action.
iPhone 5 Photos:
Check out our compilation of some of the best iPhone 5 photos we’ve seen so far, which should give you a glimpse of what it will look like in every possible angle.
Release Date:
Apple is widely expected to unveil ‘iPhone 5′ at a special event on September 12 and will also start taking pre-orders on the same day, followed by the release on September 21.

The second wave of international launch could be either on September 28th or October 5th.

Pricing:
The entry level iPhone 5 model is expected to be available for $199 with a two-year contract. Apple is also expected to offer iPhone 4S for $99 and iPhone 4 for free with a two-year contract.

iPhone 5 Rumor roundup:
If you want more details about the Apple’s new iPhone, check out our detailed roundup of all the rumored features and improvements coming to iPhone 5 here.

Selling your old iPhone:
If you want to buy an iPhone 5, then check out this post to find out when is the best time to sell your iPhone and the best places to trade-in your old iPhone. Don’t forget to follow these simple steps to erase data from your iPhone to get it ready for resale.

Source: iphonehacks.com
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China sends patrol ships to disputed East China Sea islands

Two Chinese patrol ships have been sent to islands disputed with Japan, which has sealed a deal to purchase the territory, Chinese state media say.

The ships had reached waters near the islands - known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China - to "assert the country's sovereignty", Xinhua said.

Japan confirmed on Tuesday it had signed a contract to buy three of the islands from their private owner. 

Tension has been rumbling between the two countries over the East China Sea.

Japan controls the uninhabited but resource-rich islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan. Some had been in the hands of a private Japanese owner but the government says it has now signed a purchase contract. 

"This should cause no problem for Japan's ties with other countries and regions," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura.

"We have absolutely no desire for any repercussions as far as Japan-China relations are concerned. It is important that we avoid misunderstanding and unforeseen problems."

Mr Fujimura told reporters that the government had set aside 2.05bn yen ($26m, £16.4m) to pay for the three islands.

'Serious consequences'
Japan said on Monday that it was buying the islands to promote their stable and peaceful management. 

But the move followed a bid by the outspoken and right-wing Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara to buy them using public donations - an action analysts believe would have further raised tensions with China. 

China has nonetheless called Japan's move illegal and warned it would affect ties. State-run media have carried strongly worded statements on the issue.

"The Chinese government will not sit idly by watching its territorial sovereignty being infringed upon," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Monday and carried by Xinhua news agency.

"Should the Japanese side insist on going its own way, it shall have to bear all serious consequences arising therefrom."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also reiterated China's stand on Monday. 

"The Diaoyu islands are an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Chinese government and its people will absolutely make no concession on issues concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

The announcement of the dispatch of the patrol boats came in a brief Xinhua report. 

China Marine Surveillance - a maritime law enforcement agency - had "drafted an action plan for safeguarding the sovereignty and would take actions pending the development of the situation", it said.
A small group of protesters gathered at the Japanese embassy in Beijing to protest against the purchase. 

Taiwan has also lodged a formal protest over the issue, calling it an "extremely unfriendly move".
The islands, which lie south of Okinawa and north of Taiwan, sit in key shipping lanes and are thought to lie close to gas deposits.

(bbc.co.uk)

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

US 'hushed up' Soviet guilt over Katyn

New evidence appears to back the idea that the Roosevelt administration helped cover up Soviet guilt for the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish soldiers.

In an exclusive story, the Associated Press says that newly released documents support the suspicion that the US did not want to anger its wartime ally, Joseph Stalin.

The documents were made public by the US National Archives on Monday.
More than 22,000 Poles were killed by the Soviets on Stalin's orders.

Soviet Russia only admitted to the atrocity in 1990 after blaming the Nazis for five decades.

The documents show that American prisoners of war sent coded messages to Washington in 1943 saying they had been taken to see corpses in an advanced state of decay in the Katyn forest near Smolensk, in western Russia.

The group of American and British POWs had been taken by the Nazis against their will to witness the scene.

What they saw convinced two Americans, Capt Donald B Stewart and Lt Col John Van Vliet, that the killings must have been carried out by the Soviets, rather than the Nazis, who did not occupy the area until 1941.

A statement from one, Captain Donald B Stewart, made in 1950, confirmed he sent a coded message, the gist of which was: "German claims regarding Katyn substantially correct in opinion of Van Vliet and myself."

'Serious doubt'
 
The close to 1,000 pages of new material will help determine what the US knew and when, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says.

It has long been believed that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt did not want to question the version of events put out by Stalin, an ally whom the Americans were counting on to defeat Germany and Japan.

According to the report by the Associated Press, information about the massacre was suppressed at the highest levels in Washington.

Katyn expert Allen Paul said some of the material did not appear in the record of Congressional hearings in 1951-52 held to investigate the massacre, suggesting it had been deliberately kept hidden.

Among the new evidence is a report sent to President Roosevelt by the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - who did not challenge Stalin's claim either - which also pointed to Soviet guilt.

The report is written by the British ambassador to the Polish government-in-exile in London, Owen O'Malley, AP says.

"There is now available a good deal of negative evidence," Mr O'Malley wrote, "the cumulative effect of which is to throw serious doubt on Russian disclaimers of responsibility for the massacre." 

The April 1940 killings were carried out at Katyn and other sites by the NKVD secret police on Stalin's orders. 

Members of the Polish elite, including officers, politicians and artists, were shot in the back of the head and their bodies dumped in mass graves.

(bbc.co.uk)
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Garuda, best international airline: Survey

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has been rated the “Best International Airline” for the period Aug. 2011 to July 2012, according to a survey carried out by Australian market research company, Roy Morgan.

The survey involved 4,530 respondents, who were asked to give their opinions on the products and services provided by various different global airlines, Garuda Indonesia spokesman Pujobroto stated on Monday.

"In the survey, Garuda Indonesia scored the highest, with 90 percent, along with Singapore Airlines. Our score was higher than those of other airlines, such as Air New Zealand, Emirates Airline and Thai Airways," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

In July, Garuda Indonesia was also named "The World's Best Airline" and "The Best Regional Airline in Asia" by London-based airline rating agency, Skytrax.
 
(thejakartapost.com)
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What you need to know about Syria today

NEWS: With Syria's refugee crisis reaching epic proportions, actress and U.N. ambassador Angelina Jolie will visit displaced residents Tuesday at a camp in Jordan.
 
The trip will draw attention to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have fled their country during 18 months of relentless bloodshed. More than 81,000 refugees have escaped to Jordan, and many more have fled to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.

Here are other key developments in the Syrian civil war:

World reaction: U.N. official says both sides will face consequences

The new normal in Syria's civil war involves mass killings, torture and sexual violence, U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said Monday.

"Thousands have been killed, thousands more injured. As we speak, civilians -- including children -- are continuing to be injured and killed in Syria virtually every hour of every day," Pillay said.

More than 2.5 million people across Syria have been directly affected by violence since a popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. The al-Assad family has ruled Syria for more than 40 years.

What started as peaceful protests last year led to a fierce government crackdown, an armed rebel uprising and a civil war with no end in sight.

The crisis is compounded by the government's escalating use of helicopters and fighter jets in civilian areas, with indiscriminate attacks on urban areas where civilians were likely trapped, Pillay said.

But she said human rights violations have been committed by both the government and rebels and warned that both parties would ultimately face legal consequences for their actions.

"Both government forces and opposition forces deploy snipers who target civilians," Pillay said. "As time has passed, opposition forces have also been increasingly implicated in kidnappings and abductions, including of foreigners perceived as being government supporters."

"Opposition forces should be under no illusion that they will be immune from prosecution," she added, reiterating her call for the U.N. Security Council to refer human rights violations to the International Criminal Court.

On the ground: Hama, Homs and Daraa take another beating

Opposition activists reported a wave of fresh violence in areas well versed in attacks.

In Hama province, regimes forces raided and looted homes amid heavy gunfire, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said Tuesday.

In Homs, regime forces renewed heavy shelling by tanks and mortar, the group said.
And in Daraa, the birthplace of anti-Assad demonstrations last year, the LCC reported "heavy and indiscriminate gunfire by regime's forces."

State-run media, meanwhile, reported Tuesday that 30 civilians were killed in a "terrorist bombing" Monday in front of an Aleppo hospital. The government said children were among those killed.

(cnn.com)
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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Paper mill confirms plans to halve production

Norwegian newsprint giant Norske Skog confirmed today that it will halve newsprint production at its Tasman Mill at Kawerau but said it would convert a machine in Tasmania to produce coated paper grades, thanks in part to the Australian taxpayer.

Norske Skog, in a move signalled in August, said falling demand and unfavourable exchange rates meant that it would shut down one of its two 150,000-tonne-per-year newsprint machines at Kawerau.

The company would not comment on how many jobs were involved, saying the consultation processes would take about two months, but the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) said more than 100 positions could go. About 280 people are employed at the mill at present.

Norske Skog's announcement follows news of 120 redundancies at Solid Energy's Huntly East mine, with up to 400 jobs in the balance at Spring Creek, and last week's announcement that 100 jobs will go at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter by November.

Consolidation in the newsprint industry has been a familiar theme for Norske Skog over the last few years.

Tasmania-based pulp and paper analyst Robert Eastment said newsprint is under pressure globally because of the digital delivery of news, information and advertising.

New Zealand production of newsprint has been in decline since 2005, when it hit a peak of 377,000 tonnes, falling to only 276,000 tonnes last year.

"It is a really tough market for Norske Skog, but if they are to remain viable in the future then they have to take really tough decisions," Eastment told APNZ. Norske Skog, which is involved in geothermal energy at Kawerau, is pursuing a range of renewable energy opportunities as part of a broader regional diversification strategy.

The company has two other sites in Australasia - one in New South Wales and the other in Tasmania.
It will invest A$84 million ($106.6m) at its Boyer Mill in Tasmania over the next two years to enable the production of coated grades suitable for catalogues. All the catalogue paper used in Australia is currently imported from overseas.

The Australian Federal Government will contribute A$28m in grants to help fund the project and the Tasmanian Government is providing a A$13m loan. Completion is targeted for the first quarter of 2014.

EPMU national secretary Bill Newson said shutting down a newsprint machine would be a blow to the community and a sign of a growing jobs crisis in New Zealand. "It's particularly galling that at the same time Norske Skog is cutting jobs in New Zealand, it's actually investing in jobs in across the Tasman thanks to the support of the Australian Government," he said in a statement.

The mill's partial shut-down will also have implications for the local power generation industry.

Norske Skog accounts for about 2.9 per cent of New Zealand's power demand and the partial closure would further extend the "significant" generation over-capacity in the electricity market, one market analyst said.

"Power consumption has been flat over the last few years and Norske, a major consumer, means more power will go onto the national grid, which will put downward pressure on prices," he said.

The likelihood of flat power demand has put a dampener on the Government's plans for partial privatisation of its generation assets.

The partial privatisation of Mighty River Power, which was to have been held this month, has been delayed until next year while the Government consults with local iwi.
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Mitt Romney: I like parts of Obamacare, would keep them in place; Paul Ryan won't reveal tax loopholes to be sealed

GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan insists it’s not a “secret plan. ”But both he and Mitt Romney refused Sunday to identify any of the tax loopholes they would close to help balance the budget.

Both men were asked to be specific during interviews on morning news shows, but they declined to name a single tax-credit or deduction.

Instead, they repeated their insistence that the tax changes would target high-income families and spare the middle class.

On ABC’s “This Week,” Ryan argued that the campaign is keeping the details under wraps in the spirit of openness.

“What we don’t want is a secret plan,” the Wisconsin congressman said. “We want to have this debate in the public. We want to have this debate with Congress...That is a debate we shouldn’t cut in the back room, shouldn’t hatch a secret plan like Obamacare.”

On the subject of Obamacare, Romney did offer from specifics — two parts of the health-care overhaul he now says he will keep if elected.

“I’m not getting rid of all health care reform,” he said in a pre-taped interview for NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place.
“One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage.

“Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.”

In the past, Romney has vowed to repeal President Obama’s health-care reform law. Now he says the idea is to “replace” it -- but not all of it.

The apparent repositioning came as Obama was set to attack the GOP on another health-care front: Medicare.

Campaigning in the crucial state of Florida, the President was expected to cite a study by a liberal group that found the Romney plan would hit seniors in the wallet.

The study says that an American who retires in 2023 would pay almost $60,000 more in retirement for Medicare under Romney’s voucher-like proposal.

Those who retire in 2030 would pay more than double that, according to the study by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

GOP veep hopeful Ryan hit back with a claim that the White House plans to cut hundreds of billions in Medicare spending to finance Obamacare.

In a pre-taped interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Obama said there’s room for negotiation over “adjustments” to Medicare and Medicaid to save money.

“There are still ways we can make (government) leaner and more efficient. I’m more than happy to work with Republicans,” he said.
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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Obama widens lead over Romney despite jobs data: Reuters/Ipsos poll

President Barack Obama, picking up support following the Democratic National Convention, widened his narrow lead over Republican U.S. presidential challenger Mitt Romney in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Saturday.

The latest daily tracking poll showed Obama, a Democrat, with a lead of 4 percentage points over Romney. Forty-seven percent of 1,457 likely voters surveyed online over the previous four days said they would vote for Obama if the November 6 elections were held today, compared with 43 percent for Romney.

"The bump is actually happening. I know there was some debate whether it would happen... but it's here," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark, referring to the "bounce" in support that many presidential candidates enjoy after nominating conventions.

Obama had leapfrogged Romney in the daily tracking poll on Friday with a lead of 46 percent to 44 percent.

The president's lead comes despite a mixed reaction to his convention speech on Thursday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Friday's government data showing that jobs growth slowed sharply last month.

Obama's lead over Romney is comparable to Romney's former lead over the president after the Republican National Convention finished last week, Clark said.

"We don't have another convention now to turn our attention to, so (Obama's bounce) may maintain," Clark said. "How big it'll be and how long it will last remains to be seen."

Obama increased his lead over Romney in certain favorable characteristics. Asked who was more "eloquent," 50 percent of the 1,720 registered voters questioned in the poll favored Obama, compared to 25 percent for Romney. Asked about being "smart enough for the job," 46 percent sided with Obama compared to 37 percent for Romney.

In fact, Obama led Romney in a dozen such favorable characteristics, such as "represents America" or "has the right values." The only such category in which Romney had an advantage was being "a man of faith," as 44 percent picked Romney, who is Mormon, compared to 31 percent for Obama, who is Christian.

The Democratic National Convention itself received a rather muted response in the poll. Of those registered voters who had heard, seen or read at least something about it, 41 percent rated it as "average" and 29 percent as "good."

The Republican National Convention that wrapped up August 30 in Tampa, Florida similarly was rated "average" by 38 percent and "good" by 27 percent in Saturday's polling results.

The precision of the Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
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Greece aims at good marks from auditors

More than 12,000 protesters marched Saturday against fresh austerity measures the Greek government has prepared to win another slice of an international bailout loan.

As auditors from Greece's international creditors inspected the government's books, four separate marches took place in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The main trade unions, opposition parties including the radical left Syriza Party and communist activists all joined the protest.

Police put the turnout at more than 12,000, significantly less than the 25,000 who showed up for the same march last year.

The protesters' message is that the country can take no more of the austerity measures successive Greek governments have imposed in return for the international bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

The cuts imposed have, according to the government's own figures, driven down the standard of living in Greece by 35 percent as wages, perks and even pensions have been slashed back.

Unemployment has shot up with nearly a quarter of the workforce out of work, which in turn has driven the country deeper into recession, now in its fifth year.

But further cuts to civil service wages, pensions and other public expenditure are on the cards.

The GSEE, the main trades union federation for the private sector, has denounced Greece's international creditors for pressuring the government to deregulate the labour market.

Its private sector counterpart Adedy has condemned as "barbaric" the latest round of cuts announced by the government.

Saturday's demonstrations are part of the traditional autumn calendar.

This year's march however had an added significance because of the visit of the international auditors from the so-called troika of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

The troika has been demanding Athens make up for lost time after delays brought on by back-to-back elections that caused a two-month political deadlock.

Earlier Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras insisted that his priority was to convince them to release the next loan instalment, worth 31.5 billion euro ($39.9 billion).

Opening an international fair in Greece's second city of Thessaloniki he said the coalition government was determined to hold to its commitments despite growing public hostility.

A favourable assessment from the auditors could also determine whether Athens gets extra time to make spending cuts in return for badly needed loans.

They will review Greece's efforts to cut its huge deficit and adopt reforms needed to help improve its economic competitiveness as agreed as part of its 130-billion-euro bailout package.

The government has to finalise a new austerity programme within days to save more than 11.5 billion euros over 2013 and 2014.

But it is pressing for "breathing space" to carry out cuts, arguing that reducing spending too much too fast will only further depress the economy.

A deeper than expected recession has made it even harder to meet the agreed targets.

Samaras warned on Friday after a meeting with European Union president Herman Van Rompuy that "the resistance of Greeks has reached its limit, which means we need a recovery as soon as possible."

Van Rompuy for his part warned that Greece had to deliver on promised fiscal and reform results to obtain further support.

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras is set to meet the chief troika auditors on Sunday afternoon, a source in his ministry said, and present the government's latest savings plan so far.

Samaras is to meet the leaders of the parties in his coalition government Sunday night, followed by a meeting with the troika on Monday morning.
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Teenage suicide bomber kills 6 in Afghan capital

A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital yesterday, killing at least six civilians in a strike that targeted the heart of the US-led military operation in the country, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which was the latest in a series of insurgent attacks in the heavily-fortified Afghan capital aimed at undercutting a months-long campaign by the US-led coalition to shore up security in Kabul before a significant withdrawal of combat troops limits American options.

While bombings and shootings elsewhere in Afghanistan often receive relatively little attention, attacks in the capital score propaganda points for the insurgents by throwing doubt on the government's ability to provide security even for the seat of its power. The attacks also aim to undermine coalition claims of improving security ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The bomber struck just before noon yesterday outside the headquarters of the US-led NATO coalition, on a street that connects the alliance headquarters to the nearby US and Italian embassies, a large US military base and the Afghan Defence Ministry.

The alliance and police said all of the dead were Afghans, and the Ministry of Interior said some were street children. Kabul police said in a statement that the bomber was 14 years old.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the target was a US intelligence facility nearby.

German Brig. Gen. Gunter Katz, the spokesman for the US-led international military alliance, said there were no coalition casualties.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi blamed the attack on the Haqqani network, one of the most dangerous militant groups fighting US-led forces in Afghanistan. He did not say what he was basing that conclusion on, but the Haqqani group, which is linked to both the Taliban and al-Qaida, has been responsible for several high-profile attacks in the Afghan capital in the past.

On Friday, the US designated the Pakistan-based Haqqani network a terrorist organisation, a move that bans Americans from doing business with members of the group and blocks any assets it holds in the United States.

The Obama administration went forward with the decision despite misgivings about how the largely symbolic act could further stall planned Afghan peace talks or put yet another chill on the United States' already fragile counterterrorism alliance with Pakistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mijahid said the decision will have no impact on the war against the Afghan government and US-led forces, and added that the Haqqanis were part of the Taliban and not a separate group. He said its founder, Jalaluddin Haqqani, was a loyal member of the Taliban leadership council and a "person of trust" to the movement's leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

"It will not have a negative effect on our struggle and we are rejecting this announcement," Mujahid said in an email.

The Haqqani network has been blamed for a series of high profile attacks against foreign targets in Kabul, including coordinated attacks last April against NATO and government facilities that lasted more than a day before the insurgents were killed. A year ago, they were blamed for a rocket-propelled grenade assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters. In June, gunmen stormed a lakeside hotel near Kabul and 18 people in a 12-hour rampage.

American officials estimate the Haqqani forces at 2,000 to 4,000 fighters and say the group maintains close ties with al-Qaida.

Earlier yesterday, hundreds of Afghans and officials had gathered just a few hundred metres from the site of the attack to lay wreaths at a statue to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the death of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic Northern Alliance commander who was killed in an al-Qaida suicide bombing two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The alliance joined with the United States to help rout the Taliban after America invaded Afghanistan a month later in the wake of the attacks.
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NY Liberty lose ground in chase for final playoff spot in Eastern Conference after 92-83 defeat against Chicago Sky

NEWS SPORT: Epiphanny Prince scored 30 points to lead the Chicago Sky to a 92-83 win over the New York Liberty on Friday night.

Tamera Young added 19 points for Chicago (11-16), which moved one-half game past New York for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Courtney Vandersloot had 12 points and Swin Cash added 10 points and seven rebounds. Prince, who also had five rebounds, scored 30 for the fourth time in 19 games this season.

Cappie Pondexter scored 24 points on 7-for-19 shooting to lead the Liberty (11-17). Plenette Pierson had 15 points, Kara Braxton added 13 and Essence Carson.

Chicago shot 32 for 63 (51 percent) from the field and made 20 of 21 free throws.

The Sky led throughout. New York twice cut the deficit to three points, the last occurring with 4:04 remaining in the third after Pondexter's 3-pointer. However, Ruth Riley's layup with 3:21 left in the third quarter pushed the Sky's advantage to 60-55. From that point, Chicago outscored New York 32-28.

New York appeared passive offensively, stymied by Chicago's half-court defense. The Liberty shot 43 percent from the field and committed seven of their 16 turnovers in the first half.

The Liberty trailed 42-29 with about 3 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter before using a 12-2 run to pull within three on Pierson's turnaround hook shot with less than 10 seconds remaining in the half.
Prince's driving layup with 1.4 seconds to go gave the Sky a 46-41 lead at the break.
The teams split the four-game season series.

Chicago was without guard Ticha Penicheiro (hamstring injury) and U.S. Olympic center Sylvia Fowles sat out the second half with a lower leg injury.
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Democrats say Akin's comments could put Missouri in play

NEWS: As Democrats wrapped up their nominating convention in Charlotte last week, Missouri delegates were abuzz about President Barack Obama's rousing acceptance speech and former President Bill Clinton's detailed deconstruction of the GOP's case against him.

But what had some Missouri Democrats really ginned up was the possibility the Show-Me State could reclaim its status as an election bellwether. Specifically, how much have Rep. Todd Akin's controversial comments about "legitimate rape" and abortion changed the political landscape in Missouri?

Akin said in an interview last month that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant because "the female has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Some delegates at last week's Democratic convention said Akin's remarks not only may have shifted the Senate race in favor of Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, they may offer Obama a chance to make an aggressive play for Missouri. So far, Obama has largely ceded the increasingly Republican state to challenger Mitt Romney.

"I do think the president's going to get a bump" from the convention, said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. "And I think that that can translate into them rethinking Missouri."

Slay said he and other Democrats "are certainly going to make an effort" to persuade the Obama campaign to invest energy and resources in Missouri.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon said Obama could win the state in November, noting the president lost there by only about 3,900 votes in 2008 against GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona. But Nixon said he isn't planning to lobby the Obama campaign to send more people or money to Missouri.
"I'm not here to tell the president or his folks how to run their race," he said.

A recent Rasmussen survey showed Obama's support in Missouri at 47% compared to 46% for Romney.

"As the controversy over Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin's 'legitimate rape' comment continues, Mitt Romney's lead in Missouri has vanished," Rasmussen concluded.

Republicans flatly dismissed the notion Missouri will turn purple because of Akin's remarks. As Democrats wrapped up their convention, former Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and other GOP leaders organized a conference call with reporters to rebut the pitch coming out of Charlotte.

"I have a very high confidence level … that Missouri is very solidly in the Romney corner," said state Auditor Tom Schweich.

John Hancock, a Republican consultant and former state GOP party chairman, said he would not be surprised to see Obama move staff and money to Missouri, but only because his prospects in other swing states will start to dim.

"It would be an incredibly steep hill for Obama to carry Missouri, but it may be the best of a series of bad options for him," Hancock said. "His support in other states he carried in 2008 is eroding. Look at North Carolina and Virginia."

Michael Sanders, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, said the state is now more in play than anyone would have predicted six months ago.

"That's a testament to the candidates we have," he said. "But it's also a testament to the Republican candidates. They don't track with mainstream common-sense Missouri values."

But he and other Democrats openly worried McCaskill could still lose. Several convention delegates said they believe Republicans will still vote for Akin, even if his comments made them cringe, because he has an "R'' behind his name on the November ballot.

"I do phone banking and you would be amazed at the number of people who say 'Yeah, but I'm still going to vote for him'," said Sharon Aring, a 71-year-old delegate from Platte City. She was wearing a leopard-patterned sweater with ten political buttons, including one that read, "The GOP is Akin."

Kansas City Mayor Sly James, a Democrat, agreed Akin's comments "changed the landscape some," but said McCaskill still faces "a very tight race." And he doesn't anticipate a big shift in the presidential matchup.

Even if Obama wanted to make a play for Missouri, his campaign probably won't have the resources to invest in such a marginal state, James said. He noted that Obama is on track to be heavily outspent by Romney and conservative super PACs.

"Ramping up (in Missouri) at this stage would be a huge drain on resources," James said. "He's going to need to reinforce his message elsewhere. I think the president's campaign is really focused on the states they've mapped out, and they're pretty good about sticking to their strategy."
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Rescuers hunt for survivors as China quake toll hits 80

NEWS: Rescuers searching for survivors from twin earthquakes that struck southwestern China battled blocked roads and downed communications Saturday as the death toll rose to 80.

Scores of people were leaving their homes in the mountainous border area of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, carrying their belongings amid fears of further aftershocks as volunteers with supplies streamed in the opposite direction.

Some 820 people were injured and 201,000 displaced after two 5.6-magnitude quakes struck the resource rich but impoverished region.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who visited the worst-hit Yiliang county in Yunnan overnight, urged rescue workers to redouble their efforts in the crucial first 72 hours.

"Rescuing people is the top priority," he said in comments broadcast on CCTV news. The premier wore running shoes as he visited hospital patients and survivors camping out in tents before flying back to Beijing.

Families staying in tents said they feared their homes were no longer safe.

"The house kept shaking and as I have four children, I couldn't stay there any longer," said a man surnamed Qing. "We experienced the earthquake and it was terrifying."

Parents walked around carrying babies on their backs as well as big bundles of possessions. Others took bowls of instant noodles from relief workers and queued to fill them with hot water.

A 12-year-old schoolgirl named Xiaoli said she feared returning to her school, which was damaged during the quake. "We don't want to go back," she said.

The death toll may yet rise as crippled infrastructure has made it difficult to collect information, a provincial official told state news agency Xinhua.

The Global Times newspaper said the earthquakes highlighted China's continued vulnerability to natural disasters, despite decades of rapidly improving wealth and living standards in much of the country.

"A quake as strong as Friday's... could have caused fewer or even no casualties in a more developed region," it said.

Television footage showed rescue workers walking across rubble with dogs on leashes. One team saved a little girl on Saturday afternoon and sent her to the hospital for treatment, a worker told CCTV news.

One village surrounded by near-vertical cliffs had been evacuated as crumbling rock continued to fall. Giant boulders had crushed the road and vehicles.

On Zhaoyi Road, a mountain pass littered with rocks, heading toward Yiliang, families congregated outside their homes, looking reluctant to go inside.

While some left by foot with their meagre belongings, others boarded coaches, looking frail and tired. Volunteers, meanwhile, drove toward the disaster zone carrying food, water and other supplies.
One makeshift volunteer vehicle -- a hotel minibus from a nearby town -- was adorned with a red banner saying: "We will keep moving to provide help."

Rain is expected over the next few days, further complicating rescue efforts. Another concern was the possibility of disease spreading after thousands of cattle were killed when sheds caved in.

The US Geological Survey said the first quake struck at 11.20 am (0320 GMT) at a depth of around 10 kilometres (six miles), with the second quake around an hour later.

Residents described how people ran outside buildings screaming as the two shallow quakes hit an hour apart around the middle of the day.

"I was walking on the street when I suddenly felt the ground shaking beneath me," posted one witness on Sina Weibo, a microblog similar to Twitter. "People started rushing outside screaming, it still scares me to think of it now."

The disaster is estimated to have damaged or destroyed 6,600 homes, affected altogether 744,000 people and cost 3.7 billion yuan ($580 million) in direct economic loss, the Yunnan civil affairs department told state media.

Southwest China is prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude tremor rocked Sichuan and parts of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, killing tens of thousands and flattening swathes of the province.

The Global Times said that after the latest quake, authorities should emphasise safety and sustainability in future developments.

Corner-cutting in construction projects leading to shoddy buildings, especially schools, was blamed for the death toll being as high as it was in the 2008 Sichuan quake.

"To take the time and invest money in the prevention of natural disasters, which are unpredictable and are unlikely to occur, does not seem like a persuasive proposal to many in China."
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