It News

October 15, 2012

Citigroup profit drops as it writes down brokerage unit

2012/10/15
(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc said quarterly profit plunged on a $4.7 billion write-down of its stake in a brokerage operated by Morgan Stanley, but North American mortgage lending revenue increased and capital markets results rebounded.
The New York-based global bank on Monday said third-quarter net income was $468 million, or 15 cents a share, compared with $3.77 billion, or $1.23 a share, a year earlier.
Adjusted earnings, excluding the previously announced write-down and an accounting charge for the change in the value its debt, was $3.27 billion, or $1.06 cents a share, compared with $2.57 billion, or 84 cents a share, a year earlier.

Cramer's Earnings Preview for Next Week

By Drew Sandholm | CNBC

What follows is "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer's "Game Plan" for the week of Monday, Oct. 15.
MONDAY, OCT. 15
Citigroup (C) will report earnings before Monday's opening bell. Although earnings results from rivals JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) failed to excite Wall Street Friday, Cramer thinks the banking sector is still worth a look.
(Related: Big Opportunity in Banks: Pro.)
"The group is cheap. The companies are making tons of money and they will soon be returning billions of dollars to shareholders," Cramer said. "They're making gobs of cash thanks to the robust mortgage market."
Unfortunately for Citi, though, Cramer doubts it will have enough mortgage business to offset its weakness in emerging markets.
"I'd stick with JPMorgan and buy more Wells Fargo before I'd venture into the world of Citigroup, though," he added.
(Read More: Are JPMorgan's Revenue Springs Drying Up?)
TUESDAY, OCT. 16
Coca-Cola (KO) is scheduled to deliver earnings Tuesday morning.
"KO shot the lights out last quarter and I bet it's even better this time because the dollar has gotten weaker versus where it was the last time they reported," Cramer said. "That's going to make for a

Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies

Ron Corben
October 14, 2012

BANGKOK — Chinese state media reports that Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk, one of Southeast Asia's defining leaders, has died in Beijing. He was 89. King Sihanouk led Cambodia to independence, but war and his role in the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge marred his life and times.

Traveling The World Brings Andrew McCarthy Home

by NPR STAFF

October 14, 2012

In actor Andrew McCarthy's parallel career as a travel writer, he serves as an editor at large at National Geographic Traveler.

He's an 80s teen heartthrob who turned to travel writing — and now soul searching. A few years ago, Andrew McCarthy decided to confront the fears that had followed him his whole life. As he prepared to marry the women he loved, he headed out around the world to find the part inside of himself that just kept saying "no" to everything good in his life.

Growth of business travel spending is slowing, study finds

Firms are expected to spend 2.6% more this year than in 2011, when spending climbed 7.2% compared with the previous year.

By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times
October 15, 2012
After a dramatic slump during the economic recession, spending on business travel in the U.S. climbed in 2010 and 2011.

But business travel spending is slowing down, perhaps a sign of anxiety in corporate America over the still-shaky economy, turmoil in Europe and slower growth in China, said a report by the Global Business Travel Assn., the trade group for the world's travel managers.

HP on Gartner figures: We're still on top

By Charlie Osborne for Between the Lines | October 11, 2012
According to figures released by research firm Gartner, PC maker HP was knocked off its perch when Lenovo claimed the top-spot in worldwide PC sales.

However, the computer firm was not about to back down quietly in the face of its Chines rival; instead, HP has gone for Gartner's jugular .. albeit politely not mentioning the research firm by name.

Spanish Yields Retreat

By TOMMY STUBBINGTON and MICHELE MAATOUK
October 11, 2012

Bond yields on Spanish government debt eased back from earlier highs Thursday, while Spain's benchmark equity index pared losses and the rest of the region's stock markets edged higher, as investors grew hopeful that Standard & Poor's Corp.'s downgrade of Spain's credit rating would force the country's hand in seeking a bailout.
With Moody's Investors Service already assessing Spain's credit-worthiness at its lowest investment level, the country is a step closer to losing its membership in key bond indexes, which could in turn prompt selling of the nation's bonds, push yields even higher and force the government to seek a bailout.

Teachers Make Money Selling Materials Online

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP Associated Press
SEATTLE October 11, 2012 (AP)

Kristine Nannini spent her summer creating wall charts and student data sheets for her fifth grade class — and making $24,000 online by selling those same materials to other teachers.

Teachers like Nannini are making extra money providing materials to their cash-strapped and time-limited colleagues on curriculum sharing sites like teacherspayteachers.com, providing an alternative to more traditional — and generally more expensive — school supply stores. Many districts, teachers and parents say these sites are saving teachers time and money, and giving educators a quick way to make extra income.

There is a lot of money to potentially be made. Deanna Jump, a first-grade teacher at Central Fellowship Christian Academy in Macon, Ga., is teacherspayteachers.com's top seller, earning about $1 million in sales over the past two years. She believes the site has been successful because educators are looking for new ways to engage their students, and the materials are relatively inexpensive and move beyond textbooks

Travel industry must cater for modern 'jigsaw families', says expert, as single parents seek better deals on holidays

Mum on a beach with two children and a dog

By TRAVELMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 04:05 EST, 11 October 2012
Holiday companies will increasingly be looking to attract single parent and multi-generational families, a trends forecaster has predicted.
William Higham, founder of consumer trends company Next Big Thing, said the rise of ‘jigsaw families’ meant that escaping for a break is no longer just about mum, dad and two children.

Einstein's Math May Be Compatible With Faster-Than-Light Travel, Mathematicians Say

By: Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Senior Writer
Published: 10/09/2012 on LiveScience

Although Einstein's theories suggest nothing can move faster than the speed of light, two scientists have extended his equations to show what would happen if faster-than-light travel were possible.

How to Retire Rich: 6 Smart Steps at Ages 50-66

Focus on the finish line. It's time to get serious about saving, and maybe cutting costs.
By Sandy Block and Jane Bennett Clark | Kiplinger

At this point, retirement isn't a far-off goal you'll worry about someday when you're ready for your second hip replacement. Unless you plan to work until you drop, retirement is staring you in the face.

That means it's time to get deadly serious about saving, especially if you haven't saved enough. And that's true for most people: Nearly a third of Americans age 55 and older have saved less than $10,000 for retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Only 22% have saved $250,000 or more.

Zito Has Chance to Pull Giants Even With Reds

By JOE KAY AP Baseball Writer
CINCINNATI October 10, 2012 (AP)

Joaquin Arias hit the ball, put his head down and ran. All he knew was that the Giants' season depended upon how fast he made it to first.

"That's the fastest I've ever run to first," the infielder said.

He won the playoff dash, taking advantage of third baseman Scott Rolen's momentary bobble to beat the throw. Arias' foot hit the bag, and the Giants suddenly had a little hope.

After managing only one hit through the first nine innings, the Giants took advantage of a passed ball and Rolen's error in the 10th inning for a 2-1 victory that cut the Cincinnati Reds' lead in the division series to 2-1.

A team that's struggled just to get hits is suddenly feeling like it has a chance against long odds. The Giants are trying to become the first team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series by winning three straight on the road.

"I think we have to be really happy that we came away with a win tonight because we didn't swing the bats very well at all," said Buster Posey, who singled as part of the winning rally.

Toyota recalls 138,000 cars in UK

Potential fault with electric window switch prompts free check and remedy.
By Paul Hudson and Andrew English10:23AM BST 10 Oct 2012

Toyota has recalled 138,000 cars in the UK because of a potential fault with the master switch for the electric windows.
It affects certain RAV4, Auris, Yaris and Corolla models built between September 2006 and December 2008.
There has been one reported case in the UK but no reported accidents related to this issue.
The recall comes only days after Japanese rival Honda recalled 77,000 CR-V cars made at its Swindon factory between 2002 and 2006, due to an electrical fault with the master switch for the electric windows that could potentially lead to a fire.
Toyota says that the power window master switch (PWMS) on the driver's door may over time begin to feel uneven or notchy when it is operated. The switch is not designed to be lubricated with commercially available lubricants and that application of these could lead to overheating and/or

IMF Sees European Banks Facing $4.5 Trillion Sell-Off

By Sandrine Rastello and Simone Meier - Oct 10, 2012

The International Monetary Fund said European banks may need to sell as much as $4.5 trillion in assets through 2013 if policy makers fall short of pledges to stem the fiscal crisis, up 18 percent from its April estimate.

Kobe Bryant To Retire?

2012/10/9

http://sirifarm.com/

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Adults (15-64)	Children (2-14)	Seniors (65+)
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Couple Guy Ritchie and Jacqui Ainsley 'are getting married'

Couple Guy Ritchie and Jacqui Ainsley 'are getting married'
thesun.co.uk
2012/10/9

Guy Ritchie and Jacqui Ainsley on night out

GUY Ritchie is reportedly engaged to model Jacqui Ainsley.
Madonna’s ex-hubby recently proposed to his girlfriend – who’s expecting their second child – according to UsMagazine.com.
The Sherlock Holmes director, 44, began dating Jacqui, 30, in 2010, and the couple welcomed their first child, son Rafael, in September last year.

Mila Kunis is voted the sexiest woman alive in new poll

Tuesday Oct 9 2012
Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend has beaten Rihanna into second place.

The Black Swan actress - who has been pictured stepping out with Ashton Kutcher - came first in the Esquire magazine poll, swiping the title from former winner Rihanna.

However, it seems Mila won't get too carried away with the honour, as she told the mag that she is very focused on staying true to herself.

Venezuela’s Chavez re-elected to extend socialist rule

DIEGO ORE AND EYANIR CHINEA
CARACAS — Reuters
Monday, Oct. 08 2012

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez scored a comfortable election victory that could extend his rule to 20 years and vowed to deepen his self-styled socialist revolution that has polarized the South American OPEC nation.

Tens of thousands of ecstatic supporters thronged the streets around the presidential palace in downtown Caracas, pumping fists in the air and shouting Mr. Chavez’s name after the former soldier beat opposition candidate Henrique Capriles by more than 9 percentage points.

Alaska Airlines: Operations Returning to Normal

By DOUG ESSER Associated Press
October 8, 2012 (AP)
Alaska Airlines said flights were running close to normal late Monday after a fiber-optic outage shut down its ticketing system for more than four hours, causing the airline and its regional carrier to cancel 78 flights, affecting nearly 7,000 customers.

More than 130 other flights departed during the disruption, but some were delayed for as long as four hours, the airline said.

"Flights are running real close to schedule right now in all major cities. We expect tomorrow to be back on track completely," airline spokeswoman Marianne Lindsey said Monday evening.

Physics Nobel goes to Serge Haroche and David Wineland

9 October 2012

This year's Nobel prize in physics has been awarded to two researchers for their work with light and matter at the most fundamental level.

Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of the US will share the prize, worth 8m Swedish krona (£750,000; $1.2m).

Their "quantum optics" work deals with single photons and ions, the basic units of light and matter.

Foxconn workers strike over iPhone 5 demands, labor group says

By Julianne Pepitone @CNNMoney October 6, 2012

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Thousands of factory workers at Foxconn went on strike Friday to protest their working conditions on the iPhone 5's production lines, according to a report from an independent workers' rights organization.
Workers at Foxconn's plant in Zhengzhou, China, were furious after management enacted "overly strict demands" for production of Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) new iPhone 5, according to a report late Friday from China Labor Watch (CLW), a New York-based advocacy group that works closely with sources in China.

Sticker shock at California gas stations

By John Blackstone October 6, 2012

(CBS News) MILL VALLEY, Calif. - Many Americans saw gas prices go up a bit this week. Californians saw them skyrocket. Nationally, the average stands at $3.81 a gallon, up roughly two cents. But in California, prices exploded to a record high average of $4.61 a gallon --that's up 47 cents in a week and makes it the most expensive gas in the country. This could only happen in California.

Travel: Niagara Falls area, Canada gear up for big battle re-enactment

Oct 5, 2012

'Battle of Queenston Heights,' an oil painting attributed to James B. Dennis, depicts a major clash between American and British forces on Oct. 13, 1812. The battle will be re-enacted next weekend. / Image courtesy RiverBrink Museum, Queenston, Ontar

by Warren Gerds
Green Bay Press-Gazette

FILED UNDER
Life & Style

Canadian citizen Des Corran is pumped about next weekend. He’s a re-enactor with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment*, and he’s participating in the re-creation of the Battle of Queenston Heights.

Two hundred years ago on Saturday, American and British soldiers and their support forces engaged in the first major battle of the War of 1812 at Queenston, Canada, which is a few miles north of Niagara Falls.

Some perspective: Green Bay is near one end of the Niagara Escarpment, and Niagara Falls is near the other end of the massive, looping geological formation.

As rock solid as the escarpment has been for eons, politics around the time of the War of 1812 included shifting sand.

8 Social Security Myths Exposed

By Renee Morad | Money Talks News – Tue, Oct 2, 2012

Will Social Security be around when I retire?
That’s a question lots of Americans are probably asking themselves, though it’s certainly not the only thing we might be wondering when it comes to Social Security. Given our national retirement program’s handbook of 2,728 rules and countless interpretations, few participants are likely to thoroughly understand it.
To help shed light on Social Security, we recently set out to separate fact from fiction. Below are some of the most common Social Security myths, along with explanations:
Myth: Social Security funds are running dry, so I should collect as soon as possible

good news:US jobless rate

US jobless rate falls to 7.8 pct., 44-month low

US unemployment rate falls to 7.8 pct. in September, lowest since Jan. 2009; hiring increases
By Christopher s. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | Associated Press Fri, Oct 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent last month, dropping below 8 percent for the first time in nearly four years. The rate fell because more people found work, a trend that could impact the presidential election.
The Labor Department says employers added 114,000 jobs in September. The economy also created 86,000 more jobs in July and August than first estimated. Wages rose in September and more people

Samsung Expected to Reach End of Record Run

By REUTERS
Published: October 5, 2012

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit of 8.1 trillion South Korean won, nearly double the figure of last year, as strong sales of high-end televisions and Galaxy smartphones more than offset reduced orders for chips and screens from Apple, its main rival and leading customer.

Most analysts, however, expect a run of four record quarters — the most recent worth $7.3 billion — to end in December, as the South Korean group, one of the world’s leading makers of smartphones, televisions and memory chips, increases its marketing, countering the new Apple iPhone 5 and other products in a crowded smartphone market, valued at $200 billion globally.

Time-travel fantasy ‘Looper’ may be most creative of its genre

Posted: Friday, October 5, 2012
By Michael Huckaby / movie reviews

“Looper” is a gripping and stylish time-travel fantasy, perhaps the most creative of this genre ever made. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (“Brick”), the futuristic storyline is cleverly contrived, explaining just enough to make the narrow concept plausible.
Unlike most thrillers, the compelling movie includes romance and an emotionally powerful thread exploring flawed characters fighting to regain their humanity.
The opening introduces Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) standing in a Kansas cornfield. He checks his antique pocket watch and then stares at a tarp spread out before him. Suddenly, a hooded and hog-tied man materializes on the tarp. Joe coolly blows him away, removes several silver ingots (his pay) taped to the body, wraps the corpse in the tarp and dumps it in a nearby incinerator.

Hawaiian tourism office launches promotional campaign in Taiwan

Oct 04, 2012

The Hawaiian tourism office in Taiwan launched a promotional tour package on Wednesday in cooperation with local travel agencies to take advantage of a potential tourism boost from Taiwan’s inclusion in the US’ Visa-Waiver Program.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau’s office in Taipei said the seven-day tour would depart from Taiwan on Nov. 1 — the day Taiwan’s US visa-waiver status takes effect — and will cost under NT$70,000 (US$2,380) per person.

Bizarre Species of Miniature Dinosaur Identified

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Published: October 3, 2012

Not every dinosaur grew up to be a mighty predator like Tyrannosaurus rex or a hulking vegan like Apatosaurus. A few stayed small, and some of the smallest dinosaurs that ever lived — tiny enough to nip at your heels — were among the first to spread across the planet more than 200 million years ago
Fossils of these miniature, fanged plant-eaters known as heterodontosaurs, or “different toothed reptiles,” have turned up as far apart as England and China. Now, in a discovery that has been at least 50 years in the making, a new and especially bizarre species of these dwarf herbivores has been identified in a slab of red rock that was collected in the early 1960s by scientists working in South Africa.

In a report published Wednesday in the online journal ZooKeys, Paul C. Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and a dinosaur specialist, described the strange anatomy of the newfound member of the heterodontosaur family and gave the new species the name Pegomastax africanus, or “thick jaw from Africa.” He also apologized in an interview for not getting around sooner to this piece of research.

Look for travel deals from Southwest Airlines soon

If you have travel plans this fall or winter, especially between Thanksgiving or Christmas or right after New Year’s through mid-February, look for a big sale soon from Southwest Airlines.

Tom Parsons
Published: 04 October 2012

If you have travel plans this fall or winter, especially between Thanksgiving or Christmas or right after New Year’s through mid-February, look for a big sale soon from Southwest Airlines.
If it follows last year’s pattern, the sale will happen on a Tuesday and others will match — but it will only last a few days.
Travel demand drops dramatically during the two weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the week after New Year’s, around Jan. 8, through Feb. 14, which are some of the weakest travel periods of the year. This is because most people burn through their vacation time during the holidays.
Over the past few years, Southwest has cut those fares dramatically during its October sale because it’s the only way to fill up planes. For all of you who will be flying short-haul this holiday season, you will be paying much more than last year.

Romney: ‘47 percent’ remarks were ‘completely wrong’

By Philip Rucker and Vanessa Williams, Friday, October 5

FISHERSVILLE, Va. – Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is disavowing his controversial remarks dismissing “the 47 percent” of Americans who don’t pay federal income taxes, saying in an interview Thursday night that the comments were “just completely wrong.”

“My life has shown that I care about 100 percent, and that’s been demonstrated throughout my life,” Romney told conservative commentator Sean Hannity on Fox News. “And this whole campaign is about the 100 percent.”

Tigers' Cabrera wins Triple Crown

OCT 4, 2012
KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP)
Miguel Cabrera had just achieved baseball immortality, and everyone around him knew it.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland had tears welling in his eyes. General manager Dave Dombrowski kept trying to remind people to stop and enjoy the moment. Prince Fielder simply shook his head in disbelief at the history that had unfolded.

Less than an hour earlier, in the midst of Detroit's otherwise meaningless 1-0 victory over Kansas City, it had finally become official: Cabrera had won the Triple Crown.

Julianne Moore Victim of $127K Jewelry Theft at NYC Brownstown

Oct 4, 2012

Julianne Moore Victim of $127K Jewelry Theft at NYC Brownstown

By Richard Esposito

Actress Julianne Moore had more than $127,000 worth of jewelry stolen from her New York City apartment, according to police officials.
The jewelry was swiped from Moore’s Manhattan brownstone between June 6 and Aug. 28, when her residence was being renovated, officials said Wednesday.
During that time, 15 to 25 construction workers had access to the entire house, according to the police

Credit card delinquencies drop to 11-year low

By Blake Ellis @CNNMoney October 4, 2012

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Credit card customers are more responsible than they've been in over a decade.
Delinquencies on credit cards issued by banks dropped to the lowest level since 2001 during the second quarter, according to a report from the American Bankers Association released Thursday.

Only 2.93% of all bank card accounts were considered delinquent, meaning they were 30 days or more overdue. That's down from 3.08% in the first quarter and significantly lower than the 15-year average of 3.91%.

World food prices rose 1.4% in Sept

Oct. 4, 2012, 7:40 a.m. EDT

World food prices rose 1.4% in Sept

By Michael Haddon

LONDON (MarketWatch) — World food prices increased by 1.4% in September, the United Nations’ food body said Thursday, rising slightly after two months of stability mostly due to strengthening dairy and meat prices.

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, rose by three points in September to a new level of 216 points.

It currently stands 9.2% below its peak of 238 points in February 2011 and 4% below its level of 225 points in the same month last year.

H-P tanks as Whitman sees more pain ahead

Shares fall 13% to its lowest level in 10 years in big selloff
October 03, 2012|Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch

H-P CEO Meg Whitman tells analysts that 2013 is a fix and rebuild year.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co. on Wednesday fell to their lowest level in a decade as Chief Executive Meg Whitman warned that it will take longer to turn around the beleaguered tech powerhouse.

Travel guide: How to save on holiday season airfares

By Emily Brennan
10/03/2012

New York Times
With oil prices rising and flight capacities shrinking, airlines will be charging more for fares around the holidays. "For Thanksgiving, right now, fares are an average $24 higher than they were last year," said Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com. But, he added, there are ways to find deals and avoid undue expenses. Here's an edited chat with him:
What's the best way to save on airfare during the holidays?

Six reasons Mitt Romney won the first debate

Posted by Aaron Blake on October 4, 2012
Most everyone agrees: Mitt Romney won the first debate of the 2012 presidential election on Wednesday.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll released after the debate showed 67 percent of viewers thought Romney won, while just 25 percent said the same of President Obama. And a CBS poll showed 46 percent of undecided voters said Romney won, compared to 22 percent who said Obama won.
While Romney’s workman-like performance may have lacked one single big moment, there were a lot of reasons he came out ahead.
Below, we expound upon six of them:

1. He controlled the format: For better or worse, moderator Jim Lehrer largely let the candidates sort out the debate themselves, essentially broaching broad topics and letting the candidates duke it out on their own terms — with almost-endless rebuttals. This format favored Romney. Romney’s campaign went into the debate with an attack mindset (as most candidates who are behind do), and by allowing all those rebuttals, Lehrer gave Romney a chance to execute. He did. Obama wasn’t as focused on attacking, which works less

Leap Left in Lurch as MetroPCS Picks T-Mobile Merger

By Tara Lachapelle and Olga Kharif - Oct 3, 2012

Leap Left in Lurch as MetroPCS Decides T-Mobile Merger

Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP) is now left to fend for itself as the combination of MetroPCS Communications Inc. and T-Mobile USA damps takeover prospects for the unprofitable wireless carrier.
Leap, which Chief Financial Officer Jerry Elliott said in August was considering options including a sale, has lost money every year since 2006 and analysts estimate it will keep posting deficits until 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Investors are giving little value to its operations, pushing Leap’s price-sales ratio to 0.15, the lowest among similar-sized U.S. wireless carriers, the data show.

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE)’s deal to merge T-Mobile USA with MetroPCS to create a bigger No. 4 player in the U.S. wireless market drove Leap down 18 percent yesterday. Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said Leap is left without a buyer right now because the most logical acquirer was MetroPCS, which also targets prepaid customers using the same network technology. A deal is unlikely soon because T-Mobile will need time to integrate the new assets and Leap’s $3.2 billion in long-term debt may deter Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), JPMorgan Chase & Co. said.

Apple Suppliers Begin Mass Production on Smaller Tablet

October 3, 2012
By LORRAINE LUK
TAIPEI—Apple Inc.'s AAPL +0.29% Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. GOOG -0.63% and Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.56% that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.

Two of the people said the smaller tablet will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution compared with the latest iPad model that came out in March.

South Korea's LG Display Co. 034220.SE +0.88% and Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp. 2409.TW -0.47% last month began mass production of the LCD screens for the new device, they said.

MP Bob Katter calls for starfish bounty to save Great Barrier Reef

Townsville Bulletin
October 03, 2012

Crown of thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef

CROWN-of-thorns starfish beware: Bob Katter wants to place a bounty on your head. The Kennedy MP has called for scuba divers to be paid $10 for every pest starfish they kill.

It comes after a report found coral cover throughout the Great Barrier Reef has been declining rapidly each year, with the starfish accounting for 42 per cent of the damage.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, however, says there is no way he would place a bounty on the coral-consuming creatures, whose poisonous spines pose a danger to divers. He said the way to control the starfish was through further research and government-assisted culling programs.

New Mumford & Sons album Babel is fastest seller of 2012 in UK and US

Band also smash Spotify streaming record, confounding critics of the service

Guardian music
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 October 2012
Fast folk ... Mumford & Sons' second album, Babel, has stormed to the top of the UK and US charts. Photograph: Matt Kent/WireImage
Mumford & Sons' Babel has become the fastest selling album of the year in both the UK and the US.

The group's second album sold 159,000 copies in its first week in the UK to hit No 1 on Sunday, and 600,000 copies in the US to secure them their first US chart topper.

Euro Steady as Expectations of Spanish Aid Deal Persist

Published: Wednesday, 3 Oct 2012
By: Reuters

The euro steadied against the dollar on Wednesday and was underpinned by the belief that Spain will eventually request financial aid, helping soothe concerns around the biggest hotspot in the euro zone's debt crisis.
Such a move would be likely to spark demand for perceived riskier currencies, although on Tuesday Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy quashed speculation the country could apply for a bailout as soon as this weekend.

Strategists said while Rajoy's words had knocked demand for the euro, losses were limited by expectations Spain will ask for international assistance at some point in coming weeks. That would allow the European Central Bank to activate its bond-buying program and bring down Madrid's borrowing costs.

The single currency was close to flat at $1.2920, but remained above the three-week low of $1.28035 hit on Monday.

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