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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France shootings: Police to search Saad al-Hilli home

The home of a British man shot dead in the French Alps along with his wife and two others is to be searched by police.

French prosecutor Eric Maillaud said British and French officers would enter the home of Iraq-born Saad al-Hilli, 50, in Claygate, Surrey.

Brother Zaid al-Hilli has denied a family dispute over money, which is one line of inquiry in the investigation.

Relatives of Mr al-Hilli's two young daughters, who survived Wednesday's attack, have arrived in France.

The girls, aged seven and four, are believed to be the only witnesses to the killings, carried out near the popular tourist destination of Lake Annecy, and are under police protection.

Three police officers from France are thought to have arrived in the UK already to investigate the shootings, and a fourth officer is due to arrive later.

The most senior of the four, Colonel Marc de Tarle, who heads the National Gendarmerie Criminal Affairs Bureau, was the first to arrive.

Mr Maillaud said French officers would interview Mr al-Hilli's brother in the UK as a "witness".

Franco-British inquiry

Surrey Police said they were helping French authorities to carry out a "complex" investigation.

"As part of this, the force is facilitating a visit by French investigators to conduct inquiries in the UK," a spokesman said.

The BBC understands the family home was originally owned by Saad al-Hilli's parents and later left to him by his mother in her will.

Police plan to search the house as part of efforts to gather background information about Mr al-Hilli.

Mr Maillaud said: "Up until now the police in Britain were guaranteeing the safety of the house but now it's a Franco-British inquiry that is starting and we can now enter the house of Mr al-Hilli."

Mr al-Hilli's wife, Iqbal, and a woman thought to be his 74-year-old mother-in-law, were killed during the attack.

The fourth victim, a cyclist whose body was found near the car after apparently stumbling across the attack, has been named as 45-year-old Sylvain Mollier.

Mr Maillaud said four-year-old daughter Zeena al-Hilli - who spent eight hours hiding in the car with the bodies before being found by officers - had identified her family and described the "fury" and "terror" of the attack to French police.

The child said she was between her mother and the older woman - who have not yet been officially named - and hid under her mother's skirt when the shooting started.

The older sister, Zainab, is in a medically-induced coma in Grenoble University Hospital after being shot once and suffering head injuries.

She was found by a British cyclist who discovered the murder scene and alerted the authorities.

Vehicle sightings

The BBC's Mark Lowen, in Annecy, said: "Prosecutors hope that if she recovers, she may provide the key to what happened here in this tranquil corner of France, and who is to blame."

Relatives of the girls arrived in France on Friday night, accompanied by a British social worker, and were due to meet Zeena later, Mr Maillaud said.

"I don't know when they will be able to see the little girl. We have to be sure it can be done without problems," he told AFP news agency.

During a press conference on Friday, the prosecutor confirmed that each of the victims had at least one bullet in the head, and about 25 shots were fired in total - more than originally thought.

This has led investigators to believe that more than one gun was used in the killings.

They are looking into reports of a green or dark-coloured four-wheel drive vehicle and a motorcycle, apparently seen by the cyclist who discovered the murder scene. But Mr Maillaud pointed out that such vehicles were common during the tourist season in a mountainous region.

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Sherry gets 'Woman of the Year' award; calls for unity in Pakistani community

NEWS: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman, on Friday made a stirring call for unity in the ranks of Pakistani community member here to help meet the challenges their homeland faces.

The top Pakistani diplomat made the call at a largely-attended dinner event organized by the Pakistan League of USA, a non-political body of professionals, at which she was honoured with the League's "Woman of the Year" award. Over 400 Pakistani-Americans from various walks of life attended the event marking the Independence Day and Eid-ul-fitre.

"I thank you ... I'm deeply honoured," Ambassador Rehman said, holding up the plaque as loud applause rang out in the banquet hall of a local hotel. A citation described Ambassador Rehman as a "great parliamentarian, writer and a diplomat". Ambassador Rehman, who has been in the forefront of the struggle for women's rights, dedicated her award to the women of Pakistan, especially her mother and Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

Also honoured with the League's 2012 lifetime achievement award was Amir Khan, a British professional boxer of Pakistani origin who is a former two-time world champion and former unified WBA (Super) and IBF Light Welterweight champion. The ex-champion was given a standing ovation.

The league president, Zafar Iqbal Sipra, welcomed the ambassador and other guests, which included PML-N MNA Rana Tanveer, and briefed them on the aims and objects of the organization while Chairman Shahid Gondal stressed that it was non-political body.   The proceedings were conducted by Shafiq Siddiqui, general secretary of the league. Sipra and other speakers also praised the efficient services being provided to the community members by the Pakistani Consulate in New York under the leadership of Consul General Fakir Asif Hussain, who was also present at the dinner.

In her keynote speech, Ambassador Rehman called on the community members to sink their differences and work unitedly to promote the interest of their homeland in the United States and in forging good relations between people of America and Pakistan.

She also urged them to take an active part in the American politics in this election season and "multiply your power and influence" here, and become game-changers. "You have to overcome your differences .. and you have to have a dream," the Pakistani envoy added.

In this context, Ambassador Rehman encouraged the community to be proactive and engage widely with American public officials, including members of Congress, Senators and local politicians in order to clear misperceptions that exist about Pakistan in the minds of Americans.

As a front-line state fighting terrorism and extremism, 43,000 Pakistanis had lost their lives and the country suffered over $78 billion in lost opportunities and infrastructure damages.

About the situation in Pakistan, she said a great transformation was taking place as the country was marking the first-ever peaceful democratic transition.

"It is the first time that a civilian elected government had completed its term," she said, adding that the country's media was playing a dynamic role.

She also said that the current Parliament had passed more laws to protect and promote women's rights that any legislature in the past. The Ambassador also elaborated on the outreach programme of the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington aimed at keeping the community informed of developments in Pakistan and Pakistan-US relations and invited suggestions from the community on how to improve services.

Among the other award winner at the event was Masood Haider of Dawn. Earlier, the Pakistan ambassador met another group of Pakistani community members at the Long Island residence of Shafqat Tanweer, President of Pakistan People's Party, who hosted a lunch for her.

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Anglican church to appoint a 'presidential' figure

NEWS: The Anglican church is planning to hand over some of the global duties of the Archbishop of Canterbury to a "presidential" figure, it has been reported.

Dr Rowan Williams, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, said plans are being drawn up for a role to oversee the day-to-day running of the Anglican communion and its 77 million members, leaving the archbishop free to concentrate on leading the Church of England.

The tenure of the archbishop, who steps down after 10 years in December, has been marked by a war between liberals and traditionalists in the Church of England and the wider Anglican communion over the issue of homosexuality, including the ordination of gay bishops. There has also been a row over female clergy.

Admitting he may not have got it right, he said the top job might better be done by two people. "I don't think I've got it right over the last 10 years, it might have helped a lot if I'd gone sooner to the United States when things began to get difficult about the ordination of gay bishops, and engaged more directly. I know that I've, at various points, disappointed both conservatives and liberals. Most of them are quite willing to say so, quite loudly."

Of the new role, he said: "It would be a very different communion, because the history is just bound up with that place, that office [archbishop]. So there may be more of a sense of a primacy of honour, and less a sense that the archbishop is expected to sort everything."

The role would be for a "presidential figure who can travel more readily".

The 62-year-old, who is to become master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, said the church had treated homosexuals badly. But he reiterated his opposition to gay marriage, saying its legalisation could create a "tangle" between the church and the government.

The paper reported that he also voiced concern that there are not enough Christians in politics and that the relationship between the church and the monarch may change when the "more quizzical" Charles succeeds the current Queen.

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Obama commemorates anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

President Barack Obama is asking Americans to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by remembering how far the nation has come since terrorists struck 11 years ago.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama asks Americans to remember those who lost their lives as well as the loved ones they left behind — and honor the first-responders who risked their lives to help.

Obama says America has come back stronger and al-Qaida is on the path to defeat.

The president also notes that the 9/11 anniversary is being commemorated Tuesday by public service activities in communities around the country.

In the Republican address, Sen. John Barrasso (buh-RAS'-oh) of Wyoming criticizes Obama's presidency and asserts the nation isn't better off than it was four years ago under President Bush.

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Hearsay bothers last juror to find Peterson guilty

The final juror to agree to convict Drew Peterson of murder in the death of his ex-wife says he "barely slept" one night during the proceedings because the same nagging questions kept popping into his head.

Even after joining fellow members of the panel by casting the last vote for guilty, Ron Supalo remains troubled by the prosecution's reliance on hearsay, statements not based on a witness' direct knowledge.

Peterson, the former suburban Chicago police officer, faces a maximum 60-year prison term after his first-degree murder conviction in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. It was the first case in Illinois history to permit the use of hearsay evidence, based on a 2008 state law specifically tailored to Peterson's case.

"I needed time to think it through," Supalo, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, said in a telephone interview Friday evening.

Supalo said he believes the hearsay law might be unconstitutional, but he eventually realized his duty as a juror was only to assess the evidence, not the laws.

"We (the jurors) weren't the U.S. Supreme Court," he said. "Right or wrong, this was the hearsay law, and we had to use it in this case."

Other jurors acknowledged that comments Stacy Peterson, Peterson's fourth wife, made before her 2007 disappearance played the decisive role in convincing them to convict her husband of killing his ex-wife.

The prosecution's strategy grew largely from a lack of physical evidence collected in the case after investigators initially deemed Savio's 2004 death an accident. Prosecutors claimed the hearsay would allow Savio and Stacy Peterson — who is presumed dead — "to speak from their graves" through family and friends.

It worked.

Jury foreman Eduardo Saldana, 22, said the women's comments were "extremely critical" in deliberations and in his decision to convict Peterson. He said he was one of four jurors who initially had reservations given a lack of physical evidence tying the former police officer to Savio's death. But Saldana said the more he thought about hearsay testimony from Stacy Peterson's pastor, the more compelling he found it.

But Supalo said he had some doubts about the credibility of Stacy Peterson's statements to the Rev. Neil Schori.

During the trial, Schori testified that Stacy Peterson told him weeks before she went missing that her husband got up from bed and left the house about the time of Savio's death and then returned to stuff women's clothing in their washing machine. Peterson also coached his wife for hours on how to lie to police, Schori told jurors.

"When it was the 11 for guilty and just me holding out, I told them, 'You all believe Schori's testimony is gospel because he is a man of God,'" Supalo said. "They said, 'It is.' And I said, 'No, it's not!'"

Supalo also said he had difficulty coming to terms with convicting someone based on what others claimed someone else said.

"I'm uncomfortable with the Illinois law that allowed hearsay," Supalo, who briefly studied law. "They made the law just for Drew Peterson — applied it to him retroactively. If there was no hearsay in his case — Drew Peterson goes free."

Defense lawyers have said the presentation of hearsay undercut Peterson's constitutional rights because he couldn't directly confront his accusers — namely, his third and fourth wives.

They tried to discredit Stacy Peterson by having attorney Harry Smith testify that she asked him if she could squeeze more money out of Peterson in a divorce if she threatened to tell police he killed Savio. But Saldana and other jurors said Smith only ended up stressing that Stacy Peterson knew her husband had, in fact, murdered his ex-wife.

As he realized Smith was starting to hurt Peterson's case, the defense attorney questioning him, Joel Brodsky, began shouting at Smith, accusing him of lying.

Juror Teresa Mathews, 49, said Friday that Smith had nothing to gain by making up testimony.

"We believed he was a credible witness," she said.

Although thoughts about the evidence cost Supalo some sleep, by Thursday afternoon, just before the verdict was read in court to gasps and tears, he'd resolved several issues in his mind. Among them was accepting Schori's and Smith's testimony as credible, he said.

"It was the totality of the evidence that convinced me," he said.

Peterson is to be sentenced Nov. 26.

Neighbors found the 40-year-old's body in the bathtub of her suburban Chicago home — a gash on the back of her head. Investigators initially thought she drowned after slipping in the tub, but reopened the case after Stacy Peterson disappeared.

Peterson also is a suspect in that case, and Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said Thursday that charges could be forthcoming.

Peterson's personality had seemed to loom large over the trial, at least to outsiders.

Before his 2009 arrest, the glib, cocky Peterson seemed to taunt authorities, joking on talk shows and even suggesting a "Win a Date With Drew" contest. His behavior inspired a TV movie starring Rob Lowe.

But jurors said Friday that Peterson's crude and unsavory reputation didn't factor into their deliberations.

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Lewis Hamilton's future dominates F1 chatter at Italian Grand Prix

The cars screamed around the old woodland setting of the Monza circuit, through the Curva Parabolica and the Variante Ascari, in a noisily theatrical attempt to distract attention from the only topic of conversation; they failed

Should he go or should he stay, to amend the old hit from the Clash, was the only show in town here as Lewis Hamilton's possible switch from McLaren to Mercedes was discussed throughout the paddock with a ferocity that strangely lent the move a greater credence.

When the story emerged on Wednesday evening – or when an old possibility was given fresh impetus through the voice of Eddie Jordan – it was quickly dismissed as a bargaining gimmick by Hamilton's agents, XIX Entertainment, in order to get a better offer from his current employers. By Friday, though, it had become more plausible, through a combination of Hamilton's moody demeanour and the sheer ubiquity of the debate.

But why would Hamilton and his advisors countenance such a move, from an habitually successful team that are second in the constructors' championship to a struggling outfit of underachievers who are fifth?

There are a number of reasons. XIX Entertainment may not know much about Formula One but they do understand contracts and there is the chance that they will be able to wring more money from the German team.

Then there is the potential for Hamilton, working with a more global name, to further develop himself as a brand – something that has held an increasing fascination for him in recent years.

Remember, people laughed at the notion of David Beckham leaving Real Madrid for LA Galaxy, and Hamilton and Beckham share the same agent. There would be the chance for Hamilton to choose his own sponsors, and avoid the heavy workload that McLaren imposes on its drivers in this area.

There will also be an upheaval with the regulations in F1 in 2014, and some suspect that Mercedes will be well placed to exploit these.

The attraction of driving for the team was captured by his possible future team-mate Nico Rosberg when he said: "My perspective is that Mercedes and Ferrari are on one level in terms of the history in F1 and the standing. It's very, very special to drive for the Silver Arrow, and especially to win with a Silver Arrow." Rosberg and Hamilton know each other well, dating back to their karting days together at Mercedes.

Then – and this is slightly more complex – we come to the little matter of love. Rightly or wrongly, the brilliantly gifted but insecure Hamilton feels less than full appreciated in some corners of the Woking-based team. When he was asked, here, whether he felt valued by McLaren, he said, distractedly: "I don't know." He has certainly upset some members of the team by his bizarre and unpredictable behaviour.

If McLaren and Hamilton is a stale relationship, a fresh affair with Mercedes carries exciting possibilities and all the blandishments his considerable ego may require.

These, then, are the reasons why the febrile chatter going on here ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix is a little more substantial than a silly season story. Hamilton's whole mood suggests a man less than happy with his lot, however wonderful that lot is. "He looks so unhappy at McLaren – I think he will go," a rival team principal said.

But why? Because even when all the reasons given above are taken into account, and added up, they don't amount to a convincing whole. Because he is surely less likely to win more titles at Mercedes than if he remains at McLaren. And titles will bring him all the stardust he craves.

Meanwhile, his team-mate, Jenson Button, is convinced Hamilton should stay. He said: "Moving to another team wouldn't hurt me as much as I think it would hurt him. The most important thing for us in Formula One is to win races. That is what we love. When you cross the finish line first, that is what makes you smile and what gets you emotional after a race.

"Knowing that you are the best in the world on that day, that is what you love. That is one of the main reasons why I moved to McLaren. We might not win the championship every year but every year you have the chance of winning grands prix – they give you that opportunity with the car."

But will Hamilton give himself the opportunity to extend a relationship that has lasted for more than half of his 27 years? If he does stay at McLaren, he will have to be totally committed, their team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, warned. "Ultimately a driver has to drive where he is happy to drive, so the team and I don't want anyone who is not 100% committed to it," he said. "You can't work like that. I've made that clear from the outset."

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Mercedes eyes 'contingencies' amid Hamilton rumours

Norbert Haug has admitted Mercedes is eyeing possible "contingencies", in the event Michael Schumacher does not race the German team's 2013 car. "Of course we have to plan for all contingencies," said Mercedes' competition vice-president, amid raging speculation Lewis Hamilton might sensationally switch from McLaren to drive in Schumacher's place next year.

Haug is quoted by SID news agency as revealing the team is conducting "open and faithful" talks with Schumacher.

And when asked about Hamilton, he added: "Lewis grew up with us (Mercedes) and with McLaren. We worked together even when he was 12 years old.

"But it is not possible to conclude from this that the current rumours have any basis."

An outright denial sounds different. Indeed, Haug acknowledged the speculation.

"As long as seats are available, you have to deal with it. We do not spread the rumours, but we have to live with them," he said.

The latest rumours were fanned by former team owner and now British television pundit Eddie Jordan, but McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh questioned their credibility.

"I think that any article that includes a sentence that begins 'Eddie Jordan understands ...' is automatically questionable," he told the BBC.

But Jordan's television colleague David Coulthard, a former long-time McLaren driver, said the Irishman has earned more credibility than that.

"EJ has a reputation for being a bit outspoken but he has brokered more driver deals than almost anyone in the sport, has contacts all over the place and is friendly with Lewis's manager, Simon Fuller," he wrote in the Telegraph.

"I cannot recall him being wrong when he has stuck his neck out like this. He was right about Michael Schumacher coming back to the sport three years ago, for instance," Coulthard noted.

So for now, the Hamilton saga is the talk of the Monza paddock.

"He looks so unhappy at McLaren -- I think he will go," an unnamed team principal told the Guardian.

Jenson Button, Hamilton's teammate at McLaren, thinks the 2008 world champion would be mad to move.

"It wouldn't hurt me as much as I think it would hurt him," he said.

But as Coulthard surmised, no one at present really knows if Hamilton is staying or going. And "I'm not sure that he does either," said the Scot.

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Yankees News and Notes: Back Where They Belong

SPORT NEWS: The Yankees regained sole possession of first place with an 8-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The offense was powered by three long balls, the first multi-homer game by the Bronx Bombers since August 27. Each homer proved to be important because the Yankee pitchers were just as generous, allowing three homers to increase their season total to 165, which ranks fourth most in the majors and puts the staff on pace to break the franchise record (182 allowed in 2004).

One day after allowing three runs in the bottom of the eighth, David Robertson earned his 24th hold of the season by retiring the only two batters he faced. If the Yankees hope to hold off the Orioles and Rays in the A.L. East, they'll need Robertson to improve his performance in high leverage situations.

Derek Jeter recorded his 17th three-hit game, one behind Miguel Cabrera and Joe Mauer for most in the majors. Jeter also increased his season total to 3,724, moving him within nine hits of Willie Mays for 11th place on the all-time list. The Captain is also 14 hits away from becoming the first player since Paul Molitor in 1996 (and fifth overall) to reach 200 hits in his age-38 season or older. Despite all of his success, Jeter still marvels at the legacy Cal Ripken left behind.

Buck Showalter has found a new home in Baltimore, but a small part of him will always be a Yankee. No matter what team Showalter happens to be managing, rapid improvement has always been the result.

Reinforcements are on the way. Mark Teixeira, who hasn't played since August 27, is expected back in the lineup for tonight's game, and Ivan Nova could be activated as well. Could Roger Clemens be next? A return by the Rocket to the majors, much less the Bronx, is extremely unlikely, but the 50-year old righty continued his successful stint with the Sugar Land Skeeters by throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

The pennant race can sometimes seem like life and death, but it's nothing compared to what A's right hander Brandon McCarthy is currently facing. Three days after being struck on the head by a line drive, McCarthy remains in serious condition.

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Change in Ownership of Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park Mean Work on Long-Stalled Bali Monument Can Resume

NEWS: The recent transfer of a majority shareholding for PT Garuda Adimatra Indonesia (GAIN) by PT Alam Sutera Realty means that work has recommenced on what is hoped will result in the completion of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park on Bali’s Ungasan Peninsula.

An on-again-off-again project spanning two decades, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) project envisions a cultural park covering a 100-hectare site dominated by a 300-meter high statue of the Lord Winsu sitting atop a 70-meter pedestal.

The total cost of the project has been put at figures varying from US$40 million to US$200 million. According to Radar Bali, Bali sculptor and the chief artist in charge of the project, Nyoman Nuarta, is now working to create the metal skin made from copper and bronze to cover the statue.

Work is also soon to commence on the pedestal to support the monument. Ida Bagus Budihartawan who is in charge of GWK estimates another 2.5 to 3 years will be needed to complete the statue.

The transfer of shares from PT Multi Matra Indonesia as the majority shareholder in PT Gain to PT Alam Sutera was reportedly valued at around Rp. 821 billion (US$88.3 million). That amount is calculated as equivalent to 90.3% of the issued shares in PT GAIN, with the remaining shares owned by PT Bali Tourism Development Corporation (PT BTDC).

Nyoman Nuarta, when testifying before the Badung House of Representatives in 2011, estimated the cost of completing the park at at Rp. 750 billion (US$80.6 million).

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Hearsay bothers last juror to find Peterson guilty

NEWS: The final juror to agree to convict Drew Peterson of murder in the death of his ex-wife says he "barely slept" one night during the proceedings because the same nagging questions kept popping into his head. Even after joining fellow members of the panel by casting the last vote for guilty, Ron Supalo remains troubled by the prosecution's reliance on hearsay, statements not based on a witness' direct knowledge.

Peterson, the former suburban Chicago police officer, faces a maximum 60-year prison term after his first-degree murder conviction in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. It was the first case in Illinois history to permit the use of hearsay evidence, based on a 2008 state law specifically tailored to Peterson's case.

"I needed time to think it through," Supalo, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, said in a telephone interview Friday evening. Supalo said he believes the hearsay law might be unconstitutional, but he eventually realized his duty as a juror was only to assess the evidence, not the laws. "We (the jurors) weren't the U.S. Supreme Court," he said. "Right or wrong, this was the hearsay law, and we had to use it in this case."

Other jurors acknowledged that comments Stacy Peterson, Peterson's fourth wife, made before her 2007 disappearance played the decisive role in convincing them to convict her husband of killing his ex-wife. The prosecution's strategy grew largely from a lack of physical evidence collected in the case after investigators initially deemed Savio's 2004 death an accident. Prosecutors claimed the hearsay would allow Savio and Stacy Peterson - who is presumed dead - "to speak from their graves" through family and friends.

It worked.

Jury foreman Eduardo Saldana, 22, said the women's comments were "extremely critical" in deliberations and in his decision to convict Peterson. He said he was one of four jurors who initially had reservations given a lack of physical evidence tying the former police officer to Savio's death. But Saldana said the more he thought about hearsay testimony from Stacy Peterson's pastor, the more compelling he found it.

But Supalo said he had some doubts about the credibility of Stacy Peterson's statements to the Rev. Neil Schori. During the trial, Schori testified that Stacy Peterson told him weeks before she went missing that her husband got up from bed and left the house about the time of Savio's death and then returned to stuff women's clothing in their washing machine. Peterson also coached his wife for hours on how to lie to police, Schori told jurors.

"When it was the 11 for guilty and just me holding out, I told them, 'You all believe Schori's testimony is gospel because he is a man of God,'" Supalo said. "They said, 'It is.' And I said, 'No, it's not!'" Supalo also said he had difficulty coming to terms with convicting someone based on what others claimed someone else said.

"I'm uncomfortable with the Illinois law that allowed hearsay," Supalo, who briefly studied law. "They made the law just for Drew Peterson - applied it to him retroactively. If there was no hearsay in his case - Drew Peterson goes free."

Defense lawyers have said the presentation of hearsay undercut Peterson's constitutional rights because he couldn't directly confront his accusers - namely, his third and fourth wives. They tried to discredit Stacy Peterson by having attorney Harry Smith testify that she asked him if she could squeeze more money out of Peterson in a divorce if she threatened to tell police he killed Savio. But Saldana and other jurors said Smith only ended up stressing that Stacy Peterson knew her husband had, in fact, murdered his ex-wife.

As he realized Smith was starting to hurt Peterson's case, the defense attorney questioning him, Joel Brodsky, began shouting at Smith, accusing him of lying. Juror Teresa Mathews, 49, said Friday that Smith had nothing to gain by making up testimony.

"We believed he was a credible witness," she said.

Although thoughts about the evidence cost Supalo some sleep, by Thursday afternoon, just before the verdict was read in court to gasps and tears, he'd resolved several issues in his mind. Among them was accepting Schori's and Smith's testimony as credible, he said.

"It was the totality of the evidence that convinced me," he said.

Peterson is to be sentenced Nov. 26.

Neighbors found the 40-year-old's body in the bathtub of her suburban Chicago home - a gash on the back of her head. Investigators initially thought she drowned after slipping in the tub, but reopened the case after Stacy Peterson disappeared. Peterson also is a suspect in that case, and Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said Thursday that charges could be forthcoming.

Peterson's personality had seemed to loom large over the trial, at least to outsiders.

Before his 2009 arrest, the glib, cocky Peterson seemed to taunt authorities, joking on talk shows and even suggesting a "Win a Date With Drew" contest. His behavior inspired a TV movie starring Rob Lowe.

But jurors said Friday that Peterson's crude and unsavory reputation didn't factor into their deliberations.

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Arizona Diamondbacks rally, fall short against San Diego Padres

Chase Headley smacked a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead shot off Diamondbacks reliever David Hernandez in the eighth inning, to lift the Padres to their 13th win in their past 17 games.

It was Headley’s fourth career multi-homer game — all of them coming this season — and gave him 25 homers on the season. He raised his RBI total to 98, which ranks second in the National League behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun.

The Diamondbacks trailed 5-0 after three innings but rallied to tie the game. Ryan Wheeler drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, bringing the Diamondbacks within 5-3, and Miguel Montero’s two-run double off reliever Tom Layne tied it in the eighth.

But in the eighth, Hernandez fell behind 3-1 and threw a fastball to Headley, who sent it out to dead center to put the Padres ahead.

Skaggs shelled: Things didn’t go well for Skaggs from the beginning, when Chris Denorfia dropped a single into shallow right-center field, a ball that center fielder Adam Eaton nearly caught on a dive.

Logan Forsythe followed with a single through the middle and, after Headley struck out, Yasmani Grandal pulled a Skaggs fastball down the third-base line and into the left-field corner for a two-run double.

Skaggs ran into more trouble in the third, which began with Denorfia (walk) and Forsythe (single) again reaching base. But this time, it was Headley who did the damage, demolishing a 90 mph fastball from Skaggs and sending it into the bleachers in left field.

That gave the Padres a 5-0 lead. Skaggs didn’t return to the mound for the fourth inning, replaced instead by reliever Brad Bergesen.

Denorfia, again: Earlier in the week, the Padres gave Denorfia a two-year, $4.25million contract extension. He’d be worth far, far more if he got to face the Diamondbacks more often. Denorfia entered the day with a .369 average in 84 plate appearances against the Diamondbacks and proceeded to go 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Goldschmidt scratched: First baseman Paul Goldschmidt was a late scratch from the Diamondbacks lineup due to sickness, the team announced. Goldschmidt was replaced in the lineup by Chris Johnson at third, with Ryan Wheeler shifting to first base.

View from the press box: Incredibly, Headley is somehow second in the National League in RBIs despite playing half his games in Petco and being surrounded by a pretty mediocre lineup. Headley always has been a solid hitter, but is he turning into one of the better hitters in baseball? His second half has been incredible, and it might be time to start talking about him with the best third basemen in the majors.

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Coal block controversy: A news round-up

NEWS: In an interesting turn of events, senior Delhi government officials may appear on Saturday before the inter-ministerial group looking into the coal block allocations. The Indian Express newspaper reports that the panel headed by additional coal secretary Zohra Chatterji will on Saturday ask the Delhi government why a block allocated to it in Madhya Pradesh remained unexplored for six years.

The Delhi government was allotted the Mahan-II block in 2006, along with the Haryana Power Generation Corp. Ltd, the newpaper said in its report. This is the first time a Congress party-led government is being called to testify on coal blocks, the report added. The panel is likely to take a call on taking back the blocks on 15 September.

Meanwhile, the Business Standard newspaper said the coal ministry is likely to ready its response to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on coal block allocations by 14 September. The report said the coal ministry is likely to counter the CAG’s arguments on at least five counts—calculating the quantum of extractable reserves in blocks based on averages, cost of coal production and how it varies geographically, geological constraints in mining, taxation offsetting a part of financial gains extended to companies, and valuation of captive coal blocks vis-à-vis the price of coal set by Coal India Ltd.

Meanwhile, Mint on Saturday profiled 57-year-old Manoj Jayaswal, who heads the Abhijeet Group, which has been named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) this week in its ongoing probe into irregularities in the allotment of coal blocks. The report details how the Abhijeet Group grew in record time.

CNN-IBN news channel ran a story on Hansraj Ahir, a Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, who, the channel said, was the first to raise concerns about the coal block allotments in 2005 when he wrote a series of letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then coal minister Shibu Soren between 2005 and 2007, but got no response. The Congress, however, refutes Ahir’s role, the channel said. “We can’t say he exposed it,” it cited Congress leader Harish Rawat as saying.

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