Primary lady may set the actual tone pertaining to convention along with Tuesday night speech

The 1st lady will speak for the convention's starting night, exactly 7 days after Mrs. Romney shipped what 1 CNN analyst called "political velvet" -- the address on the GOP convention in Tampa that took the woman's sometimes automatic businessman spouse, Mitt Romney, and flipped him right charismatic candidate who will be a champion connected with working-class Americans.

Michelle Obama comes with a easier job in advance of her with convincing voters with the president's likability -- his or her favorability of this type ranks considerably above that of his or her GOP foe. But the girl still should work for you to overcome a perception that Obama is usually a cool and sometimes faraway president who has been slow to make relationships away from the White House.

Obama himself fought that will image in a recent meeting with CNN, indicating fatherhood happens first more than political schmoozing having Washington cope makers.

Both Obamas possess talked openly around the importance in the family meal and spending some time with the two children, 11-year-old Sasha and also 14-year-old Malia, not in the demands in the White Household.

Campaign officials say Michelle Obama can help augment your campaign's technique you can use the convention in order to show "what hard drives (the president) daily. "

Mrs. Obama faces an amiable audience -- she's referred to as a comfortable, open 1st lady whose latest favorability numbers in a CNN/ORC Intercontinental poll struck 65%.

Just four years ago, she had been portrayed just as one Afro-sporting, machine-gun-toting Angela Davis physique fist-bumping the woman's husband in a cartoon within the cover in the New Yorker.

She has built the woman's likeable name by tackling such troubles as youth obesity having her "Let's Shift! " campaign, holding various high-profile events in the White Household and appearing in public places service announcements to inspire children and also their parents to keep up an effective lifestyle. She additionally started any vegetable garden for the reason of the executive mansion.

Even her eyes for manner has accumulated admiration. Mrs. Obama routinely opts to help wear knitwear and dresses from such retail restaurants as N. Crew more than high-end makers, putting the woman's on identical shopping reasons as female middle-class voters.

The can easily vote is especially key on this election since Democrats perform to color Mitt Romney and the Republican Celebration as out of touch having female voters.

In a very recent meeting with Attend magazine, the 1st lady mentioned she'd love to add women's medical issues to her report on causes in case her spouse is elected with a second expression.

Mrs. Obama offers stepped in place in current days to assist fill your void quit by the woman's husband's occupied campaign program, meeting with close relatives of your victims within the Sikh forehead shooting inside Wisconsin, stumping for my child husband within the campaign walk and dialling for volunteers to help rally voters inside battleground claims.

Tuesday evening, she'll continue that well known surrogate role and may try to create the tone for my child husband's closing push to Election Evening.

Wall Street finishes flat but Apple reaches another high

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) hit an all-time high of $680.87 during the day after the iPad maker won a $1 billion judgment in a patent lawsuit against Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). The Korean company said it would contest the verdict. Apple, the world's most valuable company, ended up 1.9 percent at $676.68.
The verdict on Friday jolted shares of Google Inc (GOOG.O), as the case could change the dynamics of the mobile device market. Companies using Google's Android system may have to consider design changes. Google shares declined 1.4 percent to $669.22.
Beyond the notable moves of those tech giants, investors mostly cooled their heels before Bernanke's remarks to central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday.
Data showed volume was 4.46 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the Amex. The year-to-date average is about 6.6 billion.
Expectations are for Fed action of some kind next month, but Bernanke is likely to keep markets guessing about the timing of another round of bond purchases.
"The big upswing in the equity market that we've seen is based on the belief the Fed is going to do something and that Bernanke is going to say sooner rather than later that he's willing to commit to further easing," said Subodh Kumar, chief investment strategist at Subodh Kumar & Associates in Toronto.
"But I don't think he's got the policy support within the Fed to do that, so the markets are set for some more correction here."
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was down 33.30 points, or 0.25 percent, at 13,124.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 0.69 points, or 0.05 percent, at 1,410.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 3.40 points, or 0.11 percent, at 3,073.19.
Stocks have rallied in recent weeks on growing expectations for a third round of quantitative easing from the Fed, as well as possible action from the European Central Bank. News from Jackson Hole could determine whether the rally that took the S&P index to four-year highs will be sustained.
The S&P 500 has been unable to stay above the April high of 1,422.38, which is seen as a key resistance point, the index finds support at the 1,400 level.
Investors will be faced with other potentially market-moving events in the next few weeks.
The European Central Bank will meet on September 6 and is expected to take some action to support the region's sputtering economy and tackle the debt crisis.
Germany's constitutional court is expected to rule on the legality of the euro zone bailout fund on September 12.
The Dow was led down by shares of IBM Corp (IBM.N), which agreed to buy Kenexa Corp (KNXA.N) for $1.3 billion. IBM shares were off 1.1 percent at $195.69. Shares of Kenexa were up 41.4 percent at $45.79.
In other deal news, car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ.N) said it would buy smaller rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group (DTG.N) for about $2.3 billion, ending years of an on-off takeover battle.
Shares of Hertz climbed 8.1 percent to $14.21 while Dollar Thrifty gained 7.5 percent to $87.08.
Hudson City Bancorp Inc's (HCBK.O) stock jumped 15.7 percent to $7.45 after the company agreed to be acquired by M&T Bank Corp (MTB.N) for $3.7 billion in cash and stock. M&T shares advanced 4.6 percent to $89.82.
Decliners outpaced advancers on the NYSE by about 15 to 14 while on the Nasdaq declining stocks were about even with advancing ones.

Dean Syrian prisoners to freedom

Israeli occupation forces fired yesterday, a sudden release of Syrian prisoner Sidqi detestation, and contacted his family to extradite shrine Eliefore, even if the Israeli authorities left the prisoner editor detestation to place without being the official handover to his family, as is the case in such situations.In detail, the prisoner's brother said, the pride of detestation, that surprised them Batsalha authorities in the very early and inform them that the prisoner is in shrine Eliefore, and that they come to take it from there. Indeed, when they went there and found him in the place and it was a very emotional meeting between the family and the prisoner editor. He Fakhri that his family had gone after meeting directly to the shrine of the Prophet Shuaib, then returned to the occupied Golan, where it was his public reception in all arenas villages occupied Golan (the beginning of the village Buqata, passing Bmsaadh appointed cannula, and the end of the yard Sultan Pasha al-Atrash in Majdal Shams ) and then to his family home where his father hosted a luncheon in his honor.In turn, captive detestation said the release took place on Thursday evening Monday, as Israeli police took him to the police station in Beit She'an, and then to the station 'Golan' in settlement of Katzrin, before the completion of the operation yesterday in denominator Eliefore.Dean Syrian prisoners in Israeli jails Sidqi Suleiman detestation, lived trip arrest arrested a 27-year, born of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan on April 17, 1967, he grew up in a family campaigner experienced occupation of the Golan in 1967, and Ayesh strike big in 1982.Bader with a group of his comrades, Sitan guardian and Asim Wali and Khairuddin Halabi and Ayman Abu Jabal, to establish a cell for national resistance known at the time as «Resistance Movement secret», where seized a number of hand grenades and landmines scattered in a military stores of the Israeli army. And participated in all the resistance operations, and monitoring tours and field exploration sites Israeli military deployed in the Golan Heights, and was one of the supervisors on the seizure of the military equipment and hand grenades from the Israeli military store near the settlement of Neve booklet. , One of the perpetrators of the bombing of the Israeli camp near village Buqata. He was active prior to his arrest among students and young people, and participated in one of the student demonstrations at Masada High School, which came after the decision to dismiss one national teacher education wire.Occupation authorities arrested him on the night of August 23, 1985 from his parents' home 12 days after the arrest of his brother preached detestation, on charges of resisting the occupation. He underwent intensive investigation by the Israeli security services. In the twentieth of May 1986 Israeli Military Court in the city of Lod unjust sentence him to prison for 27 years. During the sentencing hearing with his companions refused to stand for the military judge, refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the trial. In his speech to the Forum lawyers and counsel of the International Red Cross and the military court judge, the judge said: «You the Ground Aghtspettm, and my right to defend and your resistance. Do not recognize the legitimacy of your court moot, was expelled from the courtroom like his comrades remaining nine, and before they were driven sang the anthem of the Syrian Arab in the courtroom «protectors Diar you peace.Suffered during his arrest trip pain in the stomach and the spine, and has contributed to many of the steps of struggle inside the prison claim to provide a minimum of human life for prisoners in Israeli jails. , One of the symbols of the national movement Alaatqalah in Israeli prisons.Detestation whole family did not deliver one of her sons, including the parent, from Israeli detention and targeting, for their struggle since June setback to resist the occupation of the Syrian Golan, which teams reunited for many years.In turn, ruled his sister struggling and active involvement in issues of prisoners Nehal, her life in demonstrations and sit-ins and raise issues of prisoners after the arrest of the occupation of her brothers humans and Sidqi, and moved between Israeli jails which kept its name by heart.Despite years of families long, Sidqi remained steady on the principles of patriotism and nationalism, a believer in the right to resist the occupation wherever it was, in Palestine, Lebanon and the Golan Heights and all the land of the Arabs, and that the Golan inevitably return to the embrace of the motherland Syria.

EU welcomes Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO)

EU welcomed Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), after arduous negotiations that lasted 18 years.

He announced Trade Commissioner at the European Union "Karl de Gucht," on Wednesday, that Russia's accession to the organization represents an important step for the further integration of Russia in the global economic system, pointing out that this step will cringe the way for the flow of investments and trade promotion, and it will contribute to accelerate the process of modernization of the Russian economy.

He also stressed that Russia's accession to the organization will provide more employment opportunities for both Russian and European companies, and expressed confidence that met Moscow international trade rules to respect the criteria that had been committed.

It is estimated that after Russia's accession tariff reduction will lead to savings of 5.2 billion euros a year in import duties for of Musdrien to the European Union, in addition to the reduced tariff will stimulate additional exports from the EU to Russia annually, including $ 9 , 3 billion euros.

Syrian army shelled areas in Damascus, killing 47 people

Opposition activists said Syrian regular army fired shells into southern Damascus on Wednesday and helicopters fired rockets and machine-gun fire during an attack to tighten the grip of President Bashar al-Assad on the capital.
Coincided government use of the Syrian army tanks and helicopter gunships this week in an attack across the capital with the departure of military observers of the United Nations after the unsuccessful mission.
According to United Nations estimates that 18 thousand people have been killed since the uprising began after the government responded violently to peaceful protests began 17 months ago then turned into armed conflict.
Opposition activists said that at least 47 people were killed in Damascus in what they described the most violent bombing this month.
A woman in the Kafr Sousa one of the neighborhoods targeted by the army assault to crush the opposition fighters "Damascus are all vibrating sounds of the bombing."
The United Nations has said that some of the weapons used by the Syrian government forces apparently it's coming from Iran in violation of the UN resolution, which prevents this type of exports.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will raise the issue of the Syrian crisis with Iran in the Non-Aligned Movement summit held in Tehran next week.
As the army continued to bombard southern Damascus, activists said at least 22 people were killed in Kafr Sousa and 25 people were killed in the river area Aisha nearby.
The activists said the dead man named Musab al-Muhammad Ismail to return a journalist working for the state-owned newspaper was sympathetic to Assad uprising. The activists said he was executed in Aisha River.

Zenawi's opponents are hoping to be his death the beginning of a new phase in Ethiopia

Announced the Ethiopian government, on Wednesday, said Haile Mariam Desgan Acting Prime Minister will remain at the head of the government until elections scheduled in 2015 after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who varied reactions to his death, the White House has described his departure as a "sudden loss" but opponents rejoiced the death of the "tyrant."
The government spokesman said Barakat Simon Desgan will be sworn in and will complement the government in the amount of five years until 2015. He noted that Parliament will be invited to convene within two days to lead Desgan sworn in as prime minister.
Barkat announced mourn years. He said that his country, which is the second most densely populated in Africa stable and will continue to follow the path charted by Zenawi. He Negas Gadada who took over the presidency of the country during Zenawi's premiership, and who now heads the party Unity for Democracy and Justice opposition, he hopes in a peaceful transition of power. "We urge the People's Revolutionary Democratic Front Ethiopian to change the political situation and the democratic and human rights situation for the better in the country."
The site describes "إثيوبيان Review" online exhibitions Zenawi as a "tyrant fond of genocide", and said that the day of his death "a delight for most Ethiopians and all freedom-loving people throughout the world." The "National Front for the Liberation of Ogaden," the banned Ethiopian said that Zenawi's death may pave the way for a new era of peace in the country, but they reaffirmed their willingness to fight for self-determination. She added in a statement that it will work with any progressive opposition forces open be ready to recognize the right of self-determination for all nationalities.
The U.S. President Barack Obama's condolences and praised Zenawi's commitment to help the poor, describing his death as "sudden loss" of Ethiopia, and praised British Prime Minister David Cameron بالراحل, describing it as "an inspiring speaker on behalf of Africa." The European Commission said that Zenawi work diligently in the field of African Unity, climate change and development, but expressed hope that Ethiopia improvement of its human rights record and the welfare of its people, stability and integration in the region.
David Chen predicted former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia to continue many of the policies pursued by the defense Zenawi as it is. He said, "for internal security reasons there will be a continuing focus on Somalia can not imagine any significant change in the direction of Eritrea," referring to Ethiopia's arch-foe, which took place with border war lasted ten years.

Keep safety underlines the lack of participation in the demonstrations August 24

Issued Sheikh Hafez Salama commander of the Popular Resistance in the Suez statement emphasizing the lack of participation in the demonstrations on 24, 25 August; due to lack of conviction.
Where the statement "with regret for not a socialist, on 24, August 25, not with these nor those; not my conviction, calling God to save Egypt from plots of internal and external, pointing out that some media Liedson named, and attributing to him statements did not make it, where said in a statement, "briefed on many websites and the news of the remarks attributed to on 24, August 25, both from supporters or opponents of the regime to him, and I see some of the media Liedson my name and attribute me unless evidenced by any of them. When Li opinion I've ever experienced, and launched in writing to all media sites, therefore: I regret what really has some pens me without any knowledge of me. "
The safety in the statement not belonging to any of the parties nor of the bodies nor a group of groups and all statements made by off inspired his conscience and his affiliation to Islam and to his homeland Egypt, adding that he did not Adkhrjhada in all earlier times since the era of ownership to the covenants Abdel Nasser and Sadat and Mubarak, facing all these covenants each fluency did not intimidated prisons and detention camps beginning in 1944, pointing out that during a battle presidency last said that all candidates not one of them who can carry this Secretariat heavily since about more than sixty years, and I did not join none of them in his campaign tours.

Aborted attempt to smuggle the effects within the expulsion to Turkey vector

Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim archaeological center units of the Ministry of State for Antiquities, Cairo Airport has succeeded in thwarting an attempt to smuggle artifacts, was part of the expulsion on his way to the city of Brosh state Turkey via Dubai.

The minister said he was taking legal action and the necessary insurance towards confiscation artifact, and to notify the Gaza Islamic monuments to search in the records of the loot extracted from areas of Islamic monuments to learn of any archaeological area extracted exact piece.



The Chairman of the Central Administration of ancient Egyptian Ports units Hassan official that the Commission and the Ministry of State for Antiquities expulsion after inspection covered courtyard Customs courier, archaeological confirmed one of the pieces inside a skimmed part of the Islamic impact.



And artifact is ornament decorative brass reading "No God but Allah, Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah" was attributed to the family of Muhammad Ali, and subject to the law protecting monuments No. 117 of 1983, as amended by Law No. 3 of 2010, was forfeited in favor of the Ministry of State for Antiquities.

Director of the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries: aluminum factory fire will not affect the ability of productivity

Engineer Mohamed Hanafi, director of Chamber of Metallurgical Industries Federation of Egyptian Industries, said the fire which broke out today, "Wednesday", in a factory aluminum Nag Hammadi will not affect the ability of productivity and performance, denying reports that indicate that the fire would lead to the collapse of the plant, and production ceased its fully .
Hanafi said: The factory production may hang for three or four days, while importing pulp poles Blocks produced by carbon building blocks that fire broke out from the outside.
He explained that the import pasta from abroad will increase the cost of the plant, which is already since the beginning of the year many of the problems that have increased its losses from strikes categorical, then increase the price of electricity, and to access multiple interruptions of electricity, and finally a fire today.
Hanafi said: The power outage for one hour a day cause losses of up to 650 thousand pounds of aluminum, which is the most affected, as dependent on electrical power mainly, explaining that the loss of factory Misr Aluminum exceeded 25 pounds; due to power outages.
And anticipated the possibility that the fire may be caused by multiple interruptions of electricity, pointing to reports fingers went to electricity.
Noteworthy that the poles pulp blocks used in the analysis of the electricity for aluminum cells, which is the most important stage of the production, and is the basis of this industry.

Cairo formally request from the IMF loan of 4.8 billion dollars

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and president of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, yesterday, features the economic reform program of the Egyptian government, with spokesman said President that Cairo formally requested 4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, during a visit by Lagarde to discuss support economy country.The spokesman Yasser Ali told "Reuters" during talks between Lagarde and Mercy "officially asked $ 4.8 billion loan from the IMF and the talks taking place inside now on demand," adding that "no details will be announced later." He also stressed Monetary Fund official also apply.Egypt needs the loan to cover the budget deficit resulting from the decline in tourism revenues and foreign investment.And foreign currency reserves fell to less than half their level before the popular uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak last year, as the central bank began to sell dollars to support the Egyptian pound.The government is facing a crisis in the balance of payments and the rising cost of borrowing and banks assume the brunt of the local government lending. Experts say the financial support urgently needed to avoid a devaluation of the local currency.Following her meeting with Mursi and Egyptian officials, said Lagarde that the Fund wants to support Egypt and that a delegation from confer on the details of financing package to help the economy, noting that the details and conditions of the loan are still under discussion, and that team Fund will be further talks on Thursday in Cairo before returning to Washington then go to Egypt again for further discussions.Egyptian television reported that the meeting dealt with the dimensions of the Egyptian economic reform program and the plan developed by the Egyptian government to stimulate economic performance to the next phase, he said, adding that Mursi Lagarde discussed the features of the loan that Egypt intends to be obtained from the Fund to support the monetary reserves at the Central Bank of Egypt.Lagarde held and the accompanying delegation to meet with Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, in the presence of Central Bank Governor Farouk node and Premium Finance Minister Saeed, the representative of the Arab group in the IMF Abdul Shakour Shaalan.The talks dealt with the review program of economic reform and the plan developed by the government to stimulate economic performance during the next phase, also addresses the completion of negotiations on the loan that Egypt intends to be obtained from the Fund to support the cash reserve at the central bank.Said Kandil in a press conference with Lagarde that the conditions the IMF is "acceptable", but gave no other details, and hope to reach Egypt to agree on a loan with the International Monetary Fund before the end of the year or sooner than that, pointing out that the goal of this visit Fund is to show support for the Egyptian economy and the start of negotiations for an agreement on the loan by the end of the year or within two months or as time permits.The finance minister said last week that Cairo would consider the possibility of providing the Fund for a loan larger than expected.Egypt called Lagarde to visit, what may indicate renewed determination from both sides to conclude a long-awaited agreement after a Mursi, who took office on 30 June his first government last month.During the 18 months of political turmoil since the overthrow of Mubarak, successive Egyptian governments negotiated with the IMF for emergency funding. But no agreement had been reached, while aggravated problems in the budget and balance of payments.And causing the displacement of foreign investors following the unrest in the banks bear most of the burden of state lending. The government also borrowed directly from the central bank. And foreign reserves dropped to less than half the levels before the popular uprising against Mubarak last year, and return investors' reluctance to return in part to fears of a sharp decline in the value of the currency may erase any returns.The agreement with the IMF to help Egypt in giving credibility to the economic reforms necessary to restore investor confidence.

Nemanja Vidic fires Manchester United warning

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic insists they will swiftly move on from their defeat at Everton but stressed the side have to be sharper in front of goal.

The loss at Goodison Park was the first time since 2008 the Red Devils had failed to win their opening match of the season and the first time in eight years they had lost at the start of a campaign.

United failed to create any clear-cut chances and even the arrival of £24million signing Robin van Persie for the final 22 minutes failed to help them make a breakthrough.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was unhappy with their lack of a cutting edge and their failure to get Van Persie in the game and Vidic agreed.

"We had some possession but we weren't clinical," the Serbia international told MUTV.

"When you go away from home you expect the home side to have some chances but we need to be more clinical.

"It wasn't a great game but we're already looking forward to the next one.

"We've lost our first match in the past and finished well so hopefully we can win our next game and go on a long run."

Vidic said they expected a tough test from Everton, who pegged them back to a 4-4 draw in April to damage United's title aspirations, but failed to combat the Toffees' strengths.

"We knew it would be a hard game," he added.

"They did what they're best at - playing long balls and focusing on set-pieces.

"They had a few chances and in the end deserved to score but we're never happy when we concede from a set-piece.

Manchester United complete Alexander Buttner signing

Manchester United have completed the signing of left-back Alexander Buttner from Vitesse Arnhem.

The 23-year-old has been brought in to provide competition for Patrice Evra.

Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Alexander is one of the best young left backs in Europe and we're delighted to sign him. He's someone we've been watching for a while now. He gives us some really exciting options in that position."

Buttner said: "Joining Manchester United is one of the best days of my life. It's a team I have admired for many years now and I can't wait to join my teammates and play my part in helping the club be successful."

Persimmon puts 65 per cent rocket in profits down to affluent family homes

Housebuilder Persimmon has hailed a 65 per cent hike in profits as it overcame a sluggish market by focusing on building family homes in affluent areas.
The York-based builder, whose brands include Charles Church and Westbury, saw revenues rise 13 per cent to £806.7m in the six months to June 30.
The strategy helped underlying pre-tax profits hit £98.7m, meaning the group is on course to ramp up dividend payments as part of plans to return £1.9bn of surplus cash to shareholders over the next nine years.
Neil Follows, managing director for Persimmon Homes North West, said: “The start to the year has been extremely promising.
“Although the UK housing market remains constrained by the reduced availability of mortgage credit, we are confident that schemes like the Government-backed five per cent deposit mortgage product NewBuy, now with new lower rates. This should help affordability for our local house buyers.”
In the coming months Persimmon will open new developments in Middlewich, Sandbach, Bury, Heywood and Radcliffe.
Mr Follows said: “Our objective is to continue to find good land opportunities locally to ensure we continue to build much needed housing.”
The group said private reservations have slowed from the 18 per cent growth in the first half but are still per cent ahead of last year since the start of July, while it has already sold 220 homes through the government's NewBuy scheme, which encourages the return of 95 per cent mortgages.
Average selling prices rose seven per cent to £171,206 in the first half, helped by Persimmon's strategy of building more family homes, while the number of completions rose six per cent to 4,712.
The group's margins were boosted by more than three percentage points to 12.2 per cent as it also benefited from building on cheaper land
acquired since the financial crisis.
Persimmon said part exchange has proved popular in the period, with more than 20 per cent of private sale customers using the incentive.
Persimmon, the UK's largest homebuilder by market value, said it had a shared equity interest in 30 per cent of its first-half sales, although this is expected to fall in the second half as its sells its allocation under the scheme.
It said the mortgage market was expected to remain “challenging”, reflecting the UK's broader economic malaise and the shortage of affordable deals.

Player ratings: David De Gea voted top Manchester United man

You know your team has had a bad day when the goalkeeper is star man - and David de Gea was voted Manchester United's best player against Everton in our brand new player ratings.

De Gea showed just why boss Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £18m for his services last summer with a string of brilliant saves to deny Everton - even though he was eventually beaten by Marouane Fellaini's header as the Toffees won 1-0.

Our unique ratings system allows fans to mark players out of five in three key areas of their game: effort, technical skill and impact.

We then combine the scores to produce an overall match percentage for each player - and De Gea came out on top with 84 per cent.

The fans' score tallied with our reporter Stuart Mathieson's mark - he gave Spain star De Gea eight in our traditional player ratings (out of 10).

The fans were more generous than Stuart when it came to new boy Shinji Kagawa. Our man awarded the Japanese debutant a seven, but supporters marks gave him a combined score of 82 per cent on the interactive player rater.

The former Borussia Dortmund man looks to have an impressive all-round game too, gaining good marks for impact, technical skill and effort.

It was up front where the fans really laid into the Reds, with last season's star man Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck struggling.

Rooney, who plundered 35 goals last season, looked off the pace against his boyhood side Everton and he was scored at just 48 per cent - his total dragged down by low impact.

Welbeck just made it to 50 per cent thanks to the effort he put in.

As for new boy Robin van Persie - the dream debut didn't materialise. He came off the bench just before the hour mark but couldn't get into the game as his 56 per cent rating shows. Surely there's more to come from the Reds.

Make sure you take your chance to rate the players when United take on Fulham.

John Williams - Harry Potter Composer John Williams To Receive Prestigious Award

 Harry Potter Composer John Williams To Receive Prestigious Award

The man behind the music for Harry Potter and Star Wars, John Williams is set to have his achievements recognised in the form of a lifetime achievement award, reports The Telegraph.
The Classical Brits is like, well, The Brits for classical composers, and this October will see one of the greats rewarded for a lifetime of service to the industry. "John Williams has crafted some of the most memorable film scores for over half a century and we are delighted that he has kindly accepted the Lifetime Achievement award in honour of his fine work," said DICkon Stainer, the co-chairman of the Classic Brit Awards committee. Williams has won 5 Brit Awards already, the first for his Fiddler On The Roof score. He has subsequently worked on Jaws, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Superman and Raiders Of The Lost Ark, providing memorable scores for each and every one. During his career, he has forged a close working relationship with director, Steven Spielberg. He is the most nominated Oscar nominee alive.
In an interview for the Financial Times Magazine, John spoke about his early ambitions; "As a youngster, I never dreamed there could be a career actually earning a living writing music," he said. "I always wrote music for my friends, but my focus was on playing piano. I didn't think I'd be quite good enough to be a soloist, but I believed that if I worked hard enough, I could work as a player, a teacher. Maybe even an accompanist." Andre Rieu, Andrea Bocelli and Nicola Benedetti are already confirmed to perform, with Myleene Klass hosting the event, set to take part at London's Royal Albert Hall on October 2.

Apple-Samsung Jury Told Not to Upgrade Gadgets Received as Evidence

Jurors hearing arguments between Apple and Samsung have been warned not to accept software updates or install apps on mobile gadgets they receive while deliberating the merits of the patent-infringement case.

The case, which has been in front of the jury since the beginning of August, revolves around several questions of design - both physical design of the device and on-screen design of items like icons - so it's important that any updates to the phones and tablets don't alter their look and appearance.
"The physical devices you received are evidence in this trial," said U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh as she read instructions to the jury."You may use them in your deliberations, and may connect to the Internet through the Web browser application, but must not alter or modify the devices in any way."
Koh said jurors are not allowed to insert SIM cards into the devices, if included with the packaging, but may connect to the court's Wi-Fi network to access the Internet.
"Once connected, you must decline any software update notifications that may be presented to you. You also must not download any content, such as apps, music, photographs, or games, to the devices," said Koh.
The printed version of the jury instructions includes sample screens from Android phones showing the alerts typical when a system update is offered.
"If you see such a screen, you must decline the request to update the system. Select 'Install later' or press the 'home' or 'back' button to exit the notification screen," Koh said.
The jury is expected to hear closing arguments on Tuesday and begin its deliberations on Wednesday.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 tablet Hands-on Review

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7 is billed as a rival to the Google Nexus 7. Matt Warman finds out if it lives up to the hype. 

In a tablet market dominated by the 10-inch iPad, Samsung is trying to reach a new audience by launching their 7-inch Galaxy Tab. Its main rival is the Google Nexus 7, which hits the stores at a lower price and a higher spec, but there are a number of things which make Samsung's latest offering worth considering.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 features the option to purchase books, music and games from Samsung directly, featuring several exclusive releases which will be unavailable through the alternative Google Play store.

Currently the Galaxy Tab 7 retails at around £200, but it is highly likely that the price will come down very soon to make it cheaper than the Google Nexus. Also, the software will shortly be upgraded to match the higher-spec Nexus 7.

With a few extra software additions, including a notes facility which is not present on the Nexus, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 is likely to be a strong competitor in the 7-inch tablet market in the coming months.

 

Everything Everywhere sells 4G spectrum to 3

Everything Everywhere has confirmed a deal with mobile network operator 3 to sell on part of its 1800MHz spectrum, which could enable the smaller operator to launch its own 4G services.
The agreement to sell part of the spectrum band is one of the stipulations laid down by the European Commission that Orange and T-Mobile must follow if they are to merge under the banner of Everything Everywhere, ensuring their market dominance is not too strong.

However, it is also the frequency that Ofcom announced would be liberalised to allow the owner to use it for 4G services in the UK.
“Acquiring this spectrum will more than double the capacity available to customers on our network,” said Dave Dyson, CEO of 3 UK.
“New spectrum, supported by further committed technology spend, is a clear signal that we are committed to maintain our lead as the network built for the mobile internet,” he said.
3 would not confirm if it planned to launch a 4G network once the deal for the spectrum had gone through, but a spokesman from Ofcom told Computer Weekly it would be within the rules if 3 wanted to do so.
“It could use the spectrum for 4G as the decision made today applied to the whole band, not just the section Everything Everywhere will own once it has sold off the required portion,” he said. “The whole band has been liberalised and if this deal goes through 3 can use it in that way if it chooses.”
A total of 2x15 MHz of its 1800MHz spectrum will be transferred, but neither party confirmed how long it would take for the deal to go through.
But Everything Everywhere said it expected the European Commission and Ofcom to decide within three months whether the deal covered the stipulation in its merger agreement and it would require approval from both regulators.
The deal could again cause a stir with the two operators’ rivals. Vodafone is already up in arms about this morning’s announcement that Everything Everywhere would be able to roll out 4G before it had even got its hands on its own spectrum – it won’t have the chance to secure any extra bands until the spectrum auction in December – and O2 said it “undermined the competitive environment for 4G in the UK”.
We contacted both firms for comment on the deal, but neither had formed a statement at the time of publication. 

On the Call: Best Buy's Interim CEO Mike Mikan

NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy Co. Inc. withdrew its full-year earnings forecast after reporting a 90 percent drop in net income during the second quarter, which was dragged down by restructuring charges and weak sales.

Best Buy released quarterly results a day after naming Hubert Joly, former CEO of the Carlson travel company, as its new CEO. The chain is in the midst of a very public fight with its former chairman and co-founder, Richard Schulze, who wants to take the company private.
During a conference call, interim CEO Mike Mikan spelled out the challenges faced by Best Buy and said that Joly is up to the task.
Q. What are some of the big hurdles you face and why do you think the new president will be able to spearhead a turnaround?
A. Hubert brings tremendous experience to the job...He's got local roots but he's also got a great deal of international experience and he has specific experience in corporate turnarounds, exactly what Best Buy needs at this moment.... Over the last three months, Best Buy's management team has worked to define opportunities, initiatives and actions to move the company forward.... Hubert will inherit a good deal of advanced work....
As we've been discussing for some time now, the company continues to face significant challenges. As is widely known, markets in China and Europe are facing enormous difficulties and that has had a negative impact...In the U.S., economic conditions are soft and will probably remain so for the indefinite future. Consumers remain very cautious and sales in the industry may be dampened at the moment by those who are holding back on spending as they await some highly anticipated new technology releases.
Like virtually every other competitor in the consumer electronics sector, Best Buy's second quarter reflects these realities. However, we have made progress.

Manchester United: George Soros invests in football club

Mr Soros' investment fund bought a 7.85% stake in Class A shares - about 3.1 million - in the club, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Class A shares carry less voting power than Class B shares.
His shares equate to a 1.9% stake in the entire club, worth about $40.7m (£25.8m) at Monday's closing price.
Manchester United floated on the US stock market earlier this month, at $14 a share, valuing the club at more than $2.3bn (£1.46bn), making it one of the biggest sports clubs in the world.
But since its 10 August listing, its share price has fallen 6.7%. Its share price was up 1.6% to $13.26 in London afternoon trading, a day after hitting a fresh low of $12.91.
Manchester United has been controlled since 2005 by the Glazer family, the billionaire US sports investors who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football franchise.
About half of the $233m that the club raised from its flotation will go to paying off the club's debts - of about some £417m - with the rest going to the Glazers.
The Glazers have voting control over the club through their ownership of Class B shares that enjoy 10 times the voting rights of Class A stock that are sold to the public, of which Mr Soros' investment fund took out the 7.85% stake.
That means Mr Soros and his fund do not have voting power nor can benefit from payouts, as Manchester United does not issue dividends.
Mr Soros was unavailable for comment.

Football investment :
 
The 82-year-old investor, who oversees $25bn in assets through his Soros Fund Management LLC, has in the past eyed other football clubs as lucrative investments.

He considered a takeover of Italian club AS Roma in 2008 but decided against it due to the club's debt problems.

Mr Soros was likely attracted to Manchester United because of the team's profitable media rights deals.
"This could be a play by Soros on the strength of Manchester United's brand and the English Premier League's growing media rights," said Philip Hall, a partner at Inner Circle Sports, an investment bank focused on the sports industry.
"The domestic rights are set to increase 70% for the 2013-2014 season and the international media rights, set to be announced in late October or early November, are also expected to come in at a very robust uplift," he added.
Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown, told the BBC that Mr Soros is banking on the club's ability to become a "merchandising machine" through its fanbase, estimated to be 700 million worldwide.
Another factor behind Mr Soros' decision could be the growing popularity of football in the US, which was given a boost thanks to the gold medal-winning US women's football team during the Olympics.
"Given that it is still a long way behind the three major sports in the States (American football, baseball and basketball), I can only imagine that is the attraction for him," Mr Hunter said.
But football clubs in general are notoriously difficult investments, he said, adding: "Ultimately although United has a track record, their fortunes are very much tied to what's going on on the pitch. If United has a few poor seasons, clearly that would start eating into their income. It's a high-risk investment strategy."
Mr Soros became prominent in 1992 when he successfully bet on the devaluation of the British pound, netting about $1bn in the process and earning him the moniker: "The man who broke the Bank of England".

Premiership Rugby to give more power to video referees

Premiership Rugby will trial greater use of video technology this season in games broadcast live on television.

The referee can ask the television match official to rule on any incident in the lead-up to a try, dating back to the last stoppage in play.
The TMO will also be able to alert the referee to fouls he may have missed.
A concussion bin will also be trialled to make players go leave the pitch for five minutes and have tests to rule out brain injury.
Previously the TMO has only been used to give input on decisions regarding the grounding of the ball.
"The TMO trial in live televised games allows us to maintain the integrity of our competition by ensuring the match officials are given the utmost support in getting crucial decisions right," said Phil Winstanley, rugby director at Premiership Rugby.
"We are extremely mindful about ensuring that we achieve a balance between protecting the integrity of the game and impacting on the dynamic nature of our sport by creating too many stoppages in play."
The concussion bin will be forced upon players if the team doctor or referee suspects they may have suffered concussion, with a temporary substitution being made.
The player will not be allowed to return to the field if the suspicions are proved right after tests.

Portsmouth fans write to Chainrai to urge takeover talks

The Trust has urged the businessman to discuss its bid and allow an independent valuation.
In a letter to former owner Chainrai, the PST said: "If Pompey dies now, the heart of a city dies with it. We will not allow that to happen."
Chainrai withdrew a bid to buy the League One club on Wednesday.
Trevor Birch, the administrator charged with looking to find new owners for the club, had managed to offload a number of high-earning players such as Tal Ben Haim, Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson to push through a sale.
'Fighting chance' However, Hong Kong based businessman Chainrai revealed he was no longer interested in a takeover deal.
Now only the Supporters' Trust remain as prospective buyers.
The PST have offered Chainrai £2.75m for the ground - which is still owned by him.
In the letter, the PST wrote: "The Trust has a fully costed and funded bid on the table of the Administrator.
"It can make a realistic offer to your company and other creditors which will ensure the club stands a fighting chance of emerging stronger than ever."
Fans held a peaceful demonstration in support of the club before Saturday's game against Bournemouth at the gates of Fratton Park.

Nigeria orders sports overhaul after Olympic failure

Minister of Information Labaran Maku said the president wanted a "total and comprehensive" overhaul to restore Nigerian sports to its "past glory".
Nigeria's performance at London 2012 was the worst in at least 20 years, analysts say.
It fared worse than many other African countries, including Gabon.
Mr Jonathan had raised the issue at a cabinet meeting in the capital, Abuja, Mr Maku said.
"He believes that what this nation needs at the moment is to take a sober look at what has happened and indeed change the scenario... to return the sporting sector to its past glory," Mr Maku added.
Beaten by Gabon
He said Mr Jonathan wanted to increase investment in sport by looking for private and public funding.
He also wanted Nigeria to focus on improving in specific sports in the build-up to Rio 2016.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country with 160 million people and sees itself as a superpower on the continent.
It spent more than $13m (£8m) on the London Olympics.
Nigeria had hoped its athletes would win several medals - long-jumper Blessing Okagbare and taekwondo fighter Chika Chukwumerije were expected to do well.
Nigeria won four medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Its performance at London 2012 was the worst since the 1988 Seoul Games, when it also failed to win a single medal.
South Africa won six medals in London, including three golds in swimming and rowing.
Gabon, with just 1.5 million people, won its first ever medal when Anthony Obame took silver in taekwondo at the London Games.

American Diana Nyad gives up latest Cuba-U.S. swim attempt

The 62-year-old American, who battled squalls, rough seas and jellyfish, had set out from Cuba on Saturday. Nyad spent more than 60 hours in the water before she abandoned the swim.
Mark Sollinger, a leader of the crew and support team accompanying Nyad in five boats as she made the attempted crossing, told CNN a powerful and "extremely difficult Gulf Stream" had pushed her badly off course.
She had planned to land somewhere in the Florida Keys on Tuesday, a day ahead of her 63rd birthday on Wednesday. But it would have taken her another 28 to 40 hours to complete the crossing at the time she finally gave up, Sollinger said.
He said Nyad's lips and face were very swollen and she was suffering from exhaustion. Otherwise, he said, she was doing well for "someone who just spent 63 hours attempting something monumental and extremely dangerous."
He did not give the exact time when Nyad was pulled from the water or pinpoint the location, but those details were expected to be announced later.
If Nyad had completed the swim, she would have owned the world record for the longest "unassisted open ocean swim," which means without a shark cage. Instead of a cage, equipment emitting a mild electric current in the water kept sharks at bay during most of her swim.
THE DREAM
Nyad told reporters in Havana last week that she hoped her swim would inspire people her age to continue pursuing their dreams.
"Instead of staying on the couch for a lifetime and letting this precious time go by, why not be bold, be fiercely bold and go out and chase your dreams?" said Nyad, who left competitive swimming 30 years ago and has since worked in television and radio and has been a motivational speaker.
She also hoped the swim would help U.S.-Cuba relations, which have been sour since the Caribbean island's 1959 revolution.
The Cuba-U.S. swim has only been completed once. Australian Susan Maroney was 22 and used a shark cage when she made the crossing in May 1997.
Nyad has now tried to make the swim four times, including twice last year, but never got much more than halfway before she had to give up.
Asked before this latest attempt if it would be her last, Nyad said: "This has to be it, it just has to be."
Waves and stiff winds derailed her first try in 1978, when she was at the peak of her swimming career. Three years before that she swam around Manhattan in under eight hours and, in 1979, she made the 102.5-mile crossing (165-km) from Bimini to Florida.
Nyad's latest swim followed that of Penny Palfrey, a British-born 49-year-old grandmother from Australia, who tried the Cuba-Florida crossing in late June and swam 93 miles (149 km) before the Gulf Stream forced her to stop.
Palfrey holds the record for the longest unassisted swim, 67.5 miles (109 km) in the Cayman Islands last summer.

iPhone 5, iPad mini and Apple HDTV to make Apple a trillion-dollar company

Apple on Monday became the most valuable US company in history - sort of.
The company's market capitalization surpassed the previous record of about $ 619 billion achieved by Microsoft in December 1999, though that figure balloons to $ 842.5 billion when accounting for inflation. According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Apple will soon become the most valuable company of all time with or without inflation as its market cap sails to $ 1 trillion and beyond.
In a note to investors on Tuesday, White called Apple the "trillion dollar baby." According to the analyst, the upcoming launches of three major new products - the iPhone 5, the iPad mini and Apple's rumored upcoming HDTV - alongside a potential China Mobile deal will propel Apple shares and drive the company's market cap to $ 1 trillion.
"In June, analysts and market pundits expressed growing concern that Apple would succumb to the $ 500 billion 'market cap flu' and the stock would finally roll over," White wrote to clients. "In a note on June 18, we highlighted why we felt this was a fallacious argument and pointed out that investors should think of Apple's market cap in terms of 'trillions' and not 'billions'. Based on our calculations, Apple is now the most valuable company ever, finally surpassing the market value of Microsoft at the peak, and removing a key sentiment barrier for the stock. "
Beyond the company's market cap, White believes these new devices will also help Apple become the most profitable company in history.
"With the help of blockbuster product launches on the horizon with the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, Apple TV and potential China Mobile relationship, we believe Apple is on a path to generate the highest annual net income of any publicly traded company ever by at least CY13, "White said. "On average, we estimate Apple's net income in CY12 will be over 5.6x higher than the three tech companies on an individual basis (when at $ 500 billion) or 1.7x the aggregate profit of these three companies combined."
White reiterated his Buy rating on Apple shares with a 12-month price target of $ 1,111.

Tony Scott's Family Shoots Down Brain Cancer Reports, but Did Director Suffer From Depression?

Tony Scott's loved ones are not only mourning the loss of the director, who jumped to his death from a bridge in Los Angeles on Sunday, but now find themselves also having to clarify reports that he was ill.
On Monday, a source told ABC News that Scott was suffering from inoperable brain cancer.
However, according to Scott's wife, Donna Wilson, that simply was not the case.
Denzel Washington remembers "genuine friend" Tony Scott
"The family told us it is incorrect that he has inoperable brain cancer," Chief Coroner Craig Harvey told the Los Angeles Times.
Furthermore, L.A. County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter added he couldn't confirm the cancer diagnosis, noting the examination of Scott's brain following yesterday's autopsy may not have been completed yet.
Now, ABC News appears to be doing a little backpedaling, having changed the headline of its original report from "Top Gun Director Tony Scott Had Inoperable Brain Cancer" to "Tony Scott Brain Cancer Report Appears in Doubt."
What Tony Scott's death means for Top Gun 2 and other upcoming movies
The revised story states that Winter told ABC News station KABC in Los Angeles that Scott's family was not aware the filmmaker had cancer, but noted that ABC News was unable to reach Scott's family to confirm the Assistant Chief Coroner's supposed statement.
Meanwhile, Scott's friend and former colleague Julian Bray suggested to NBC News on Monday that the director may have been depressed at the time of his death.
"We are all baffled why this has happened," Bray said. "But there is a history. Apparently he suffered from depression throughout his life. But he managed to bottle it up and, unfortunately, it seems to have suddenly come out."
In addition to his wife, Donna, Scott also leaves behind the couple's two sons.