Katia might Become Major Atlantic Hurricane By Weekend, NHC Says

Sept. one (Bloomberg) -- Katia, the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, might grow into a serious storm this weekend north and east of Puerto Rico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Katia, currently regarding one,000 miles (1,620 kilometers) east of St. Lucia within the Caribbean, has most winds close to seventy five miles per hour, the NHC said in an advisory at five a.m. the big apple time. The storm is moving west at twenty mph, the Miami-based center said.

“Strengthening is forecast throughout successive forty eight hours,” it said. “Katia might become a serious hurricane by the weekend.” It’s currently a class one storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. Major hurricanes, class three on the size, have winds larger than a hundred and ten mph.

Katia, the eleventh named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season that runs from June through November, presents no threat to land anytime soon, the middle said. The forecast path shows it well east of the Bahamas and south of Bermuda by Sept. 6.

A shift westward for Katia, forecast to show north and out to ocean eventually, might bring it to land in japanese Canada, the non-public forecaster AccuWeather said. Canada’s Atlantic region, a serious gasoline provider for the Northeast, exported 469,704 cubic meters (2.96 million barrels) of the fuel in might.

Gulf System considerations

A system of thunderstorms over the central Gulf of Mexico incorporates a seventy p.c probability of organizing into a tropical cyclone within the next 2 days, the NHC said in an exceedingly weather outlook at eight a.m. the big apple time. That’s up from sixty p.c yesterday.

“The system might become a tropical depression throughout successive day or therefore,” the middle said. “Interests along the complete northern Gulf of Mexico coast ought to monitor the progress of this disturbance.”

BP Plc began yesterday removing quite five hundred non-essential staff from some platforms within the Southern inexperienced Canyon space, in step with a message on the company’s hurricane hot line. The London-based company said it's making ready for a possible shut- in and full evacuation if necessary.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. evacuated non-essential staff from its Gunnison, Nansen and Boomvang platforms within the western Gulf, in step with a notice on the Woodlands, Texas-based company’s web site.

“If that storm develops, it'll seemingly sit within the Gulf for a handful days,” said Sean Miller, project manager for Kinetic Analysis Corp., a Silver Spring, Maryland-based firm that predicts the results of disasters. “Right currently the models are pretty divergent on where it'll create landfall however it'll in all probability be somewhere in southern Texas.”

Apache Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, Enbridge Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., Marathon Oil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc said yesterday they're monitoring the system.

The Gulf is home to thirty one p.c of U.S. oil output and seven p.c of the country’s natural gas production.

The center is additionally monitoring a non-tropical low pressure system regarding 360 miles north of Bermuda. The system is moving northeastward at ten to fifteen mph and incorporates a ten p.c probability of turning into a tropical cyclone within the next forty eight hours.

--With help from Lynn Doan in San Francisco, Sherry Su in London, Brian K. Sullivan in Boston and Randall Hackley in Zurich. Editors: Randall Hackley, Alessandro Vitelli

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Government sues to dam AT&T, T-Mobile merger

WASHINGTON

The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday to dam AT&T's $39 billion deal to shop for T-Mobile USA on grounds that it might raise costs for customers.

The government contends that the acquisition of the No. four wireless carrier within the country by No. two AT&T would scale back competition which would result in worth will increase.

At a news conference, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the mixture would end in "tens of innumerable customers all across the u.  s. facing higher costs, fewer decisions and lower quality merchandise for mobile wireless services."

The lawsuit seeks to make sure that everybody will still receive the advantages of competition, said Cole.

AT&T said it might fight and raise for an expedited court hearing "so the large advantages of this merger will be absolutely reviewed." the corporate said the govt "has the burden of proving alleged anti-competitive effects, and that we shall vigorously contest this matter in court."

Four nationwide suppliers -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint -- account for over ninety p.c of mobile wireless connections.

T-Mobile has been a crucial supply of competition, as well as through innovation and quality enhancements like the roll-out of the primary nationwide high-speed information network, in step with Sharis Pozen, acting chief of Justice's antitrust division.

Mobile wireless telecom services play an increasing role in day-to-day communications, with over three hundred million sensible phones, data cards, tablets and different mobile wireless devices in use.

Deutsche Telekom, the owner of T-Mobile, had no immediate comment.

The proposed cash-and-stock transaction would catapult AT&T past Verizon Wireless to become the nation's largest wireless supplier, and leave Sprint Nextel Corp. as a foreign variety 3.

In a statement, Sprint said the Justice Department's lawsuit "delivered a decisive victory for customers, competition and our country. By filing suit to dam AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile, the DOJ has place consumers' interests initial."

AT&T and T-Mobile compete nationwide, in ninety seven of the biggest one hundred cellular selling areas, in step with the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. They additionally vie for business and government customers.

The suit says AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile would eliminate an organization that has been a competitive issue through low pricing and innovation. T-Mobile had the primary handset using the Android operating system, Blackberry wireless email, the Sidekick sensible phone, national Wi-Fi "hotspot" access and a range of unlimited service plans.

In support of its case, the department quoted an unidentified AT&T employee on a competitive issue, the subtle wireless broadband devices which will give high-speed information connections. The AT&T employee, in step with the suit, noted that T-Mobile was initial to possess such devices in its portfolio which "we added them in reaction to potential loss of speed claims."

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said the record before his agency "raises serious considerations regarding the impact of the proposed transaction on competition." The FCC's separate review of the proposed merger isn't complete.

Commission member Michael Copps, a Democrat and a staunch opponent of trade consolidation, said that he shares "the considerations regarding competition and have various different considerations regarding the general public interest effects of the proposed transaction, as well as client selection and innovation."

Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, who heads the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and client rights, said the suit was a shot to safeguard customers "in a robust and growing trade that reaches nearly each yankee."

The suit used a number of T-Mobile's own documents describing its role within the market to elucidate why the merger should not occur. In those documents, the corporate calls itself "the No. one challenger of the established huge guys within the market and further positioned during a consolidated 4-player national market."

T-Mobile said its strategy is to attack different corporations and realize innovative ways that to beat the very fact that it's a smaller company.

T-Mobile "will be faster, additional agile and scrappy, with diligence on choices and prices each huge and tiny," one company document said. "Our approach to plug won't be typical, and that we can push to the boundaries where attainable."

Since AT&T initial announced the deal in March, it's insisted that buyers would have a selection of multiple wireless suppliers, as well as Leap, Metro PCS and U.S. Cellular, in several markets though the deal is approved.

But the department rejected that argument. It said regional suppliers face "significant competitive limitations" as a result of they are doing not have national networks. The department said the large investments and resources required to amass wireless spectrum and build a network build it terribly tough for brand new corporations to enter the wireless market.

AT&T and T-Mobile even have said the merger would scale back dropped and blocked calls, and speed mobile web connections for subscribers. Faster service would result by combining their restricted wireless spectrum holdings at a time when each corporations are running out of airwaves to handle mobile apps, on-line video and different bandwidth-hungry services.

Finding additional airwaves to stay up with the explosive growth of wireless broadband services may be a priority of the FCC and therefore the Obama administration.

But the Justice Department said AT&T might "obtain substantially identical network enhancements ... if it merely invested in its own network while not eliminating an in depth competitor."

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Samsung Galaxy Tab seven.7: Dual-core chip, new screen

BERLIN--Samsung, the foremost aggressive backer of Android tablets, announced the Galaxy Tab seven.7 today, a model that brings a dual-core processor and also the company's Super AMOLED and show technology to the road.

Apple's iPad line still dominates the pill market, however those using Google's Android operating system try laborious to seek out an area. Samsung's announcement at the IFA electronics show here follows Sony's yesterday and additional from different players, too.

The Galaxy Tab seven.7 show uses the compay's active matrix organic light-emitting diode technology, that Samsung says can mean sensible distinction, brightness, and colors. The resolution--1280x800 with a seven.7-inch diagonal--is a little larger than the initial 7-inch Galaxy Tab that debuted a year ago with a 1280x600 resolution.

That model was an advertisement dud, though, hampered by a scarcity of apps designed for Android tablets, a phone-centric style for the pill and its operating system, and arguably by its smaller screen. Google has place tablets high on its Android priority list, though, releasing its Honeycomb version of the operating system specifically for the merchandise class, and also the Galaxy Tab seven.7 comes with the most recent version, 3.2.

Samsung is betting individuals still need the phone options, though. The Galaxy Tab seven.7 comes with HSPA+ twenty one Mbps mobile network technology and may create voice and video calls, Samsung said.

It's also got Samsung's TouchWiz software, that adds a tray for frequently used apps, a capability to customise the house screen with photos or live feeds, and a compatibility mode for showing small-screen smartphone apps at larger size.

In the hardware department, the model features a dual-core processor running at one.4GHz, 1GB of memory and support for 32GB MicroSD cards, a 5,100mAh battery sensible for to ten hours of video, a front-facing 2-megapixel camera and rear-facing 3-megapixel camera with an LED flash, support for 802.11 a/b/g/n standards at each two.4GHz and 5GHz. It measures 196.7x133x 7.89mm and weighs 335g.

Availability "depends on market," Samsung said--something of an irony given the company's legal troubles with Apple's patent-related legal actions that has blocked sales of Galaxy Tab ten.1 models in Germany and hit Samsung's phones in addition. Samsung did not announce pricing.

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Ahmadis’ Holidays Plagued With worry in Indonesia

Not all Muslims celebrated Idul Fitri with jubilance and excitement. For members of the Ahmadiyah minority sect, this year’s celebration is marked by heartache and worry. 

Firdaus Mubarik, a spokesman for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday that approximately 600 Ahmadis in Sukadana village in West Java’s Cianjur district had been banned from using their mosque for prayers. 

“Ahmadiyah followers in Sukadana village were told by the village chief that they may not use their own mosque to carry a Idul Fitri prayer in case of a attainable attack by the residents,” Firdaus said. 

“For us, this is often a threat.” 

Instead, Firdaus said the cluster had to carry its prayers within an Ahmadiyah Islamic faculty as guards from Cianjur kept watch. 

Similar threats were additionally aired against Ahmadis in Makassar, who were recently attacked by assailants from the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). 

“Even though our mosque was broken by the FPI on August thirteen, thank God we have a tendency to may hold Idul Fitri prayers in our own mosque peacefully this morning wthout any disturbance,” Irza Rasid, an Ahmadi from Makassar, told the world. 

“Unfortunately, we have a tendency to couldn't keep longer to assemble and celebrate Idul Fitri among the Ahmadiyah congregation as a result of we have a tendency to failed to wish the FPI to return and attack us,” he added. 

Last month, FPI members attacked the Makassar workplace of the JAI, where Ahmadis had planned at hand out food and groceries to the encompassing community. 

“The FPI typically conducts raids on Ahmadiyah activities with none coordination with the police. Not solely did they perform raids, however additionally threats and intimidation towards us.” Irza said. “It has to be understood that we have a tendency to don't wish to fight back ... as a result of we've got our own motto, that is love for all, hatred for none.” 

The JAI has recorded over one hundred sixty cases of violence against Ahmadiyah communities within the last ten years. 

In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, Ahmadis are living in an exceedingly rundown shelter for nearly six years once their village was attacked and ransacked by mainstream Muslim teams. 

“We have lost our land, we've got lost our homes. Some have even lost their lives, however we have a tendency to are thankful for we've got you, Allah,” Ahmadi youngsters sang once the community performed their Idul Fitri prayer on Wednesday. 

Many cried as some fifty youngsters sang the song remembering the violence that drove them faraway from one village to consequent, destroying each possession that they owned. 

More than 250 Ahmadis took half within the prayer, occupying a small space within the middle of the abandoned Transito building. The ceiling showed signs of collapsing on to the congregation, that had to use makeshift prayer mats made of recycled newspapers and torn sheets of plastic. 

Community members ready a straightforward chicken stew and rice cake. 

“I recognize they're nothing fancy, however they job my memory of home,” fifty eight year-old Siti Kalsum said.

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Obama Changes Speech Date once Dust-Up With GOP

What ought to are an easy matter of scheduling became a Washington political incident Wednesday. At issue: when and where would President Obama provides a policy speech concerning jobs.

The date and place are set. however before that, there was abundant drama within the nation's capital. All the most important players said the matter had nothing to try to to with politics, and everything to try to to with logistics.

For the past number of weeks, the White House has said the president would provides a speech concerning jobs and also the economy once Labor Day. And as way as presidential speech creating goes, there is no bolder thanks to define a policy than before a joint session of Congress.

The White House announced Obama would address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday. however House Speaker John Boehner sent the president a letter recommending he choose a special night to administer his speech.

"There's a sort of etiquette historically that says to leaders of Congress, it is a smart factor to defer to the president," says Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. "He is that the person elected by all of the individuals. And if he desires to talk at a specific time, he extremely ought to have that chance."

But this can be Washington, 2011. It's solely been a month since a fight over the debt ceiling brought the state to the brink of default. And it looks currently nothing is easy.

In this case, President Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders saying he'd prefer to address a joint session at eight p.m. Wed., Aug. 7. it's the precise time Republican presidential hopefuls were set to carry a televised dialogue.

"Clearly he desires to steal the show from the GOP presidential candidates when this dialogue has been on the books for quite it slow," says Kirsten Kukowski, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. "All this president will is campaign. It's pretty clear that it's all politics all the time."

White House press secretary Jay Carney insisted the president's selection of Wednesday night had completely nothing to try to to with the GOP dialogue.

This is concerning the president addressing the yankee economy," Carney said. "The ought to grow the economy, the necessity to make jobs, this can be the correct time to try to to it, the correct day to try to to it given all the opposite issues."

In his letter to the president suggesting Thursday night instead, Speaker Boehner did not say something concerning the GOP dialogue. He cited security logistics and matters of timing, since members of the House are not scheduled to come from their August break till 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

That response was additionally taken as a blatantly political move and set out a flurry of finger pointing and finger wagging on each side.

While that stuff might matter to partisans, most Americans can simply roll their eyes, says Claremont McKenna political science professor Jack Pitney.

"Ordinary voters can suppose what is the massive deal," Pitney says. "Why do not you get the duty done?"

When it comes all the way down to it, Pitney says neither the president nor Speaker Boehner set out of this wealthy.

"This could be a dispute between an unpopular president and an unpopular Congress," Pitney says. "It's terribly seemingly the result are going to be to form each side additional unpopular."

And professor Baker at Rutgers says it is a huge distraction from the difficulty Americans care concerning, and also the subject of the president's speech: jobs.

"Certainly if the president wished a additional welcoming audience within the House chamber, i believe this makes it somewhat less seemingly," Baker says. "The possibilities of his obtaining a friendly reception even while not this specific disagreement would not are superb."

Late within the evening, the president agreed to administer his speech next Thurs., Aug. 8. rather than massive footing the GOP dialogue, Obama can got to go head-to-head with the beginning of the NFL season — a game between the inexperienced Bay Packers and also the New Orleans Saints.

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