Technology: is it different for girls?

I am frustrated. I am bored. I feel patronised. PC World is telling me my world is pink (it has not been pink since I was 7) and I need a new laptop to match my outfit (it would never even occur to me to match my outfit with my technology). Samsung is...

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04.11.2009. 18:35h

U.S automaker Chrysler unveils 5-year business plan

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Chrysler, the U.S. automaker that has come closer to annihilation than any of its rivals, rolled out its new five-year business plan Wednesday, saying it intends to become "a great public company once again."

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04.11.2009. 18:08h

A faultline runs down Tehran's streets | Massoumeh Torfeh

American attitude has not changed," said Gholmali Haddad-Adel, former hardline speaker of parliament when he addressed the crowds. "Death to the dictator" shouted anti-government protesters, who were being blocked from reaching the embassy. The "dictator" referred to is deliberately ambiguous but this is a slogan increasingly adopted by the opposition since the June election. Revolutionary Guards had issued stern warning that they would not tolerate any slogans other than "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". Yet opposition demonstrators braved the streets. The conservative Fars news agency reported "crowds were 10 times more than previous years". The opposition website, Tagheer, reported that thousands of demonstrators were blocked "violently by Revolutionary Guards' special units", who were using tear gas and batons. Many were arrested today. One of the opposition leaders, Mehdi Karoubi, was forced to leave the rally and is reportedly injured. Streets leading to the embassy were blocked and Tehran Metro was closed. Parliament News, the website of reformist MPs, said "an impressive number of supporters of the Green Movement took part in the rally". In previous years only pro-government crowds attended the 4 November rallies. However, since the contested June presidential elections in Iran, opposition supporters turn out on to the streets every time there is an official rally. This division inside Iranian society is reminiscent of the early days. On 4 November, 1979, militant Islamic students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 71 hostages. Nineteen were released within weeks. The remaining 52 were held for 444 days. Their long captivity – and an abortive US attempt to rescue them – harmed US-Iranian relations beyond repair. The storming of the embassy was pre-planned in secret by a number of militant students. They called themselves students of "Imam's Line", a reference to Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution. These dedicated followers of "Imam Khomeini" set themselves aside from the rest of the students, who were a mixture of reformist Islamists, leftwing revolutionaries and democratic activists. This episode, even in those early days of the revolution, caused serious tension between those who viewed the revolution as a path to democratisation and those who were interested only in turning Iran into a militant Islamic state. Today that division has become more complex. Many former militant students have moved further right while others have formed Islamic reformist opposition groups. They should not be confused with several layers of the more modern anti-government demonstrators whose demand continues to be for freedom, equality and justice. Massoumeh Ebtekar, a former student of "Imam's Line", now turned reformist, asks in an article for Tagheer "why should those who were called national heroes in 1979 be in prison today". Ebtekar, who was Iran's vice-president during the reformist era, is referring to scores of militants-turned-reformists who have been jailed for protesting at the presidential election results. Yet the response of the hardliners is consistent. The supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has held two meetings with students in the last week. He said on Tuesday that the US should know "our revolution" is stronger than ever before. "Forget about a few tired revolutionaries who have left the struggle," he said in a meeting with students to mark 4 November. He now rekindles those hardline values of "Imam's Line": to export the Islamic revolution and remain an important stakeholder in the Palestinian cause and the struggle of Lebanese Hezbollah. "Both Lebanon and Gaza are our front line," militants chanted at the rallies. They are also vehemently anti-American and anti-Israeli. These values are fully supported by the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij militia who are the main force behind the supreme leader. And while the US is awaiting a response from Iran over the proposed nuclear agreement, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to America as "a truly expansionist superpower involved only in conspiracy against Iran". Making a veiled reference to recent exchanges he said, "every time Americans smiled, they also carried a dagger from behind". Militant organisations have called on "the diplomatic apparatus" to stop its "secretive" negotiations with "the Great Satan". They quote from a letter by the late Ayatollah Khomeini: "No one is allowed to speak to Americans." The supreme leader has now set the scene for direct confrontation with reformists. "Those who negated the elections have committed the biggest crime," he said in a speech on Saturday. He criticised opposition leaders sharply for daring to cross the fundamental slogans of the Islamic republic, namely "death to the US and death to Israel". His views are echoed extensively in the militant Islamic press which demands punishment of the former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, the former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and the former speaker of parliament Karoubi. With such deep internal divisions, it was ironic that today the finale of the official rally in Tehran was the recital of the "Unity Prayer". Iran The Iranian revolution Protest Middle East Massoumeh Torfeh guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Old divisions of the revolution found new form as Iran marked the anniversary of the US embassy takeover Hundreds of thousands are reported to have taken part in rallies in Tehran today to mark the 30th anniversary of the US embassy takeover. "The arrogant...

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04.11.2009. 18:00h

Report: U.S. Gives Karzai Deadline on Corruption

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04.11.2009. 07:36h

Microsoft cuts 800 more jobs

Microsoft has been battered by weak worldwide demand for personal computers and is hoping to get a boost from the release of Windows 7.

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04.11.2009. 21:34h

Practically Speaking: One in Four Businesses Calls the Owner ‘Ma’am’

More than a quarter of all businesses are women-owned, but a high proportion of those are one-woman shops. Organizations are working to help them size up.

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04.11.2009. 21:00h

International mining forum to be held in Mongolia

ULAN BATOR, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- "Discover Mongolia-2009," the seventh international forum of mining investors, is set to open in Ulan Bator.

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04.11.2009. 16:19h

Smokers fined in litter campaign

An anti-litter campaign in north Oxfordshire leads to 16 people being fined for dropping cigarette butts.

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04.11.2009. 13:07h

Bangkok rated favorite destination among 10 Asian cities

BANGKOK, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Bangkok, the Thai capital, was voted by foreign tourists as the most attractive city to visit among 10 of the 11 member cities of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21), with Thai food the most attractive factor, Thai...

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04.11.2009. 12:19h

X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public

The X-ray has been voted the most important modern discovery by the British public, in a Science Museum poll.

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04.11.2009. 11:18h

Yemen rebels 'seize Saudi area'

Rebels from northern Yemen fight their way into Saudi Arabia and hold a mountainous border region.

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Yemen rebels 'seize Saudi area'

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04.11.2009. 11:17h

Britain's tallest cow dies from arthritis

Britain's tallest cow which stood higher than an average horse has died from arthritis caused by his huge girth.

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04.11.2009. 11:13h

Obsessive stalker bombarded ITV newsreader with sex messages three times a day

Justina Simpson, an ITV Wales and ITN newsreader, was inundated with illicit materials about sex fantasies from crazed 58-year-old viewer Peter Sullivan.

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04.11.2009. 11:10h

Vehicle found hanging off track

A 4x4 vehicle slides off a track in Jersey and ends up hanging over the side of a road.

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04.11.2009. 10:59h

Société Générale's Profit More Than Doubles

Société Générale, the French bank, reported Wednesday that its third-quarter profit more than doubled, making it the latest big bank to benefit from a strong rebound in financial markets.

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04.11.2009. 10:49h

German Government blasts 'unacceptable' GM U-turn

Germany's Economic Minister today branded a decision by America's General Motors (GM) to scrap the sale of its European business as "totally unacceptable."

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04.11.2009. 10:37h

Chelsea's Didier Drogba: I'm playing best football of my career

Chelsea striker says he is in "the best form of his career" after scoring twice against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

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04.11.2009. 09:44h

Video on Xbox and PS3 - do gamers really want it?

Remember when consoles just did gaming? Those days are long gone granddad, but the Sky Player on Xbox 360 farce shows that the path to general entertainment box is far from smooth. If you own a 360 and live in the UK then you will probably be aware that...

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04.11.2009. 08:44h

Great whites stay near shore

For years, scientists thought the fearsome sharks wandered the sea at random. We were wrong.

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04.11.2009. 08:41h

Maine votes to repeal same-sex marriage

against gay marriage had 53% of the vote last night. The outcome amounts to a heartbreaking defeat for the gay rights movement, particularly as it occurred in a north-eastern New England state, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage. On the ballot in the state was a "people's veto" of a law passed this spring, that made Maine the sixth state to extend marriage to same-sex couples. The law was put on hold after conservatives launched a petition drive to repeal it in a referendum. The vote was a closely watched barometer on the issue. Of the five other states that have allowed same-sex marriage, four are in New England. A Maine vote against same-sex nuptials will now encourage opponents who say Americans voters do not want to allow it and would be a major set back for marriage equality proponents. A vote in favour would have been the first time same-sex marriage has been approved at the ballot. Aside from Maine, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire allow same-sex couples to marry. In those states, same-sex marriage was either enacted by the legislature or through judicial action. By contrast, voters have approved gay marriage bans in every state where they have reached the ballot, a statistic same-sex marriage opponents say shows Americans want to keep the institution of marriage to between a man and a woman. In a similar vote in California last year, voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to a man and a woman, overturning a judicial decision. Backed by national conservative groups who hope to arrest the spread of same-sex marriage nationally and by the Catholic diocese of Maine capital city, Portland, the ballot referendum asked voters literally: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" The Maine governor, John Baldacci, a Democrat, signed the same-sex marriage law in May, and opposed the repeal and money and volunteers streamed into the state on both sides of the fight. Same-sex marriage backers led by a group called Protect Maine Equality raised $4m (?2.4m), compared to $2.5m raised by Stand for Marriage Maine, a major backer of the repeal vote, according to the Associated Press. US politics United States Gay rights Daniel Nasaw guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Blow to gay right campaigners as north-eastern US state, seen as liberal towards same-gender unions, says no at the ballot box Maine voters have repealed a state law that would have allowed gay couples to marry. With 84% of the precincts reporting, those...

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04.11.2009. 08:41h

Market forces breaking news: Marks and Spencer beats profit forecasts

Spencer beating profit expectations. It made an adjusted pretax profit of ?298.3m in the three months to 26 September - ?500,000 more than last year and around ?13m more than analysts expected. With UK like-for-like sales slid by 0.9%, Sir Stuart Rose was in no mood to be triumphant though: We have had a good start to the third quarter. However, the market remains competitive and, as we come up against volatile trading conditions last year, we remain cautious about the outlook for Christmas and the year ahead. We are increasingly confident that customers recognise and trust our outstanding quality, value and ethical stance And Liberty International, which runs several major shopping centres in the UK, said occupation rates are running at 98.9%, in a sign that the retail sector has stabilised: After a period of exceptionally high failure levels, the number of tenants going into administration slowed significantly in the quarter Things are also looking up at rival retailer Next, which reported a surprise rise in sales last month. Its total sales rose 3.1% in the three months to 31 October. There was a noticeable pick-up in sales in October as we came up against the weak comparatives of the previous year: it was at this time last year that the publicity around the credit crisis and the demise of Lehman Brothers reached its height Elsewhere, building firm Taylor Wimpey reported that market conditions have improved - with sales more buoyant over the summer than expected. Pub chain JD Wetherspoon is still planning to open 40 new pubs, having posted a 4.5% rise in overall sales. Like-for-like sales are 0.3% higher than a year ago despite the recession. And Firstgroup has hiked its interim dividend by 10% despite profits for the first half of 2009 sliding to ?30.3m, from ?54.4m a year ago. Marks & Spencer Next FirstGroup JD Wetherspoon Redrow Logica Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Sir Stuart Rose still cautious as Christmas approaches • Next sees surprise sales rise in October • JD Wetherspoons to open 40 more pubs It's a busy morning for corporate news in the City today, and there's a positive mood in the air with Marks and...

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04.11.2009. 08:36h

Antichrist sex ads escape ban

pornographic. The campaign, which ran in the Times, the Guardian and the Independent, showed a man and a woman having sex. It carried a warning that the film "contains strong real sex, bloody violence and self-mutilation". Seven complaints were received by the Advertising Standards Authority claiming that the imagery in the ad was pornographic, offensive and inappropriate to be shown in a newspaper where it might be seen by children. The company responsible for the campaign, Artificial Eye, said the image was the "international key art design" for the film, and had been supplied by the sales agent for the movie. Antichrist, directed by Lars von Trier and starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, has been dubbed the "most shocking movie ever to be shown at Cannes". Artificial Eye admitted that it had developed an alternative ad, with quotes from reviews but no explicit images, for publishers and outdoor venues to use "if they found the original design unsuitable". As a result of the complaints, the company promised not to use the image of the naked couple in marketing the DVD release. The three newspapers all said there had been no direct complaints and that the content was targeted at adults, not children. In its ruling, the ASA said that the "dark tone" of the ad was "unlikely to cause sexual excitement" and was therefore not pornographic. "We considered that the ad did not go too far in its depiction of the film's content, and was unlikely to be seen as irresponsible or cause serious or widespread offence to readers of Times, Guardian and Independent," the regulator added. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". Advertising Standards Authority Advertising Lars von Trier Mark Sweney guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Press ads for Lars von Trier's film Antichrist unlikely to cause serious offence, rules ASA A national press campaign for the controversial film Antichrist has escaped a ban from the advertising watchdog after complaints that it was offensive and even...

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04.11.2009. 08:33h

The Sun is trying to become a political party, says Gordon Brown

when it decided to back the Conservative party last month. In an interview with GQ magazine to be published later this week, the prime minister claimed he had known "for some time" that the Sun was planning to switch allegiances but said he still respected the paper's proprietor, Rupert Murdoch. The News International paper's decision to endorse David Cameron hours after Brown's speech to the Labour party conference in late September overshadowed the prime minister's address and was a hugely symbolic moment. The Sun had backed Labour for more than a decade. "I have a lot of admiration for Rupert Murdoch personally," Brown told GQ's interviewer, Piers Morgan. "His family come from not far from mine in Scotland, and his attitudes to hard work and getting on with things you can only admire. But the Sun has tried to become a political party. "It's not personal about Rupert, he's always been very friendly to me. I think the Sun's made a mistake but that's up to them." Asked by Morgan which executive at News International made the decision to back the Tories, Brown said: "I don't know, but it doesn't matter because the people will decide what happens at the next election, not the Sun. "I think the Sun tried to become a political party that day and that was a terrible mistake. And I suspect over time that their readers will think that, too." Brown also said that media coverage has become increasingly personal: "I think that's a mistake, too. Take my recent trip to America. I had meetings every day with Obama, about Iraq, Iran, the economy, global warming, Afghanistan, nuclear power." Asked by Morgan about the way the visit to Washington was covered by the British media, which claimed he had been repeatedly snubbed by the president, Brown remarked: "The journalists there knew what was happening and chose to report it differently. To call it a snub was wrong." Talking about coverage of the credit crunch, and the measures the government has taken to tackle its effects, he said: "I don't think people are reporting what's actually happening. It's frustrating that the issues that matter to the British people in the long run are not being reported properly." He added, however, that he did not feel he was being outflanked by the Conservative party and its press operation. "I wouldn't say I'm losing the media war, no." In other comments made in the interview, and released to the media earlier this week, Brown said: "The BBC has got to seriously consider its salary structure." He also said Simon Cowell deserved his multimillion-pound fortune and that he was still an avid viewer of The X Factor. "Cowell accused me of wavering in my support for The X Factor, but I haven't. I'm an X Factor fan, and Peter Mandelson looks after Strictly Come Dancing." • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". The Sun National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Rupert Murdoch Gordon Brown Labour David Cameron Conservatives James Robinson guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Gordon Brown criticises Sun's 'terrible mistake' in backing Conservatives, but says he still respects Rupert Murdoch Gordon Brown has criticised the Sun newspaper, accusing it of trying to "become a political party" and saying it "made a terrible mistake"...

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04.11.2009. 08:24h

Spat deepens over Fiji expulsions

Australia and New Zealand expel Fiji envoys in response to expulsions ordered by Suva.

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04.11.2009. 08:22h

Blowing up a property bubble in China

BEIJING, Nov. 4 -- When China announced its massive stimulus plan, the package was aimed at putting the economy back on a long-term growth trajectory - not stoking another property boom.

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

China' PMI of non-manufacturing sector rises to 62.1% in Oct.

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of the non-manufacturing sector rose to 62.1 percent in October, setting a high for the year, Cai Jin, vice president of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), told...

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

Take a bicycle on your finger

Photos taken on Nov. 3, 2009 show a miniature bicycle made by handicraftsman Zhang Tianwei beside a one-jiao coin in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. This bicycle is 20 mm long, 12 mm high and has two wheels, which are 7 mm in diameter.

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

Chinese coal firms dig for investment opportunities amid merger campaign

TAIYUAN, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jian has changed from being owner of a coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province to a shareholder of China's largest coal mining firm, Shanxi Coking Coal Group Co. Ltd..

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

S Korea's A/H1N1 flu death toll rises to 45

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's health authorities on Wednesday reported three additional deaths related to the A/H1N1 influenza virus, pulling up the nation's death toll to 45.

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

Mel Gibson names baby

BEIJING, Nov.4 -- "Braveheart" star Mel Gibson has announced the couple plan to call the infant Lucia.

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

Deforestation sped demise of Nasca in Peru: study

The mysterious people who etched the "Nasca Lines" across deserts in Peru hastened their own demise by clearing forests 1,500 years ago, according to a study on Monday.

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04.11.2009. 08:19h

Church compensates abuse victim

The Catholic Church has paid a five figure sum to a victim who suffered clerical sexual abuse in the Down and Connor diocese.

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04.11.2009. 08:17h

David Hayes fears vets' advice about Livia

David Hayes-trained Crown Oaks candidate Livia faces an inspection by Racing Victoria veterinarians if the leading trainer decides the filly is fit to run.

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04.11.2009. 08:05h

Petition for rules on overtaking cyclists gathers speed – but is it enough? | Ben Thomas

It's based on a campaign in the US that has already scored several successes. The petition reminded me of my most terrifying encounter with dangerous overtaking, which actually happened to someone else. It was one of those rhino/snail encounters in which you're just waiting for the crunch: a 25-tonne double-decker coach, its supercharger whistling in the night air, almost sucked a cyclist to his doom as it powered out of the Marble Arch roundabout in London. The shaken cyclist caught up (as they do) on Bayswater Road and tapped on the window to complain. "How wide are your handlebars?" shouted the driver. The gobsmacked silence that followed this question was taken as an admission of error, and the coach powered off again into the darkness. Mercifully, most drivers realise that affording you no more than the width of your handlebars as they pass is not really a recipe for human happiness. But how much should they give you? There is currently no law. The dear old Highway Code says drivers should (not "must") give you "at least as much room as [they] would when overtaking a car". Is it just me, or is this not clear? Should a driver who would give a car 1ft, give a bike 1ft too? (eek) ... or should they give a bike the width of a car? (better) ... or the width of a car plus 1ft? (wahay!) Unfortunately, the width of the average bike lane is what acts as a guide for many drivers – as long as they don't cross the white line, or where they perceive it would be if there was one, they reckon you'll be fine. And this is as true at 70mph as it is at 30mph, something that terrifies many a city cyclist when they first venture on to Britain's B-roads. At 60mph (the de facto minimum speed on many a country lane) three feet isn't nearly enough, as the CTC pointed out on road.cc recently. But the petition by Tom Amos has at least started a debate. Is a legal minimum of three feet better than nothing – or should we be rejecting that and asking for more? Cycling Ben Thomas guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Is a legal minimum of three feet better than nothing – or should we be rejecting that and asking for more? A petition to legally enforce a three-foot minimum overtaking rule for motor vehicles is gathering momentum with over 1,300 signatures at last count....

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04.11.2009. 08:00h

Rodd scents classic success

Michael Rodd gets a chance to claim Melbourne Cup carnival headlines from Corey Brown when he rides favourite Faint Perfume in the Crown Oaks at Flemington on Thursday.

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04.11.2009. 08:00h

Paul Blackburn lawyer condemns police excuse over wrongful jailing

for 25 years by saying that rules and methods were very different at the time of the original investigation. Glyn Maddocks, who represents Paul Blackburn, jailed for life in 1978 for the attempted murder and sexual assault of a young boy, said he was baffled by Cheshire police's argument, given that the appeal court judges who cleared Blackburn's name ruled that the investigating officers had fabricated evidence and lied on oath. "They are being absurd and dishonest. It's trying to defend the indefensible," Maddocks said. Blackburn and Maddocks have been seeking an apology from the Cheshire force since the 2005 appeal concluded that two detectives who interviewed Blackburn – who was then aged 15 – effectively dictated a confession to him and then lied about it in court. After the Guardian's Justice on Trial series featured the case, the newspaper asked Cheshire police whether they were investigating the detectives for suspected perjury and whether an apology to Blackburn was planned. In a brief statement, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Moss said that since the officers had retired, there was no prospect of their facing disciplinary proceedings. He added: "This case was investigated 31 years ago, when rules relating to the questioning of suspects and the submission of evidence were very different to standards today." Maddocks said he was astounded by the statement. "It seems to be a sort of Life on Mars excuse: 'That's just what we did back then.' But as far as I know, there was never a rule saying two police officers could dictate a statement to a teenage boy. "It was also never allowed for them to swear on oath in court that he wrote his statement, when he couldn't possibly have done so. It's a criminal offence. It doesn't matter whether you have retired of not. They should be investigated for perjury." Blackburn believes he was singled out as a known troublemaker from a difficult background when police began investigating the abduction and serious sexual and physical assault of a nine-year-old boy on waste ground in Warrington, Cheshire, in June 1978. He was questioned several times, and a four-hour interrogation by two Cheshire officers resulted in a written confession. This was virtually the only evidence against him. While the officers testified that they had sat in silence while the teenager wrote the confession, Blackburn insisted it had been dictated to him by the officers, and they had helped him to spell some of the words. At Blackburn's 2005 appeal, experts agreed the document could not have been written by a poorly educated teenager. The three-judge panel said the officers' testimony on this "can now be seen to have been untrue". They added: "Once it emerges that these officers did not tell the truth on oath in the witness box in one respect, as must be the case, their whole account of the interview becomes undermined." Cheshire police did not respond to requests for further comment. Crime Peter Walker guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Solicitor for Paul Blackburn, cleared in 2005 after 25 years in prison, dismisses 'dishonest' police response to calls for apology A solicitor has condemned police for using a "Life on Mars excuse" after they refused to apologise to a man jailed wrongly...

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04.11.2009. 08:00h

Toyota 'set to leave Formula 1'

Toyota is to hold a press conference at 0800 GMT on Wednesday amid reports that it is to quit Formula 1.

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04.11.2009. 07:59h

Obama wasn't on the ballot | Michael Tomasky

Limbaugh on down demand that they be – tell us about Barack Obama's political health? Not very much, really. Certainly, the Republicans have reason to celebrate their wins in the governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey. The latter, especially, is a feather in the party's cap, and if Obama suffered one hurtful blow tonight, it happened because he campaigned for that state's Democratic governor Jon Corzine on three occasions. That Obama couldn't pull Corzine's irons out of the fire does tell us that some of that 2008 lustre is gone, even in a pro-Obama state. But it tells us other things too. As much as pundits try every four years to use Virginia and New Jersey results as precursors to next year's congressional elections, what they actually are is post-cursors: in every election since 1989, the two states have chosen a governor from the opposite party of the president elected the year before. So they're simply reacting against what America (and often they themselves) did 12 months prior. Exit polls say that Obama wasn't much of a factor in either state. In Virginia, evenly divided on whether they were voting to express support for or opposition to him. In addition, both Democrats happened to be bad candidates. And both results, New Jersey's especially, tell us that a financial crisis is a lousy time to be a governor. I hate to be so tacky as to insert a bit of substance into a political column, but since the crisis hit 14 months ago, 31 states have raised taxes and most have chopped all manner of services. All but a handful of governors sank below 50%, as Chris Christie in New Jersey and Bob McDonnell almost surely will by next summer or fall, when voters re-learn the old lesson that it isn't possible to cut taxes while improving services after all. The McDonnell victory was widely expected, the Christie win certainly not a shocker. But the night's most surprising outcome, and the one with the most significant and least predictable impact, came in the high-profile race in a congressional district in upstate New York, where Democrat Bill Owens pulled off an upset against a Conservative, Doug Hoffman. It was a special election, to fill a vacancy. The local GOP mandarins put up a veteran politician, a moderate woman. The national right-wing went ballistic – she's pro-choice, among other thought crimes – and rallied around Hoffman (New York state has a multi-party system, so Hoffman was the nominee of the Conservative party). The Republican, Dede Scozzafava, was surrounded and attacked by the likes of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and others. Last weekend she quit the race – and then endorsed Owens. The district voted narrowly for Obama in 2008 but hasn't sent a Democrat to Congress in more than a century. Late polling was relatively close, but it showed Hoffman ahead, and conservative Palinites across the country were licking their chops – this result, they said, will show that America is fed up with Obama's socialist agenda. A Hoffman win would have emboldened the Palin wing of the GOP, which has promised to find tea-party style conservatives to challenge Republican moderates in primary contests next year (there's only one Republican moderate left in Washington, but I suppose they see matter differently than I do). A Hoffman win also would have scared moderate Democrats in Congress out of their knickers, which in turn could well have had an impact on the coming healthcare votes. So a major bullet was dodged there, by a margin of roughly 4,200 votes, and Republican and conservative self-immolation will, delightfully, continue. Oh yes – Mike Bloomberg. Well, he was re-elected New York City's mayor. But in spending $100m of his own money, against about $8m spent by opponent Bill Clinton, he finally repelled a sizeable chunk of New Yorkers, because he won by a far lower-than-expected 4%. Maybe New Yorkers will finally say "enough" four years hence. And finally, and sadly, a ballot proposal in Maine to outlaw gay marriage was narrowly passed. All 30 such measures that have been placed on state ballots have passed, but there was hope that this one, in a northeastern state, might not make it. It almost didn't. That wall will fall soon, somewhere. In sum, a good Republican night, but you can bet that Hoffman result, which came in after midnight, darkened their moods considerably. It was the only major race in which the candidates were arguing about what's going on in Washington. The guy who runs that town still is not as despised as the right wing thinks he ought to be. United States Virginia Republicans New York Democrats Michael Bloomberg Barack Obama Obama administration Gay rights US domestic policy US economic growth and recession Michael Tomasky guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Republicans had their best election night for years. But their civil war over a safe seat let the Democrats dodge a bullet What do these strange, odd-year elections – suddenly so feverishly important, now that America's excitable right-wingers from Rush...

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04.11.2009. 07:44h

Insurance premiums to rise due to climate change

Climate change is set to make insurance more expensive and harder to obtain.

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04.11.2009. 07:43h

Riding the Rails at a High Price?

What does Warren E. Buffett see in railroads? Berkshire Hathaway, his investment company, is paying a big premium for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Breakingviews says.

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04.11.2009. 07:33h

Culina pushed to breaking point

Socceroos linchpin Jason Culina has been urged to place more faith in his Gold Coast United teammates instead of pushing himself to the point of cracking.

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04.11.2009. 07:33h

Culina pushed to breaking point

Socceroos linchpin Jason Culina has been urged to place more faith in his Gold Coast United teammates instead of pushing himself to the point of cracking.

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04.11.2009. 07:33h

Culina pushed to breaking point

Socceroos linchpin Jason Culina has been urged to place more faith in his Gold Coast United teammates instead of pushing himself to the point of cracking.

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04.11.2009. 07:33h

Does George Osborne really mean business?

The shadow chancellor has realised that only economic growth can save Britain says Irwin Stelzer.

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04.11.2009. 07:28h

US 'to question' S Lanka army chief

General Fonseka to be questioned over alleged war crimes during war with Tamil Tigers.

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04.11.2009. 07:28h

Months into Obama's presidency, promise of 'change' is a slow go

On that unusually balmy Chicago night a year ago, the candidate who campaigned on what he called the "fierce urgency of now" became the president-elect who needed time.

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04.11.2009. 07:27h

I wish the BBC would treat people as adults

To watch the BBC's bosses writhe over first the Ross and Brand debacle then the recent Frankie Boyle affair has been like seeing Violet Elizabeth Bott throw a tantrum writes Rowan Pelling.

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04.11.2009. 07:24h

Moises leaves Australia hamstrung

Australia's injury-riddled tour of India has veered into tragicomic territory, with all-rounder Moises Henriques - the replacement for James Hopes - pinging a hamstring.

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04.11.2009. 07:22h

Moises leaves Australia hamstrung

Australia's injury-riddled tour of India has veered into tragicomic territory, with all-rounder Moises Henriques - the replacement for James Hopes - pinging a hamstring.

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04.11.2009. 07:22h

Democrat in the lead in the race for Republican seat in New York State

New York state last night. In a race that showed a national spotlight on a deep and growing rift in the Republican party between moderates and conservatives, Democrat Bill Owens was poised late Tuesday night to beat conservative third-party businessman Doug Hoffman. With 76% of precincts reporting, Owens had 49% of the vote and Hoffman 46% The seat had been in Republican hands for more than a century, most recently by a Republican whom President Barack Obama appointed secretary of the army. Hoffman did not run on the Republican ticket because local party leaders instead chose Dede Scozzafava, a moderate Republican state legislator who backs same-sex marriage and abortion rights. But top national figures in the Republican party, including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, both contenders for the 2012 presidential nomination, weighed in and rejected Scozzafava as insufficiently conservative, and endorsed Hoffman. In the face of the intense opposition, Scozzafava withdrew from the race on Saturday and endorsed Democrat Owens, an attorney and retired air force captain. Conservative activists have pledged to wage primary election battles against candidates deemed too liberal, especially on social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, in an effort to push the party to the right ahead of congressional elections next year and the 2012 presidential vote. But some Republicans including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Palin, Pawlenty and others should leave local races to voters and party figures in the constituency. If Owens ultimately beats Hoffman, the victory could give ammunition to more moderate national voices in the Republican party who say the party should be more inclusive. Meanwhile, Democrats watched gleefully from the sidelines, saying the Republican party was purging itself of moderate voices who can win elections. Hoffman is reliable ideologically conservative but does not actually live in the district he hoped to represent, and has shown little grasp of the local issues of potential importance to voters. United States New York Democrats Republicans US domestic policy Daniel Nasaw guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Democrat Bill Owens poised to beat conservative third-party businessman Doug Hoffman for the seat which has been in Republican hands for more than a century A Democrat was in the lead in the race for a long-held Republican congressional seat in northern...

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04.11.2009. 07:21h

Kids become 'depressed' without play time

A LOSS of playtime in early childhood is creating an epidemic of Australian children suffering depression and mental illness, an adolescent psychologist says.

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04.11.2009. 07:21h

Indonesian delegates to bridge deadlock on target in Barcelona climate change talks

JAKARTA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian delegates at the climate change talks in Barcelona, Spain, will strive to break the deadlock between developed and developing nations over emission cuts to reach a new climate treaty in Copenhagen, Denmark in December...

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04.11.2009. 07:19h

US to 'question' S Lanka army chief

General Fonseka to be questioned over alleged war crimes during war with Tamil Tigers.

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04.11.2009. 07:17h

Indonesia frees graft investigators

Anti-corruption officials released after wiretaps suggest conspiracy against them.

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04.11.2009. 07:01h

Republican wins US state election

Obama opponents say Democrat's defeat signals voters' unhappiness with president.

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04.11.2009. 04:23h

Republican wins US state election

Obama opponents say Democrat's defeat signals voters' unhappiness with president.

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04.11.2009. 04:23h

Republican wins US state election

Obama opponents say Democrat's defeat signals voters' unhappiness with president.

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04.11.2009. 04:23h

Buffett bets $26bn on U.S.

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04.11.2009. 03:11h

GM pulls out of Opel sale

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04.11.2009. 02:54h

Kraft Foods suffers 5.7pc fall in revenues

World's secondlargest food company which has until next week to bid for Cadbury also reduces 2009 organic revenue growth forecast rom 3pc to 2pc.

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04.11.2009. 01:25h

General Motors pulls out of selling Vauxhall and Opel

GM snubs Magna and German government in a move likely to safeguard the future of Ellesmere Port which employs about 2000 workers.

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04.11.2009. 01:21h

Sudoku 1,399 medium

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9 Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. For a helping hand call our solutions line on 09068 338 228. Calls...

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04.11.2009. 01:01h

Elections seen as Obama referendum

signs for Democrats about the public's mood heading into an important midterm election year. Elsewhere, Maine voters weighed in on same-sex marriage in a closely watched initiative, and New York and California picked congressmen for two vacant seats. A slew of cities selected mayors, and Ohio voted on allowing casinos. One year after Obama won the White House in an electoral landslide and Democrats expanded their majorities in Congress, much of the focus was on Virginia and New Jersey, where Democratic control was in danger despite hefty campaigning by Obama himself. The outcomes were sure to feed discussion about the state of the electorate, the status of the diverse coalition that sent Obama to the White House and the limits of the president's influence on the party's base of support - as well as on moderate lawmakers he needs to advance his legislative priorities. As if on cue, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid indicated today that lawmakers may not complete healthcare legislation this year, missing Obama's deadline on his signature issue and pushing debate into a congressional election year. Democratic victories in both Virginia and New Jersey in 2005 preceded big Democratic years nationally in 2006 and 2008. Today's impact on Obama's standing and on the 2010 elections can easily be overstated. Voters are often focused on local issues and local personalities. Indeed, most people in Virginia and New Jersey, say they're not casting ballots because of their feelings about the president. Yet, national issues, like the recession, were clearly a factor, with voter attitudes shaped to some degree by how people feel about the state of their nation - and their place in it. It was also difficult to separate Obama from the outcomes after he devoted a significant chunk of time working to persuade voters to elect Democrat R Creigh Deeds over Republican Bob McDonnell in Virginia and re-elect Democratic governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey, who was in a three-way race with Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett. While much attention was focused on those races, discussions on Twitter emphasized the same-sex union initiative in Maine, with the phrases "VoteNoOn1" and "Maine" landing in the site's top trending topics. The measure would repeal a bill passed by the Legislature allowing same-sex marriages. The president campaigned in person for both Deeds and Corzine and was featured in their advertisements. He characterised the two as necessary allies in the White House's effort to advance his plans. And he deployed his political campaign arm, Organising for America, in an effort to ensure the swarms of party loyalists and new voters he attracted in 2008 turned out. He also spent energy trying to ensure the Democrats would pick up the GOP-held vacant 23rd congressional district seat in New York, where Democrat Bill Owens faced conservative Doug Hoffman. That's the race that highlighted fissures in the Republican Party between conservatives and moderates, illustrating problems the GOP could have in capitalizing on any discontent with Obama and Democrats that today's results may show. With so much involvement in so few races, Obama raised the stakes of a low-enthusiasm off-year election season. Thus, any Democratic losses would be a blot on Obama's political standing to some degree and would signal trouble ahead as he seeks to achieve his policy goals, protect Democratic majorities in Congress and expand his party's grip on governors' seats next fall. Obama needs all the lawmakers he can get to pass his legislative priorities of healthcare and climate change, but defeats today could make it much harder for him to persuade moderate Democrats from right-leaning states and conservative districts, who are hearing from voters worried about his expansion of government at a time of rising deficits, to get on board. Defeats also could tease out upcoming problems for Democrats, particularly in moderate districts and in swing states like Ohio, Colorado and Nevada, as they defend their turf next fall. In 2010, most governors, a third of the Senate and all members in the House will be on ballots. Republican victories in one or more races could energize a GOP that's lost back-to-back national elections, just as it seeks to raise money and recruit candidates to prepare for next year. Triumphs, particularly in the open-seat contest in Virginia, could provide a model for how to win elections in a time of recession and war. New Jersey is a traditional Democratic-leaning state with an incumbent Democratic governor. But Virginia is a new swing state and has trended Democratic in recent elections after being reliably Republican in national races for many years. It's home to a slew of northern bellwether counties filled with independents who carried Obama to victory last fall, the first Democrat to win the state in a White House race since 1964. Rapidly growing counties like Loudoun and Prince William, exurban areas outside Washington, DC, swung toward Democrats in the 2005 governor's race, previewing an Obama win three years later. A loss in Virginia could suggest that the diverse coalition that Obama cobbled together last year in Virginia and elsewhere - blacks, Hispanics, young people, independents and Republican crossovers - was a one-election phenomenon that didn't transfer to the Democratic Party when Obama wasn't on the ballot. US politics United States US Congress Barack Obama US domestic policy Virginia guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey closely fought • New York and California pick congressmen President Barack Obama's political clout was on the line today as Virginia and New Jersey chose governors in contests that could serve as warning...

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04.11.2009. 01:00h