Candletalk

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Für das Wettbüro Paddy Power ist die US-Präsidentschaftswahl schon gelaufen: Es geht von einem Sieg des Demokraten Barack Obama aus.

Dabei ist das Wettbüro sich so sicher, dass es bereits drei Wochen vor der Wahl Wettgewinne für Einsätze auf einen Sieg Obamas auszahlt. Mehr als eine Million Euro flossen heute an die Spieler, die auf den schwarzen Senator getippt haben. «Wir erklären dieses Rennen für wahrlich beendet und gratulieren allen, die auf Obama gesetzt haben - eure Gewinne warten auf euch», erklärte ein Sprecher. Das Unternehmen begründete seine Aktion damit, dass es seine Kunden belohnen und den unvermeidbaren Ausgang der US-Wahl am 4. November akzeptieren wolle. Nichtsdestotrotz werden wieder Einsätze entgegen genommen und das Wetten geht weiter - falls doch der Republikaner John McCain das Rennen machen sollte.

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Der isländische Premierminister Geir Haarde bezeichnete die Tatsache, dass man ein Gesetz gegen Terroristen in Anwendung gegen sein Land gebracht habe, als "völlig unfreundlichen Akt".

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Finanzkrise katapultiert Obama in Schlüssel-Staaten nach vorn - Er führt in Florida, in Colorado, sogar in Missouri - die Angst vor Börsenkrise und Rezession treibt Barack Obama in wichtigen Wechselwähler-Staaten zahlreiche neue Anhänger zu. Quelle: Spiegel

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SYDNEY (AFP)--The chances of Australia dropping the British monarch as head of state firmed Tuesday as a staunch republican was elected leader of the opposition, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd indicated.
Millionaire former lawyer and merchant banker Malcolm Turnbull, who won leadership of the Liberal Party, chaired the Australian Republican Movement ahead of a failed 1999 referendum on the plan.
Congratulating Turnbull on his victory, Rudd - who describes himself as "a lifelong republican" - said he looked forward to "working with him on a timetable" for introducing a republic.
"Mr. Turnbull has long been a supporter of the republic, and we know for a fact that we are only going to achieve that sort of change in Australia on a bipartisan basis," he told reporters.
In contrast to Turnbull, the Liberal Party leader and prime minister at the time of the referendum, John Howard, campaigned strongly in favor of a continued role for the monarchy in the former U.K. colony.
Howard and his party lost power to Rudd and Labor in elections last November and now the leaders of both major parties share the vision of an Australian head of state replacing the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II.
A recent opinion poll showed the queen, 82, remains popular but there would be a surge in support for a republic if her heir Prince Charles took the throne.
The Australian Republican Movement said in a statement Tuesday, however, "the Australian people should not have to wait until the current queen abdicates before reconsidering the issue of becoming a republic.
"We now are in a position where the leaders of the Labor and Liberal parties and their deputies are all republicans.
"With a majority of Australians supporting a republic, now is the time to end the timidity and lack of resolve that has characterized this issue in recent times."
Turnbull won leadership of the Liberal Party after successfully challenging Brendan Nelson, who had taken over from Howard when he stepped down after the party's defeat in last November's elections.