Salim Changu was hacked to death in the coastal town of Kwale, police say.His death comes shortly after Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) Oscar Mwamnuadzi was arrested during a gunfight at his home in the town, in which two people were killed.

Tension has been rising in Kenya ahead of general elections due in March 2013. More than 100 people have been killed in ethnic clashes in the south-east Tana River area since August, in the bloodiest violence since the disputed 2007 presidential election.

Police spokesman Aggrey Adoli said Changu, the assistant chief for the Kombani area, was probably killed by MRC members who viewed him as a traitor, Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper reports. Earlier, police launched an operation against the MRC following accusations that it planned to disrupt school examinations.

Two of Mwamnuadzi's bodyguards were killed during the raid on his home in Kwale and 38 people were arrested, the Daily Nation reported.In July, Kenya's High Court lifted a ban on the MRC, which the government had outlawed in 2010 after accusing it of being a criminal gang.The MRC accuses the government of marginalising the ethnic groups living along the coast, which is the centre of the country's tourism sector.Calls for the secession of the coastal region tend to intensify in the run-up to general elections, analysts say. (BBC)

President Obama left a riverside golf resort in Williamsburg, Va., Tuesday morning for the short flight to New York for his second televised debate with Republican Mitt Romney, scheduled for 9 p.m. at Hofstra University on Long Island.

Before he left Kingsmill Resort, Obama made a brief public appearance for the cameras and reporters. On a warm, sunny morning overlooking the James River, the president took a walk with advisers Anita Dunn and David Plouffe.

Obama was asked by a reporter,”How are you feeling about tonight?” He smiled and replied: “I feel fabulous. Look at this beautiful day.”A reporter then asked: “Are you aware Michelle voted for you yesterday?” Obama’s reply: “Thank goodness!”

It was a reference to the news that the first lady had dropped her absentee ballot in the mail on Monday. The Obamas are registered to vote in Chicago; the president will travel there on Oct. 25 and cast his ballot in early voting.

Finally, a reporter asked Obama about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement that she bears responsibility for the violence in Libya on Sept. 11 that claimed four American lives, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.

The reporter asked: “Is Hillary to blame for Benghazi?”

Obama was silent and kept walking. But we’ll likely hear more on that question during Tuesday’s debate.

Audi Motors launched its latest free-to-download mileage tracker application, which aims to make travelling easier. This new app tracks each journey using GPS mapping and precisely calculates the business expense created.

The "Audi Mileage Tracker," which is available for iPhone users, tracks mileage using GPS mapping and tabulates travel costs.The app erases some of the hassles typically associated with travelling, making for an easier driving experience. At the end of the journey, all the information can be transferred to spreadsheets for further office use. These spreadsheets can be directly mailed to offices or homes for recording expenses or for future totaling. "Drivers can program the application with journeys they take regularly and recall them from the journey log or use the start/stop function each time they leave the office," reads an official Audi press release. "The application can even point them in the direction of their nearest Audi Centre if they need expert assistance. As the exact route taken is tracked, regardless of diversions due to roadworks or congestion, the calculation provided is always absolutely accurate." The application has been aimed towards fleet operators who are always on the lookout of ways and means to make their transport system more efficient and economical. And going by its latest features, the Audi Mileage Tracker is just going to be the answer to their prayers.

The biggest battle in India’s auto industry is being fought right at the top. At a time when sales of small cars has been on a decline, and SUVs and MUVs are turning out to be the new crowd-pullers, the luxury car segment is doing what it does best—race ahead. 

The competition between the top three luxury car makers—BMW, Audi and Mercedes—has never been this close, and the margin is only coming down with each passing month. This has led to a slew of launches over the year, and the latest in the list will be the BMW F30 series, the sixth generation of the famed 3 Series, which will be launched on July 27. The car was launched in Europe last October. The vehicle will compete with the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class in the Indian market. While the new 3 Series scores over its predecessor on most fronts, the most noticeable feature is the headlamps which extend right up to the split kidney grille. The latest version is also slightly bigger in size and offers more head room and leg room. Multiple engine options are offered in Europe—both petrol and diesel—but there is no clarity on the number of options that will be available in India. There are reports, however, which state that the car will come in two petrol and two diesel variants. The vehicle will first be launched in Mumbai, followed by subsequent launches throughout the country. This will be the second big launch for BMW in India, the first being the Mini, which came in April. BMW currently leads the luxury market segment in the country, but has seen sales decline this year, while German rival Audi is fast catching up. According to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) earlier this month, Audi's sales in the first three months of the fiscal have jumped by 52.15 per cent to 1,908 units from 1,254 units in the year-ago period. On the other hand, sales of BMW declined by 12.16 per cent to 2,088 units as against 2,377 units in the same period last year. Mercedes Benz, too, witnessed a 24.41 per cent fall in its sales at 1,257 units compared to 1,663 units in April-June 2011.