McCain announces running mate

Sarah Palin (photo), female governor of Alaska, has been picked by John McCain, Us Republican presidential hopeful, as his surprise running mate.

Although she is credited with reforms during her first term, the 44-year-old woman is relatively unknown in US politics.

Senator McCain presented her at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, when he went on stage.

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Pakistan’s coalition under pressure

After an aide to Nawaz Sharif (photo), the leader of the PML-N party in the government, said that it was prepared to pull out, Pakistan’s coalition government is under pressure to settle its dispute over reinstating the judges that have been sacked by Pervez Musharraf, the country’s former president who quit last week.

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Obama introduces vice-presidential running mate at rally

Hailed as a “distinguished leader” by Barack Obama, the US Democratic candidate for the presidency, Joe Biden, Delaware senator, has officially been introduce as the candidate’s vice-presidential running mate.

On Saturday, at a rally in his state of Illinois (photo, from bbc.co.uk), Mr Obama told a cheering 35 000-strong crowd : “I searched for a leader who is ready to step in and be president.

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Investigation on Chinese gymnasts ages

An investigation has been instigated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), into the ages of several Chinese gold-medal-winning gymnasts. In order to confirm that five gymnasts were old enough to compete, China has been asked to hand over extra documents.

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‘Buffer zone’ built by Russians in Ossetia

Around the disputed South Ossetia region, a “buffer zone” is being fortifyed by Russian troops (photo, fromaljazeera.net), with eight military posts and a ban on Georgian aircraft, said a senior Russian commander.

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Russian comments ‘border on the bizarre’ says Rice

Russian officials’ comments, about Poland’s accepting a US missile defence base exposing the country to attack, have been dismissed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (photo, from telegraph.co.uk) who said that such comments “border on the bizarre”.

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China will create 6 new lines to Tibet

China is planning to expand services which are improving the Himalayan region’s economy according to the government. In and around Tibet, the country is planning to build six new railway lines, despite critics complaining about the threat that it pose to Tibetan culture.

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Pakistani president quits

Pervez Musharraf (photo, from huffingtonpost.com), Pakistani president went on national TV to say that he is resigning, as he faces impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition. He said that although he was confident the charges would not stand, this was not the time for more confrontation.

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Phelps enters history

With victory in the 4x100m medley, swimmer Michael Phelps (photo, from bbc.co.uk) won his eighth Olympic gold medal of the Beijing Games, in order to beat the record established by Mark Spitz in 1972, where he won seven.

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Ukraine ready for missile warning

After Russia’s conflict with Georgia, Ukraine has said it is ready to make its missile early warning systems available to European nations. The country’s foreign ministry said thanks to Moscow’s abrogation, earlier this year, of an accord involving two tracking stations, Ukraine is allowed to co-operate with others.

Ukraine could ensure its sovereignty only through collective security, said Viktor Yushchenko (photo), the country’s president.

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