AP - Gov. Sarah Palin swept into office as an avowed outsider, a claim that helped her land the GOP vice presidential nomination.

AP - The first presidential debate between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama remained in doubt Friday, the very day it was to be held, embroiled in the same partisan divisions that were holding up a Wall Street bailout plan.

AP - As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation's largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc. — has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market.

AP - Even for a party whose president suffers dismal approval ratings, whose legislative wing lost control of Congress and whose presidential nominee trails in the polls, it was a remarkably bad day for Republicans.

AFP - Former union organiser and anti-apartheid activist Kgalema Motlanthe became South Africa's president Thursday, vowing to keep pro-growth economic policies with a fresh emphasis on fighting poverty.

AFP - US lawmakers said Thursday they had agreed on the fundamentals of a multi-billion dollar historic deal to rescue Wall Street and shore up the world's biggest economy.

Reuters - China's third manned space mission blasted off from a remote desert site on Thursday on a trip designed to showcase its technological mastery, including via its first ever space walk.

Reuters - Russian spies are extremely active in the Czech Republic and are stirring public sentiment against a planned U.S. missile defense base, the Czech counter-intelligence agency said on Thursday.

Reuters - Germany blamed the United States on Thursday for spawning the global financial crisis with a blind drive for higher profits and said it must now accept more market regulation and a loss of its financial superpower status.

Reuters - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Thursday "time is short" to achieve a Wall Street rescue plan as he and Democratic rival Barack Obama headed to Washington to help broker a deal.

Reuters - Orders for costly U.S. manufactured goods plunged in August and new-home sales hit a 17-year low, while new claims for jobless benefits shot up last week, according to government reports on Thursday that showed the economy rapidly weakening.

Reuters - Two NATO helicopters fired upon by Pakistani forces on Thursday were U.S. military aircraft operating inside Afghanistan, the Pentagon said.

Reuters - Lawmakers reached basic agreement on a massive financial bailout plan, lifting world stock markets, sending the dollar up and breathing life into troubled money markets.

AP - Lance Armstrong can try for an eighth Tour de France title — if his team is clean in the run-up to cycling's premier race.