U.S. National - AFP

MIAMI (AFP) - Hurricane Ike lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands early Sunday and threatened to unleash its fury on the Bahamas, Cuba and the US Gulf Coast, as Tropical Storm Hanna continued to batter the US East Coast.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The jump in US unemployment to a five-year high has heightened worries about recession and puts the struggling economy into sharp focus two months ahead of the presidential vote, analysts said.

PARIS (AFP) - US scientists have unveiled the most complete genetic profile ever attempted of glioblastoma, a common and deadly form of the brain cancer that US Senator Edward Kennedy is battling.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AFP) - A Republican lawmaker is calling for the Democratic head of a probe into vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin to be replaced, accusing him of exploiting the investigation for political ends.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AFP) - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain backed a government takeover of two mortgage giants Saturday while his Democratic rival warned that taxpayers should not bail out their shareholders.

DETROIT (AFP) - Battered by weak sales, declining market share and miserable credit ratings, Detroit's Big Three automakers are now turning to the US government for help.

HAVANA (AFP) - Clint Dempsey scored off a pass from Brian Ching in the 40th minute to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Cuba on Saturday in a 2010 South African World Cup qualifying match.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Roger Federer moved within one victory of his fifth consecutive US Open title Saturday, firing 20 aces to overpower Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

NEW YORK (AFP) - French fashion house Lacoste presented its 2009 spring collection aimed at the well-heeled young as Tropical Storm Hanna doused the city with heavy rain.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (AFP) - Economic issues dominated the campaign trail Saturday as presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain battled over who could best lead the nation in troubled times.

MIAMI (AFP) - Tropical Storm Hanna raced across the southeastern United States on Saturday, battering the coast with powerful waves, rain and wind as Florida and Cuba kept a wary eye on a dangerous hurricane.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican White House nominee John McCain earned a record 38.9 million television viewers during his convention speech, edging his rival Barack Obama's record from the previous week, the Nielsen group reported Friday.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Boeing machinists took to the picket line on Saturday as they launched a strike that has halted production and could cost the US aerospace giant more than 100 million dollars per day.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AFP) - Colombia's Camilo Villegas fired a four-under par 66 Saturday and clung to a one-stroke lead after the second round of the seven million-dollar PGA BMW Championship.

ST PAUL, Minnesota (AFP) - In two breath-taking, intoxicating, adrenaline-fueled weeks history was made in the United States and the country's political landscape redrawn forever.

DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) - The US presidential election campaign went into full swing Friday under the shadows of a struggling economy, with unemployment figures soaring to a five-year high and triggering recession fears.

MIAMI (AFP) - Tropical Storm Hanna closed in on the US east coast Friday on the verge of hurricane strength after leaving 136 dead in Haiti, as powerful Hurricane Ike threatened Caribbean islands and the United States.

NEW ORLEANS (AFP) - People too poor or ill to flee Hurricane Gustav on their own began returning Friday by buses and trains to storm-battered neighborhoods in New Orleans.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush is likely to announce a decision on US troops levels in Iraq next week, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Friday.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AFP) - An investigation into possible ethics breaches by Republican vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin will be completed by October 10, three weeks earlier than scheduled, Alaska lawmakers said Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US unemployment jumped to a five-year high of 6.1 percent in August as 84,000 jobs were slashed, according to a report Friday that sparked fresh fears about recession in the world's biggest economy.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street shares recovered from steep early losses and finished mostly higher Friday as the market was able to shake off a jump in unemployment that sparked renewed fears of a US recession.

NEW YORK (AFP) - American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan won their seventh Grand Slam men's doubles crown Friday, defeating India's Leander Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (12/10) to take the US Open title.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFP) - Marion Jones, the former athletics star unmasked as a disgraced dope cheat, was released from a US federal prison here on Friday after serving a six month sentence.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Bling-encrusted ruby slippers in homage to "The Wizard of Oz" and a doff of the hat to the Romans with silk togas signed BCBG-Max Azria kicked off New York Fashion Week on Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is expected to detail the government's plan to take over struggling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Sunday, the Treasury announced.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The historic, twisting, cliffhanger White House race is swinging into an eight-week sprint to the finish, with John McCain and Barack Obama locked up in the polls and bare knuckle-rhetoric flying.

MIAMI (AFP) - The latest devastating storm to lash the Americas swelled into a massive hurricane threatening to inflict more misery on Haiti, Cuba and the US Gulf Coast, as Tropical Storm Hanna battered the US east coast.