AFP
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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) speaks as presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain looks on at a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio. McCain unveiled a major surprise in the White House race Friday by picking a little known governor from the oil-rich state of Alaska as his running-mate.(AFP/Getty Images/Mario Tama)

McCain's surprise VP pick is little-known woman governor

Fri Aug 29, 3:50 PM ET

DAYTON, Ohio (AFP) - John McCain tossed a huge but risky surprise into the US race for the White House Friday when he unveiled the little-known governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his vice presidential running mate.

  • A graphic on Barack Obama, Democrat candidate for the US presidency. Obama told Americans their "dreams can be one" if they unite in a stirring new crusade for change, in a riotous finale to the historic Democratic National Convention.(AFP/Graphic/Ed/Jw)
    Obama enjoins battle after historic nomination Fri Aug 29, 12:43 PM ET

    DENVER, Colorado (AFP) - Energized by a historic Democratic convention, Barack Obama Friday plunged back onto the campaign trial as his Republican rival John McCain shook up the White House race with a surprise VP pick.

  • US President George W. Bush makes remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando, Florida,on August 20, 2008. Bush's speech to the Republican convention will not define his legacy, will not bid farewell to the US public, and will not attack Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the White House said Friday.(AFP/File/Jim Watson)
    Bush won't attack Obama in speech: White House Fri Aug 29, 5:33 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush's speech to the Republican convention will not define his legacy, will not bid farewell to the US public, and will not attack Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the White House said Friday.

  • Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama points to a sample of bio-diesel fuel during a tour of Pennsylvania Bio-Diesel Inc, in Monaca, Pennsylvania. Fresh off his rock-star reception at the Democratic convention, Obama beat a path to the post-industrial landscape of Pennsylvania Friday, wooing blue-collar voters dubious of his promise of change.(AFP/Saul Loeb)
    Obama hits the rust-belt trail for blue-collar votes 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AFP) - Fresh off his rock-star reception at the Democratic convention, Barack Obama beat a path to the post-industrial landscape of Pennsylvania Friday, wooing blue-collar voters dubious of his promise of change.

  • More than 1,500 members of the Louisiana National Guard troops arrive at the convention center during preparations for Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans, Louisiana. US President George W. Bush on Friday declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Texas in the face of killer Hurricane Gustav, freeing up aid from Washington three years after Hurricane Katrina.(AFP/Getty Images/Stephen Morton)
    Bush declares emergency in Louisiana, Texas 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Friday declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Texas in the face of killer Hurricane Gustav, freeing up aid from Washington three years after Hurricane Katrina.

  • US President George W. Bush (R) shakes hands with Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Kikwete in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC. Kikwete said Friday that Bush had done more for Africa than any of his predecessors and thanked him for his help on crises in Zimbabwe and Darfur.(AFP/Nicholas Kamm)
    Bush, Kikwete discuss Zimbabwe, Darfur Fri Aug 29, 2:09 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete said Friday that US President George W. Bush had done more for Africa than any of his predecessors and thanked him for his help on crises in Zimbabwe and Darfur.

  • The street in front of the US State Department in 2001. The United States wants Thailand's current political crisis to be resolved through democratic means, a State Department official said Friday amid demonstrations calling on the premier in Bangkok to quit.(AFP/File/Mike Theiler)
    US asks Thailand to end crisis through democratic means 2 hours, 22 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States wants Thailand's current political crisis to be resolved through democratic means, a State Department official said Friday amid demonstrations calling on the premier in Bangkok to quit.

  • Alaska Governor Sarah Palin listens to a question during a press conference with victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill at the National Press Club in February 2008 in Washington, DC. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign on Friday blasted his Republican rival's choice of Palin as a running-mate, highlighting her "zero" foreign policy experience.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Win Mcnamee)
    Conservatives cheer, Democrats sneer McCain VP choice Fri Aug 29, 5:25 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - John McCain's surprise choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Republican White House running mate drew strong cheers Friday from conservative groups who had been suspicious of his moderate credentials.

  • A woman walks past a closed-windowed Georgian embassy in Moscow. The White House said Friday it was not surprised by Georgia breaking diplomatic ties with Moscow or reports Russia hopes to anchor military bases in the rebel Georgian region of South Ossetia.(AFP/Alexey Sazonov)
    US 'not surprised' by Georgia-Russia break Fri Aug 29, 4:01 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House said Friday it was not surprised by Georgia breaking diplomatic ties with Moscow or reports Russia hopes to anchor military bases in the rebel Georgian region of South Ossetia.

  • France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) welcomes Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at the Grand Palais in Paris in July 2008. The United States on Friday denounced Syria's arrest of a Syrian Kurdish activist and other "prisoners of conscience" and called for their immediate release.(AFP/File/Dominique Faget)
    US condemns arrests of Syrian activists Fri Aug 29, 5:16 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Friday denounced Syria's arrest of a Syrian Kurdish activist and other "prisoners of conscience" and called for their immediate release.

  • A diplomat is seen at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva. The United States is free to "insist" that the World Trade Organization hear a dispute over high-technology import duties after the European Union blocked its request for WTO arbitration.(AFP/File/Fabrice Coffrini)
    US free to 'insist' WTO hear high-tech dispute with EU: official Fri Aug 29, 4:31 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is free to "insist" that the World Trade Organization hear a dispute over high-technology import duties after the European Union blocked its request for WTO arbitration.

  • US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen addresses a press conference in Islamabad in February 2008. Top US and Pakistani military officials have met to discuss strategies to contain the growing militant threat along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Mullen said Thursday.(AFP/File/Farooq Naeem)
    US, Pakistani militaries devise strategy against growing militancy Thu Aug 28, 11:26 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top US and Pakistani military officials have met to discuss strategies to contain the growing militant threat along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff Admiral Michael Mullen said Thursday.

  • Democrat Barack Obama Wednesday made history as Democrats formally nominated him by acclamation as the first black presidential nominee of a major political party. Duration : 00:57(AFPTV/POOL)
    America stands at 'defining moment' : Obama Thu Aug 28, 7:24 PM ET

    DENVER, Colorado (AFP) - Barack Obama will Thursday tell Americans their country faces a "defining moment" at home and vow to keep them safe from foreign threats in a dazzling finale to the Democratic convention.

  • Republican White House hopeful John McCain, pictured on August 18, has picked his running mate to stand with him against the Democrats in the November election, his campaign said Thursday.(AFP/Getty Images/File)
    McCain has picked his VP, campaign says Thu Aug 28, 5:45 PM ET

    DAYTON, Ohio (AFP) - Republican White House hopeful John McCain has picked his running mate to stand with him against the Democrats in the November election, his campaign said Thursday.

  • Georgian soldiers throw earth onto the coffins of fellow Georgian soldiers who were killed in the South Ossetian conflict zone, on August 28, 2008 during a funeral ceremony in Tbilisi. The White House said Thursday it was reviewing the US-Russia relationship given the Georgia crisis but that it was "premature" to say whether it would impose sanctions on Moscow.(AFP/Vano Shlamov)
    White House: 'Premature' to discuss US sanctions on Russia Thu Aug 28, 9:45 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House said Thursday it was reviewing the US-Russia relationship given the Georgia crisis but that it was "premature" to say whether it would impose sanctions on Moscow.

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his US counterpart George W. Bush (R) walk to attend a news conference in the residence of Bocharov ruchei in Sochi in April 2008. The White House said Thursday that it was considering scrapping a US-Russia civilian nuclear cooperation pact in response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.(AFP/File/Natalia Kolesnikova)
    US mulls scrapping nuclear pact with Russia Thu Aug 28, 11:55 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House said Thursday that it was considering scrapping a US-Russia civilian nuclear cooperation pact in response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.

  • Map of Iraq showing provinces transferred from US to Iraqi control. The US military will next week hand over to Iraqi forces security control of Anbar, a Sunni Arab province where some of the war's bloodiest battles have been fought, the provincial police chief said on Thursday.(AFP/Gil)
    Iraq says US to hand over former Sunni battleground Thu Aug 28, 11:26 AM ET

    RAMADI, Iraq (AFP) - The US military will next week hand over to Iraqi forces security control of Anbar, a Sunni Arab province where some of the war's bloodiest battles have been fought, the provincial police chief said on Thursday.

  • US, Pakistani military officials hold high-level talks Thu Aug 28, 2:30 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top US and Pakistani military officials have met to discuss strategies to contain the growing militant threat along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff Admiral Michael Mullen said Thursday.

  • Georgian port workers and US sailors unload humanitarian aid for those displaced in the conflict with Russia from the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas in the Black Sea port of Batumi, western Georgia, on August 27, 2008. A third US ship carrying humanitarian aid was due to arrive in Georgia next week, while two others that unloaded their aid in Batumi remain in the Black Sea, the Pentagon said.(AFP/File/Louisa Gouliamaki)
    Third US ship due in Black Sea next week Thu Aug 28, 2:09 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - A third US ship carrying humanitarian aid was due to arrive in Georgia next week, while two others that unloaded their aid in Batumi remain in the Black Sea, the Pentagon said Thursday.

  • This handout picture taken 13 July 2006 shows a portion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline at the Ceyhan crude oil terminal near Turkey's southern coastal city of Adana. The United States is worried that after the Georgian conflict, US strategic interests in Ukraine and Azerbaijan -- especially in oil -- could be at serious risk.(AFP/HO/File)
    After Georgia, US fears interests at risk in Ukraine, Azerbaijan Thu Aug 28, 12:15 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is worried that after the Georgian conflict, US strategic interests in Ukraine and Azerbaijan -- especially in oil -- could be at serious risk.