Jamaica votes for death penalty

Jamaica's parliament has voted to keep the death penalty, as the Caribbean nation struggles to contain one of the world's highest murder rates.

MPs were allowed a free vote, rather than having to vote along party lines.
Jamaica has had a moratorium on the death penalty since 1988 but the governing Jamaica Labour Party, elected last year, has pushed for its return.



Jamaica currently has nine men on death row. There have been 1,200 murders on the island so far this year.

The vote followed weeks of passionate debate. Thirty-four members of parliament voted in favour of capital punishment, 15 voted against. There were 10 abstentions.

Those opposed wanted improvements to Jamaica's heavily criticised police and justice system, while those in favour pointed to the ever-upward rise in violent crime.

The Jamaica Labour Party was elected with a call to resume hanging immediately.

Concerns had been raised about the risk of sanctions - primarily from the EU - but Prime Minister Bruce Golding said that if due legal process was observed, then the law should take its course.

US Vatican abuse case to go ahead

A US federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit against the Vatican over claims it covered up decades of child sex abuse by priests can go ahead.

The case was filed by three men from Kentucky who say they were abused by clergy in their childhood.



It centres on a 1962 directive from the Vatican - made public in 2003 - which told church officials not to disclose sex abuse complaints against priests.

The US Roman Catholic Church has been plagued by a string of abuse scandals.

On a visit to the US earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI criticised US bishops for their handling of the child sex abuse crisis, saying their response had sometimes been very poor.

In ruling the Kentucky lawsuit could go ahead, the Sixth US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier decision by a district judge.

Although the Vatican is largely protected from lawsuits, the court ruled that clergymen could be taken to court as part of their role as Roman Catholic Church employees.

Obama pledges 'jolt' to economy

US President-elect Barack Obama has promised the rapid implementation of a multi-billion-dollar package to deliver a "jolt" to the ailing economy.

Mr Obama said he intended to create and save 2.5 million US jobs by investing in the national infrastructure.



But he stressed that the scale of the problem required action by the US in tandem with other governments.

Mr Obama also named his top economic advisers, confirming Timothy Geithner as the next treasury secretary.

Mr Obama said that having served in senior roles at Treasury, the IMF and the New York Federal Reserve, Mr Geithner would offer "an unparalleled understanding of our current economic crisis, in all of its depth, complexity and urgency".

Brazil flooding kills at least 20

At least 20 people are reported to have died and thousands have been forced from their homes following floods in Brazil's Santa Catarina state.

A state of emergency has been declared in the area and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has offered federal help to deal with the disaster.

Heavy rainfall over the last two months has led to landslides which have destroyed homes and blocked roads.

Four towns in the southern state are reported to be cut off by the flooding.


Weather forecasters say more rain is expected for the region.

By Sunday night more than 15,000 people had been forced out of their homes. Some are able to stay with relatives and friends, while others have gone to public shelters.

In total more than a million people are said to have been affected by the flooding.

Many of the deaths have been caused by landslides which have destroyed homes and blocked roads.

As well as the help from the federal government, neighbouring states are sending equipment and rescue workers to Santa Catarina.

Heavy rain and flooding in Brazil have been known to lead to high death tolls in the past partly because homes are often constructed in dangerous locations that are vulnerable to landslides.

State governments have been criticised for not doing enough to stop people building in areas of high risk.

Man killed by Scientology guard

A security guard has shot and killed a man on the grounds of a Hollywood building owned by the Scientology church, Los Angeles police say.

Reports say the unidentified man arrived at the Scientology Celebrity Centre wielding swords.



Police are questioning the security guard to determine whether the shooting was justified.

The building, in the style of a French castle, serves as a meeting place for artists and performers.

The Church of Scientology was established in 1945 by science-fiction writer L Ron Hubbard.

It claims 10 million members worldwide, including celebrity devotees Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Apec leaders make free-trade vow

Leaders from Asia-Pacific countries have pledged not to respond to the global financial crisis by raising trade barriers over the next year.

In a statement issued at an Apec summit in Peru, they said protectionism would only worsen a difficult situation.



In a statement issued at an Apec summit in Peru, they said protectionism would only worsen a difficult situation.

US President George W Bush urged Apec countries, which account for half the world's economic activity, to rely on free markets to resolve the crisis.

The meeting is Mr Bush's last scheduled foreign trip as US president.

The statement was issued at the half-way point of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

"There is a risk that slower world economic growth could lead to calls for protectionist measures which would only exacerbate the current economic situation," the Apec leaders said in their joint statement

Fresh spacewalk in vexed mission latest

Astronauts from the International Space Station have completed a third spacewalk to solve the latest glitch.

They are trying to fix a jammed joint that is supposed to keep the station's solar panels pointed towards the sun.



Scientists are still struggling to repair a new recycling system intended to convert astronauts' urine into drinking water.

During a previous space walk, the astronauts accidentally lost a tool box worth more than $100,000 (£65,000).

This was the third spacewalk made by the crew to repair the International Space Station' solar panels.

Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen Bowen sent almost seven hours working on the defective joint.

US global dominance 'set to wane'

US economic, military and political dominance is likely to decline over the next two decades, according to a new US intelligence report on global trends.

The National Intelligence Council (NIC) predicts China, India and Russia will increasingly challenge US influence.



It also says the dollar will no longer be the world's major currency, and food and water shortages will fuel conflict.

However, the report concedes that these outcomes are not inevitable and will depend on the actions of world leaders.
It will make sombre reading for President-elect Barack Obama, the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says, as it paints a bleak picture of the future of US influence and power.

"The next 20 years of transition to a new system are fraught with risks," says Global Trends 2025, the latest of the reports that the NIC prepares every four years in time for the next presidential term.

Nevertheless, it concludes: "The US will remain the single most important actor but will be less dominant."

Nuclear weapons use

The NIC's 2004 study painted a rosier picture of America's global position, with US dominance expected to continue.

But the latest report says that rising economies such as China, India and Brazil will offer the US more competition at the top of a multipolar international system.

Until recently in Kyrgyzstan children

Until recently in Kyrgyzstan children with any kind of disability were locked away in residential children’s homes. In this part of the country, children like Dastan are now supported and can stay at home with their families.



Chisulo, from Malawi, became head of his household after the death of his mother. He and his siblings attend school and in his spare time he labours on farms.

Boost for Titian masterpiece

The campaign to keep Titian's masterpiece Diana and Actaeon on public display has been given a £10m boost.

The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) announced it would donate the sum to The National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery.



The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting before a deadline of 31 December.

Jenny Abramsky, chair of the NHMF, said it had been a "extraordinary and challenging" financial decision.

But she added it was as "important as ever" to protect the UK's cultural heritage.

US car companies seek $25bn aid

The bosses of the three biggest US carmakers, Ford, GM and Chrysler, have asked Congress for a $25bn bail-out.

They told a Senate hearing that without the rescue package, their firms risked collapse, and warned of broader risks to the US economy.



GM chief executive Rick Wagoner said the firm needed a loan to span the "financial chasm" that had opened up.

However, Republicans and the White House do not want to use the $700bn bank rescue to help car firms.

GM has warned it could run out of cash in a matter of weeks and cannot wait until President-elect Barack Obama - who has promised to help the industry - is sworn in in January.

The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says the last thing Mr Obama wants is to oversee the death of manufacturing icons during his first few months in office.

hijacked Saudi oil tanker Somali coast

Pirates have anchored a hijacked Saudi oil tanker off the Somali coast, as the spate of hijackings gathered pace with two more ships seized on Tuesday.
Vela International said all 25 crew on the Sirius Star - the biggest tanker ever hijacked - were said to be safe.
The vessel is carrying a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m.
A cargo ship and a fishing vessel were the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates this year.
A 25-crew cargo vessel transporting wheat to Iran was attacked early on Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden while contact was lost with the crew of 12 on the fishing boat on Tuesday morning.



Somali media reports suggested the pirates had demanded a $250m ransom for the Sirius Star and its crew, but the supertanker's owners said they were not aware of any demands.

SOMALIA PIRACY

92 attacks this year - most in the Gulf of Aden
36 successful hijackings
14 ships currently held, including the MV Faina carrying tanks
268 crew held hostage
Source: International Maritime Bureau, 2008


Q&A: Somalia piracy
Rules frustrate anti-piracy efforts
Technology sets sights on piracy

Vela International said it was waiting for "further contact" from pirates aboard the Sirius Star, which was seized on Saturday 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Kenyan coast.

Negotiations for the crew's release could be costly and protracted, says BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner.

The pirates are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says the BBC Somali Service's Yusuf Garaad.

Barack Obama will appoint Eric Holder attorney-general

Barack Obama will appoint Eric Holder to the post of attorney-general, according to US media reports.

If confirmed, Mr Holder, 57, would be the first African-American to occupy the senior position.

He would also lead the administration's efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, a move Mr Obama has singled out as a priority.



He served as deputy attorney-general under Bill Clinton and currently works for law firm Covington and Burling.

In 2000, Mr Holder controversially advised President Clinton - on the last day of his administration - that he was "neutral, leaning towards favourable" about pardoning fugitive financier Marc Rich.

Critics accused the outgoing president of issuing the pardon because Mr Rich's wife had donated money to Mr Clinton's presidential library.

If confirmed, Mr Holder would be Mr Obama's first publicly-known cabinet appointment.

He was a prominent early backer of Mr Obama's presidential ambitions, and co-chaired his vice-presidential selection committee.

Speculation has mounted in recent days that Mr Obama intends to offer the job of Secretary of State to his former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton.

Jerry Yang to quit as Yahoo boss

Jerry Yang, the co-founder of Yahoo, is to stand down as the internet portal's chief executive officer.
His departure follows lengthy criticism of his stewardship of the company, which has seen its share price collapse to about $10.
Earlier in the year he fought off a hostile takeover bid from Microsoft which offered $33 a share.
Mr Yang also told the workforce that he would be participating in the search for his successor.
"I will always do what is right for this great company," Mr Yang wrote in an e-mail to employees


The BBC was told that Mr Yang made the decision to leave as chief executive officer last month. No names were given as to who will succeed him.

The company, based in Sunnyvale, California, said it is interviewing candidates inside and outside Yahoo in a search led by chairman Roy Bostock.

"Jerry and the board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level," said Mr Bostock.

UN draft seeks to boost DRC force

France has presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council aimed at strengthening the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The move would increase the number of UN troops in the country by 3,000.
At present, there are about 17,000 soldiers and police in DR Congo - the biggest UN force of its kind.
Clashes between government and rebel forces in the east have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and created a humanitarian crisis.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at the UN says it is not clear which countries would contribute the extra troops, or when they could be deployed.
The Security Council is expected to vote on the proposal later this week.



In the latest violence, the rebels are reported to have taken the town of Rwindi, about 125km (75 miles) north of Goma, at the weekend.
The fighting comes as UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo continues efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
In talks with Mr Obasanjo on Sunday, Gen Nkunda said he would support a peace process with the government.
He also agreed to ceasefire monitors being deployed, as long as they did not include UN peacekeepers, whom he accuses of bias.
The government of DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila has to date rejected rebel calls for direct negotiation.
An estimated 250,000 people have been made homeless by weeks of fighting between rebels and government troops.

Hijacked oil tanker nears Somalia

A giant Saudi oil tanker seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean is nearing the coast of Somalia, the US Navy says.
The Sirius Star is the biggest tanker ever to be hijacked, with a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m.
The vessel was captured in what the navy called an "unprecedented" attack 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Kenyan coast on Saturday.

Its international crew of 25, including two Britons, is said to be safe.



The ship's operator, Vela International, said a response team had been mobilised to work towards ensuring the safe release of vessel and crew.
The hijacking was highly unusual both in terms of the size of the ship and the fact it was attacked so far from the African coast, says BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner.

The seizure points to the inability of a multi-national naval task force sent to the region earlier this year to stop Somali piracy, he says.

The US Fifth Fleet said the supertanker was "nearing an anchorage point" at Eyl, a port often used by pirates based in Somalia's Puntland region.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the pirates involved were well trained.

"Once they get to a point where they can board, it becomes very difficult to get them off, because, clearly, now they hold hostages," he told a Pentagon briefing in Washington.
Oil price rises
Hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m square miles - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Bureau.

BARAK Obama 'to rebuild moral stature'

US President-elect Barack Obama has promised to rebuild his country's "moral stature in the world".
In his first television interview since the election, Mr Obama told CBS he would pull troops out of Iraq, shore up Afghanistan, and close Guantanamo Bay.

"I'm going to make sure that we don't torture," he said of the prison camp


"I'm going to make sure that we don't torture," he said of the prison camp.

Mr Obama also promised to do "whatever it takes" to stabilise the US economy, including rescuing the struggling auto industry and assisting homeowners.
On Saturday, he said the US was facing "the greatest economic challenge of our time" and urged Congress to help with "at least a down-payment on a rescue plan that will create jobs".

His advisers later said he would support the co-ordinated response to the global financial crisis agreed by the G20 on Saturday.

DR Congo clashes UN special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo

Peace talks amid DR Congo clashes Heavy fighting erupted in eastern DR Congo as the UN special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo began talks with DR Congo's rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.
Mr Obasanjo, Nigeria's ex-president, was greeted by Gen Nkunda in the rebel-held town of Jomba, north-east of Goma.



An estimated 250,000 people have been made homeless by the fighting between rebels and Congolese government troops.

A UN spokesman said it remained unclear who was involved in the latest heavy fighting in the east of the country.

Witnesses reported hearing artillery, rockets and small arms fire near the village of Ndeko, about 55 miles (90km) north of the provincial capital, Goma.
BBC world affairs correspondent Mark Doyle in Goma says it seems that rebels loyal to Gen Nkunda may be trying to take control of an area near the town of Kanyabayonga.

The fact the fighting is taking place while Mr Obasanjo is talking to Gen Nkunda is not a surprise, our correspondent says, because both sides will want to negotiate from a position of military strength.

Barack Obama ran for the White House as the consummate Washington outsider.

Hillary Clinton, his chief rival for the Democratic Party's nomination, by contrast promised "readiness", based largely on her experience as a White House insider during her husband's period in office.
"It took one Clinton to clean up after the first George Bush," she used to say in her stump speeches. "It'll take another Clinton to clean up after this one."



Mrs Clinton lost the battle for the nomination, and her rival went on to win the general election.
But is he now re-assembling Bill Clinton's governing team from the 1990s?
And will the Obama White House be similar to Mr Clinton's - but with a different man in the Oval Office?
And the other David - David Plouffe, Mr Obama's campaign manager - had worked for the Democratic leadership in the US House of Representatives during the Clinton years, at a time when many House Democrats were getting frustrated with President Clinton for his perceived centrism and missed opportunities.
A number of other senior staffers had a background in the offices of congressional big-hitters Tom Daschle and Richard Gephardt.

World leaders begin crisis talks

World leaders have been welcomed to Washington by President George W Bush for a summit to discuss measures to contain the current financial turmoil.
They hope to agree on long-term reforms to reduce the risk of further crises.



But few expect a major breakthrough without President-elect Barack Obama, whose long-term role will be key.
Divisions have also emerged between Europe, which wants stricter market rules, and the US and other countries, which prefer more moderate reforms.
President Bush has been hosting a working dinner at the White House, to be followed by five hours of formal talks on Saturday.
Opening the summit, Mr Bush dampened hopes for quick solutions.

"This problem did not develop overnight and it will not be solved overnight, but with continued cooperation and determination it will be solved," he said.

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Obama 'mulls Clinton for top job'

US President-elect Barack Obama has met former rival Hillary Clinton to discuss offering her a top job in his administration, US media reports say.
Speculation in the US is rife, with some reports suggesting Mrs Clinton could become his secretary of state.



She has refused to comment, and Mr Obama's transition team have not confirmed any of the reports.

Mr Obama is also said to be considering New Mexico governor Bill Richardson for the role of secretary of state.

As a former permanent representative to the UN under President Bill Clinton, Mr Richardson has extensive foreign policy experience.

Democratic Party officials told the Associated Press that the two men had met in Chicago on Friday to discuss the new administration.

Aides also said Mr Obama would meet his Republican rival, John McCain, on Monday to discuss working together.

Bin Laden 'cut off from al-Qaeda'

The CIA says Osama Bin Laden is isolated from the day-to-day operations of al-Qaeda, but that the organisation is still the greatest threat to the US.
CIA director Michael Hayden said the Saudi militant was probably hiding in the tribal area of north-west Pakistan.



Gen Hayden said that Bin Laden was "putting a lot of energy into his own survival" and that his capture remained the US government's top priority.
But he warned that al-Qaeda continued to grow in Africa and the Middle East.
In a speech to the Atlantic Council on Thursday, Gen Hayden said: "[Bin Laden] is putting a lot of energy into his own survival, a lot of energy into his own security."
In fact, he appears to be largely isolated from the day-to-day operations of the organisation he nominally heads."

However, Gen Hayden added: "If there is a major strike on this country, it will bear the fingerprints of al-Qaeda."

New recession fears ahead of G20

Official EU figures released later are expected to show that the eurozone is in recession, as world leaders head to Washington for a key economic summit.
Analysts predict the 15-nation area's economy will shrink in the third quarter of this year, following a 0.2% reduction during the second quarter.



On Thursday, government data showed Germany slipped into recession.

But France has escaped that fate, with the economy growing 0.1% in the third quarter, official data showed.

Ahead of the figures, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde unveiled the news in an interview on French radio.

She told RTL radio that the French economy had expanded by 0.14% in the third quarter, thereby escaping the technical definition of a recession, which is two quarters of negative growth.

It would a terrible mistake to allow a few months of crisis to undermine 60 years of success

President Bush


Q&A: G20 summit

France's economy shrank by 0.3% in the second quarter.

"The figure is astonishing because everyone was expecting a negative figure and preparing for a recession," she said, pointing out that stable consumption and company investment helped to support the economy.

The Royal Navy has repelled a pirate attack on a Danish cargo ship off the coast of Yemen

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the incident took place on Tuesday, when HMS Cumberland crew members tried to board a traditional wooden dhow



The Yemeni-flagged vessel was identified as having been involved in an earlier attack on the Danish ship

An MoD spokesman said the pirates were shot in self-defence.

After initial attempts to stop the dhow failed, the Royal Navy launched sea boats to encircle the vessel.

The British seamen were fired on and shot back before the dhow was boarded and its crew surrendered.

Car wrangle looms in US bail-out

Leaders of the US Democratic Party, which now has a majority in both houses of Congress, have confirmed they are working on a car industry rescue plan.
Democrat congressman Barney Frank said his draft bill would include a $25bn (£17bn) loan for carmakers.



He said the money would come from the $700bn (£494bn) bail-out package already approved by Congress.
But US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that the money was intended only for helping the financial sector.
He said on Wednesday the bail-out package had already "clearly helped stabilise" the financial system.
America's big three car makers - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler - have suffered huge falls in sales.

A vote upon the bill being put forward by Mr Frank, who is chairman of the Financial Services Committee of the House of Representatives, could come as early as next Thursday

President-Elect Barack Obama Holds First Press Conference

President-Elect Barack Obama Holds First Press Conference. President-Elect Barack Obama Holds First Press Conference



By legal definition, to commit voter fraud means a person would have to present some kind of documentation at the polls — a driver's license, a phone bill or another form of ID — that bears the name of Mickey Mouse, for example. To do so risks a fine and imprisonment under state laws.

Obama 'to curb lobbyists' reach'

US President-elect Barack Obama will usher in new rules to restrict the role of lobbyists as he puts together his administration, says a senior official.

Transition chief John Podesta said Mr Obama would introduce "the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history".

He promised the "most open and transparent" ever handover of power.

Mr Podesta gave no indication of when the key posts of treasury secretary and secretary of state would be filled.

Various interest groups have been circulating lists and offering recommendations on cabinet-level appointments to the Obama transition team.

Both Mr Obama, who takes office on 20 January, and his defeated Republican rival John McCain regularly railed against lobbyists during the presidential election campaign.

Favour-peddlers

They accusing them of peddling favours and influence to sway Capitol Hill lawmakers in a culture of corruption.

At a briefing in Washington, Mr Podesta told reporters: "President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to change the way Washington works and curb the influence of lobbyists."



Under the new measures, Mr Obama will not allow lobbyists actively petitioning the federal government to work with the transition, said Mr Podesta.

The guidelines will also prevent anyone who has acted as a lobbyist over the last 12 months from working on any policy area in the transition in which they had been active.

He added that anyone who works on the transition and then becomes a lobbyist will be barred from approaching the administration for 12 months in the area in which they worked.

Mr Podesta also told reporters the future of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre was under review, but that it was a complicated matter, as he put it.

In a previous news briefing, he said Mr Obama would use his executive powers to reverse decisions by outgoing President George W Bush which restricted stem cell research and sought to allow oil drilling in wilderness areas

President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago

Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4th, 2008 in Chicago.

Obama campaign blazes to victory

Chicago offered us its own spectacular countdown to the end of the longest presidential campaign in history.
The setting sun sliding down the glass faces of the great downtown skyscrapers marked the ebbing of the final hours.
Electoral College votesWinning post 270
Obama - Democrat 349
McCain - Republican 162



As darkness came, the makeshift open-air stage in the middle of Grant Park became a bowl of light - the campaign which began with the poetry of hope and triumphed through the power of the internet ended at last with the blazing magic of theatre.
Laser beams fanned out into the sky across the park from the stage, forming an arch of blindingly intense light - probably the first political celebration in history that would have been visible from the Moon.
Mr Obama, who all through the campaign has enjoyed the luck to match his undoubted brilliance, was even lucky with the Chicago weather.

No apathy as US election day looms

After nearly two years of digesting speeches and slogans, of being bombarded with adverts and requests for money, of coming to terms with the possibility of the first non-white or female president, Americans are nearly there





They voted in record numbers in the primary elections and now look poised to do the same in the general election. In fact, they already have been.
And, after eight years of an increasingly unpopular Republican presidency, the advantage is with the Democratic Party - and the party's candidate, Barack Obama.

Certainly, the McCain campaign has made much of the tightening numbers in recent days and in places, such as Pennsylvania - a must win state for the Republican candidate.

There, the Arizona senator's argument that Mr Obama is too inexperienced in foreign affairs and too left-wing in his economic views is gaining traction.

US rivals in last push for votes

The US presidential rivals are spending a hectic final day of campaigning criss-crossing the country in a last push for votes in key states.
Republican John McCain, trailing in polls, started early in Florida and is to finish close to midnight in Nevada, more than 1,800 miles (3,000km) west.



Democrat Barack Obama opted to target Florida, North Carolina and Virginia - all won by the Republicans in 2004.

On Tuesday, voters give their verdict and elect the 44th US president.

On the eve of the ballot, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was cleared by an investigator of abusing her power as governor of Alaska.

The report for the Alaska Personnel Board found that there was "no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official" violated state ethics laws.

An earlier investigation for Alaska's state legislature had found Mrs Palin did abuse her office by allowing her husband and staff members to pressure Alaska's top law enforcement official to fire her former brother-in-law.

Mrs Palin fired Walt Monegan, the state public safety commissioner, but denied it was because of his refusal to dismiss her sister's ex-husband, a state trooper.

Tributes to grandmother

Meanwhile, Senator Obama said his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham - who largely raised him as a child - had died aged 86 in Hawaii after losing her battle with cancer.



Barack Obama pays tribute to his grandmother
In a joint statement with his half-sister, he described her as "the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility", adding that their debt to her was "beyond measure".

Senator McCain and his wife Cindy issued a statement offering their deepest condolences to Mr Obama and his family.

Two weeks ago, Mr Obama took the unusual step of breaking off campaigning for two days to visit his grandmother, saying he did not want to risk leaving it too late to see her.

A USA Today/Gallup poll published on Monday finds likely voters favouring Mr Obama by 11 points over Mr McCain, 53-42%.

Gaddafi in Russia for arms talks

The Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, has said he hopes to increase energy ties with Russia, during his first visit to Moscow since the Soviet era.



Col Gaddafi said closer co-operation between the two major gas and oil producers was "particularly important".

Correspondents say Russia wants Libya to support its plans for a cartel of gas-producing nations, similar to Opec.

It has also been reported that the two countries are negotiating a civilian nuclear co-operation agreement.

Under the deal, Russia would help Libya design, develop and operate nuclear research reactors and provide fuel, Libyan media said.

Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgham and state media said Russia's atomic energy agency and the Libyan Committee for Nuclear Energy had already signed the accord, but a spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said discussions were still under way.

John McCain and Barack Obama

John McCain and Barack Obama face a busy weekend as the race for the White House enters its final days.



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