WASILLA (Alaska) - ALASKA Governor Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate said on Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race.
Ms Palin made the surprise announcement from her home in suburban Wasilla on Friday morning.
TEHRAN - A POWERFUL Iranian cleric said on Friday that British embassy local staff arrested for allegedly stoking unrest after the June election will be put on trial, a move that prompted coordinated protests from European governments.
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was 'urgently seeking clarification' about the announcement as governments across the 27-nation European Union called in Iranian ambassadors.
GARMSIR (Afghanistan) - US MARINES are in a 'hell of a fight' as they storm into Taleban strongholds during a major assault in Afghanistan, their commanding officer said Friday.
Nearly 4,000 Marines launched the operation on Thursday in parts of the southern province of Helmand, suffering their first fatality in a pivotal test of President Barack Obama's aggressive new strategy against the Taleban.
LONDON - FORMER Liverpool star striker and European Footballer of the Year Michael Owen has completed a surprise free transfer move to Manchester United, the Premier League champions said on Friday.
'Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question,' said manager Alex Ferguson.
