The showdown between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden was watched by just under 70 million people, Nielsen Media Research said late today.

The audience blew away the old record for a vice-presidential debate—56.7 million for 1984's face-off between then-veep George H.W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman on a major party's presidential ticket.

If the Palin-Biden contest were a presidential debate, it'd rank as the second most watched in TV history, tied with one of 1992's three-way showdowns between then-President George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot.

With a whopping 80.6 million viewers, the one-and-only 1980 meet-up between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan still stands as TV's most watched debate ever.

Compared to Palin and Biden, their respective running mates, John McCain and Barack Obama, look like Nielsen underachievers. Last week's McCain-Obama face-off, the first of three scheduled debates, was watched by 52.4 million.

That Palin-Biden was bigger than McCain-Obama is hardly surprising. Even more than the presidential race, the veep contest has a TV star—and with apologies to the U.S. senator from Delaware, it's not Biden.

Since her debut on the national scene just weeks ago, Palin has helped drive up ratings for network news shows and even Saturday Night Live, where the Tina Fey version of the Alaskan governor has that long-running NBC show up about 50 percent over last season.

Palin helped fuel interest in her debating skills by discussing Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's head, and other topics with CBS' Katie Couric.

Written by Cat Barton and Vong Sokheng
Friday, 03 October 2008

PRINCE Norodom Ranariddh announced his resignation from politics Thursday night and called on other opposition parties to support the new government.

"I met the King this morning and I told him that I quit politics," the 64-year-old Prince told some 60 journalists at a dinner at the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Read More

Friday's skirmish was the first since soldiers like this one, photographed in July, took up positions along the Preah Vihear provincial border.

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 October 2008

At least one Cambodian soldier was injured Friday afternoon in an exchange of gunfire between Thai and Cambodian troops near the Preah Vihear provincial border, in the first reported act of military violence in a prolonged standoff, a military official said.

Thai soldiers fired a grenade at a group of Cambodian soldiers, injuring a Cambodian in the leg, while a Thai soldier was wounded in the abdomen in the return gunfire, according to a reliable military officer in the area, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

"At 3:35 pm, around 10 [Thai soldiers] entered the Cambodian position, and Cambodian soldiers called to them not to enter, and they did not listen," the officer said. "And then they shot with the M-79 [grenade]."

The soldiers were nearly 200 meters from the Cambodian position on Phnom Troap, more than 1 kilometer from the Preah Vihear temple complex, the officer said.

Read more

President Bush signs financial rescue legislation, 3 Oct 2008

Speaking after the House vote, the president said bipartisan action will help prevent the financial crisis from widening, and sends an important message to global markets.

"We have shown the world that the United States of America will stabilize our financial markets and maintain a leading role in the global economy," he said.

Shortly after that, President Bush met briefly with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who also praised members of Congress for coming together in a time of crisis.

Read more

Advertisement OJ Simpson is remanded to custody after the verdict is read out in court OJ Simpson has been found guilty on 12 charges of armed robbery, conspiracy to kidnap and assault with a deadly weapon by a court in the US city of Las Vegas. The former US football star and actor was accused of robbing two sports memorabilia dealers a year ago. The armed robbery charges carry a mandatory jail sentence, and kidnapping carries a possible life term. Simpson, 61, who denied the charges, was acquitted of murder in 1995 in what was dubbed "the trial of the century". CHARGES AGAINST OJ SIMPSON Conspiracy to commit a crime: guilty Conspiracy to kidnap: guilty Two counts of first degree kidnapping: guilty Burglary in possession of a deadly weapon: guilty Two counts of armed robbery: guilty Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon: guilty Two counts of coercion with use of a deadly weapon: guilty The charges in the latest trial centred on an incident in the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas in September 2007. Simpson was accused - and convicted - of kidnapping two sports memorabilia dealers and holding them in the hotel. The former National Football League running back seized the pair in an attempt to reclaim items in their possession related to his sporting career, which Simpson claimed still belonged to him. Handcuffed Asked by reporters on his way into court for the latest verdict, which was read late on Friday night local time, Simpson said he was prepared for the judgement. "You gotta be ready," the former Buffalo Bills star running back told journalists. Inside the court both Simpson and his accomplice, Clarence Steward, were found guilty on all charges by the Las Vegas jury. Simpson blew out his cheeks and nodded as the verdicts were read out. He was then led away with his hands cuffed by police. He will be sentenced in December. The judge refused to grant him bail pending sentencing. In his previous trial, Simpson was accused of murdering his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. The not-guilty verdict came 13 years to the day before his conviction in Las Vegas, and shocked many in America. Mr Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a civil case and ordered to pay $33.5m (£19m) to Mr Goldman's family.

Written by Cat Barton and Vong Sokheng

Friday, 03 October 2008 AFP Prince Norodom Ranariddh announces his departure from politics Thursday at the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh. PRINCE Norodom Ranariddh announced his resignation from politics Thursday night and called on other opposition parties to support the new government. "I met the King this morning and I told him that I quit politics," the 64-year-old Prince told some 60 journalists at a dinner at the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh. "I am no longer an opposition party leader. I have come back to Cambodia and I want to serve my nation." He added that "the opposition in Cambodia should compromise and recognise the results of the election. This is for the life of the nation". The Norodom Ranariddh Party intitially rejected the results of the July 27 polls along with the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties. His decision brings to a close a 17-year career in politics that began with a resounding victory in the UN-sponsored polls in 1993 under Funicnpec and foundered with his self-titled party claiming just two seats in this year's elections. "I am preparing myself to take a rest for a while and I may transfer power as the president of the NRP to my deputy," Ranariddh said, without identifying his deputy. The Prince, who returned Sunday from 18 months of self-imposed exile in Malaysia after receiving a Royal Amnesty requested by Prime Minister Hun Sen, said he fully supports the new Cambodian People's Party government. "I am a democrat, and I have to respect the results of the elections," Ranariddh said. The Prince fled the country after a Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced him in absentia to 18 months in jail for embezzling money from the sale of Funcinpec headquarters. Earlier on Thursday Hun Sen had warned NRP officials not to waste their time pushing for appointments in the new government. "There are no positions for NRP members in the government. I never considered that there would be," Hun Sen said during a ceremony at the National Institute of Education. Ranariddh's retirement from politics further consolidates the CPP's grip on power as it farewells one of Hun Sen's oldest opponents. "The prince is not thinking about government positions," NRP spokesman Suth Dina told the Post Thursday morning, adding, "He is thinking about a good relationship with Prime Minister Hun Sen and how best to serve the nation." SRP Deputy Secretary General Mu Sochua said the Prince's departure was "not surprising". "I think it was a part of the deal for him to come back home and I think it is a wise choice considering the results of the NRP in the election," she said.

Written by Eleanor Ainge Roy and May Titthara

Tuesday, 30 September 2008 The P'Chum Ben festival in Vihear Suor commune brings young and old together to honour fallen ancestors with games and fellowship IT is 7:30am in Vihear Suor commune, Kandal province. The air is cool, and local residents are wearing their holiday best: women in elegant silk sarongs and fine lace blouses; men, a little cleaner than usual. They have assembled for the buffalo races, a hallmark of the commune's celebration of P'Chum Ben, a three-day festival in which the dead are said to visit their living relatives. Food and other offerings must be made to ensure the spirits' ease in the afterlife. "We celebrate the festival because we want the younger generations to remember what the ancients have done in the past," said Pen Kong, commune chief and organiser of the buffalo race. Eighteen-year-old buffalo jockey Chap Cinn is more excited than most as he contemplates winning this year's race. He will pit his skills against 35 other riders. "I have been riding buffalo since I was five years old. My father taught me," he said, his crooked mouth breaking into an easy grin. "It is not difficult to ride him, but when the crowd claps their hands to cheer for me he sometimes gets scared and refuses to move," he said. Chap Cinn lives in a nearby village and says buffalo racing is a way of giving thanks to the spirits who look after the animals. The bells that adorn the beasts clang jarringly through the rising crowd noise as owners attempt to soothe the buffalo with gentle caresses and whispered words of encouragement prior to the race. Tep Li, 85, a holy man at the local pagoda, says he has attended the festival here ever since he can remember. The festival attracts many people to this neglected part of the country, Tep Li said. He takes in the spectacle in a mood of quiet reflection. "I worry about the young people," he said. "I do not think they know how to pay the proper respect anymore. They come here only for the fun and make many mistakes about customs because they do not know the rules." After the buffalo have been safely stabled and the riders have celebrated victory or opined defeat, the wrestling begins. Competitors dressed in red or blue longyi grapple on a padded plastic mat. The crowd erupts in laughter when the slightest scrap of undergarment peaks through in the heat of battle. The largely adolescent combatants crouch low and circle each other, twirling gracefully or leaping high into the air to land savage slaps on their thighs as they descend. The tournament ends when the professional wrestlers appear, spearing each other into the ground with mock fury and theatrical blows ill-disguised as true aggression. Despite the frivolity and excitement, the deeper meanings of P'Chum Ben are not forgotten. "If we don't celebrate this festival, the traditions will be lost forever," commune chief Pen Kong said. "Since we started celebrating the festival with buffalo races and wrestling, our village has remained safe."

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 October 2008

Friday's skirmish was the first since soldiers like this one, photographed in July, took up positions along the Preah Vihear provincial border.

At least one Cambodian soldier was injured Friday afternoon in an exchange of gunfire between Thai and Cambodian troops near the Preah Vihear provincial border, in the first reported act of military violence in a prolonged standoff, a military official said.

Thai soldiers fired a grenade at a group of Cambodian soldiers, injuring a Cambodian in the leg, while a Thai soldier was wounded in the abdomen in the return gunfire, according to a reliable military officer in the area, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

"At 3:35 pm, around 10 [Thai soldiers] entered the Cambodian position, and Cambodian soldiers called to them not to enter, and they did not listen," the officer said. "And then they shot with the M-79 [grenade]."

The soldiers were nearly 200 meters from the Cambodian position on Phnom Troap, more than 1 kilometer from the Preah Vihear temple complex, the officer said.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told the Associated Press the Cambodian was “slightly wounded” when Thai troops fired an M-79 grenade from their own territory. Khieu Kanharith confirmed the Cambodian side had returned fire, AP reported.

A report from Ministry of Defense information office obtained by VOA Khmer Friday coroborrated the statements of the military officer and said both sides remained at a standoff at 5 pm.

The exchange of violence, which lasted only moments, was the first reported in an 11-week military standoff over Preah Vihear temple. Officials had cautioned that prolonged proximity between the troops could end in bloodshed.

Both Cambodian and Thai officials have said they are committed to peaceful resolution of the impasse, which began following the inscription of the temple, which abuts a disputed border area, onto a Unesco World Heritage list in July.

Defense Minister Tea Banh could not be reached for comment, and a person answering the phone of the Thai Embassy's first secretary said he was unavailable.

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
03 October 2008

President Bush has praised what he calls bold bipartisan action by the U.S. Congress in approving a measure aimed at rescuing U.S. financial markets. The House of Representatives Friday approved a Senate-passed version of the financial rescue legislation in a 263-171 vote. VOA's Dan Robinson, Democrats and Republicans joined to pass what they called an imperfect but necessary short-term effort to address the financial crisis.

President Bush signs financial rescue legislation, 3 Oct 2008

Speaking after the House vote, the president said bipartisan action will help prevent the financial crisis from widening, and sends an important message to global markets.

"We have shown the world that the United States of America will stabilize our financial markets and maintain a leading role in the global economy," he said.

Shortly after that, President Bush met briefly with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who also praised members of Congress for coming together in a time of crisis.

In approving the legislation, the House avoided repeating an earlier negative vote that triggered the largest ever single closing point loss on Wall Street. That one day loss helped spur the Senate to adopt a revised version in a 74-25 vote on Wednesday.

One hundred seventy two Democrats two joined 91 Republicans in favor of the bill, while 63 Democrats and 108 Republicans opposed it.

Supporters referred to the dangers of inaction and potential ripple effects through the economy, while others underscored their continuing opposition.

Representative Zach Wamp of Tennessee, who had voted against the legislation last Monday, explained why he changed his vote. "I have been listening to small business people all week long, and they said, 'thanks for voting 'no' on Monday, and thanks for standing up for us, but you have to do something.' Congress has to act. We're out of options," he said.

Republican Devin Nunes of California explained why he would not change his "no" vote. "The American people do not accept the allegation that we have only two alternative before us, passage of this bill or another Great Depression," he said. "There are other options if congressional leaders had the courage to allow this Democracy to function. We could debate these issues."

Colorado Representative Marilyn Musgrave expressed the view still held by many Republicans that the legislation would not be effective, and does more to help Wall Street than average Americans.

"Some things have changed in this bill, but taxpayers will still be picking up the tab for Wall Street's party," she said.

Including $150 billion in tax breaks for alternative energy added by the Senate, the legislation authorizes as much as $700 billion for the government to buy up devalued mortgage-backed and other securities from stressed financial firms.

Other points include a strong oversight board, steps to avert further home foreclosures, limiting large pay outs to executives, who leave firms involved in the plan, increasing federal insurance for bank accounts to $250,000, and steps to allow taxpayers to recover losses.

Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin was among Democrats supporting the legislation, while California's Pete Stark opposed it.

KIND: "Today, it's about protecting Main Street not Wall Street. It's about protecting the American taxpayer, not CEO [Chief Executive Officer] salaries."

STARK: "This bill does nothing but bail out Wall Street and large corporate America. It spends $800 billion that the taxpayers will end up having to pay for and it does nothing for middle Americans.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with the financial rescue legislation before it was sent to the White House where President Bush signed it into law, 03 Oct 2008

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican minority leader John Boehner said the measure does what is necessary to forestall further economic damage.

PELOSI: "The urgency is clear. We hear it from our friends and our neighbors. We hear it every place we turn."

BOEHNER: "The American people sent us here to do our jobs on their behalf. They're counting on us."

The way is now clear for Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to set in motion complex actions needed to ease pressures on the financial system and credit markets.

After Friday's vote, House Democrats renewed their pledge to take further aggressive action on financial market reforms when a new Congress convenes in 2009, with either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain in the White House.

"Redoing housing finance, doing appropriate regulation, those are very important tasks," said Democratic Representative Barney Frank.

Congressional committees will hold a series of hearings in coming weeks to examine the causes of the financial crisis and the collapse of key firms such as Lehman Brothers and American International Group (AIG).