ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Republican presidential nominee John McCain, buoyed by a unifying GOP convention and the spark of running mate Sarah Palin, plunged into a competitive, eight-week struggle with Democrat Barack Obama over which party can best bring change to Washington. Before a roaring crowd of delegates McCain vowed Thursday night to vanquish the “constant partisan rancor” he said was plaguing the nation as he embarked on an eight-week effort to win the White House.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) _ Some Southeastern states declared emergencies and officials urged residents to head inland Thursday as Tropical Storm Hanna headed toward the Atlantic coast, where it could bring high winds and rain from South Carolina to Maine. Meanwhile, disaster planners eyed ferocious-looking Hurricane Ike strengthening in the Atlantic. And with power outages and problems from Hurricane Gustav lingering in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and relief groups found themselves juggling three storms.

TOKYO (AP) _ Asian stock markets plunged Friday after more bad news on the U.S. economy, a vital export market, triggered a broad sell-off on Wall Street overnight. Disappointing reports on U.S. retail sales and jobless claims undercut hopes for a late-year recovery in the U.S. and depressed investor sentiment across Asia.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) _ When Condoleezza Rice spends a few hours in Libya and shakes hands with Moammar Gadhafi, she will close a nearly three-decade era of bitter animosity between the United States and the North African nation that has sometimes gotten personal. It’s not every day that a U.S. president calls a foreign leader a “mad dog.”

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Broken and disgraced, lobbyist Jack Abramoff will spend four years in prison for his role in a corruption scandal that upended Washington politics and contributed to the Republicans’ loss of Congress in 2006. The once powerful Washington insider, at times choking back tears during his sentencing hearing Thursday, appeared crestfallen as a judge handed down a longer sentence than prosecutors had sought.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ The real question in Pakistan’s presidential election is not who the winner will be but whether the new leader will be any more successful than his predecessor in tackling extremism and economic malaise. Asif Ali Zardari, head of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and widower of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, will face off against two lightly regarded opponents when legislators meet Saturday to choose a president.

DETROIT (AP) _ Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was bounced from office Thursday in a deal with prosecutors that will send him to jail and put an end to the sex scandal that embarrassed this chronically struggling city and preoccupied its government for months. The 38-year-old “Hip-Hop Mayor” who brought energy and excitement to City Hall when he took office in 2002 pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and will get four months behind bars.

NEW YORK (AP) _ David Spade is the father of Playboy playmate Jillian Grace’s newborn daughter, Spade’s representative said Thursday. The baby girl was born Aug. 26 in Missouri, and Spade plans to visit her on his first break from filming the CBS sitcom “Rules of Engagement,” publicist Meredith O’Sullivan said. No further details were provided.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) _ The New York Giants won the Super Bowl with defense and they kicked off defense of that title with more of the same. Playing without Pro Bowl linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York limited the new-look Washington Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run in a 16-7 victory that ushered in the NFL season Thursday night.

NEW YORK (AP) _ That litany of health issues Novak Djokovic dealt with earlier in the week _ hip, ankle, stomach and more _ seemed a tad humorous to Andy Roddick. So Roddick joked about it, first by saying in an on-court interview it sounded as though Djokovic had “about 16 injuries,” then by wondering aloud whether the problems might not also include bird flu, anthrax, SARS and a common cold.