AP - Barack Obama promised an end to the "broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush" Thursday night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation's first black president.

AP - Residents, tourists and oil workers fled as Gustav swamped Jamaica on Thursday, leaving 59 people dead in its wake. Louisiana and Texas put their national guards on standby, and New Orleans said a mandatory evacuation might be necessary.

Reuters - Strong exports and consumer spending supported by government stimulus checks drove the U.S. economy up at a solid 3.3 percent annual rate in the second quarter, much faster than first thought, but growth is expected to flag as those factors fade.

Reuters - Dell Inc posted a surprisingly steep drop in quarterly earnings on Thursday and said companies around the world are cutting back on technology spending, sending its shares tumbling 10 percent and sparking fears of weakness in the whole tech sector.