New York, Oct. 10 : The “Trooper Gate” scam involving Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has the potential of unraveling and derailing the Republican Party’s bid for the White House, even as the Alaska State Legislature is expected to release its findings on whether or not Palin abused her power by having a state employee fired.

John McCain''s running mate has been made the subject of a legislative investigation into whether she abused her power as governor by firing her public safety commissioner Walter Monegan because he reportedly refused to fire Palin’s estranged brother-in-law Mike Wooten from the state police force.

Washington, Oct. 10: Democratic strategists are reportedly quite optimistic that the ongoing economic crisis in the United States will fetch a landslide victory for their presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Four large states John McCain once seemed well-positioned to win-Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida-have in recent weeks shifted toward Obama. If Obama were to win those four states-a scenario that would represent a remarkable turn of events-he would likely surpass 350 electoral votes, reports CBS.

Islamabad, Oct 10: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the country will not go bankrupt due to the ongoing economic crisis.

“Pakistan is not going to bankrupt. It is not a limited company ... We are negotiating with the international community to address the situation,” Zardari said at the launch of Rs 34 billion Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Bangkok - Top leaders of an anti-government movement that has occupied Thailand's seat of government since August surrendered Friday to police, news reports said, a day after treason charges were dropped against them.

The leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) still face charges of resisting arrest and gathering illegally for the actions of their group, which was involved in deadly clashes with police this week and seized Government House August 26 in its five months of demonstrations aimed at toppling the government.

The treason charges dropped Thursday by Thailand's Appeals Court carried a maximum sentence of death. Under the lesser charges, the nine PAD leaders now face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison if convicted.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, in his National Day speech, called for peace with China under the precondition that Taiwan's sovereign and defence is guaranteed.

Presiding over the first National Day celebration since his May 20 inauguration, Ma said his pursuing peace and expanding exchanges with China has won support from the international community.

Bangkok - Former deputy prime minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has called for a military coup as the only means of solving Thailand's political stalemate, the Bangkok Post reported Friday.

"There is no other way out," said Chavalit, in an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post, an English-language daily.

"I see a putsch. After the military steps in, power should immediately be returned to the people and an interim government can be formed in which every party takes part," he said.