News on Automobile Manufacturing and Alaska

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John McCain expressed support for his former presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, on Saturday as Washington speculated about why the Alaska governor abruptly announced her resignation. McCain made the comment a day after Palin stunned the political world by announcing she is stepping down with 18 months left in her term. McCain had plucked Palin from obscurity to make her his vice presidential running mate in last year's presidential campaign, won by Democrat Barack Obama. "I have the greatest respect and affection for Sarah, Todd ...

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin didn't wait long to give some hint of what her political life might look like after she leaves office at the end of the month. After staying out of the public eye for most of Saturday, a day after abruptly announcing she would soon give up her job as governor, Palin indicated on a social networking site that she would take on a larger, national role, citing a "higher calling" to ...

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter has rescued a French kayaker who became fatigued in the Bering Sea during his quest to circumnavigate the world. Jean-Gabriel Chelala contacted authorities from his kayak Saturday after he encountered several days of rough waters and became too weak to paddle through the currents. A Jayhawk helicopter airlifted Chelala from his specialized kayak about 40 miles off the coast of Alaska's St. Lawrence Island and flew him to Nome ...

Chinese carmaker Beijing Automotive Industry Corp. is in the running for General Motors' European unit with a bid worth 660 million euros (922 million dollars), according to reports. BAIC and GM China were both unavailable for comment when contacted by AFP Sunday. BAIC submitted a non-binding offer for GM's German-based unit Opel late Thursday, just before a deadline for prospective buyers, according to China's Guangzhou Daily newspaper, the Financial Times and Dow Jones Newswires. BAIC's offer was said to be worth 660 million euros. Russian state lender ...