With Barack Obama's Kenyan roots, Africans are following his historic nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate particularly closely. The BBC's Focus on Africa notes mixed reactions from the African press after his speech last night.

John McCain chooses Alaska Governor Palin as his running mate; also, tensions between Russia and the United States escalate further over the conflict in Georgia; former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has another day in court at The Hague; and United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon take a soft approach to winning hearts and minds.

The World's Jason Margolis examines how the conflict in Georgia has helped to escalate tensions that were already high between the U.S. and Russia.

The Russian media has been publishing some very strong words and images in an attempt to show that Russia doesn't need the West. Anchor Marco Werman speaks to the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic made his second appearance before the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague today. Marco Werman speaks with Olga Kavran, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office in The Hague.

Radovan Karadzic

The Japanese are generally considered to be ga-ga over their electronic gadgets. But those gadgets eat up a lot of energy. Now, the government and companies are urging consumers to buy eco-friendly electronics...with mixed results. Cyrus Farivar reports.

Marco Werman speaks with the BBC's Christine Jeavans who is going plastic-free for the month of August. That means she's avoiding any product that is made with or packaged in plastic.

Gov Sarah Palin

Marco Werman speaks with Alaska journalist Gregg Erickson about oil and the Republican VP choice, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Today, Senator John McCain praised Palin for her handling of tough issues like American dependance on foreign oil.

Marco Werman assesses Kenyan reaction to the official nomination of Barack Obama with the BBC's Muliro Telewa in western Kenya, home to many of Obama's Kenyan relatives.

Our daily geography quiz.