Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper announced Tuesday by e-mail they are separating after a marriage that lasted 40 years.
Friends said the decision to separate was mutual, The New York Times reported.
"We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought we have decided to separate," the couple said in the e-mail. "This is very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together, following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we do not intend to comment further."
The Gores were fixtures on the campaign trail in 1992, when they campaigned with Bill and Hillary Clinton to win the White House, and also in 2000 when Gore battled George W. Bush for the presidency.
The e-mail was obtained by Politico, which said it confirmed the missive's authenticity with Kalee Kreider, a spokesman for the Gores.
Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work after leaving politics. His documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," won an Academy Award.
Tipper Gore, known for her activities to clean up song lyrics, was a photographer often seen taking pictures of campaign events.
The Gores, who have four children and live in Tennessee, observed their 40th wedding anniversary two weeks ago.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 31 (UPI) -- South Africa is not facing a terror threat in the run-up to the World Cup soccer tournament, the
country's police minister said Monday.
Nathi Mthethwa, seeking to dispel worries in the wake of last week's alert by the U.S. State Department that Americans face a heightened terror risk in South Africa, said there is nothing specific on the security radar, CNN
reported.
"It would be folly for any country to grandstand and proclaim that it is immune to terror attacks," Mthethwa said, adding, "there is no threat to South Africa as we speak now."
The top police official said his country is prepared to deal effectively with any threats against the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 11.
"Each country has the right to say whatever they want to say to their citizens," Mthethwa told CNN. "All we are saying in South Africa is that
together with the security forces of U.S., U.K. and others, we have prepared ourselves for any eventuality."
MANAMA, Bahrain, June 1 (UPI) -- Oil companies in the Middle East specializing in spill response are standing by to help cleanup operations in
the Gulf of Mexico, executives said.
British petroleum company BP is searching for options to contain what is described as one of the greatest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
The BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig caught fire and later sank April 22.
It continues to spill oil and natural gas.
State oil company Saudi Aramco is said to have dispatched equipment and chemicals to help BP with its cleanup efforts. Rob Self, regional manager of
the Manama's Oil Spill Response, told the Emirates Business news agency that an international response may be needed in the Gulf of Mexico.
"If the oil from the well continues to spill at this rate, we and other companies may be required to mobilize resources from the region," he said.
U.S. President Barack Obama is to address the nation about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill following a Tuesday meeting with the BP Oil Spill
Commission, the White House said.
Tuesday marks the beginning of hurricane season in the United States and weather experts predict increased activity because of warmer water
temperatures.
The U.S. government's Deepwater Horizon Unified Command said a hurricane could accelerate the biodegradation process of the oil, though high winds could spread contamination over a wider area.