Palin daughter breaks off engagement with baby's father

Bristol Palin, the teenage daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and Levi Johnston have broken off their engagement, he said - about two and a half months after the couple had a baby.

Mr Johnston, 19, said he and 18-year-old Ms Palin mutually decided "a while ago" to end their relationship.

He declined to elaborate as he stood outside his family's home in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.

He also said some details of the breakup, rumours of which had been swirling on the internet, were inaccurate.

Ms Palin said in a statement that she was devastated about a report on Star magazine's web site that quoted Mr Johnston's sister, Mercede, as saying Ms Palin "makes it nearly impossible" to visit the teenagers' infant son, Tripp. The baby was born on December 27.

"Unfortunately, my family has seen many people say and do many things to 'cash in' on the Palin name," said the statement, which was issued through the governor's political action committee, SarahPAC.

"Sometimes that greed clouds good judgment and the truth."

Sarah Palin revealed her daughter's pregnancy just days after being named as John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket.

The McCain-Palin ticket was defeated by Barack Obama and Joe Biden in November's presidential election.

Mrs Palin said in December that her daughter and Mr Johnston "are committed to accomplish what millions of other young parents have accomplished, to provide a loving and secure environment for their child".

In an interview that aired on Fox News last month, Ms Palin said her then fiancé saw the baby every day and described him as a "hands-on" dad.

Mr Johnston and Ms Palin had said they were considering a summer wedding.

"We both love each other," he said in October. "We both want to marry each other. And that's what we are going to do."