A&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;lawmaker in Congress became the first to break with the party and support Democrat Hillary Clinton for the White House on Tuesday amid signs of growing&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;unease with volatile presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The break by Representative Richard Hanna of New York followed days of uproar over Trump&#39;s criticism of the parents of a Muslim US&nbsp;Army officer killed in the Iraq war, which has fueled a fresh round of&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;rebukes of the New York businessman.

Illustrating the escalating tension between the candidate and the party, Trump pointedly thanked the primary opponent of&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday for his &quot;kind words&quot; after Ryan had issued a statement saying the sacrifice of the parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, should be honored.

Wisconsin businessman Paul Nehlen, who is challenging Ryan in next week&#39;s primary in Wisconsin, had posted material on his campaign website accusing Ryan of misrepresenting Trump&#39;s proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and defending him in the dispute with the Khans.

Several congressional&nbsp;Republicans have said they will not support Trump in the November&nbsp;8 election against Clinton, but Hanna was the first to take the extra step of endorsing the Democrat.

Citing Trump&#39;s attacks on the Khans, Hanna called him &quot;deeply flawed in endless ways,&quot; &quot;unrepentant&quot; and &quot;self-involved.&quot;

&quot;For me, it is not enough to simply denounce his comments: He is unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country,&quot; Hanna wrote in a letter posted on syracuse.com, the website of the Post-Standard newspaper in New York.

Trump has had a running feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan since they took the stage at last week&#39;s Democratic convention to cite their son&#39;s sacrifice and criticize Trump&#39;s proposed ban on Muslims.

Many&nbsp;Republicans have expressed support for the parents, and some have sharply rebuked Trump, most notably Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman John McCain, a military veteran and former prisoner of war.

President Barack Obama questioned on&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;why&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;leaders were repeatedly criticizing Trump but still endorsing him, saying Trump&#39;s attacks on the Kahns showed he was &quot;woefully unprepared&quot; to serve in the White House.

&quot;There has to come a point at which you say &#39;enough,&#39;&quot; Obama, a Democrat, told reporters.

Ryan and&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;Senate Majority Leader McConnell have offered support to the Khans, but no&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;leaders have withdrawn their support for Trump as the party&#39;s presidential pick. Ryan&rsquo;s office declined to comment on Hanna&rsquo;s announcement.

Hanna is retiring from the House and is not seeking re-election, leaving him more leeway to risk upsetting colleagues and voters over his break with Trump.

&quot;While I disagree with her on many issues, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton. I will be hopeful and resolute in my belief that being a good American who loves his country is far more important than parties or winning and losing,&quot; he wrote.

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, one of the most outspoken critics of Trump in Congress, said he would never join Hanna in voting for Clinton.

&quot;Conservatives should reform the party of Lincoln, not surrender to the Clinton&rsquo;s machine&rsquo;s dishonesty and identity politics,&quot; Sasse said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

&#39;Incendiary comments&#39;

Trump, a former reality TV star, has troubled many in the&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;establishment with his off-the-cuff, often insulting style, and controversial policies including the proposed ban on Muslims and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants.

His presidential campaign has appealed to Capitol Hill for support amid the controversy over the Khans, including circulating talking points for lawmakers to use, but has found little support.

Trump&#39;s son, Eric Trump, told CBS News on Tuesday his father&#39;s comments toward the Khans have been &quot;blown hugely out of proportion.&quot;

US&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;Representative Charlie Dent, who has not endorsed Trump, criticized the candidate&#39;s tone on Tuesday and called for more measured responses, telling MSNBC his &quot;incendiary comments ... are causing real problems.&quot;

&nbsp;Dent added that he was not shocked by Hanna&#39;s break with the party, although he said he himself has no plans to support Clinton.

&quot;Like me, I think he&#39;s also been very concerned about the incendiary statements plus the lack of solid policy,&quot; coming from Trump, Dent said. 
 
Trump has fallen slightly behind Clinton in recent polls since each party held their nominating conventions last month.

He also has trailed Clinton in fundraising. The Democrat reported raising nearly $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors. 
 
(Reuters)

The break by Richard Hanna of New York followed days of uproar over Trump's criticism of the parents of a Muslim US?Army officer

A Republican lawmaker in Congress became the first to break with the party and support Democrat Hillary Clinton for the White House on Tuesday amid signs of growing Republican unease with volatile presidential nominee Donald Trump. The break by Representative Richard Hanna of New York followed days of uproar over Trump's criticism of the parents of a Muslim US Army officer killed in the Iraq war, which has fueled a fresh round of Republican rebukes of the New York businessman. Illustrating the escalating tension between the candidate and the party, Trump pointedly thanked the primary opponent of Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday for his "kind words" after Ryan had issued a statement saying the sacrifice of the parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, should be honored. Wisconsin businessman Paul Nehlen, who is challenging Ryan in next week's primary in Wisconsin, had posted material on his campaign website accusing Ryan of misrepresenting Trump's proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and defending him in the dispute with the Khans. Several congressional Republicans have said they will not support Trump in the November 8 election against Clinton, but Hanna was the first to take the extra step of endorsing the Democrat. Citing Trump's attacks on the Khans, Hanna called him "deeply flawed in endless ways," "unrepentant" and "self-involved." "For me, it is not enough to simply denounce his comments: He is unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country," Hanna wrote in a letter posted on syracuse.com, the website of the Post-Standard newspaper in New York. Trump has had a running feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan since they took the stage at last week's Democratic convention to cite their son's sacrifice and criticize Trump's proposed ban on Muslims. Many Republicans have expressed support for the parents, and some have sharply rebuked Trump, most notably Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman John McCain, a military veteran and former prisoner of war. President Barack Obama questioned on Tuesday why Republican leaders were repeatedly criticizing Trump but still endorsing him, saying Trump's attacks on the Kahns showed he was "woefully unprepared" to serve in the White House. "There has to come a point at which you say 'enough,'" Obama, a Democrat, told reporters. Ryan and Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell have offered support to the Khans, but no Republican leaders have withdrawn their support for Trump as the party's presidential pick. Ryan’s office declined to comment on Hanna’s announcement. Hanna is retiring from the House and is not seeking re-election, leaving him more leeway to risk upsetting colleagues and voters over his break with Trump. "While I disagree with her on many issues, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton. I will be hopeful and resolute in my belief that being a good American who loves his country is far more important than parties or winning and losing," he wrote. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, one of the most outspoken critics of Trump in Congress, said he would never join Hanna in voting for Clinton. "Conservatives should reform the party of Lincoln, not surrender to the Clinton’s machine’s dishonesty and identity politics," Sasse said in a statement emailed to Reuters. 'Incendiary comments' Trump, a former reality TV star, has troubled many in the Republican establishment with his off-the-cuff, often insulting style, and controversial policies including the proposed ban on Muslims and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants. His presidential campaign has appealed to Capitol Hill for support amid the controversy over the Khans, including circulating talking points for lawmakers to use, but has found little support. Trump's son, Eric Trump, told CBS News on Tuesday his father's comments toward the Khans have been "blown hugely out of proportion." US Republican Representative Charlie Dent, who has not endorsed Trump, criticized the candidate's tone on Tuesday and called for more measured responses, telling MSNBC his "incendiary comments ... are causing real problems." Dent added that he was not shocked by Hanna's break with the party, although he said he himself has no plans to support Clinton. "Like me, I think he's also been very concerned about the incendiary statements plus the lack of solid policy," coming from Trump, Dent said. Trump has fallen slightly behind Clinton in recent polls since each party held their nominating conventions last month. He also has trailed Clinton in fundraising. The Democrat reported raising nearly $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors. (Reuters)

Republican lawmaker becomes first to break with party, says will back Clinton

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ratcheted up tensions within his party on Tuesday by denying two leading figures, House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and senator John McCain, support in their re-election bids. 
 
Trump told The Washington Post in an interview that he could endorse neither Ryan, the top US elected Republican, nor McCain, senator from Arizona and a former Republican presidential nominee, as they face challenges in their states&#39; primary contests ahead of the November 8 general election. 
 
Both Ryan and McCain had criticised Trump&#39;s feud with the family of army Captain Humayun Khan, who died in the line of duty in Iraq in 2004 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery after his death. 
 
The discord comes just two weeks after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that formally nominated Trump in the presidential race. 
 
It is the latest rift in a party already frayed by internal dissent over its standard bearer, seen in stark relief at the convention where McCain was among high-level party members who essentially snubbed Trump by choosing not to attend. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, and former presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush also did not attend the convention. 
 
Trump has had a running dispute with Khizr and Ghazala Khan since they took the stage at last week&#39;s Democratic convention to cite their son&#39;s sacrifice and criticise Trump&#39;s proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States. 
 
The uproar has led many Republicans to distance themselves from Trump and voice support for the Khan family. 
 
Trump, mirroring the language Ryan used about supporting the nominee before his eventual endorsement, told the newspaper he was &quot;not quite there yet&quot; on endorsing Ryan in next Tuesday&#39;s Wisconsin primary, and that he had &quot;never been there&quot; with McCain, who will be on the ballot in primary elections in Arizona later this month. 
 
McCain had a &quot;very friendly&quot; meeting with Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, on Tuesday in Arizona, where Pence was visiting, a McCain spokeswoman said.&nbsp; 
 
Trump said Ryan had sought his endorsement, but that as of now he is only &quot;giving it very serious consideration&quot;. 
 
Ryan&#39;s campaign office quickly responded that &quot;neither speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump&#39;s endorsement&quot;. 
 
&quot;And we are confident in a victory next week regardless,&quot; campaign spokesman Zack Roday said in a statement. 
 
Ryan is favored to win against primary challenger Paul Nehlen, who Trump praised as running &quot;a very good campaign&quot;. In a mid-July survey by Harper Polling, Ryan was ahead of Nehlen by nearly 50 points. 
 
Trump has troubled many in the Republican establishment with his off-the-cuff, often insulting style, and controversial policies, including the proposed ban on Muslims and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants. 
 
President Barack Obama on Tuesday blasted Trump as unfit to be a President and questioned why any Republican would support the New York businessman, who is seeking his first public office. 
 
&quot;The question I think that they have to ask themselves is, if you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable: Why are you still endorsing him?&quot; Obama, a Democrat, said at a White House news conference with Singapore&#39;s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. 
 
Congressman abandons Trump 
 
The chorus of complaints against Trump grew on Tuesday. 
 
Representative Richard Hanna of New York became the first Republican in Congress to endorse Democratic nominee Hillary, although several other Republicans in Congress have said they will not support Trump. 
 
Hanna, who is retiring from the House of Representatives rather than seek re-election, said his decision was prompted by Trump&#39;s attacks on the Khan family. He called Trump &quot;deeply flawed in endless ways,&quot; &quot;unrepentant&quot; and &quot;self-involved.&quot; 
 
Opinion polls put Clinton in the lead 
 
Trump has fallen behind Clinton in opinion polls made public since the parties held their nominating conventions last month. 
 
Clinton extended her lead over Trump to 8 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, from 6 points on Friday. About 43 per cent of likely voters favour Clinton, 35 per cent favour Trump, and 9 per cent picked &quot;other.&quot; 
 
Trump also has trailed Clinton in fundraising. Clinton reported raising nearly $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors. 
 
(Reuters)

House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and senator John McCain had both criticised Trump's feud with Captain Humayun Khan's family

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ratcheted up tensions within his party on Tuesday by denying two leading figures, House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and senator John McCain, support in their re-election bids. Trump told The Washington Post in an interview that he could endorse neither Ryan, the top US elected Republican, nor McCain, senator from Arizona and a former Republican presidential nominee, as they face challenges in their states' primary contests ahead of the November 8 general election. Both Ryan and McCain had criticised Trump's feud with the family of army Captain Humayun Khan, who died in the line of duty in Iraq in 2004 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery after his death. The discord comes just two weeks after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that formally nominated Trump in the presidential race. It is the latest rift in a party already frayed by internal dissent over its standard bearer, seen in stark relief at the convention where McCain was among high-level party members who essentially snubbed Trump by choosing not to attend. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, and former presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush also did not attend the convention. Trump has had a running dispute with Khizr and Ghazala Khan since they took the stage at last week's Democratic convention to cite their son's sacrifice and criticise Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States. The uproar has led many Republicans to distance themselves from Trump and voice support for the Khan family. Trump, mirroring the language Ryan used about supporting the nominee before his eventual endorsement, told the newspaper he was "not quite there yet" on endorsing Ryan in next Tuesday's Wisconsin primary, and that he had "never been there" with McCain, who will be on the ballot in primary elections in Arizona later this month. McCain had a "very friendly" meeting with Trump's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, on Tuesday in Arizona, where Pence was visiting, a McCain spokeswoman said. Trump said Ryan had sought his endorsement, but that as of now he is only "giving it very serious consideration". Ryan's campaign office quickly responded that "neither speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump's endorsement". "And we are confident in a victory next week regardless," campaign spokesman Zack Roday said in a statement. Ryan is favored to win against primary challenger Paul Nehlen, who Trump praised as running "a very good campaign". In a mid-July survey by Harper Polling, Ryan was ahead of Nehlen by nearly 50 points. Trump has troubled many in the Republican establishment with his off-the-cuff, often insulting style, and controversial policies, including the proposed ban on Muslims and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants. President Barack Obama on Tuesday blasted Trump as unfit to be a President and questioned why any Republican would support the New York businessman, who is seeking his first public office. "The question I think that they have to ask themselves is, if you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable: Why are you still endorsing him?" Obama, a Democrat, said at a White House news conference with Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. Congressman abandons Trump The chorus of complaints against Trump grew on Tuesday. Representative Richard Hanna of New York became the first Republican in Congress to endorse Democratic nominee Hillary, although several other Republicans in Congress have said they will not support Trump. Hanna, who is retiring from the House of Representatives rather than seek re-election, said his decision was prompted by Trump's attacks on the Khan family. He called Trump "deeply flawed in endless ways," "unrepentant" and "self-involved." Opinion polls put Clinton in the lead Trump has fallen behind Clinton in opinion polls made public since the parties held their nominating conventions last month. Clinton extended her lead over Trump to 8 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, from 6 points on Friday. About 43 per cent of likely voters favour Clinton, 35 per cent favour Trump, and 9 per cent picked "other." Trump also has trailed Clinton in fundraising. Clinton reported raising nearly $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors. (Reuters)

Trump refuses support to Ryan & McCain, widens rift within Republican party

Lashing out at American media, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump termed CNN as &quot;Clinton News Network&quot; and called the New York Times &quot;dishonest&quot; for allegedly favouring his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
&quot;You look at CNN, it&#39;s called the Clinton news network. All day long, Trump, Trump -- all day long, CNN, Trump, Trump, such a bad guy,&quot; Trump yesterday said at a town hall in Columbus, Ohio.&nbsp; 
 
Targeting the New York Times, Trump said, &quot;The New York Times is really, really dishonest, and it&#39;s failing. I don&#39;t think they&#39;ll be in business more than two or three years. Look at their numbers. They&#39;re failing.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The Republican presidential nominee alleged these newspapers write stories favouring his rival Hillary Clinton. &quot;Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about,&quot; he alleged. 
 
Trump accused CNN of &quot;inaccurate information&quot;, and said he won&#39;t be doing any of their shows until they &quot;straighten up&quot;. &quot;I think their ratings are going to go down really sharply now. They&#39;ve been asking me to go on for months. I won&#39;t do their shows.When people finally realise that I&#39;m not doing their shows they stop watching.That&#39;s what happens,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp; 
 
Trump alleged media outlets, except Fox are very tough on him. 
 
&quot;Fox has at least been fair. So at some point, at some point we&#39;re just gonna keep barrelling through,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Referring to the recent decision of his campaign to revoke the press credentials of the Washington Post, Trump said the newspaper &quot;got a little bit better lately&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The billionaire from New York who claims to have 22.5 million followers on Twitter and Facebook, said that he would continue to use Twitter. &quot;You know who says don&#39;t use Twitter? Your enemies. Why wouldn&#39;t I use it? Why wouldn&#39;t I -- if I have all these millions of people, and it&#39;s a great way to get a message out. &quot;So when they write falsely, or say something totally false on the Today Show, or Good Morning America, I&#39;ve put out a tweet. And you&#39;ll see all over television -- we have breaking news,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I may be tweeting from bed. OK? It&#39;s true. It&#39;s instantaneous. If I put out a beautiful, long, perfectly scripted press release like I did yesterday nobody puts it out. If I put out a 140-character tweet they go crazy. They break into every story. So you got to use it,&quot; Trump added. 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about,' the Republican presidential nominee alleged adding the newspapers favour his rival

Lashing out at American media, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump termed CNN as "Clinton News Network" and called the New York Times "dishonest" for allegedly favouring his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "You look at CNN, it's called the Clinton news network. All day long, Trump, Trump -- all day long, CNN, Trump, Trump, such a bad guy," Trump yesterday said at a town hall in Columbus, Ohio. Targeting the New York Times, Trump said, "The New York Times is really, really dishonest, and it's failing. I don't think they'll be in business more than two or three years. Look at their numbers. They're failing." The Republican presidential nominee alleged these newspapers write stories favouring his rival Hillary Clinton. "Crooked Hillary they write beautifully about," he alleged. Trump accused CNN of "inaccurate information", and said he won't be doing any of their shows until they "straighten up". "I think their ratings are going to go down really sharply now. They've been asking me to go on for months. I won't do their shows.When people finally realise that I'm not doing their shows they stop watching.That's what happens," Trump said. Trump alleged media outlets, except Fox are very tough on him. "Fox has at least been fair. So at some point, at some point we're just gonna keep barrelling through," he said. Referring to the recent decision of his campaign to revoke the press credentials of the Washington Post, Trump said the newspaper "got a little bit better lately". The billionaire from New York who claims to have 22.5 million followers on Twitter and Facebook, said that he would continue to use Twitter. "You know who says don't use Twitter? Your enemies. Why wouldn't I use it? Why wouldn't I -- if I have all these millions of people, and it's a great way to get a message out. "So when they write falsely, or say something totally false on the Today Show, or Good Morning America, I've put out a tweet. And you'll see all over television -- we have breaking news," he said. "I may be tweeting from bed. OK? It's true. It's instantaneous. If I put out a beautiful, long, perfectly scripted press release like I did yesterday nobody puts it out. If I put out a 140-character tweet they go crazy. They break into every story. So you got to use it," Trump added. (PTI)

Trump attacks American media, calls CNN 'Clinton News Network'

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump on Tuesday courted controversy when he said receiving a Purple Heart from a US military veteran was &quot;much easier&quot; than being awarded the medal given to those wounded in combat. 
 
The statement immediately started trending on Twitter, with some users mocking the billionaire real estate mogul for accepting the honor -- awarded by sitting US presidents -- while on the campaign trail. 
 
The comments also come as Trump is locked in a war of words with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004, after the father, Khizr Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention and said Trump has &quot;sacrificed nothing&quot; for the country. 
 
On Tuesday, Trump told supporters in Ashburn, Virginia that the veteran, whom he identified as lieutenant colonel Louis Dorfman, had presented him with the cherished medal. 
 
He said he asked the man: &quot;&#39;Is that like the real one or is that a copy?&#39;&quot; &quot;And he said &#39;That&#39;s my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you,&#39;&quot; Trump said as the crowd applauded. &quot;I always wanted to get the Purple Heart,&quot; Trump added. &quot;This was much easier.&quot; Trump has never served in the military, and he described receiving the Purple Heart as &quot;an honor.&quot; 
 
Dorfman, who appeared to be elderly, appeared on stage briefly with Trump to chants of &quot;USA! USA!&quot; But the veteran did not address the crowd. 
 
Hillary Clinton, anointed the Democratic presidential nominee at last week&#39;s convention, jumped on Trump&#39;s remarks. &quot;This from a man who says he&#39;s &#39;sacrificed&#39; for our country,&quot; Clinton posted on Twitter minutes after Trump&#39;s Purple Heart comment. On Monday, The New York Times reported that Trump had received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, several for his studies and one for bone spurs in his feet, which meant he was not called up to serve. Trump&#39;s provocative responses to the parents to Humayun Khan have angered fellow Republicans and infuriated veterans groups, which called Trump&#39;s behavior &quot;repugnant&quot; and offensive. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Trump was &quot;unfit&quot; to be the next president. 
 
(AFP)

'This was much easier than being awarded the medal given to those wounded in combat,' he said

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump on Tuesday courted controversy when he said receiving a Purple Heart from a US military veteran was "much easier" than being awarded the medal given to those wounded in combat. The statement immediately started trending on Twitter, with some users mocking the billionaire real estate mogul for accepting the honor -- awarded by sitting US presidents -- while on the campaign trail. The comments also come as Trump is locked in a war of words with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004, after the father, Khizr Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention and said Trump has "sacrificed nothing" for the country. On Tuesday, Trump told supporters in Ashburn, Virginia that the veteran, whom he identified as lieutenant colonel Louis Dorfman, had presented him with the cherished medal. He said he asked the man: "'Is that like the real one or is that a copy?'" "And he said 'That's my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you,'" Trump said as the crowd applauded. "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart," Trump added. "This was much easier." Trump has never served in the military, and he described receiving the Purple Heart as "an honor." Dorfman, who appeared to be elderly, appeared on stage briefly with Trump to chants of "USA! USA!" But the veteran did not address the crowd. Hillary Clinton, anointed the Democratic presidential nominee at last week's convention, jumped on Trump's remarks. "This from a man who says he's 'sacrificed' for our country," Clinton posted on Twitter minutes after Trump's Purple Heart comment. On Monday, The New York Times reported that Trump had received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, several for his studies and one for bone spurs in his feet, which meant he was not called up to serve. Trump's provocative responses to the parents to Humayun Khan have angered fellow Republicans and infuriated veterans groups, which called Trump's behavior "repugnant" and offensive. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Trump was "unfit" to be the next president. (AFP)

Much easier to get Purple Heart as gift from vet, says Trump

A computer network used by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign was hacked as part of a broad cyber attack on Democratic political organisations, people familiar with the matter said. 
 
The latest attack, which was disclosed to Reuters on Friday, follows two other hacks on the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, and the party&#39;s fundraising committee for candidates for the US House of Representatives. 
 
A Clinton campaign spokesman said in a statement late on Friday that an analytics data program maintained by the DNC and used by the campaign and a number of other entities &quot;was accessed as part of the DNC hack.&quot; 
 
&quot;Our campaign computer system has been under review by outside cyber security experts. To date, they have found no evidence that our internal systems have been compromised,&quot; said Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill. 
 
Later, a campaign official said hackers had access to the analytics program&#39;s server for approximately five days. The analytics data program is one of many systems the campaign accesses to conduct voter analysis, and does not include social security numbers or credit card numbers, the official said. 
 
The US department of justice national security division is investigating whether cyber attacks on Democratic political organisations threatened US security, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. 
 
The involvement of the justice department&#39;s national security division is a sign that the Obama administration has concluded that the hacking was sponsored by a state, people with knowledge of the investigation said. 
 
While it is unclear exactly what material the hackers may have gained access to, the third such attack on sensitive Democratic targets disclosed in the last six weeks has caused alarm in the party and beyond, just over three months before the November 8 US presidential election. 
 
Hackers, whom US intelligence officials have concluded were Russian, gained access to the entire network of the fundraising Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, said people familiar with the matter, detailing the extent of the breach to Reuters for the first time. 
 
Cyber security experts and US officials said earlier this week they had concluded, based on analysis of malware and other aspects of the DNC hack, that Russia engineered the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to influence the US presidential election. 
 
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Friday it was &quot;aware of media reporting on cyber intrusions involving multiple political entities, and is working to determine the accuracy, nature and scope of these matters.&quot; 
 
&quot;The FBI takes seriously any allegations of intrusions, and we will continue to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace,&quot; the agency said in an emailed statement. 
 
The hack did not involve the private email system Clinton used while she was secretary of state. 
 
Yahoo News reported on Thursday night that the FBI had warned the Clinton campaign last March that it was a target of a cyber attack involving spearphishing and had asked the campaign to turn over sensitive data to help in its investigation, but that campaign lawyers rejected this request as too intrusive. A source familiar with the matter confirmed this account to Reuters. 
 
Russian hackers 
 
The new disclosure that hackers gained access to the full DCCC network means they would have had access to everything on the network from emails to strategy memos and opposition research prepared to support Democratic candidates in campaigns for the House. 
 
The hack of the DCCC, which is based in Washington, was reported on Thursday, ahead of Clinton&#39;s speech in Philadelphia accepting the Democratic party&#39;s nomination. 
 
Russian officials could not be immediately reached for comment. 
 
Several US officials said the Obama administration has avoided publicly attributing the attacks to Russia as that might undermine secretary of state John Kerry&rsquo;s effort to win Russian cooperation in the war on Islamic State in Syria. 
 
The officials said the administration fears Russian President Vladimir Putin might respond to a public move by escalating cyber attacks on US targets, increasing military harassment of US and allied aircraft and warships in the Baltic and Black Seas, and making more aggressive moves in Eastern Europe. 
 
Some officials question the approach, arguing that responding more forcefully to Russia would be more effective than remaining silent. 
 
The Obama administration announced in an April 2015 executive order that it could apply economic sanctions in response to cyber attacks. 
 
Trump on emails 
 
The hack on the DNC, made public in June, led to WikiLeaks publishing more than 19,000 emails last weekend, some of them showing favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over US senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned on Sunday as a result, creating a rocky start for the party&#39;s convention in Philadelphia this week. 
 
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday invited Russia to dig up thousands of &quot;missing&quot; emails from Clinton&#39;s time at the state department, prompting Democrats to accuse him of urging foreigners to spy on Americans. 
 
On Thursday, Trump said his remarks were meant as sarcasm. 
 
Earlier in the week, Clinton campaign senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan had criticised Trump and called the hacking &quot;a national security issue.&quot; 
 
Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said on Friday the reported breach showed cyber security is &quot;a problem wherever Hillary Clinton goes. Hopefully this time there wasn&#39;t classified or top secret information that puts American lives at risk.&quot; 
 
In Washington, the DCCC said early on Friday it had hired cyber security firm CrowdStrike to investigate. &quot;We have taken and are continuing to take steps to enhance the security of our network,&quot; the DCCC said. &quot;We are cooperating with federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation.&quot; 
 
The DCCC had no additional comment late on Friday. Officials at the DNC did not respond to requests for comment. 
 
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said on Friday she had not heard about the hack of the Clinton campaign. 
 
But she said: &quot;It wouldn&#39;t surprise me. I think it should be pretty clear that both campaigns should be aware that there&#39;s a problem out there. Everybody should be cautious.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Intelligence officials have concluded hackers were Russian, gaining access to the network of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

A computer network used by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign was hacked as part of a broad cyber attack on Democratic political organisations, people familiar with the matter said. The latest attack, which was disclosed to Reuters on Friday, follows two other hacks on the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, and the party's fundraising committee for candidates for the US House of Representatives. A Clinton campaign spokesman said in a statement late on Friday that an analytics data program maintained by the DNC and used by the campaign and a number of other entities "was accessed as part of the DNC hack." "Our campaign computer system has been under review by outside cyber security experts. To date, they have found no evidence that our internal systems have been compromised," said Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill. Later, a campaign official said hackers had access to the analytics program's server for approximately five days. The analytics data program is one of many systems the campaign accesses to conduct voter analysis, and does not include social security numbers or credit card numbers, the official said. The US department of justice national security division is investigating whether cyber attacks on Democratic political organisations threatened US security, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. The involvement of the justice department's national security division is a sign that the Obama administration has concluded that the hacking was sponsored by a state, people with knowledge of the investigation said. While it is unclear exactly what material the hackers may have gained access to, the third such attack on sensitive Democratic targets disclosed in the last six weeks has caused alarm in the party and beyond, just over three months before the November 8 US presidential election. Hackers, whom US intelligence officials have concluded were Russian, gained access to the entire network of the fundraising Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, said people familiar with the matter, detailing the extent of the breach to Reuters for the first time. Cyber security experts and US officials said earlier this week they had concluded, based on analysis of malware and other aspects of the DNC hack, that Russia engineered the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to influence the US presidential election. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Friday it was "aware of media reporting on cyber intrusions involving multiple political entities, and is working to determine the accuracy, nature and scope of these matters." "The FBI takes seriously any allegations of intrusions, and we will continue to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace," the agency said in an emailed statement. The hack did not involve the private email system Clinton used while she was secretary of state. Yahoo News reported on Thursday night that the FBI had warned the Clinton campaign last March that it was a target of a cyber attack involving spearphishing and had asked the campaign to turn over sensitive data to help in its investigation, but that campaign lawyers rejected this request as too intrusive. A source familiar with the matter confirmed this account to Reuters. Russian hackers The new disclosure that hackers gained access to the full DCCC network means they would have had access to everything on the network from emails to strategy memos and opposition research prepared to support Democratic candidates in campaigns for the House. The hack of the DCCC, which is based in Washington, was reported on Thursday, ahead of Clinton's speech in Philadelphia accepting the Democratic party's nomination. Russian officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Several US officials said the Obama administration has avoided publicly attributing the attacks to Russia as that might undermine secretary of state John Kerry’s effort to win Russian cooperation in the war on Islamic State in Syria. The officials said the administration fears Russian President Vladimir Putin might respond to a public move by escalating cyber attacks on US targets, increasing military harassment of US and allied aircraft and warships in the Baltic and Black Seas, and making more aggressive moves in Eastern Europe. Some officials question the approach, arguing that responding more forcefully to Russia would be more effective than remaining silent. The Obama administration announced in an April 2015 executive order that it could apply economic sanctions in response to cyber attacks. Trump on emails The hack on the DNC, made public in June, led to WikiLeaks publishing more than 19,000 emails last weekend, some of them showing favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over US senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned on Sunday as a result, creating a rocky start for the party's convention in Philadelphia this week. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday invited Russia to dig up thousands of "missing" emails from Clinton's time at the state department, prompting Democrats to accuse him of urging foreigners to spy on Americans. On Thursday, Trump said his remarks were meant as sarcasm. Earlier in the week, Clinton campaign senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan had criticised Trump and called the hacking "a national security issue." Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said on Friday the reported breach showed cyber security is "a problem wherever Hillary Clinton goes. Hopefully this time there wasn't classified or top secret information that puts American lives at risk." In Washington, the DCCC said early on Friday it had hired cyber security firm CrowdStrike to investigate. "We have taken and are continuing to take steps to enhance the security of our network," the DCCC said. "We are cooperating with federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation." The DCCC had no additional comment late on Friday. Officials at the DNC did not respond to requests for comment. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said on Friday she had not heard about the hack of the Clinton campaign. But she said: "It wouldn't surprise me. I think it should be pretty clear that both campaigns should be aware that there's a problem out there. Everybody should be cautious." (Reuters)

Clinton campaign also hacked in attacks on Democrats

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday the challenges facing Americans demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, contrasting her character with what she described as a dangerous and volatile Donald Trump. 
 
In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the November 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone. 
 
&quot;We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart,&quot; said Clinton, a former secretary of state. &quot;No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance, looking for steady leadership.&quot; 
 
Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination &quot;a milestone.&quot; 
 
&quot;When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. That&rsquo;s why when there are no ceilings, the sky&#39;s the limit,&quot; the 68-year-old Clinton said in a speech that capped the four-day nominating convention. 
 
Clinton embraced her reputation as a policy wonk, offering a litany of proposals for tuition-free college, infrastructure investment, immigration reform, gun control, affordable child care, paid family leave and more. 
 
Clinton also reached out to Republicans and to followers of primary rival Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist US senator from Vermont. His supporters chanted at times during her speech only to be drowned out by her supporters. 
 
She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than her rival Trump did when he was formally nominated for president at last week&#39;s Republican convention&nbsp;and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan&#39;s signature phrases against the real estate developer. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s taken the Republican Party a long way, from `Morning in America` to `Midnight in America,`&quot; Clinton said. &quot;He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other.&quot; 
 
She portrayed Trump as volatile, saying &quot;a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.&quot; 
 
While her speech lacked the electrifying qualities of President Barack Obama and a parade of other prominent Democratic speakers, Clinton spoke authoritatively and with self-assurance in her pitch to the American public.&nbsp; 
 
She acknowledged some people still do not know her well. 
 
&quot;I get it that some people just don&#39;t know what to make of me. So let me tell you. The family I&#39;m from, well no one had their name on big buildings,&quot; Clinton said in a reference to Trump. 
 
She said her family were builders of a better life and a better future for their children, using whatever tools they had and &quot;whatever God gave them&quot;. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination "a milestone"

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday the challenges facing Americans demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, contrasting her character with what she described as a dangerous and volatile Donald Trump. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the November 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," she said. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart," said Clinton, a former secretary of state. "No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance, looking for steady leadership." Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination "a milestone." "When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. That’s why when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit," the 68-year-old Clinton said in a speech that capped the four-day nominating convention. Clinton embraced her reputation as a policy wonk, offering a litany of proposals for tuition-free college, infrastructure investment, immigration reform, gun control, affordable child care, paid family leave and more. Clinton also reached out to Republicans and to followers of primary rival Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist US senator from Vermont. His supporters chanted at times during her speech only to be drowned out by her supporters. She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than her rival Trump did when he was formally nominated for president at last week's Republican convention and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan's signature phrases against the real estate developer. "He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from `Morning in America` to `Midnight in America,`" Clinton said. "He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other." She portrayed Trump as volatile, saying "a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." While her speech lacked the electrifying qualities of President Barack Obama and a parade of other prominent Democratic speakers, Clinton spoke authoritatively and with self-assurance in her pitch to the American public. She acknowledged some people still do not know her well. "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me. So let me tell you. The family I'm from, well no one had their name on big buildings," Clinton said in a reference to Trump. She said her family were builders of a better life and a better future for their children, using whatever tools they had and "whatever God gave them". (Reuters)

Hillary accepts Democratic nomination, casts herself as a catalyst for change

Donald Trump sensationally challenged Russia yesterday to hack into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails as a furious Democratic campaign accused the Republican nominee of inviting foreign spies to meddle in the US presidential election. 
 
At a sweeping news conference, the New York billionaire tried to undermine his White House rival, astonishingly implied that Vladimir Putin used a racial slur against President Barack Obama and promised a heyday of US-Russian relations under a Trump presidency. 
 
His remarks provoked outrage from the Clinton campaign and left some Republicans wincing as his running mate hurriedly clarified that the party was not soft on Moscow and Trump tried to roll back his remarks. 
 
Attacking Clinton as she prepares to accept her party&#39;s formal nomination, Trump turned his guns on a previous email scandal dating back to her time as secretary of state and more than 30,000 emails deleted on grounds of being personal and not related to her job. 
 
&quot;Russia, if you&#39;re listening, I hope you&#39;re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press,&quot; Trump said. 
 
The Clinton camp responded immediately and furiously. 
 
&quot;This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,&quot; Clinton&#39;s senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said. 
 
&quot;This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue.&quot; 
 
Emails, emails, emails 
 
While the FBI declined to recommend charges against Clinton over the email scandal, its conclusion that she was &quot;extremely careless&quot; with classified information has seen the Democrat lose her polling advantage to Trump. 
 
The row spotlights deep US distrust of Russia, fueling yet another day of headlines about whether Russian agents may have hacked into Democratic Party emails which, once leaked, hugely embarrassed the Clinton campaign. 
 
Those emails leaked by WikiLeaks showed the extent to which party leaders sought to undermine Clinton&#39;s rival Bernie Sanders, even questioning his religious faith, and forced the Democratic National Committee chair to resign. 
 
The Clinton team blamed that leak on Moscow and accused Russia of conniving to get Trump elected. Obama also gave an interview refusing to rule out that Russia was trying to pull strings. 
 
&#39;Nothing to do with Russia&#39; 
 
Trump has frequently voiced admiration for Putin, who has been in power for 17 years as president or prime minister and refuses to grant unconditional support for NATO allies in the Baltic should they face hostile acts. 
 
Moscow &quot;probably isn&#39;t&quot; behind the Democratic National Committee email hack, said Trump, who is yet to receive his first government intelligence briefing. 
 
&quot;I have nothing to do with Russia,&quot; he insisted. 
 
Almost before Trump left the building, his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, sought to clarify that the Republican ticket was not in cahoots with Moscow, and attempted to shift the focus back to attacking the Democrats. 
 
&quot;If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;The American people now have absolute and further proof of the corruption that exists around Hillary Clinton. It should disqualify her from office.&quot; 
 
Kremlin denies 
 
Trump tweeted: &quot;If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton&#39;s 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!&quot; 
 
The Kremlin denies interfering in the US election. 
 
&quot;Russia has never interfered and does not interfere in internal affairs, especially in the electoral processes of other countries,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday. 
 
Trump meanwhile said the Russian leader has no respect for Clinton or Obama. 
 
&quot;I think he does respect me,&quot; the real estate tycoon said, hinting that the Russian leader had used America&#39;s most charged racial slur against Obama. 
 
&quot;He mentioned the N word one time. I was shocked to hear him mention the N word,&quot; he said. &quot;A total lack of respect for President Obama.&quot; 
 
Trump spearheaded the so-called birther movement, which undermined America&#39;s first black president by claiming that he was not born in the United Sates. 
 
&quot;I would treat Vladimir Putin firmly,&quot; said the Republican nominee, adding that he would rather have a friendly Russia to &quot;knock out ISIS together,&quot; referring to the Islamic State extremist group, which controls territory in Iraq and Syria. 
 
(AFP)

'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing'

Donald Trump sensationally challenged Russia yesterday to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails as a furious Democratic campaign accused the Republican nominee of inviting foreign spies to meddle in the US presidential election. At a sweeping news conference, the New York billionaire tried to undermine his White House rival, astonishingly implied that Vladimir Putin used a racial slur against President Barack Obama and promised a heyday of US-Russian relations under a Trump presidency. His remarks provoked outrage from the Clinton campaign and left some Republicans wincing as his running mate hurriedly clarified that the party was not soft on Moscow and Trump tried to roll back his remarks. Attacking Clinton as she prepares to accept her party's formal nomination, Trump turned his guns on a previous email scandal dating back to her time as secretary of state and more than 30,000 emails deleted on grounds of being personal and not related to her job. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press," Trump said. The Clinton camp responded immediately and furiously. "This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent," Clinton's senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said. "This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue." Emails, emails, emails While the FBI declined to recommend charges against Clinton over the email scandal, its conclusion that she was "extremely careless" with classified information has seen the Democrat lose her polling advantage to Trump. The row spotlights deep US distrust of Russia, fueling yet another day of headlines about whether Russian agents may have hacked into Democratic Party emails which, once leaked, hugely embarrassed the Clinton campaign. Those emails leaked by WikiLeaks showed the extent to which party leaders sought to undermine Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders, even questioning his religious faith, and forced the Democratic National Committee chair to resign. The Clinton team blamed that leak on Moscow and accused Russia of conniving to get Trump elected. Obama also gave an interview refusing to rule out that Russia was trying to pull strings. 'Nothing to do with Russia' Trump has frequently voiced admiration for Putin, who has been in power for 17 years as president or prime minister and refuses to grant unconditional support for NATO allies in the Baltic should they face hostile acts. Moscow "probably isn't" behind the Democratic National Committee email hack, said Trump, who is yet to receive his first government intelligence briefing. "I have nothing to do with Russia," he insisted. Almost before Trump left the building, his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, sought to clarify that the Republican ticket was not in cahoots with Moscow, and attempted to shift the focus back to attacking the Democrats. "If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences," he said. "The American people now have absolute and further proof of the corruption that exists around Hillary Clinton. It should disqualify her from office." Kremlin denies Trump tweeted: "If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton's 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!" The Kremlin denies interfering in the US election. "Russia has never interfered and does not interfere in internal affairs, especially in the electoral processes of other countries," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday. Trump meanwhile said the Russian leader has no respect for Clinton or Obama. "I think he does respect me," the real estate tycoon said, hinting that the Russian leader had used America's most charged racial slur against Obama. "He mentioned the N word one time. I was shocked to hear him mention the N word," he said. "A total lack of respect for President Obama." Trump spearheaded the so-called birther movement, which undermined America's first black president by claiming that he was not born in the United Sates. "I would treat Vladimir Putin firmly," said the Republican nominee, adding that he would rather have a friendly Russia to "knock out ISIS together," referring to the Islamic State extremist group, which controls territory in Iraq and Syria. (AFP)

Trump encourages Russia to find Clinton's 'missing' emails

The United States is to start vetting would-be refugees from Central America in their home countries instead of on American soil, and offer those in imminent danger a temporary haven in Costa Rica, officials said on Tuesday. 
 
The announcement - a significant change in US immigration handling - comes after America toughened its southern border against a persistent flow of thousands of Central Americans fleeing violence, and as it steps up deportations of migrants who failed to win asylum. 
 
It also arrives in a US election year in which migration is a hot-button issue. 
 
Under the plan, to be carried out in coordination with the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, &quot;the United States government will pre-screen vulnerable applicants from the region seeking protection&quot;, the White House said in a statement. 
 
It will focus on citizens of the so-called &quot;Northern Triangle&quot; in Central America comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which are prey to frightening levels of gang-related violence, poverty and corruption. 
 
A White House spokesman, Eric Schulz, told reporters the initiative was to &quot;promote safe migration&quot;, especially for the many children attempting the &quot;harrowing and sometimes deadly trip&quot; overland to the United States. 
 
The White House statement added that asylum-seekers &quot;most in need of immediate protection&quot; would be transferred to Costa Rica. 
 
There, they would be processed further before going on to the United States or another safe country. 
 
&#39;Important&#39; step&nbsp; 
 
UNHCR&#39;s representative for Central America, Carlos Maldonado, told a news conference in Costa Rica that &quot;these people will stay a maximum of six months in Costa Rica with a humanitarian visa and will later leave for a third country&quot;. 
 
During their waiting period, the applicants would receive English language and other courses to help them adapt to their new countries, he said. 
 
Officers from the US department of homeland security will carry out the vetting in Central America, officials said. 
 
Amy Pope, the Homeland Security deputy adviser on the National Security Council headed by President Barack Obama, told reporters that US procedures to date had proven &quot;insufficient to address the number of people who may have legitimate refugee claims&quot;. 
 
She called the deal to use Costa Rica as a safe stopover for refugees was &quot;an extraordinarily important step forward for this program&quot;. 
 
Officials stressed that Central American migrants entering Costa Rica without being processed in their home country first would not be included in the program. 
 
Pope said the vetting to be carried out would be the same as that for all refugee applicants, describing it as &quot;the most comprehensive screening we do for any category of immigrants coming to the United States&quot;. 
 
US officials said they were additionally expanding an initiative for Central American minors, under which a migrant already legally in the US can ask for refugee status for them. 
 
The broadened approach will now also permit adult children to be included, as well family members who are parents or caregivers. 
 
Obama&#39;s legacy&nbsp; 
 
The changes reflect efforts by Obama&#39;s administration to find a more effective solution to the wave of Central American migrants trying to enter the US. 
 
In 2014, America saw a big spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border from Mexico. 
 
The United States responded by having Mexico bolster efforts to stop those crossing the border, and by ordering the deportation of Central American migrants in the US whose application to stay had been rejected by courts. 
 
At the same time, the United States has approved $750 million in aid to the Northern Triangle countries to boost security, in a bid to reduce the reasons so many people were fleeing. 
 
Obama in 2014 issued a decree to allow migrants whose children are legally resident to apply for permits to live in America, which would have shielded millions from deportation. 
 
But in June this year the US Supreme Court blocked that measure. 
 
Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning to succeed Obama as President in a November election, said the ruling &quot;could tear apart five million families facing deportation&quot;. 
 
However Donald Trump, her Republican challenger, has taken a tough line on all immigration, and has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border if he becomes president. 
 
(AFP)

Focus will be on citizens from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras which are prey to gang-related violence, poverty and corruption

The United States is to start vetting would-be refugees from Central America in their home countries instead of on American soil, and offer those in imminent danger a temporary haven in Costa Rica, officials said on Tuesday. The announcement - a significant change in US immigration handling - comes after America toughened its southern border against a persistent flow of thousands of Central Americans fleeing violence, and as it steps up deportations of migrants who failed to win asylum. It also arrives in a US election year in which migration is a hot-button issue. Under the plan, to be carried out in coordination with the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, "the United States government will pre-screen vulnerable applicants from the region seeking protection", the White House said in a statement. It will focus on citizens of the so-called "Northern Triangle" in Central America comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which are prey to frightening levels of gang-related violence, poverty and corruption. A White House spokesman, Eric Schulz, told reporters the initiative was to "promote safe migration", especially for the many children attempting the "harrowing and sometimes deadly trip" overland to the United States. The White House statement added that asylum-seekers "most in need of immediate protection" would be transferred to Costa Rica. There, they would be processed further before going on to the United States or another safe country. 'Important' step UNHCR's representative for Central America, Carlos Maldonado, told a news conference in Costa Rica that "these people will stay a maximum of six months in Costa Rica with a humanitarian visa and will later leave for a third country". During their waiting period, the applicants would receive English language and other courses to help them adapt to their new countries, he said. Officers from the US department of homeland security will carry out the vetting in Central America, officials said. Amy Pope, the Homeland Security deputy adviser on the National Security Council headed by President Barack Obama, told reporters that US procedures to date had proven "insufficient to address the number of people who may have legitimate refugee claims". She called the deal to use Costa Rica as a safe stopover for refugees was "an extraordinarily important step forward for this program". Officials stressed that Central American migrants entering Costa Rica without being processed in their home country first would not be included in the program. Pope said the vetting to be carried out would be the same as that for all refugee applicants, describing it as "the most comprehensive screening we do for any category of immigrants coming to the United States". US officials said they were additionally expanding an initiative for Central American minors, under which a migrant already legally in the US can ask for refugee status for them. The broadened approach will now also permit adult children to be included, as well family members who are parents or caregivers. Obama's legacy The changes reflect efforts by Obama's administration to find a more effective solution to the wave of Central American migrants trying to enter the US. In 2014, America saw a big spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border from Mexico. The United States responded by having Mexico bolster efforts to stop those crossing the border, and by ordering the deportation of Central American migrants in the US whose application to stay had been rejected by courts. At the same time, the United States has approved $750 million in aid to the Northern Triangle countries to boost security, in a bid to reduce the reasons so many people were fleeing. Obama in 2014 issued a decree to allow migrants whose children are legally resident to apply for permits to live in America, which would have shielded millions from deportation. But in June this year the US Supreme Court blocked that measure. Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning to succeed Obama as President in a November election, said the ruling "could tear apart five million families facing deportation". However Donald Trump, her Republican challenger, has taken a tough line on all immigration, and has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border if he becomes president. (AFP)

US turns to vetting would-be refugees in Central America

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday he would not get involved in a slanging match with Donald Trump after the US presidential candidate suggested withdrawing from the WTO. 
 
Trump, having earlier threatened to renegotiate or rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, told NBC on Sunday that if he takes the White House he might &quot;renegotiate or pull out&quot; of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies. 
 
Republican Trump added that &quot;These trade deals are a disaster ... (the) World Trade Organization is a disaster,&quot; insisting he would not let the WTO override his plans to impose punitive taxes on firms which shift production offshore. 
 
But the WTO&#39;s director general Roberto Azevedo said he would not rise to the bait. 
 
&quot;I do not intend to open a discussion on this subject -- as I am not a (presidential) candidate,&quot; Azevedo told a news conference in Geneva. 
 
&quot;Everybody knows what I think of the WTO and its importance for international trade and job creation,&quot; the Brazilian added, saying he would put himself forward for a second term at the head of the body after his first ends in September next year. 
 
In May, Trump raised eyebrows when he slammed China on trade, blaming the Asian behemoth for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that&#39;s what we&#39;re doing, Trump told a campaign rally, insisting that the United States had &quot;a lot of power with China.&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Trump told NBC that if he takes the White House he might "renegotiate or pull out" of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday he would not get involved in a slanging match with Donald Trump after the US presidential candidate suggested withdrawing from the WTO. Trump, having earlier threatened to renegotiate or rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, told NBC on Sunday that if he takes the White House he might "renegotiate or pull out" of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies. Republican Trump added that "These trade deals are a disaster ... (the) World Trade Organization is a disaster," insisting he would not let the WTO override his plans to impose punitive taxes on firms which shift production offshore. But the WTO's director general Roberto Azevedo said he would not rise to the bait. "I do not intend to open a discussion on this subject -- as I am not a (presidential) candidate," Azevedo told a news conference in Geneva. "Everybody knows what I think of the WTO and its importance for international trade and job creation," the Brazilian added, saying he would put himself forward for a second term at the head of the body after his first ends in September next year. In May, Trump raised eyebrows when he slammed China on trade, blaming the Asian behemoth for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what we're doing, Trump told a campaign rally, insisting that the United States had "a lot of power with China." (AFP)

WTO says won't take Trump pullout bait

US&nbsp;secretary of State John&nbsp;Kerry&nbsp;said on Tuesday that&nbsp;he raised the issue of Russia&#39;s involvement in a Democratic National Convention email hacking incident with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane.

The meeting in Laos happened amid accusations that Russia is behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails released by Wikileaks on Friday.

Earlier, Lavrov brushed aside the accusations that Russia was involved, saying: &quot;I don&#39;t want to use four-letter words.&quot; 
 
&quot;With respect to foreign minister Lavrov I did raise the issue of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and as you know the FBI is investigating the incident and it&#39;s important for the FBI to do its work and before we draw any conclusions in terms of what happened or who&#39;s behind it, it&#39;s very important that whatever public information is put out is based on fact, so I raised the question and we will continue to work to see precisely what those facts are and the FBI has responsibility for this investigation and we&#39;ll let them speak as they proceed forward gathering those facts,&quot; said&nbsp;Kerry.

Cyber security experts and US&nbsp;officials have said there is evidence that Russia engineered the release of the emails in order to influence the US&nbsp;presidential election.

Although the hacking of the DNC was known to officials and cyber security experts a month ago, the timing of the release of the contents of communications within the party is the concern for US&nbsp;authorities. 
 
Lavrov denies Moscow&#39;s involvement
Lavrov batted away allegations that Moscow was behind hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails ahead of the meeting on Tuesday. 
 
The FBI is investigating whether Russian hackers were responsible for the breach, which has caused deep embarrassment to the Democratic Party and prompted accusations that Moscow is trying to influence the US presidential election. 
 
Lavrov, in the Laos capital Vientiane for a regional security forum, shrugged when asked by reporters if Russia was responsible. 
 
&quot;Well I don&#39;t want to use four-letter words,&quot; he said cryptically, before greeting Kerry with a handshake. 
 
Disseminated by WikiLeaks, the emails revealed that Democratic Party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of party&#39;s presidential nomiee Hillary Clinton&#39;s rival Bernie Sanders, and have prompted the party boss to resign. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign was quick to point fingers at Russia, saying it was an attempt to boost Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump&#39;s shot at the White House. 
 
Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that the Russian leader was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. 
 
(Reuters, AFP) 
&nbsp;

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had rebuffed accusations that Moscow was behind the hacking of DNC emails

US secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that he raised the issue of Russia's involvement in a Democratic National Convention email hacking incident with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane. The meeting in Laos happened amid accusations that Russia is behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails released by Wikileaks on Friday. Earlier, Lavrov brushed aside the accusations that Russia was involved, saying: "I don't want to use four-letter words." "With respect to foreign minister Lavrov I did raise the issue of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and as you know the FBI is investigating the incident and it's important for the FBI to do its work and before we draw any conclusions in terms of what happened or who's behind it, it's very important that whatever public information is put out is based on fact, so I raised the question and we will continue to work to see precisely what those facts are and the FBI has responsibility for this investigation and we'll let them speak as they proceed forward gathering those facts," said Kerry. Cyber security experts and US officials have said there is evidence that Russia engineered the release of the emails in order to influence the US presidential election. Although the hacking of the DNC was known to officials and cyber security experts a month ago, the timing of the release of the contents of communications within the party is the concern for US authorities. Lavrov denies Moscow's involvement Lavrov batted away allegations that Moscow was behind hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails ahead of the meeting on Tuesday. The FBI is investigating whether Russian hackers were responsible for the breach, which has caused deep embarrassment to the Democratic Party and prompted accusations that Moscow is trying to influence the US presidential election. Lavrov, in the Laos capital Vientiane for a regional security forum, shrugged when asked by reporters if Russia was responsible. "Well I don't want to use four-letter words," he said cryptically, before greeting Kerry with a handshake. Disseminated by WikiLeaks, the emails revealed that Democratic Party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of party's presidential nomiee Hillary Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders, and have prompted the party boss to resign. Clinton's campaign was quick to point fingers at Russia, saying it was an attempt to boost Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's shot at the White House. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that the Russian leader was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. (Reuters, AFP)

John Kerry raises issue of DNC email hacking with Russian counterpart Lavrov

A triumphant Donald Trump accepted the Republican White House nomination on Thursday, promising fearful Americans to restore &quot;safety&quot; to a country mired in crises and losing its way. 
 
Trump &quot;humbly and gratefully&quot; accepted the nomination before 2,000 raucous Republican Party activists in Cleveland, in a strikingly populist speech that offered a dark view of the American condition. 
 
Between defining chants of &quot;USA&quot; and &quot;Trump, Trump, Trump&quot;, the mogul-turned-TV-star-turned-politico cast himself as the &quot;law and order candidate&quot; and vowed to champion &quot;people who work hard but no longer have a voice&quot;. 
 
&quot;I am your voice,&quot; he declared pointing into the cameras, promising a return to more secure times with &quot;millions of new jobs and trillions in new wealth.&quot; 
 
Tapping into public angst over recent racially-tinged shootings and seemingly indiscriminate terror attacks, Trump offered a tough-on-crime message that was reminiscent of Richard Nixon&#39;s election-winning strategy in 1968. 
 
The &quot;crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Beginning on January 20, of 2017, safety will be restored.&quot; 
 
He repeated many of the controversial themes of his bruising primary campaign,&nbsp;banning foreigners from countries linked to terrorism, building a wall on the Mexican border, and renegotiating unfavorable trade deals with China. 
 
The party rank-and-file lapped it up, rising to their feet in standing ovation after standing ovation and displaying none of the divisions that have plagued the four-day convention. 
 
Clinton in focus&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s acceptance speech was his first major primetime address to the nation and the opening salvo of November&#39;s general election. 
 
Nationwide polls put the New York mogul, who has never held elected office, almost neck-and-neck with Clinton, the former secretary of state heavily criticised over an email scandal.&nbsp;Clinton will formally accept the Democratic nomination at her own convention next week. 
 
Trump painted her as corrupt, incompetent and hopelessly out of touch. 
 
&quot;This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton --&nbsp;death, destruction, terrorism and weakness,&quot; he said. 
 
Clinton fired off an icy rebuke on Twitter, telling him: &quot;We are better than this.&quot;&nbsp;Throughout the Cleveland convention Republicans have rallied around chants of &quot;lock her up&quot;. 
 
Speakers had lined up to denounce Clinton for the deaths of their loved ones, for dodgy foreign policies, and for putting national security at risk by using a private email server for sensitive government information. 
 
Trump accused the former secretary of state as being a political insider with &quot;bad instincts&quot; and &quot;bad judgment.&quot; 
 
&quot;My message is that things have to change&nbsp;and they have to change right now.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you.&quot; 
 
It remains unclear if that message will be enough to unite a Republican Party riven with doubts over his candidature. 
 
On Wednesday, those doubts were laid bare when his primary rival Ted Cruz pointedly refused to endorse him. 
 
&quot;Vote your conscience,&quot; Cruz said to a chorus of boos. 
 
Before Trump took to the stage Friday, his daughter, Ivanka, tried to warm up the crowd and soften her father&#39;s image. 
 
&quot;He is colour blind and gender neutral.&nbsp;He hires the best person for the job. Period,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;My father not only has the strength and ability necessary to be the next president, but also the kindness and compassion that will enable him to be the leader that this country needs.&quot; 
 
Unorthodox campaign 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign has defied political norms -- fueling ethnic tensions, offending key voting blocs, eschewing big-spending ad buys and an elaborate campaign organisation, relying instead on heavy media coverage. 
 
But his roller-coaster campaign defeated 16 rivals and steamrolled stubborn party opposition after being written off as a joke. 
 
He has shocked foreign leaders by questioning key pillars of American foreign policy.&nbsp;He recently hedged on normally sacrosanct support for NATO allies, warning it would depend &quot;if they fulfill their commitments to us.&quot; 
 
In office, Trump promised to &quot;put America first.&quot; 
 
Americans, he said, have &quot;lived through one international humiliation after another.&quot; 
 
&quot;The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponents&nbsp;is that our plan will put America First.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo,&quot; he said. &quot;The American people will come first once again.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Trump secured Republican nomination on Tuesday after vanquishing 16 rivals

A triumphant Donald Trump accepted the Republican White House nomination on Thursday, promising fearful Americans to restore "safety" to a country mired in crises and losing its way. Trump "humbly and gratefully" accepted the nomination before 2,000 raucous Republican Party activists in Cleveland, in a strikingly populist speech that offered a dark view of the American condition. Between defining chants of "USA" and "Trump, Trump, Trump", the mogul-turned-TV-star-turned-politico cast himself as the "law and order candidate" and vowed to champion "people who work hard but no longer have a voice". "I am your voice," he declared pointing into the cameras, promising a return to more secure times with "millions of new jobs and trillions in new wealth." Tapping into public angst over recent racially-tinged shootings and seemingly indiscriminate terror attacks, Trump offered a tough-on-crime message that was reminiscent of Richard Nixon's election-winning strategy in 1968. The "crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end," he said. "Beginning on January 20, of 2017, safety will be restored." He repeated many of the controversial themes of his bruising primary campaign, banning foreigners from countries linked to terrorism, building a wall on the Mexican border, and renegotiating unfavorable trade deals with China. The party rank-and-file lapped it up, rising to their feet in standing ovation after standing ovation and displaying none of the divisions that have plagued the four-day convention. Clinton in focus Trump's acceptance speech was his first major primetime address to the nation and the opening salvo of November's general election. Nationwide polls put the New York mogul, who has never held elected office, almost neck-and-neck with Clinton, the former secretary of state heavily criticised over an email scandal. Clinton will formally accept the Democratic nomination at her own convention next week. Trump painted her as corrupt, incompetent and hopelessly out of touch. "This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton -- death, destruction, terrorism and weakness," he said. Clinton fired off an icy rebuke on Twitter, telling him: "We are better than this." Throughout the Cleveland convention Republicans have rallied around chants of "lock her up". Speakers had lined up to denounce Clinton for the deaths of their loved ones, for dodgy foreign policies, and for putting national security at risk by using a private email server for sensitive government information. Trump accused the former secretary of state as being a political insider with "bad instincts" and "bad judgment." "My message is that things have to change and they have to change right now." "I'm with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you." It remains unclear if that message will be enough to unite a Republican Party riven with doubts over his candidature. On Wednesday, those doubts were laid bare when his primary rival Ted Cruz pointedly refused to endorse him. "Vote your conscience," Cruz said to a chorus of boos. Before Trump took to the stage Friday, his daughter, Ivanka, tried to warm up the crowd and soften her father's image. "He is colour blind and gender neutral. He hires the best person for the job. Period," she said. "My father not only has the strength and ability necessary to be the next president, but also the kindness and compassion that will enable him to be the leader that this country needs." Unorthodox campaign Trump's campaign has defied political norms -- fueling ethnic tensions, offending key voting blocs, eschewing big-spending ad buys and an elaborate campaign organisation, relying instead on heavy media coverage. But his roller-coaster campaign defeated 16 rivals and steamrolled stubborn party opposition after being written off as a joke. He has shocked foreign leaders by questioning key pillars of American foreign policy. He recently hedged on normally sacrosanct support for NATO allies, warning it would depend "if they fulfill their commitments to us." In office, Trump promised to "put America first." Americans, he said, have "lived through one international humiliation after another." "The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponents is that our plan will put America First." "Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo," he said. "The American people will come first once again." (AFP)

Donald Trump accepts Republican nomination, paints Hillary corrupt in his first address

Donald Trump&#39;s one-time Republican rival Ted Cruz threw the party convention into chaos on Wednesday, provocatively telling delegates to &quot;vote their conscience&quot; and refusing to endorse the mogul. 
 
Activists&#39; ovations and adulations for the conservative Texas senator turned to jeers and boos as it became clear he had not come to Cleveland to back the party nominee. 
 
&quot;We deserve leaders who stand for principle, who unite us all behind shared values, who cast aside anger for love,&quot; said Cruz, effectively listing criticisms levelled at Trump. 
 
&quot;If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak, and vote your conscience,&quot; he said as the crowd erupted into yells of anger. 
 
The two men fought a bitter and at times deeply personal primary campaign in which Trump mocked Cruz&#39;s wife. 
 
In another dramatic twist, Trump decided to step on Cruz&#39;s moment in the sun by entering the arena before the Texan had finished speaking. 
 
Cruz, who is widely expected to run in 2020 should Trump lose to Hillary Clinton, was forced to wave and smile before completing his remarks and exiting to more jeers. 
 
Indiana Governor Mike Pence accepted the Republican vice-presidential nomination at a tumultuous party convention in Cleveland Wednesday, describing his running mate Donald Trump as a &quot;good man.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am deeply humbled by your confidence,&quot; Pence told delegates, still reeling from a night of high drama and political infighting over Trump&#39;s anointment as the party&#39;s White House candidate. 
 
Walker urges vote for Trump 
 
Former Republican Presidential candidate, the current governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday (July 20) calling on voters across America ot vote for Donald Trump. 
 
&quot;Last August, I said that any of the Republicans running would be better than Hillary Clinton. I meant it then, and I mean it now. So let me be clear: a vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton,&quot; Walker said. 
 
Walker got the crowd to chant along with him screaming &quot;Why? Because America deserves better.&quot; 
 
&quot;If you&#39;ve had enough of Washington&#39;s brokenness, of Washington&#39;s wastefulness, of Washington&#39;s empty promises and of Washington&#39;s arrogance, I invite you here from across America join us. Help us elect Republicans to office - from the courthouse to the statehouse to the White House,&quot; Walker said. 
 
After vanquishing 16 party rivals, warring with much of the Republican establishment and sparking controversy at the party convention, Donald Trump on Tuesday secured the party&#39;s 2016 nomination for the White House. 
 
Trump won with 1,725 delegates, followed by Cruz of Texas with 475 delegates, Ohio Governor John Kasich with 120 and US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 114. Three other candidates emerged with a total of 12 delegates. 
 
After the presidential vote, the convention by voice vote nominated Indiana Governor Mike Pence, 57, Trump&#39;s choice for his vice-presidential running mate. 
 
A wealthy New York real estate developer and a reality TV celebrity, the 70-year-old Trump was a long shot when he entered the race for the Republican nomination more than a year ago, having never held elected office. 
 
Protests erupt outside convention 
 
Police arrested 17 people on Wednesday outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after protesters tried to burn American flags.Two officers were assaulted and suffered &quot;minor bumps and bruises,&quot; Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said. 
 
Two people were arrested on felony counts and 15 others on misdemeanor charges.&nbsp;&quot;There are people that don&#39;t want to just protest,&quot; Williams said. 
 
&quot;Their only reason for being here is disruption, disorder and chaos.&quot;&nbsp;Tensions flared on the street in front of a secure entrance area to the Quicken Loans Arena, where Republicans anointed Donald Trump as their party&#39;s 2016 presidential nominee. 
 
A protester tried to set an American flag on fire, and in the process caught his pant leg on fire. A police officer responded to put the flames out, and the protester punched and pushed the officer, Williams said. 
 
In the skirmish, the pant legs of two other people nearby also caught on fire, the chief said. 
 
Security forces, including horse-mounted police, closed ranks around the protesters, and detained people were seen kneeling with their hands behind their backs. 
 
A group calling itself the Revolution Club sent out a press release earlier saying that Joey Johnson, a &quot;notorious flag burner and revolutionary communist,&quot; would conduct civil disobedience in Cleveland. 
 
Police declined to identify the arrestees, because they had not yet been booked and officially charged, but a member of the group said that Johnson was among those arrested. 
 
A woman from the same group also was seen trying to burn a second flag. Police intervened and tussled with protesters as an officer snatched away the singed flag. 
 
Later, the woman was arrested, as people chanted &quot;Let her go!&quot; 
 
Demonstrations have taken place mostly peacefully in the city during the week of the convention, although scuffles have broken out during some protests. 
 
The police chief emphasized that there have only been 22 arrests over the three days of the convention. 
 
&quot;So far so good,&quot; Williams said, &quot;We&#39;re still out there. We&#39;re still vigilant.&quot; 
 
Police have been on alert in the Ohio city, and security was ramped up dramatically for the week of the Republican convention in the wake of the recent killings of police officers in Dallas, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 
 
(Agencies) 
&nbsp;

Cruz booed for not backing Trump, while Scott Walker said any Republican is better than Clinton

Donald Trump's one-time Republican rival Ted Cruz threw the party convention into chaos on Wednesday, provocatively telling delegates to "vote their conscience" and refusing to endorse the mogul. Activists' ovations and adulations for the conservative Texas senator turned to jeers and boos as it became clear he had not come to Cleveland to back the party nominee. "We deserve leaders who stand for principle, who unite us all behind shared values, who cast aside anger for love," said Cruz, effectively listing criticisms levelled at Trump. "If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak, and vote your conscience," he said as the crowd erupted into yells of anger. The two men fought a bitter and at times deeply personal primary campaign in which Trump mocked Cruz's wife. In another dramatic twist, Trump decided to step on Cruz's moment in the sun by entering the arena before the Texan had finished speaking. Cruz, who is widely expected to run in 2020 should Trump lose to Hillary Clinton, was forced to wave and smile before completing his remarks and exiting to more jeers. Indiana Governor Mike Pence accepted the Republican vice-presidential nomination at a tumultuous party convention in Cleveland Wednesday, describing his running mate Donald Trump as a "good man." "I am deeply humbled by your confidence," Pence told delegates, still reeling from a night of high drama and political infighting over Trump's anointment as the party's White House candidate. Walker urges vote for Trump Former Republican Presidential candidate, the current governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday (July 20) calling on voters across America ot vote for Donald Trump. "Last August, I said that any of the Republicans running would be better than Hillary Clinton. I meant it then, and I mean it now. So let me be clear: a vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton," Walker said. Walker got the crowd to chant along with him screaming "Why? Because America deserves better." "If you've had enough of Washington's brokenness, of Washington's wastefulness, of Washington's empty promises and of Washington's arrogance, I invite you here from across America join us. Help us elect Republicans to office - from the courthouse to the statehouse to the White House," Walker said. After vanquishing 16 party rivals, warring with much of the Republican establishment and sparking controversy at the party convention, Donald Trump on Tuesday secured the party's 2016 nomination for the White House. Trump won with 1,725 delegates, followed by Cruz of Texas with 475 delegates, Ohio Governor John Kasich with 120 and US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 114. Three other candidates emerged with a total of 12 delegates. After the presidential vote, the convention by voice vote nominated Indiana Governor Mike Pence, 57, Trump's choice for his vice-presidential running mate. A wealthy New York real estate developer and a reality TV celebrity, the 70-year-old Trump was a long shot when he entered the race for the Republican nomination more than a year ago, having never held elected office. Protests erupt outside convention Police arrested 17 people on Wednesday outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after protesters tried to burn American flags.Two officers were assaulted and suffered "minor bumps and bruises," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said. Two people were arrested on felony counts and 15 others on misdemeanor charges. "There are people that don't want to just protest," Williams said. "Their only reason for being here is disruption, disorder and chaos." Tensions flared on the street in front of a secure entrance area to the Quicken Loans Arena, where Republicans anointed Donald Trump as their party's 2016 presidential nominee. A protester tried to set an American flag on fire, and in the process caught his pant leg on fire. A police officer responded to put the flames out, and the protester punched and pushed the officer, Williams said. In the skirmish, the pant legs of two other people nearby also caught on fire, the chief said. Security forces, including horse-mounted police, closed ranks around the protesters, and detained people were seen kneeling with their hands behind their backs. A group calling itself the Revolution Club sent out a press release earlier saying that Joey Johnson, a "notorious flag burner and revolutionary communist," would conduct civil disobedience in Cleveland. Police declined to identify the arrestees, because they had not yet been booked and officially charged, but a member of the group said that Johnson was among those arrested. A woman from the same group also was seen trying to burn a second flag. Police intervened and tussled with protesters as an officer snatched away the singed flag. Later, the woman was arrested, as people chanted "Let her go!" Demonstrations have taken place mostly peacefully in the city during the week of the convention, although scuffles have broken out during some protests. The police chief emphasized that there have only been 22 arrests over the three days of the convention. "So far so good," Williams said, "We're still out there. We're still vigilant." Police have been on alert in the Ohio city, and security was ramped up dramatically for the week of the Republican convention in the wake of the recent killings of police officers in Dallas, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Agencies)

Republican convention: More about denouncing Hillary than endorsing Trump

A Trump staffer apologised on Wednesday for using remarks by US First Lady Michelle Obama in a speech delivered by Donald Trump&#39;s wife Melania at the Republican National Convention that ignited a deeply embarrassing plagiarism row. 
 
The speech from the ex-model, watched by millions on television on Monday night, amounted to a nightmarish start for the convention and subjected her husband`s presidential campaign to withering scrutiny. 
 
Melania Trump had &quot;always liked&quot; the Democratic first lady and had &quot;read me some passages from Mrs Obama`s speech&quot; as examples of what she wanted to tell the convention, said staffer Meredith McIver. 
 
&quot;I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs Obama`s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused. No harm was meant,&quot; she said in a statement released by the Trump campaign.&nbsp; 
 
McIver said Trump had refused to accept her resignation, saying that &quot;people make innocent mistakes,&quot; according to her statement. 
 
&quot;I apologize for the confusion and hysteria my mistake has caused. I personally admire the way Mr Trump has handled this situation and I am grateful for his understanding,&quot; said McIver, who was identified as an in-house staff writer from the Trump Organization.&nbsp; 
 
Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to comment on the swirling controversy, saying: &quot;Good news is Melania`s speech got more publicity than any in the history of politics especially if you believe that all press is good press!&quot; 
 
He also took a swipe at the media, which he has repeatedly alleged is biased against him and favors Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who herself has recently been mired in an email scandal. 
 
&quot;The media is spending more time doing a forensic analysis of Melania`s speech than the FBI spent on Hillary`s emails,&quot; he wrote. 
Michelle Obama, a Harvard-educated lawyer, has high approval ratings across the country and in Melania`s home city has been embraced in New York fashion circles for her sense of style and elegance. 
 
With millions watching on television, the Slovenia-born former model delivered an eloquent and seemingly heartfelt defense of her husband. 
 
&quot;Donald is, and always has been, an amazing leader,&quot; said the 46-year-old. &quot;Now, he will go to work for you.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Despite the unmistakable similarities to remarks given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention, the Trump campaign initially denied any wrongdoing, then made a tacit admission before attempting to insulate Melania, adding to a picture of a campaign in chaos. 
 
But at the convention itself, many Republicans were unperturbed, with delegates and party members praising Melania for her grace and poise in delivering a speech in what is thought to be her fifth language. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Despite the unmistakable similarities to remarks given by Michelle Obama, the Trump campaign initially denied any wrongdoing

A Trump staffer apologised on Wednesday for using remarks by US First Lady Michelle Obama in a speech delivered by Donald Trump's wife Melania at the Republican National Convention that ignited a deeply embarrassing plagiarism row. The speech from the ex-model, watched by millions on television on Monday night, amounted to a nightmarish start for the convention and subjected her husband`s presidential campaign to withering scrutiny. Melania Trump had "always liked" the Democratic first lady and had "read me some passages from Mrs Obama`s speech" as examples of what she wanted to tell the convention, said staffer Meredith McIver. "I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs Obama`s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused. No harm was meant," she said in a statement released by the Trump campaign. McIver said Trump had refused to accept her resignation, saying that "people make innocent mistakes," according to her statement. "I apologize for the confusion and hysteria my mistake has caused. I personally admire the way Mr Trump has handled this situation and I am grateful for his understanding," said McIver, who was identified as an in-house staff writer from the Trump Organization. Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to comment on the swirling controversy, saying: "Good news is Melania`s speech got more publicity than any in the history of politics especially if you believe that all press is good press!" He also took a swipe at the media, which he has repeatedly alleged is biased against him and favors Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who herself has recently been mired in an email scandal. "The media is spending more time doing a forensic analysis of Melania`s speech than the FBI spent on Hillary`s emails," he wrote. Michelle Obama, a Harvard-educated lawyer, has high approval ratings across the country and in Melania`s home city has been embraced in New York fashion circles for her sense of style and elegance. With millions watching on television, the Slovenia-born former model delivered an eloquent and seemingly heartfelt defense of her husband. "Donald is, and always has been, an amazing leader," said the 46-year-old. "Now, he will go to work for you." Despite the unmistakable similarities to remarks given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention, the Trump campaign initially denied any wrongdoing, then made a tacit admission before attempting to insulate Melania, adding to a picture of a campaign in chaos. But at the convention itself, many Republicans were unperturbed, with delegates and party members praising Melania for her grace and poise in delivering a speech in what is thought to be her fifth language. (AFP)

Melania plagiarism row: Trump turns down staffer's resignation

An assortment of European right-wing politicians made a fraternal pilgrimage to the Republican convention on Tuesday, voicing their backing for Donald Trump. 
 
Fresh from a Brexit referendum victory Nigel Farage was expected in Cleveland on the heels of Dutch far-right firebrand Geert Wilders. 
 
&quot;What is happening in America is also happening in Europe. People feel misrepresented,&quot; said Wilders as he made his way to the convention floor. 
 
Wilders predicted that Europe would soon see a new stripe of politician and he was rooting for America to follow suit. 
 
&quot;It would be so much better if in America and Europe we would have leadership that goes in the same direction,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I believe it would certainly help if Trump would be elected.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'I believe it would certainly help if Trump would be elected,' said Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders

An assortment of European right-wing politicians made a fraternal pilgrimage to the Republican convention on Tuesday, voicing their backing for Donald Trump. Fresh from a Brexit referendum victory Nigel Farage was expected in Cleveland on the heels of Dutch far-right firebrand Geert Wilders. "What is happening in America is also happening in Europe. People feel misrepresented," said Wilders as he made his way to the convention floor. Wilders predicted that Europe would soon see a new stripe of politician and he was rooting for America to follow suit. "It would be so much better if in America and Europe we would have leadership that goes in the same direction," he said. "I believe it would certainly help if Trump would be elected." (AFP)

European right wingers root for Trump

Donald Trump faced an embarrassing plagiarism scandal today that tarnished his wife Melania&#39;s prime-time speech to a Republican National Convention already roiled by an opening day rank-and-file revolt. 
 
It was a rough start to the four-day buildup to Trump&#39;s presidential nomination, one designed for maximum media exposure for the Republican standard bearer and his supporters. 
 
With millions watching on TV at home, Melania Trump delivered a defence of her husband and his bid to be the next president of the United States before thousands of cheering convention delegates. 
 
But unmistakeable similarities between a passage in her speech about her guiding values and one in a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention soon came to light. 
 
A senior Trump communications adviser, Jason Miller, acknowledged in a statement that Melania Trump&#39;s team of writers &quot;in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking.&quot; 
 
However, Paul Manafort, Trump&#39;s campaign chief, denied there was any &quot;cribbing of Michelle Obama&#39;s speech.&quot; 
 
&quot;I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama&#39;s words is crazy,&quot; he said on CNN. 
 
The development came after a chaotic start to the Republican gathering in Cleveland which erupted in jeers from Trump opponents after their bid to hold a roll call vote on convention rules was quashed. 
 
&quot;We deserve to be heard, this is the people&#39;s convention!&quot; said Diana Shores, a delegate from Virginia, while pro-Trump delegates tried to drown out the rebels with shouts of &quot;Shame! Shame!&quot; 
 
Today the convention holds a state-by-state roll call vote with each delegation confirming the winner in their primary election. 
 
Although a routine procedure, it too could be the scene of further disruptions by anti-Trump factions.&nbsp;But Trump fans insist delegates heed the will of the grassroots of the party and make him the Republican nominee without equivocation. 
 
The billionaire won a thumping victory in a series of statewide party elections, garnering more than 13 million votes - the most of any Republican nominee ever.&nbsp;This was meant to be Trump&#39;s moment - the point at which he sealed Republican divisions and marched the party toward November&#39;s election and the White House. 
 
Making a surprise cameo appearance at the gathering in Cleveland to introduce his wife, the bombastic tycoon showed confidence that belied the day&#39;s spasm of public division.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re going to win so big&quot; said Trump. &quot;Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honour to present the next First Lady of the United States.&quot; 
 
Ahead of the convention, he had tried to assuage conservative critics, and bring the party together by naming Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate. 
 
First the lady 
 
But it was Trump&#39;s Slovenian-born wife Melania, until now only a minor presence in the campaign, who stepped up as his chief advocate on the convention&#39;s opening day.&nbsp;She took the stage with all the allure of a former model and in a strong accent made the case for Americans to entrust Trump with the presidency. 
 
&quot;Donald is, and always has been, an amazing leader,&quot; said the 46-year-old. &quot;Now, he will go to work for you.&quot; 
 
&quot;He does not give up,&quot; she said of her husband, portraying him as a loving father and successful businessman who would be a strong and compassionate president.&nbsp;She also sought to put a more human face on a candidate many voters see as brash and egotistical. 
 
&quot;Donald intends to represent all the people, not just some of the people. That includes Christians and Jews and Muslims. It includes Hispanics and African-Americans and Asians and the poor and the middle class.&quot; 
 
Plagiarism 
 
No sooner had the speech been delivered it was overshadowed by the plagiarism controversy.&nbsp;In a passage that appeared to be lifted from Michelle Obama&#39;s speech eight years ago, Melania discussed her parents&#39; influence on her. 
 
&quot;My parents impressed on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son,&quot; Melania Trump said. 
 
&quot;And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.&quot; 
 
In her 2008 speech, Michelle Obama had said: 
 
&quot;And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you&#39;re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don&#39;t know them, and even if you don&#39;t agree with them. 
 
&quot;And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children - and all children in this nation - to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Trump's campaign chief denied the analogy

Donald Trump faced an embarrassing plagiarism scandal today that tarnished his wife Melania's prime-time speech to a Republican National Convention already roiled by an opening day rank-and-file revolt. It was a rough start to the four-day buildup to Trump's presidential nomination, one designed for maximum media exposure for the Republican standard bearer and his supporters. With millions watching on TV at home, Melania Trump delivered a defence of her husband and his bid to be the next president of the United States before thousands of cheering convention delegates. But unmistakeable similarities between a passage in her speech about her guiding values and one in a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention soon came to light. A senior Trump communications adviser, Jason Miller, acknowledged in a statement that Melania Trump's team of writers "in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking." However, Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chief, denied there was any "cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech." "I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy," he said on CNN. The development came after a chaotic start to the Republican gathering in Cleveland which erupted in jeers from Trump opponents after their bid to hold a roll call vote on convention rules was quashed. "We deserve to be heard, this is the people's convention!" said Diana Shores, a delegate from Virginia, while pro-Trump delegates tried to drown out the rebels with shouts of "Shame! Shame!" Today the convention holds a state-by-state roll call vote with each delegation confirming the winner in their primary election. Although a routine procedure, it too could be the scene of further disruptions by anti-Trump factions. But Trump fans insist delegates heed the will of the grassroots of the party and make him the Republican nominee without equivocation. The billionaire won a thumping victory in a series of statewide party elections, garnering more than 13 million votes - the most of any Republican nominee ever. This was meant to be Trump's moment - the point at which he sealed Republican divisions and marched the party toward November's election and the White House. Making a surprise cameo appearance at the gathering in Cleveland to introduce his wife, the bombastic tycoon showed confidence that belied the day's spasm of public division. "We're going to win so big" said Trump. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honour to present the next First Lady of the United States." Ahead of the convention, he had tried to assuage conservative critics, and bring the party together by naming Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate. First the lady But it was Trump's Slovenian-born wife Melania, until now only a minor presence in the campaign, who stepped up as his chief advocate on the convention's opening day. She took the stage with all the allure of a former model and in a strong accent made the case for Americans to entrust Trump with the presidency. "Donald is, and always has been, an amazing leader," said the 46-year-old. "Now, he will go to work for you." "He does not give up," she said of her husband, portraying him as a loving father and successful businessman who would be a strong and compassionate president. She also sought to put a more human face on a candidate many voters see as brash and egotistical. "Donald intends to represent all the people, not just some of the people. That includes Christians and Jews and Muslims. It includes Hispanics and African-Americans and Asians and the poor and the middle class." Plagiarism No sooner had the speech been delivered it was overshadowed by the plagiarism controversy. In a passage that appeared to be lifted from Michelle Obama's speech eight years ago, Melania discussed her parents' influence on her. "My parents impressed on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son," Melania Trump said. "And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them." In her 2008 speech, Michelle Obama had said: "And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them. "And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children - and all children in this nation - to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them." (AFP)

Melania Trump's speech echoes that of Michelle Obama's, slammed for plagiarism

Freshly minted as his party&#39;s choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. 
 
Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party&#39;s social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump&#39;s commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. 
 
But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump&#39;s running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot;, was not smooth. 
 
For example, asked about Pence&#39;s support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, &quot;I don&#39;t care,&quot; saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, &quot;No&quot;. 
 
The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party&#39;s nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday&#39;s session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. 
 
Several convention delegates called Trump&#39;s choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party&#39;s establishment. Pence&#39;s performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. 
 
Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to &quot;Make America First Again&quot;. Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. 
 
On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. 
 
&quot;For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan,&quot; Pence said. &quot;My fellow conservatives, it&#39;s time for us to come together. Come together around this good man.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The two shared the stage only briefly on Saturday at the Republican Convention, but now Pence compares Trump to Ronald Reagan

Freshly minted as his party's choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party's social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump's commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump's running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS's "60 Minutes", was not smooth. For example, asked about Pence's support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, "I don't care," saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, "No". The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party's nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday's session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. Several convention delegates called Trump's choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party's establishment. Pence's performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to "Make America First Again". Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. "For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan," Pence said. "My fellow conservatives, it's time for us to come together. Come together around this good man." (Reuters)

After awkward start, Trump, Pence put relationship on display

The throngs of fired-up, potentially violent protesters expected to flood Cleveland on the sidelines on the Republican National Convention failed to materialise as the confab got underway on Monday. 
 
Events were low key and peaceful, taking place in an atmosphere that resembled a carnival more than a political hotbed, in spite of the passions aroused by the Donald Trump&#39;s controversial White House bid. 
 
Officials said the two main protests drew approximately 500 people combined. Organisers had expected to draw thousands to just one of those protests, but security concerns may have played a role in depressing turnout. 
 
&quot;One of the things that we were hearing from all kinds of people was that they were so scared about... the forecasting of violence, that people were saying I&#39;m not going to get anywhere near downtown during the week of the Republican convention,&quot; said Larry Bresler, the organizer of an anti-poverty march and rally. 
 
After recent high-profile incidents of gun violence in the United States, law enforcement was out in force. Officers were on loan from departments throughout the country. 
 
Patches on patrolling officers uniforms identified them as members of departments from as far away as California. 
 
There had been concerns of potential clashes between Trump supporters and opponents, and of racially-tinged unrest. 
 
But on Monday, commerce appeared to win over politics. Street vendors could be seen selling Trump paraphernalia; whether they agreed with the presumptive Republican nominee&#39;s positions was beside the point. 
 
Trump condoms 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Are you a Trump supporter?&quot; asked one vendor to a passing bicyclist. 
 
&quot;No, are you?&quot; came the bicyclist reply. 
 
&quot;No,&quot; was the vendor&#39;s chuckled response, as the bicyclist rode on. 
 
Street vendor Eric Yesbick, who said he was a comedian back in his home state of Georgia, came solely for the commercial opportunity. He was selling novelty condoms with Trump&#39;s image on the packaging. 
 
&quot;Everyone sells posters, bumper stickers, hats, T-shirts, buttons. I&#39;m the only person that sells political condoms,&quot; Yesbick boasted of his dubious venture. 
 
While much of the street scene around Cleveland&#39;s Quicken Loans Arena, the site of the convention, was light-hearted, there was one moment that highlighted security forces&#39; heightened state of alert. 
 
When six people dressed in black, with their faces covered with bandannas or masks, appeared about two blocks from the arena, dozens of bicycled police rushed to detain them. 
 
The six said they were part of Anonymous, the online network of activists and hackers. None were arrested, but police said they confiscated several items from the group: gas masks, a small knife and a slingshot. 
 
There was one arrest in an unrelated incident, according to police. 
 
More protests are planned throughout the week of the convention. 
 
On Wednesday, a group of Latino activists planned to showcase a wall of banners in opposition to Trump&#39;s call to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. 
 
And on Thursday, the day Trump is expected to officially receive the Republican Party&#39;s nomination, Cleveland-area physicians are planning a protest in opposition to the presumptive nominee. 
 
(AFP)

In spite of passions aroused by the Donald Trump's controversial White House bid, events were low key and peaceful

The throngs of fired-up, potentially violent protesters expected to flood Cleveland on the sidelines on the Republican National Convention failed to materialise as the confab got underway on Monday. Events were low key and peaceful, taking place in an atmosphere that resembled a carnival more than a political hotbed, in spite of the passions aroused by the Donald Trump's controversial White House bid. Officials said the two main protests drew approximately 500 people combined. Organisers had expected to draw thousands to just one of those protests, but security concerns may have played a role in depressing turnout. "One of the things that we were hearing from all kinds of people was that they were so scared about... the forecasting of violence, that people were saying I'm not going to get anywhere near downtown during the week of the Republican convention," said Larry Bresler, the organizer of an anti-poverty march and rally. After recent high-profile incidents of gun violence in the United States, law enforcement was out in force. Officers were on loan from departments throughout the country. Patches on patrolling officers uniforms identified them as members of departments from as far away as California. There had been concerns of potential clashes between Trump supporters and opponents, and of racially-tinged unrest. But on Monday, commerce appeared to win over politics. Street vendors could be seen selling Trump paraphernalia; whether they agreed with the presumptive Republican nominee's positions was beside the point. Trump condoms "Are you a Trump supporter?" asked one vendor to a passing bicyclist. "No, are you?" came the bicyclist reply. "No," was the vendor's chuckled response, as the bicyclist rode on. Street vendor Eric Yesbick, who said he was a comedian back in his home state of Georgia, came solely for the commercial opportunity. He was selling novelty condoms with Trump's image on the packaging. "Everyone sells posters, bumper stickers, hats, T-shirts, buttons. I'm the only person that sells political condoms," Yesbick boasted of his dubious venture. While much of the street scene around Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, the site of the convention, was light-hearted, there was one moment that highlighted security forces' heightened state of alert. When six people dressed in black, with their faces covered with bandannas or masks, appeared about two blocks from the arena, dozens of bicycled police rushed to detain them. The six said they were part of Anonymous, the online network of activists and hackers. None were arrested, but police said they confiscated several items from the group: gas masks, a small knife and a slingshot. There was one arrest in an unrelated incident, according to police. More protests are planned throughout the week of the convention. On Wednesday, a group of Latino activists planned to showcase a wall of banners in opposition to Trump's call to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. And on Thursday, the day Trump is expected to officially receive the Republican Party's nomination, Cleveland-area physicians are planning a protest in opposition to the presumptive nominee. (AFP)

Cleveland peaceful as mass protests fail to materialise

The President of United States Barack Obama condemned as &quot;cowardly&quot; a shooting that killed three police officers and wounded three more in the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge on Sunday. 
 
&quot;For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault,&quot; Obama said in a statement. 
 
&quot;These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law and on civilized society, and they have to stop.&quot; 
 
A separate shooting in Dallas, Texas earlier this month killed five police officers during a demonstration triggered by the fatal police shooting of two African American men whose dying moments were captured in shocking video footage that went viral online. 
 
Obama said he had offered his &quot;full support&quot; and that of the federal government to authorities in Baton Rouge and to Louisiana state as a whole. 
 
&quot;And make no mistake - justice will be done,&quot; the President added. 
 
&quot;We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes.&quot; 
 
Obama stressed that the police officers in Baton Rouge, like those in Dallas before them, &quot;were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now &ndash; all of us &ndash;&nbsp;to be at our best&quot;. 
 
The first African American president of the United States, Obama has made repeated calls for racial unity. 
 
During a memorial for the slain policemen, he insisted that &quot;we are not as divided as we seem&quot;. 
 
Donal Trump&nbsp;blames shooting on &#39;lack of leadership&#39; 
 
Republican Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;responded to the killing of three police officers in Louisiana by renewing his call for greater leadership and &quot;law and order&quot;. 
 
&quot;We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country?&quot;&nbsp;Trump, the party&#39;s presumptive presidential nominee posted on Facebook. &quot;We demand law and order&quot;. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

'There is no justification for violence against law enforcement,' he says. 'None. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes'

The President of United States Barack Obama condemned as "cowardly" a shooting that killed three police officers and wounded three more in the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge on Sunday. "For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault," Obama said in a statement. "These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law and on civilized society, and they have to stop." A separate shooting in Dallas, Texas earlier this month killed five police officers during a demonstration triggered by the fatal police shooting of two African American men whose dying moments were captured in shocking video footage that went viral online. Obama said he had offered his "full support" and that of the federal government to authorities in Baton Rouge and to Louisiana state as a whole. "And make no mistake - justice will be done," the President added. "We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes." Obama stressed that the police officers in Baton Rouge, like those in Dallas before them, "were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now – all of us – to be at our best". The first African American president of the United States, Obama has made repeated calls for racial unity. During a memorial for the slain policemen, he insisted that "we are not as divided as we seem". Donal Trump blames shooting on 'lack of leadership' Republican Donald Trump responded to the killing of three police officers in Louisiana by renewing his call for greater leadership and "law and order". "We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country?" Trump, the party's presumptive presidential nominee posted on Facebook. "We demand law and order". (AFP and Reuters)

Obama: The 'work of cowards'

In his first interview as Donald Trump&#39;s running mate, Indiana governor Mike Pence on Friday compared the Republican presidential hopeful to conservative icon Ronald Reagan. 
 
Pence, interviewed on Fox News Channel&#39;s &quot;Hannity&quot; show, emphasised that the real estate mogul and reality TV star was &quot;the people&#39;s choice&quot;. 
 
The Republican Party &quot;had a competitive primary with him, enormous number of talented men and women,&quot; Pence said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Donald Trump again and again emerged because I think very much like the 40th president that you and I so admire, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump understands the anxiety and the aspiration of the American people like no leader since Reagan.&quot; 
 
Trump has no direct political experience. In contrast Reagan, a Hollywood actor, was governor of California before he was elected president. 
 
The comparison with the late Reagan, who served two terms during the 1980s and is revered by Republicans, is a clear appeal to make 
Trump more palatable to conservatives alienated by Trump&#39;s bombastic rhetoric and populist message who had backed other primary candidates. 
 
The four-day Republican Party convention that will nominate Trump as their presidential candidate, which starts Monday in Cleveland, Ohio, will feature no former presidents, few party luminaries and only a smattering of elected officials. 
 
John McCain and Mitt Romney, the last two Republican presidential candidates, will also stay away. 
 
Pence, however, predicted the party will unify around Trump. 
 
&quot;I expect next week at our convention you&#39;re going to see our party, and leaders in our party, rally around this good man who will be a great president of the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
While Trump has campaigned as a protectionist, Pence has backed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the sweeping trade deal that Trump has attacked as bad for US jobs. 
 
Pence has denounced Trump&#39;s proposal to close US borders to Muslims as &quot;unconstitutional.&quot; 
 
And while Trump has called the Iraq war a &quot;disaster&quot;, Pence was a co-sponsor of the 2002 Iraq war resolution. 
But in the Fox interview, Pence fully supported Trump. 
 
&quot;I am very supportive of Donald Trump&#39;s call to temporarily suspend immigration from countries where terrorists influence and impact represents a threat to the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have a proud tradition of refugee resettlement ... but it has to be subordinated to the safety and security of American people.&quot; 
 
As for the Iraq war, &quot;that&#39;s for historians to debate&quot;, but both he and Trump &quot;are in strong agreement is that Barack Obama&#39;s precipitous withdrawal from Iraq created a vacuum in which ISIS was created&quot;. 
 
Pence said that trade agreements like the TPP can go back to the bargaining table. 
 
&quot;When we elect one of the best negotiators in the world as president of the United States, I&#39;m open to renegotiating these trade agreements,&quot; Pence said. 
 
And if there are major disagreements, &quot;you shut the door. You tell the boss exactly what you think.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Pence said that Trump &quot;is a man that appreciates candor. And we&#39;ve had some very candid and straightforward conversations. 
 
&quot;But when the door opens, the job of the vice-president is to stand right next to the president and implement the policy that he&#39;s decided.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'Donald Trump understands the anxiety and the aspiration of the American people like no leader since Reagan,' Pence said

In his first interview as Donald Trump's running mate, Indiana governor Mike Pence on Friday compared the Republican presidential hopeful to conservative icon Ronald Reagan. Pence, interviewed on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show, emphasised that the real estate mogul and reality TV star was "the people's choice". The Republican Party "had a competitive primary with him, enormous number of talented men and women," Pence said. "Donald Trump again and again emerged because I think very much like the 40th president that you and I so admire, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump understands the anxiety and the aspiration of the American people like no leader since Reagan." Trump has no direct political experience. In contrast Reagan, a Hollywood actor, was governor of California before he was elected president. The comparison with the late Reagan, who served two terms during the 1980s and is revered by Republicans, is a clear appeal to make Trump more palatable to conservatives alienated by Trump's bombastic rhetoric and populist message who had backed other primary candidates. The four-day Republican Party convention that will nominate Trump as their presidential candidate, which starts Monday in Cleveland, Ohio, will feature no former presidents, few party luminaries and only a smattering of elected officials. John McCain and Mitt Romney, the last two Republican presidential candidates, will also stay away. Pence, however, predicted the party will unify around Trump. "I expect next week at our convention you're going to see our party, and leaders in our party, rally around this good man who will be a great president of the United States," he said. While Trump has campaigned as a protectionist, Pence has backed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the sweeping trade deal that Trump has attacked as bad for US jobs. Pence has denounced Trump's proposal to close US borders to Muslims as "unconstitutional." And while Trump has called the Iraq war a "disaster", Pence was a co-sponsor of the 2002 Iraq war resolution. But in the Fox interview, Pence fully supported Trump. "I am very supportive of Donald Trump's call to temporarily suspend immigration from countries where terrorists influence and impact represents a threat to the United States," he said. "We have a proud tradition of refugee resettlement ... but it has to be subordinated to the safety and security of American people." As for the Iraq war, "that's for historians to debate", but both he and Trump "are in strong agreement is that Barack Obama's precipitous withdrawal from Iraq created a vacuum in which ISIS was created". Pence said that trade agreements like the TPP can go back to the bargaining table. "When we elect one of the best negotiators in the world as president of the United States, I'm open to renegotiating these trade agreements," Pence said. And if there are major disagreements, "you shut the door. You tell the boss exactly what you think." Pence said that Trump "is a man that appreciates candor. And we've had some very candid and straightforward conversations. "But when the door opens, the job of the vice-president is to stand right next to the president and implement the policy that he's decided." (AFP)

Mike Pence, Trump's running mate, compares him to former president Reagan

Republican Donald Trump neared the end of his vice-presidential search on Thursday, with Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich appearing as the front-runners on the eve of Trump&#39;s announcement of his pick. 
 
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night that he would announce his choice on Friday at 11 am (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. 
 
Sources familiar with campaign operations cautioned that while Pence and Gingrich were finalists, Trump could always have a last-minute change of heart and choose someone else from his short list. 
 
New Jersey governor Chris Christie, 53, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, is also high on the list of potential running mates and provides the kind of counterpunch to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that Republicans like. 
 
Trump is preparing for next week&#39;s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he will be formally nominated as the party&#39;s presidential candidate for the November 8 election. 
 
Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives with Midwestern appeal. 
 
Gingrich, 73, is a close adviser to Trump with a wealth of ideas and deep experience in the legislative process from his time as speaker of the House of Representatives in the 1990&#39;s. 
 
A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but could easily change his mind. 
 
In what has been an unusually public process, Trump, 70, sat down on Wednesday with both Pence and Gingrich separately in Indianapolis. 
 
He also met with a fourth potential number 2, US senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, who has been one of Trump&#39;s closest advisers 
 
The New York businessman had dinner with Pence on Tuesday night after they appeared together at a rally. Trump, joined by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr and Eric Trump, had breakfast with Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday at the governor&#39;s residence in Indianapolis. 
 
Trump adviser Ed Brookover told CNN that Trump &quot;first and foremost&quot; wants a running mate that he has good chemistry with and someone who can help him govern best. 
 
(Reuters)

Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich are the front runners

Republican Donald Trump neared the end of his vice-presidential search on Thursday, with Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich appearing as the front-runners on the eve of Trump's announcement of his pick. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night that he would announce his choice on Friday at 11 am (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. Sources familiar with campaign operations cautioned that while Pence and Gingrich were finalists, Trump could always have a last-minute change of heart and choose someone else from his short list. New Jersey governor Chris Christie, 53, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, is also high on the list of potential running mates and provides the kind of counterpunch to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that Republicans like. Trump is preparing for next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the November 8 election. Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives with Midwestern appeal. Gingrich, 73, is a close adviser to Trump with a wealth of ideas and deep experience in the legislative process from his time as speaker of the House of Representatives in the 1990's. A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but could easily change his mind. In what has been an unusually public process, Trump, 70, sat down on Wednesday with both Pence and Gingrich separately in Indianapolis. He also met with a fourth potential number 2, US senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, who has been one of Trump's closest advisers The New York businessman had dinner with Pence on Tuesday night after they appeared together at a rally. Trump, joined by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr and Eric Trump, had breakfast with Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday at the governor's residence in Indianapolis. Trump adviser Ed Brookover told CNN that Trump "first and foremost" wants a running mate that he has good chemistry with and someone who can help him govern best. (Reuters)

Trump nears end of search for his 'Vice-President', to announce pick on Friday

Democrat Bernie Sanders endorsed former rival Hillary Clinton for president in a show of party unity on Tuesday, saying she was the best candidate to fix the country&#39;s problems and beat Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. 
 
With Clinton nodding in agreement beside him, Sanders put their bitter primary campaign behind them and said Clinton would take up the fight to ease economic inequality, make college more affordable and expand healthcare coverage for all Americans. 
 
&quot;This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face, and there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that,&quot; he told a raucous crowd in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that included plenty of vocal Sanders supporters. 
 
&quot;I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States,&quot; the U.S. senator from Vermont said. 
 
His endorsement, coming five weeks after Clinton became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, brought the most prominent holdout in the party&#39;s liberal wing into Clinton&#39;s camp. Sanders threw his support to Clinton less than two weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where she is expected to be formally nominated. 
 
&quot;I can&#39;t help but reflect on how much more enjoyable this election will be now that we are on the same side,&quot; Clinton said of Sanders. &quot;Thank you Bernie for your endorsement, but more than that, thank you for your lifetime of fighting injustice.&quot; 
 
In a statement, the Trump campaign said Sanders was now officially part of the rigged system he had criticized during the long primary battle with Clinton. 
 
&quot;Bernie&#39;s endorsement becomes Exhibit A in our rigged system - the Democrat Party is disenfranchising its voters to benefit the select and privileged few,&quot; said Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump. 
 
Clinton hopes the joint appearance will help her win over Sanders supporters, some of whom carried Sanders signs into the rally and frequently drowned out her backers. In recent Reuters/Ipsos polling, only about 40 percent of Sanders backers said they would back Clinton, and the crowd at Tuesday&#39;s rally made it clear she still had work to do. 
 
&quot;I am absolutely certain I will not vote for Hillary Clinton,&quot; said Gale Bailey, a Sanders supporter and an unemployed graphic designer from Rochester, New Hampshire, who attended the rally in a Sanders T-shirt. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s a crook, and I&#39;m not going to vote for a crook,&quot; Bailey said, adding that she would write in Sanders&#39; name on the November ballot. 
 
Sanders victories on platform 
The appearance in Portsmouth concluded weeks of negotiations between the two camps as Sanders pressed for concessions from Clinton on his liberal policy agenda. 
 
It came after Clinton last week adopted elements of Sanders&#39; plans for free in-state college tuition and expanded affordable healthcare coverage. Sanders also successfully pushed to include an array of liberal policy positions in the Democratic platform, which a committee approved on Saturday. 
 
Sanders did not win all of his policy fights, most notably failing to win support for blocking a vote in Congress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. 
 
But he told the rally in Portsmouth that &quot;our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratically controlled Senate, a Democratically controlled House and a Hillary Clinton presidency &ndash; and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.&quot; 
 
Top Democrats, including President Barack Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a favorite of the party&#39;s liberal wing, have already announced their support for Clinton, leaving Sanders at risk of being left behind in the Democratic battle against Trump. 
 
&quot;I think all signs point to the fact that we&#39;re going to have a very united party going into Philadelphia,&quot; Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said on CNN earlier on Tuesday, &quot;and when you compare it to the Republicans, we&#39;re going to be miles ahead of them.&quot; 
 
Trump has struggled to unify the Republican Party after alienating many establishment figures with his stances on immigration, Muslims and women. A number of prominent Republicans are skipping the party&#39;s convention in Cleveland next week. 
 
In another sign of the Democrats&#39; growing unity, two prominent liberal groups that had backed Sanders, the Communications Workers of America labor union and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, announced their support for Clinton on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Says she is the best candidate to fix the country's problems and beat Donald Trump

Democrat Bernie Sanders endorsed former rival Hillary Clinton for president in a show of party unity on Tuesday, saying she was the best candidate to fix the country's problems and beat Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. With Clinton nodding in agreement beside him, Sanders put their bitter primary campaign behind them and said Clinton would take up the fight to ease economic inequality, make college more affordable and expand healthcare coverage for all Americans. "This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face, and there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that," he told a raucous crowd in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that included plenty of vocal Sanders supporters. "I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States," the U.S. senator from Vermont said. His endorsement, coming five weeks after Clinton became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, brought the most prominent holdout in the party's liberal wing into Clinton's camp. Sanders threw his support to Clinton less than two weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where she is expected to be formally nominated. "I can't help but reflect on how much more enjoyable this election will be now that we are on the same side," Clinton said of Sanders. "Thank you Bernie for your endorsement, but more than that, thank you for your lifetime of fighting injustice." In a statement, the Trump campaign said Sanders was now officially part of the rigged system he had criticized during the long primary battle with Clinton. "Bernie's endorsement becomes Exhibit A in our rigged system - the Democrat Party is disenfranchising its voters to benefit the select and privileged few," said Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump. Clinton hopes the joint appearance will help her win over Sanders supporters, some of whom carried Sanders signs into the rally and frequently drowned out her backers. In recent Reuters/Ipsos polling, only about 40 percent of Sanders backers said they would back Clinton, and the crowd at Tuesday's rally made it clear she still had work to do. "I am absolutely certain I will not vote for Hillary Clinton," said Gale Bailey, a Sanders supporter and an unemployed graphic designer from Rochester, New Hampshire, who attended the rally in a Sanders T-shirt. "She's a crook, and I'm not going to vote for a crook," Bailey said, adding that she would write in Sanders' name on the November ballot. Sanders victories on platform The appearance in Portsmouth concluded weeks of negotiations between the two camps as Sanders pressed for concessions from Clinton on his liberal policy agenda. It came after Clinton last week adopted elements of Sanders' plans for free in-state college tuition and expanded affordable healthcare coverage. Sanders also successfully pushed to include an array of liberal policy positions in the Democratic platform, which a committee approved on Saturday. Sanders did not win all of his policy fights, most notably failing to win support for blocking a vote in Congress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. But he told the rally in Portsmouth that "our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratically controlled Senate, a Democratically controlled House and a Hillary Clinton presidency – and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen." Top Democrats, including President Barack Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a favorite of the party's liberal wing, have already announced their support for Clinton, leaving Sanders at risk of being left behind in the Democratic battle against Trump. "I think all signs point to the fact that we're going to have a very united party going into Philadelphia," Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said on CNN earlier on Tuesday, "and when you compare it to the Republicans, we're going to be miles ahead of them." Trump has struggled to unify the Republican Party after alienating many establishment figures with his stances on immigration, Muslims and women. A number of prominent Republicans are skipping the party's convention in Cleveland next week. In another sign of the Democrats' growing unity, two prominent liberal groups that had backed Sanders, the Communications Workers of America labor union and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, announced their support for Clinton on Monday. (Reuters)

Sanders endorses Clinton in show of party unity

Mexico&#39;s President Pena Nieto&nbsp;hit back at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s claim that if elected, he would make Mexico build a wall along its US border. 
 
The bombastic billionaire has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and insulted Mexican immigrants by calling them rapists, criminals and drug dealers. 
 
As his party&#39;s presumptive presidential candidate, Trump is now eyeing a clash in the November election with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
&quot;There is no way to have Mexico pay (for) the wall. But any decisions inside (the) USA, is a decision of its government,&quot; Pena Nieto said yesterday. 
 
The Mexican president earlier had said Trump&#39;s campaign pledge was a non-starter, but he did not address the issue as specifically. 
 
Nieto said US-Mexican relations were based on coordination, collaboration and cooperation on security issues. 
 
The Mexican president earlier compared Trump&#39;s rhetoric to the rise of European dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. 
 
(AFP)

Pena Nieto says 'there is no way to have Mexico pay for the wall'

Mexico's President Pena Nieto hit back at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's claim that if elected, he would make Mexico build a wall along its US border. The bombastic billionaire has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and insulted Mexican immigrants by calling them rapists, criminals and drug dealers. As his party's presumptive presidential candidate, Trump is now eyeing a clash in the November election with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "There is no way to have Mexico pay (for) the wall. But any decisions inside (the) USA, is a decision of its government," Pena Nieto said yesterday. The Mexican president earlier had said Trump's campaign pledge was a non-starter, but he did not address the issue as specifically. Nieto said US-Mexican relations were based on coordination, collaboration and cooperation on security issues. The Mexican president earlier compared Trump's rhetoric to the rise of European dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. (AFP)

Mexico President tells Trump if he wants a wall, he can build it himself

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off &quot;terrorists&quot;, reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
The United States &quot;shouldn&#39;t have destabilised&quot; Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. 
 
&quot;He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good,&quot; Trump told supporters. 
 
&quot;They didn&#39;t read them the rights. They didn&#39;t talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism,&quot; the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. 
 
Rival Clinton&#39;s campaign pounces after remark&nbsp; 
 
Shortly after the remarks, Clinton&#39;s campaign pounced on Trump&#39;s apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. 
 
&quot;Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein&#39;s regime was a sponsor of terrorism,&quot; Clinton&#39;s senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Republican speaker calls Saddam &#39;one of 20th century&#39;s most evil people&#39; 
 
Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments.&nbsp;Saddam &quot;was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy,&quot; Ryan said on Fox News. 
 
Last year, Trump said the world would be &quot;100 per cent&quot; better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are &quot;worse than they ever were&quot; in Iraq and Libya. 
 
&quot;I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism,&quot; Trump said at the time.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Last year, Trump said the world would be '100%' better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off "terrorists", reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. The United States "shouldn't have destabilised" Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. "He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good," Trump told supporters. "They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism," the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. Rival Clinton's campaign pounces after remark Shortly after the remarks, Clinton's campaign pounced on Trump's apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. "Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein's regime was a sponsor of terrorism," Clinton's senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. "Trump's cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks," he added. Republican speaker calls Saddam 'one of 20th century's most evil people' Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments. Saddam "was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy," Ryan said on Fox News. Last year, Trump said the world would be "100 per cent" better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are "worse than they ever were" in Iraq and Libya. "I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism," Trump said at the time. (AFP)

Trump hails Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for 'killing terrorists'

After months on the sidelines, President Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally on July 5, urging voters to pick his former secretary of state to succeed him in the White House. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m here today because I believe in Hillary Clinton, and I want you to help elect her to be the next president of the United States of America,&quot; Obama said at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, in what was likely to be the first of many trips on behalf of his 2008 primary rival. 
 
&quot;There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton,&quot; he added. 
 
Obama was returning the favour after Clinton backed him in 2008. This year, he waited while she battled US senator Bernie Sanders for the party nod before endorsing Clinton last month once she became the presumptive Democratic nominee. 
 
Clinton and Obama travelled to North Carolina on the presidential plane Air Force One, which Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump said was a burden on taxpayers. A Clinton spokesman said the campaign would cover its portion of the travel costs. 
 
(Reuters)

There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton: Obama

After months on the sidelines, President Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally on July 5, urging voters to pick his former secretary of state to succeed him in the White House. "I'm here today because I believe in Hillary Clinton, and I want you to help elect her to be the next president of the United States of America," Obama said at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, in what was likely to be the first of many trips on behalf of his 2008 primary rival. "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton," he added. Obama was returning the favour after Clinton backed him in 2008. This year, he waited while she battled US senator Bernie Sanders for the party nod before endorsing Clinton last month once she became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Clinton and Obama travelled to North Carolina on the presidential plane Air Force One, which Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump said was a burden on taxpayers. A Clinton spokesman said the campaign would cover its portion of the travel costs. (Reuters)

President Obama praises Clinton on campaign trail

The FBI will recommend to the Justice Department that no prosecution is warranted as a result of its year-long investigation into Hillary&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said today.

Comey said the probe found there was evidence of extremely careless handling of emails by Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and that at least 110 emails contained classified information at the time they were sent.

But he said the FBI&#39;s judgment was that &quot;no reasonable prosecutor&quot; would bring charges against&nbsp;Clinton, who had a voluntary 3-1/2-hour interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday in Washington.

&quot;We cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts,&quot; Comey told reporters in Washington.

The FBI has been investigating whether&nbsp;Clinton&nbsp;broke the law as result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One of the questions is whether she mishandled classified information on the server.

The investigation has dogged&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s campaign for the past year, as she and her staff struggled to respond to accusations that her use of the server in violation of State Department protocol indicated she was untrustworthy and considered herself above the law.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said the investigation should disqualify Clinton&nbsp;from being president. 
 
(Reuters)

The bureau found evidence of extremely careless handing of emails but said 'no reasonable prosecutor' would bring charges against her

The FBI will recommend to the Justice Department that no prosecution is warranted as a result of its year-long investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said today. Comey said the probe found there was evidence of extremely careless handling of emails by Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and that at least 110 emails contained classified information at the time they were sent. But he said the FBI's judgment was that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring charges against Clinton, who had a voluntary 3-1/2-hour interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday in Washington. "We cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts," Comey told reporters in Washington. The FBI has been investigating whether Clinton broke the law as result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One of the questions is whether she mishandled classified information on the server. The investigation has dogged Clinton's campaign for the past year, as she and her staff struggled to respond to accusations that her use of the server in violation of State Department protocol indicated she was untrustworthy and considered herself above the law. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said the investigation should disqualify Clinton from being president. (Reuters)

Prosecution of Clinton not warranted in email case, FBI to tell Justice Department

President Barack Obama hits the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton on Tuesday for the first time in the 2016 White House race, seeking to give her a boost in her showdown with Donald Trump. 
 
The Democratic duo travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a rally, the first in a series of high-profile events that Clinton hopes will energise voters, particularly minorities who remain enamoured with the President, in crucial battleground states where the November election will be decided. 
 
Clinton, who will be travelling together with Obama on Air Force One on Tuesday, no doubt will be seeking to reset her campaign after a series of hiccups and revelations linked to the case about her ill-advised use of a private email account and server while secretary of state. 
 
She was interviewed for 3.5 hours on Saturday by the FBI which is conducting an investigation into her email use. 
 
It is a sign the probe is nearing its conclusion. But with just three weeks until the Democratic convention that will formally elect Clinton as the party nominee, Republicans have seized on the case to highlight Clinton&#39;s lack of trustworthiness among voters. 
 
Republicans, including Trump, have savaged Clinton after it became known that former president Bill Clinton recently met on an airport tarmac with attorney general Loretta Lynch, whose department is overseeing the email investigation. 
 
In an interview aired on Sunday, Clinton acknowledged it was unwise for her husband to meet with America&#39;s top law enforcement officer, with the encounter coming in the midst of the FBI investigation that has dogged her campaign to become the first female President of the United States. 
 
&quot;Hindsight is 20/20,&quot; Clinton told NBC&#39;s &#39;Meet the Press&#39; program. 
 
&#39;Guilty as hell&#39; 
 
But Trump jumped on the issue, savaging Clinton for her poor judgment and being part of an elite, &quot;rigged&quot; Washington system. 
 
&quot;Crooked Hillary Clinton is &#39;guilty as hell&#39; but the system is totally rigged and corrupt!&quot; Trump fumed on Twitter on Monday. 
 
&quot;Where are the 33,000 missing e-mails?&quot; he added, referring to his rival&#39;s claim that she deleted all of her personal emails unrelated to her job as top diplomat. 
 
After her FBI interview, Clinton refused to speculate on the timeline or possible conclusions of the FBI investigation, and would not comment on reports saying she would not be charged. 
 
&quot;I was eager to do it and I was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion,&quot; Clinton said of her FBI interview. 
 
Trump has led a relentless campaign to portray Clinton as a Washington insider to whom normal rules do not apply. 
 
And in the aftermath of a deadly truck bomb that killed more than 200 people in Iraq&#39;s capital Baghdad on Monday, Trump accused Clinton of being weak on fighting terrorism. 
 
&quot;Crooked Hillary will NEVER be able to handle the complexities and danger of ISIS - it will just go on forever,&quot; he tweeted, using the acronym for the Islamic State extremist group. 
 
&quot;We need change!&quot; 
 
Clinton brushed off the steady stream of criticism. 
 
&quot;When you&#39;ve been in the eye of the tornado for as long as I have, I know there&#39;s a lot of incoming fire, I accept that,&quot; Clinton said. 
 
But she is eager to move on, and an appearance with Obama, and a joint campaign stop with vice-president Joe Biden on Friday in Pennsylvania, will be aimed at refocusing the campaign on economic, social and foreign policy issues. 
 
&quot;Looking forward to hitting the campaign trail together, @POTUS,&quot; she tweeted to the President. 
 
Obama - America&#39;s first black president - remains popular with minorities, and Clinton will appreciate his ability to rally African-American voters in particular to the polls in November in the swing state. 
 
Trump will also take his campaign to North Carolina, scheduling a rally in Raleigh for Tuesday. 
 
Obama won North Carolina by less than half a percentage point against Republican John McCain in 2008. Four years later, Obama lost it to Mitt Romney by two points. 
 
Nearly all major recent polls put Clinton ahead of Trump nationally. 
 
But the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows the presumptive Republican nominee with a 41 per cent to 25 per cent lead over Clinton on honesty and trustworthiness. 
 
(AFP)

An NBC/Wall Street journal poll shows Trump with a 41 to 25 per cent lead over Clinton when it comes to honesty and trustworthiness

President Barack Obama hits the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton on Tuesday for the first time in the 2016 White House race, seeking to give her a boost in her showdown with Donald Trump. The Democratic duo travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a rally, the first in a series of high-profile events that Clinton hopes will energise voters, particularly minorities who remain enamoured with the President, in crucial battleground states where the November election will be decided. Clinton, who will be travelling together with Obama on Air Force One on Tuesday, no doubt will be seeking to reset her campaign after a series of hiccups and revelations linked to the case about her ill-advised use of a private email account and server while secretary of state. She was interviewed for 3.5 hours on Saturday by the FBI which is conducting an investigation into her email use. It is a sign the probe is nearing its conclusion. But with just three weeks until the Democratic convention that will formally elect Clinton as the party nominee, Republicans have seized on the case to highlight Clinton's lack of trustworthiness among voters. Republicans, including Trump, have savaged Clinton after it became known that former president Bill Clinton recently met on an airport tarmac with attorney general Loretta Lynch, whose department is overseeing the email investigation. In an interview aired on Sunday, Clinton acknowledged it was unwise for her husband to meet with America's top law enforcement officer, with the encounter coming in the midst of the FBI investigation that has dogged her campaign to become the first female President of the United States. "Hindsight is 20/20," Clinton told NBC's 'Meet the Press' program. 'Guilty as hell' But Trump jumped on the issue, savaging Clinton for her poor judgment and being part of an elite, "rigged" Washington system. "Crooked Hillary Clinton is 'guilty as hell' but the system is totally rigged and corrupt!" Trump fumed on Twitter on Monday. "Where are the 33,000 missing e-mails?" he added, referring to his rival's claim that she deleted all of her personal emails unrelated to her job as top diplomat. After her FBI interview, Clinton refused to speculate on the timeline or possible conclusions of the FBI investigation, and would not comment on reports saying she would not be charged. "I was eager to do it and I was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion," Clinton said of her FBI interview. Trump has led a relentless campaign to portray Clinton as a Washington insider to whom normal rules do not apply. And in the aftermath of a deadly truck bomb that killed more than 200 people in Iraq's capital Baghdad on Monday, Trump accused Clinton of being weak on fighting terrorism. "Crooked Hillary will NEVER be able to handle the complexities and danger of ISIS - it will just go on forever," he tweeted, using the acronym for the Islamic State extremist group. "We need change!" Clinton brushed off the steady stream of criticism. "When you've been in the eye of the tornado for as long as I have, I know there's a lot of incoming fire, I accept that," Clinton said. But she is eager to move on, and an appearance with Obama, and a joint campaign stop with vice-president Joe Biden on Friday in Pennsylvania, will be aimed at refocusing the campaign on economic, social and foreign policy issues. "Looking forward to hitting the campaign trail together, @POTUS," she tweeted to the President. Obama - America's first black president - remains popular with minorities, and Clinton will appreciate his ability to rally African-American voters in particular to the polls in November in the swing state. Trump will also take his campaign to North Carolina, scheduling a rally in Raleigh for Tuesday. Obama won North Carolina by less than half a percentage point against Republican John McCain in 2008. Four years later, Obama lost it to Mitt Romney by two points. Nearly all major recent polls put Clinton ahead of Trump nationally. But the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows the presumptive Republican nominee with a 41 per cent to 25 per cent lead over Clinton on honesty and trustworthiness. (AFP)

Obama hits campaign trail with Hillary

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has sparked outrage after calling rival Democrat Hillary Clinton corrupt in a tweet featuring the Jewish Star of David symbol. 
 
The six-pointed star was superimposed on a pile of USD 100 bills with the message &quot;most corrupt candidate ever!&quot; -- which many took as a potent anti-Semitic reference to stereotypes about Jews and money yesterday. 
 
&quot;When I see Trump&#39;s anti-Muslim scare tactics or anti-Jewish optics, it&#39;s all evil and needs to be named,&quot; responded one Twitter user. 
 
Trump later deleted the tweet and replaced it with a new image that used a circle instead of a star. The original tweet is still posted on various media outlets. 
 
The tweet is Trump&#39;s latest remark to prompt accusations of bigotry, having previously called for banning Muslims from entering the United States, and describing Mexicans as rapists and criminals.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The six-pointed star was superimposed on a pile of $100 bills with the message 'most corrupt candidate ever!'

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has sparked outrage after calling rival Democrat Hillary Clinton corrupt in a tweet featuring the Jewish Star of David symbol. The six-pointed star was superimposed on a pile of USD 100 bills with the message "most corrupt candidate ever!" -- which many took as a potent anti-Semitic reference to stereotypes about Jews and money yesterday. "When I see Trump's anti-Muslim scare tactics or anti-Jewish optics, it's all evil and needs to be named," responded one Twitter user. Trump later deleted the tweet and replaced it with a new image that used a circle instead of a star. The original tweet is still posted on various media outlets. The tweet is Trump's latest remark to prompt accusations of bigotry, having previously called for banning Muslims from entering the United States, and describing Mexicans as rapists and criminals. (PTI)

Trump draws ire for anti-Clinton tweet with Star of David symbol

Republican Donald Trump said today that if elected president on November 8 he would be open to drawing NATO forces into the fight against Islamic State militants in a new mission for an alliance he has called obsolete. 
 
Trump made the comments in an interview with ABC News. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has for months raised questions about the money the United States pours into NATO, which he says needs to be reconfigured to take account of today&#39;s threats. 
 
&ldquo;I like the idea of using NATO and also neighbours that aren&rsquo;t in NATO and take them out. You gotta take them out,&rdquo; Trump said. 
 
Under President Barack Obama, the United States has relied heavily on US airstrikes to attack Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq. Republicans have criticised this policy as not enough to stop the militants. 
 
Trump said the idea of using the Cold War-era alliance would be to ease the load on American forces. 
 
&quot;I don&rsquo;t want to get too much of ours involved. I want NATO to be involved,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;We spend a tremendous amount of money on NATO. We take care of countries that frankly should be taking care of themselves in terms of economically.&rdquo; 
 
Trump&#39;s comments came amid an uproar over a meeting between former president Bill Clinton and attorney general Loretta Lynch at a time when Clinton&#39;s wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, is under federal investigation. 
 
The private meeting took place on Lynch&#39;s plane after she landed in Phoenix on Monday night and Bill Clinton was leaving the airport after a rally he held for his wife earlier that day. 
 
Hillary Clinton is under an FBI investigation for her use of a private email server when she was President Barack Obama&#39;s first-term secretary of state. 
 
Trump told conservative radio talk show host Mike Gallagher that the meeting was proof of his charge that the US political system is &quot;rigged&quot; in favor of political elites. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unheard of,&quot; Trump told ABC News. &quot;You have this massive investigation on emails and they&#39;d have a meeting like this.&quot; 
 
Lynch, appointed to her position by Obama more than a year ago, said she did not discuss the email investigation or other pending matters before the justice department with Bill Clinton. 
 
&quot;When I was landing at the airport, I did see president Clinton at the Phoenix airport as I was leaving and he spoke to myself and my husband on the plane,&quot; Lynch told reporters. 
 
&quot;Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren. It was primarily social and about our travels. He mentioned the golf he played in Phoenix and he mentioned travels he had to West Virginia...But there was no discussion of any matter pending for the department or any matter pending before any other body,&quot; Lynch said. 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating Hillary Clinton about her email use and has already interviewed some of her aides. The investigation into whether laws were broken as a result of the server kept in her New York home has overshadowed Clinton&#39;s campaign. 
 
Special counsel 
 
Obama is preparing to campaign with Hillary Clinton for the first time in her 2016 White House bid. They are to appear together in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed Clinton 11 points ahead of the billionaire businessman 
 
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest made clear that Obama believes an impartial investigation is crucial and noted that Lynch had said the conversation was benign. 
 
&quot;I think the bottom line is simply that both the president and the attorney general understand how important it is for the department of justice to conduct investigations that are free of political interference,&quot; Earnest told reporters. 
 
US senator John Cornyn of Texas, the Number 2 Senate Republican, cited the incident in renewing his call for an independent counsel to take over the Clinton probe from the FBI. 
 
(Reuters)

'I like the idea of using NATO and also neighbours that aren?t in NATO and take them out. You gotta take them out,' he told ABC News

Republican Donald Trump said today that if elected president on November 8 he would be open to drawing NATO forces into the fight against Islamic State militants in a new mission for an alliance he has called obsolete. Trump made the comments in an interview with ABC News. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has for months raised questions about the money the United States pours into NATO, which he says needs to be reconfigured to take account of today's threats. “I like the idea of using NATO and also neighbours that aren’t in NATO and take them out. You gotta take them out,” Trump said. Under President Barack Obama, the United States has relied heavily on US airstrikes to attack Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq. Republicans have criticised this policy as not enough to stop the militants. Trump said the idea of using the Cold War-era alliance would be to ease the load on American forces. "I don’t want to get too much of ours involved. I want NATO to be involved,” Trump said. “We spend a tremendous amount of money on NATO. We take care of countries that frankly should be taking care of themselves in terms of economically.” Trump's comments came amid an uproar over a meeting between former president Bill Clinton and attorney general Loretta Lynch at a time when Clinton's wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, is under federal investigation. The private meeting took place on Lynch's plane after she landed in Phoenix on Monday night and Bill Clinton was leaving the airport after a rally he held for his wife earlier that day. Hillary Clinton is under an FBI investigation for her use of a private email server when she was President Barack Obama's first-term secretary of state. Trump told conservative radio talk show host Mike Gallagher that the meeting was proof of his charge that the US political system is "rigged" in favor of political elites. "It's unheard of," Trump told ABC News. "You have this massive investigation on emails and they'd have a meeting like this." Lynch, appointed to her position by Obama more than a year ago, said she did not discuss the email investigation or other pending matters before the justice department with Bill Clinton. "When I was landing at the airport, I did see president Clinton at the Phoenix airport as I was leaving and he spoke to myself and my husband on the plane," Lynch told reporters. "Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren. It was primarily social and about our travels. He mentioned the golf he played in Phoenix and he mentioned travels he had to West Virginia...But there was no discussion of any matter pending for the department or any matter pending before any other body," Lynch said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating Hillary Clinton about her email use and has already interviewed some of her aides. The investigation into whether laws were broken as a result of the server kept in her New York home has overshadowed Clinton's campaign. Special counsel Obama is preparing to campaign with Hillary Clinton for the first time in her 2016 White House bid. They are to appear together in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed Clinton 11 points ahead of the billionaire businessman At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest made clear that Obama believes an impartial investigation is crucial and noted that Lynch had said the conversation was benign. "I think the bottom line is simply that both the president and the attorney general understand how important it is for the department of justice to conduct investigations that are free of political interference," Earnest told reporters. US senator John Cornyn of Texas, the Number 2 Senate Republican, cited the incident in renewing his call for an independent counsel to take over the Clinton probe from the FBI. (Reuters)

If elected president, Trump pledges to use NATO in fight against ISIS

As part of an effort to protect and restore American jobs, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to force Canada and Mexico to re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) pact with the United States (US), if elected.&nbsp; 
 
Criticising the free trade agreement as a &lsquo;US job killer&rsquo;, Trump said he would be willing to scrap the pact if Canada and Mexico were unwilling to budge. He also tried to link Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to the deal on the eve of a meeting in Ottawa of the &quot;three amigos,&quot; the leaders of the three NAFTA signatories: the United States, Mexico and Canada. 
 
Trump trying to cash in on voter anxiety?&nbsp; 
 
In his most detailed speech on trade, the presumptive Republican nominee said he would pull the United States out of negotiations for a deal among 12 Pacific Rim nations and promised to use executive power to resolve trade disputes with China. 
 
Trump also pledged to revive the US steel and aluminium industry, speaking at an aluminium scrap company in Monessen, Pennsylvania, nearly 30 miles (50 km) south of Pittsburgh, the one-time American steelmaking capital. 
 
Trump has identified Pennsylvania as a state he believes he can wrest from the Democrats in the November 8 election. He also campaigned on Tuesday in Ohio which like Pennsylvania is a Rust Belt state. 
 
Democratic President Barack Obama won both states in 2008 and 2012, but manufacturing job losses have led to voter anxiety in the region. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m going to tell our NAFTA partners that I intend to immediately re-negotiate the terms of that agreement to get a better deal for our workers. And I don&#39;t mean just a little bit better, I mean a lot better,&quot; Trump said in Pennsylvania. 
 
If Canada and Mexico do not agree to re-negotiate the pact, Trump said he would notify them under the agreement&#39;s terms &quot;that America intends to withdraw from the deal.&quot; 
 
He tried to tie his Democratic rival to the pact, approved in 1993 during the administration of her husband, President Bill Clinton, as he called NAFTA one of the &quot;worst legacies&quot; of the Clinton years. 
 
On MSNBC after Trump&#39;s speech, Clinton spokeswoman Kristina Schake called the wealthy New York businessman the &quot;king of outsourcing&quot;, in an apparent reference to Trump-branded products such as suits and ties made overseas. 
 
&quot;It was full of hypocrisy and misstatements and outright lies,&quot; Schake said. 
 
Trade has been a vulnerability for Clinton, who struggled for white, blue-collar votes in her Democratic primary race against US Senator Bernie Sanders, who criticised her for supporting trade deals and said she was too close to Wall Street. 
 
Trump dubs Trans-Pacific Partnership as &ldquo;death-blow&rdquo; for American manufacturing&nbsp; 
 
Echoing Sanders&#39; criticism on Tuesday, Trump stressed Clinton supported the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, while she was secretary of state and only opposed it once she was running for president. Clinton&#39;s campaign, however, said she opposed the agreement because it was not strong enough on currency manipulation and other areas. 
 
It may also be pertinent to note Clinton has said she will evaluate each trade deal on its merits, but does not believe the TPP is good for US workers. Sanders now says he will vote for Clinton in November even though he has not formally withdrawn from the race. 
 
Trump, however, commented he saw no way to fix the TPP, calling it a &quot;death blow&quot; for American manufacturing. Although China is not part of the agreement, Trump said Beijing might try to enter it &quot;through the back door&quot; later on.&nbsp;Later, during a rally in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Trump said the deal was &quot;just a continuing rape of our country.&quot; 
 
Just hours before Trump spoke, Clinton allies sought to pre-empt the planned trade speech by saying Trump&#39;s policies amounted to empty promises. 
 
Earlier, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told a trade conference in Washington that &quot;Trump embodies everything that is wrong with our current trade policy. He has consistently sent American jobs overseas to line his own pockets.&quot; 
 
The AFL-CIO, which collectively represents more than 12 million workers, making it the largest U.S. labour federation, endorsed Clinton this month. 
 
Brexit vote could reverberate in US elections&nbsp; 
 
Both Clinton and Trump have acknowledged that Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union signalled a global economic frustration among working-class voters that could reverberate in the US election. 
 
&quot;There is a lot of legitimate anxiety, fear and even anger in many parts of our country because people feel like the economy has failed them,&quot; Clinton said in Denver on Tuesday. &quot;I think this is going to be one of the defining issues in this election.&quot; 
 
Trump has seized on the historic Brexit vote to bolster his argument that voters are rising up against establishment leaders, saying Americans would reject the &quot;global elite&quot; and support his presidential candidacy. 
 
But Trump has broken with Republican Party orthodoxy in criticising trade deals and has threatened to slap tariffs on Mexican and Chinese imports. His rhetoric has drawn criticism from many economists who say such practices could spark trade wars. 
 
As Trump spoke, the United States Chamber of Commerce, which is usually in sync with prominent Republicans on trade policy, said on Twitter: &quot;Under Trump&#39;s trade plans, we would see higher prices, fewer jobs, and a weaker economy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Under Trump's trade plans, we will see higher prices, fewer jobs, and a weaker economy: US Chamber of Commerce

As part of an effort to protect and restore American jobs, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to force Canada and Mexico to re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) pact with the United States (US), if elected. Criticising the free trade agreement as a ‘US job killer’, Trump said he would be willing to scrap the pact if Canada and Mexico were unwilling to budge. He also tried to link Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to the deal on the eve of a meeting in Ottawa of the "three amigos," the leaders of the three NAFTA signatories: the United States, Mexico and Canada. Trump trying to cash in on voter anxiety? In his most detailed speech on trade, the presumptive Republican nominee said he would pull the United States out of negotiations for a deal among 12 Pacific Rim nations and promised to use executive power to resolve trade disputes with China. Trump also pledged to revive the US steel and aluminium industry, speaking at an aluminium scrap company in Monessen, Pennsylvania, nearly 30 miles (50 km) south of Pittsburgh, the one-time American steelmaking capital. Trump has identified Pennsylvania as a state he believes he can wrest from the Democrats in the November 8 election. He also campaigned on Tuesday in Ohio which like Pennsylvania is a Rust Belt state. Democratic President Barack Obama won both states in 2008 and 2012, but manufacturing job losses have led to voter anxiety in the region. "I'm going to tell our NAFTA partners that I intend to immediately re-negotiate the terms of that agreement to get a better deal for our workers. And I don't mean just a little bit better, I mean a lot better," Trump said in Pennsylvania. If Canada and Mexico do not agree to re-negotiate the pact, Trump said he would notify them under the agreement's terms "that America intends to withdraw from the deal." He tried to tie his Democratic rival to the pact, approved in 1993 during the administration of her husband, President Bill Clinton, as he called NAFTA one of the "worst legacies" of the Clinton years. On MSNBC after Trump's speech, Clinton spokeswoman Kristina Schake called the wealthy New York businessman the "king of outsourcing", in an apparent reference to Trump-branded products such as suits and ties made overseas. "It was full of hypocrisy and misstatements and outright lies," Schake said. Trade has been a vulnerability for Clinton, who struggled for white, blue-collar votes in her Democratic primary race against US Senator Bernie Sanders, who criticised her for supporting trade deals and said she was too close to Wall Street. Trump dubs Trans-Pacific Partnership as “death-blow” for American manufacturing Echoing Sanders' criticism on Tuesday, Trump stressed Clinton supported the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, while she was secretary of state and only opposed it once she was running for president. Clinton's campaign, however, said she opposed the agreement because it was not strong enough on currency manipulation and other areas. It may also be pertinent to note Clinton has said she will evaluate each trade deal on its merits, but does not believe the TPP is good for US workers. Sanders now says he will vote for Clinton in November even though he has not formally withdrawn from the race. Trump, however, commented he saw no way to fix the TPP, calling it a "death blow" for American manufacturing. Although China is not part of the agreement, Trump said Beijing might try to enter it "through the back door" later on. Later, during a rally in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Trump said the deal was "just a continuing rape of our country." Just hours before Trump spoke, Clinton allies sought to pre-empt the planned trade speech by saying Trump's policies amounted to empty promises. Earlier, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told a trade conference in Washington that "Trump embodies everything that is wrong with our current trade policy. He has consistently sent American jobs overseas to line his own pockets." The AFL-CIO, which collectively represents more than 12 million workers, making it the largest U.S. labour federation, endorsed Clinton this month. Brexit vote could reverberate in US elections Both Clinton and Trump have acknowledged that Britain's vote to leave the European Union signalled a global economic frustration among working-class voters that could reverberate in the US election. "There is a lot of legitimate anxiety, fear and even anger in many parts of our country because people feel like the economy has failed them," Clinton said in Denver on Tuesday. "I think this is going to be one of the defining issues in this election." Trump has seized on the historic Brexit vote to bolster his argument that voters are rising up against establishment leaders, saying Americans would reject the "global elite" and support his presidential candidacy. But Trump has broken with Republican Party orthodoxy in criticising trade deals and has threatened to slap tariffs on Mexican and Chinese imports. His rhetoric has drawn criticism from many economists who say such practices could spark trade wars. As Trump spoke, the United States Chamber of Commerce, which is usually in sync with prominent Republicans on trade policy, said on Twitter: "Under Trump's trade plans, we would see higher prices, fewer jobs, and a weaker economy." (Reuters)

Trump labels NAFTA 'worst legacy of Clinton years?, vows re-negotiation

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said the terror attack in Turkey is a reminder that the US cannot retreat from this part of the world and needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat. 
 
&quot;Today&#39;s attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. And it reminds us that the United States cannot retreat,&quot; Clinton said in a statement yesterday. 
 
&quot;We must deepen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat,&quot; she said, adding that such cooperation is essential to protecting homeland and keeping the country safe. 
 
&quot;Yet another terrorist attack, this time in Turkey. Will the world ever realise what is going on? So sad,&quot; Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted. 
 
&quot;We must do everything possible to keep this horrible terrorism outside the United States,&quot; Trump said. 
 
In a statement, the Trump campaign said the terrorist threat has never been greater. 
 
&quot;Our enemies are brutal and ruthless and will do anything to murder those who do not bend to their will. We must take steps now to protect America from terrorists, and do everything in our power to improve our security to keep America safe,&quot; the Trump campaign said. 
 
Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida senator Marco Rubio said the US stands with ally Turkey in condemning this attack. 
 
&quot;We stand ready to assist them as we learn more about the perpetrators responsible for this,&quot; he said. 
 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said the attack in Istanbul was a heinous assault on a key US ally and the Turkish people should know with certainty that the American people stand in solidarity with them in this difficult hour. 
 
&quot;Whenever terrorists attack a major global transit point, as they did a few months ago in Brussels and again today in Istanbul, they seek to erect barriers of fear that divide the free nations of the world. But we will not be divided,&quot; Hoyer said. 
 
&quot;We will stand together to meet the challenge of groups like ISIS which represent the antithesis of our most important values - democracy, individual freedom, and opportunity for all,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

US needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on the threat of terrorism and radical jihadism, she said

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said the terror attack in Turkey is a reminder that the US cannot retreat from this part of the world and needs to deepen co-operation with allies in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat. "Today's attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. And it reminds us that the United States cannot retreat," Clinton said in a statement yesterday. "We must deepen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat," she said, adding that such cooperation is essential to protecting homeland and keeping the country safe. "Yet another terrorist attack, this time in Turkey. Will the world ever realise what is going on? So sad," Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted. "We must do everything possible to keep this horrible terrorism outside the United States," Trump said. In a statement, the Trump campaign said the terrorist threat has never been greater. "Our enemies are brutal and ruthless and will do anything to murder those who do not bend to their will. We must take steps now to protect America from terrorists, and do everything in our power to improve our security to keep America safe," the Trump campaign said. Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida senator Marco Rubio said the US stands with ally Turkey in condemning this attack. "We stand ready to assist them as we learn more about the perpetrators responsible for this," he said. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said the attack in Istanbul was a heinous assault on a key US ally and the Turkish people should know with certainty that the American people stand in solidarity with them in this difficult hour. "Whenever terrorists attack a major global transit point, as they did a few months ago in Brussels and again today in Istanbul, they seek to erect barriers of fear that divide the free nations of the world. But we will not be divided," Hoyer said. "We will stand together to meet the challenge of groups like ISIS which represent the antithesis of our most important values - democracy, individual freedom, and opportunity for all," he said. (PTI)

Hillary Clinton says Turkey terror attack reminds US cannot retreat

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. 
 
&quot;In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we&#39;ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,&quot; Clinton&#39;s campaign said in a statement. 
 
Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. 
 
Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,&quot; Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,&quot; added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. 
 
Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month&#39;s party convention. 
 
Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation&#39;s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November&#39;s general election. 
 
(AFP)

The two were scheduled to hit the campaign trail together June 15, but delayed because of the Orlando massacre

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. "In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. "I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention. Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. (AFP)

Obama, Clinton to make first joint campaign stop next week: official

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