After months of throwing abuse at Mexicans living in the United States &mdash; he has called them rapists, criminals, and drug dealers &mdash; the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has announced he will be going to Mexico on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
The invitation came from the Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto.&nbsp; 
 
Trump tweeted: &quot;I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow.&quot;&nbsp; 
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I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/770811688966770689">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Nieto tweeted back in Spanish that Trump &quot;has accepted the invitation and will meet privately tomorrow with the president.&quot;
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Invit? a M?xico a los candidatos a la Presidencia de EEUU, para conversar sobre la relaci?n bilateral. Ma?ana recibo a Donald Trump.
&mdash; Enrique Pe?a Nieto (@EPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/EPN/status/770824709977931780">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The invite to Trump was also extended to his rival in the upcoming US election, the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. There has been no word yet on whether Clinton will accept.&nbsp; 
 
Trump is reviled in Mexico, which is not surprising considering the heckling he has directed at them. Apart from his descriptions of them, he has also promised to build a giant wall on the southern US border to separate them (the Mexicans) from him and his constituency.&nbsp; 
 
And that he would &quot;make the Mexicans pay for the wall&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Even Pena Nieto had reacted to that, saying back in July &quot;there is no way that Mexico could pay for a wall like that.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Nieto has in the past also likened Trump to Hitler and Mussolini for some of the positions the presidential candidate has taken.&nbsp; 
 
Why then would Trump go to the country, even if he should have been invited? 
 
Says The New York Times: &quot;The trip is the latest gamble for Mr. Trump and his struggling campaign. But for all the risk it poses, it offers an image Mr Trump relishes: of a wily negotiator willing to do the unexpected &mdash; meeting with a perceived enemy &mdash; to advance his agenda.&quot; 
 
It adds that this will be Trump&#39;s first meeting with a head of state as the Republican presidential nominee.&nbsp; 
Why Nieto might have invited him is harder to guess at.&nbsp; 
 
Mr Trump&#39;s sojourn in Mexico will be short. After his meeting with Nieto at the Presidential Palace, he will be flying back to Phoneix, Arizona where he will be giving a speech in which he is expected to clarify his position on immigration.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier in his campaign, Mr Trump had called for a &quot;deportation force&quot; to evict every single undocumented immigrant &mdash; there are 11 million of them in the US &mdash; from the country; more recently he has talked of deporting those with criminal records. &nbsp; 
 
Commentators however continue to say his stand on immigration is frustratingly vague. &nbsp; 
 
(WION, with inputs from agencies) 
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Trump is reviled in Mexico, which is not surprising considering the heckling he has directed at them

After months of throwing abuse at Mexicans living in the United States — he has called them rapists, criminals, and drug dealers — the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has announced he will be going to Mexico on Wednesday. The invitation came from the Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto. Trump tweeted: "I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow." I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2016 Nieto tweeted back in Spanish that Trump "has accepted the invitation and will meet privately tomorrow with the president." Invit? a M?xico a los candidatos a la Presidencia de EEUU, para conversar sobre la relaci?n bilateral. Ma?ana recibo a Donald Trump. — Enrique Pe?a Nieto (@EPN) August 31, 2016 The invite to Trump was also extended to his rival in the upcoming US election, the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. There has been no word yet on whether Clinton will accept. Trump is reviled in Mexico, which is not surprising considering the heckling he has directed at them. Apart from his descriptions of them, he has also promised to build a giant wall on the southern US border to separate them (the Mexicans) from him and his constituency. And that he would "make the Mexicans pay for the wall". Even Pena Nieto had reacted to that, saying back in July "there is no way that Mexico could pay for a wall like that." Nieto has in the past also likened Trump to Hitler and Mussolini for some of the positions the presidential candidate has taken. Why then would Trump go to the country, even if he should have been invited? Says The New York Times: "The trip is the latest gamble for Mr. Trump and his struggling campaign. But for all the risk it poses, it offers an image Mr Trump relishes: of a wily negotiator willing to do the unexpected — meeting with a perceived enemy — to advance his agenda." It adds that this will be Trump's first meeting with a head of state as the Republican presidential nominee. Why Nieto might have invited him is harder to guess at. Mr Trump's sojourn in Mexico will be short. After his meeting with Nieto at the Presidential Palace, he will be flying back to Phoneix, Arizona where he will be giving a speech in which he is expected to clarify his position on immigration. Earlier in his campaign, Mr Trump had called for a "deportation force" to evict every single undocumented immigrant — there are 11 million of them in the US — from the country; more recently he has talked of deporting those with criminal records. Commentators however continue to say his stand on immigration is frustratingly vague. (WION, with inputs from agencies)

After vowing to keep its citizens out, Trump to travel to Mexico

The US presidential campaign rhetoric sharpened on Thursday as both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump accused each other of bigotry. 
 
Republican presidential nominee Trump called Clinton a &quot;racist&quot; for trying to garner votes of the minorities while doing nothing for them.&nbsp;His Democratic rival lashed out at him for bringing hate politics into the mainstream.&nbsp; 
 
Clinton listed a series of episodes that showed her rival in a dark light during a campaign event in Reno, Nevada. She dredged up Trump&#39;s history of apparently refusing to rent out houses to&nbsp;Latinos and black people. 
 
She also pointed out about black employees working in his casinos having&nbsp;previously sued Trump.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s appointment of&nbsp;Steven Bannion as his new campaign chief was also skewered by Clinton. She said the appointment showed Trump&#39;s advocacy of the so-called white nationalist&#39;s&nbsp;&#39;alt-right&#39; movement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;A man with a long history of racial discrimination who traffics in dark conspiracy theories drawn from the pages of supermarket tabloids and the far dark reaches of the internet should never run our government or command our military,&quot; Clinton said. 
 
Speaking in New Hampshire later, Trump slammed his opponent&#39;s argument of him being discriminatory. He said the continuous attack on such lines&nbsp;was &quot;tired&nbsp;(and)&nbsp;disgusting&quot;. 
 
Instead, Clinton is the one who &quot;sees people of colour only as votes not as human beings worthy of a better future&quot;, he said during his speech.&nbsp; 
 
Later, during an interview with&nbsp;the CNN, he called Clinton &quot;totally bigoted&quot;. 
 
The escalation of verbal attacks between the two adversaries came in the wake of a&nbsp;survey handing Clinton a 10-point lead&nbsp;in the presidential race. The survey, conducted by&nbsp;Quinnipiac University, is an important one as it handed Clinton the backing of majority of the respondents.

 
(WION with inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The escalation of verbal attacks came in the wake of a?survey handing Clinton a 10-point lead?in the presidential race

The US presidential campaign rhetoric sharpened on Thursday as both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump accused each other of bigotry. Republican presidential nominee Trump called Clinton a "racist" for trying to garner votes of the minorities while doing nothing for them. His Democratic rival lashed out at him for bringing hate politics into the mainstream. Clinton listed a series of episodes that showed her rival in a dark light during a campaign event in Reno, Nevada. She dredged up Trump's history of apparently refusing to rent out houses to Latinos and black people. She also pointed out about black employees working in his casinos having previously sued Trump. Trump's appointment of Steven Bannion as his new campaign chief was also skewered by Clinton. She said the appointment showed Trump's advocacy of the so-called white nationalist's 'alt-right' movement. "A man with a long history of racial discrimination who traffics in dark conspiracy theories drawn from the pages of supermarket tabloids and the far dark reaches of the internet should never run our government or command our military," Clinton said. Speaking in New Hampshire later, Trump slammed his opponent's argument of him being discriminatory. He said the continuous attack on such lines was "tired (and) disgusting". Instead, Clinton is the one who "sees people of colour only as votes not as human beings worthy of a better future", he said during his speech. Later, during an interview with the CNN, he called Clinton "totally bigoted". The escalation of verbal attacks between the two adversaries came in the wake of a survey handing Clinton a 10-point lead in the presidential race. The survey, conducted by Quinnipiac University, is an important one as it handed Clinton the backing of majority of the respondents. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Clinton, Trump trade racism charges

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday announced that his&nbsp;organisation planned to release &#39;significant&#39; information regarding the&nbsp;campaign of the United States&#39; Democratic presedential nominee Hillary Clinton before the elections on November 8. 
 
Talking about the data, Assange said, &quot;I think it&rsquo;s significant. You know, it&nbsp;depends on how it catches fire in the public and in the media.&rdquo; 
 
Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for five years&nbsp;now to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault accusations.&nbsp;He has denied these allegations. 
 
In July this year, WikiLeaks had released audio recordings which it claimed&nbsp;were sourced from the emails of the Democratic National Committee. 
 
&quot;I don&rsquo;t want to give the game away, but it&rsquo;s a variety of documents, from&nbsp;different types of institutions that are associated with the election campaign,&nbsp;some quite unexpected angles, some quite interesting, some even entertaining,&quot;&nbsp;Assange said. 
 
WikiLeaks publishes leaked material, mostly from governments. In 2010, the&nbsp;organisation had published classified US military and diplomatic documents in&nbsp;one of the largest information leaks in US history. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

In July this year, WikiLeaks had released audio recordings which it claimed?were sourced from emails of the Democratic National Committee

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday announced that his organisation planned to release 'significant' information regarding the campaign of the United States' Democratic presedential nominee Hillary Clinton before the elections on November 8. Talking about the data, Assange said, "I think it’s significant. You know, it depends on how it catches fire in the public and in the media.” Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for five years now to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault accusations. He has denied these allegations. In July this year, WikiLeaks had released audio recordings which it claimed were sourced from the emails of the Democratic National Committee. "I don’t want to give the game away, but it’s a variety of documents, from different types of institutions that are associated with the election campaign, some quite unexpected angles, some quite interesting, some even entertaining," Assange said. WikiLeaks publishes leaked material, mostly from governments. In 2010, the organisation had published classified US military and diplomatic documents in one of the largest information leaks in US history. (WION with inputs from agencies)

WikiLeaks to release 'significant' Clinton campaign data: Assange

Softening his rigid stance on deporting millions of illegal immigrants even further, US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in remarks broadcast on Wednesday he would be willing to work with those who have followed US laws while living in the country. 
 
In the second part of an interview with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity conducted a day earlier, he clarified, however, that immigrants would have to pay taxes and there would be no amnesty for them.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;No citizenship. Let me go a step further,&nbsp;they&#39;ll pay back taxes, they have to pay taxes, there&#39;s no amnesty, as such, there&#39;s no amnesty, but we work with them,&quot; Trump said. 
 
&quot;But when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I&#39;ve had very strong people come up to me ... and they&#39;ve said: &#39;Mr Trump, I love you, but to take a person who&#39;s been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it&#39;s so tough, Mr Trump,&#39;&quot; Trump said. &quot;It&#39;s a very hard thing,&quot; 
he added, saying that he would outline his position soon. 
 
&ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;m going to announce something over the next two weeks, but it&rsquo;s going to be a very firm policy,&rdquo; Trump told WPEC, a CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. 
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<h5>The Republican, who defeated 16 rivals to gain the presidential nomination, had initially campaigned against illegal immigrants, saying that he would not permit American citizenship for the undocumented population and would expel lawbreakers.</h5>
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The&nbsp;softening in stance comes as he battles Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election and faces pressure to bolster support among moderate voters and minority groups. 
 
The Republican, who defeated 16 rivals to gain the presidential nomination, had initially campaigned against illegal immigrants, saying that he would not permit American citizenship for the undocumented population and would expel lawbreakers. 
 
Trump&#39;s new position seemed to resemble in some respects the failed 2007 reform push by former Republican President George W Bush. That effort offered a way to bring millions &quot;out of the shadows&quot; without amnesty and would have required illegal immigrants to pay a fine and take other steps to gain legal status. 
 
Trump&#39;s latest comments came as Nigel Farage, an anti-immigration politician who was part of Britain&#39;s successful campaign to leave the European Union, addressed Trump&#39;s rally in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday night. 
 
Trump has retained much of his immigration agenda. He still wants to build a wall along the US southern border with Mexico but he has emphasised in recent days a need to deal most urgently with illegal immigrants who commit crimes and also those who might be displacing African-American and Hispanic workers. 
 
At a rally earlier in Tampa, Florida, Trump did not talk about deporting as many as 11 million illegal immigrants as he has in the past, instead saying he would aim enforcement efforts at people who are committing crimes such as overstaying their visas. 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton wants a totally open border so people can just pour in,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are going to enforce our laws, remove people who overstay their visas, dismantle the gangs and cartels, and protect jobs and benefits for hardworking American citizens.&quot; 
 
Reaching out to minorities 
 
Trump trails Clinton in national public opinion polls as well as in many battleground states where the election will be decided. After a campaign shake-up last week, he has made more urgent attempts to appeal to moderate voters and minority groups who have been disenchanted by his bellicose rhetoric. 
 
As part of an outreach to minority voters, who opinion polls show favoring his opponent, Trump plans to visit some African-American communities, a departure from his reliance on white voters. One such stop is expected to be in September in Detroit. 
 
One adviser, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, an African-American who ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, told MSNBC he would accompany Trump. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s no question that he will be in the communities. He will be talking to African-American leaders around the country in different cities to find out what they believe is important, and what they think has worked,&quot; Carson said. 
 
Trump argues that many minority groups have suffered under Democratic policies, particularly in inner cities. He vowed to make cities safer so that &quot;when you walk down your street... you&#39;re not going to be shot, your child is not going to be shot.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The?softening in stance comes as he faces pressure to bolster support among moderate voters and minority groups

Softening his rigid stance on deporting millions of illegal immigrants even further, US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in remarks broadcast on Wednesday he would be willing to work with those who have followed US laws while living in the country. In the second part of an interview with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity conducted a day earlier, he clarified, however, that immigrants would have to pay taxes and there would be no amnesty for them. "No citizenship. Let me go a step further, they'll pay back taxes, they have to pay taxes, there's no amnesty, as such, there's no amnesty, but we work with them," Trump said. "But when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I've had very strong people come up to me ... and they've said: 'Mr Trump, I love you, but to take a person who's been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr Trump,'" Trump said. "It's a very hard thing," he added, saying that he would outline his position soon. “Well, I’m going to announce something over the next two weeks, but it’s going to be a very firm policy,” Trump told WPEC, a CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Republican, who defeated 16 rivals to gain the presidential nomination, had initially campaigned against illegal immigrants, saying that he would not permit American citizenship for the undocumented population and would expel lawbreakers. The softening in stance comes as he battles Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election and faces pressure to bolster support among moderate voters and minority groups. The Republican, who defeated 16 rivals to gain the presidential nomination, had initially campaigned against illegal immigrants, saying that he would not permit American citizenship for the undocumented population and would expel lawbreakers. Trump's new position seemed to resemble in some respects the failed 2007 reform push by former Republican President George W Bush. That effort offered a way to bring millions "out of the shadows" without amnesty and would have required illegal immigrants to pay a fine and take other steps to gain legal status. Trump's latest comments came as Nigel Farage, an anti-immigration politician who was part of Britain's successful campaign to leave the European Union, addressed Trump's rally in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday night. Trump has retained much of his immigration agenda. He still wants to build a wall along the US southern border with Mexico but he has emphasised in recent days a need to deal most urgently with illegal immigrants who commit crimes and also those who might be displacing African-American and Hispanic workers. At a rally earlier in Tampa, Florida, Trump did not talk about deporting as many as 11 million illegal immigrants as he has in the past, instead saying he would aim enforcement efforts at people who are committing crimes such as overstaying their visas. "Hillary Clinton wants a totally open border so people can just pour in," Trump said. "We are going to enforce our laws, remove people who overstay their visas, dismantle the gangs and cartels, and protect jobs and benefits for hardworking American citizens." Reaching out to minorities Trump trails Clinton in national public opinion polls as well as in many battleground states where the election will be decided. After a campaign shake-up last week, he has made more urgent attempts to appeal to moderate voters and minority groups who have been disenchanted by his bellicose rhetoric. As part of an outreach to minority voters, who opinion polls show favoring his opponent, Trump plans to visit some African-American communities, a departure from his reliance on white voters. One such stop is expected to be in September in Detroit. One adviser, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, an African-American who ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, told MSNBC he would accompany Trump. "There's no question that he will be in the communities. He will be talking to African-American leaders around the country in different cities to find out what they believe is important, and what they think has worked," Carson said. Trump argues that many minority groups have suffered under Democratic policies, particularly in inner cities. He vowed to make cities safer so that "when you walk down your street... you're not going to be shot, your child is not going to be shot." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Willing to work with those who follow US laws: Donald Trump further softens stance on migration

Roger Ailes, the former Fox News chairman who last month left the station in disgrace amid sexual harassment allegations, is now an adviser to Donald Trump, reports the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/us/politics/donald-trump-roger-ailes.html">New York Times</a>.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/8/15/12416662/roger-ailes-fox-sexual-harassment-women-list">Vox.com</a> reports that over 20 women have accused Ailes of sexual harrassment.&nbsp; 
 
Fox News has had a distinct place in all the controversies in Trump&#39;s presidential campaign, especially in the dispute with host Megyn Kelly. The two clashed bitterly in the first Republican primary debate back in 2015 after Mr Trump attributed her agitation during the debate to the fact she was menstruating. 
 
After making a number of statements considered to be insulting and offensive, female support for Trump is at its lowest. Perhaps as a result, as Fortune.com&nbsp;points out, of Mr Trump&#39;s new slew of economic advisers, eight of the nine are women. This comes after naming an exclusively male group of advisers. The site points to a&nbsp;poll conducted by <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/08/11/women-donald-trump-chart/">Morning Consult</a>&nbsp;that lists Hillary Clinton&#39;s support among females at 47 per cent, whereas Trump has 34 per cent. 
 
Trump has repeatedly denied being sexist. It is unclear how bringing aboard an adviser just relieved of his high-profile position after allegations of sexual harassment will help him woo female voters. &nbsp;But Mr Ailes has been a Republican political consultant for years, including as a top adviser for Richard Nixon&#39;s presidential campaign and a debate coach for both Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George Bush in 1988. 
 
As the New York Times article highlights, Trump was asked on July 24 by NBC&#39;s Chuck Todd whether Mr Ailes was going to advise the campaign, and he replied:&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to comment. But he&rsquo;s been a friend of mine for a long time.&rdquo; He said that Mr Ailes was a &ldquo;very, very good person&rdquo; and said, &ldquo;A lot of people are thinking he&rsquo;s going to run my campaign.&rdquo; 
 
(WION)

Ailes, who has been accused by over 20 women of sexual harassment, has been a Republican political consultant for years

Roger Ailes, the former Fox News chairman who last month left the station in disgrace amid sexual harassment allegations, is now an adviser to Donald Trump, reports the New York Times. Vox.com reports that over 20 women have accused Ailes of sexual harrassment. Fox News has had a distinct place in all the controversies in Trump's presidential campaign, especially in the dispute with host Megyn Kelly. The two clashed bitterly in the first Republican primary debate back in 2015 after Mr Trump attributed her agitation during the debate to the fact she was menstruating. After making a number of statements considered to be insulting and offensive, female support for Trump is at its lowest. Perhaps as a result, as Fortune.com points out, of Mr Trump's new slew of economic advisers, eight of the nine are women. This comes after naming an exclusively male group of advisers. The site points to a poll conducted by Morning Consult that lists Hillary Clinton's support among females at 47 per cent, whereas Trump has 34 per cent. Trump has repeatedly denied being sexist. It is unclear how bringing aboard an adviser just relieved of his high-profile position after allegations of sexual harassment will help him woo female voters. But Mr Ailes has been a Republican political consultant for years, including as a top adviser for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and a debate coach for both Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George Bush in 1988. As the New York Times article highlights, Trump was asked on July 24 by NBC's Chuck Todd whether Mr Ailes was going to advise the campaign, and he replied: “I don’t want to comment. But he’s been a friend of mine for a long time.” He said that Mr Ailes was a “very, very good person” and said, “A lot of people are thinking he’s going to run my campaign.” (WION)

Trump to be advised by disgraced former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes

A judge ordered the State Department on Monday to review and determine the potential release of 14,900 documents, most of which are believed to be emails to or from Hillary Clinton, that turned up in an FBI investigation of her use of a private email server as secretary of state. 
 
The documents are part of a cache that the FBI turned over to the State Department at the end of its probe into Clinton&#39;s use of the server. 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation found Clinton was &quot;extremely careless&quot; with sensitive information by using the private server but recommended against bringing charges against Clinton. She has been dogged by questions about the issue throughout her run for the White House. 
 
The State Department could make public the first batch of emails in October, weeks before the Democratic nominee faces Republican rival Donald Trump in the November 8 election. State Department employees are due to craft a timeline for the release at a meeting on September 23. 
 
The revelation of more emails after 55,000 pages of emails were turned over by Clinton last year could provide continued fodder for opponents who have seized on the email issue to charge she is untrustworthy. 
 
The announcement by US district court judge James Boasberg, who is overseeing a group of lawsuits seeking to make Clinton&#39;s emails public, came the same day a conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch, made public a batch of Clinton&#39;s emails obtained through a lawsuit. 
 
Judicial Watch says that the emails show donors to the Clinton family&#39;s charitable foundation seeking the access to her during the period she was secretary of state from 2009-2013. 
 
The 14,900 documents referred to by Boasberg are believed to include emails that were not included among the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton previously turned over to the State Department after her use of a private email server and private email account became public last year. 
 
The new documents are believed to consist chiefly of emails to or from Clinton, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, and may include a mix of personal and work emails. Some of the emails were found on the servers of people she or her staff were communicating with. 
 
Clinton, who is currently leading Trump in opinion polls ahead of the election, has said she did not compromise classified information and used a private server for convenience, and later apologized, saying &quot;I take responsibility.&quot; 
 
&#39;Trying to pin it on me&#39; 
 
Meanwhile, former secretary of state Colin Powell over the weekend dismissed reports that Clinton told federal investigators that it was at his suggestion that she used a personal email account, according to a media report. 
 
Powell, who served as the nation&#39;s top diplomat from 2001-2005 under Republican president George W Bush, told People magazine that while he did send Clinton a memo about his own email practices, Clinton had already chosen to use personal email rather than a government account while she had the job. 
 
&quot;Her people have been trying to pin it on me. The truth is, she was using (the private email server) for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did,&quot; Powell told People on Saturday. 
 
Last week, The New York Times reported that Clinton told federal investigators that Powell had suggested she use personal email for unclassified email when the two spoke over dinner. The conversation occurred &quot;in the early months&quot; of Clinton&#39;s tenure at the State Department, the Times said, citing a forthcoming book by journalist Joe Conason that first reported the dinner exchange. 
 
Representatives for Powell, in a separate statement to NBC news, said he had no recollection of the conversation with Clinton but did write to her. 
 
&quot;He did write former secretary Clinton an email memo describing his use of his personal AOL email account for unclassified messages and how it vastly improved communications within the State Department,&quot; his office told NBC on Friday. 
 
The email exchange occurred in 2009, according to the Times. 
 
Powell and aides to his successor as secretary of state in the Bush administration, Condoleezza Rice, received some classified information via personal email accounts, Reuters has reported. Clinton&#39;s additional use of a personal computer server at her home, however, broke State Department rules, an internal watchdog found. 
 
The FBI last week turned over a number of documents to the US Congress related to its probe into the emails, but this has riled both Democrats and Republicans. 
 
Democrats have expressed concern over the potential for politically motivated leaks by Republicans to target Clinton less than three months before the election. 
 
Republican US House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz told MSNBC yesterday the documents lawmakers received &quot;are overly redacted&quot; and that they are asking for another version with more of the missing information so they can be made public as soon as possible. 
 
(Reuters)

These documents were apparently not included among the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton had previously submitted for investigation

A judge ordered the State Department on Monday to review and determine the potential release of 14,900 documents, most of which are believed to be emails to or from Hillary Clinton, that turned up in an FBI investigation of her use of a private email server as secretary of state. The documents are part of a cache that the FBI turned over to the State Department at the end of its probe into Clinton's use of the server. The Federal Bureau of Investigation found Clinton was "extremely careless" with sensitive information by using the private server but recommended against bringing charges against Clinton. She has been dogged by questions about the issue throughout her run for the White House. The State Department could make public the first batch of emails in October, weeks before the Democratic nominee faces Republican rival Donald Trump in the November 8 election. State Department employees are due to craft a timeline for the release at a meeting on September 23. The revelation of more emails after 55,000 pages of emails were turned over by Clinton last year could provide continued fodder for opponents who have seized on the email issue to charge she is untrustworthy. The announcement by US district court judge James Boasberg, who is overseeing a group of lawsuits seeking to make Clinton's emails public, came the same day a conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch, made public a batch of Clinton's emails obtained through a lawsuit. Judicial Watch says that the emails show donors to the Clinton family's charitable foundation seeking the access to her during the period she was secretary of state from 2009-2013. The 14,900 documents referred to by Boasberg are believed to include emails that were not included among the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton previously turned over to the State Department after her use of a private email server and private email account became public last year. The new documents are believed to consist chiefly of emails to or from Clinton, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, and may include a mix of personal and work emails. Some of the emails were found on the servers of people she or her staff were communicating with. Clinton, who is currently leading Trump in opinion polls ahead of the election, has said she did not compromise classified information and used a private server for convenience, and later apologized, saying "I take responsibility." 'Trying to pin it on me' Meanwhile, former secretary of state Colin Powell over the weekend dismissed reports that Clinton told federal investigators that it was at his suggestion that she used a personal email account, according to a media report. Powell, who served as the nation's top diplomat from 2001-2005 under Republican president George W Bush, told People magazine that while he did send Clinton a memo about his own email practices, Clinton had already chosen to use personal email rather than a government account while she had the job. "Her people have been trying to pin it on me. The truth is, she was using (the private email server) for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did," Powell told People on Saturday. Last week, The New York Times reported that Clinton told federal investigators that Powell had suggested she use personal email for unclassified email when the two spoke over dinner. The conversation occurred "in the early months" of Clinton's tenure at the State Department, the Times said, citing a forthcoming book by journalist Joe Conason that first reported the dinner exchange. Representatives for Powell, in a separate statement to NBC news, said he had no recollection of the conversation with Clinton but did write to her. "He did write former secretary Clinton an email memo describing his use of his personal AOL email account for unclassified messages and how it vastly improved communications within the State Department," his office told NBC on Friday. The email exchange occurred in 2009, according to the Times. Powell and aides to his successor as secretary of state in the Bush administration, Condoleezza Rice, received some classified information via personal email accounts, Reuters has reported. Clinton's additional use of a personal computer server at her home, however, broke State Department rules, an internal watchdog found. The FBI last week turned over a number of documents to the US Congress related to its probe into the emails, but this has riled both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats have expressed concern over the potential for politically motivated leaks by Republicans to target Clinton less than three months before the election. Republican US House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz told MSNBC yesterday the documents lawmakers received "are overly redacted" and that they are asking for another version with more of the missing information so they can be made public as soon as possible. (Reuters)

Judge asks State Department to review new Clinton emails

A US federal judge has ordered Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to answer written questions from a watchdog group about her use of a private email server when she served as secretary of state. 
 
Such an order was passed by the US District Judge Emmet G Sullivan as part of a lawsuit filed against Clinton by Judicial Watch, which had sought permission to question the former secretary of state under oath and in person. 
 
This was, however, denied by the court. 
 
Judge Sullivan said the court is persuaded that secretary Clinton&#39;s testimony is necessary to enable her to explain on the record the purpose for the creation and operation of the clintonemail.com system for the state department business. 
 
&quot;We are pleased that this federal court ordered Hillary Clinton to provide written answers under oath to some key questions about her email scandal,&quot; said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. 
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&quot;We will move quickly to get these answers. The decision is a reminder that Clinton is not above the law,&quot; he said. 
 
The court also asked the state department to release all remaining documents responsive to Judicial Watch&#39;s Freedom of Information Act request by September 30. 
 
Judicial Watch may serve interrogatories on Clinton by October 14. Clinton&#39;s responses need to be within thirty days, the order said. 
 
&quot;Judicial Watch will get Clinton under oath regarding the set-up of her outlaw server something no other person, organisation or agency has been ableto do, to date. We believe it is a victory for law and order to get Hillary Clinton under oath answering questions about the server setup and why she did it,&quot; said Judicial Watch director of investigations Chris Farrell. 
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The Clinton Campaign said the former secretary of state would answer the questions. 
 
&quot;Judicial Watch is a right-wing organisation that has been attacking the Clintons since the 1990s,&quot; said Brian Fallon, the spokesman of the Clinton Campaign. 
 
&quot;This is just another lawsuit intended to try to hurt Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign, and so we are glad that the judge has accepted our offer to answer these questions in writing rather than grant Judicial Watch&#39;s request,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

Clinton Campaign said Hillary would answer the questions but claimed the watchdog group that sought answers was a right-wing organisation

A US federal judge has ordered Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to answer written questions from a watchdog group about her use of a private email server when she served as secretary of state. Such an order was passed by the US District Judge Emmet G Sullivan as part of a lawsuit filed against Clinton by Judicial Watch, which had sought permission to question the former secretary of state under oath and in person. This was, however, denied by the court. Judge Sullivan said the court is persuaded that secretary Clinton's testimony is necessary to enable her to explain on the record the purpose for the creation and operation of the clintonemail.com system for the state department business. "We are pleased that this federal court ordered Hillary Clinton to provide written answers under oath to some key questions about her email scandal," said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. Judge Sullivan said the court is persuaded that secretary Clinton's testimony is necessary to enable her to explain on the record the purpose for the creation and operation of the clintonemail.com system for the state department business. "We will move quickly to get these answers. The decision is a reminder that Clinton is not above the law," he said. The court also asked the state department to release all remaining documents responsive to Judicial Watch's Freedom of Information Act request by September 30. Judicial Watch may serve interrogatories on Clinton by October 14. Clinton's responses need to be within thirty days, the order said. "Judicial Watch will get Clinton under oath regarding the set-up of her outlaw server something no other person, organisation or agency has been ableto do, to date. We believe it is a victory for law and order to get Hillary Clinton under oath answering questions about the server setup and why she did it," said Judicial Watch director of investigations Chris Farrell. "This is just another lawsuit intended to try to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign." The Clinton Campaign said the former secretary of state would answer the questions. "Judicial Watch is a right-wing organisation that has been attacking the Clintons since the 1990s," said Brian Fallon, the spokesman of the Clinton Campaign. "This is just another lawsuit intended to try to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign, and so we are glad that the judge has accepted our offer to answer these questions in writing rather than grant Judicial Watch's request," he said. (PTI)

Provide written answers to questions on use of private email: Judge to Hillary Clinton

Bill and Hillary Clinton&#39;s charitable foundation hired the security firm FireEye to examine its data systems after seeing indications they might have been hacked, according to two sources familiar with the matter. 
 
So far, no message or document hacked from the New York-based Clinton Foundation has surfaced in public, the sources said. 
 
One of the sources and two US security officials said that like hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s presidential campaign and the Democrats&#39; congressional fundraising committee, the hackers appear to have used &ldquo;spear phishing&rdquo; techniques to gain access to the foundation&#39;s network. 
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These techniques include creating bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers&rsquo; emails and then to the foundation itself. 
 
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups, which suggests that Russians also attacked the foundation. 
 
Kremlin officials dismissed as absurd the allegations of Moscow&#39;s involvement, which were made last month amid political party nominating conventions for the Nov. 8 election. 
 
Neither former White House ounsel Kathryn Ruemmler, the Clinton Foundation&rsquo;s principal lawyer, nor a spokeswoman for the foundation responded to requests for comment on the hacking and the precautions the organisation has taken. 
 
Officials with FireEye said the company could not discuss its clients. 
 
Although no documents have emerged, the attacks have left some Democrats and Clinton campaign officials worried that the hackers might have obtained emails and voice messages that could be used to reinforce Republican charges that donors to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with access to Clinton and her aides while she was secretary of state or to her husband, former President Bill Clinton. 
 
Another concern: hackers or outlets such as the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks website could release documents and emails damaging to her presidential campaign, several people familiar with the foundation&#39;s activities said. 
 
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee convened a closed-door meeting yesterday to discuss best cyber security practices. 
 
The meeting, according to people familiar with it, included a recommendation that staff and lawmakers change their phone numbers and email addresses if that information was published online by hackers believed to be working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. 
 
One of the US officials said, however, that the spear phishing pattern used against several organisations, appears to reinforce the intelligence community&#39;s &quot;preliminary assessment&quot; that the attacks were intended more for espionage than for trying to influence the US presidential election. 
 
So far, said a third US official familiar with the attacks, there is no evidence that the hackers were able to follow any of the hacked emails into the state department&#39;s classified email systems. 
 
Anxiety in Washington over the possibility that a foreign power might be using hacked information to meddle in the US election has prompted some Democrats and cyber security experts to urge the Obama administration to blame Russia publicly. 
 
Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said the United States should carry &quot;a big stick&quot; in cyber security matters. &quot;The US government needs to be very clear, very direct, and hold these people accountable.&quot; 
 
Current and former White House and intelligence officials said the Obama administration is unlikely to blame Russia publicly, given the difficulty of attributing the attacks without revealing American sources and methods, the geopolitical concerns at play, and a fear that doing so could risk aggravating cyber conflict. 
 
(Reuters)

A source and two US security officials said that the hackers appear to have used 'spear phishing' techniques to gain access

Bill and Hillary Clinton's charitable foundation hired the security firm FireEye to examine its data systems after seeing indications they might have been hacked, according to two sources familiar with the matter. So far, no message or document hacked from the New York-based Clinton Foundation has surfaced in public, the sources said. One of the sources and two US security officials said that like hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democrats' congressional fundraising committee, the hackers appear to have used “spear phishing” techniques to gain access to the foundation's network. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups. These techniques include creating bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers’ emails and then to the foundation itself. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups, which suggests that Russians also attacked the foundation. Kremlin officials dismissed as absurd the allegations of Moscow's involvement, which were made last month amid political party nominating conventions for the Nov. 8 election. Neither former White House ounsel Kathryn Ruemmler, the Clinton Foundation’s principal lawyer, nor a spokeswoman for the foundation responded to requests for comment on the hacking and the precautions the organisation has taken. Officials with FireEye said the company could not discuss its clients. Although no documents have emerged, the attacks have left some Democrats and Clinton campaign officials worried that the hackers might have obtained emails and voice messages that could be used to reinforce Republican charges that donors to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with access to Clinton and her aides while she was secretary of state or to her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Another concern: hackers or outlets such as the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks website could release documents and emails damaging to her presidential campaign, several people familiar with the foundation's activities said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee convened a closed-door meeting yesterday to discuss best cyber security practices. The meeting, according to people familiar with it, included a recommendation that staff and lawmakers change their phone numbers and email addresses if that information was published online by hackers believed to be working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. One of the US officials said, however, that the spear phishing pattern used against several organisations, appears to reinforce the intelligence community's "preliminary assessment" that the attacks were intended more for espionage than for trying to influence the US presidential election. So far, said a third US official familiar with the attacks, there is no evidence that the hackers were able to follow any of the hacked emails into the state department's classified email systems. Anxiety in Washington over the possibility that a foreign power might be using hacked information to meddle in the US election has prompted some Democrats and cyber security experts to urge the Obama administration to blame Russia publicly. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said the United States should carry "a big stick" in cyber security matters. "The US government needs to be very clear, very direct, and hold these people accountable." Current and former White House and intelligence officials said the Obama administration is unlikely to blame Russia publicly, given the difficulty of attributing the attacks without revealing American sources and methods, the geopolitical concerns at play, and a fear that doing so could risk aggravating cyber conflict. (Reuters)

Clinton Foundation hired cyber firm after suspected hacking, say sources

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents about the agency&#39;s investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while secretary of state were being reviewed on yesterday in secure rooms of the US Capitol. 
 
Lawmakers and select staff from some congressional committees could page through the material, parts of which are redacted, in large binders labeled &quot;secret&quot; that the FBI turned over to Congress on Tuesday. 
 
Republican lawmakers requested the information last month after the FBI recommended no criminal charges against Clinton. 
 
&quot;Last I heard, my colleagues had their turn with the documents at 1.30 pm,&quot; said a Senate Judiciary committee aide. &quot;There&#39;s only one set of documents for all the interested Senate committees, as I understand it.&quot; 
 
She said those viewing the material were allowed to take notes. But if notes were taken on the classified parts, those notes had to be left in the secure area with the documents. 
 
Clinton has been dogged for more than a year by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation&#39;s top diplomat from 2009 to 2013. 
 
Republicans have repeatedly hammered Clinton over the issue, helping to drive opinion poll results showing that many US voters doubt her trustworthiness. She faces Republican nominee Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. 
 
The FBI said on Tuesday it had provided &quot;relevant materials&quot; to congressional committees looking into the matter. 
 
&quot;The material contains classified and other sensitive information and is being provided with the expectation it will not be disseminated or disclosed without FBI concurrence,&quot; the agency said in a statement. 
 
Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said in a statement on Tuesday an initial review of the material showed most of it was marked unclassified. 
 
Grassley, who has called for unclassified parts of the documents to be made public, wrote yesterday to the Senate security office, which has custody of the documents, asking them to provide his committee with an unclassified version. 
 
Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon in a statement also called for the public release of the documents, &quot;rather than allow Republicans to mischaracterise them through selective, partisan leaks.&quot; 
 
The documents on the Senate side of the Capitol are under the control of the office of senate security, Senate aides said. In the House of Representatives, another set was being viewed in a &quot;Secure Compartmented Information Facility,&quot; an aide with the House Oversight and Government Reform committee said. 
 
&quot;Our investigators with (security) clearances have gone down there and looked at the documents,&quot; the Oversight committee aide said. 
 
It was unclear how many lawmakers had actually seen the material so far. Most members of Congress were not in town because of a congressional recess. 
 
The documents were made available to the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Appropriations committees in the Senate, and the Oversight, Judiciary and Appropriations committees in the House, aides said. 
 
The Intelligence committees on both sides of the Capitol also have copies, so they do not have to join the line with the others. 
 
(Reuters)

Republican lawmakers requested the information last month after the FBI recommended no criminal charges against Clinton

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents about the agency's investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state were being reviewed on yesterday in secure rooms of the US Capitol. Lawmakers and select staff from some congressional committees could page through the material, parts of which are redacted, in large binders labeled "secret" that the FBI turned over to Congress on Tuesday. Republican lawmakers requested the information last month after the FBI recommended no criminal charges against Clinton. "Last I heard, my colleagues had their turn with the documents at 1.30 pm," said a Senate Judiciary committee aide. "There's only one set of documents for all the interested Senate committees, as I understand it." She said those viewing the material were allowed to take notes. But if notes were taken on the classified parts, those notes had to be left in the secure area with the documents. Clinton has been dogged for more than a year by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013. Republicans have repeatedly hammered Clinton over the issue, helping to drive opinion poll results showing that many US voters doubt her trustworthiness. She faces Republican nominee Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. The FBI said on Tuesday it had provided "relevant materials" to congressional committees looking into the matter. "The material contains classified and other sensitive information and is being provided with the expectation it will not be disseminated or disclosed without FBI concurrence," the agency said in a statement. Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said in a statement on Tuesday an initial review of the material showed most of it was marked unclassified. Grassley, who has called for unclassified parts of the documents to be made public, wrote yesterday to the Senate security office, which has custody of the documents, asking them to provide his committee with an unclassified version. Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon in a statement also called for the public release of the documents, "rather than allow Republicans to mischaracterise them through selective, partisan leaks." The documents on the Senate side of the Capitol are under the control of the office of senate security, Senate aides said. In the House of Representatives, another set was being viewed in a "Secure Compartmented Information Facility," an aide with the House Oversight and Government Reform committee said. "Our investigators with (security) clearances have gone down there and looked at the documents," the Oversight committee aide said. It was unclear how many lawmakers had actually seen the material so far. Most members of Congress were not in town because of a congressional recess. The documents were made available to the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Appropriations committees in the Senate, and the Oversight, Judiciary and Appropriations committees in the House, aides said. The Intelligence committees on both sides of the Capitol also have copies, so they do not have to join the line with the others. (Reuters)

Clinton's FBI documents viewed in secure areas of the US Capitol

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Tuesday it had turned over to the US Congress a number of documents related to its probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while she was the secretary of state. 
 
The Democratic presidential nominee has for over a year been dogged by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation&#39;s top diplomat. 
 
Republicans have repeatedly hammered Clinton over the issue, helping to drive opinion poll results showing that many US voters doubt her trustworthiness. 
 
The FBI said it had provided &quot;relevant materials&quot; to congressional committees looking into the matter. 
 
&quot;The material contains classified and other sensitive information and is being provided with the expectation it will not be disseminated or disclosed without FBI concurrence,&quot; the agency said in a statement. 
 
The Clinton campaign criticised the delivery of the documents. 
 
&quot;This is an extraordinarily rare step that was sought solely by Republicans for the purposes of further second-guessing the career professionals at the FBI,&quot; Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We believe that if these materials are going to be shared outside the Justice Department, they should be released widely so that the public can see them for themselves, rather than allow Republicans to mischaracterize them through selective, partisan leaks.&quot; 
 
A spokeswoman for the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee said in an email that staff for the panel was reviewing the information classified as &quot;secret.&quot; 
 
&quot;There are no further details at this time,&quot; the aide said. 
 
Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said in a statement that an initial review of the material showed most of it was marked unclassified, and urged the FBI to make as much of it public as possible. 
 
FBI Director James Comey told Congress last month that Clinton`s handling of classified information while using private email servers was &quot;extremely careless.&quot; But he said he would not recommend criminal charges be brought against her. 
 
Comey&#39;s statement lifted a cloud of uncertainty from Clinton`s White House campaign. But his strong criticism of her judgment ignited a new attack on her by Republicans, including Donald Trump, her Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 election. 
 
`Not clear evidence&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Oversight committee, chaired by Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz, had asked the FBI for the complete investigative file from its review of Clinton`s use of a private email server. 
 
The FBI has also provided documents from its investigation to the House Judiciary Committee, an aide said. 
 
Chaffetz and Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, also a Republican, last month urged federal prosecutors to investigate whether Clinton had committed perjury. 
 
They said some FBI findings about her email servers were at odds with her previous testimony to Congress about the matter, for example, her statement she had not sent or received information designated as classified. 
 
But the FBI, in a letter sent to the committee on Tuesday, said the fact that the agency had uncovered three instances in which Clinton had received emails containing &quot;(C)&quot; markings, which denote &quot;confidential&quot; information, was &quot;not clear evidence of knowledge or intent&quot; to mishandle such material. 
 
The letter, which accompanied the FBI`s investigative documents, noted relevant emails had been forwarded to Clinton by staff, lacked &quot;header and footer markings&quot; indicating the presence of classified information, and only one email was later determined by the State Department to contain classified information. 
 
Clinton`s fellow Democrats were scornful that Republicans were refusing to let the matter drop. 
 
&quot;The FBI already determined unanimously that there is insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing,&quot; said Representative Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the Oversight committee. &quot;Republicans are now investigating the investigator in a desperate attempt to resuscitate this issue, keep it in the headlines, and distract from Donald Trump`s sagging poll numbers.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

For over a year been, Clinton has been dogged by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation's top diplomat

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Tuesday it had turned over to the US Congress a number of documents related to its probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was the secretary of state. The Democratic presidential nominee has for over a year been dogged by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation's top diplomat. Republicans have repeatedly hammered Clinton over the issue, helping to drive opinion poll results showing that many US voters doubt her trustworthiness. The FBI said it had provided "relevant materials" to congressional committees looking into the matter. "The material contains classified and other sensitive information and is being provided with the expectation it will not be disseminated or disclosed without FBI concurrence," the agency said in a statement. The Clinton campaign criticised the delivery of the documents. "This is an extraordinarily rare step that was sought solely by Republicans for the purposes of further second-guessing the career professionals at the FBI," Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement. "We believe that if these materials are going to be shared outside the Justice Department, they should be released widely so that the public can see them for themselves, rather than allow Republicans to mischaracterize them through selective, partisan leaks." A spokeswoman for the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee said in an email that staff for the panel was reviewing the information classified as "secret." "There are no further details at this time," the aide said. Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said in a statement that an initial review of the material showed most of it was marked unclassified, and urged the FBI to make as much of it public as possible. FBI Director James Comey told Congress last month that Clinton`s handling of classified information while using private email servers was "extremely careless." But he said he would not recommend criminal charges be brought against her. Comey's statement lifted a cloud of uncertainty from Clinton`s White House campaign. But his strong criticism of her judgment ignited a new attack on her by Republicans, including Donald Trump, her Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 election. `Not clear evidence' The Oversight committee, chaired by Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz, had asked the FBI for the complete investigative file from its review of Clinton`s use of a private email server. The FBI has also provided documents from its investigation to the House Judiciary Committee, an aide said. Chaffetz and Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, also a Republican, last month urged federal prosecutors to investigate whether Clinton had committed perjury. They said some FBI findings about her email servers were at odds with her previous testimony to Congress about the matter, for example, her statement she had not sent or received information designated as classified. But the FBI, in a letter sent to the committee on Tuesday, said the fact that the agency had uncovered three instances in which Clinton had received emails containing "(C)" markings, which denote "confidential" information, was "not clear evidence of knowledge or intent" to mishandle such material. The letter, which accompanied the FBI`s investigative documents, noted relevant emails had been forwarded to Clinton by staff, lacked "header and footer markings" indicating the presence of classified information, and only one email was later determined by the State Department to contain classified information. Clinton`s fellow Democrats were scornful that Republicans were refusing to let the matter drop. "The FBI already determined unanimously that there is insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing," said Representative Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the Oversight committee. "Republicans are now investigating the investigator in a desperate attempt to resuscitate this issue, keep it in the headlines, and distract from Donald Trump`s sagging poll numbers." (Reuters)

FBI submits Hillary Clinton's email notes to Congress

Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate.&nbsp; 
 
A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the November 8 general election against Clinton. 
 
In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump`s actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage. 
&quot;We&rsquo;re so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign,&quot; Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters. 
 
&quot;And don&rsquo;t believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we&rsquo;re going to put him in the White House and save this country together.&quot; 
 
Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump&#39;s failure to endorse House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later. 
 
Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party. 
 
&quot;I have to say we have great unification,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic. 
 
&quot;I have been saying because it&#39;s true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he`s the founder of ISIS and she&#39;s a close second,&quot; Trump said in Altoona. 
 
Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week. 
 
Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticized for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of &quot;missing&quot; emails from Clinton`s time as US secretary of state. 
 
Waning support 
 
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states. 
 
Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College. 
 
The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida.&nbsp; 
 
Clinton released her tax returns on Friday, painting the move as a sign of transparency that her campaign says Trump lacks. 
 
U.S. presidential candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become a common custom. 
 
Trump has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one`s business and that they reveal little. 
 
Trump scheduled a speech in Warren, Ohio, on Monday that will focus on how he would handle the threat posed by Islamic State. Trump has said he would &quot;knock the hell out of ISIS,&quot; without offering details. 
 
Trump has been mired in repeated controversies in recent days. He drew heavy criticism after he suggested gun rights activists could take action against Clinton, a statement he later said was aimed at rallying votes against her. 
 
Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans now want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. 
 
Republicans frequently trace the birth of Islamic State to the Obama administration&rsquo;s decision to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011. 
 
But many analysts argue its roots lie in the decision of George W Bush&rsquo;s Republican administration to invade Iraq in 2003 without a plan to fill the vacuum created by Saddam Hussein&rsquo;s ouster. It was Bush&rsquo;s administration that negotiated the 2009 agreement that called for the withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. 
 
At his Erie event, Trump seemed to acknowledge he is facing a formidable opponent in Clinton as well as a difficult electoral path. 
 
&quot;The Republicans have a tougher path &ndash; not my fault,&rdquo; he said. 
 
He said Clinton`s campaign is smart to keep her out of the spotlight. 
 
&quot;She doesn&rsquo;t talk to reporters very often. ... She doesn&rsquo;t expose what&rsquo;s going on up here, which isn&rsquo;t good,&rdquo; he said, meaning her brain. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s doesn&rsquo;t expose her mind to questions. What they want to do is try to fake it through.&rdquo; 
 
Trump also said in Altoona that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania to Clinton is if &quot;cheating goes on.&quot; 
 
He said he wants authorities to monitor the voting closely. &quot;I know what`s happening here, folks. She can`t beat what`s happening here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Republican frontrunner also gets public show of support from party's national committee chairman

Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate. A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the November 8 general election against Clinton. In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump`s actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage. "We’re so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign," Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters. "And don’t believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we’re going to put him in the White House and save this country together." Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump's failure to endorse House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later. Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party. "I have to say we have great unification," Trump said. Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic. "I have been saying because it's true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he`s the founder of ISIS and she's a close second," Trump said in Altoona. Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week. Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticized for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of "missing" emails from Clinton`s time as US secretary of state. Waning support A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states. Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College. The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida. Clinton released her tax returns on Friday, painting the move as a sign of transparency that her campaign says Trump lacks. U.S. presidential candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become a common custom. Trump has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one`s business and that they reveal little. Trump scheduled a speech in Warren, Ohio, on Monday that will focus on how he would handle the threat posed by Islamic State. Trump has said he would "knock the hell out of ISIS," without offering details. Trump has been mired in repeated controversies in recent days. He drew heavy criticism after he suggested gun rights activists could take action against Clinton, a statement he later said was aimed at rallying votes against her. Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans now want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. Republicans frequently trace the birth of Islamic State to the Obama administration’s decision to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011. But many analysts argue its roots lie in the decision of George W Bush’s Republican administration to invade Iraq in 2003 without a plan to fill the vacuum created by Saddam Hussein’s ouster. It was Bush’s administration that negotiated the 2009 agreement that called for the withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. At his Erie event, Trump seemed to acknowledge he is facing a formidable opponent in Clinton as well as a difficult electoral path. "The Republicans have a tougher path – not my fault,” he said. He said Clinton`s campaign is smart to keep her out of the spotlight. "She doesn’t talk to reporters very often. ... She doesn’t expose what’s going on up here, which isn’t good,” he said, meaning her brain. “She’s doesn’t expose her mind to questions. What they want to do is try to fake it through.” Trump also said in Altoona that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania to Clinton is if "cheating goes on." He said he wants authorities to monitor the voting closely. "I know what`s happening here, folks. She can`t beat what`s happening here." (Reuters)

Obama, Clinton being founders of IS remark 'sarcasm', says Trump

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent last year and a combined federal, state and local effective tax rate of 43.2 per cent, her campaign said on Friday.&nbsp;Tax forms released by the campaign show that Clinton had a total yearly income of $10,594,529 in 2015 and a tax liability of $3,624,455. 
 
Clinton&#39;s running mate, US senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, paid a federal effective tax rate of 20.3 per cent in 2015, the campaign said.&nbsp;&quot;Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency,&quot; Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. 
 
&quot;In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns.&quot; 
 
It is customary for US&nbsp;presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so.&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977. 
 
Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason he has refused to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one&#39;s business and that they reveal little.&nbsp;The IRS has said Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. 
 
On Thursday, Trump&#39;s special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Trump to release them until the audits are complete. 
 
Politico has reported that Trump paid zero to very little taxes for two years in the 1990s, and a New York Times business columnist on Friday quoted a number of tax lawyers and accountants saying that could still be the case. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign has released tax returns going back to 2007. Clinton, who now lives in Chappaqua, New York, paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 32 per cent from 2007 to 2014 and an effective combined tax rate of approximately 40.5 per cent. 
 
(Reuters)

Trump is now the only presidential candidate since 1977 to not publicly release his tax returns

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent last year and a combined federal, state and local effective tax rate of 43.2 per cent, her campaign said on Friday. Tax forms released by the campaign show that Clinton had a total yearly income of $10,594,529 in 2015 and a tax liability of $3,624,455. Clinton's running mate, US senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, paid a federal effective tax rate of 20.3 per cent in 2015, the campaign said. "Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency," Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns." It is customary for US presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so. Clinton's tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977. Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason he has refused to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one's business and that they reveal little. The IRS has said Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. On Thursday, Trump's special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Trump to release them until the audits are complete. Politico has reported that Trump paid zero to very little taxes for two years in the 1990s, and a New York Times business columnist on Friday quoted a number of tax lawyers and accountants saying that could still be the case. Clinton's campaign has released tax returns going back to 2007. Clinton, who now lives in Chappaqua, New York, paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 32 per cent from 2007 to 2014 and an effective combined tax rate of approximately 40.5 per cent. (Reuters)

US Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton releases her tax returns

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton accused Republican opponent Donald Trump on Wednesday of inciting violence with his call for gun rights activists to stop her from nominating liberal US Supreme Court justices. 
 
Clinton&#39;s comments added to a growing outcry over Trump&#39;s remarks on Tuesday at a North Carolina rally, which some interpreted as a call for violence against his White House rival. His remarks also fueled widespread concerns about his ability to stay on track.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Words matter, my friends,&quot; the former US secretary of state, who rarely engages in direct back-and-forths with her Republican rival, said at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. &quot;And if you are running to be president or you are president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences.&quot; 
 
&quot;Yesterday, we witnessed the latest in a long line of casual comments from Donald Trump that crossed the line,&quot; she said, citing &quot;his casual inciting of violence&quot;. 
 
Trump insisted in an interview with Fox News that his remarks were a call for political, not physical, action. &ldquo;There is tremendous political power to save the Second Amendment, tremendous,&quot; the New York businessman said. &quot;And you look at the power they have in terms of votes and that&rsquo;s what I was referring to, obviously that&rsquo;s what I was referring to, and everybody knows it.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The US Constitution&#39;s Second Amendment guarantees a right to keep and bear arms.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I can&rsquo;t think of anything remotely comparable to it. No one tells a joke about the opponent getting shot. I&rsquo;ve never heard it,&quot; said Bob Shrum, a top aide for Al Gore&#39;s presidential campaign in 2000 and John Kerry&#39;s in 2004.&nbsp; 
 
Republicans shaken 
 
High-profile Republicans and rank-and-file voters appeared shaken on Wednesday after a string of Trump misfires, struggling with how to best reject his divisive candidacy.&nbsp; 
 
Some pledged to withhold their endorsement and others backed Clinton. Some, including MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, called for party leaders to replace Trump on the ticket.&nbsp; 
 
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll taken August fifth to eigth, before Trump&#39;s latest controversy, showed that nearly one-fifth of 396 registered Republicans said they want Trump to drop out of the race and another 10 per cent said they &quot;don&#39;t know&quot; whether the Republican nominee should or not. Clinton&#39;s campaign, seeing an opening, has moved to bring disenchanted Republicans into the fold by announcing an official intra-party outreach effort on behalf of the Democratic nominee.&nbsp; 
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<h5>Trump&#39;s remarks fueled widespread concerns about his ability to stay on track. High-profile Republicans and rank-and-file voters appeared shaken on Wednesday after a string of misfires by the Republican nominee.</h5>
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Clinton&#39;s campaign now has a website for Republicans and political independents to sign up to pledge their support, listing 50 prominent Republicans and independents who have endorsed her. On Monday, 50 Republican national security officials signed an open letter questioning Trump&#39;s temperament, calling him reckless and unqualified to be president. 
 
Other top Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine this week, have disavowed Trump but said they cannot back Clinton. James Rohrscheib, 74, a registered Republican and retired US Navy officer from Washington state, told Reuters the reality is the November 8 election will be a &quot;tough one&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I&rsquo;m in a quandary as to who I am going to vote for,&quot; Rohrscheib said. Trump has dismissed the defections and criticism as an unsurprising reaction of the so-called Washington elite to his drive to change the status quo. One group that appears unswayed is Trump&#39;s donors. Reuters interviewed nine major Trump donors on Wednesday, and not one said his Second Amendment comment had given them pause. Trump Texas fundraising co-chair Gaylord Hughey called the interpretation of his remark as condoning violence &quot;ridiculous&quot; and &quot;ludicrous&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s just another issue the press has really twisted to make headlines,&quot; Hughey said. But Mike Smith, a Republican voter and Reuters/Ipsos poll respondent, said the support Trump is still receiving from Republicans &quot;almost seems obligatory rather than voluntary&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I&rsquo;m almost at the point where I think I&rsquo;m going to vote for Hillary. I don&#39;t like her,&quot; said Smith, a 74-year-old retiree who lives in Clearwater, Florida.&nbsp;&quot;But Mr. Trump is making me very nervous&quot;. 
 
&#39;Trump has dug himself a deep hole&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Republican strategist and Trump supporter Ford O&rsquo;Connell said Trump has &quot;dug himself a deep hole&quot; with voters and to win the election he will need to &quot;make it a referendum on Hillary Clinton and the &#39;rigged system&#39;&quot;. Trump sought to do just that by using an economic policy speech in Detroit on Monday to correct a series of missteps that included a prolonged clash with the parents of a fallen Muslim American soldier.&nbsp; 
 
But his remarks Tuesday undermined that effort. &quot;If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks,&quot; Trump said at the rally in North Carolina. &quot;Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; he continued.&nbsp; 
 
A federal official familiar with the matter denied a media report that the US Secret Service, which investigates threats against presidents and candidates, had formally spoken with the Trump campaign about his remark. Trump&#39;s comment and the resulting backlash occurred as Reuters/Ipsos polling showed some 44 per cent of 1,162 registered voters believe Trump should exit the race, and that as of Tuesday, Clinton led Trump by more than seven percentage points, up from a three-point lead late last week.&nbsp; 
 
Strategists and Trump detractors agreed that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to remove Trump from the Republican ticket. &quot;It&rsquo;s wishful thinking to believe the Republicans are going to replace its nominee after the convention. People are grasping at straws,&quot; Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist unaffiliated with Trump, told Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
A more likely scenario would be a replay of the 1996 presidential race, when the Republican Party essentially deserted nominee Bob Dole, who was badly trailing President Bill Clinton, to focus on congressional races 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

If you're running to be president or you're president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences: Clinton

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton accused Republican opponent Donald Trump on Wednesday of inciting violence with his call for gun rights activists to stop her from nominating liberal US Supreme Court justices. Clinton's comments added to a growing outcry over Trump's remarks on Tuesday at a North Carolina rally, which some interpreted as a call for violence against his White House rival. His remarks also fueled widespread concerns about his ability to stay on track. "Words matter, my friends," the former US secretary of state, who rarely engages in direct back-and-forths with her Republican rival, said at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. "And if you are running to be president or you are president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences." "Yesterday, we witnessed the latest in a long line of casual comments from Donald Trump that crossed the line," she said, citing "his casual inciting of violence". Trump insisted in an interview with Fox News that his remarks were a call for political, not physical, action. “There is tremendous political power to save the Second Amendment, tremendous," the New York businessman said. "And you look at the power they have in terms of votes and that’s what I was referring to, obviously that’s what I was referring to, and everybody knows it." The US Constitution's Second Amendment guarantees a right to keep and bear arms. "I can’t think of anything remotely comparable to it. No one tells a joke about the opponent getting shot. I’ve never heard it," said Bob Shrum, a top aide for Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000 and John Kerry's in 2004. Republicans shaken High-profile Republicans and rank-and-file voters appeared shaken on Wednesday after a string of Trump misfires, struggling with how to best reject his divisive candidacy. Some pledged to withhold their endorsement and others backed Clinton. Some, including MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, called for party leaders to replace Trump on the ticket. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll taken August fifth to eigth, before Trump's latest controversy, showed that nearly one-fifth of 396 registered Republicans said they want Trump to drop out of the race and another 10 per cent said they "don't know" whether the Republican nominee should or not. Clinton's campaign, seeing an opening, has moved to bring disenchanted Republicans into the fold by announcing an official intra-party outreach effort on behalf of the Democratic nominee. Trump's remarks fueled widespread concerns about his ability to stay on track. High-profile Republicans and rank-and-file voters appeared shaken on Wednesday after a string of misfires by the Republican nominee. Clinton's campaign now has a website for Republicans and political independents to sign up to pledge their support, listing 50 prominent Republicans and independents who have endorsed her. On Monday, 50 Republican national security officials signed an open letter questioning Trump's temperament, calling him reckless and unqualified to be president. Other top Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine this week, have disavowed Trump but said they cannot back Clinton. James Rohrscheib, 74, a registered Republican and retired US Navy officer from Washington state, told Reuters the reality is the November 8 election will be a "tough one". "I’m in a quandary as to who I am going to vote for," Rohrscheib said. Trump has dismissed the defections and criticism as an unsurprising reaction of the so-called Washington elite to his drive to change the status quo. One group that appears unswayed is Trump's donors. Reuters interviewed nine major Trump donors on Wednesday, and not one said his Second Amendment comment had given them pause. Trump Texas fundraising co-chair Gaylord Hughey called the interpretation of his remark as condoning violence "ridiculous" and "ludicrous". "It’s just another issue the press has really twisted to make headlines," Hughey said. But Mike Smith, a Republican voter and Reuters/Ipsos poll respondent, said the support Trump is still receiving from Republicans "almost seems obligatory rather than voluntary". "I’m almost at the point where I think I’m going to vote for Hillary. I don't like her," said Smith, a 74-year-old retiree who lives in Clearwater, Florida. "But Mr. Trump is making me very nervous". 'Trump has dug himself a deep hole' Republican strategist and Trump supporter Ford O’Connell said Trump has "dug himself a deep hole" with voters and to win the election he will need to "make it a referendum on Hillary Clinton and the 'rigged system'". Trump sought to do just that by using an economic policy speech in Detroit on Monday to correct a series of missteps that included a prolonged clash with the parents of a fallen Muslim American soldier. But his remarks Tuesday undermined that effort. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks," Trump said at the rally in North Carolina. "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know," he continued. A federal official familiar with the matter denied a media report that the US Secret Service, which investigates threats against presidents and candidates, had formally spoken with the Trump campaign about his remark. Trump's comment and the resulting backlash occurred as Reuters/Ipsos polling showed some 44 per cent of 1,162 registered voters believe Trump should exit the race, and that as of Tuesday, Clinton led Trump by more than seven percentage points, up from a three-point lead late last week. Strategists and Trump detractors agreed that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to remove Trump from the Republican ticket. "It’s wishful thinking to believe the Republicans are going to replace its nominee after the convention. People are grasping at straws," Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist unaffiliated with Trump, told Reuters. A more likely scenario would be a replay of the 1996 presidential race, when the Republican Party essentially deserted nominee Bob Dole, who was badly trailing President Bill Clinton, to focus on congressional races (Reuters)

Clinton blasts Trump for 'casual inciting of violence', Republicans shaken by 'misfires'

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday accused President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
Addressing supporters at a rally in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, the real estate tycoon said that the jihadist group is &quot;honoring President Obama.&quot; 
 
&quot;He is the founder of ISIS,&quot; Trump said, using a term for the IS group. 
 
&quot;He&rsquo;s the founder of ISIS, okay?&quot; he added. &quot;He&rsquo;s the founder! He founded ISIS.&quot; 
 
The brash billionaire went on to criticise his Democratic rival for the White House. 
 
&quot;And I would say, the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton,&quot; he said. 
 
Trump has suffered what critics insist is a long string of missteps that have marred his campaign since he officially won the nomination last month. 
 
Earlier on Wednesday, Clinton sternly warned Trump about his &quot;casual inciting&quot; of violence, saying he &quot;crossed the line&quot; after he caused a firestorm by suggesting that people who support gun rights could take action to stop her from appointing US Supreme Court justices if elected president. 
 
(AFP)

The US Republican presidential candidate made the comment at a rally in Florida on Wednesday

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday accused President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State (IS) group. Addressing supporters at a rally in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, the real estate tycoon said that the jihadist group is "honoring President Obama." "He is the founder of ISIS," Trump said, using a term for the IS group. "He’s the founder of ISIS, okay?" he added. "He’s the founder! He founded ISIS." The brash billionaire went on to criticise his Democratic rival for the White House. "And I would say, the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton," he said. Trump has suffered what critics insist is a long string of missteps that have marred his campaign since he officially won the nomination last month. Earlier on Wednesday, Clinton sternly warned Trump about his "casual inciting" of violence, saying he "crossed the line" after he caused a firestorm by suggesting that people who support gun rights could take action to stop her from appointing US Supreme Court justices if elected president. (AFP)

Trump accuses Obama of founding IS

A coalition of US groups representing more than 10 million scientists and engineers published 20 questions today they want every US presidential candidate to answer ahead of November&#39;s vote. 
 
The questions range from how to support vaccine science, to defining the scope of America&#39;s goals in space, to the candidates&#39; views on climate change and what would they would do about it. 
 
Stances on nuclear power, protecting the world&#39;s oceans, reducing the human and economic costs of mental illness, and the controversy over visa programs that allow highly skilled immigrants into the United States also feature in the list, made public by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 
 
&quot;Voters should have a chance to know where the presidential candidates stand,&quot; said Rush Holt, chief executive officer of AAAS, which publishes the journal Science. 
 
&quot;We want journalists and voters to ask these questions insistently of the candidates and their campaign staff.&quot; 
 
The full list is available at ScienceDebate.org/20qs. 
 
The 56 groups that helped create the list by crowd sourcing the questions have asked for the candidates to answer the questions by September 6. 
 
All are described by AAAS as non-partisan groups, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, the American Chemical Society and the Union of Concerned Scientists. 
 
The effort was organised by ScienceDebate.org, which commissioned a national poll last that found 87 per cent of Americans said it was important that candidates for president and Congress have a basic understanding of the science informing public policy issues. 
 
&quot;Taken collectively, these twenty issues have at least as profound an impact on voters&#39; lives as those more frequently covered by journalists, including candidates&#39; views on economic policy, foreign policy, and faith and values,&quot; said ScienceDebate.org chair Shawn Otto. 
 
Otto urged the candidates -- Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson, and the Green Party&#39;s Jill Stein -- to answer the questions &quot;in writing and to discuss them on television.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The questions range from how to support vaccine science to the candidates' views on climate change and what would they would do about it

A coalition of US groups representing more than 10 million scientists and engineers published 20 questions today they want every US presidential candidate to answer ahead of November's vote. The questions range from how to support vaccine science, to defining the scope of America's goals in space, to the candidates' views on climate change and what would they would do about it. Stances on nuclear power, protecting the world's oceans, reducing the human and economic costs of mental illness, and the controversy over visa programs that allow highly skilled immigrants into the United States also feature in the list, made public by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). "Voters should have a chance to know where the presidential candidates stand," said Rush Holt, chief executive officer of AAAS, which publishes the journal Science. "We want journalists and voters to ask these questions insistently of the candidates and their campaign staff." The full list is available at ScienceDebate.org/20qs. The 56 groups that helped create the list by crowd sourcing the questions have asked for the candidates to answer the questions by September 6. All are described by AAAS as non-partisan groups, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, the American Chemical Society and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The effort was organised by ScienceDebate.org, which commissioned a national poll last that found 87 per cent of Americans said it was important that candidates for president and Congress have a basic understanding of the science informing public policy issues. "Taken collectively, these twenty issues have at least as profound an impact on voters' lives as those more frequently covered by journalists, including candidates' views on economic policy, foreign policy, and faith and values," said ScienceDebate.org chair Shawn Otto. Otto urged the candidates -- Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson, and the Green Party's Jill Stein -- to answer the questions "in writing and to discuss them on television." (AFP)

56 US groups representing 10 mn scientists want presidential candidates to answer '20 science questions'

Relatives of two men killed in the 2012 attack on a US consulate in Libya have filed a lawsuit blaming the deaths on Hillary Clinton&#39;s &quot;reckless&quot; handling of classified information in her private email server. 
 
While secretary of state, Clinton conducted official government business on a private server at her home, which critics say exposed official US correspondence to possible hacking attacks from foreign governments and terror operatives. 
 
The FBI concluded last month that the Democratic presidential nominee had been &quot;extremely careless&quot; with classified information on her server, but nevertheless declined to recommend criminal charges against her over the scandal. 
 
US authorities ended their probe into the matter, but Clinton&#39;s political enemies have been trying to keep controversy over her email server alive, including linking it to the attack in Benghazi nearly four years ago. 
 
Parents of two American security agents at the consulate in their wrongful death suit filed yesterday against Clinton allege that terrorists were able to determine the men&#39;s whereabouts because of her use of a private server. 
 
The assault on the US consulate, which occurred while Clinton was secretary of state, killed four Americans in all, including Washington&#39;s ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. 
 
&quot;It is highly probable, given defendant Clinton&#39;s history of reckless handling of classified information, that defendant Clinton, as secretary of state, sent and received information about ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the US Department of State activities and covert operations that the deceased were a part of in Benghazi, Libya,&quot; said the text of the lawsuit filed in the US district court in Washington, DC. 
 
&quot;As a direct result of defendant Clinton&#39;s reckless handling of this classified, sensitive information, Islamic terrorists were able to obtain the whereabouts of ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the US State Department and covert and other government operations in Benghazi, Libya and subsequently orchestrate, plan, and execute the now infamous September 11, 2012 attack.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The wrongful death suit alleges that terrorists were able to determine the men's whereabouts because of her use of private server

Relatives of two men killed in the 2012 attack on a US consulate in Libya have filed a lawsuit blaming the deaths on Hillary Clinton's "reckless" handling of classified information in her private email server. While secretary of state, Clinton conducted official government business on a private server at her home, which critics say exposed official US correspondence to possible hacking attacks from foreign governments and terror operatives. The FBI concluded last month that the Democratic presidential nominee had been "extremely careless" with classified information on her server, but nevertheless declined to recommend criminal charges against her over the scandal. US authorities ended their probe into the matter, but Clinton's political enemies have been trying to keep controversy over her email server alive, including linking it to the attack in Benghazi nearly four years ago. Parents of two American security agents at the consulate in their wrongful death suit filed yesterday against Clinton allege that terrorists were able to determine the men's whereabouts because of her use of a private server. The assault on the US consulate, which occurred while Clinton was secretary of state, killed four Americans in all, including Washington's ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. "It is highly probable, given defendant Clinton's history of reckless handling of classified information, that defendant Clinton, as secretary of state, sent and received information about ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the US Department of State activities and covert operations that the deceased were a part of in Benghazi, Libya," said the text of the lawsuit filed in the US district court in Washington, DC. "As a direct result of defendant Clinton's reckless handling of this classified, sensitive information, Islamic terrorists were able to obtain the whereabouts of ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the US State Department and covert and other government operations in Benghazi, Libya and subsequently orchestrate, plan, and execute the now infamous September 11, 2012 attack." (AFP)

Parents of Benghazi victims file lawsuit against Clinton for 'reckless' handling of classified information

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over White House Republican rival Donald Trump to eight points after both parties&#39; nominating conventions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday. 
 
Clinton led Trump 50 to 42 per cent among registered voters, according to the telephone survey carried out August 1-4. 
 
She got a strong bounce in the support from her nomination -- which unlike the fractious Republican convention, showed a united party -- but has also benefitted from major gaffes by Trump. 
 
Ahead of the nominating conventions Clinton had a four-point lead over Trump, according to an Post-ABC News survey. 
 
Among likely voters, Clinton&#39;s lead is 51 to 44 per cent, and in a race that includes Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Jill Stein from the Green Party, Clinton leads Trump 45-37 per cent, with Johnson at eight per cent and Stein at four per cent. 
 
Clinton and her running mate, senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, received the nomination to run for the November 8 presidential election during the July 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
 
Trump and his vice presidential candidate, Indiana governor Mike Pence, were nominated in the July 18-21 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
Trump has been struggling after a string of gaffes. 
 
These include urging Russia to find and release emails that disappeared from Clinton&#39;s private server that she used as secretary of state, though he later said that he was being sarcastic. 
 
He also denigrated the family of a Muslim-American soldier killed in the Iraq war, to the horror of veterans and their supporters. 
 
Satisfaction with both candidates remains low: nearly 6 in 10 registered voters said that they are unhappy with both Clinton and Trump as major party candidates. 
 
Barring campaign or news developments, the next opportunity for the candidates to shift their poll numbers comes in the three presidential debates, scheduled for late September and October. 
 
Seeking to arrest his sinking poll numbers, Trump reversed course Friday and endorsed house speaker Paul Ryan for re-election, pleaded for Republican unity and pledged to work with the very party leaders he had earlier dismissed as Washington&#39;s ineffective establishment figures. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Clinton leads Trump 50 to 42 per cent among registered voters

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over White House Republican rival Donald Trump to eight points after both parties' nominating conventions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday. Clinton led Trump 50 to 42 per cent among registered voters, according to the telephone survey carried out August 1-4. She got a strong bounce in the support from her nomination -- which unlike the fractious Republican convention, showed a united party -- but has also benefitted from major gaffes by Trump. Ahead of the nominating conventions Clinton had a four-point lead over Trump, according to an Post-ABC News survey. Among likely voters, Clinton's lead is 51 to 44 per cent, and in a race that includes Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Jill Stein from the Green Party, Clinton leads Trump 45-37 per cent, with Johnson at eight per cent and Stein at four per cent. Clinton and her running mate, senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, received the nomination to run for the November 8 presidential election during the July 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Trump and his vice presidential candidate, Indiana governor Mike Pence, were nominated in the July 18-21 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Trump has been struggling after a string of gaffes. These include urging Russia to find and release emails that disappeared from Clinton's private server that she used as secretary of state, though he later said that he was being sarcastic. He also denigrated the family of a Muslim-American soldier killed in the Iraq war, to the horror of veterans and their supporters. Satisfaction with both candidates remains low: nearly 6 in 10 registered voters said that they are unhappy with both Clinton and Trump as major party candidates. Barring campaign or news developments, the next opportunity for the candidates to shift their poll numbers comes in the three presidential debates, scheduled for late September and October. Seeking to arrest his sinking poll numbers, Trump reversed course Friday and endorsed house speaker Paul Ryan for re-election, pleaded for Republican unity and pledged to work with the very party leaders he had earlier dismissed as Washington's ineffective establishment figures. (AFP)

Clinton benefits from Trump gaffes, widens lead by 8 points

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

The chief executive of the Democratic National Committee and two other top officials have resigned in the wake of an email hack that embarrassed the party on the eve of its presidential nominating convention. 
 
CEO Amy Dacey, chief finance officer Brad Marshall and communications director Luis Miranda left their jobs today, the party said in a statement. The resignations are the latest fallout from the hacked emails, which exposed an apparent lack of neutrality in the primary race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with some party officials disparaging Sanders. 
 
Marshall wrote the most explosive email, questioning Sanders&#39; Jewish faith and suggesting he could be portrayed as an atheist. He has apologized for the missive. Earlier, party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned her position and, after being booed at a pre-convention appearance last week in Philadelphia, chose not to speak from the convention stage. 
 
Longtime Democratic operative Donna Brazile is serving as the party&#39;s interim chair. Brazile said today that she has created a &quot;transition team&quot; to help prepare the party for its post-election mission. She said Tom McMahon, a former DNC executive director under then-Chair Howard Dean, will lead that group. 
 
Clinton operatives who moved over to party headquarters after she had effectively secured the nomination in June will continue in their roles; that group includes DNC chief of staff Brandon Davis. 
 
Additionally, veteran Democratic strategist Doug Thornell will serve as an interim senior adviser to the party. Dacey already has a new job. She has been hired by Squared Communications, a Democratic consulting firm based in Washington. &quot;As one of the top campaign strategists in our party, and with our experiences together on presidential, Senate and congressional campaigns, Amy will help our firm&#39;s clients navigate this and future election cycles,&quot; Michael Meehan, founder and CEO Squared Communications, said in a statement. 
 
Before joining the DNC, Dacey was executive director of EMILY&#39;s List, which works to elect female Democrats. The cache of more than 19,000 messages was made public by the group WikiLeaks just before the convention. Democratic Party officials learned in late April that their systems had been attacked after they discovered malicious software on their computers. 
 
(AP)

Hacked emails of DNC's members had exposed an apparent lack of neutrality in the primary race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders

The chief executive of the Democratic National Committee and two other top officials have resigned in the wake of an email hack that embarrassed the party on the eve of its presidential nominating convention. CEO Amy Dacey, chief finance officer Brad Marshall and communications director Luis Miranda left their jobs today, the party said in a statement. The resignations are the latest fallout from the hacked emails, which exposed an apparent lack of neutrality in the primary race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with some party officials disparaging Sanders. Marshall wrote the most explosive email, questioning Sanders' Jewish faith and suggesting he could be portrayed as an atheist. He has apologized for the missive. Earlier, party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned her position and, after being booed at a pre-convention appearance last week in Philadelphia, chose not to speak from the convention stage. Longtime Democratic operative Donna Brazile is serving as the party's interim chair. Brazile said today that she has created a "transition team" to help prepare the party for its post-election mission. She said Tom McMahon, a former DNC executive director under then-Chair Howard Dean, will lead that group. Clinton operatives who moved over to party headquarters after she had effectively secured the nomination in June will continue in their roles; that group includes DNC chief of staff Brandon Davis. Additionally, veteran Democratic strategist Doug Thornell will serve as an interim senior adviser to the party. Dacey already has a new job. She has been hired by Squared Communications, a Democratic consulting firm based in Washington. "As one of the top campaign strategists in our party, and with our experiences together on presidential, Senate and congressional campaigns, Amy will help our firm's clients navigate this and future election cycles," Michael Meehan, founder and CEO Squared Communications, said in a statement. Before joining the DNC, Dacey was executive director of EMILY's List, which works to elect female Democrats. The cache of more than 19,000 messages was made public by the group WikiLeaks just before the convention. Democratic Party officials learned in late April that their systems had been attacked after they discovered malicious software on their computers. (AP)

Chief executive of Democratic National Committee, two others resign over email hack controversy

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'

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

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

US First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday told the Democratic convention in Philadelphia that Hillary Clinton was the one candidate ready to be President, as she poured scorn on Donald Trump&#39;s behaviour and temperament. 
 
&quot;In this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be President of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton,&quot; she said to standing ovations. 
 
&quot;In this election, I&#39;m with her.&quot; 
 
Obama painted a picture of her husband&#39;s first secretary of state as a competent, steely politician who does not make &quot;snap decisions&quot; or judgments. 
 
&quot;You can&#39;t have a thin skin or tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed,&quot; she said. 
 
And she noted how Clinton, when she lost her Democratic nomination race to Barack Obama in 2008, &quot;didn&#39;t get angry or disillusioned.&nbsp;As a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.&quot; 
 
The First Lady also turned personal, her voice cracking at times, when she discussed the future at stake for her two daughters. 
 
&quot;Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be President of the United States.&quot; 
 
Obama&#39;s warm, eloquent remarks brought the house down, appearing to generate the unity that had eluded much of the first day&#39;s proceedings, when die-hard Bernie Sanders supporters jeered speakers when they offered their support for Clinton. 
 
Obama took a veiled dig at Republican nominee Trump, whose campaign slogan is &#39;Make America great again&#39;. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t let anyone ever tell you that this country is not great,&quot; she said. &quot;Because this right now is the greatest country on Earth.&quot; 
 
The nation, she said, needs &quot;a leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children&quot;. 
 
Americans must not turn cynical by the rhetoric of this year&#39;s presidential election, she said.&nbsp;&quot;No, hear me,&quot; Obama added. &quot;Between now and November... we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

She spoke of Hillary as a competent, steely politician who does not make 'snap decisions' or judgments

US First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday told the Democratic convention in Philadelphia that Hillary Clinton was the one candidate ready to be President, as she poured scorn on Donald Trump's behaviour and temperament. "In this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be President of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton," she said to standing ovations. "In this election, I'm with her." Obama painted a picture of her husband's first secretary of state as a competent, steely politician who does not make "snap decisions" or judgments. "You can't have a thin skin or tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed," she said. And she noted how Clinton, when she lost her Democratic nomination race to Barack Obama in 2008, "didn't get angry or disillusioned. As a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments." The First Lady also turned personal, her voice cracking at times, when she discussed the future at stake for her two daughters. "Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be President of the United States." Obama's warm, eloquent remarks brought the house down, appearing to generate the unity that had eluded much of the first day's proceedings, when die-hard Bernie Sanders supporters jeered speakers when they offered their support for Clinton. Obama took a veiled dig at Republican nominee Trump, whose campaign slogan is 'Make America great again'. "Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country is not great," she said. "Because this right now is the greatest country on Earth." The nation, she said, needs "a leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children". Americans must not turn cynical by the rhetoric of this year's presidential election, she said. "No, hear me," Obama added. "Between now and November... we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton." (AFP)

Michelle Obama: Clinton only one qualified to be next US President

The FBI announced yesterday it was investigating the embarrassing hack of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails - a breach the Clinton campaign blamed on Russia, accusing Moscow of seeking to influence the US presidential election. 
 
The emails leaked by WikiLeaks, which reveal that party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of Hillary Clinton&#39;s rival Bernie Sanders, threw the DNC into disarray on its first day and prompted the party boss to resign. 
 
While a series of experts pointed the finger at Moscow, others urged caution. 
 
&quot;The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter,&quot; the agency said, making no mention of possible culprits. 
 
&quot;A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.&quot; 
 
Both the White House and the State Department deferred to the FBI on whether Russia was to blame, but highlighted that cybersecurity has been an ongoing issue of concern between Washington and Moscow. 
 
&quot;We know that there are a variety of actors both state and criminal who are looking for vulnerabilities in the cyber security of the United States and that includes Russia,&quot; White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. 
 
State Department spokesman John Kirby added: &quot;I think we need to let the FBI do their work before we try to form any conclusions here about what happened and what the motivation was behind it.&quot; 
 
Was it Russia? 
 
But Clinton&#39;s team - looking to tamp down an internal party uproar just days before she becomes the first woman in US history to be formally conferred the presidential nomination by a major party - was quick to point fingers. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s troubling that some experts are now telling us that this was done by the Russians for the purpose of helping Donald Trump,&quot; Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told ABC. 
 
Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that Putin was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. 
 
The question of Russian involvement has some precedent. 
 
When security firm CrowdStrike revealed that it responded to a suspected DNC breach, uncovered in April, the company identified &quot;two sophisticated adversaries&quot; whom it linked to Russian intelligence. 
 
The Washington Post reported that the hackers stole data, including a trove of opposition research on Trump. 
 
Thomas Rid, author of the book Rise of the Machines and professor of security studies at King&#39;s College, London, believes there is &quot;very strong&quot; evidence linking known Russian operations to the DNC breach. 
 
&quot;The operation, with its manipulative traits, fits well into the wider framework of Russia&rsquo;s evolving military doctrine, known as New Generation Warfare,&quot; he wrote on news website Motherboard. 
 
&quot;American inaction now risks establishing a de facto norm that all election campaigns in the future, everywhere, are fair game for sabotage,&quot; he said. 
 
Russian hack, but what about leak? 
 
Trump sought to use the internal Democratic rift to his advantage. 
 
&quot;She worked very, very hard to rig the system,&quot; Trump said of Clinton at a campaign stop in Virginia on Monday. &quot;Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us.&quot; 
 
But even if Russians were involved in the hack, they were not necessarily behind the leak, warned James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. 
 
&quot;It could just as easily be an insider using the Russians as an excuse,&quot; he told AFP in an email. 
 
Some experts counselled even greater caution. 
 
&quot;Internet attack attribution is very hard, and in many cases impossible,&quot; said Bruce Schneier, cyber-security expert and chief technology officer at Resilient, an IBM company. &quot;We&#39;ll probably never know who did this.&quot; 
 
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told NBC News that there was &quot;no evidence&quot; so far that Russia was behind the leak, but would not elaborate on how the anti-secrecy website obtained the nearly 20,000 DNC emails. 
 
(AFP)

The White House and the State Department deferred to the FBI on whether Russia was to blame, but Clinton camp was quick to accuse Moscow

The FBI announced yesterday it was investigating the embarrassing hack of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails - a breach the Clinton campaign blamed on Russia, accusing Moscow of seeking to influence the US presidential election. The emails leaked by WikiLeaks, which reveal that party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of Hillary Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders, threw the DNC into disarray on its first day and prompted the party boss to resign. While a series of experts pointed the finger at Moscow, others urged caution. "The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter," the agency said, making no mention of possible culprits. "A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace." Both the White House and the State Department deferred to the FBI on whether Russia was to blame, but highlighted that cybersecurity has been an ongoing issue of concern between Washington and Moscow. "We know that there are a variety of actors both state and criminal who are looking for vulnerabilities in the cyber security of the United States and that includes Russia," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. State Department spokesman John Kirby added: "I think we need to let the FBI do their work before we try to form any conclusions here about what happened and what the motivation was behind it." Was it Russia? But Clinton's team - looking to tamp down an internal party uproar just days before she becomes the first woman in US history to be formally conferred the presidential nomination by a major party - was quick to point fingers. "It's troubling that some experts are now telling us that this was done by the Russians for the purpose of helping Donald Trump," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told ABC. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that Putin was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. The question of Russian involvement has some precedent. When security firm CrowdStrike revealed that it responded to a suspected DNC breach, uncovered in April, the company identified "two sophisticated adversaries" whom it linked to Russian intelligence. The Washington Post reported that the hackers stole data, including a trove of opposition research on Trump. Thomas Rid, author of the book Rise of the Machines and professor of security studies at King's College, London, believes there is "very strong" evidence linking known Russian operations to the DNC breach. "The operation, with its manipulative traits, fits well into the wider framework of Russia’s evolving military doctrine, known as New Generation Warfare," he wrote on news website Motherboard. "American inaction now risks establishing a de facto norm that all election campaigns in the future, everywhere, are fair game for sabotage," he said. Russian hack, but what about leak? Trump sought to use the internal Democratic rift to his advantage. "She worked very, very hard to rig the system," Trump said of Clinton at a campaign stop in Virginia on Monday. "Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us." But even if Russians were involved in the hack, they were not necessarily behind the leak, warned James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. "It could just as easily be an insider using the Russians as an excuse," he told AFP in an email. Some experts counselled even greater caution. "Internet attack attribution is very hard, and in many cases impossible," said Bruce Schneier, cyber-security expert and chief technology officer at Resilient, an IBM company. "We'll probably never know who did this." WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told NBC News that there was "no evidence" so far that Russia was behind the leak, but would not elaborate on how the anti-secrecy website obtained the nearly 20,000 DNC emails. (AFP)

FBI probes Democratic email hack, Clinton campaign blames Russia

The Democratic convention opened to chaotic scenes Monday, as rival supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded boos and jeers in a very public show of party disunity. 
 
As polls showed Republican Donald Trump leading the race for the White House, Democrats meeting in Philadelphia to make Clinton the first woman presidential nominee from a major party were in disarray. 
 
Sanders&#39; supporters booed as a pastor leading the invocation prayer mentioned Clinton&#39;s name, setting the stage for a raucous chorus of cheers and jeers as successive speakers took to the podium. 
 
The party is reeling from leaked Democratic National Committee emails which show nominally neutral party staff trying to undermine Sanders&#39; insurgent campaign and questioning his Jewish faith. 
 
Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks at the weekend released nearly 20,000 emails from between January 2015 and May 2016, gleaned by hackers who apparently raided the accounts of seven DNC leaders. 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the &quot;cyber intrusion,&quot; which the Clinton campaign blamed on Russian hackers bent on helping Trump. 
 
The leftist Sanders lost to Clinton in the primary handily, but the scandal has angered his already embittered supporters, who believe the race was fixed. 
 
The scandal led to the ouster of party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and an apology from party leaders. 
 
&quot;We want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email,&quot; the Democratic National Committee said in a statement. 
 
Trump the &#39;demagogue&#39; 
 
Twice on Monday, before his official evening address to the convention, Sanders appealed to supporters to help build party unity. 
 
&quot;We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and (running mate) Tim Kaine,&quot; Sanders told a gathering of his supporters hours before the opening of the four-day convention. 
 
&quot;Trump is a bully and a demagogue,&quot; he said. His call to support Clinton was nevertheless met with loud jeers. 
 
He later sent a text message to supporters asking them not to protest on the floor of the convention as a &quot;personal courtesy&quot; to him.&nbsp;But that appeared to have little impact. 
 
As the boos and chants of &quot;Bernie! Bernie!&quot; continued inside the convention hall, Sanders protesters outside tried to breach security barriers, leading to a handful of arrests. 
 
&quot;Clinton can&#39;t beat Trump. Period,&quot; said Michigan delegate Melissa Arab, a Sanders supporter. 
 
&quot;A ham sandwich could beat Trump and she&#39;s not going to beat him. If she&#39;s nominated, people are going to end up with somebody bad for president.&quot; 
 
Many in the Sanders camp have voiced disappointment with Clinton&#39;s choice of centre-left running mate Kaine, a senator from Virginia, instead of a more liberal firebrand like senator Elizabeth Warren, who was also to speak yesterday. 
 
Prime time 
 
Much now rides on Sanders&#39; prime-time address later Monday, and those of Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama. 
 
This was meant to be a valedictory event for Clinton. 
 
Later this week, she will make history when she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination - the first woman to lead a major party&#39;s White House ticket. 
 
But new polls showed Trump surging since his confirmation last week as the Republican presidential nominee, with a CNN poll putting him three points ahead of Clinton - a six-point post-convention bump. 
 
Democratic delegates said it was time to come together. 
 
&quot;The stakes are too high. In the end it&#39;s going to be either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump and it&#39;s not even a close call,&quot; said Paul Czisny, a 57-year-old delegate from Wisconsin who had supported Sanders. 
 
The party is seeking to project a more unified message than the Republicans did at their convention last week in Cleveland, where fissures over Trump&#39;s candidacy were laid bare. 
 
&quot;The Democrats are in a total meltdown,&quot; Trump taunted on Twitter. &quot;E-mails say the rigged system is alive &amp; well!&quot; 
 
He later told supporters Clinton &quot;worked very, very hard to rig the system. Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us.&quot; 
 
Trump has long sought to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders - a self-described democratic socialist - was denied a fair shot at the nomination. 
 
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook on Monday sought to deflect questions about the row. 
 
&quot;Our party is coming together here to unify to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump, and that&#39;s what you&#39;re going to see today,&quot; he said. 
 
Former president Bill Clinton is the star speaker at the convention Tuesday, while President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take the stage Wednesday. 
 
Clinton got a modest boost Monday when former vice president Al Gore offered his endorsement. 
 
(AFP)

Sanders' call to support Clinton was met with jeers and boos. 'Clinton can't beat Trump. Period,' a Sanders supporter said

The Democratic convention opened to chaotic scenes Monday, as rival supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded boos and jeers in a very public show of party disunity. As polls showed Republican Donald Trump leading the race for the White House, Democrats meeting in Philadelphia to make Clinton the first woman presidential nominee from a major party were in disarray. Sanders' supporters booed as a pastor leading the invocation prayer mentioned Clinton's name, setting the stage for a raucous chorus of cheers and jeers as successive speakers took to the podium. The party is reeling from leaked Democratic National Committee emails which show nominally neutral party staff trying to undermine Sanders' insurgent campaign and questioning his Jewish faith. Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks at the weekend released nearly 20,000 emails from between January 2015 and May 2016, gleaned by hackers who apparently raided the accounts of seven DNC leaders. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the "cyber intrusion," which the Clinton campaign blamed on Russian hackers bent on helping Trump. The leftist Sanders lost to Clinton in the primary handily, but the scandal has angered his already embittered supporters, who believe the race was fixed. The scandal led to the ouster of party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and an apology from party leaders. "We want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email," the Democratic National Committee said in a statement. Trump the 'demagogue' Twice on Monday, before his official evening address to the convention, Sanders appealed to supporters to help build party unity. "We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and (running mate) Tim Kaine," Sanders told a gathering of his supporters hours before the opening of the four-day convention. "Trump is a bully and a demagogue," he said. His call to support Clinton was nevertheless met with loud jeers. He later sent a text message to supporters asking them not to protest on the floor of the convention as a "personal courtesy" to him. But that appeared to have little impact. As the boos and chants of "Bernie! Bernie!" continued inside the convention hall, Sanders protesters outside tried to breach security barriers, leading to a handful of arrests. "Clinton can't beat Trump. Period," said Michigan delegate Melissa Arab, a Sanders supporter. "A ham sandwich could beat Trump and she's not going to beat him. If she's nominated, people are going to end up with somebody bad for president." Many in the Sanders camp have voiced disappointment with Clinton's choice of centre-left running mate Kaine, a senator from Virginia, instead of a more liberal firebrand like senator Elizabeth Warren, who was also to speak yesterday. Prime time Much now rides on Sanders' prime-time address later Monday, and those of Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama. This was meant to be a valedictory event for Clinton. Later this week, she will make history when she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination - the first woman to lead a major party's White House ticket. But new polls showed Trump surging since his confirmation last week as the Republican presidential nominee, with a CNN poll putting him three points ahead of Clinton - a six-point post-convention bump. Democratic delegates said it was time to come together. "The stakes are too high. In the end it's going to be either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump and it's not even a close call," said Paul Czisny, a 57-year-old delegate from Wisconsin who had supported Sanders. The party is seeking to project a more unified message than the Republicans did at their convention last week in Cleveland, where fissures over Trump's candidacy were laid bare. "The Democrats are in a total meltdown," Trump taunted on Twitter. "E-mails say the rigged system is alive & well!" He later told supporters Clinton "worked very, very hard to rig the system. Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us." Trump has long sought to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders - a self-described democratic socialist - was denied a fair shot at the nomination. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook on Monday sought to deflect questions about the row. "Our party is coming together here to unify to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump, and that's what you're going to see today," he said. Former president Bill Clinton is the star speaker at the convention Tuesday, while President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take the stage Wednesday. Clinton got a modest boost Monday when former vice president Al Gore offered his endorsement. (AFP)

Disunity rules as Democratic convention gets underway

Tim Kaine made a big splash on Saturday in his first appearance as Hillary Clinton&#39;s running mate for the White House, savaging Donald Trump&#39;s foreign policy ideas as dangerous and wowing a Miami crowd with fluent Spanish. 
 
Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, won many a cheer and laugh and frequent applause as he addressed a campaign rally one day after being tapped for the Democratic ticket. 
 
Clinton beamed as she sat behind Kaine during his rousing and well-delivered speech after introducing the political veteran as the antithesis of the Republican ticket of Trump and Mike Pence. 
 
If Trump is often criticized as an egotistical blowhard, Kaine came across as an agile, knowledgeable and self-deprecating speaker. 
 
Kaine slammed recent comments by Trump to the effect that if Russia were to attack a Baltic nation he as president would come to their aid only after assessing whether they &quot;have fulfilled their obligations to us.&quot; 
 
&quot;Folks, that&#39;s an open invitation to Vladimir Putin to roll on in,&quot; said Kaine, an experienced foreign policy hand who serves on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees -- and whose son is about to deploy with the US military to Europe. 
 
He dazzled the crowd right off the bat by greeting them in very good Spanish -- &quot;bienvenidos a todos,&quot; or welcome to all -- saying that his values were &quot;fe, familia y trabajo.&quot; That means faith, family and work.Both he and Clinton drove home what is emerging as a key campaign message: that Trump is a deeply divisive figure with despotic tendencies -- and that Clinton is his polar opposite. 
 
&quot;When someone says I alone can fix it, that should set off alarm bells,&quot; Clinton said. &quot;That is not a democracy.&quot; 
 
&quot;Do you want a trash talking president or bridge building president?&quot; Kaine asked at one point. &quot;Hillary knows that we&#39;re stronger together.&quot; 
 
The former mayor and governor praised Clinton as sharing his values and said, again in Spanish, &quot;we will be soul mates in the big battle to come.&quot; 
 
But even as the party basked in this seeming love fest, a whiff of scandal likely to rattle party unity emerged. 
 
A cache of leaked emails from Democratic party leaders&#39; accounts includes at least two messages suggesting an insider effort to hobble Bernie Sanders&#39; upstart campaign -- including by seeking to present him as an atheist to undermine him in highly-religious states. 
 
Trump pounced on the leaks. 
 
&quot;Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes, really vicious. RIGGED,&quot; the bombastic real estate developer tweeted Saturday. 
 
Meanwhile, Sanders&#39;s campaign manager Jeff Weaver, in an interview with ABC News, demanded answers. 
 
&quot;Someone does have to be held accountable,&quot; said Weaver. 
 
The Democratic Party seemed to have &quot;its fingers on the scale&quot; for Clinton, Weaver added during the interview on the television network`s website. 
 
&quot;We have an electoral process. The DNC, by its charter, is required to be neutral among the candidates. Clearly it was not.&quot; 
 
Sanders waged a feisty yearlong battle against Clinton in the Democratic primaries. She clinched enough delegates to secure the nomination in early June, but Sanders did not concede defeat and endorse her until July 12. 
 
The former first lady tapped Kaine late Friday in what was widely seen as a safe but wise choice: the popular senator can help her lock in the swing state of Virginia and ticks a lot of boxes beyond that. 
 
In addition to his fluency on national security issues -- shaping up as key in the 2016 race -- his strong Spanish is seen as a major asset in cementing Clinton&#39;s heavy lead with Hispanic voters. 
 
With working-class roots and a spotless track record Kaine is also seen as helping her garner support among independent male voters. 
 
Kaine also has strong ties to the African-American community, dating back to his work as a civil rights lawyer.&quot;He is the one!&quot; gushed Helen Bhagwandin, a 60-year-old, retired professor, as she left the Miami rally. &quot;He is just the most experienced and best prepared person to do this job. What more do we need?&quot; 
 
Clinton, 68, had said she wanted a running mate with enough experience to &quot;literally get up one day and be the president of the United States.&quot; 
 
Not everyone is happy about Clinton&#39;s choice of a center-left running mate, which runs the risk of alienating Sanders supporters on the party&#39;s far left. 
 
But major labor and pro-Democratic groups praised the Kaine pick, including Planned Parenthood, AFL-CIO and other big unions, and the Sierra Club. 
 
Kaine and Clinton officially joined forces ahead of the Democratic National Convention which kicks off on Monday in Philadelphia, where they will be elevated as the official nominees to the party`s presidential ticket. 
 
Nationwide polls suggest Clinton is running almost neck and neck with Trump, who painted a dark picture of an America mired in poverty and violence as he accepted his party&#39;s nomination Thursday, promising to restore law and order, clamp down on immigration and put America first. 
 
(AFP)

Clinton introduces and an experienced foreign policy maker, Tim Kaine, as the antithesis of the Republican ticket of Trump and Mike Pence

Tim Kaine made a big splash on Saturday in his first appearance as Hillary Clinton's running mate for the White House, savaging Donald Trump's foreign policy ideas as dangerous and wowing a Miami crowd with fluent Spanish. Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, won many a cheer and laugh and frequent applause as he addressed a campaign rally one day after being tapped for the Democratic ticket. Clinton beamed as she sat behind Kaine during his rousing and well-delivered speech after introducing the political veteran as the antithesis of the Republican ticket of Trump and Mike Pence. If Trump is often criticized as an egotistical blowhard, Kaine came across as an agile, knowledgeable and self-deprecating speaker. Kaine slammed recent comments by Trump to the effect that if Russia were to attack a Baltic nation he as president would come to their aid only after assessing whether they "have fulfilled their obligations to us." "Folks, that's an open invitation to Vladimir Putin to roll on in," said Kaine, an experienced foreign policy hand who serves on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees -- and whose son is about to deploy with the US military to Europe. He dazzled the crowd right off the bat by greeting them in very good Spanish -- "bienvenidos a todos," or welcome to all -- saying that his values were "fe, familia y trabajo." That means faith, family and work.Both he and Clinton drove home what is emerging as a key campaign message: that Trump is a deeply divisive figure with despotic tendencies -- and that Clinton is his polar opposite. "When someone says I alone can fix it, that should set off alarm bells," Clinton said. "That is not a democracy." "Do you want a trash talking president or bridge building president?" Kaine asked at one point. "Hillary knows that we're stronger together." The former mayor and governor praised Clinton as sharing his values and said, again in Spanish, "we will be soul mates in the big battle to come." But even as the party basked in this seeming love fest, a whiff of scandal likely to rattle party unity emerged. A cache of leaked emails from Democratic party leaders' accounts includes at least two messages suggesting an insider effort to hobble Bernie Sanders' upstart campaign -- including by seeking to present him as an atheist to undermine him in highly-religious states. Trump pounced on the leaks. "Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes, really vicious. RIGGED," the bombastic real estate developer tweeted Saturday. Meanwhile, Sanders's campaign manager Jeff Weaver, in an interview with ABC News, demanded answers. "Someone does have to be held accountable," said Weaver. The Democratic Party seemed to have "its fingers on the scale" for Clinton, Weaver added during the interview on the television network`s website. "We have an electoral process. The DNC, by its charter, is required to be neutral among the candidates. Clearly it was not." Sanders waged a feisty yearlong battle against Clinton in the Democratic primaries. She clinched enough delegates to secure the nomination in early June, but Sanders did not concede defeat and endorse her until July 12. The former first lady tapped Kaine late Friday in what was widely seen as a safe but wise choice: the popular senator can help her lock in the swing state of Virginia and ticks a lot of boxes beyond that. In addition to his fluency on national security issues -- shaping up as key in the 2016 race -- his strong Spanish is seen as a major asset in cementing Clinton's heavy lead with Hispanic voters. With working-class roots and a spotless track record Kaine is also seen as helping her garner support among independent male voters. Kaine also has strong ties to the African-American community, dating back to his work as a civil rights lawyer."He is the one!" gushed Helen Bhagwandin, a 60-year-old, retired professor, as she left the Miami rally. "He is just the most experienced and best prepared person to do this job. What more do we need?" Clinton, 68, had said she wanted a running mate with enough experience to "literally get up one day and be the president of the United States." Not everyone is happy about Clinton's choice of a center-left running mate, which runs the risk of alienating Sanders supporters on the party's far left. But major labor and pro-Democratic groups praised the Kaine pick, including Planned Parenthood, AFL-CIO and other big unions, and the Sierra Club. Kaine and Clinton officially joined forces ahead of the Democratic National Convention which kicks off on Monday in Philadelphia, where they will be elevated as the official nominees to the party`s presidential ticket. Nationwide polls suggest Clinton is running almost neck and neck with Trump, who painted a dark picture of an America mired in poverty and violence as he accepted his party's nomination Thursday, promising to restore law and order, clamp down on immigration and put America first. (AFP)

Tim Kaine dazzles Miami crowd in campaign trail debut

Hillary Clinton named US senator Tim Kaine as her running mate on Friday, making a safe choice that will help her present the Democratic ticket as a steady alternative to the unpredictable campaign of Republican presidential rival Donald Trump. 
 
The selection of Kaine, a self-described &quot;boring&quot; Virginian with wide governing experience and a reputation for low-key competence, could appeal to independents and moderates but could also anger liberal groups that object to his advocacy for an Asian free-trade pact. 
 
But the Spanish-speaking, former Virginia governor and Richmond mayor fits Clinton&#39;s long-stated criteria that the vice presidential choice be a capable partner who is ready to take over the presidency if necessary. 
 
Clinton made the announcement via Twitter and a text message to supporters after the first day of a two-day campaign swing in Florida. She called Kaine to tell him about 40 minutes before the announcement, and called President Barack Obama shortly after Kaine. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m thrilled to tell you this first: I&#39;ve chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate. Welcome him to my team,&quot; she said in her text message. 
 
Kaine, 58, edged out two other finalists - Cory Booker, a US senator from New Jersey, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, according to a Democratic source familiar with the discussions. 
 
Clinton also bypassed candidates who would have generated more excitement among liberal and Hispanic activists, including progressive favourite US senator Elizabeth Warren and two Hispanic members of Obama&#39;s Cabinet, Julian Castro and Thomas Perez. 
 
The former secretary of state will be formally nominated as the party&#39;s presidential candidate for the November 8 election at next week&#39;s Democratic convention in Philadelphia. She leads Trump in many opinion polls. 
 
Clinton&#39;s choice of a running mate could give her campaign momentum heading into the convention, as the fight for the White House begins a more than three-month push to the finish. 
 
Clinton acknowledged in an interview earlier this week that even Kaine admits he is boring, and said she did not mind. 
 
&quot;I love that about him,&quot; she told Charlie Rose of CBS News and PBS. &quot;He&#39;s never lost an election. He was a world-class mayor, governor and senator and is one of the most highly respected senators I know.&quot; 
 
Kaine&#39;s first appearance with Clinton will be on Saturday at an event in Miami, a campaign aide said. 
 
New opening to attack democrats 
 
Liberal groups, which had pressured Clinton not to pick Kaine because of his support for fast-track authority for the White House to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, were dismayed by the choice. 
 
Critics of the Asia free-trade deal, including Trump and Clinton&#39;s Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders, say it would be unfair to US workers and kill jobs. Clinton praised the deal when she was secretary of state, but has since distanced herself from it. 
 
&quot;Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year. Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue,&quot; said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. 
 
Hispanic activists also may be annoyed with the pick of Kaine given that Latino candidates were again passed over. 
 
But Kaine could help Clinton in Virginia, a heavily contested swing state, and choosing Kaine will not cost Democrats a seat in the Senate, where Republicans now hold a majority, at 54 seats. Virginia&#39;s Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton friend and ally, will name a replacement for Kaine if he and Clinton win the White House. 
 
Kaine has good relations with senators from the opposing party, according to senior senate Republican congressional aides. One aide speculated Kaine would be effective in reaching out to congressional Republicans if he becomes vice president, a role that Vice President Joe Biden has played for Obama. 
 
Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, has been a leading voice calling for a formal authorization of war against the Islamic State militant group. He played an important role in securing congressional review of the 2015 international deal on Iran&#39;s nuclear program, although he eventually backed it. 
 
He has a track-record of backing liberal causes such as ending across-the-board automatic budget cuts and providing a pathway to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants. 
 
Kaine, a Catholic who became fluent in Spanish speaker while serving as a missionary in Honduras, has expressed personal opposition to abortion, but has a public record in support of abortion rights. 
 
(Reuters)

Kaine's reputation of 'boring' but steady competence stands in contrast to the unpredictable rival campaign of Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton named US senator Tim Kaine as her running mate on Friday, making a safe choice that will help her present the Democratic ticket as a steady alternative to the unpredictable campaign of Republican presidential rival Donald Trump. The selection of Kaine, a self-described "boring" Virginian with wide governing experience and a reputation for low-key competence, could appeal to independents and moderates but could also anger liberal groups that object to his advocacy for an Asian free-trade pact. But the Spanish-speaking, former Virginia governor and Richmond mayor fits Clinton's long-stated criteria that the vice presidential choice be a capable partner who is ready to take over the presidency if necessary. Clinton made the announcement via Twitter and a text message to supporters after the first day of a two-day campaign swing in Florida. She called Kaine to tell him about 40 minutes before the announcement, and called President Barack Obama shortly after Kaine. "I'm thrilled to tell you this first: I've chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate. Welcome him to my team," she said in her text message. Kaine, 58, edged out two other finalists - Cory Booker, a US senator from New Jersey, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, according to a Democratic source familiar with the discussions. Clinton also bypassed candidates who would have generated more excitement among liberal and Hispanic activists, including progressive favourite US senator Elizabeth Warren and two Hispanic members of Obama's Cabinet, Julian Castro and Thomas Perez. The former secretary of state will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the November 8 election at next week's Democratic convention in Philadelphia. She leads Trump in many opinion polls. Clinton's choice of a running mate could give her campaign momentum heading into the convention, as the fight for the White House begins a more than three-month push to the finish. Clinton acknowledged in an interview earlier this week that even Kaine admits he is boring, and said she did not mind. "I love that about him," she told Charlie Rose of CBS News and PBS. "He's never lost an election. He was a world-class mayor, governor and senator and is one of the most highly respected senators I know." Kaine's first appearance with Clinton will be on Saturday at an event in Miami, a campaign aide said. New opening to attack democrats Liberal groups, which had pressured Clinton not to pick Kaine because of his support for fast-track authority for the White House to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, were dismayed by the choice. Critics of the Asia free-trade deal, including Trump and Clinton's Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders, say it would be unfair to US workers and kill jobs. Clinton praised the deal when she was secretary of state, but has since distanced herself from it. "Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year. Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue," said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Hispanic activists also may be annoyed with the pick of Kaine given that Latino candidates were again passed over. But Kaine could help Clinton in Virginia, a heavily contested swing state, and choosing Kaine will not cost Democrats a seat in the Senate, where Republicans now hold a majority, at 54 seats. Virginia's Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton friend and ally, will name a replacement for Kaine if he and Clinton win the White House. Kaine has good relations with senators from the opposing party, according to senior senate Republican congressional aides. One aide speculated Kaine would be effective in reaching out to congressional Republicans if he becomes vice president, a role that Vice President Joe Biden has played for Obama. Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, has been a leading voice calling for a formal authorization of war against the Islamic State militant group. He played an important role in securing congressional review of the 2015 international deal on Iran's nuclear program, although he eventually backed it. He has a track-record of backing liberal causes such as ending across-the-board automatic budget cuts and providing a pathway to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants. Kaine, a Catholic who became fluent in Spanish speaker while serving as a missionary in Honduras, has expressed personal opposition to abortion, but has a public record in support of abortion rights. (Reuters)

US presidential race: Hillary Clinton picks Virginia senator Tim Kaine as running mate

Millions of supporters stood up in this election to fight for a platform that we have never seen.&nbsp; The leader at the helm of that platform was Senator Bernie Sanders.

After a fierce campaign, he has elected to endorse Hillary Clinton despite the stark difference they have in policy and belief system.&nbsp;I am a Bernie Sanders supporter.&nbsp;An avid supporter to say the least.&nbsp;Let me tell you why.

This campaign taught me that if you have thoughts and beliefs that are different from others but you feel they are right, you not only can but should&nbsp;stand up and fight for what you believe in with all your heart.&nbsp;It taught me that having non-populist views is not always a losing battle. It taught me to not be a quiet status quo reformer but be one publicly and join with others who believe the same.

In short, more than the politics, policy, and engagement in public service, this campaign has taught me that my voice, even though it doesn&#39;t fall in&nbsp;line with most, counts! &nbsp;

Bernie was the leader to help us realise that we have a voice and we now have a place in public service to make an impact.&nbsp;It&#39;s our turn to make a difference.

So you may ask, your leader has endorsed Hillary, why not Hillary?&nbsp;It&#39;s simple.&nbsp;My voice has not changed.&nbsp;My belief system has not changed.&nbsp;If I switched sides because it is all of the sudden &quot;popular&quot;, I&#39;d now be contradicting why I stood up in the first place.&nbsp;What type of person would I be now if I&#39;m all of the sudden just following what popular leaving aside the core reason why you starting fighting in the first place? (maybe a politician?) &nbsp;

The popular saying, &quot;if the one you follow jumps off a bridge, would you do the same?&quot;.&nbsp;I&#39;m not jumping with Sander&#39;s off the bridge to Hillary.&nbsp; I&#39;m gonna be around far longer to fight that battle in the coming years than he is and its going to have a direct impact on my life, my families life, and my future kids. That&#39;s a fight I intend to stay in for the right reasons.

Leaving all grievances and opinions aside of Sanders&#39;s blatant disregard of his own platform and people who believed in him because he was consistent and showing that when it really counted he wasn&#39;t, we weren&#39;t standing up to fight for Bernie Sanders.&nbsp;We are&nbsp;fighting for the principles and policies we believe is best for our people and country.&nbsp;So the fight goes on and it goes on with even greater vigour without &nbsp;Senator Sanders.

You can&#39;t change the trajectory of the country, young people want progressive policies.&nbsp;They are the group who will be the greatest influence in the next 20 to&nbsp;30 years. &nbsp;

Stay tuned for the next article in this 2 part series:

In the next article, I&#39;ll break down &quot;Why Not Hillary Even with Sander&#39;s Endorsement?&quot;

My belief system has not changed.?If I switched sides, I'd now be contradicting why I stood up for Bernie in the first place

Millions of supporters stood up in this election to fight for a platform that we have never seen. The leader at the helm of that platform was Senator Bernie Sanders. After a fierce campaign, he has elected to endorse Hillary Clinton despite the stark difference they have in policy and belief system. I am a Bernie Sanders supporter. An avid supporter to say the least. Let me tell you why. This campaign taught me that if you have thoughts and beliefs that are different from others but you feel they are right, you not only can but should stand up and fight for what you believe in with all your heart. It taught me that having non-populist views is not always a losing battle. It taught me to not be a quiet status quo reformer but be one publicly and join with others who believe the same. In short, more than the politics, policy, and engagement in public service, this campaign has taught me that my voice, even though it doesn't fall in line with most, counts! Bernie was the leader to help us realise that we have a voice and we now have a place in public service to make an impact. It's our turn to make a difference. So you may ask, your leader has endorsed Hillary, why not Hillary? It's simple. My voice has not changed. My belief system has not changed. If I switched sides because it is all of the sudden "popular", I'd now be contradicting why I stood up in the first place. What type of person would I be now if I'm all of the sudden just following what popular leaving aside the core reason why you starting fighting in the first place? (maybe a politician?) The popular saying, "if the one you follow jumps off a bridge, would you do the same?". I'm not jumping with Sander's off the bridge to Hillary. I'm gonna be around far longer to fight that battle in the coming years than he is and its going to have a direct impact on my life, my families life, and my future kids. That's a fight I intend to stay in for the right reasons. Leaving all grievances and opinions aside of Sanders's blatant disregard of his own platform and people who believed in him because he was consistent and showing that when it really counted he wasn't, we weren't standing up to fight for Bernie Sanders. We are fighting for the principles and policies we believe is best for our people and country. So the fight goes on and it goes on with even greater vigour without Senator Sanders. You can't change the trajectory of the country, young people want progressive policies. They are the group who will be the greatest influence in the next 20 to 30 years. Stay tuned for the next article in this 2 part series: In the next article, I'll break down "Why Not Hillary Even with Sander's Endorsement?"

Why I can't root for Hillary even if Bernie endorses her

Britain&#39;s new foreign minister Boris Johnson has given up his lucrative newspaper column, which he had used for years to mock world leaders, his spokesman said today. 
 
The leading Brexit campaigner was paid &pound;250,000 ($330,000, 300,000 euros) a year for his weekly article in The Daily Telegraph broadsheet which he continued writing during his eight-year tenure as mayor of London. 
 
He used the column to showcase his sharp wit, but some of his barbs, including comparing White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a &quot;sadistic nurse&quot;, came back to haunt him when he was named foreign secretary last week. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office following the June-23 referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union, stunned observers by naming gaffe-prone Johnson as her top diplomat. 
 
His new job comes with a salary of &pound;135,527 a year, which includes &pound;74,962 for being a Member of Parliament. 
 
&quot;Whilst Mr Johnson has enjoyed a close working relationship with The Daily Telegraph for over 20 years, it would not be appropriate for him to continue writing his long-standing column for the newspaper given his new role as foreign secretary,&quot; his spokesman said. 
 
When asked if May had told Johnson to give up the column, the Prime Minister&#39;s spokeswoman said only that it was his decision. 
 
&quot;Boris has been an outstanding columnist for The Daily Telegraph for many years, with a legion of devoted readers,&quot; said Telegraph Media Group editor Chris Evans, adding that he wished him well in his new job. 
 
Johnson, who stepped down as London mayor in May, was in Brussels today for his first talks with EU counterparts. 
 
The fifty-two-year-old was also working on a book on Shakespeare that was due to be published in October, but has now been postponed &quot;for the forseeable future&quot;, publishers Hodder and Stoughton said. 
 
Johnson has received an advance payment of about &pound;90,000 for the book, but it is thought unlikely that he will have to repay it as the commission has not been withdrawn. 
 
&quot;Hodder and Stoughton confirm that they are postponing publication of Boris Johnson&#39;s &#39;Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius&#39;,&quot; the publishers said in a statement. 
 
Documents released earlier this year showed Johnson earned &pound;987,097 from his Telegraph column over the past four years, while book royalties brought in a further &pound;469,385. 
 
In 2009, Johnson described his Telegraph earnings as &quot;chicken feed&quot;. 
 
 
(AFP)

Johnson had compared White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a "sadistic nurse" in his column meant to showcase his 'sharp' wit

Britain's new foreign minister Boris Johnson has given up his lucrative newspaper column, which he had used for years to mock world leaders, his spokesman said today. The leading Brexit campaigner was paid £250,000 ($330,000, 300,000 euros) a year for his weekly article in The Daily Telegraph broadsheet which he continued writing during his eight-year tenure as mayor of London. He used the column to showcase his sharp wit, but some of his barbs, including comparing White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a "sadistic nurse", came back to haunt him when he was named foreign secretary last week. Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office following the June-23 referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union, stunned observers by naming gaffe-prone Johnson as her top diplomat. His new job comes with a salary of £135,527 a year, which includes £74,962 for being a Member of Parliament. "Whilst Mr Johnson has enjoyed a close working relationship with The Daily Telegraph for over 20 years, it would not be appropriate for him to continue writing his long-standing column for the newspaper given his new role as foreign secretary," his spokesman said. When asked if May had told Johnson to give up the column, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman said only that it was his decision. "Boris has been an outstanding columnist for The Daily Telegraph for many years, with a legion of devoted readers," said Telegraph Media Group editor Chris Evans, adding that he wished him well in his new job. Johnson, who stepped down as London mayor in May, was in Brussels today for his first talks with EU counterparts. The fifty-two-year-old was also working on a book on Shakespeare that was due to be published in October, but has now been postponed "for the forseeable future", publishers Hodder and Stoughton said. Johnson has received an advance payment of about £90,000 for the book, but it is thought unlikely that he will have to repay it as the commission has not been withdrawn. "Hodder and Stoughton confirm that they are postponing publication of Boris Johnson's 'Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius'," the publishers said in a statement. Documents released earlier this year showed Johnson earned £987,097 from his Telegraph column over the past four years, while book royalties brought in a further £469,385. In 2009, Johnson described his Telegraph earnings as "chicken feed". (AFP)

Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson quits controversial newspaper column

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

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