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US First Lady Michelle Obama brought her star power onto the campaign trail on Thursday stumping for Hillary Clinton, as the Democratic White House hopeful seeks to conquer battleground states before Election Day.

Obama has emerged as a compelling force in the hard-fought campaign, delivering powerful arguments against Republican candidate Donald Trump and in support of Clinton&#39;s bid to become the first female US president.

Michelle and Hillary joined forces on the trail for the first time at a rally at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where early voting is already under way.

&quot;First ladies, we rock!&quot; said Obama, one of the most popular Democrats in America. &quot;Here&#39;s where I want to get real. If Hillary doesn&#39;t win this election, that will be on us,&quot; the current first lady said, emphasising that voter turnout is vital.

The 52-year-old wife of President Barack Obama has energised the Democratic camp with a series of speeches taking Trump to task for his strident rhetoric and for what she brands his &quot;frightening&quot; attitude towards women.

She warned that Trump&#39;s strategy was &quot;to make this election so dirty and ugly that we don&#39;t want any part of it&quot; and opt to stay home.

North Carolina voted for Obama in 2008, then Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, but the southeastern state is leaning back toward the Democratic side in 2016.

Clinton has basked in the results of new polls showing the former secretary of state with an impressive lead just 12 days from the November 8 vote.&nbsp;

But new revelations about how former president Bill Clinton took in millions of dollars from &quot;for profit&quot; activities as he led the Clinton family&#39;s non-profit foundation weighed on her campaign.

&#39;Trump borrows Modi&#39;s winning slogan&#39;

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted he holds a commanding position in the polls and will win the White House.&nbsp;

In an attempt to woo Indian American voters, Trump was seen dabbling in Hindi. The New York businessman is seen uttering &quot;Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar&quot;, adapting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s 2014 vote-winning catchphrase as his own, in a presidential campaign ad released Thursday. &quot;This time Trump government,&quot; translates the ad on the screen.

Trump may speak in a thick US accent, but the 30-second ad is the Republican nominee&#39;s latest attempt to win votes among Indian Americans ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which falls on the weekend.

The video opens with the message &quot;Happy Diwali&quot; and borrows from footage of Trump speaking at a Hindu gathering in New Jersey this month, lighting an oil lamp and promising close US-Indian relations.

&quot;The Indian and Hindu community will have a true friend in the White House,&quot; he says in the ad. &quot;We love the Hindus, we love India,&quot; he adds, saying that he looks forward to working with Modi.

There are an estimated four million Indian Americans living in the United States according to 2015 census figures. They are among the most educated ethnic groups and generally well off, according to the Pew Research Center.

Only about half are Hindu and 65 percent are Democrat, or Democrat-leaning, the think tank found in a 2014 report.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama's joint North Carolina rally drew huge crowds as rival Trump appealed to Indian Americans in new ad campaign

US First Lady Michelle Obama brought her star power onto the campaign trail on Thursday stumping for Hillary Clinton, as the Democratic White House hopeful seeks to conquer battleground states before Election Day. Obama has emerged as a compelling force in the hard-fought campaign, delivering powerful arguments against Republican candidate Donald Trump and in support of Clinton's bid to become the first female US president. Michelle and Hillary joined forces on the trail for the first time at a rally at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where early voting is already under way. "First ladies, we rock!" said Obama, one of the most popular Democrats in America. "Here's where I want to get real. If Hillary doesn't win this election, that will be on us," the current first lady said, emphasising that voter turnout is vital. The 52-year-old wife of President Barack Obama has energised the Democratic camp with a series of speeches taking Trump to task for his strident rhetoric and for what she brands his "frightening" attitude towards women. She warned that Trump's strategy was "to make this election so dirty and ugly that we don't want any part of it" and opt to stay home. North Carolina voted for Obama in 2008, then Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, but the southeastern state is leaning back toward the Democratic side in 2016. Clinton has basked in the results of new polls showing the former secretary of state with an impressive lead just 12 days from the November 8 vote. But new revelations about how former president Bill Clinton took in millions of dollars from "for profit" activities as he led the Clinton family's non-profit foundation weighed on her campaign. 'Trump borrows Modi's winning slogan' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted he holds a commanding position in the polls and will win the White House. In an attempt to woo Indian American voters, Trump was seen dabbling in Hindi. The New York businessman is seen uttering "Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar", adapting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 vote-winning catchphrase as his own, in a presidential campaign ad released Thursday. "This time Trump government," translates the ad on the screen. Trump may speak in a thick US accent, but the 30-second ad is the Republican nominee's latest attempt to win votes among Indian Americans ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which falls on the weekend. The video opens with the message "Happy Diwali" and borrows from footage of Trump speaking at a Hindu gathering in New Jersey this month, lighting an oil lamp and promising close US-Indian relations. "The Indian and Hindu community will have a true friend in the White House," he says in the ad. "We love the Hindus, we love India," he adds, saying that he looks forward to working with Modi. There are an estimated four million Indian Americans living in the United States according to 2015 census figures. They are among the most educated ethnic groups and generally well off, according to the Pew Research Center. Only about half are Hindu and 65 percent are Democrat, or Democrat-leaning, the think tank found in a 2014 report. (AFP)

US elections: First Lady joins Clinton's campaign trail as Trump uses Modi's tagline to woo voters

A 25 per cent jump in premiums for Obamacare has stoked the already heated battle between Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton

With the premiums of Obama's signature healthcare plan set to hike, the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump targeted the Democratic government, vowing to overturn the program. The health department's report announced that there could be an average 25 per cent jump in the insurance costs next year in the 38 American states with federally managed health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Trump jumped at the opportunity to lash out at Obama's pet project, which allows millions of uninsured people to get health insurance with no limits based on "pre-existing conditions." Republicans have repeatedly tried to overturn Obamacare. Trump said the health program must be "repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people", warning even bigger trouble ahead otherwise. Obamacare is a disaster. Rates going through the sky - ready to explode. I will fix it. Hillary can't!#ObamacareFailed — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2016 The White House fired back, saying most Americans are better off under the current healthcare system. Although Obama did acknowledge that more needs to be done to help those facing rising costs. "The vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace will not see a significant increase in the amount that they pay for their health care, and that`s because the vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace get tax credits that ensure that health care is affordable," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. Clinton's campaign hit back at Trump, saying he wants to "rip up the ACA and reverse the progress we have made." Trump would "throw 20 million people off their coverage and let the insurance companies write the rules again," campaign spokesperson Julie Wood said. "Hillary Clinton wants to build on the progress we've made and fix what's broken." Without explaining where he got his numbers, Trump alleged that the government figures were incorrect and the costs could go up to 60 per cent. Other Republican leaders too argued that the system was "unsustainable". Arizona senator John McCain said, "Obamacare places an unfair financial burden on families and small businesses." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan compared Obama's healthcare program to ill-fated and now-discontinued Samsung phones that were catching fire. "The president recently compared Obamacare to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and he's right: this disastrous law is blowing up. But at least you can return the phone," Ryan said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump vows to scrap Obamacare as insurance costs set to jump 25 per cent

Trump said the health program must be 'repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people'

With the premiums of Obama's signature healthcare plan set to hike, the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump targeted the Democratic government, vowing to overturn the program. The health department's report announced that there could be an average 25 per cent jump in the insurance costs next year in the 38 American states with federally managed health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Trump jumped at the opportunity to lash out at Obama's pet project, which allows millions of uninsured people to get health insurance with no limits based on "pre-existing conditions." Republicans have repeatedly tried to overturn Obamacare. Trump said the health program must be "repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people", warning even bigger trouble ahead otherwise. Obamacare is a disaster. Rates going through the sky - ready to explode. I will fix it. Hillary can't!#ObamacareFailed — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2016 × The White House fired back, saying most Americans are better off under the current healthcare system. Although Obama did acknowledge that more needs to be done to help those facing rising costs. "The vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace will not see a significant increase in the amount that they pay for their health care, and that`s because the vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace get tax credits that ensure that health care is affordable," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. Clinton's campaign hit back at Trump, saying he wants to "rip up the ACA and reverse the progress we have made." Trump would "throw 20 million people off their coverage and let the insurance companies write the rules again," campaign spokesperson Julie Wood said. "Hillary Clinton wants to build on the progress we've made and fix what's broken." Without explaining where he got his numbers, Trump alleged that the government figures were incorrect and the costs could go up to 60 per cent. Other Republican leaders too argued that the system was "unsustainable". Arizona senator John McCain said, "Obamacare places an unfair financial burden on families and small businesses." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan compared Obama's healthcare program to ill-fated and now-discontinued Samsung phones that were catching fire. "The president recently compared Obamacare to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and he's right: this disastrous law is blowing up. But at least you can return the phone," Ryan said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Criticising Clinton's foreign policy on Syria, Trump warned that her plan could 'drag the US into a world war against Russia'

In yet another attack on his rival Hillary Clinton, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said her plan for Syria would "lead to World War Three". Trump lambasted her foreign policies, saying his Democratic rival could "drag the United States into a world war against military forces from nuclear-armed Russia" with her aggressive posturing towards resolving the Syrian conflict. Clinton had earlier called for the establishment of a no-fly zone and "safe zones" on the ground to protect non-combatants, which analysts fear could risk putting the US into direct conflict with Russian fighter jets. "What we should do is focus on ISIS. We should not be focusing on Syria. You’re going to end up in World War Three over Syria if we listen to Hillary Clinton," Trump said. "You’re not fighting Syria any more, you’re fighting Syria, Russia and Iran, all right? Russia is a nuclear country, but a country where the nukes work as opposed to other countries that talk," he added. Trump questioned how Clinton would negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin after demonising him. If she wins the presidency, "how she is going to go back and negotiate with this man who she has made to be so evil," he asked. In an interview that focused largely on international policies, Trump said Washington should give higher importance to defeating the Islamic State than persuading Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, deviating from a long-held goal of the United States. "Assad is secondary, to me, to ISIS," he said. Next, Trump aimed his criticism at the US President. He blamed Barack Obama for the deterioration of ties with the Philippines, saying the president "wants to focus on his golf game" rather than engage with world leaders. With two weeks left until the Election Day, Trump is trailing in the polls. He bemoaned a lack of Republican unity behind his candidacy and said he would easily win the election if the party would support him. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump: Clinton's policies could spark World War Three

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During the weekend battleground campaign blitz, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump unveiled plans for the first 100 days in office if elected president, but also defiantly raised personal grievances.&nbsp;

The real estate mogul, during his 45-minute speech in Gettysburg, vowed to bring change to a &quot;broken system&quot; offering a number of concrete policy initiatives. Echoing former US president Abraham Lincoln&#39;s famous 1863 address in the historic town, Trump told several hundred supporters that he would &quot;drain the swamp in Washington&quot; and replace it &quot;with a new government of, by and for the people&quot;.&nbsp;

But moments after promising Americans a &quot;once in a lifetime change&quot; he threatened to sue a number of women, the &quot;liars&quot;, who had accused him of sexual assault. He added a new threat of his repeated criticisms of the US media companies, accusing them of unfair coverage of his campaign to help Democratic rival candidate Hillary Clinton. He, in fact, said that Clinton should have been barred from running for the presidency.&nbsp;

&quot;As an example of the power structure I&#39;m fighting, AT&amp;T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it&#39;s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few,&quot; Trump said.

Delivering prepared remarks, he pledged to create at least 25 million jobs over a decade and cut middle class taxes, as both Trump and Clinton courted undecided swing state voters.&nbsp;

He also listed many of his familiar campaign proposals, such as renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and repealing President Barack Obama&#39;s signature health care reform.

With just over two weeks to go before the election day, the former secretary of state is leading in the national polls over Trump, according to RealClearPolitics.&nbsp;

The Democratic candidate, Clinton leads in several battleground states, ranging from North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania to Virginia. The candidate vying to become America&#39;s first female president made two campaign stops in Pennsylvania on Saturday.&nbsp;

In a rare acknowledgment that he might lose, Trump said he would give the campaign everything he had, &quot;right up until the actual vote&quot;, but added that &quot;win, lose or draw...I will be happy with myself&quot;.&nbsp;

Experts have said if Trump loses the key swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Clinton is all but assured of victory.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Trump accused the US media of trying to suppress his voice and promised to foil a proposed deal between AT&T and Time Warner

During the weekend battleground campaign blitz, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump unveiled plans for the first 100 days in office if elected president, but also defiantly raised personal grievances. The real estate mogul, during his 45-minute speech in Gettysburg, vowed to bring change to a "broken system" offering a number of concrete policy initiatives. Echoing former US president Abraham Lincoln's famous 1863 address in the historic town, Trump told several hundred supporters that he would "drain the swamp in Washington" and replace it "with a new government of, by and for the people". But moments after promising Americans a "once in a lifetime change" he threatened to sue a number of women, the "liars", who had accused him of sexual assault. He added a new threat of his repeated criticisms of the US media companies, accusing them of unfair coverage of his campaign to help Democratic rival candidate Hillary Clinton. He, in fact, said that Clinton should have been barred from running for the presidency. "As an example of the power structure I'm fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," Trump said. Delivering prepared remarks, he pledged to create at least 25 million jobs over a decade and cut middle class taxes, as both Trump and Clinton courted undecided swing state voters. He also listed many of his familiar campaign proposals, such as renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and repealing President Barack Obama's signature health care reform. With just over two weeks to go before the election day, the former secretary of state is leading in the national polls over Trump, according to RealClearPolitics. The Democratic candidate, Clinton leads in several battleground states, ranging from North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania to Virginia. The candidate vying to become America's first female president made two campaign stops in Pennsylvania on Saturday. In a rare acknowledgment that he might lose, Trump said he would give the campaign everything he had, "right up until the actual vote", but added that "win, lose or draw...I will be happy with myself". Experts have said if Trump loses the key swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Clinton is all but assured of victory. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US elections: Trump outlines policies for first 100 days in office, vows to weaken US media 'power structure'

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The US state department on Friday refuted allegations from Moscow that Americans states had refused the presence of Russian observers to monitor the US presidential election.&nbsp;

The state department spokesman John Kirby said there is no policy to refuse Russian observers, even if their requests smack of a propaganda stunt.&nbsp;

&quot;We told the Russian government that they were welcome to observe our elections,&quot; Kirby said. &quot;The fact that they have chosen to not join the OSCE observation mission makes clear that this issue is nothing more than a PR stunt,&quot; he added.

Kirby said that the Russian officials were offered places on a team being fielded by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors elections in all its member states, including the United States. &nbsp;

But the Russian observers had chosen not to join the OSCE observer mission and had applied directly to US states for accreditation, which they claimed had been refused.&nbsp;

A Russian electoral official, cited by a Russian newspaper Izvestia, accused the US state department of blocking the observers because of its &quot;Russophobic tendencies.&quot;

Kirby said he was not aware that any advice had been given to individual US states over&nbsp;foreign observers and the states were free to take a decision, in case such a request is made.&nbsp;

&quot;There&#39;s nothing for us to fear from having Russian observers observing our election. We&#39;re very confident in the stability, the security and the strength of our electoral process. There&#39;s no need to hide from that,&quot; adding that Washington would not stand in their way.&nbsp;

In the past, Moscow has been accused of trying to undermine the US presidential race through cyber attacks against US political targets.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Washington accused Moscow of a 'PR stunt' following reports in Russian media that the US rejected their request to send election observers

The US state department on Friday refuted allegations from Moscow that Americans states had refused the presence of Russian observers to monitor the US presidential election. The state department spokesman John Kirby said there is no policy to refuse Russian observers, even if their requests smack of a propaganda stunt. "We told the Russian government that they were welcome to observe our elections," Kirby said. "The fact that they have chosen to not join the OSCE observation mission makes clear that this issue is nothing more than a PR stunt," he added. Kirby said that the Russian officials were offered places on a team being fielded by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors elections in all its member states, including the United States. But the Russian observers had chosen not to join the OSCE observer mission and had applied directly to US states for accreditation, which they claimed had been refused. A Russian electoral official, cited by a Russian newspaper Izvestia, accused the US state department of blocking the observers because of its "Russophobic tendencies." Kirby said he was not aware that any advice had been given to individual US states over foreign observers and the states were free to take a decision, in case such a request is made. "There's nothing for us to fear from having Russian observers observing our election. We're very confident in the stability, the security and the strength of our electoral process. There's no need to hide from that," adding that Washington would not stand in their way. In the past, Moscow has been accused of trying to undermine the US presidential race through cyber attacks against US political targets. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US state department calls Russia's bluff, welcomes observers to monitor voting on election day

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&nbsp;

Hillary Clinton criticised rival Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy Friday for not pledging to honor results of the upcoming presidential election, as the bitter rivals battled for supremacy in battleground states.

&quot;We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart,&quot; Clinton told a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the key swing states up for grabs on November 8.

&quot;Donald Trump refused to say that he&#39;d respect the results of this election. By doing that, he&#39;s threatening our democracy.&quot;

Her comments marked a stern rebuke to Trump&#39;s bombshell suggestion during their third and final presidential debate that he may not recognise the election result -- a surprising rejection of political norms.

Trump, 70, then told a rally crowd that he could launch a legal challenge if Clinton prevails.&nbsp;

His remarks follow weeks of Trump warning about the likelihood of a &quot;rigged&quot; election including massive voter fraud, despite members of his own party disavowing the comments and Trump earning condemnation from President Barack Obama.

Despite isolated allegations of voter fraud, controversy over the tight 2000 vote and rampant gerrymandering, US elections have been regarded as free and fair.

Invigorated by both her commanding poll numbers and Trump&#39;s eyebrow-raising declarations, the candidate vying to become America&#39;s first female president was in Ohio aiming to block Trump&#39;s efforts to claim the blue-collar heartland state.

Trump, well aware that no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, campaigned in the Buckeye State Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan real estate mogul hosted rallies Friday in the battlegrounds of North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

&quot;Eighteen days. You&#39;re going to look back at this election and say this is by far the most important vote you&#39;ve ever cast for anyone at any time,&quot; Trump told a crowd in Fletcher, North Carolina.

&#39;Win, lose or draw&#39;&nbsp; 
&quot;We&#39;re fighting this juggernaut.... because they have billions of dollars they&#39;ve raised,&quot; he said of the Clinton campaign, which reportedly has outspent Trump on television advertising in recent months.

Trump said he would give the campaign everything he had, &quot;right up until the actual vote.&quot;

&quot;Win, lose or draw... I will be happy with myself,&quot; he added. &quot;I don&#39;t want to think back if only I did one more rally I would have won North Carolina by 500 votes instead of losing it by 200 votes, right?&quot;

&nbsp;Battleground focus&nbsp; 
Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and his debate threat opened him up to a stinging attack from Obama at a Miami rally.

&quot;When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people&#39;s minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy,&quot; Obama said Thursday.

&quot;When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing... that is not a joking matter.&quot;

In the battle of the battlegrounds, Clinton holds leads in several states, ranging from razor-thin, such as in North Carolina, to moderate in Florida and Pennsylvania and commanding in Virginia.

She is even narrowly ahead in Arizona, the traditionally Republican-leaning state where First Lady Michelle Obama -- who galvanised voters with a searing attack on Trump last week -- campaigned for Clinton on Thursday.

If Trump loses Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Clinton is all but assured of victory, experts have said.

In Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Trump supporters streamed into a convention center to hear Trump speak in their depressed former steel town, where most mill jobs have evaporated.

Trump promised that he would bring many of them back.&nbsp;

&quot;We don&#39;t make things anymore&quot; he told the cheering crowd. &quot;When I&#39;m president, we&#39;re going to start making things again in America.&quot;

(AFP)

Hillary Clinton's comments come after Donald Trump said he will not recognise the election result if he loses

Hillary Clinton criticised rival Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy Friday for not pledging to honor results of the upcoming presidential election, as the bitter rivals battled for supremacy in battleground states. "We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart," Clinton told a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the key swing states up for grabs on November 8. "Donald Trump refused to say that he'd respect the results of this election. By doing that, he's threatening our democracy." Her comments marked a stern rebuke to Trump's bombshell suggestion during their third and final presidential debate that he may not recognise the election result -- a surprising rejection of political norms. Trump, 70, then told a rally crowd that he could launch a legal challenge if Clinton prevails. His remarks follow weeks of Trump warning about the likelihood of a "rigged" election including massive voter fraud, despite members of his own party disavowing the comments and Trump earning condemnation from President Barack Obama. Despite isolated allegations of voter fraud, controversy over the tight 2000 vote and rampant gerrymandering, US elections have been regarded as free and fair. Invigorated by both her commanding poll numbers and Trump's eyebrow-raising declarations, the candidate vying to become America's first female president was in Ohio aiming to block Trump's efforts to claim the blue-collar heartland state. Trump, well aware that no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, campaigned in the Buckeye State Thursday. Meanwhile, the Manhattan real estate mogul hosted rallies Friday in the battlegrounds of North Carolina and Pennsylvania. "Eighteen days. You're going to look back at this election and say this is by far the most important vote you've ever cast for anyone at any time," Trump told a crowd in Fletcher, North Carolina. 'Win, lose or draw' "We're fighting this juggernaut.... because they have billions of dollars they've raised," he said of the Clinton campaign, which reportedly has outspent Trump on television advertising in recent months. Trump said he would give the campaign everything he had, "right up until the actual vote." "Win, lose or draw... I will be happy with myself," he added. "I don't want to think back if only I did one more rally I would have won North Carolina by 500 votes instead of losing it by 200 votes, right?" Battleground focus Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and his debate threat opened him up to a stinging attack from Obama at a Miami rally. "When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy," Obama said Thursday. "When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing... that is not a joking matter." In the battle of the battlegrounds, Clinton holds leads in several states, ranging from razor-thin, such as in North Carolina, to moderate in Florida and Pennsylvania and commanding in Virginia. She is even narrowly ahead in Arizona, the traditionally Republican-leaning state where First Lady Michelle Obama -- who galvanised voters with a searing attack on Trump last week -- campaigned for Clinton on Thursday. If Trump loses Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Clinton is all but assured of victory, experts have said. In Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Trump supporters streamed into a convention center to hear Trump speak in their depressed former steel town, where most mill jobs have evaporated. Trump promised that he would bring many of them back. "We don't make things anymore" he told the cheering crowd. "When I'm president, we're going to start making things again in America." (AFP)

Clinton warns Trump is 'threatening' US democracy

When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy: Obama

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would accept the results of the elections, but only if he won, inviting criticism from President Barack Obama who said his remarks "undermined" democracy. "I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election... if I win," Trump told cheering supporters in Delaware, Ohio. "Of course I will accept a clear election result, but I will also reserve my right to contest and file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result," he said, without elaborating what a "clear election result" or "questionable result" meant. Trump, 70, is trailing badly in the polls, especially after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Obama slammed Donald Trump for "sowing seeds of doubt in people's minds" about the legitimacy of the election, and urged Democrats for a resounding victory to challenge his claims. "When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy," the US President said. "When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing... that is not a joking matter." At the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday, Trump said he would refuse to recognise a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton, accusing her of conspiring to rig the vote against him. Asked by a debate moderator whether he would accept the election result if he lost, Trump said, "I will keep you in suspense. I'll look at it at the time. What I've seen is so bad." Obama fired back, "There is no way to rig an election in a country this big". "You are much likelier to get struck by lightning than have somebody next to you commit voter fraud." The unusually harsh comments suggest the White House believes this deeply rancorous election is not just about defeating Trump or winning back control of Congress, but snuffing out his populist credo, AFP reported. "Calling an election rigged doesn't just undermine foundational democratic norms and principles, it also reduces voter engagement," said Adam Seth Levine, a professor of government at Cornell University. Although Trump looks set to lose the election, he is likely to gather many as 50 million votes, AFP reported. Despite isolated allegations of voter fraud, controversy over the tight 2000 vote and rampant gerrymandering, US elections have been regarded as free and fair. Trump and Clinton will, meanwhile, attend the same annual charity dinner in New York on Thursday, an event where the candidates traditionally engage in a "friendly roast". But the animosity between the two, who could not even shake hands during the debate, is expected to get in the way. Clinton, who is vying to become the first woman president of the United States, told the press she was "both relieved and very grateful" that the debates were now behind her. Polls show her leading by more than six points and making gains, even in states like Arizona, Texas and Georgia that have long been in the Republican column, AFP reports. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump says he will accept the 2016 election results...if he wins

Well-prepared Clinton shines; rattled Trump pledges pro-life values, dangerously and without evidence insists election is rigged against him

The third debate between the US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took place Wednesday evening in Las Vegas. There were six broad topics from which they fielded questions: Supreme court, "foreign hot spots", the economy, immigration, "fitness to be President" and the national debt. Unlike the last format, there was no town hall, where the candidates received questions from the audience. Supreme court Trump started by saying the justices he would appoint would be pro-life, would have a conservative bent, support the Second Amendment, would be great scholars, and people of tremendous respect who will interpret the constitution "the way the founding fathers wanted it". Clinton claimed she was also for the Second Amendment, and that there was no inherent conflict between supporting it while also backing "common sense" regulations. Trump claimed Chicago has the toughest gun laws, yet has horrible gun violence. He repeatedly said he's pro-life and will be appointing pro-life judges. Immigration When talking about immigration, Trump used the phrase "bad hombres", a Spanish word for "man", that need to get out of America. This could be interpreted as an anti-Mexican dog whistle, and it's consistent with his anti-Mexican rhetoric. Clinton accused Trump of using undocumented workers to build Trump Towers, of under-paying them and of threatening to report them if they complained. That he did in fact do this has been documented. When questioned about a WikiLeaks account quoting a Clinton speech to a Brazilian bank for which she got paid over $200,000 saying she wanted open borders, she claimed she was talking about energy policy, and that WikiLeaks was a hack involving the "highest levels of the Russian government, from Putin himself" and said 17 intelligence agencies confirmed Putin's involvement. "Will he make it clear that he will not have the help of Putin in this election?" When Trump was pressed on this, he said "Putin has outsmarted her at every step of the way" repeatedly, for no particular reason and without foundation. "Worse than any government I've ever seen." Clinton said there are four minutes between when the call for a nuclear strike is given and when the button is pressed, and that the ten people responsible for pressing the button have come out against Trump. Taxes On taxes, Trump was vague. "We will have a massive tax increase under Hillary Clinton" Trump said, without saying which Americans are included in the term "we". "We're going to have more free trade", said Trump, and that jobs are being sucked out of the country. He said he will renegotiate Nafta, which cannot be renegotiated. Clinton said she'll "invest from the middle up, not the top down". Clinton juxtaposed her last 30 years of experience against his. She said in the 70s she was fighting for human rights while he was being tried in court for discrimination, in the 80s she was campaigning for women's rights in Beijing while he was borrowing his father's money to start a business, and in the 90s Trump was on reality TV. Fitness to be President Trump accused her campaign of hiring people to be violent at his rallies. Actually, Mr Trump has called for violence against Black Lives Matters protesters at his rallies. He denied responsibility for inciting violence, and put the blame squarely on her. He denied mocking a disabled reporter, even though the video of him doing it has been widely-circulated. He also said nobody respects women more than he does. Election results When pressed on whether he would accept the election results, which his running mate Mike Pence and his spokesman Kellyanne Conway said he absolutely would, he refused. "I will tell you at the time, I will keep you in suspense". This is unprecedented. It is considered an American tradition, like in all democracies, that there be a smooth transition of power between governments, and Trump's refusal to support this is dangerous. That he is at odds with his own spokesperson and his candidate for Vice President is startling. "Foreign hot spots" Clinton, on the question of fighting ISIS in Mosul, in Iraq, said she would not support putting American soldiers in as an occupying force. She would push for a no fly zone and safe haven space in Syria. Trump claimed, incorrectly, that the US "had" Mosul years ago, and now they're fighting for it again. He blamed Clinton for being responsible for ISIS, even though the group existed while President Bush was in power, well before she was Secretary of State. He later said the US has tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who are "definitely" IS-aligned. The US has sheltered about 10,000 Syrian refugees, much less than other Western countries. The notion that refugees from Syria, the very people fleeing Assad and IS violence, support IS is at best undocumented, and is at worst ridiculous. (WION)

Trump refuses to say he'll accept 2016 election results in final presidential debate

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton clashed on abortion rights on Wednesday as they opened their third and last U.S. presidential debate with a substantive policy discussion on the Supreme Court and the top issues it faces.

In contrast to the fiery personal attacks of the first two debates, Clinton and Trump had a sharp but issues-based exchange on abortion, gun rights and immigration to start the 90-minute showdown.

Clinton promised to appoint justices who would uphold a woman&#39;s right to abortion laid out in the 1973 Roe vs Wade decision, while Trump promised to appoint what he called &quot;pro-life&quot; justices who would overturn the decision.

Under current law, Trump said, &quot;You can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.&quot;

&quot;Honestly, nobody has business doing what I just said, doing that as late as one or two or three or four days prior to birth,&quot; Trump said.

Clinton said Trump&#39;s &quot;scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate.&quot;

&quot;This is one of the worst possible choices that any woman and her family has to make and I do not believe the government should be making it,&quot; Clinton said.

Trump said he would appoint a Supreme Court justice who would protect American gun rights.

He has said in the past that Clinton wants to &ldquo;essentially abolish&rdquo; the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a right to bear arms.

Clinton said she supports gun rights, but wants additional regulations on guns, citing examples of children being hurt or killed in gun accidents. &ldquo;I see no conflict between saving people&rsquo;s lives and defending the Second Amendment.&rdquo;

No handshake

Clinton and Trump walked straight to their podiums when they were introduced at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, forgoing the traditional handshake as they did at the second debate last week in St. Louis, Missouri.

Trump seeks to reverse his fading momentum in a U.S. election that opinion polls show is tilting away from him.

The New York businessman, 70, has been damaged by several accusations he groped women - which he denies - and concerns about his claims the election will be rigged against him.

The debate gave Trump, making his first run for elected office, perhaps his best remaining chance to sway the dwindling number of Americans who are still undecided about their vote in the Nov. 8 election.

Clinton, a 68-year-old former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, leads in national polls and in most of the battleground states where the election will likely be decided. The debate was her opportunity to make a closing argument on why she is best suited to succeed her fellow Democrat, President Barack Obama, in the White House.

Trump&#39;s White House bid has been marked by personal squabbles and controversial comments about immigration and minorities. Most recently, he has urged supporters to patrol polling places in inner cities to prevent voter fraud, and tried to fight off several allegations that he groped women.

Clinton has struggled to get past concerns about transparency raised over her use of a private email server for work communication while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

(AFP)

The two also declined shaking hands, an indication of their mutual disdain for each other

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton clashed on abortion rights on Wednesday as they opened their third and last U.S. presidential debate with a substantive policy discussion on the Supreme Court and the top issues it faces. In contrast to the fiery personal attacks of the first two debates, Clinton and Trump had a sharp but issues-based exchange on abortion, gun rights and immigration to start the 90-minute showdown. Clinton promised to appoint justices who would uphold a woman's right to abortion laid out in the 1973 Roe vs Wade decision, while Trump promised to appoint what he called "pro-life" justices who would overturn the decision. Under current law, Trump said, "You can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby." "Honestly, nobody has business doing what I just said, doing that as late as one or two or three or four days prior to birth," Trump said. Clinton said Trump's "scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate." "This is one of the worst possible choices that any woman and her family has to make and I do not believe the government should be making it," Clinton said. Trump said he would appoint a Supreme Court justice who would protect American gun rights. He has said in the past that Clinton wants to “essentially abolish” the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a right to bear arms. Clinton said she supports gun rights, but wants additional regulations on guns, citing examples of children being hurt or killed in gun accidents. “I see no conflict between saving people’s lives and defending the Second Amendment.” No handshake Clinton and Trump walked straight to their podiums when they were introduced at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, forgoing the traditional handshake as they did at the second debate last week in St. Louis, Missouri. Trump seeks to reverse his fading momentum in a U.S. election that opinion polls show is tilting away from him. The New York businessman, 70, has been damaged by several accusations he groped women - which he denies - and concerns about his claims the election will be rigged against him. The debate gave Trump, making his first run for elected office, perhaps his best remaining chance to sway the dwindling number of Americans who are still undecided about their vote in the Nov. 8 election. Clinton, a 68-year-old former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, leads in national polls and in most of the battleground states where the election will likely be decided. The debate was her opportunity to make a closing argument on why she is best suited to succeed her fellow Democrat, President Barack Obama, in the White House. Trump's White House bid has been marked by personal squabbles and controversial comments about immigration and minorities. Most recently, he has urged supporters to patrol polling places in inner cities to prevent voter fraud, and tried to fight off several allegations that he groped women. Clinton has struggled to get past concerns about transparency raised over her use of a private email server for work communication while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. (AFP)

US presidential debate: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump battle it out over gun control, abortion

Two more women have come forward accusing US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump of sexual misconduct on Friday.&nbsp;

Summer Zervos, a contestant in the fifth season of Trump&#39;s show &quot;The Apprentice&quot; and Kristin Anderson, a former aspiring model are the latest to allege sexual assault.&nbsp;

Zervos said she remained in contact with Trump even after he &quot;fired&quot; her from the show, considering him as her mentor, AFP reported her saying.&nbsp;

In 2007, she had a dinner appointment with Trump for a job at the Beverly Hills hotel, but instead, she alleged Trump took her to a bungalow and started kissing and touching her.&nbsp;

Zervos told a news conference in Los Angeles, &quot;He began kissing me aggressively and placed his hand on my breast.&quot;

&quot;He put me in an embrace and I tried to push him away. I pushed his chest to put space between us and I said &#39;come on man, get real.&#39; He told her to, &#39;get real&#39;, as he began thrusting his genitals,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

Zervos said she decided to come forward after she heard Trump saying that he had never touched a woman without her consent, during last Sunday&#39;s debate.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s comments had come after a video released by the Washington Post, boasting about getting away with groping and kissing women forcibly as he was a famous personality.&nbsp;

Kristin Anderson told the Washington Post, that in the early 1990&#39;s, at a nightclub Trump had reached under her skirt and molested her.&nbsp;

Trump denies&nbsp;

Donald Trump on Friday said he is &quot; a victim&quot; of a smear campaign at a rally in North Carolina and denied Zervos&#39;s allegations.

&quot;I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country. They are coming after me to try and destroy what is considered by even them, the greatest movement in the history of our country,&quot; Reuters quoted him as saying.&nbsp;

During the rally, Trump had said &quot;I actually think I am doing well with women,&quot; when he was joined on stage by several women including his daughter-in-law and Omarosa Maginault.&nbsp;

Maginault, a former contestant in Trump&#39;s television show &quot; The Apprentice&quot; led the crowd to cheer for Trump, &quot;When I say &#39;Trump train&#39;, you say &#39;Choo. Choo!&quot;

Only two weeks from the election, the recent string of sexual assault allegations against Trump has hit his campaign that was already scrambling to recover from the last week&#39;s video.&nbsp;

National polls indicate a large number of women voters are disenchanted with Trump. The support for his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton has been rising ever since, with a poll showing she was leading the race by 7 percentage points.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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Two more women accused Republican presidential candidate Trump of unwanted sexual advances; claims he refuted as part of plot against him

Two more women have come forward accusing US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump of sexual misconduct on Friday. Summer Zervos, a contestant in the fifth season of Trump's show "The Apprentice" and Kristin Anderson, a former aspiring model are the latest to allege sexual assault. Zervos said she remained in contact with Trump even after he "fired" her from the show, considering him as her mentor, AFP reported her saying. In 2007, she had a dinner appointment with Trump for a job at the Beverly Hills hotel, but instead, she alleged Trump took her to a bungalow and started kissing and touching her. Zervos told a news conference in Los Angeles, "He began kissing me aggressively and placed his hand on my breast." "He put me in an embrace and I tried to push him away. I pushed his chest to put space between us and I said 'come on man, get real.' He told her to, 'get real', as he began thrusting his genitals," she added. Zervos said she decided to come forward after she heard Trump saying that he had never touched a woman without her consent, during last Sunday's debate. Trump's comments had come after a video released by the Washington Post, boasting about getting away with groping and kissing women forcibly as he was a famous personality. Kristin Anderson told the Washington Post, that in the early 1990's, at a nightclub Trump had reached under her skirt and molested her. Trump denies Donald Trump on Friday said he is " a victim" of a smear campaign at a rally in North Carolina and denied Zervos's allegations. "I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country. They are coming after me to try and destroy what is considered by even them, the greatest movement in the history of our country," Reuters quoted him as saying. During the rally, Trump had said "I actually think I am doing well with women," when he was joined on stage by several women including his daughter-in-law and Omarosa Maginault. Maginault, a former contestant in Trump's television show " The Apprentice" led the crowd to cheer for Trump, "When I say 'Trump train', you say 'Choo. Choo!" Only two weeks from the election, the recent string of sexual assault allegations against Trump has hit his campaign that was already scrambling to recover from the last week's video. National polls indicate a large number of women voters are disenchanted with Trump. The support for his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton has been rising ever since, with a poll showing she was leading the race by 7 percentage points. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump faces new sexual assault claims

&nbsp;

Two women accused Donald Trump of inappropriate touching in a story posted on the New York Times website on Wednesday, accusations his spokesman called &quot;fiction&quot; but which may further roil the Republican presidential nominee&#39;s campaign with only four weeks to go until the November 8 election.

One of the women, Jessica Leeds, appeared on camera to recount how Trump grabbed her breast and tried to put his hand up her skirt in the first class cabin on a flight to New York in the early 1980s.&nbsp;

The second woman, Rachel Crooks, described how Trump &quot;kissed me directly on the mouth&quot; in 2005 outside the elevator in Trump Tower in Manhattan, where she was a receptionist at a real estate firm.

Reuters could not independently verify the incidents described in the New York Times story. The New York Times, Leeds and Crooks did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

&quot;This entire article is fiction, and for the New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr&nbsp;Trump on a topic like this is dangerous,&quot; Trump campaign senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement.

The report comes on the heels of a 2005 video that surfaced on Friday that showed Trump bragging about groping women, kissing them without permission, and trying unsuccessfully to seduce a married woman.

That video has damaged Trump&#39;s poll numbers, particularly with women voters. He was chastised by Republican leaders, and some called on him to drop out of the presidential race.

Trump has apologised for his remarks, which he called private &quot;locker room&quot; talk. During the presidential debate on Sunday, he said he had not actually kissed women without permission nor groped them.

That assertion was what spurred one of the women to speak out, the New York Times said in its report.

&quot;He was like an octopus,&quot; said Leeds, now 74. &quot;His hands were everywhere.&quot;

The New York Times reported that Trump, in an angry phone call, denied the incidents and threatened to sue the newspaper.

(Reuters)

Trump's campaign senior communications adviser Jason Miller labelled the accusations as 'fiction'

Two women accused Donald Trump of inappropriate touching in a story posted on the New York Times website on Wednesday, accusations his spokesman called "fiction" but which may further roil the Republican presidential nominee's campaign with only four weeks to go until the November 8 election. One of the women, Jessica Leeds, appeared on camera to recount how Trump grabbed her breast and tried to put his hand up her skirt in the first class cabin on a flight to New York in the early 1980s. The second woman, Rachel Crooks, described how Trump "kissed me directly on the mouth" in 2005 outside the elevator in Trump Tower in Manhattan, where she was a receptionist at a real estate firm. Reuters could not independently verify the incidents described in the New York Times story. The New York Times, Leeds and Crooks did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. "This entire article is fiction, and for the New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr Trump on a topic like this is dangerous," Trump campaign senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement. The report comes on the heels of a 2005 video that surfaced on Friday that showed Trump bragging about groping women, kissing them without permission, and trying unsuccessfully to seduce a married woman. That video has damaged Trump's poll numbers, particularly with women voters. He was chastised by Republican leaders, and some called on him to drop out of the presidential race. Trump has apologised for his remarks, which he called private "locker room" talk. During the presidential debate on Sunday, he said he had not actually kissed women without permission nor groped them. That assertion was what spurred one of the women to speak out, the New York Times said in its report. "He was like an octopus," said Leeds, now 74. "His hands were everywhere." The New York Times reported that Trump, in an angry phone call, denied the incidents and threatened to sue the newspaper. (Reuters)

Two women accuse Donald Trump of inappropriately touching them: Report

Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz has pledged $20 million to US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her Democratic party against Republican nominee Donald Trump in the upcoming elections. 
 
In a blog titled &#39;Compelled to Act&#39;, Moskovitz, 32, and his wife, philanthropist Cari Tuna, said Trump should not be allowed to come to power for his anti-immigration policies which would lead to the country&#39;s isolation from the rest of the world. 
 
&quot;The polarisation in America today has yielded a race that is about much more than policies and ideas. It has become a referendum on who we want to be?&nbsp;- ?as individuals, as a nation and as a society. Will we be driven by fear, towards tribalism, emphasizing the things that divide us? Will we focus on how to advantage those most similar to us while building barriers to separate us from the rest of the world? Or, alternatively, will we continue in the direction of increased tolerance, diversity and interdependence in the name of mutual prosperity?,&quot; the couple stated in the blog. 
 
&quot;This distinction is starkly caricatured by his #1 &ldquo;policy&rdquo; position: the literal building of a wall between us and our neighbour,&quot; referring to Trump&#39;s statement that he would build a wall between USA and Mexico if he won in the elections.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;So, for the first time, we are endorsing a candidate and donating. We hope these efforts make it a little more likely that Secretary Clinton is able to pursue the agenda she&rsquo;s outlined,&quot; they said while committing $20 million to numerous organisations, including the Hillary Victory Fund, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.&nbsp; 
 
(WION) 
 
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In a blog titled 'Compelled to Act', Dustin Moskovitz and his wife said Donald Trump should not be allowed to come to power

Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz has pledged $20 million to US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her Democratic party against Republican nominee Donald Trump in the upcoming elections. In a blog titled 'Compelled to Act', Moskovitz, 32, and his wife, philanthropist Cari Tuna, said Trump should not be allowed to come to power for his anti-immigration policies which would lead to the country's isolation from the rest of the world. "The polarisation in America today has yielded a race that is about much more than policies and ideas. It has become a referendum on who we want to be? - ?as individuals, as a nation and as a society. Will we be driven by fear, towards tribalism, emphasizing the things that divide us? Will we focus on how to advantage those most similar to us while building barriers to separate us from the rest of the world? Or, alternatively, will we continue in the direction of increased tolerance, diversity and interdependence in the name of mutual prosperity?," the couple stated in the blog. "This distinction is starkly caricatured by his #1 “policy” position: the literal building of a wall between us and our neighbour," referring to Trump's statement that he would build a wall between USA and Mexico if he won in the elections. "So, for the first time, we are endorsing a candidate and donating. We hope these efforts make it a little more likely that Secretary Clinton is able to pursue the agenda she’s outlined," they said while committing $20 million to numerous organisations, including the Hillary Victory Fund, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. (WION)

Facebook co-founder pledges $20 million to Hillary Clinton's election campaign

Millions of Americans have tuned in to watch this month&#39;s party conventions, with the Democratic confab ahead in the ratings,&nbsp;prompting Donald Trump&#39;s Republicans to urge supporters not to watch Hillary Clinton&#39;s landmark speech on Thursday night. 
 
Data compiled by ratings agency Nielsen show the Democratic event in Philadelphia outperforming the Republican convention in Cleveland all three nights so far. 
 
&quot;Unless you want to be lied to, belittled and attacked for your beliefs, don&#39;t watch Hillary&#39;s DNC speech tonight,&quot; Trump&#39;s campaign said in a fundraising email. 
 
&quot;Instead, help Donald Trump hold her accountable, call out her lies and fight back against her nasty attacks.&quot; 
 
On the opening day, Democrats drew nearly 26 million viewers, compared to 23 million for the Republicans. Day two saw the Democrats earn 24.7 million viewers, almost five million more than the GOP, according to Nielsen. 
 
Democrats drew 24.4 million viewers on day three, one million more than the Republican convention. 
 
Some of the biggest names in pop music including Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, and Paul Simon have headlined the event in Philadelphia. 
 
The Democratic events has more political star power too, although that was expected given that their party occupies the White House. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden went to bat for Clinton Wednesday night, while her husband Bill, himself a former president, delivered the keynote speech on Tuesday and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke on Monday. 
 
The performances come in stark contrast to the previous week&#39;s Republican convention which had few famous entertainers despite billionaire nominee Donald Trump&#39;s boast that he would bring some showbiz pizzazz. 
 
But the higher Democratic ratings are still seen as a surprise, given that Trump has been such a consistently strong media draw throughout the presidential campaign. 
 
(AFP) 
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Data suggests that the Democratic event in Philadelphia outperformed the Republican convention in Cleveland all three nights so far

Millions of Americans have tuned in to watch this month's party conventions, with the Democratic confab ahead in the ratings, prompting Donald Trump's Republicans to urge supporters not to watch Hillary Clinton's landmark speech on Thursday night. Data compiled by ratings agency Nielsen show the Democratic event in Philadelphia outperforming the Republican convention in Cleveland all three nights so far. "Unless you want to be lied to, belittled and attacked for your beliefs, don't watch Hillary's DNC speech tonight," Trump's campaign said in a fundraising email. "Instead, help Donald Trump hold her accountable, call out her lies and fight back against her nasty attacks." On the opening day, Democrats drew nearly 26 million viewers, compared to 23 million for the Republicans. Day two saw the Democrats earn 24.7 million viewers, almost five million more than the GOP, according to Nielsen. Democrats drew 24.4 million viewers on day three, one million more than the Republican convention. Some of the biggest names in pop music including Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, and Paul Simon have headlined the event in Philadelphia. The Democratic events has more political star power too, although that was expected given that their party occupies the White House. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden went to bat for Clinton Wednesday night, while her husband Bill, himself a former president, delivered the keynote speech on Tuesday and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke on Monday. The performances come in stark contrast to the previous week's Republican convention which had few famous entertainers despite billionaire nominee Donald Trump's boast that he would bring some showbiz pizzazz. But the higher Democratic ratings are still seen as a surprise, given that Trump has been such a consistently strong media draw throughout the presidential campaign. (AFP)

Trump urges viewers to skip Clinton speech

Republican Donald Trump conducted last-minute talks with his top potential picks for his vice presidential running mate on Wednesday and said he would announce his choice on Friday in New York. 
 
&quot;I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow,&quot; the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night. 
 
Trump had a breakfast meeting on Wednesday with Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and later sat down for talks with former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. His family met on Tuesday with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who speaks to Trump on a near-daily basis. 
 
In addition, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, a fourth potential candidate for the number two spot who has been a close adviser to Trump, was seen going into the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, where Trump was. 
 
A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but that he could always change his mind. &quot;It&#39;s not done until it&#39;s done,&quot; the source said. 
 
Trump seemed to be trying to decide between Pence and Gingrich, the source added. 
 
The New York businessman is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. 
 
Pence, who faces a Friday deadline on whether to have his name on the ballot to seek another term as governor, said he was humbled to be considered for Trump&#39;s running mate. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s giving it very careful consideration, and we&rsquo;re humbled to be a part of that,&quot; Pence told reporters later. &quot;There are a number of other noteworthy Americans that they are considering, and I&#39;m just honoured to be on that list.&quot; 
 
Republicans close to the campaign said they believed Trump had narrowed his short list to Pence, Gingrich and Christie. 
 
He has campaigned with all three in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election. 
 
In a sign of how seriously the campaign is considering Pence, Trump was joined at the governor&#39;s residence for breakfast by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Kushner and Trump&#39;s children have played important roles in the campaign. 
 
Trump&#39;s children met with Christie on Tuesday, a source close to the governor confirmed, describing the meeting as good and saying both parties had an existing relationship and were already friendly.&nbsp; 
 
Trump, who wants an experienced politician to join him on the ticket, campaigned with Pence at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana. 
 
&#39;More attention than usual&#39; 
 
Trump, a political outsider before entering the presidential race last year, has a tough choice to make.&nbsp; 
 
Pence, a 57-year-old former congressman who has flirted in the past with a presidential run of his own, would be perhaps the safest choice for Trump given the governor&#39;s popularity among conservatives and his experience in government. He would also bring Midwestern appeal. 
 
But Pence has had a couple of missteps as Indiana&#39;s chief executive. A religious freedom law he signed had to be revised because it was seen as discriminating against gays and lesbians, and he had to abandon plans to create a state-run news agency. 
 
&quot;Throughout history vice presidential selections seldom make much difference in the election. Because Trump has never held office and people are anxious to see how he would assemble a government, this pick might get more attention than usual,&quot; said Republican strategist Charlie Black. 
 
&quot;Pence would be a very good pick from the standpoint of having federal and state government experience, and also he has been a card-carrying member of the conservative movement his whole life,&quot; Black said. 
 
Trump is clearly comfortable with both Gingrich and Christie, a factor that Trump advisers say is important to him. Both Gingrich and Christie have been supportive of Trump throughout much of his bitter feud with establishment Republicans. 
 
Gingrich is popular among many Trump advisers because of his grasp of policy and his counsel. He was House speaker when Democrat Bill Clinton was president in the 1990s, and they achieved welfare reform, among other legislative achievements. 
 
&quot;Trump has staked his candidacy on revolutionary change in Washington and there is no one being considered who has actually achieved revolutionary change like Newt Gingrich,&quot; said Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for Gingrich. &quot;If Trump picks him, I&rsquo;ll know that Trump is serious about reforming Washington.&quot; 
 
But at age 73, Gingrich could have trouble appealing to younger voters. Trump is 70. 
 
Christie, 53, a one-time rival to Trump in the presidential race, is seen as a kindred spirit of Trump who would be a strong counterpuncher to Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68. But many conservatives doubt he really is one of them. 
 
(Reuters)

According to a?source, Trump might?decide between Indiana Governor Mike Pence and?House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich

Republican Donald Trump conducted last-minute talks with his top potential picks for his vice presidential running mate on Wednesday and said he would announce his choice on Friday in New York. "I will be making the announcement of my Vice Presidential pick on Friday at 11am in Manhattan. Details to follow," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted on Wednesday night. Trump had a breakfast meeting on Wednesday with Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and later sat down for talks with former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. His family met on Tuesday with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who speaks to Trump on a near-daily basis. In addition, US Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, of Alabama, a fourth potential candidate for the number two spot who has been a close adviser to Trump, was seen going into the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, where Trump was. A source close to the campaign said Trump appeared to be leaning toward Pence but that he could always change his mind. "It's not done until it's done," the source said. Trump seemed to be trying to decide between Pence and Gingrich, the source added. The New York businessman is to be formally nominated at the Republican National Convention next week in Cleveland. Traditionally, the vice presidential choice is used to build enthusiasm among party loyalists. Pence, who faces a Friday deadline on whether to have his name on the ballot to seek another term as governor, said he was humbled to be considered for Trump's running mate. "I think he's giving it very careful consideration, and we’re humbled to be a part of that," Pence told reporters later. "There are a number of other noteworthy Americans that they are considering, and I'm just honoured to be on that list." Republicans close to the campaign said they believed Trump had narrowed his short list to Pence, Gingrich and Christie. He has campaigned with all three in recent days as he girds for perhaps the most consequential decision of his campaign ahead of the November 8 election. In a sign of how seriously the campaign is considering Pence, Trump was joined at the governor's residence for breakfast by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Kushner and Trump's children have played important roles in the campaign. Trump's children met with Christie on Tuesday, a source close to the governor confirmed, describing the meeting as good and saying both parties had an existing relationship and were already friendly. Trump, who wants an experienced politician to join him on the ticket, campaigned with Pence at a rally on Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana. 'More attention than usual' Trump, a political outsider before entering the presidential race last year, has a tough choice to make. Pence, a 57-year-old former congressman who has flirted in the past with a presidential run of his own, would be perhaps the safest choice for Trump given the governor's popularity among conservatives and his experience in government. He would also bring Midwestern appeal. But Pence has had a couple of missteps as Indiana's chief executive. A religious freedom law he signed had to be revised because it was seen as discriminating against gays and lesbians, and he had to abandon plans to create a state-run news agency. "Throughout history vice presidential selections seldom make much difference in the election. Because Trump has never held office and people are anxious to see how he would assemble a government, this pick might get more attention than usual," said Republican strategist Charlie Black. "Pence would be a very good pick from the standpoint of having federal and state government experience, and also he has been a card-carrying member of the conservative movement his whole life," Black said. Trump is clearly comfortable with both Gingrich and Christie, a factor that Trump advisers say is important to him. Both Gingrich and Christie have been supportive of Trump throughout much of his bitter feud with establishment Republicans. Gingrich is popular among many Trump advisers because of his grasp of policy and his counsel. He was House speaker when Democrat Bill Clinton was president in the 1990s, and they achieved welfare reform, among other legislative achievements. "Trump has staked his candidacy on revolutionary change in Washington and there is no one being considered who has actually achieved revolutionary change like Newt Gingrich," said Rick Tyler, a former spokesman for Gingrich. "If Trump picks him, I’ll know that Trump is serious about reforming Washington." But at age 73, Gingrich could have trouble appealing to younger voters. Trump is 70. Christie, 53, a one-time rival to Trump in the presidential race, is seen as a kindred spirit of Trump who would be a strong counterpuncher to Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68. But many conservatives doubt he really is one of them. (Reuters)

Donald Trump to announce Vice President pick Friday

Hillary Clinton&#39;s presidential campaign accused Donald Trump on Sunday of caring more about how Britain&#39;s historic vote to leave the European Union would benefit his financial bottom line than how it would impact the US economy. 
 
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook acknowledged parallels between the populist anger and anti-establishment fervor that fueled the Brexit vote and Trump&#39;s rise to the nomination, but said the Republican candidate&#39;s reaction showed he was not fit to occupy the White House. 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton looks at this through the lens of how it&#39;s going to affect middle-class families, Donald Trump through the lens of how it will help his bottom line,&quot; Mook said on &quot;Fox News Sunday.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton also warned that &quot;bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence&quot; in a speech to a conference of city mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Her campaign released a national television advertisement earlier in the day, which featured the wealthy real estate developer&#39;s comments on Friday that the fall of the British currency after the Brexit vote could mean more business for his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, where he was speaking.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them,&quot; said the 30-second video. 
 
Besides his currency comments, Trump had praised the Brexit result as an example of people &quot;taking their country back.&quot; He responded to the advertisement on Sunday by saying Clinton, whose staff had said she supported the United Kingdom remaining in the union, had poor judgment. 
 
&quot;Clinton is trying to wash away her bad judgment call on BREXIT with big dollar ads,&quot; ran a message on his Twitter account. &quot;Disgraceful!&quot; 
 
Paul Manafort, campaign manager for Trump, rejected what he called a &quot;phony&quot; charge by Clinton and said Trump was more in sync with the global economic frustration exemplified by the Brexit vote. In contrast, the Clinton ad showed her campaign&#39;s &quot;tone deafness&quot; by focusing on things the American people did not care about, he said in an NBC interview. 
 
In her speech on Sunday, Clinton said the United States and the United Kingdom were different &quot;economically, politically, demographically,&quot; but still drew some parallels between the mood of American and British voters. 
 
&quot;Just as we have seen, there are many frustrated people in Britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home, too,&quot; she said. &quot;I 
have seen it, I&#39;ve heard it, I know it.&quot; 
 
Brexit parallels in US 
 
Global stock markets nosedived on Friday and economic experts warned of a potential global recession after the shocking British vote to pull out of the European Union. Markets prepared for the possibility of more pain on Monday. 
 
Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Brexit vote highlighted global anxieties about economic stagnation and immigration. 
 
&quot;The genius of what&#39;s happened with the candidacy of Donald Trump is he&#39;s given voice to that, just as was given in the UK,&quot; Corker, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, said on CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; program. 
 
He said he thought Trump&#39;s appearance at his golf course in Scotland after the Brexit vote &quot;was one of his best events&quot; and his comments about the British currency and what it would mean for his businesses were just &quot;an anecdotal statement&quot; about its effects. 
 
&quot;He was giving an example, which is obvious, that when the currency fluctuates, as it does, more Americans are going to be able to travel to the UK more cheaply,&quot; he said. 
 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Brexit vote showed people were tired of being dictated to by &quot;unelected bureaucrats in Brussels,&quot; and said there were parallels in the United States. 
 
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who built his White House campaign against Clinton around populist proposals to 
eradicate income inequality, remove big money from politics and rein in Wall Street, said the Brexit vote encapsulated many of those concerns. 
 
&quot;What ordinary people are saying is &#39;hey, give us an economy that works for all of us, not just the people on top,&#39; &quot; Sanders said on CNN. 
 
(Reuters)

Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them, said the campaign

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign accused Donald Trump on Sunday of caring more about how Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union would benefit his financial bottom line than how it would impact the US economy. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook acknowledged parallels between the populist anger and anti-establishment fervor that fueled the Brexit vote and Trump's rise to the nomination, but said the Republican candidate's reaction showed he was not fit to occupy the White House. "Hillary Clinton looks at this through the lens of how it's going to affect middle-class families, Donald Trump through the lens of how it will help his bottom line," Mook said on "Fox News Sunday." Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton also warned that "bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence" in a speech to a conference of city mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. Her campaign released a national television advertisement earlier in the day, which featured the wealthy real estate developer's comments on Friday that the fall of the British currency after the Brexit vote could mean more business for his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, where he was speaking. "Every president is tested by world events, but Donald Trump thinks about how his golf resort can profit from them," said the 30-second video. Besides his currency comments, Trump had praised the Brexit result as an example of people "taking their country back." He responded to the advertisement on Sunday by saying Clinton, whose staff had said she supported the United Kingdom remaining in the union, had poor judgment. "Clinton is trying to wash away her bad judgment call on BREXIT with big dollar ads," ran a message on his Twitter account. "Disgraceful!" Paul Manafort, campaign manager for Trump, rejected what he called a "phony" charge by Clinton and said Trump was more in sync with the global economic frustration exemplified by the Brexit vote. In contrast, the Clinton ad showed her campaign's "tone deafness" by focusing on things the American people did not care about, he said in an NBC interview. In her speech on Sunday, Clinton said the United States and the United Kingdom were different "economically, politically, demographically," but still drew some parallels between the mood of American and British voters. "Just as we have seen, there are many frustrated people in Britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home, too," she said. "I have seen it, I've heard it, I know it." Brexit parallels in US Global stock markets nosedived on Friday and economic experts warned of a potential global recession after the shocking British vote to pull out of the European Union. Markets prepared for the possibility of more pain on Monday. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Brexit vote highlighted global anxieties about economic stagnation and immigration. "The genius of what's happened with the candidacy of Donald Trump is he's given voice to that, just as was given in the UK," Corker, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. He said he thought Trump's appearance at his golf course in Scotland after the Brexit vote "was one of his best events" and his comments about the British currency and what it would mean for his businesses were just "an anecdotal statement" about its effects. "He was giving an example, which is obvious, that when the currency fluctuates, as it does, more Americans are going to be able to travel to the UK more cheaply," he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Brexit vote showed people were tired of being dictated to by "unelected bureaucrats in Brussels," and said there were parallels in the United States. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who built his White House campaign against Clinton around populist proposals to eradicate income inequality, remove big money from politics and rein in Wall Street, said the Brexit vote encapsulated many of those concerns. "What ordinary people are saying is 'hey, give us an economy that works for all of us, not just the people on top,' " Sanders said on CNN. (Reuters)

Clinton campaign attacks Trump for seeing Brexit as boon for his business

Democrat Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s lead over Republican rival Donald Trump has slipped by about five percentage points since mid-June, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released today, bringing the race for the White House to within nine points. 
 
The poll showed that 44.5 per cent of likely voters supported former secretary of state Clinton while 35.5 per cent backed businessman Trump. That compares with 46.6 per cent support for Clinton and 32.3 per cent for Trump on June 12, a date that marked her widest lead for the month. 
 
Trump has focused much of his energy in recent days on the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida by a US-born gunman pledging allegiance to Islamic State militant group. Trump vowed to ban people from entering the United States from countries with links to terrorism against America or its allies. 
 
Hardline national security proposals have helped Trump win increased support from voters in the past, including after the shootings in San Bernardino, California and Paris late last year. 
 
Clinton responded to the Orlando attack by calling for increased intelligence gathering and air strikes on IS forces, while warning against demonising American Muslims. She has also criticized Trump&#39;s positions on foreign policy and the economy, saying a Trump presidency would be a &quot;disaster&quot;. 
 
The June 17-21 poll of 1,100 likely voters has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3.4 percentage points. 
 
(Reuters)

New poll shows that 44.5 per cent of likely voters support Clinton, while 35.5 per cent back Trump

Democrat Hillary Clinton’s lead over Republican rival Donald Trump has slipped by about five percentage points since mid-June, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released today, bringing the race for the White House to within nine points. The poll showed that 44.5 per cent of likely voters supported former secretary of state Clinton while 35.5 per cent backed businessman Trump. That compares with 46.6 per cent support for Clinton and 32.3 per cent for Trump on June 12, a date that marked her widest lead for the month. Trump has focused much of his energy in recent days on the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida by a US-born gunman pledging allegiance to Islamic State militant group. Trump vowed to ban people from entering the United States from countries with links to terrorism against America or its allies. Hardline national security proposals have helped Trump win increased support from voters in the past, including after the shootings in San Bernardino, California and Paris late last year. Clinton responded to the Orlando attack by calling for increased intelligence gathering and air strikes on IS forces, while warning against demonising American Muslims. She has also criticized Trump's positions on foreign policy and the economy, saying a Trump presidency would be a "disaster". The June 17-21 poll of 1,100 likely voters has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3.4 percentage points. (Reuters)

Clinton loses ground to Trump, now within 9 points

Donald Trump has railed against efforts by some frustrated Republicans planning a last-ditch effort to try to thwart him from becoming the party&#39;s nominee, threatening at one point to stop fund-raising if Republicans do not rally around him. 
 
Speaking at a theater at the Treasure Island hotel on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, Trump referred to &quot;an insurgent group&quot; trying to deny him delegates at the party&#39;s July convention. 
 
&quot;Now you have a couple of guys that were badly defeated and they&#39;re trying to organise maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt,&quot; he said. &quot;I thought they already tried that.&quot; 
 
Trump pushed back against such efforts several times during his speech, claiming they were somehow &quot;illegal&quot; and then dismissing them as a media-generated fabrication. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s all made up by the press,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a hoax, I&#39;m telling you.&quot; 
 
While Trump dismisses the effort as invented, more Republicans in Congress are saying they will not attend the party convention and are not endorsing his candidacy. 
 
Meanwhile, a movement exists among some conservative delegates and operatives to change party rules to allow a different nominee, though it&#39;s a longshot effort lacking sufficient backing and a candidate to offer up at an alternative. 
 
Indeed, Trump wondered aloud who his opponents would pick as a replacement, a problem that has plagued the &quot;Never Trump&quot; movement for months. 
 
&quot;Who are they going to pick? I beat everybody. But I don&#39;t mean beat - I beat the hell out of them,&quot; he said. 
 
At one point in his speech, Trump asserted without offering evidence that former rival Jeb Bush and a second Republican, whom he did not name, were part of the movement opposing him. Neither Bush nor another former rival, Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed Trump. 
 
Trump has continued to face resistance from Republicans who have voiced increasing concern over his inflammatory rhetoric. And he appeared increasingly frustrated yesterday, saying, &quot;It would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit.&quot; 
 
The billionaire businessman also threatened that, if Republicans don&#39;t come together, he was prepared to stop fundraising and go back to largely self-funding his campaign. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d love to do it,&quot; said Trump, who has been holding fundraisers across the county this week largely benefiting the Republican National Committee. &quot;You know, life is like a two-way street.&quot; 
 
A Republican National Committee spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
(PTI)

Republicans in the US Congress say they will not endorse Trump's candidacy

Donald Trump has railed against efforts by some frustrated Republicans planning a last-ditch effort to try to thwart him from becoming the party's nominee, threatening at one point to stop fund-raising if Republicans do not rally around him. Speaking at a theater at the Treasure Island hotel on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, Trump referred to "an insurgent group" trying to deny him delegates at the party's July convention. "Now you have a couple of guys that were badly defeated and they're trying to organise maybe like a little bit of a delegate revolt," he said. "I thought they already tried that." Trump pushed back against such efforts several times during his speech, claiming they were somehow "illegal" and then dismissing them as a media-generated fabrication. "It's all made up by the press," he said. "It's a hoax, I'm telling you." While Trump dismisses the effort as invented, more Republicans in Congress are saying they will not attend the party convention and are not endorsing his candidacy. Meanwhile, a movement exists among some conservative delegates and operatives to change party rules to allow a different nominee, though it's a longshot effort lacking sufficient backing and a candidate to offer up at an alternative. Indeed, Trump wondered aloud who his opponents would pick as a replacement, a problem that has plagued the "Never Trump" movement for months. "Who are they going to pick? I beat everybody. But I don't mean beat - I beat the hell out of them," he said. At one point in his speech, Trump asserted without offering evidence that former rival Jeb Bush and a second Republican, whom he did not name, were part of the movement opposing him. Neither Bush nor another former rival, Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed Trump. Trump has continued to face resistance from Republicans who have voiced increasing concern over his inflammatory rhetoric. And he appeared increasingly frustrated yesterday, saying, "It would be helpful if the Republicans could help us a little bit." The billionaire businessman also threatened that, if Republicans don't come together, he was prepared to stop fundraising and go back to largely self-funding his campaign. "I'd love to do it," said Trump, who has been holding fundraisers across the county this week largely benefiting the Republican National Committee. "You know, life is like a two-way street." A Republican National Committee spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (PTI)

Trump to Republicans: Help or fundraising stops

The European Parliament president, Martin Schulz, says he fears that if US presidential nominee Donald Trump wins the elections, it could boost &ldquo;imitators&rdquo; in Europe. 
 
Schulz told German magazine Der Spiegel in comments published today that Trump is a problem &quot;for the whole world&quot;. 
 
He said, &quot;If a man sits in the White House who flirts with having no idea and labels expertise as elitist baloney, a critical point is reached.&quot; 
 
He said that would mean &quot;an apparently irresponsible man&quot; being in a position that requires the highest sense of responsibility. 
 
Schulz, who leads the 28-nation European Union&#39;s legislative assembly, added: &quot;My concern is that he could also boost imitators in Europe.&quot; 
 
He didn&#39;t elaborate.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

Schulz told German magazine Der Spiegel in comments published today that Trump is a problem 'for the whole world'

The European Parliament president, Martin Schulz, says he fears that if US presidential nominee Donald Trump wins the elections, it could boost “imitators” in Europe. Schulz told German magazine Der Spiegel in comments published today that Trump is a problem "for the whole world". He said, "If a man sits in the White House who flirts with having no idea and labels expertise as elitist baloney, a critical point is reached." He said that would mean "an apparently irresponsible man" being in a position that requires the highest sense of responsibility. Schulz, who leads the 28-nation European Union's legislative assembly, added: "My concern is that he could also boost imitators in Europe." He didn't elaborate. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Trump win could boost 'imitators' in Europe: European Parliament chief

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used funds from his charitable foundation to pay settlements in legal cases involving his businesses, an apparent violation of laws governing non-profits, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. 
 
The cases involved a combined $258,000 paid out by the Donald J. Trump Foundation -- a charity almost entirely funded with other people&#39;s money, the newspaper said and follow a review of legal documents and the foundation&#39;s tax records. 
 
The newspaper carried out a weekslong investigation into the charity&#39;s finances, finding that Trump himself has not contributed a dollar since 2009. The group is funded by donations from third parties instead.&nbsp;

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<h5>In one case, the Foundation paid $20,000 in 2007 for a six-foot portrait of Trump, the Washington Post newspaper reported</h5>
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One of the group&#39;s suspect payments was a $100,000 donation to a veterans&#39; charity in 2007 as part of a legal settlement with the city of Palm Beach, Florida. 
 
Trump had sued the city after it fined him $120,000, or $1,250 per day, for erecting an 80-foot (24-meter) flagpole at his Mar-a-Lago Club that exceeded the maximum 42 feet permitted by local regulations. 
 
The Trump Foundation also made transactions that appeared to be exclusively for the benefit of the real estate mogul or his businesses, apparently in violation of regulations governing charities, the Washington Post said. 
 
In one case, the charity paid $20,000 in 2007 for a six-foot portrait of Trump, the newspaper reported. 
 
&quot;Clearly the Trump Foundation is as much a charitable organisation as Trump University is an institute of higher education,&quot; said Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the campaign of Trump&#39;s White House rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton. 
 
&quot;Once again, Trump has proven himself a fraud who believes the rules don&#39;t apply to him,&quot; she said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s past time for him to release his tax returns to show whether his tax issues extend to his own personal finances.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Some Democrats have complained that the media has not sufficiently reported about the Trump Foundation&#39;s suspected wrongdoing, accusing journalists of being lenient in their treatment of the outspoken billionaire. 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign denied the Post report. 
 
&quot;In typical Washington Post fashion, they&#39;ve gotten their facts wrong. It is the Clinton Foundation that is set up to make sure the Clintons personally enrich themselves by selling access and trading political favors. The Trump Foundation has no paid board, no management fees, no rent or overhead, and no family members on its payroll,&quot; said spokesman Jason Miller. 
 
News outlets have also been criticised for being more keen to cover a tweet by Trump&#39;s son comparing Syrian refugees to a bowl of colorful Skittles candy. 
 
&quot;If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful?&quot; he wrote. &quot;That&#39;s our Syria refugee problem.&quot; 
 
&quot;If you are covering Skittles-gate instead Trump&#39;s illegal use of his foundation, you are probably in journalism for the wrong reasons,&quot; tweeted Dan Pfeiffer, a former top advisor to President Barack Obama. 
 
(AFP)

The cases involved a combined $258,000 paid out by the Donald J Trump Foundation -- a charity almost entirely funded by other people's money

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used funds from his charitable foundation to pay settlements in legal cases involving his businesses, an apparent violation of laws governing non-profits, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The cases involved a combined $258,000 paid out by the Donald J. Trump Foundation -- a charity almost entirely funded with other people's money, the newspaper said and follow a review of legal documents and the foundation's tax records. The newspaper carried out a weekslong investigation into the charity's finances, finding that Trump himself has not contributed a dollar since 2009. The group is funded by donations from third parties instead. In one case, the Foundation paid $20,000 in 2007 for a six-foot portrait of Trump, the Washington Post newspaper reported One of the group's suspect payments was a $100,000 donation to a veterans' charity in 2007 as part of a legal settlement with the city of Palm Beach, Florida. Trump had sued the city after it fined him $120,000, or $1,250 per day, for erecting an 80-foot (24-meter) flagpole at his Mar-a-Lago Club that exceeded the maximum 42 feet permitted by local regulations. The Trump Foundation also made transactions that appeared to be exclusively for the benefit of the real estate mogul or his businesses, apparently in violation of regulations governing charities, the Washington Post said. In one case, the charity paid $20,000 in 2007 for a six-foot portrait of Trump, the newspaper reported. "Clearly the Trump Foundation is as much a charitable organisation as Trump University is an institute of higher education," said Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the campaign of Trump's White House rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton. "Once again, Trump has proven himself a fraud who believes the rules don't apply to him," she said in a statement. "It's past time for him to release his tax returns to show whether his tax issues extend to his own personal finances." Some Democrats have complained that the media has not sufficiently reported about the Trump Foundation's suspected wrongdoing, accusing journalists of being lenient in their treatment of the outspoken billionaire. Trump's campaign denied the Post report. "In typical Washington Post fashion, they've gotten their facts wrong. It is the Clinton Foundation that is set up to make sure the Clintons personally enrich themselves by selling access and trading political favors. The Trump Foundation has no paid board, no management fees, no rent or overhead, and no family members on its payroll," said spokesman Jason Miller. News outlets have also been criticised for being more keen to cover a tweet by Trump's son comparing Syrian refugees to a bowl of colorful Skittles candy. "If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful?" he wrote. "That's our Syria refugee problem." "If you are covering Skittles-gate instead Trump's illegal use of his foundation, you are probably in journalism for the wrong reasons," tweeted Dan Pfeiffer, a former top advisor to President Barack Obama. (AFP)

Trump used charity funds to pay legal settlements: Washington Post

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump clashed over the economy and foreign policy and interrupted each other repeatedly today&nbsp;in a first presidential debate that could reshape the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

After greeting each other with a handshake and a smile, the two opponents went on the attack, with Clinton calling the New York businessman&#39;s tax policies &quot;Trumped-up trickle-down&quot; economics and Trump accusing the former secretary of state of being &quot;all talk, no action.&quot;

Each accused the other of distortions and falsehoods and urged viewers to check their websites for the facts. She called him Donald, and he called her Secretary Clinton.

&quot;I have a feeling I&#39;m going to be blamed for everything,&quot; said Clinton, the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party during one tough exchange.

&quot;Why not?&quot; retorted Trump, a real estate tycoon and former reality TV star making his first run at public office.

Clinton criticised Trump for not releasing his tax returns and said that decision raised questions about whether he was as rich and charitable as he has claimed to be. She noted that the few years of returns he had released showed that despite his wealth, he paid no federal income tax.

&quot;That makes me smart,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;I have a tremendous income,&quot; he said at one point, adding that it was about time that someone running the country knew something about money.

Clinton criticised Trump for failing to pay some of the business people with whom his company had contracted. She said she had met a lot of people who had been cheated by her opponent.

Trump said such incidents of non-payment had taken place when the work was unsatisfactory.

Trump attacked Clinton for her trade policies and said she would approve a controversial trade deal with Asian countries despite opposing it as a candidate.

&quot;You were totally in favour of it, then you heard what I was saying, how bad it is, and you said, &#39;Well, I can&rsquo;t win that debate,&#39; but you know that if you did win, you would approve that,&quot; he said.

Clinton rejected the criticism.

&quot;Well Donald, I know you live in your own reality, but that is not the facts,&quot; she said.

Clinton, 68, wore a red pantsuit, and Trump, 70, wore a dark suit and a blue tie to the encounter that could shift the course of the tight race for the November&nbsp;8 election.

Moderator Lester Holt struggled to rein in the candidates, with discussions about trade policy suddenly shifting to the fight against Islamic State as Trump accused Clinton of giving away information to the enemy by revealing on her website how she planned to defeat the group. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Each accused the other of distortions and falsehoods and urged viewers to check their websites for the facts

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump clashed over the economy and foreign policy and interrupted each other repeatedly today in a first presidential debate that could reshape the 2016 US election. After greeting each other with a handshake and a smile, the two opponents went on the attack, with Clinton calling the New York businessman's tax policies "Trumped-up trickle-down" economics and Trump accusing the former secretary of state of being "all talk, no action." Each accused the other of distortions and falsehoods and urged viewers to check their websites for the facts. She called him Donald, and he called her Secretary Clinton. "I have a feeling I'm going to be blamed for everything," said Clinton, the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party during one tough exchange. "Why not?" retorted Trump, a real estate tycoon and former reality TV star making his first run at public office. Clinton criticised Trump for not releasing his tax returns and said that decision raised questions about whether he was as rich and charitable as he has claimed to be. She noted that the few years of returns he had released showed that despite his wealth, he paid no federal income tax. "That makes me smart," Trump said. "I have a tremendous income," he said at one point, adding that it was about time that someone running the country knew something about money. Clinton criticised Trump for failing to pay some of the business people with whom his company had contracted. She said she had met a lot of people who had been cheated by her opponent. Trump said such incidents of non-payment had taken place when the work was unsatisfactory. Trump attacked Clinton for her trade policies and said she would approve a controversial trade deal with Asian countries despite opposing it as a candidate. "You were totally in favour of it, then you heard what I was saying, how bad it is, and you said, 'Well, I can’t win that debate,' but you know that if you did win, you would approve that," he said. Clinton rejected the criticism. "Well Donald, I know you live in your own reality, but that is not the facts," she said. Clinton, 68, wore a red pantsuit, and Trump, 70, wore a dark suit and a blue tie to the encounter that could shift the course of the tight race for the November 8 election. Moderator Lester Holt struggled to rein in the candidates, with discussions about trade policy suddenly shifting to the fight against Islamic State as Trump accused Clinton of giving away information to the enemy by revealing on her website how she planned to defeat the group. (Reuters)

US presidential debate 2016: Clinton, Trump accuse each other of falsehoods

Continuing her momentum post conventions, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has consolidated her position in three key swing states, which gives her enough electoral college votes to be the next president of the US, a major US media outlet has said. 
 
Clinton, 68, has strengthened her position in three swing States of New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia having a total of 37 electoral college votes, according to CNN. 
 
&quot;That adds 37 more electoral votes to Clinton&#39;s total and puts her at 273 electoral votes - just ahead of the needed 270 electoral votes to win the White House,&quot; said David Chalian, CNN political director. 
 
If Trump was to win all the remaining battleground states on the map, he&#39;d still be shy of the 270 votes needed to win the White House which means he is going to have to pick off at least one of the states currently leaning in Clinton&#39;s direction in addition to running the table in those battlegrounds, he wrote. 
 
However, things might change between now and November 8 when Americans would go out to vote to elect their 45th president. 
 
A latest Pew poll showed Clinton&#39;s lead over Trump has come down from nine per cent to four per cent. 
 
According to CNN, solid Republican States are Alabama (9), Alaska (3), Arkansas (6), Idaho (4), Indiana (11), Kansas (6), Kentucky (8), Louisiana (8), Mississippi (6), Missouri (10), Montana (3), Nebraska (5), North Dakota (3), Oklahoma (7), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (11), Texas (38), West Virginia (5), Wyoming (3). 
 
All this make 158 electoral college votes. 
 
Arizona (11), Georgia (16), Utah (6) making 33 votes in total are considered to be lean Republican States. 
 
Florida (29), Iowa (6), Nevada (6), Ohio (18), North Carolina (15) which in all account for 74 votes are battleground States, CNN said. 
 
Lean Democratic States of Colorado (9), Michigan (16), New Hampshire (4), Pennsylvania (20), Virginia (13), Wisconsin (10), account for 72 votes in all. 
 
Solid Democratic States are California (55), Connecticut (7), Delaware (3), DC (3), Hawaii (4), Illinois (20), Maine (4), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), New Jersey (14), New York (29), Oregon (7), Rhode Island (4), Vermont (3), Washington (12), Minnesota (10), New Mexico (5). 
 
This accounts for 201 electoral college votes.

(PTI) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The electoral map suggests Trump will need to pick off at least one of the states currently leaning in Clinton's favour if he wants to win

Continuing her momentum post conventions, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has consolidated her position in three key swing states, which gives her enough electoral college votes to be the next president of the US, a major US media outlet has said. Clinton, 68, has strengthened her position in three swing States of New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia having a total of 37 electoral college votes, according to CNN. "That adds 37 more electoral votes to Clinton's total and puts her at 273 electoral votes - just ahead of the needed 270 electoral votes to win the White House," said David Chalian, CNN political director. If Trump was to win all the remaining battleground states on the map, he'd still be shy of the 270 votes needed to win the White House which means he is going to have to pick off at least one of the states currently leaning in Clinton's direction in addition to running the table in those battlegrounds, he wrote. However, things might change between now and November 8 when Americans would go out to vote to elect their 45th president. A latest Pew poll showed Clinton's lead over Trump has come down from nine per cent to four per cent. According to CNN, solid Republican States are Alabama (9), Alaska (3), Arkansas (6), Idaho (4), Indiana (11), Kansas (6), Kentucky (8), Louisiana (8), Mississippi (6), Missouri (10), Montana (3), Nebraska (5), North Dakota (3), Oklahoma (7), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (11), Texas (38), West Virginia (5), Wyoming (3). All this make 158 electoral college votes. Arizona (11), Georgia (16), Utah (6) making 33 votes in total are considered to be lean Republican States. Florida (29), Iowa (6), Nevada (6), Ohio (18), North Carolina (15) which in all account for 74 votes are battleground States, CNN said. Lean Democratic States of Colorado (9), Michigan (16), New Hampshire (4), Pennsylvania (20), Virginia (13), Wisconsin (10), account for 72 votes in all. Solid Democratic States are California (55), Connecticut (7), Delaware (3), DC (3), Hawaii (4), Illinois (20), Maine (4), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), New Jersey (14), New York (29), Oregon (7), Rhode Island (4), Vermont (3), Washington (12), Minnesota (10), New Mexico (5). This accounts for 201 electoral college votes. (PTI)

Hillary Clinton poised to win three key swing states: Report

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

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. 
 
&quot;I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make,&quot; Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan&#39;s home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a &quot;rising star&quot;. 
 
&quot;We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. 
 
Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was &quot;not quite there yet&quot;, using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. 
 
Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week&#39;s Republican primary. 
 
Trump&#39;s endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. 
 
In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton&#39;s lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. 
 
Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. 
 
In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. 
 
Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate&#39;s plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,&rdquo; Moore said. 
 
At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the &quot;queen of corruption&quot;. He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. 
 
&quot;All my life I&#39;ve been told, &#39;You have the greatest temperament,&#39;&quot; he said.&nbsp;He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event.&nbsp;&quot;If you don&#39;t like me, that&#39;s okay, vote for Pence, because it&#39;s the same thing,&quot; he said. 
 
Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media&#39;s claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. &quot;I love babies,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Short-circuited&quot; 
 
Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump&#39;s dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. 
 
At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. 
 
She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. 
 
Clinton conceded that she had &ldquo;short-circuited&rdquo; earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the&nbsp;use of the private server. 
 
Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI&rsquo;s probe in July, when he rebuked her for &quot;extremely careless&quot; handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. 
 
Yesterday, Clinton maintained that &ldquo;I never sent or received anything marked classified&rdquo;, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies.&nbsp;Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. 
 
The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. &ldquo;I take it seriously,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.&rdquo; 
 
Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. &ldquo;Maybe just maybe when I&rsquo;m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,&rdquo; she said. 
 
Finance and industry leaders 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. 
 
Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth&#39;s Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. 
 
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn&#39;s general counsel told Reuters yesterday. 
 
Trump&#39;s moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. 
 
The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week&#39;s Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump&#39;s insistent attacks on the parents. 
 
(Reuters)

Paul Ryan, the top US elected Republican who the establishment sees as a possible future presidential candidate, skipped the rally

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. "I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make," Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan's home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a "rising star". "We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends," Trump said. Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was "not quite there yet", using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week's Republican primary. Trump's endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton's lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate's plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. “It’s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,” Moore said. At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the "queen of corruption". He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. "All my life I've been told, 'You have the greatest temperament,'" he said. He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event. "If you don't like me, that's okay, vote for Pence, because it's the same thing," he said. Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media's claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. "I love babies," he said. "Short-circuited" Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump's dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. Clinton conceded that she had “short-circuited” earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the use of the private server. Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI’s probe in July, when he rebuked her for "extremely careless" handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. Yesterday, Clinton maintained that “I never sent or received anything marked classified”, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies. Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. “I take it seriously,” she said. “It doesn’t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.” Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. “Maybe just maybe when I’m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,” she said. Finance and industry leaders Trump's campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth's Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn's general counsel told Reuters yesterday. Trump's moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week's Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump's insistent attacks on the parents. (Reuters)

Trump, looking to right campaign ship, endorses house speaker, senators

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

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

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

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

Twitter blew up when Hillary Clinton formally accepted the Democratic Party&#39;s presidential nomination on Thursday. The following are the major political reactions, from Clinton supporters to her Republican opponent Donald Trump: 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Great speech. She&#39;s tested. She&#39;s ready. She never quits. That&#39;s why Hillary should be our next <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a>. (She&#39;ll get the Twitter handle, too)
&mdash; President Obama (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/758867227328163841">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/758874457142284288">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
More than ever, I&rsquo;m with her, our next President.
&mdash; Bill Clinton (@billclinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/billclinton/status/758867756007600130">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton">@HillaryClinton</a> on this historic achievement. We are stronger together.
&mdash; Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/758867796734320642">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
(AFP)

'Last week was a convention about Donald Trump. This is a convention about America. I like America better,' tweeted Jon Lovett, TV writer

Twitter blew up when Hillary Clinton formally accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Thursday. The following are the major political reactions, from Clinton supporters to her Republican opponent Donald Trump: Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too) — President Obama (@POTUS) July 29, 2016 No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 More than ever, I’m with her, our next President. — Bill Clinton (@billclinton) July 29, 2016 I congratulate @HillaryClinton on this historic achievement. We are stronger together. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 29, 2016 (AFP)

Twitter reacts to Clinton speech

Americans face a &quot;moment of reckoning&quot; in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton will tell voters on Thursday as she accepts the Democratic presidential nomination and highlights efforts to improve economic opportunities across the board. 
 
The former secretary of state faces her biggest test on the national stage as she urges voters to embrace four more years of a Democratic White House rather than elect Republican billionaire Donald Trump. 
 
It is the centre-stage opportunity she came so close to seizing eight years ago during her first White House campaign, only to be defeated in her party&#39;s primary race by Barack Obama. 
 
In a primetime address, Clinton will lay out plans to improve the nation&#39;s economy, stressing that &quot;my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages&quot;. 
 
Her effort will focus particularly on places &quot;that for too long have been left out and left behind, from our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country&quot;, she will say, according to speech excerpts released by the campaign. 
 
Clinton, 68, made history this week when she became the first female presidential nominee of a major US party.&nbsp; 
 
The four-day Democratic convention in Philadelphia has been a parade of party heavyweights, and some independents who have all stressed that the former first lady and US senator is uniquely qualified to be commander-in-chief. 
 
Obama led the charge on Wednesday, stirringly hailing Clinton as his political heir. 
 
Clinton will speak of the strains that have been placed on US society during the toxic year-long campaign that has featured heated rhetoric from Trump and other candidates. 
 
&quot;Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying,&quot; Clinton will say. 
 
&quot;We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid,&quot; Clinton will add. &quot;We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have.&quot; Clinton faces a major trust deficit among a US public that has followed every Clintonian turn of the past quarter century. 
&nbsp; 
Rocked by an email scandal that refuses to die, she is now about as unpopular with voters as her Republican rival. 
 
But her remarks signal a plan to focus attention on pockets of down-and-out communities which have felt ignored by the slow and erratic economic recovery. 
 
After her speech, Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will seek to carry her momentum straight onto the campaign trail Friday, taking a three-day bus tour into Rust Belt communities in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio. 
 
With Trump casting himself as an outsider, a political neophyte committed to upending the Washington establishment, Clinton faces the difficult task of appearing as the steady hand at the tiller even while promising to be a catalyst for change. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the most personal moment of the campaign, talking to a big audience about what she wants to do for the future,&quot; Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said on a Facebook live stream.The most rousing Clinton sales pitch of the week came from Obama himself. 
 
&quot;I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America,&quot; Obama thundered before a cheering crowd. 
 
&quot;No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits.&quot; 
 
Trump seemed to drop an unexpected gift in Clinton&#39;s lap Wednesday when he urged Russia to hack Clinton&#39;s emails. 
 
The 70-year-old real estate mogul sought to douse the outcry on Thursday by saying he was &quot;being sarcastic&quot;, but the call for cyber espionage against the United States made even Republicans cringe. 
 
Doug Elmets, a Republican who worked in president Ronald Reagan&#39;s White House, brought the Democratic crowd to its feet when he implored fellow Republicans to vote for Clinton. 
 
&quot;I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan,&quot; Elmets said. 
 
&quot;Trump is a petulant, dangerously unbalanced reality star who will coddle tyrants and alienate allies.&quot; While Clinton must play to the party&#39;s base and seek to soothe bruised Bernie Sanders supporters, some of whom wore fluorescent green shirts Thursday inside the arena as a subtle form of protest, a key mission is to appeal to crossover voters and independents wary of Trump. 
 
&quot;Donald Trump is making a lot of really big promises, and some people find those attractive,&quot; said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;What Hillary is going to do tonight, what we&#39;ve done at this convention is make sure that people know the facts.&quot; 
 
He acknowledged that Clinton, who will be introduced by daughter Chelsea, also knows &quot;she needs to earn the voters&#39; trust&quot;. 
 
Clinton has never been as telegenic and personable a politician as her husband or Obama, whose oratorical skills were on full display on Tuesday and Wednesday. 
 
She will balance her policy strengths with an attempt to connect with Americans watching from their living rooms as she faces a nation divided by intense campaign rhetoric, spikes in race-related gun violence, and heightened fear brought about by a spate of terror attacks around the world. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

US President Barack Obama led the charge on Wednesday, stirringly hailing Clinton as his political heir

Americans face a "moment of reckoning" in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton will tell voters on Thursday as she accepts the Democratic presidential nomination and highlights efforts to improve economic opportunities across the board. The former secretary of state faces her biggest test on the national stage as she urges voters to embrace four more years of a Democratic White House rather than elect Republican billionaire Donald Trump. It is the centre-stage opportunity she came so close to seizing eight years ago during her first White House campaign, only to be defeated in her party's primary race by Barack Obama. In a primetime address, Clinton will lay out plans to improve the nation's economy, stressing that "my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages". Her effort will focus particularly on places "that for too long have been left out and left behind, from our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country", she will say, according to speech excerpts released by the campaign. Clinton, 68, made history this week when she became the first female presidential nominee of a major US party. The four-day Democratic convention in Philadelphia has been a parade of party heavyweights, and some independents who have all stressed that the former first lady and US senator is uniquely qualified to be commander-in-chief. Obama led the charge on Wednesday, stirringly hailing Clinton as his political heir. Clinton will speak of the strains that have been placed on US society during the toxic year-long campaign that has featured heated rhetoric from Trump and other candidates. "Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying," Clinton will say. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," Clinton will add. "We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." Clinton faces a major trust deficit among a US public that has followed every Clintonian turn of the past quarter century. Rocked by an email scandal that refuses to die, she is now about as unpopular with voters as her Republican rival. But her remarks signal a plan to focus attention on pockets of down-and-out communities which have felt ignored by the slow and erratic economic recovery. After her speech, Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will seek to carry her momentum straight onto the campaign trail Friday, taking a three-day bus tour into Rust Belt communities in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio. With Trump casting himself as an outsider, a political neophyte committed to upending the Washington establishment, Clinton faces the difficult task of appearing as the steady hand at the tiller even while promising to be a catalyst for change. "It's the most personal moment of the campaign, talking to a big audience about what she wants to do for the future," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said on a Facebook live stream.The most rousing Clinton sales pitch of the week came from Obama himself. "I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America," Obama thundered before a cheering crowd. "No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits." Trump seemed to drop an unexpected gift in Clinton's lap Wednesday when he urged Russia to hack Clinton's emails. The 70-year-old real estate mogul sought to douse the outcry on Thursday by saying he was "being sarcastic", but the call for cyber espionage against the United States made even Republicans cringe. Doug Elmets, a Republican who worked in president Ronald Reagan's White House, brought the Democratic crowd to its feet when he implored fellow Republicans to vote for Clinton. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan," Elmets said. "Trump is a petulant, dangerously unbalanced reality star who will coddle tyrants and alienate allies." While Clinton must play to the party's base and seek to soothe bruised Bernie Sanders supporters, some of whom wore fluorescent green shirts Thursday inside the arena as a subtle form of protest, a key mission is to appeal to crossover voters and independents wary of Trump. "Donald Trump is making a lot of really big promises, and some people find those attractive," said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. "What Hillary is going to do tonight, what we've done at this convention is make sure that people know the facts." He acknowledged that Clinton, who will be introduced by daughter Chelsea, also knows "she needs to earn the voters' trust". Clinton has never been as telegenic and personable a politician as her husband or Obama, whose oratorical skills were on full display on Tuesday and Wednesday. She will balance her policy strengths with an attempt to connect with Americans watching from their living rooms as she faces a nation divided by intense campaign rhetoric, spikes in race-related gun violence, and heightened fear brought about by a spate of terror attacks around the world. (AFP)

Hillary Clinton takes centre-stage on final day of Democratic Party Convention

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

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

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

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

Democratic Party bosses on Monday apologised to Bernie Sanders for &quot;inexcusable&quot; emails aimed at undermining his White House bid, as they tried to patch up an embarrassing party feud. 
 
&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 on the opening day of the party&#39;s convention set to nominate Hillary Clinton for the presidency. 
 
&quot;These comments do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'The DNC does not, and will not tolerate disrespectful language exhibited towards our candidates'

Democratic Party bosses on Monday apologised to Bernie Sanders for "inexcusable" emails aimed at undermining his White House bid, as they tried to patch up an embarrassing party feud. "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 on the opening day of the party's convention set to nominate Hillary Clinton for the presidency. "These comments do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process." (AFP)

Democratic Party apologises to Bernie Sanders for 'inexcusable remarks' in leaked emails

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

Trump secured Republican nomination on Tuesday after vanquishing 16 rivals

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

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

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

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

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

Republican convention: More about denouncing Hillary than endorsing Trump

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