A federal judge refused to halt presidential vote recount in Wisconsin Friday, saying that &quot;the recount is an inherent part of what ensures the integrity of elections,&quot; Reuters reported.&nbsp;

According to local media, US district judge James Peterson dismissed the request made by a political action committee seeking to stop the Wisconsin recount, Reuters said. President-elect Donald Trump had defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes in the state.&nbsp;

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested that recounts be done in other two &#39;Rust Belt&#39; states--Michigan and Pennsylvania--where Trump had won narrowly.&nbsp;

In Pennsylvania, a federal judge was scheduled to hear arguments on Friday afternoon in a lawsuit brought by Stein seeking to begin a statewide recount there, Reuters said, whereas in Michigan the recounts were halted on its third day.&nbsp;

Stein has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to hear an appeal. &nbsp;

Peterson said Friday that the Wisconsin recount has so far revealed no irregularities, ABC News reported.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

A political action committee supporting President-elect Donald Trump had sought to stop the Wisconsin recount, which the judge dismissed

A federal judge refused to halt presidential vote recount in Wisconsin Friday, saying that "the recount is an inherent part of what ensures the integrity of elections," Reuters reported. According to local media, US district judge James Peterson dismissed the request made by a political action committee seeking to stop the Wisconsin recount, Reuters said. President-elect Donald Trump had defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes in the state. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested that recounts be done in other two 'Rust Belt' states--Michigan and Pennsylvania--where Trump had won narrowly. In Pennsylvania, a federal judge was scheduled to hear arguments on Friday afternoon in a lawsuit brought by Stein seeking to begin a statewide recount there, Reuters said, whereas in Michigan the recounts were halted on its third day. Stein has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to hear an appeal. Peterson said Friday that the Wisconsin recount has so far revealed no irregularities, ABC News reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US: Wisconsin judge orders presidential vote recount to continue

The White House on Monday said that there was no substantial evidence to support Trump&#39;s claims that &#39;millions&#39; had voted illegally in the November presidential election.

&quot;There has been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, news agency AFP reported.

Experts also dismissed his claims as the Green Party advanced their efforts to organise vote recounts in three key swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump gained victory over Clinton.

US President-elect Donald Trump had tweeted on Sunday that he would have won the popular vote had &quot;millions of people&quot; not voted illegally.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802972944532209664">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

Trump secured the Electoral College count in the November 8 election but lost the popular vote to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by more than two million votes.

He further tweeted complaining about the bias in the media.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn&#39;t the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/803033642545115140">November 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

Green party candidate Jill Stein filed for a statewide recount of votes in Wisconsin last Friday. She announced on Monday that voters had requested for recounts in more than &nbsp;100 precincts in Pennsylvania and said more would follow, AFP reported. The party also announed their intentions to file for recount in Michigan state on Wednesday.

Despite a huge call for recounts, experts and analysts do not expect any major change in the results.&nbsp;

Trump won 306 Electoral College votes, compared to 232 for Clinton after officials in Michigan on Monday certified the state&#39;s election results, AFP said.

Elected officials from both major parties dismissed Trump&#39;s claims as totally unsubstantiated.

&quot;I have not seen anything in the millions, I don&#39;t know what he was talking about,&quot; Republican Senator James Lankford told CNN, reported AFP.

Some experts warn that the claims could &nbsp;set a dangerous precedent by potentially undermining trust in democracy.

&quot;I think he&#39;s trying to plant a seed of doubt in the American public to negate against the things advanced on the other side of the aisle about potential irregularities or even fraud that are the basis for the recounts,&quot; said Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at Fordham University, reported AFP.

Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign has announced its participation in the recount process, though they said they have not found any evidence of vote tampering. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

On Sunday, the US president-elect claimed he would have won the popular vote if it were not for 'the millions of people who voted illegally'

The White House on Monday said that there was no substantial evidence to support Trump's claims that 'millions' had voted illegally in the November presidential election. "There has been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, news agency AFP reported. Experts also dismissed his claims as the Green Party advanced their efforts to organise vote recounts in three key swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump gained victory over Clinton. US President-elect Donald Trump had tweeted on Sunday that he would have won the popular vote had "millions of people" not voted illegally. In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 Trump secured the Electoral College count in the November 8 election but lost the popular vote to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by more than two million votes. He further tweeted complaining about the bias in the media. Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016 Green party candidate Jill Stein filed for a statewide recount of votes in Wisconsin last Friday. She announced on Monday that voters had requested for recounts in more than 100 precincts in Pennsylvania and said more would follow, AFP reported. The party also announed their intentions to file for recount in Michigan state on Wednesday. Despite a huge call for recounts, experts and analysts do not expect any major change in the results. Trump won 306 Electoral College votes, compared to 232 for Clinton after officials in Michigan on Monday certified the state's election results, AFP said. Elected officials from both major parties dismissed Trump's claims as totally unsubstantiated. "I have not seen anything in the millions, I don't know what he was talking about," Republican Senator James Lankford told CNN, reported AFP. Some experts warn that the claims could set a dangerous precedent by potentially undermining trust in democracy. "I think he's trying to plant a seed of doubt in the American public to negate against the things advanced on the other side of the aisle about potential irregularities or even fraud that are the basis for the recounts," said Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at Fordham University, reported AFP. Hillary Clinton's campaign has announced its participation in the recount process, though they said they have not found any evidence of vote tampering. (With inputs from AFP)

'No evidence' to substantiate Trump's 'illegal' vote claims: White House

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that &quot;million of illegal&quot; ballots stopped him from winning the popular vote in the 2016 presidential elections.

He tweeted: &quot;In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.&quot;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802972944532209664">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798519600413601792">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Before the elections, Trump had suggested that the&nbsp;results might be manipulated.

Neither he nor any of his aides has offered any evidence of the &quot;millions&quot; alleged to have voted illegally, nor did Trump explain why he would oppose a recount if illegal voting was such a serious problem, reported news agency AFP.

Trump&#39;s rival, Hillary Clinton, had won more popular votes. He further criticised the recount of votes in Wisconsin state, calling it a &quot;waste of time&quot;.

Trump and his aides pushed back hard on Sunday as the calls for recount threaten the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s win.

In a series of tweets he quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of his future cabinet, AFP said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798721142525665280">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802849330176659456">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Green Party scam to fill up their coffers by asking for impossible recounts is now being joined by the badly defeated &amp; demoralized Dems
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802671162383802368">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump&#39;s top aide Kellyanne Conway suggested on Sunday that the president-elect might rethink his decision of not pursuing Clinton&#39;s prosecution if her campaign pushes too hard for the recount.

Clinton&#39;s campaign has said it would join the process even though they have found no evidence of the results being manipulated in Trump&#39;s favour.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin, filed for a recount of votes in the state. She further suggested a recount in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Clinton&#39;s election lawyer, Marc Erik Elias, said they would also participate in recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged.

Conway said on ABC that while Trump was being &quot;magnanimous&quot; toward Clinton, &quot;I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount,&quot; reported AFP.

Reince Priebus, Trump&#39;s chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not &quot;seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton&quot;, Trump would probably be &quot;open to listening&quot; should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations.

Some pundits&nbsp;caution&nbsp;that Trump&#39;s claim that millions of voters voted illegally should be taken as a warning sign of a potential&nbsp;future clamp down on voting rights under his administration.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Trump voting tweet may be more than an ego spasm. It may also be a warning that voting is about to be made more difficult for millions
&mdash; David Frum (@davidfrum) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/802981796249878528">November 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Bernie Sanders, Clinton&#39;s Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the Green Party&#39;s &quot;legal right&quot;&nbsp;to file for recount.

&quot;We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change,&quot; he said on CNN. Most election experts do not expect the outcome to change dramatically.

Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.

(With inputs from AFP)

The US president-elect said he would have won the US popular vote were it not for 'millions of illegal' ballots

US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that "million of illegal" ballots stopped him from winning the popular vote in the 2016 presidential elections. He tweeted: "In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2016 Before the elections, Trump had suggested that the results might be manipulated. Neither he nor any of his aides has offered any evidence of the "millions" alleged to have voted illegally, nor did Trump explain why he would oppose a recount if illegal voting was such a serious problem, reported news agency AFP. Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, had won more popular votes. He further criticised the recount of votes in Wisconsin state, calling it a "waste of time". Trump and his aides pushed back hard on Sunday as the calls for recount threaten the legitimacy of Trump's win. In a series of tweets he quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of his future cabinet, AFP said. Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 The Green Party scam to fill up their coffers by asking for impossible recounts is now being joined by the badly defeated & demoralized Dems — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway suggested on Sunday that the president-elect might rethink his decision of not pursuing Clinton's prosecution if her campaign pushes too hard for the recount. Clinton's campaign has said it would join the process even though they have found no evidence of the results being manipulated in Trump's favour. Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin, filed for a recount of votes in the state. She further suggested a recount in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Clinton's election lawyer, Marc Erik Elias, said they would also participate in recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged. Conway said on ABC that while Trump was being "magnanimous" toward Clinton, "I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount," reported AFP. Reince Priebus, Trump's chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not "seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton", Trump would probably be "open to listening" should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations. Some pundits caution that Trump's claim that millions of voters voted illegally should be taken as a warning sign of a potential future clamp down on voting rights under his administration. The Trump voting tweet may be more than an ego spasm. It may also be a warning that voting is about to be made more difficult for millions — David Frum (@davidfrum) November 27, 2016 × Bernie Sanders, Clinton's Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the Green Party's "legal right" to file for recount. "We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change," he said on CNN. Most election experts do not expect the outcome to change dramatically. Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump says 'millions' voted illegally, decries recount

Hillary Clinton&#39;s election lawyer Marc Elias announced on Saturday that the campaign would participate the recount of votes in Wisconsin state although it had found no evidence of the voting technology being manipulated in Trump&#39;s favour.

Eliad said in a post on Medium.com that the campaign would also join recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged, news agency AFP reported.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested for a recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin.She has also declared her intention to file for recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

US President-elect Donald trump won the three states by just over a 100,000 votes pushing him above the 270 votes he needed to win in the Electoral College.

Elias said the campaign had not decided to seek a recount becuase they found no irregularity or evidence of attempts to change the voting technology.

&quot;But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides,&quot; he added, reported AFP.

&quot;If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well,&quot; Elias said.

Experts say that there is no chance of overturning the result. However, the move could raise the questions over Trump&#39;s legitimate win in the elections again.&nbsp;

Clinton lost by around 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania and 10,000 votes in Michigan. She, however, leads the popular vote at two million.

&quot;But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself,&quot; Elias said.

&quot;While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.&quot;

Stein said that the &#39;reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts&#39; have caused suspicion&nbsp;over the legitimacy of election&nbsp;results among Americans.

&quot;These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified,&quot; she said. &quot;We deserve elections we can trust.&quot;

(With inputs from AFP)

Green Party candidate Jill Stein has filed a recount in Wisconsin and announced her intention to seek recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania

Hillary Clinton's election lawyer Marc Elias announced on Saturday that the campaign would participate the recount of votes in Wisconsin state although it had found no evidence of the voting technology being manipulated in Trump's favour. Eliad said in a post on Medium.com that the campaign would also join recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged, news agency AFP reported. Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested for a recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin.She has also declared her intention to file for recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania. US President-elect Donald trump won the three states by just over a 100,000 votes pushing him above the 270 votes he needed to win in the Electoral College. Elias said the campaign had not decided to seek a recount becuase they found no irregularity or evidence of attempts to change the voting technology. "But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides," he added, reported AFP. "If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well," Elias said. Experts say that there is no chance of overturning the result. However, the move could raise the questions over Trump's legitimate win in the elections again. Clinton lost by around 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania and 10,000 votes in Michigan. She, however, leads the popular vote at two million. "But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself," Elias said. "While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported." Stein said that the 'reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts' have caused suspicion over the legitimacy of election results among Americans. "These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified," she said. "We deserve elections we can trust." (With inputs from AFP)

Clinton campaign to take part in state election recounts

President-elect Donald Trump and his top aides on Sunday doubled down on their criticism of Hillary Clinton&#39;s camp for joining a vote recount in Wisconsin, terming the decision &quot;ridiculous&quot; and &quot;a waste of time.&quot;

With the recount threatening to revive debate about the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s victory - Clinton won far more popular votes, while he carried the all-important Electoral College count - Trump aides pushed back hard on Sunday, even while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of the future cabinet.

In his latest early-morning Twitter storm, Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount &quot;sad.&quot; It is time for people to accept the November 8 result and move ahead, he said on Saturday.

Trump&#39;s top aide Kellyanne Conway appeared on Sunday to at least hint that if the Clinton team pushes too hard on the recount, the president-elect might rethink his vow not to seek Clinton&#39;s prosecution for using a private email server when she was secretary of state.

While Trump was being &quot;magnanimous&quot; toward Clinton, &quot;I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount,&quot; Conway said on ABC.

And Reince Priebus, Trump&#39;s chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not &quot;seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton,&quot; Trump would probably be &quot;open to listening&quot; should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations.

Legal right

There was no immediate reaction from the Clinton team, but Bernie Sanders, Clinton&#39;s Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the recount.

&quot;The Green Party has the legal right to do it,&quot; he said on CNN. &quot;We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change.&quot;

The recount was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a minute fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin. Clinton&#39;s campaign has said it would join the process despite having seen no irregularities in the White House contest so far.

Marc Erik Elias, an election lawyer for the Democratic candidate, said in a post on Medium.com on Saturday that the campaign would also participate in recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged.

Most election experts see almost no chance the election outcome could be reversed -- Clinton trails in each state by several thousand votes.&nbsp;

Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.

Trump on Saturday dismissed the recount movement as &quot;a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded.&quot;

Blowback against Romney

But the dispute continued to roil what has already been a rough transition period, as serious signs of internal discord over cabinet picks again emerged on Sunday.

The main source of discord appears to be the position of secretary of state, with some in the Trump camp supporting Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, as a more mainstream choice while others favor the more divisive former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In what political analysts considered a highly unusual public airing of those tensions from within the Trump team, Conway last week tweeted that she had received &quot;a deluge&quot; of concern from people warning against Romney.

Asked about that on Sunday, she told NBC that she was not &quot;campaigning&quot; against Romney but was &quot;just astonished at the breathtaking volume and intensity of blowback&quot; to a possible Romney nomination.

&quot;People feel betrayed to think that Governor Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump... would be given the most significant cabinet post of all.&quot;

Trump supporters were infuriated in March when the former Massachusetts governor delivered a passionately worded attack on Trump on the part of the Republican Party&#39;s establishment, calling him a &quot;fraud,&quot; given to &quot;absurd third-grade theatrics.&quot;&nbsp;

However, the two seemed to have put their differences behind them when they met on November 19 to discuss a possible cabinet position.

Romney&#39;s supporters say he would bring deep experience in politics and government to the cabinet of a president with scant experience in either.

(AFP)

Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount 'sad'

President-elect Donald Trump and his top aides on Sunday doubled down on their criticism of Hillary Clinton's camp for joining a vote recount in Wisconsin, terming the decision "ridiculous" and "a waste of time." With the recount threatening to revive debate about the legitimacy of Trump's victory - Clinton won far more popular votes, while he carried the all-important Electoral College count - Trump aides pushed back hard on Sunday, even while continuing to wage an extraordinarily public battle over the makeup of the future cabinet. In his latest early-morning Twitter storm, Trump quoted Clinton about the need to respect the electoral process, calling the presidential vote recount "sad." It is time for people to accept the November 8 result and move ahead, he said on Saturday. Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway appeared on Sunday to at least hint that if the Clinton team pushes too hard on the recount, the president-elect might rethink his vow not to seek Clinton's prosecution for using a private email server when she was secretary of state. While Trump was being "magnanimous" toward Clinton, "I guess her attitude towards that is to have her counsel go and join this ridiculous recount," Conway said on ABC. And Reince Priebus, Trump's chief of staff, said that while the president-elect is not "seeking methods and ways to persecute and prosecute Hillary Clinton," Trump would probably be "open to listening" should any new findings against her emerge from future investigations. Legal right There was no immediate reaction from the Clinton team, but Bernie Sanders, Clinton's Democratic rival in the primary race and now a member of the Senate leadership, defended the recount. "The Green Party has the legal right to do it," he said on CNN. "We have recounts probably almost every election. No one expects (there) to be profound change." The recount was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received a minute fraction of the total vote in Wisconsin. Clinton's campaign has said it would join the process despite having seen no irregularities in the White House contest so far. Marc Erik Elias, an election lawyer for the Democratic candidate, said in a post on Medium.com on Saturday that the campaign would also participate in recounts in the closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged. Most election experts see almost no chance the election outcome could be reversed -- Clinton trails in each state by several thousand votes. Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by a total of just over 100,000 votes, even while compiling many more than the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. Trump on Saturday dismissed the recount movement as "a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded." Blowback against Romney But the dispute continued to roil what has already been a rough transition period, as serious signs of internal discord over cabinet picks again emerged on Sunday. The main source of discord appears to be the position of secretary of state, with some in the Trump camp supporting Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, as a more mainstream choice while others favor the more divisive former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. In what political analysts considered a highly unusual public airing of those tensions from within the Trump team, Conway last week tweeted that she had received "a deluge" of concern from people warning against Romney. Asked about that on Sunday, she told NBC that she was not "campaigning" against Romney but was "just astonished at the breathtaking volume and intensity of blowback" to a possible Romney nomination. "People feel betrayed to think that Governor Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump... would be given the most significant cabinet post of all." Trump supporters were infuriated in March when the former Massachusetts governor delivered a passionately worded attack on Trump on the part of the Republican Party's establishment, calling him a "fraud," given to "absurd third-grade theatrics." However, the two seemed to have put their differences behind them when they met on November 19 to discuss a possible cabinet position. Romney's supporters say he would bring deep experience in politics and government to the cabinet of a president with scant experience in either. (AFP)

Trump terms Clinton's efforts at vote recount as 'waste of time'

Former Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed papers appealing for a vote recount in Wisconsin, one of the key batteground states won by US President-elect Donald Trump citing &quot;anomalies&quot; on Friday.&nbsp;

Stein will also challenge the presidential election results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt seats where Trump won.&nbsp;

The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to conduct the&nbsp;statewide votes recount adhereing to Stein&#39;s appeal.&nbsp;

The deadline for completing the recount is December 13 in Wisconsin and deadlines for filing papers in Pennsylvania and Michigan are Monday and Wednesday of next week.

&quot;These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is,&quot; Stein&#39;s fundraising website stated.&nbsp;

Stein has raised more than $4.8 million of her $7 million goal for the recount votes on her fundraising website.&nbsp;

&quot;After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable,&quot; Stein said.&nbsp;

&quot;These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified. We deserve elections we can trust.&quot;

The 2016 US Presidential elections were marred&nbsp;with allegations of Russian hacking and rigging accusations by Trump.&nbsp;

The recounting of votes could reignite the debate over the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s win after it was revealed rival and Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s lead in popular vote stands at two million.&nbsp;

According to AFP, Clinton lost a margin of around 27,000 votes in Wisconsin and 60,000 votes in Pennsylvania but as per unofficial results released by Michigan&#39;s secretary of state&#39;s office, Trump was ahead of Clinton by a mere 10,704 votes.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Jill Stein will also challenge the results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt states where Trump won

Former Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed papers appealing for a vote recount in Wisconsin, one of the key batteground states won by US President-elect Donald Trump citing "anomalies" on Friday. Stein will also challenge the presidential election results in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the other two rust-belt seats where Trump won. The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to conduct the statewide votes recount adhereing to Stein's appeal. The deadline for completing the recount is December 13 in Wisconsin and deadlines for filing papers in Pennsylvania and Michigan are Monday and Wednesday of next week. "These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is," Stein's fundraising website stated. Stein has raised more than $4.8 million of her $7 million goal for the recount votes on her fundraising website. "After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable," Stein said. "These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified. We deserve elections we can trust." The 2016 US Presidential elections were marred with allegations of Russian hacking and rigging accusations by Trump. The recounting of votes could reignite the debate over the legitimacy of Trump's win after it was revealed rival and Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton's lead in popular vote stands at two million. According to AFP, Clinton lost a margin of around 27,000 votes in Wisconsin and 60,000 votes in Pennsylvania but as per unofficial results released by Michigan's secretary of state's office, Trump was ahead of Clinton by a mere 10,704 votes. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US presidential election: Wisconsin agrees to statewide recount

Hillary expected the Filipino immigrant to handle state secrets, further opening her to criticism that she played fast with national securit

Hillary Clinton routinely asked her Filipino maid to print out sensitive government emails and classified documents when she was the secretary of state, according to a media report. Clinton's maid Marina Santos, lacked the security clearance to handle such material, was called on so frequently to receive emails that she may hold the secrets to E-mailgate, the New York Post reported. Clinton entrusted far more than the care of her Washington DC residence, known as Whitehaven, to Santos. She expected the Filipino immigrant to handle state secrets, further opening the 69-year-old former Democratic presidential nominee to criticism that she played fast and loose with national security, the report said. The report came just before the FBI gave a clean chit to Clinton, saying she should not face criminal charges after a review of new emails, an 11th-hour respite for her. Trump lashed out at the FBI for the clean chit, saying, "Right now, she is being protected by a rigged system". According to the report, Clinton would first receive highly sensitive emails from top aides at the State Department and then request that they, in turn, forward the messages and any attached documents to Santos to print out for her at the home. Among other things, Clinton requested Santos to print out drafts of her speeches, confidential memos and "call sheets" --- background information and talking points prepared for the secretary of state in advance of a phone call with a foreign head of state. "Pls ask Marina to print for me...," Clinton emailed top aide Huma Abedin regarding a redacted 2011 message marked sensitive but unclassified. In a classified 2012 email dealing with the new president of Malawi, another Clinton aide, Monica Hanley, advised Clinton, "We can ask Marina to print this". "Revisions to the Iran points" was the subject line of a classified April 2012 email to Clinton from Hanley. In it, the text reads, "Marina is trying to print for you". Both classified emails were marked "confidential" the tier below "secret" or "top secret". Santos also had access to a highly secure room called an SCIF (sensitive compartmented information facility) that diplomatic security agents set up at Whitehaven, according to FBI notes from an interview with Abedin. From within the SCIF, Santos --- who had no clearance --- "collected documents from the secure facsimile machine for Clinton," the FBI notes revealed. A 2012 "sensitive" but unclassified email from Hanley to Clinton refers to a fax the staff wanted Clinton "to see before your Netanyahu mtg. Marina will grab for you". (PTI)

Hillary Clinton routinely asked maid to handle sensitive information: Report

The states have been advised to boost security of voting and election systems to counter potential cyber threats

US federal and state authorities are beefing up cyber defences against potential electronic attacks on voting systems ahead of the Election Day on November 8. There has been no specific intelligence warning about a cyber threat but concerns remain that hackers from Russia and other actors could disrupt the process by spreading political misinformation online or perhaps tamper with voting. Homeland security department officials plan to hold a media briefing on Friday to discuss the agency's efforts with states to boost the security of their voting and election systems. All but two states have accepted help from the department to counter the cyber threat. The DHS will provide assistance in probing and scanning voter registration and election systems for vulnerabilities. Ohio has asked a cyber protection unit of the National Guard, a reserve force within the US military, for assistance to protect the state's systems. Officials say chances that a hack could alter election outcomes are remote but the states need to be vigilant after the FBI detected breaches in voter registration databases in Arizona and Illinois. The potential for violence around the election has loomed in the background of the campaign for months. Voter intimidation reported at polling sites so far prompted Democrats to accuse Trump of a "campaign of vigilante voter intimidation" in four states on Monday. But local authorities surveyed by Reuters on Thursday in five states - Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Florida - said they were not increasing election-related law enforcement personnel or resources above 2012 levels. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US intelligence agencies warn states against election fraud

As many as 35 million people have already voted in the US elections 2016 under the early voting provision of American democratic system, days before Tuesday&#39;s presidential election.

This is a record that surpasses the 2012 voting in the presidential elections which saw 32.3 million people choosing to exercise&nbsp;their franchise in advance, PTI reported.

An&nbsp;early-voting expert, Michael McDonald, said that many states have either already set records for early voting or exceeded their 2012 turnout. For instance, Texas recorded a 36 per cent&nbsp;rise in early voting from what it saw four years ago.

Voters this year have become familiar with the positions of Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton owing to their&nbsp;aggressive campaigning and thus believe that they are ready to take a decision.

The country marked 29.7 per cent of the total votes being cast before election day in 2008. The percentage stands at 31.6 this year.

The figure is expected to go up to 35 per cent.

&quot;People have been very attentive to this election. They know the candidates and they have weighed those candidates, and they are now making their choice. It&#39;s becoming evident that people are voting at higher rates early because they have that large amount of information and they?re confident making their choice,&quot; PTI reported McDonald as saying.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Voters have become familiar with the positions of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton thanks to their campaigns

As many as 35 million people have already voted in the US elections 2016 under the early voting provision of American democratic system, days before Tuesday's presidential election. This is a record that surpasses the 2012 voting in the presidential elections which saw 32.3 million people choosing to exercise their franchise in advance, PTI reported. An early-voting expert, Michael McDonald, said that many states have either already set records for early voting or exceeded their 2012 turnout. For instance, Texas recorded a 36 per cent rise in early voting from what it saw four years ago. Voters this year have become familiar with the positions of Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton owing to their aggressive campaigning and thus believe that they are ready to take a decision. The country marked 29.7 per cent of the total votes being cast before election day in 2008. The percentage stands at 31.6 this year. The figure is expected to go up to 35 per cent. "People have been very attentive to this election. They know the candidates and they have weighed those candidates, and they are now making their choice. It's becoming evident that people are voting at higher rates early because they have that large amount of information and they?re confident making their choice," PTI reported McDonald as saying. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Early voting in 2016 US presidential polls breaks 2012 record

Hillary Clinton began her presidential campaign by promising to do what it takes to rein in Wall Street.

Boosted by Wall Street&#39;s toughest critics, US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate has declared &quot;the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top&quot; and said she would raise bank fees and tighten banking regulations. She has encouraged regulators to break up too-risky banks.

And yet, Wall Street appears unperturbed by the prospect of a Clinton presidency. In fact, the banking industry has supported Clinton with buckets of cash and stocks have sold off on days when the Clinton campaign stumbles. Privately, bankers say that they trust her to remain a pragmatist who will keep the current regulatory regime laid down by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation passed in 2010.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Clinton wakes up thinking about Wall Street,&quot; one senior banking industry lobbyist said.

There are hints in apparently leaked email discussions among Clinton&#39;s campaign staff that bankers are not far off the mark when they count on her to tread lightly.&nbsp;

Pressed during the campaign by progressive Democrats to call for a revival of the Glass-Steagall Act that would require separation of commercial and investment banking, Clinton ultimately refused. She also weighed another progressive favourite --- a tax on financial transactions --- but instead recommended a far narrower plan to tax only canceled orders by high speed traders.

Ultimately, what bankers most like about Clinton is that she is not Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Many financiers fear her unorthodox Republican rival could disrupt global trade, damage geopolitical relationships and rattle markets, industry analysts and participants say.

&ldquo;Those are the kind of things that corner offices think about,&rdquo; said Karen Shaw Petrou of Federal Financial Analytics Inc, whose firm advises financial firms about US regulatory policy. &ldquo;The overriding concern about Trump has dominated people&rsquo;s thinking.&quot;

Trump&#39;s candidacy has upended traditional political alliances and bankers that usually contribute more to the Republicans have been flinging money at Clinton.

Employees of the 17 largest bank holding companies and their subsidiaries have been sending her $10 for every $1 they contributed to Trump, according to a Reuters analysis. In 2012, the same group contributed twice as much to Republican candidate Mitt Romney as it did to President Barack Obama`s re-election campaign.&nbsp;

People who work for hedge funds and private equity firms have contributed more than $56 million to Clinton&rsquo;s presidential campaign and the supporting groups that face no legal cap on donations. Trump&rsquo;s campaign and related groups received just $243,000 from donors in the same sector, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

&quot;It&rsquo;s basically going with the devil you know over the devil you don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said Brian Gardner, a managing director of New York investment firm Keefe Bruyette &amp; Woods. What also helped, he said, was the familiarity with Hillary and Bill Clinton dating back to the 1990s when her husband was president and ushered in a period of financial deregulation.

&ldquo;There is a closeness and a comfort level between the titans on Wall Street and the Clintons,&quot; he said.

For bankers, the biggest worry is a scenario where Clinton wins and the Democrats take control of the House and the Senate, with progressives such as Warren and Sanders holding sway over everything from new tax laws to appointments of regulators.

Already, Warren has called for immediate dismissal of the Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White. Last year, Warren successfully led a movement to derail Obama&rsquo;s plan to appoint banker Antonio Weiss to the top job at Treasury.

Warren and other progressives will press Clinton to be tough on Wall Street in return for their campaign support.&nbsp;

Clinton &quot;leaned heavily on Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and progressive ideas, when she needed to excite voters,&rdquo; Adam Green with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said. &ldquo;Elizabeth Warren has proven she&rsquo;s a very powerful ally to have on your side. And it&rsquo;s well known she&rsquo;s also a formidable opponent to have against you,&rdquo; Green said.&nbsp;

However, recent polls suggest it is unlikely that Democrats will take the House and the future of the Senate is far from certain. Even if the Senate goes Democratic, it is likely to be led by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a moderate who has represented Wall Street with the industry`s backing.

Clinton has said she will propose a &quot;risk fee&quot; on the largest financial firms and tighten up rules which allow banks to circumvent bans on proprietary trading by investing in hedge funds. Like Trump, she has proposed to end the tax break that private equity investors enjoy, termed &quot;carried interest.&quot;

Yet such provisions will be probably tied up in a much larger tax initiative that will involve months, if not a year or more, of horse trading in Washington. Ultimately, it could end up overshadowed by other progressive goals, such as infrastructure funding, college affordability, or raising the minimum wage.

Those are the causes that Clinton has prioritized and they are likely to supersede her anti-bank rhetoric, say bankers. One industry trade group representative said: &quot;We&#39;re not in her top 10 to take care of.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Why the banking industry prefers Hillary Clinton as president over Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton began her presidential campaign by promising to do what it takes to rein in Wall Street. Boosted by Wall Street's toughest critics, US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate has declared "the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top" and said she would raise bank fees and tighten banking regulations. She has encouraged regulators to break up too-risky banks. And yet, Wall Street appears unperturbed by the prospect of a Clinton presidency. In fact, the banking industry has supported Clinton with buckets of cash and stocks have sold off on days when the Clinton campaign stumbles. Privately, bankers say that they trust her to remain a pragmatist who will keep the current regulatory regime laid down by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation passed in 2010. “I don’t think Clinton wakes up thinking about Wall Street," one senior banking industry lobbyist said. There are hints in apparently leaked email discussions among Clinton's campaign staff that bankers are not far off the mark when they count on her to tread lightly. Pressed during the campaign by progressive Democrats to call for a revival of the Glass-Steagall Act that would require separation of commercial and investment banking, Clinton ultimately refused. She also weighed another progressive favourite --- a tax on financial transactions --- but instead recommended a far narrower plan to tax only canceled orders by high speed traders. Ultimately, what bankers most like about Clinton is that she is not Donald Trump. Many financiers fear her unorthodox Republican rival could disrupt global trade, damage geopolitical relationships and rattle markets, industry analysts and participants say. “Those are the kind of things that corner offices think about,” said Karen Shaw Petrou of Federal Financial Analytics Inc, whose firm advises financial firms about US regulatory policy. “The overriding concern about Trump has dominated people’s thinking." Trump's candidacy has upended traditional political alliances and bankers that usually contribute more to the Republicans have been flinging money at Clinton. Employees of the 17 largest bank holding companies and their subsidiaries have been sending her $10 for every $1 they contributed to Trump, according to a Reuters analysis. In 2012, the same group contributed twice as much to Republican candidate Mitt Romney as it did to President Barack Obama`s re-election campaign. People who work for hedge funds and private equity firms have contributed more than $56 million to Clinton’s presidential campaign and the supporting groups that face no legal cap on donations. Trump’s campaign and related groups received just $243,000 from donors in the same sector, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. "It’s basically going with the devil you know over the devil you don’t,” said Brian Gardner, a managing director of New York investment firm Keefe Bruyette & Woods. What also helped, he said, was the familiarity with Hillary and Bill Clinton dating back to the 1990s when her husband was president and ushered in a period of financial deregulation. “There is a closeness and a comfort level between the titans on Wall Street and the Clintons," he said. For bankers, the biggest worry is a scenario where Clinton wins and the Democrats take control of the House and the Senate, with progressives such as Warren and Sanders holding sway over everything from new tax laws to appointments of regulators. Already, Warren has called for immediate dismissal of the Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White. Last year, Warren successfully led a movement to derail Obama’s plan to appoint banker Antonio Weiss to the top job at Treasury. Warren and other progressives will press Clinton to be tough on Wall Street in return for their campaign support. Clinton "leaned heavily on Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and progressive ideas, when she needed to excite voters,” Adam Green with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said. “Elizabeth Warren has proven she’s a very powerful ally to have on your side. And it’s well known she’s also a formidable opponent to have against you,” Green said. However, recent polls suggest it is unlikely that Democrats will take the House and the future of the Senate is far from certain. Even if the Senate goes Democratic, it is likely to be led by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a moderate who has represented Wall Street with the industry`s backing. Clinton has said she will propose a "risk fee" on the largest financial firms and tighten up rules which allow banks to circumvent bans on proprietary trading by investing in hedge funds. Like Trump, she has proposed to end the tax break that private equity investors enjoy, termed "carried interest." Yet such provisions will be probably tied up in a much larger tax initiative that will involve months, if not a year or more, of horse trading in Washington. Ultimately, it could end up overshadowed by other progressive goals, such as infrastructure funding, college affordability, or raising the minimum wage. Those are the causes that Clinton has prioritized and they are likely to supersede her anti-bank rhetoric, say bankers. One industry trade group representative said: "We're not in her top 10 to take care of." (Reuters)

Hillary Clinton: Wall Street's favourite enemy

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton lashed out at rival Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him a bully for making sexist comments against women. &nbsp;

Trump has a 30-year history of &quot;demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting&quot; women, &nbsp;Clinton said while addressing a rally &nbsp;in Florida with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, BBC reported.&nbsp;

Attacking Trump over his &#39;Miss Piggy&#39; remark that he made over Machado, Clinton said she had &quot;learned way back in elementary school that it&#39;s not OK to insult people&quot;.

In the run-up to the presidential election slated for November 8, the war of words between Clinton and Trump is getting fiercer.&nbsp;

Trump retaliated to the remark and branded Clinton &quot;corrupt&quot; and said she would &quot;destroy American healthcare forever&quot;, the report said.&nbsp;

He also urged the early voters, who chose Clinton, to change their ballots before Thursday&#39;s deadline.

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

In the run-up to the presidential election slated for November 8, the war of words between Clinton and Trump is getting fiercer

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton lashed out at rival Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him a bully for making sexist comments against women. Trump has a 30-year history of "demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting" women, Clinton said while addressing a rally in Florida with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, BBC reported. Attacking Trump over his 'Miss Piggy' remark that he made over Machado, Clinton said she had "learned way back in elementary school that it's not OK to insult people". In the run-up to the presidential election slated for November 8, the war of words between Clinton and Trump is getting fiercer. Trump retaliated to the remark and branded Clinton "corrupt" and said she would "destroy American healthcare forever", the report said. He also urged the early voters, who chose Clinton, to change their ballots before Thursday's deadline. (WION)

Trump has a 30-year history of 'insulting and assaulting' women: Clinton

&nbsp;

<iframe height="80" src="http://projects.wionews.com/animatedbugs/bugusvotes.html" style="border: hidden; float: left;" width="110"></iframe>

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

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

Obama's remarks come ahead of Hillary Clinton's final presidential debate against Trump

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Donald Trump to "stop whining" about elections being rigged, calling the remarks "irresponsible." His comments come a day before the final presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The US president said he had never before seen anyone trying to discredit the election process. "I have never seen in my lifetime, or in modern political history, any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place. It's unprecedented," Obama said while addressing a press conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. "That is both irresponsible --- and, by the way, it doesn't really show the kind of leadership and toughness that you'd want out of a president. You start whining before the game's even over? If, whenever things are going badly for you and you lose, you start blaming somebody else? Then you don't have what it takes to be in this job," he added. "I'd advise Mr Trump to stop whining, and go try to make his case to get votes." Obama's comments came a day after Trump questioned the electoral process at a rally in Wisconsin's Green Bay, claiming "People that have died 10 years ago are still voting, illegal immigrants are voting." Obama dismissed the accusations as "based on no facts." As did experts and Trump's own party officials. Obama has campaigned on several occasions for Clinton, who served as his first secretary of state and who is leading in the latest national and battleground state polls. Trump's dipping popularity The 90-minute third and final presidential debate takes place three weeks before Americans head to the polls on November 8. It will be held at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas at 6:00 pm (0100 GMT Thursday). It is seen as a last chance for the Republican nominee whose popularity has dipped after accusations of sexual misconduct by several women and the emergence of a 2005 video in which he makes lewd comments about women. His team deployed his wife Melania to salvage the situation. "Those words, they were offensive to me and they were inappropriate. And he apologized to me. And I accept his apology. And we are moving on," Melania Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. Trump had declared his innocence once again on Monday. Asked on ABC whether he had ever crossed the line with women, Trump said "I don`t think so. I have great respect for women." "It's lies, pure lies," he said of the accusations. Preparation for the debate The candidates are expected to address the issues of the US debt, immigration policy, the economy, the Supreme Court, hot spots around the world, and their preparedness to be commander in chief, AFP reported. Clinton, who had no events scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, seems to have carefully prepared true to her style. Asked about her preparedness at the Westchester airport, she flashed a thumbs up sign before boarded her plane to Las Vegas, AFP reported. In contrast, Trump was seen engaging in "debate prep" in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and has back-to-back rallies scheduled in the city and Vegas. Besides rigging, his main attack against Clinton has been her email scandal. 41% of American voters, including 73% of Republicans, believe the election could actually be stolen from Trump, AFP said citing a poll by Politico and Morning Consult. Clinton, meanwhile, is concentrating on traditionally Republican-leaning states like Arizona and Missouri, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Obama's scathing attack on Trump: Stop whining about 'rigged' vote

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, is leading Donald Trump by seven points, according to a latest national opinion poll conducted by a media outlet seen friendly to the Republican leader.

&quot;Clinton receives 45 per cent to Trump&#39;s 38 per cent. Libertarian Gary Johnson is at seven per cent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets three per cent,&quot; Fox news said in its latest poll yesterday.

The TV channel is seen as friendly to the Republican leader.

Last week, Clinton was up by two points in the four-way contest (44-42 per cent).

&quot;In the two-way match-up, it&#39;s Clinton over Trump by eight (49-41 per cent). She had a four-point edge a week ago (48-44 per cent, October 3-6). Clinton&#39;s lead is outside the poll&#39;s margin of sampling error in both the two-way and four-way contests,&quot; the news channel had said.

After the surfacing of a decade-old video surfaced in which Trump is seen making lewd remarks about women, Clinton&#39;s lead over the reality TV star has increased.

RealClearPolitics, which keeps tracks of all major polls, said on an average, Clinton is now leading Trump by 6.7 percentage points.

According to some other polls, Clinton is ahead of Trump in some of the key battleground States like North Carolina and Florida. They are in a virtual tie in Ohio

'Clinton receives 45 per cent to Trump's 38 per cent,' Fox news said in its latest poll yesterday

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, is leading Donald Trump by seven points, according to a latest national opinion poll conducted by a media outlet seen friendly to the Republican leader. "Clinton receives 45 per cent to Trump's 38 per cent. Libertarian Gary Johnson is at seven per cent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets three per cent," Fox news said in its latest poll yesterday. The TV channel is seen as friendly to the Republican leader. Last week, Clinton was up by two points in the four-way contest (44-42 per cent). "In the two-way match-up, it's Clinton over Trump by eight (49-41 per cent). She had a four-point edge a week ago (48-44 per cent, October 3-6). Clinton's lead is outside the poll's margin of sampling error in both the two-way and four-way contests," the news channel had said. After the surfacing of a decade-old video surfaced in which Trump is seen making lewd remarks about women, Clinton's lead over the reality TV star has increased. RealClearPolitics, which keeps tracks of all major polls, said on an average, Clinton is now leading Trump by 6.7 percentage points. According to some other polls, Clinton is ahead of Trump in some of the key battleground States like North Carolina and Florida. They are in a virtual tie in Ohio

Clinton leads Trump by seven points: Poll

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) 
 
&nbsp;

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

Bernie Sanders urged reluctant supporters yesterday to vote for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in order to bar Donald Trump&#39;s path to the White House, slamming the Republican as a &quot;demagogue&quot;. 
 
&quot;We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,&quot; the Vermont senator told a rally held hours before the opening of the Democratic National Convention. 
 
&quot;Trump is a bully and a demagogue,&quot; said Sanders whose call to support party nominee Clinton in November was met with loud jeers and cries of &quot;We want Bernie!&quot; from the fired-up crowd. 
 
The four-day confab in Philadelphia got off to a rocky start following a major internal row over leaked emails that showed party leaders sought to undermine Sanders in the party primaries.&nbsp;Many of the die-hard Sanders supporters who descended on Philadelphia loathe the party flag bearer Clinton so much they are unwilling to back her, even if the cost is a Trump presidency. 
 
Sanders has officially endorsed his rival and has been offered a prime speaking slot later Monday at the convention, during which he will stress that the party mission is to prevent Trump from becoming the 45th president of the United States. 
 
He hammered home that message to his supporters. 
 
&quot;Brothers and sisters - brothers and sisters, this is the real world that we live in,&quot; Sanders said.&nbsp;&quot;Trump has made bigotry and hatred the cornerstone of his campaign. Throughout this campaign he has insulted Mexicans and Latinos. He has insulted Muslims and insulted women and African Americans.&nbsp;It is not just my opinion. That is what many conservative Republicans believe. Trump is a danger for the future of our country and must be defeated.&nbsp;And I intend to do everything to see that he is defeated.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Sanders will speak at the Democratic convention where he will stress that preventing Trump from taking the White House is the party mission

Bernie Sanders urged reluctant supporters yesterday to vote for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in order to bar Donald Trump's path to the White House, slamming the Republican as a "demagogue". "We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine," the Vermont senator told a rally held hours before the opening of the Democratic National Convention. "Trump is a bully and a demagogue," said Sanders whose call to support party nominee Clinton in November was met with loud jeers and cries of "We want Bernie!" from the fired-up crowd. The four-day confab in Philadelphia got off to a rocky start following a major internal row over leaked emails that showed party leaders sought to undermine Sanders in the party primaries. Many of the die-hard Sanders supporters who descended on Philadelphia loathe the party flag bearer Clinton so much they are unwilling to back her, even if the cost is a Trump presidency. Sanders has officially endorsed his rival and has been offered a prime speaking slot later Monday at the convention, during which he will stress that the party mission is to prevent Trump from becoming the 45th president of the United States. He hammered home that message to his supporters. "Brothers and sisters - brothers and sisters, this is the real world that we live in," Sanders said. "Trump has made bigotry and hatred the cornerstone of his campaign. Throughout this campaign he has insulted Mexicans and Latinos. He has insulted Muslims and insulted women and African Americans. It is not just my opinion. That is what many conservative Republicans believe. Trump is a danger for the future of our country and must be defeated. And I intend to do everything to see that he is defeated." (AFP)

Sanders calls Trump 'demagogue', urges vote for Clinton

Republican Party&#39;s presidential nominee Donald Trump has claimed that the European Union (EU) was created to beat the United States (US) in terms of making money. 
 
In an interview with NBC News, Trump while commenting on the EU said, &quot;The reason that it got together was like a consortium so that it could compete with the United States.&quot; 
 
&quot;The EU was founded in 1952 in an effort to promote strong cross-border ties in Europe and avoid future wars.Since then, it has evolved to a customs union and eventually to the transnational entity devoted to removing internal trade barriers, building a common market and a fiscal union&#39;&#39;, reports the Guardian. 
 
The New York billionaire&#39;s anti-European statements come after he repeatedly praised Brexit, the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. 
 
Trump defended his recent remarks on NATO, saying the countries in the organisation need to pay more to the US so that Washington meets its treaty obligations of mutual defence. 
 
He also called both the World Trade Organization and Nafta &quot;disasters&quot;. On his call to ban the people in the US from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism, he said that it was an expansion on his infamous Muslim ban of December 2015. 
 
&quot;I actually don&#39;t think it&#39;s a rollback. In fact, you could say it&#39;s an expansion. I&#39;m looking now at territory. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can&#39;t use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I&#39;m okay with that, because I&#39;m talking territory instead of Muslim,&quot; he added. 
 
Trump also confirmed reports that he would seek revenge against former presidential nominee rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz. 
 
He said that he would do it by funding a super Political Action Committee (PAC) in the 2018 cycle to help defeat their respective attempts to win the gubernatorial election in Ohio and US senate election in Texas. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

The New York billionaire's anti-European statements come after he repeatedly praised Brexit

Republican Party's presidential nominee Donald Trump has claimed that the European Union (EU) was created to beat the United States (US) in terms of making money. In an interview with NBC News, Trump while commenting on the EU said, "The reason that it got together was like a consortium so that it could compete with the United States." "The EU was founded in 1952 in an effort to promote strong cross-border ties in Europe and avoid future wars.Since then, it has evolved to a customs union and eventually to the transnational entity devoted to removing internal trade barriers, building a common market and a fiscal union'', reports the Guardian. The New York billionaire's anti-European statements come after he repeatedly praised Brexit, the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Trump defended his recent remarks on NATO, saying the countries in the organisation need to pay more to the US so that Washington meets its treaty obligations of mutual defence. He also called both the World Trade Organization and Nafta "disasters". On his call to ban the people in the US from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism, he said that it was an expansion on his infamous Muslim ban of December 2015. "I actually don't think it's a rollback. In fact, you could say it's an expansion. I'm looking now at territory. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can't use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I'm okay with that, because I'm talking territory instead of Muslim," he added. Trump also confirmed reports that he would seek revenge against former presidential nominee rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz. He said that he would do it by funding a super Political Action Committee (PAC) in the 2018 cycle to help defeat their respective attempts to win the gubernatorial election in Ohio and US senate election in Texas. (ANI)

EU formed to beat US at making money, says Donald Trump

Donald Trump&#39;s wife, Melania, in her first major political speech on Monday, portrayed her husband as a talented, compassionate and unrelenting leader who would unify rather than divide the country if elected to the White House. 
 
The Slovenian-born jewellery designer and former model delivered the speech, part of which resembled an address given by current First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008, to a cheering crowd at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after a one-minute introduction from Trump. 
 
The presumptive Republican nominee made a dramatic entrance, silhouetted against a white background, to the accompaniment of Queen&#39;s 1977 rock anthem, &quot;We Are the Champions.&quot; 
 
&quot;I have been with Donald for 18 years and I have been aware of his love for this country since we first met,&quot; the aspiring first lady told the convention. &quot;He&#39;s tough when he has to be, but he&#39;s also kind and fair and caring.&quot; 
 
&quot;Donald wants prosperity for all Americans,&quot; she said, reading from a teleprompter, as people applauded. 
 
Her roughly 15-minute speech was a bid to soften the image of the New York businessman-turned-politician, who has been accused of bigotry and callousness for his calls to suspend Muslim immigration and deport millions of undocumented immigrants if elected. 
 
He has also been criticized for insults directed at women, political opponents and journalists. 
 
Trump&#39;s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, has accused Trump, 70, of lacking the experience and temperament needed to work in the Oval Office. On Monday, Clinton, 68, used an address to a largely black audience to cast Trump as someone who would divide the country along racial, ethnic and religious lines. 
 
Trump supporters take jibs at Clinton 
 
The convention&#39;s opening night featured a string of emotional speakers attacking Clinton&#39;s record as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, many arguing she had made Americans vulnerable to Islamist militancy. 
 
&quot;I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son,&quot; said Pat Smith, the mother of an information management officer who was among the four Americans killed in an attack on a US mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. 
 
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose administration has been credited with sharply reducing crime in the city during the 1990s and who oversaw the city&#39;s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed almost 3,000 people, gave a highly charged speech slamming Clinton and making the case for Trump. 
 
&quot;What I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America!&quot; he said. 
 
Killings overshadow convention 
 
The gathering opened on Monday afternoon in the shadow of racially tinged killings of police officers and black men, and as protesters for and against Trump faced off in a plaza a few blocks from the convention, shouting slogans at each other, separated by a wall of police. 
 
The protests were largely peaceful, with law enforcement officers outnumbering demonstrators. 
 
Sunday&#39;s shooting of three policemen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana - a targeted attack that may have been retaliation for a series of police killings of black Americans - hung over the gathering. 
 
Trump lashed out at Obama early on Monday over the shootings, saying the Democratic president &quot;doesn&#39;t have a clue.&quot; 
 
Trump has sought to position himself as the law-and-order candidate, in an echo of Republican Richard Nixon&#39;s successful presidential campaign of 1968. 
 
(Reuters)

The Slovenian-born jewellery designer and former model said he would unify rather than divide the country

Donald Trump's wife, Melania, in her first major political speech on Monday, portrayed her husband as a talented, compassionate and unrelenting leader who would unify rather than divide the country if elected to the White House. The Slovenian-born jewellery designer and former model delivered the speech, part of which resembled an address given by current First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008, to a cheering crowd at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after a one-minute introduction from Trump. The presumptive Republican nominee made a dramatic entrance, silhouetted against a white background, to the accompaniment of Queen's 1977 rock anthem, "We Are the Champions." "I have been with Donald for 18 years and I have been aware of his love for this country since we first met," the aspiring first lady told the convention. "He's tough when he has to be, but he's also kind and fair and caring." "Donald wants prosperity for all Americans," she said, reading from a teleprompter, as people applauded. Her roughly 15-minute speech was a bid to soften the image of the New York businessman-turned-politician, who has been accused of bigotry and callousness for his calls to suspend Muslim immigration and deport millions of undocumented immigrants if elected. He has also been criticized for insults directed at women, political opponents and journalists. Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, has accused Trump, 70, of lacking the experience and temperament needed to work in the Oval Office. On Monday, Clinton, 68, used an address to a largely black audience to cast Trump as someone who would divide the country along racial, ethnic and religious lines. Trump supporters take jibs at Clinton The convention's opening night featured a string of emotional speakers attacking Clinton's record as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, many arguing she had made Americans vulnerable to Islamist militancy. "I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son," said Pat Smith, the mother of an information management officer who was among the four Americans killed in an attack on a US mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose administration has been credited with sharply reducing crime in the city during the 1990s and who oversaw the city's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed almost 3,000 people, gave a highly charged speech slamming Clinton and making the case for Trump. "What I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America!" he said. Killings overshadow convention The gathering opened on Monday afternoon in the shadow of racially tinged killings of police officers and black men, and as protesters for and against Trump faced off in a plaza a few blocks from the convention, shouting slogans at each other, separated by a wall of police. The protests were largely peaceful, with law enforcement officers outnumbering demonstrators. Sunday's shooting of three policemen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana - a targeted attack that may have been retaliation for a series of police killings of black Americans - hung over the gathering. Trump lashed out at Obama early on Monday over the shootings, saying the Democratic president "doesn't have a clue." Trump has sought to position himself as the law-and-order candidate, in an echo of Republican Richard Nixon's successful presidential campaign of 1968. (Reuters)

Trump's wife talks at Republican convention, humanises The Donald

After damaging footage of him making lewd remarks surfaced, wherein he boasted about committing sexual assault, the&nbsp;stakes are high for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and he needs to put up a strong debate performance against Hillary clinton today.

Trump, speaking on the set of&nbsp;Days of our lives&nbsp;from 2005, was on tape saying&nbsp;saying:

&quot;I moved on her like a b*itch, but I couldn&#39;t get there. And she was married...I did try and f*ck her. She was married...just kiss. I don&#39;t even wait. And when you&#39;re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything...grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.&quot;

The list of high-profile Republicans walking away from their endorsement of their candidate, or distancing themselves further, is growing by the day.

It&#39;s in this atmosphere that the two candidates face off in their second debate ahead of Election Day, starting 9 PM local time&nbsp;at Washington University in St Louis. The debate will be in a town hall format where they will take questions from the audience.

With national media digging up evidence of his misogynistic behaviour, Trump is sure to face questions on treatment of women, but Clinton&rsquo;s running mate Tim Kaine has suggested that she intends to stick to basic issues like economy and national security.

&quot;If Donald wants to talk about something other than what voters want to talk about, that&#39;s his choice,&quot; Kaine said on CNN&#39;s State of the Union show. &quot;But I suspect that Hillary Clinton is going to talk about the things that voters really care about.&quot;

Even a winning performance by Trump, however, seems unlikely to mend the fissures he has opened in the Republican party, alarmed about the scandal&#39;s fallout in other down-ballot races.

The New York Times has reported that by late Saturday 36 Republican members of Congress and governors had disavowed Trump&#39;s candidacy.

The debate will not be easy for Clinton either as she might have to face questions on a WikiLeaks disclosure of excerpts from private speeches she gave to major banks in 2013 and 2014.

Although not as damaging as the Trump tape, the excerpts do show that she had expressed views in favour of open trade and self-regulation of the Wall Street, which are at odds with her position as a candidate.

John Podesta, a Clinton adviser from whose email account the excerpts were hacked, has said that they were taken out of context.

&quot;They are not diametrically opposed,&quot; he said on Fox News on Sunday. &quot;Again, you can pull a few words out of context, but what he said on this campaign trail is she&#39;ll be tough on Wall Street. That&#39;s exactly what she&#39;ll do.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Ahead of the debate, Trump is facing hostility after the release of a recording wherein he boasts about committing sexual assault

After damaging footage of him making lewd remarks surfaced, wherein he boasted about committing sexual assault, the stakes are high for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and he needs to put up a strong debate performance against Hillary clinton today. Trump, speaking on the set of Days of our lives from 2005, was on tape saying saying: "I moved on her like a b*itch, but I couldn't get there. And she was married...I did try and f*ck her. She was married...just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything...grab them by the p***y. You can do anything." The list of high-profile Republicans walking away from their endorsement of their candidate, or distancing themselves further, is growing by the day. It's in this atmosphere that the two candidates face off in their second debate ahead of Election Day, starting 9 PM local time at Washington University in St Louis. The debate will be in a town hall format where they will take questions from the audience. With national media digging up evidence of his misogynistic behaviour, Trump is sure to face questions on treatment of women, but Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine has suggested that she intends to stick to basic issues like economy and national security. "If Donald wants to talk about something other than what voters want to talk about, that's his choice," Kaine said on CNN's State of the Union show. "But I suspect that Hillary Clinton is going to talk about the things that voters really care about." Even a winning performance by Trump, however, seems unlikely to mend the fissures he has opened in the Republican party, alarmed about the scandal's fallout in other down-ballot races. The New York Times has reported that by late Saturday 36 Republican members of Congress and governors had disavowed Trump's candidacy. The debate will not be easy for Clinton either as she might have to face questions on a WikiLeaks disclosure of excerpts from private speeches she gave to major banks in 2013 and 2014. Although not as damaging as the Trump tape, the excerpts do show that she had expressed views in favour of open trade and self-regulation of the Wall Street, which are at odds with her position as a candidate. John Podesta, a Clinton adviser from whose email account the excerpts were hacked, has said that they were taken out of context. "They are not diametrically opposed," he said on Fox News on Sunday. "Again, you can pull a few words out of context, but what he said on this campaign trail is she'll be tough on Wall Street. That's exactly what she'll do." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump faces uphill battle in second US presidential debate with Clinton

The Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has appointed three Indian Americans to his Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee. 
 
The committee has about 30 members including three Indian-Americans -- Puneet Ahluwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California and Shalabh Kumar from Illinois -- the Trump campaign announced yesterday. 
 
&quot;We are on the cusp of history. It is a movement that I am witnessing this presidential election. I am confident that Trump would be the next president of the United States,&quot; Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition told PTI.&nbsp; 
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<h5>Under Trump administration, India-US relationship would reach a new height,&quot; said Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition</h5>
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&quot;Under Trump administration, India-US relationship would reach a new height,&quot; he said. 
 
Puneet Ahluwalia is part &nbsp;of Virginia&#39;s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) advisory council and K V Kumar has earlier worked with the World Bank. 
 
&quot;It is my great honour and a privilege to be part of Trump AAPI Advisory Committee. This is a pivotal election which impacts the future of our nation and its people,&quot; Ahluwalia told PTI. 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign said the committe is elected but grassroot leaders have been appointed to&nbsp;engage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) on issues relevant to&nbsp;the communities, PTI reported. 
 
Governors Eddie Calvo and Ralph Torres of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) respectively, will serve as the Council&#39;s Co-Chairs, it added. 
 
The committee members will also provide recommendations to ensure AAPI voices are heard and included in the Campaign. 
 
&quot;Furthermore, the committee&#39;s formation represents Trump and Governor Pence&#39;s commitment to AAPI communities,&quot; the Campaign said. 
 
Trump and his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence will meet the members and AAPI leaders to discuss the &nbsp;educational opportunities, employment and the economy, which are of paramount concern to the AAPI families across the US. 
 
&quot;Trump understands the critical role Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders play in the growing and providing for an energetic economic base which has been lacking over the past eight years of Obama/Clinton policies,&quot; the campaign said. 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Committee is a great addition to the vibrancy of his campaign,&quot; Ron Falconi, Mayor of Brunswick, Ohio said. 
 
&quot;His ability to connect with everyday Americans is a testament of his character, and what he wants to do to bring America forward from the past 8 years,&quot; he said 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

The three are Puneet Ahluwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California, and Shalabh Kumar from Illinois

The Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has appointed three Indian Americans to his Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee. The committee has about 30 members including three Indian-Americans -- Puneet Ahluwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California and Shalabh Kumar from Illinois -- the Trump campaign announced yesterday. "We are on the cusp of history. It is a movement that I am witnessing this presidential election. I am confident that Trump would be the next president of the United States," Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition told PTI. Under Trump administration, India-US relationship would reach a new height," said Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition "Under Trump administration, India-US relationship would reach a new height," he said. Puneet Ahluwalia is part of Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) advisory council and K V Kumar has earlier worked with the World Bank. "It is my great honour and a privilege to be part of Trump AAPI Advisory Committee. This is a pivotal election which impacts the future of our nation and its people," Ahluwalia told PTI. Trump's campaign said the committe is elected but grassroot leaders have been appointed to engage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) on issues relevant to the communities, PTI reported. Governors Eddie Calvo and Ralph Torres of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) respectively, will serve as the Council's Co-Chairs, it added. The committee members will also provide recommendations to ensure AAPI voices are heard and included in the Campaign. "Furthermore, the committee's formation represents Trump and Governor Pence's commitment to AAPI communities," the Campaign said. Trump and his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence will meet the members and AAPI leaders to discuss the educational opportunities, employment and the economy, which are of paramount concern to the AAPI families across the US. "Trump understands the critical role Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders play in the growing and providing for an energetic economic base which has been lacking over the past eight years of Obama/Clinton policies," the campaign said. "Trump's Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Committee is a great addition to the vibrancy of his campaign," Ron Falconi, Mayor of Brunswick, Ohio said. "His ability to connect with everyday Americans is a testament of his character, and what he wants to do to bring America forward from the past 8 years," he said (WION with inputs from PTI)

3 Indian Americans appointed to Trump's AAPI advisory committee

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump should not be elected as the next US president as he is &quot;unfit&quot; for the post and makes &quot;crude generalisations&quot; about nations and religions, two of America&#39;s most influential newspapers have said in their editorials, Indian news agency PTI reported today.&nbsp; 
 
Editorial boards of The Washington Post and The New York Times yesterday made a strong case that Trump should not be elected as the president. 
 
The editorials came ahead of an all-important first presidential debate in Hofstra University tonight. 
 
&quot;It is beyond debate that Donald Trump is unfit to be president,&quot; said The Washington Post, while &#39;The New York Times&#39; argued the case in its lead editorial &#39;Why Donald Trump should not be president&#39;. 
 
A day earlier &#39;The New York Times&#39; endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as the next president of the US. 
 
The elections for the next occupant of the White House would be held on November 8. Latest polls show that the two are in a dead heat. 
 
About a month ago, Trump, 70, was trailing Clinton by more than seven-eight points on an average. 
 
&quot;Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalisations about nations and religions,&quot; The New York Times editorial board wrote. 
 
&quot;Our presidents are role models for generations of our children. Is this the example we want for them?&quot; the daily asked. 
 
As Americans prepare to watch the first presidential debate, The Washington Post editorial board said the challenge for today&#39;s audience was to avoid the trap of thinking of this debate as yet another opportunity for &quot;the real Trump&quot; or even a &quot;new Trump&quot; to emerge, either stylistically or substantively. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s way too late for that. The real Trump has been before the citizenry ever since he announced his candidacy in a rambling jeremiad that blamed Mexico for &#39;sending&#39; &#39;rapists&#39; to the United States as illegal immigrants. It has been said that the true test of an ordinary person&#39;s character is how you behave when no one is watching,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;The corollary standard for a presidential candidate could be: how you behave repeatedly in public, before the one big night when everyone is watching. Even by that more forgiving standard, Trump has already flunked,&quot; The Washington Post said. 
 
The editorial said Trump had amply demonstrated his &quot;unworthiness&quot; to occupy the Oval Office. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s beyond his capacity in the upcoming 90-minute question-and-answer sessions to reverse or even substantially modify that conclusion,&quot; the daily said. 
 
Meanwhile, the Trump Campaign slammed &#39;The New York Times&#39; for endorsing Clinton. 
 
&quot;The New York Times&#39; Editorial Board is the embodiment of the rigged system Donald Trump is running against,&quot; said Jason Miller, senior communications adviser to the Trump Campaign. 
 
(PTI)

In their editorials both newspapers wrote Trump is not fit to be President, who makes 'crude generalisations' about countries and religions

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump should not be elected as the next US president as he is "unfit" for the post and makes "crude generalisations" about nations and religions, two of America's most influential newspapers have said in their editorials, Indian news agency PTI reported today. Editorial boards of The Washington Post and The New York Times yesterday made a strong case that Trump should not be elected as the president. The editorials came ahead of an all-important first presidential debate in Hofstra University tonight. "It is beyond debate that Donald Trump is unfit to be president," said The Washington Post, while 'The New York Times' argued the case in its lead editorial 'Why Donald Trump should not be president'. A day earlier 'The New York Times' endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as the next president of the US. The elections for the next occupant of the White House would be held on November 8. Latest polls show that the two are in a dead heat. About a month ago, Trump, 70, was trailing Clinton by more than seven-eight points on an average. "Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalisations about nations and religions," The New York Times editorial board wrote. "Our presidents are role models for generations of our children. Is this the example we want for them?" the daily asked. As Americans prepare to watch the first presidential debate, The Washington Post editorial board said the challenge for today's audience was to avoid the trap of thinking of this debate as yet another opportunity for "the real Trump" or even a "new Trump" to emerge, either stylistically or substantively. "It's way too late for that. The real Trump has been before the citizenry ever since he announced his candidacy in a rambling jeremiad that blamed Mexico for 'sending' 'rapists' to the United States as illegal immigrants. It has been said that the true test of an ordinary person's character is how you behave when no one is watching," it said. "The corollary standard for a presidential candidate could be: how you behave repeatedly in public, before the one big night when everyone is watching. Even by that more forgiving standard, Trump has already flunked," The Washington Post said. The editorial said Trump had amply demonstrated his "unworthiness" to occupy the Oval Office. "It's beyond his capacity in the upcoming 90-minute question-and-answer sessions to reverse or even substantially modify that conclusion," the daily said. Meanwhile, the Trump Campaign slammed 'The New York Times' for endorsing Clinton. "The New York Times' Editorial Board is the embodiment of the rigged system Donald Trump is running against," said Jason Miller, senior communications adviser to the Trump Campaign. (PTI)

Trump should not be US president: NYT, Washington Post

Donald Trump&rsquo;s charitable foundation has been ordered to immediately stop fundraising in New York, the attorney general&rsquo;s office said today.

His office also warned that a failure to do so would be a &quot;continuing fraud&quot;.

The Trump Foundation was served with a cease-and-desist order, the latest in a series of blows that has sent his campaign reeling.&nbsp;

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New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman&#39;s office said the Donald J Trump Foundation was violating a state law requiring charitable organisations that solicit outside donations to register with the office&#39;s Charities Bureau.

&quot;The failure immediately to discontinue solicitation and to file information and reports required under Article 7-A with the Charities Bureau shall be deemed to be a continuing fraud upon the people of the state of New York,&quot; according to a letter dated on Friday that the office posted online on Monday.

Trump&#39;s campaign has suggested that the probe launched by Schneiderman, a Democrat, was politically motivated.

Following a series of reports in The Washington Post that suggested improprieties by the foundation, Schneiderman&#39;s office began a probe into the Trump Foundation.&nbsp;

In its series on the Trump Foundation, The Washington Post reported that Trump may have violated US Internal Revenue Service rules against &ldquo;self-dealing&rdquo; by using foundation money to purchase two portraits of himself, which were then hung at his private golf clubs in New York and Florida.

The newspaper also said that Trump may have improperly used the foundation to settle legal disputes, including one at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, diverted income from his business to the charity to avoid paying income tax, and donated foundation money to support Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Republican, who was considering launching an investigation into Trump University, Trump&rsquo;s for-profit education venture.

The Trump campaign said in a statement on Monday that the charity would cooperate with the investigation.

&quot;While we remain very concerned about the political motives behind AG Schneiderman&rsquo;s investigation, the Trump Foundation nevertheless intends to cooperate fully with the investigation,&quot; said Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks.

&quot;Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the Trump Foundation will not comment further at this time,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;

Trump established the charitable foundation in 1988, but it runs no programs of its own. Instead, it donates money to other nonprofit groups such as the Police Athletic League for youths.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The order followed a series of reports in The Washington Post that suggested improprieties by the foundation

Donald Trump’s charitable foundation has been ordered to immediately stop fundraising in New York, the attorney general’s office said today. His office also warned that a failure to do so would be a "continuing fraud". The Trump Foundation was served with a cease-and-desist order, the latest in a series of blows that has sent his campaign reeling. The Trump Foundation was served with a cease-and-desist order, the latest in a series of blows that has sent his campaign reeling × New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman's office said the Donald J Trump Foundation was violating a state law requiring charitable organisations that solicit outside donations to register with the office's Charities Bureau. "The failure immediately to discontinue solicitation and to file information and reports required under Article 7-A with the Charities Bureau shall be deemed to be a continuing fraud upon the people of the state of New York," according to a letter dated on Friday that the office posted online on Monday. Trump's campaign has suggested that the probe launched by Schneiderman, a Democrat, was politically motivated. Following a series of reports in The Washington Post that suggested improprieties by the foundation, Schneiderman's office began a probe into the Trump Foundation. In its series on the Trump Foundation, The Washington Post reported that Trump may have violated US Internal Revenue Service rules against “self-dealing” by using foundation money to purchase two portraits of himself, which were then hung at his private golf clubs in New York and Florida. The newspaper also said that Trump may have improperly used the foundation to settle legal disputes, including one at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, diverted income from his business to the charity to avoid paying income tax, and donated foundation money to support Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Republican, who was considering launching an investigation into Trump University, Trump’s for-profit education venture. The Trump campaign said in a statement on Monday that the charity would cooperate with the investigation. "While we remain very concerned about the political motives behind AG Schneiderman’s investigation, the Trump Foundation nevertheless intends to cooperate fully with the investigation," said Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks. "Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the Trump Foundation will not comment further at this time,” she added. Trump established the charitable foundation in 1988, but it runs no programs of its own. Instead, it donates money to other nonprofit groups such as the Police Athletic League for youths. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

New York attorney general orders Trump Foundation to stop fundraising in state

In the run up to the US presidential elections, a group of Indian&nbsp;Americans led by Republican nominee Donald Trump&#39;s key advisor, endorsed Trump today, saying that his presidency&nbsp;will eventually benefit India.&nbsp;

&quot;If that happens, this century will&nbsp;be that of Indians and Americans. India will benefit in different areas of trade and that of procurement of arms from US,&quot; Shalabh Kumar, the founder and chairman of the Republican Hindu Council (RHC) told the media in the Indian capital city of Delhi.&nbsp;

Kumar, while describing RHC, said that the group, that has a membership of around 10,000 &quot;conservative&quot;&nbsp;Hindus living in the United States, was formed on the lines of Jewish American Council and is significantly impressed by its functioning.&nbsp;

&quot;The group primarily stands for four principles: free enterprise, fiscal discipline, family values and firm foreign policy,&quot; &nbsp;Kumar said while emphasising on the need for a firm foreign policy to tackle the &quot;growing menace of Islamic terrorism&quot;. &nbsp;Kumar is also the chairman of Indian American Council that is actively campaigning for Trump.&nbsp;

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Kumar, while describing RHC, said that the group, that has a membership of around 10,000 &#39;conservative&#39; Hindus living in the United States, was formed on the lines of Jewish American Council. (Others)
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Referring to a New Jersey charity event that Trump will be addressing on October 15, Kumar termed it as &quot;historic&quot; saying that&nbsp;the presidential candidate has never addressed an ethnic community before. &nbsp;The event is being organised by RHC.&nbsp;

&quot;This is the first time that he will be addressing the Indian Hindu community living in America,&quot; &nbsp;he said.

The money raised from the event will go for the &quot;betterment of Kashmiri Pandits (a minority community from the Kashmir Valley) living in different parts of India,&quot; he said. It will also be used for other Hindu terror victims.&nbsp;

&quot;We will be creating history. Such an event&nbsp;has never been organised in India, US, or the history of Hindu civilisation. During his campaign, Trump has never addressed any ethnic community. This will be the only ethnic community Trump has ever spoken to. He has also released a statement saying that Hindus have made a fantastic contribution to the American civilisation,&quot; &nbsp;Kumar asserted.

Responding to WION&#39;S question on similarities between the Republican Jewish Council and Hindu council, Kumar said that &quot;both the communities are very hardworking and have contributed a lot to the American economy&quot;.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, he chose not to speak about his inclination in Indian politics, but he mentioned that he and the council members are quite impressed with the way Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the country. He also claims to work in close association with Anupam Kher in India.&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

The group of Indian-Americans termed a New Jersey event slated for Oct 15 as 'historic', when Trump will be addressing Hindu-Americans

In the run up to the US presidential elections, a group of Indian Americans led by Republican nominee Donald Trump's key advisor, endorsed Trump today, saying that his presidency will eventually benefit India. "If that happens, this century will be that of Indians and Americans. India will benefit in different areas of trade and that of procurement of arms from US," Shalabh Kumar, the founder and chairman of the Republican Hindu Council (RHC) told the media in the Indian capital city of Delhi. Kumar, while describing RHC, said that the group, that has a membership of around 10,000 "conservative" Hindus living in the United States, was formed on the lines of Jewish American Council and is significantly impressed by its functioning. "The group primarily stands for four principles: free enterprise, fiscal discipline, family values and firm foreign policy," Kumar said while emphasising on the need for a firm foreign policy to tackle the "growing menace of Islamic terrorism". Kumar is also the chairman of Indian American Council that is actively campaigning for Trump. Kumar, while describing RHC, said that the group, that has a membership of around 10,000 'conservative' Hindus living in the United States, was formed on the lines of Jewish American Council. (Others) × Referring to a New Jersey charity event that Trump will be addressing on October 15, Kumar termed it as "historic" saying that the presidential candidate has never addressed an ethnic community before. The event is being organised by RHC. "This is the first time that he will be addressing the Indian Hindu community living in America," he said. The money raised from the event will go for the "betterment of Kashmiri Pandits (a minority community from the Kashmir Valley) living in different parts of India," he said. It will also be used for other Hindu terror victims. "We will be creating history. Such an event has never been organised in India, US, or the history of Hindu civilisation. During his campaign, Trump has never addressed any ethnic community. This will be the only ethnic community Trump has ever spoken to. He has also released a statement saying that Hindus have made a fantastic contribution to the American civilisation," Kumar asserted. Responding to WION'S question on similarities between the Republican Jewish Council and Hindu council, Kumar said that "both the communities are very hardworking and have contributed a lot to the American economy". Meanwhile, he chose not to speak about his inclination in Indian politics, but he mentioned that he and the council members are quite impressed with the way Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the country. He also claims to work in close association with Anupam Kher in India. (WION)

Republican Hindu Council beats the drum for Donald Trump in Delhi

Beleaguered US presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing hostility from within his own party following the release of a recording showing him passing derogatory comments about women.

The Republican party, of which Trump is the standard bearer in this election, has condemned the sexist comments made by him.

More than 60 Republicans, former and present officeholders, have issued statements denouncing Trump&#39;s remarks about groping women months after he got married to his third wife Melania.

Twenty prominent Republicans have even called for his resignation from the presidential race.

Trump&#39;s wife Melania was equally critical of her husband, saying,&nbsp;&quot;This does not represent the man that I know.&quot;

Calling Trump&#39;s behaviour &quot;unacceptable&quot;, she however asked the US public to pardon him as he has the &quot;heart and mind of a leader&quot;.

Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate Mike Pence was also critical of his comments, saying he would be unable to defend the use of such words.

&quot;As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump,&quot; said Pence, who is governor of Indiana.

Trump&#39;s presidential rival Hillary Clinton is yet to publicly chastise Trump&#39;s lewd comments.&nbsp;

&#39;Will never drop out of the race&#39;

Despite the barrage of criticism he has faced since the release of the recording, Trump seemed defiant when he tweeted: &quot;The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN!&quot;

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But the video leak has damaged his prospects of coming to power as it comes barely a month before Election Day.

The latest calamity is likely to further dent his poll numbers.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

More than 60 prominent Republican current and former officeholders issued statements condemning Trump's remarks about women

Beleaguered US presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing hostility from within his own party following the release of a recording showing him passing derogatory comments about women. The Republican party, of which Trump is the standard bearer in this election, has condemned the sexist comments made by him. More than 60 Republicans, former and present officeholders, have issued statements denouncing Trump's remarks about groping women months after he got married to his third wife Melania. Twenty prominent Republicans have even called for his resignation from the presidential race. Trump's wife Melania was equally critical of her husband, saying, "This does not represent the man that I know." Calling Trump's behaviour "unacceptable", she however asked the US public to pardon him as he has the "heart and mind of a leader". Trump's vice presidential running mate Mike Pence was also critical of his comments, saying he would be unable to defend the use of such words. "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump," said Pence, who is governor of Indiana. Trump's presidential rival Hillary Clinton is yet to publicly chastise Trump's lewd comments. 'Will never drop out of the race' Despite the barrage of criticism he has faced since the release of the recording, Trump seemed defiant when he tweeted: "The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN!" × But the video leak has damaged his prospects of coming to power as it comes barely a month before Election Day. The latest calamity is likely to further dent his poll numbers. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump vows to stay in race after lewd comments surface

In light of the &quot;unsettling&quot; and &quot;disturbing&quot; comments from the US presidential candidate Donald Trump, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights warned that Trump would present a global danger if elected the president of the United States. &nbsp;

Rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein at a press conference in Geneva said he was &quot;not keen or intent on interfering in any political campaign&quot; but Trump&#39;s views on vulnerable communities and his talk of using torture, banned under international law, pointed to a &quot;dangerous&quot; figure emerging on the world stage.&nbsp;

Trump had called to bring back interrogation techniques that legal experts say amount to torture. Portraying a stance on national security, Trump has vowed to build a wall to stop Mexican immigrants from crossing the border.&nbsp;

&quot;We are not a political office, so we are not going to get into ... politics, but where it affects the rights of people and especially vulnerable groups, we will speak,&quot; he said, insisting: &quot;I see no reason to curb what it is that we are saying.&quot;

Zeid insisted that his office wholeheartedly &quot;supports the freedom of expression. We believe it to be not just a right, but the greatest check against tyranny&quot; he said.

&quot;However, when you fan resentment and seek as a political leader to pin blame on a specific community for deeper problems, real problems, this is highly regrettable,&quot; he said.

Last month, in a landmark speech in The Hague, Zeid accused Trump of spreading &quot;humiliating racial and religious prejudice&quot; and warned of a rise of populist politics that could turn violent. He warned that &quot;real fears were being stoked and exploited&quot; and stressed that &quot;it was within the mandate of the office to speak out where we feel that vulnerable groups are being targeted for reasons that are misplaced.&quot;

Zeid&#39;s comparison of Trump to Hungary&#39;s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, France&#39;s National Front leader Marine Le Pen and leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, angered Russia.

Russia&#39;s ambassador to the UN in New York Vitaly Churkin earlier this week complained the rights chief had overstepped his authority and had no business criticising foreign heads of state and government.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s support among the party establishment has dwindled recently&nbsp;after a 2005 video surfaced showing him making lewd remarks about women.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

UN rights chief said emergence of a political leader fanning 'racial and religious prejudice' would be 'dangerous' from a global viewpoint

In light of the "unsettling" and "disturbing" comments from the US presidential candidate Donald Trump, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights warned that Trump would present a global danger if elected the president of the United States. Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein at a press conference in Geneva said he was "not keen or intent on interfering in any political campaign" but Trump's views on vulnerable communities and his talk of using torture, banned under international law, pointed to a "dangerous" figure emerging on the world stage. Trump had called to bring back interrogation techniques that legal experts say amount to torture. Portraying a stance on national security, Trump has vowed to build a wall to stop Mexican immigrants from crossing the border. "We are not a political office, so we are not going to get into ... politics, but where it affects the rights of people and especially vulnerable groups, we will speak," he said, insisting: "I see no reason to curb what it is that we are saying." Zeid insisted that his office wholeheartedly "supports the freedom of expression. We believe it to be not just a right, but the greatest check against tyranny" he said. "However, when you fan resentment and seek as a political leader to pin blame on a specific community for deeper problems, real problems, this is highly regrettable," he said. Last month, in a landmark speech in The Hague, Zeid accused Trump of spreading "humiliating racial and religious prejudice" and warned of a rise of populist politics that could turn violent. He warned that "real fears were being stoked and exploited" and stressed that "it was within the mandate of the office to speak out where we feel that vulnerable groups are being targeted for reasons that are misplaced." Zeid's comparison of Trump to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen and leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, angered Russia. Russia's ambassador to the UN in New York Vitaly Churkin earlier this week complained the rights chief had overstepped his authority and had no business criticising foreign heads of state and government. Trump's support among the party establishment has dwindled recently after a 2005 video surfaced showing him making lewd remarks about women. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump would pose 'global danger' if elected president, UN human rights chief warns

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama&#39;s last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly&nbsp;take&nbsp;charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad&#39;s hold on power in Syria, AFP reported.

Russian President Putin&#39;s strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria&#39;s escalating conflict --&nbsp;to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country.&nbsp;

It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be.&nbsp;

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a &ldquo;bullying leader&rdquo; whose provocations need to be met with &ldquo;American strength&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,&rdquo; Pence added on Russia&#39;s alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo.

His potential boss,&nbsp;Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however&nbsp;seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader.

&quot;I don&#39;t love Putin, I don&#39;t hate. We&#39;ll see how it works. We&#39;ll see,&quot; Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada.&nbsp;

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian&nbsp;areas.

Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict&nbsp;that has killed over 300,000 people over the past&nbsp;five years.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

US officials fear the Kremlin is racing to consolidate its gains in Syria before a new, possibly tougher administration takes charge

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama's last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly take charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad's hold on power in Syria, AFP reported. Russian President Putin's strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria's escalating conflict -- to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country. It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be. Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a “bullying leader” whose provocations need to be met with “American strength”. “The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,” Pence added on Russia's alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo. His potential boss, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader. "I don't love Putin, I don't hate. We'll see how it works. We'll see," Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian areas. Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict that has killed over 300,000 people over the past five years. (WION with inputs from AFP)

With US focused on vote, Russia steps up efforts to secure Syria's Assad in power

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday looked to head off further questions about her health, releasing new medical records showing she is &quot;fit to serve&quot; as president and recovering from &quot;mild&quot; pneumonia as she prepares to resume her campaign. 
 
The disclosure came as her Republican rival Donald Trump, in a media-savvy move, released new health data of his own during the taping of a nationally televised medical chat show set to air Thursday. 
 
Both candidates, among the oldest ever to run for the White House, were under intense pressure to share more medical information after Clinton fell ill during a 9/11 ceremony in New York on Sunday and was forced to leave. 
 
Recent opinion polls have shown the gap between the two candidates narrowing, with less than two months to go before the ellection day, and the presidential hopefuls disclosed fresh information in a bid to score points with undecided voters. 
 
In a detailed, two-page &quot;summary update&quot; on Clinton`s health, her personal physician Lisa Bardack wrote that the 68-year-old was bouncing back after a diagnosis of &quot;mild, non-contagious&quot; pneumonia. 
 
She &quot;is recovering well with antibiotics and rest&quot; after being laid low over the weekend, when she suffered from fatigue and a low-grade fever, although her vital signs remained normal, Bardack said. 
 
The Democratic White House nominee &quot;continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as president of the United States,&quot; she wrote, noting she is in &quot;excellent mental condition.&quot; 
 
After Clinton was seen stumbling limp-legged into her vehicle Sunday at Ground Zero, it took several hours for her personal physician to disclose she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier, drawing criticism of her campaign`s transparency. 
 
Clinton was at home in Chappaqua, New York for a third straight day Wednesday, recovering from a health scare that has rocked her bid to become America&#39;s first woman president. 
 
News of Trump&#39;s appearance on &quot;The Dr. Oz Show&quot; -- though it appeared to reveal little detail -- had earlier flooded the US airwaves on Wednesday, upping the pressure on Clinton to share more health data before returning to the trail Thursday with appearances in North Carolina and Washington.So far the 70-year-old Trump had released only four, gushing paragraphs on his health, written by his doctor Harold Bornstein in December 2015. 
 
Following the revelation of Clinton`s pneumonia, Trump vowed soon to release &quot;very, very specific numbers&quot; from a recent check-up with Bornstein.&nbsp; 
 
Team Trump had raised -- then dropped -- the possibility of releasing them during an appearance on &quot;Dr. Oz&quot;. 
But during the&nbsp;recording of the segment Wednesday morning, Trump finally did present its celebrity host with the results, according to a statement on the show`s website. 
 
In a snippet teased on the site, Mehmet Oz -- who is also a professor of surgery at Columbia University in New York -- is seen asking Trump: 
&quot;If your health is as strong as it seems... why not show your medical records? 
 
&quot;Well, I have really no problem in doing it,&quot; Trump responds. &quot;I have it right here. Should I do it? I don`t care.&quot; 
 
The Republican nominee goes on to pull the documents from his pocket, to cheers and applause from the show audience.A statement from the medical chat show said their hour-long one-one-one interview touched on Trump`s cardiovascular health, family medical history and history of cancer, among other topics. 
 
But the actual details revealed appeared to remain very generic. 
 
According to US media who attended the taping, Oz declared Mr. Trump &quot;slightly overweight&quot; at 267 pounds (120 kilos) for roughly six foot two inches (1.88 meters). 
 
Audience member Kelly Platt -- a pharmacist intern and Trump supporter -- told CNN that Oz deemed Trump`s cholesterol to have come down to a safe level, thanks to medication. 
 
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook ridiculed Trump`s TV appearance. 
 
&quot;His Doctor Oz charade is as completely unserious as his original joke of a letter written in five minutes,&quot; Mook said. &quot;He continues to hide his taxes and business dealing behind fake excuses. And it begs the question: what is he trying to hide?&quot;Trump continued his barnstorming of key battleground states Wednesday with stops in Michigan and Ohio. On Thursday, he is due to deliver a major economic speech. 
 
During a stop in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday, Trump was interrupted by the Methodist pastor at a church he was visiting when he launched into a critique of Clinton`s foreign policy. 
 
&quot;Mr Trump, I invited you here to thank us for what we`ve done in Flint, not give a political speech,&quot; said the pastor, Faith Green Timmons. 
 
(AFP)

The Democratic presidential nominee is preparing to resume her campaign as she recovers from 'mild pneumonia'

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday looked to head off further questions about her health, releasing new medical records showing she is "fit to serve" as president and recovering from "mild" pneumonia as she prepares to resume her campaign. The disclosure came as her Republican rival Donald Trump, in a media-savvy move, released new health data of his own during the taping of a nationally televised medical chat show set to air Thursday. Both candidates, among the oldest ever to run for the White House, were under intense pressure to share more medical information after Clinton fell ill during a 9/11 ceremony in New York on Sunday and was forced to leave. Recent opinion polls have shown the gap between the two candidates narrowing, with less than two months to go before the ellection day, and the presidential hopefuls disclosed fresh information in a bid to score points with undecided voters. In a detailed, two-page "summary update" on Clinton`s health, her personal physician Lisa Bardack wrote that the 68-year-old was bouncing back after a diagnosis of "mild, non-contagious" pneumonia. She "is recovering well with antibiotics and rest" after being laid low over the weekend, when she suffered from fatigue and a low-grade fever, although her vital signs remained normal, Bardack said. The Democratic White House nominee "continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as president of the United States," she wrote, noting she is in "excellent mental condition." After Clinton was seen stumbling limp-legged into her vehicle Sunday at Ground Zero, it took several hours for her personal physician to disclose she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier, drawing criticism of her campaign`s transparency. Clinton was at home in Chappaqua, New York for a third straight day Wednesday, recovering from a health scare that has rocked her bid to become America's first woman president. News of Trump's appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show" -- though it appeared to reveal little detail -- had earlier flooded the US airwaves on Wednesday, upping the pressure on Clinton to share more health data before returning to the trail Thursday with appearances in North Carolina and Washington.So far the 70-year-old Trump had released only four, gushing paragraphs on his health, written by his doctor Harold Bornstein in December 2015. Following the revelation of Clinton`s pneumonia, Trump vowed soon to release "very, very specific numbers" from a recent check-up with Bornstein. Team Trump had raised -- then dropped -- the possibility of releasing them during an appearance on "Dr. Oz". But during the recording of the segment Wednesday morning, Trump finally did present its celebrity host with the results, according to a statement on the show`s website. In a snippet teased on the site, Mehmet Oz -- who is also a professor of surgery at Columbia University in New York -- is seen asking Trump: "If your health is as strong as it seems... why not show your medical records? "Well, I have really no problem in doing it," Trump responds. "I have it right here. Should I do it? I don`t care." The Republican nominee goes on to pull the documents from his pocket, to cheers and applause from the show audience.A statement from the medical chat show said their hour-long one-one-one interview touched on Trump`s cardiovascular health, family medical history and history of cancer, among other topics. But the actual details revealed appeared to remain very generic. According to US media who attended the taping, Oz declared Mr. Trump "slightly overweight" at 267 pounds (120 kilos) for roughly six foot two inches (1.88 meters). Audience member Kelly Platt -- a pharmacist intern and Trump supporter -- told CNN that Oz deemed Trump`s cholesterol to have come down to a safe level, thanks to medication. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook ridiculed Trump`s TV appearance. "His Doctor Oz charade is as completely unserious as his original joke of a letter written in five minutes," Mook said. "He continues to hide his taxes and business dealing behind fake excuses. And it begs the question: what is he trying to hide?"Trump continued his barnstorming of key battleground states Wednesday with stops in Michigan and Ohio. On Thursday, he is due to deliver a major economic speech. During a stop in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday, Trump was interrupted by the Methodist pastor at a church he was visiting when he launched into a critique of Clinton`s foreign policy. "Mr Trump, I invited you here to thank us for what we`ve done in Flint, not give a political speech," said the pastor, Faith Green Timmons. (AFP)

Hillary Clinton fit to serve as president, says doctor

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday attacked rival Donald Trump on multiple fronts and also accused him of &#39;hiding his taxes&#39; in the wake of Trump&#39;s comments on Federal Reserve&#39;s monetary policy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You should not be commenting on Fed actions when you are either running for president or you are president,&quot; Reuters quoted her as saying, adding that &quot;words can be misinterpreted and hence move markets&quot;. 
 
Trump had accused the US central bank of trying to help Democratic President Barack Obama by keeping interest rates low. He later added that interest rates should change.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;They&#39;re keeping the rates down so that everything else doesn&#39;t go down,&quot; the New York real estate magnate said.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We have a very false economy,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Clinton said that Trump should not try to talk up or down the economy.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;He should not be adding Fed to the long list of institutions and individuals that he is maligning and otherwise attacking,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp; 
 
She also lashed out at Republican presidential candidate for his &#39;coughing fit&#39; remark made during a recent presser where he mocked at Clinton for suffering a coughing fit at a gathering in Cleveland. &quot;Everytime, I think about Trump, I get allergic,&quot; she joked.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Hiding taxes&#39; 
&nbsp; 
As the election race narrows, Clinton also described Trump as &quot;dead wrong&quot; for saying that his tax returns were not the concern of everyday Americans, despite every major presidential nominee since Richard Nixon releasing their taxes before the election. 
 
&quot;I think it is a fundamental issue about him in this campaign that we&#39;re going to talk about in one way or another for the next 62 days, because he clearly has something to hide,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
&quot;If he&#39;s going to pursue this campaign, he owes it to the American people to come clean and release those tax returns.&quot; 
 
&#39;Trump is unfit to be a president&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Clinton, at a voter registration rally in Tampa, also repeated her charge that Trump is &quot;temperamentally unfit&quot; for the office. Before some 1,500 supporters in Tampa, she denounced him as a &quot;demagogue&quot; preying on Americans` insecurities.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He (Trump) is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president of the US,&quot; Clinton said as she unveiled a list of allegation against the Republican leader to buttress her point. 
 
Pointing out the alleged dangerous vision for America of Trump, she said that his divisive policies would endanger the US at home and abroad. 
 
He has no plan to combat ISIS and has frequently insulted US military, she said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;His whole campaign has been one long insult to all those who have worn the uniform to protect our most cherished American values. And a man who is so wrong about our veterans isn&#39;t right to serve as our commander-in-chief.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Edging closer 
 
In a new CNN/ORC poll, Trump has edged ahead of Clinton at 45 per cent to 43 per cent among likely voters, while an NBC News poll of registered voters shows Clinton`s lead holding at six percentage points: &nbsp;48 percent to 42 percent, the AFP reported.&nbsp; 
 
A survey by The Washington Post, looking at all 50 states shows Clinton with a solid lead in terms of electoral college votes, and even strength in some traditional Republican strongholds. 
 
The Democratic party presidential nominee, however, says she doesn&#39;t pay attention to such surveys.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We&#39;re sticking with our strategy, we feel very good about where we are,&quot; she said. 
 
But the polls show how close the race is looking ahead of the November 8 vote, making the battle for the so-called swing states all the more important. 
 
Both the presidential candidates have just 20 days before the first of three scheduled presidential debates, expected to be the most watched moments of an already raucous campaign. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Both the presidential candidates have just 20 days before the first of three 'highly-anticipated' presidential debates

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday attacked rival Donald Trump on multiple fronts and also accused him of 'hiding his taxes' in the wake of Trump's comments on Federal Reserve's monetary policy. "You should not be commenting on Fed actions when you are either running for president or you are president," Reuters quoted her as saying, adding that "words can be misinterpreted and hence move markets". Trump had accused the US central bank of trying to help Democratic President Barack Obama by keeping interest rates low. He later added that interest rates should change. “They're keeping the rates down so that everything else doesn't go down," the New York real estate magnate said. “We have a very false economy,” he added. Clinton said that Trump should not try to talk up or down the economy. “He should not be adding Fed to the long list of institutions and individuals that he is maligning and otherwise attacking,” she said. She also lashed out at Republican presidential candidate for his 'coughing fit' remark made during a recent presser where he mocked at Clinton for suffering a coughing fit at a gathering in Cleveland. "Everytime, I think about Trump, I get allergic," she joked. 'Hiding taxes' As the election race narrows, Clinton also described Trump as "dead wrong" for saying that his tax returns were not the concern of everyday Americans, despite every major presidential nominee since Richard Nixon releasing their taxes before the election. "I think it is a fundamental issue about him in this campaign that we're going to talk about in one way or another for the next 62 days, because he clearly has something to hide," she told reporters. "If he's going to pursue this campaign, he owes it to the American people to come clean and release those tax returns." 'Trump is unfit to be a president' Clinton, at a voter registration rally in Tampa, also repeated her charge that Trump is "temperamentally unfit" for the office. Before some 1,500 supporters in Tampa, she denounced him as a "demagogue" preying on Americans` insecurities. "He (Trump) is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president of the US," Clinton said as she unveiled a list of allegation against the Republican leader to buttress her point. Pointing out the alleged dangerous vision for America of Trump, she said that his divisive policies would endanger the US at home and abroad. He has no plan to combat ISIS and has frequently insulted US military, she said. "His whole campaign has been one long insult to all those who have worn the uniform to protect our most cherished American values. And a man who is so wrong about our veterans isn't right to serve as our commander-in-chief." Edging closer In a new CNN/ORC poll, Trump has edged ahead of Clinton at 45 per cent to 43 per cent among likely voters, while an NBC News poll of registered voters shows Clinton`s lead holding at six percentage points: 48 percent to 42 percent, the AFP reported. A survey by The Washington Post, looking at all 50 states shows Clinton with a solid lead in terms of electoral college votes, and even strength in some traditional Republican strongholds. The Democratic party presidential nominee, however, says she doesn't pay attention to such surveys. "We're sticking with our strategy, we feel very good about where we are," she said. But the polls show how close the race is looking ahead of the November 8 vote, making the battle for the so-called swing states all the more important. Both the presidential candidates have just 20 days before the first of three scheduled presidential debates, expected to be the most watched moments of an already raucous campaign. (WION with inputs from agencies)

War of words escalates: Clinton lashes out at Trump for Fed comments, accuses him of 'hiding taxes'

Senate minority leader Harry Reid asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate whether the Russian government may be attempting to &#39;interfere in the US presidential elections&#39; by tampering with voting results.&nbsp; 
 
Reid, in his letter to the FBI director James Comey on Monday, said,&quot;The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War.&quot; 
 
He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Trump&#39;s campaign ahead of the November 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
 
On Tuesday, four other Democrats wrote to Comey to investigate if the campaign officials working for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump coordinating with Russian interests to influence the electoral process.&nbsp; 
 
The letters come in the wake of repeated hacking attempts targeting US political databases.&nbsp; 
 
Kremlin officials have denied any involvement in penetrating the election system of the US. 
 
Hackers targeted voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona on Monday. The FBI did not specify who might have been behind the assault.&nbsp; 
 
Comey, however, declined to give any details about FBI&#39;s probe but indicated that agency was closely watching what other countries were doing.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with input from Reuters)

The move comes following a spate of hacking attempts targeting US political databases

Senate minority leader Harry Reid asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate whether the Russian government may be attempting to 'interfere in the US presidential elections' by tampering with voting results. Reid, in his letter to the FBI director James Comey on Monday, said,"The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War." He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Trump's campaign ahead of the November 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, four other Democrats wrote to Comey to investigate if the campaign officials working for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump coordinating with Russian interests to influence the electoral process. The letters come in the wake of repeated hacking attempts targeting US political databases. Kremlin officials have denied any involvement in penetrating the election system of the US. Hackers targeted voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona on Monday. The FBI did not specify who might have been behind the assault. Comey, however, declined to give any details about FBI's probe but indicated that agency was closely watching what other countries were doing. (WION with input from Reuters)

Senate minority leader requests FBI probe into Russia 'tampering' with election results

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

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

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

Clinton, Trump trade racism charges