North America

New Hampshire hamlet gets US Election Day rolling

DIXVILLE NOTCH, United States (AFP) — The US presidential election got underway — on a small scale — as seven people in a tiny New Hampshire village cast their ballots at the stroke of midnight. Dixville Notch has had the honor of launching the voting, symbolically, since 1960. A man named Clay Smith was the first of the seven residents — five men and two women — to cast ballots as Tuesday’s long awaited Election […]

Obamas join Clinton at Philadelphia rally

by Andrew BEATTY PHILADELPHIA, United States (AFP) — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Monday made an Election Eve show of political force at a massive rally in Philadelphia — with her president husband Bill, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle at her side. Clinton urged the roughly 40,000 people gathered near Independence Hall — where the Founding Fathers adopted both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution — to reject her “loose […]

Obama says he’s ‘betting’ voters will ‘reject fear’

PHILADELPHIA, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama on Monday made the case for Hillary Clinton at a huge rally in Philadelphia uniting the Democratic Party’s two power families, telling voters to “reject fear and choose hope” on Election Day. “I’m betting that the wisdom and decency and generosity of the American people will once again win the day and that is a bet that I have never, ever lost,” Obama said to tens of […]

About 40,000 people at Clinton-Obama rally: campaign

PHILADELPHIA, United States (AFP) — About 40,000 people flooded Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Monday for Hillary Clinton’s rally with her husband Bill, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle at her side, a campaign aide said. Rockers Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi were also on the program for the event in the City of Brotherly Love, the next-to-last rally on the Democratic White House hopeful’s agenda for her final day of campaigning. The attendance […]

Clinton, Trump fight to wire as bitter US race ends

by Ivan Couronne / with Michael Mathes in Raleigh, North Carolina GRAND RAPIDS, United States (AFP) — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Monday gave US voters a stark choice as their brutal White House battle neared its end — between her vision of unity and his promise to take back power from Washington’s corrupt elites. On the final day of a presidential campaign that has left a bemused world looking on in concern for […]

On election eve, Trump’s last-ditch bid for glory

by Michael Mathes with Jennie Matthew in Manchester, New Hampshire RALEIGH, United States (AFP) — Striding onto the stage in the waning hours of an exhilarating and extraordinary 511-day election campaign, Republican Donald Trump sounded as if he wasn’t quite ready for his American roadshow to end. And if he wins the White House on Tuesday, it won’t. Exhausted as he must be, having hop-scotched to campaign stops in a dozen cities in two days, Trump […]

Clinton, Trump in frenzied campaign finale

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – by Jim MANNION Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump launched into the frenzied final day of their historic fight for the White House Monday, with blow-out rallies in the handful of swing states that will decide who leads the United States. Clinton, the front-running Democrat, aimed to nail down her narrow lead with stops in three battleground states, as President Barack Obama covers for her elsewhere before they join up at […]

Win or lose, ‘Trumpism’ will leave its mark

by Brigitte DUSSEAU WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Even if, as most polls predict, he loses Tuesday’s US presidential election, Donald Trump’s populist charge will leave its mark on the American body politic. The 70-year-old billionaire tycoon is the Republican flag-bearer even though part of the Grand Old Party’s establishment has rejected him, and others are voting for him while holding their noses. But Trump has managed to craft his own political brand, building a […]

FBI lifts Clinton email cloud as US election looms

by Ivan Couronne with Dave Clark in Washington CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — The FBI on Sunday lifted the threat that Hillary Clinton might face charges over her private email server — dropping a campaign bombshell 36 hours before her White House showdown with Donald Trump. The Democrat’s camp welcomed the news that FBI Director James Comey had decided not to change his July recommendation that she not be prosecuted for putting US secrets at […]

Watch: US election fever reaches Russia

https://youtu.be/cbe8poau5IM Is Donald Trump Russia’s best friend? Many in the country seem to believe the flamboyant White House candidate could help fix shattered ties between the two former Cold War foes.  (Video courtesy AFP TV)

Clinton touts optimism against Trump’s grim warnings

Cleveland, United States (AFP) — by Ivan Couronne with Michael Mathes in Hershey, Pennsylvania Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump brandished starkly different visions of America as they headed into a fierce final weekend of campaigning Saturday, one celebrating hope as the other bashed corruption. Trump doubled down on his attacks on Clinton as a product of a venal and incompetent establishment, while Clinton headlined an optimistic concert spectacular featuring superstar singer Beyonce. Forecasts based on […]