PRESIDENT George W Bush holds a narrow two-point lead over Democratic challenger John Kerry less than four weeks before the November 2 presidential election, according to a new poll.

Presidential election challenger John Kerry is shaking up his campaign team after a disastrous month which severely dented his White House dreams.

The increasingly bitter presidential election race stepped up a gear today as the Republican National Convention ended and campaigning resumed.

Nearly 1,000 protesters were arrested across Manhattan as swarms of activists massed in the streets for marches to the site of the Republican convention – by far the biggest day of arrests since the demonstrations began last week.

Police set up metal fences around the headquarters of a major bank in New Jersey, blocked off two streets, and armed themselves with assault rifles after authorities warned of a terrorist attack on financial institutions.