US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia lost to a Tea Party challenger in a stunning Republican primary upset that sent shockwaves through Congress and gave the conservative movement a landmark victory.

President Barack Obama will have competed in the two most expensive US elections in history as the polls close this week.

Americans think too much money is being spent on the presidential campaign and most back limits on how much candidates are allowed to spend, a survey showed today.

US vice president Dick Cheney’s office pushed to delete references about the consequences of climate change on public health from congressional testimony, in a bid to play down the effects of global warming, a former environment expert claims.