DEMOCRATIC presidential candidates opened their sprint to the New Hampshire primary yesterday with newly minted front-runner John Kerry pitching his experience and John Edwards laying claim to electricity in a contest thrown wide open by the leadoff Iowa caucuses.

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts rode an 11th-hour surge to victory in Iowa’s kick-off presidential caucuses, upsetting Democratic front-runner Howard Dean and stunning caucus favourite Dick Gephardt.

American Democrats will next week begin the long and complicated process of selecting the candidate who will challenge George Bush for the White House.

Eight Democratic presidential contenders have strongly disputed that Howard Dean is the party’s best chance for beating President George Bush, or that former Vice President Al Gore’s endorsement of the front-runner will seal the nomination.

A nationwide poll released today said that an estimated 44% of the US electorate plan to vote against President George Bush next year, while 38% would support his re-election.

President George W. Bush’s job approval rating, which had slumped in several recent polls, has bounced back to 56% in a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released today.

Dick Gephardt, for eight years the minority leader in the House of Representatives, today threw his hat into the US presidential ring.

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle will not run for US president, saying today his passion 'lies here in the Senate'.

THE Democratic Party has been left without a clear candidate to challenge George W Bush for the White House in 2004, after former US Vice President Al Gore's surprise decision not to run.

Former US Vice President Al Gore, who came agonisingly close to winning the presidency two years ago, has said he will not run for the White House in 2004.

President George Bush and his party were today sketching an agenda for a new, Republican-controlled US Congress, after their historic mid-term election victory.

George Bush’s popularity helped the Republicans to an historic victory in the mid-term elections today and provided a major boost to his hopes of re-election in 2004.

Republicans appear to be headed toward extending their eight-year control of the House of Representatives.

Republicans and Democrats battled for control of Congress today in mid-term US elections clouded by terrorism, the threat of war and a shaky economy, with voters marking ballots for governor from Maine to California.

The US Congress today voted solidly to give President George Bush the broad authority he sought to use military force to confront Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, handing him a crucial national security policy victory

A resolution that would give US President George W Bush broad authority to use military force against Iraq gained momentum with Congress in Washington.

Washington

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH said he is close to a deal with Congress to “speak with one voice” against Saddam Hussein.

Britain and the US have reached agreement on a tough UN resolution on Iraq and will present a proposed text to Russia, France and China, the other permanent members of the Security Council, a senior White House official said tonight.

US President George Bush today said Saddam Hussein was “not going to fool anybody” with his promise to admit weapons inspectors.

President George Bush, answering demands to know his intentions toward Iraq, has invited the congressional leadership to a White House briefing today.

US President George Bush was warned today he needed the backing of Congress and the American people if he is to wage war on Iraq - despite being told the law did not require it.

US Vice President Dick Cheney has warned of grave consequences from not acting quickly against Saddam Hussein.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, gathered in Washington to support Israel’s war on terrorism, shouted down a Bush administration official who suggested Palestinians have suffered too.

Thirty-one employees of the US Senate tested positive for exposure to a highly concentrated form of anthrax, officials said, prompting congressional leaders to order an unprecedented shutdown of some of their offices.

White House officials and congressional leaders agreed early Friday to final details of a $40bn package to combat terrorism and recover from attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The Republican-controlled House of Representative has voted for an across-the-board tax cut of nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.