President-elect Donald Trump has announced his selection of former campaign rival Rick Perry to be the country's next secretary of energy.

Scott Walker has halted his 2016 White House bid, warning the Republican race has become too nasty and calling on some of his party rivals to do the same, citing an urgent need to “clear the field” to help defeat front-runner Donald Trump.

Donald Trump, the man to beat in tonight’s first televised Republican presidential debate, said he does not plan to attack his rivals and downplayed expectations for his performance, saying “I’m not a debater.”

Real estate magnate Donald Trump moved to the top of the 2016 US Republican presidential field in a CNN poll released yesterday, edging rival Jeb Bush and gaining support from Republicans in the last month despite a series of controversial statements.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump plans to make a big speech at the Mexico-Texas border today.

Former Texas governor Rick Perry launched his presidential campaign four years ago as an instant frontrunner.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, will address a gathering of Republicans in California today that will mark his first public comments since making it known that he may run again in 2016.

A nurse in Spain has contracted Ebola, becoming the first person known to have caught the disease outside the outbreak zone in West Africa during the current epidemic.

A total of 27 Irish companies are participating in the first leg of Ireland's five-day, six-city trade mission to the United States, which officially gets underway today.

A number of people have been killed in a massive explosion at a fertiliser plant near Waco, Texas.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone feels the passionate backing of the city of Austin ensured the United States Grand Prix proved to be a resounding success - and will be for years to come.

A man opened fire on a policeman bringing an eviction order, killing him and another man before he was shot dead by officers.

US presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s whining and flip-flopping is making him look like a wimp with something to prove, not a steady future leader of the Western world, writes Michael Tomasky

Rick Santorum dropped out of the race for the US Republican presidential nomination, leaving the field clear for Mitt Romney as the party’s likely choice to challenge President Barack Obama.

It’s not only toxic — it’s driven by a right-wing billionaire who profits more from flipping land than drilling for gas. Is energy’s latest boon just another scam founded on hot air? Jeff Goodell reports

Newt Gingrich stormed to a shock victory over Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primary today, scrambling the race to choose a Republican challenger to President Barack Obama.

MITT ROMNEY entered the final full day of campaigning in South Carolina’s primary contest scrambling to fend off challenges from more conservative rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum and insisting he’s the one that Republicans can trust to “post up well” against President Barack Obama in the autumn.

The race for the Republican presidential nomination took several twists and turns as Rick Perry dropped out, Newt Gingrich faced stunning allegations from his ex-wife and Mitt Romney struggled to maintain a shaky front-runner's standing.

NEWT GINGRICH may have won the endorsement of Texas Governor Rick Perry, but his second ex-wife, Marianne, told Americans last night her former husband sought an open marriage and was conning the electorate.

Texas Governor Rick Perry is abandoning his bid for the Republican nomination in the US presidential race, and endorsing Newt Gingrich, officials say.

A KEY ally of Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney has joined his rivals in urging the candidate to release his income tax forms after he said he pays roughly a 15% tax rate.

Mitt Romney has emerged largely unscathed in the latest debate among a shrinking field of Republican hopefuls launching attacks on his moderate political record and career in venture capitalism.

Republican favourite to challenge for the US Presidency, Mitt Romney, stood alone today at the top of the field of candidates in this week’s primary balloting in South Carolina, where three of his more conservative challengers are splitting evangelical and social conservative voters.

TORN between reality and their political dreams, leading conservatives are defending Mitt Romney against attacks on his work in the private sector even as they search for a more palatable candidate amid a growing sense that his nomination looks certain.

REPUBLICAN front-runner Mitt Romney continued to defend his leadership of a private equity firm amid claims he was a job killer while he was chief executive.

Both Barack Obama and his Republican opponents claim responsibility for creating jobs. Ezra Klein asks how much influence a US president actually has when it comes to generating employment.

Mitt Romney began a 10-day quest for victory in the South Carolina Republican presidential contest, where a win could all but ensure that he will be his party’s choice to run against President Barack Obama.

REPUBLICAN presidential contenders brought buckets of cash and sharp rhetoric to South Carolina yesterday for an intense 10-day battle that may determine whether any candidate can stop Mitt Romney’s march to the party’s nomination.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has conceded he he has "an uphill climb" in the next primary in South Carolina, where he finished fourth in 2008.

DUBBED “super PACs” and flush with millions of dollars, outside groups backing and attacking Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich include a hotel magnate, a casino mogul and former partners at Romney’s private equity firm.

NEWT GINGRICH challenged frontrunner Mitt Romney to account for his record as a corporate takeover artist as Republican presidential hopefuls hustled through a final day of campaigning for the New Hampshire primary, a pivotal test for the rivals bidding to derail the former Massachusetts governor.

REPUBLICAN rivals of presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney have urged the party faithful to nominate somebody with a greater chance of opposing President Barack Obama.

ARE the world’s financial institutions to be or not to be?

He became a frontrunner too late to face much criticism before the Republicans’ Iowa caucus. But Rick Santorum is now under fire for his stance on a number of issues, writes Marcus Stern

Rick Santorum is poised to establish himself as the top conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, a day after jolting the Republican US presidential race by coming within eight votes of winning the Iowa caucuses.

A SQUEAKER of an Iowa victory in hand, Mitt Romney headed last night into the New Hampshire primary — in his own political backyard — insisting that staying power sets him apart from runners-up Rick Santorum and Ron Paul and the rest of the Republican presidential field.

MITT ROMNEY’S whisker-thin Iowa caucus victory was underwhelming in scope and anti-climactic in its finality — but it moved him closer to the Republican presidential nomination chiefly because of who finished fourth and fifth.

Front-running Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was today looking towards the next battle in New Hampshire after managing only the slimmest of victories in Iowa.

Mitt Romney was locked in a dead heat with Rick Santorum today in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses, the opening contest in the campaign to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama.

JUDGMENT day dawned for Republican contenders vying to take on Barack Obama in November’s presidential election, with a pivotal vote in Iowa set to dramatically reduce the field of contenders.

Iowa Republicans prepared to cast the first votes of the 2012 presidential contest tonight, marking their choice for a candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in November.