An exit poll has indicated that John McCain has won the vote in Kentucky.

“THERE’S no question Mr McCain is in a difficult place,” wrote political strategist Karl Rove, explaining the odds against a candidate winning the White House who’s trailing in the polls like McCain is today.

IN THE past week Fianna Fáil, the leading party within the Government, has become divided, distrusted and exposed — all because of ineptitude.

Karen McCarthy reports from New York on the trail of deceit as US presidential candidates take liberties with the truth.

It was an election about unity, non-partisanship and getting America back on track, until Senator John McCain reignited a war that could cost the Democrats the election.

Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama reportedly told the top military commander in Iraq that some US forces should be pulled out and deployed to Afghanistan when the two met in July in Baghdad.

The following extracts are taken from Senator Barack Obama’s speech as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party convention in Denver before tens of thousands of his supporters.

Joe Biden is Obama’s strongest line of defence against McCain, writes Karen McCarthy in New York.

HILLARY CLINTON’S speech to Democratic delegates gathered in Denver received extremely positive reviews in yesterday’s newspapers.

THEY were nude, they were crude and they were the audience Senator John McCain hoped would refocus the American presidential campaign on his pledge to win the war in Iraq.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign has asked for the personal documents of a potential running mate, it was reported today.

THE Reverend Jesse Jackson used the N-word during a break in a TV interview where he criticised presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News said.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson used an emotionally charged racial slur during a break in a TV interview in which he criticised presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News confirmed today.

US PRESIDENT George W Bush lifted a White House ban on offshore drilling yesterday to try to drive down soaring energy prices, a largely symbolic move unlikely to have any short-term impact on high gasoline costs.

The Rev Jesse Jackson has apologised for “regretfully crude” comments he made about White House contender Barack Obama’s speeches in black churches during what he thought was a private conversation.

A VETERAN Fine Gael politician followed in his late father’s footsteps to become lord mayor of Cork last night.

CLINTON vs Obama is how the Pennsylvania primary debate was billed last week, capturing the pugilism of the race as the candidates gear up for Tuesday’s possible make or break vote in the Keystone State.

Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton’s pollster and senior strategist has left her campaign after it was disclosed he met representatives of the Colombian government to help promote a free trade agreement his boss opposes.

Bill Clinton’s decision to pull out of a Belfast conference marking the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a vote of no confidence in it, a leading unionist claimed today.

Richard Wolffe gets on board bus Obama, where the presidential favourite tells him why he has stuck to his principles by running a positive campaign and avoided unleashing attacks on his fellow candidates

The Republican and Democratic US presidential candidates clashed on issues ranging from immigration to healthcare in back-to-back debates three days ahead of the first primary election in the White House race.

THE first primaries for the US presidential election are upon us, and the world is eager to learn who might become the next leader of the free world.

IN A state that doesn’t respond well to political aggressiveness, the final Democratic presidential debate in Iowa on Thursday took a rather cordial tone.

A deranged man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office in the US tonight, took several hostages and demanded to speak to the candidate, authorities said.

A man claiming to have a bomb walked into Hillary Clinton's campaign offices tonight and took hostages, US police and witnesses said.

DEMOCRATS criticised the Bush administration yesterday for giving immunity to Blackwater USA bodyguards, calling the move a failure to hold the security contractors responsible for the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians.

WITH a Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar under his belt, Al Gore’s fans are hoping he will take another shot at the presidency.

US Senator Barack Obama has the aura of a rock star, according to George Clooney, who also had nice words for the other Democratic Party presidential candidates.

THE media took a novel approach to the latest Democratic presidential debate by hosting the event with the video-sharing website YouTube.

Young, internet-savvy voters challenged Democratic presidential hopefuls on Iraq and their own place in a broken political system, playing starring roles in a provocative, video-driven debate.

IRAQ dominated a debate of eight US Democratic presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire on Sunday as candidates were questioned about foreign policy, immigration reform, gays in the military, health care and the role of Bill Clinton in the next administration.

US President George Bush has fallen short of his role as leader of the free world, and the 2008 election is a chance to change that, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama said today.

US presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton has raised a record amount of funds for her campaign.

Senator Barack Obama announced his bid to be America’s first black president by urging an end to the Iraq war and portraying himself as a fresh face capable of leading a new generation.

Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed confidence in her presidential prospects yesterday and said she awaits a spirited contest for the 2008 Democratic nomination.

Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton will embark on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House today, a former first lady intent on becoming America's first female president.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iraq is “worth the investment” in American lives and dollars and said the US could still win the war.

US PRESIDENT George W Bush headed to the US Gulf Coast yesterday to confront a region where the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina were receding but anger and frustration still overflowed.

WHAT a depressing thought to be facing four more years of ‘an amadán sa Teach Bán’.