Voters in New Hampshire began the first presidential primary ballot today with Barack Obama apparently poised to give Hillary Clinton a second, and possibly devastating, defeat in less than a week.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton clashed today ahead of Tuesday’s critical New Hampshire primary.

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.

Barack Obama has edged ahead of national front-runner Hillary Clinton in Iowa’s Democratic nomination race, a poll showed today.

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

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.

DEMOCRATIC Senator John Kerry conceded defeat in a hard-fought US presidential election yesterday saying he had offered President George Bush congratulations on his victory but that the nation needed healing.

NOW the result of the 2004 election is finally confirmed, the possible candidates for the 2008 race will begin jockeying for position.

Democratic Senator John Kerry conceded defeat in a hard-fought US presidential election today saying he had offered President George Bush congratulations on his victory but that the nation needed healing.

Now the result of the 2004 election is finally confirmed, the possible candidates for the 2008 race will begin jockeying for position.

US President George Bush today won a second term in office from a divided and anxious nation, his promise of steady, strong wartime leadership trumping John Kerry’s fresh-start approach to Iraq and joblessness.

In an election that could rival the photo finish of 2000, US voters were today choosing between President George Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry.

US President George Bush and election challenger John Kerry were entering a final breathless weekend of campaigning today, ahead of Tuesday’s election.

President George Bush and Democratic rival Senator John Kerry are locked in a tie for the popular vote, according to an Associated Press poll, while a chunk of voters waver between their desire for change and their doubts about the alternative.

US President George Bush today questioned Senator John Kerry’s “ability to lead our nation” raising the Democratic challenger’s year-old opposition to emergency funding for the Iraq war.

The US presidential election sunk to a new low today as a public row over the sexuality of the vice president’s daughter rumbled on.

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.

As George Bush and John Kerry go head-to-head in what is considered the most crucial presidential election in generations, America has turned to another issue – the colour of Senator Kerry’s face.

US president George Bush will defend his decision to invade Iraq when he addresses the United Nations today, a day after his election challenger John Kerry accused him of lying about the reasons for war.

THE campaign teams of US President George Bush and Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry have tentatively agreed to three face-to-face debates, it was reported yesterday.

TODAY marks the third anniversary of the day terrorists destroyed New York’s twin towers and changed the world.

THE Republican Party convention opened in New York yesterday with a gloves-off attack on their Democratic rivals and a bid to portray President George Bush as a strong war leader.

Republicans marshalled their forces to bolster President George Bush’s image as a strong leader in treacherous times as they open their national convention in the city that felt the brunt of the worst terrorist attacks in US history.

President George Bush and newly-crowned Democratic standard-bearer John Kerry wasted no time blasting each other at the official start of the US general election campaign, trading identical criticisms that the other was short on accomplishments.

The man challenging George Bush for the White House, Senator John Kerry, arrived tonight in Boston where his followers are gathered for the pre-election Democratic National Convention.

US Presidential candidate John Kerry needs to get real about the political process in Northern Ireland, he was told today.

THE majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction their country is taking and with the main policies of President George Bush, according to a new poll.

US president George Bush has opened a slight lead over presidential challenger Senator John Kerry while regaining the confidence of some voters on the economy and other domestic issues, according to a new poll that held a silver lining for Democrats.

US Senator John Edwards formally ended his pursuit of the Democratic nomination, pledging to “do everything in my power” to help John Kerry win the White House.

Vietnam war hero John Kerry today emerged as the man who will challenge George W Bush for the White House at the presidential election.

Democratic front-runner John Kerry scored victories in the Idaho caucuses and Utah primaries, and looked ahead to more good fortune in the Hawaii contest, the last before a climactic 10-state round next week.

THE two Democratic contenders hoping to challenge George Bush for the presidency would beat him if an election were held now, according to a poll yesterday.

A confident-sounding Senator John Kerry wrapped up his campaign for today’s pivotal Wisconsin presidential primary by aiming barbs at President George W Bush and ignoring his Democratic opponents.

JOHN KERRY, buoyed by a denial by journalist Alexandra Polier that she had an affair with the Massachusetts senator, consolidated his place yesterday in the race to challenge George W Bush for the White House.

DEMOCRATIC presidential hopeful John Kerry moved yesterday to quash potentially catastrophic rumours linking him to an intern.

Retired four star general Wesley Clark tonight dropped out of the race for the White House.

John Kerry’s growing string of wins is persuading party leaders to look for ways to bring the Democratic presidential primary season to a quick close.

US presidential hopeful John Kerry vanquished his Southern-bred rivals in Virginia and Tennessee today, marching steadily toward the Democratic nomination with a sweep in the South that extended his dominance to every region of the country.

Senator John Kerry has won crushing caucus victories in Michigan and Washington state.

Democratic US presidential primaries front-runner John Kerry has rolled up big victories and a pile of delegates in five states, while two of his rivals kept their candidacies alive with singular triumphs.

After back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, Senator John Kerry was today hoping for a clean sweep in the biggest test yet for Democratic presidential hopefuls, seven states holding primaries or caucuses.

Mark Sage on the US election campaign trail

US SENATOR John Kerry yesterday turned his attention to the 'Super Seven' battle as his runaway New Hampshire victory made him the man to beat in the Democratic presidential race.

John Kerry and Howard Dean were battling their way to the finish line in the New Hampshire primary tonight as voters helped choose who would challenge George Bush for the presidency.