President-elect Barack Obama can “count on complete cooperation” after his “impressive victory” as he prepares to take over at the White House, President George Bush said today.

A small Irish village is getting ready for an official visit from the most powerful man in the world.

The leaders of Ireland's political parties have been using Dáil time this morning to congratulate Barack Obama on his election as US President.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy led European congratulations to Barack Obama today, hailing his “brilliant victory” in winning the White House.

BEFORE last year, the most famous descendant of Moneygall, Co Offaly, was Papillon, the horse that won the Aintree Grand National in 2000.

The Offaly village of Moneygall - home to Barack Obama’s ancestors - threw a celebration party tonight in a local pub in anticipation of his victory in the US presidential election.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he did not know that one of his Kenyan relatives was living in the United States illegally and believes the appropriate laws should be followed.

The Labour Party is questioning if establishing a cabinet committee on human rights is the best way of tackling the issue of extraordinary rendition.

Democrat Barack Obama held onto his solid lead in the polls and appeared confident of capturing the US presidency in the historic race, but steeled his supporters for a crescendo of vicious attacks in the final hours of the campaign.

JOHN McCAIN renewed his attacks on Barack Obama’s ties to a 1960s radical as he targeted the key battleground state of Florida.

US agents have broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a murder spree in the state of Tennessee.

IN LESS than two weeks the world will know who is to be the next president of the United States, though it seems improbable that Barrack Obama will not be named as the chosen one.

THE popularity gap between Barack Obama and John McCain has doubled from 7% earlier this month to 14%, according to the Pew Research Centre’s latest voters poll.

DEMOCRAT Barack Obama will leave the White House trail tomorrow to head to the side of his gravely ill 85-year-old grandmother in Hawaii, just 11 days before the election.

Barack Obama is leaving the presidential campaign trail for two days to be with his 85-year-old grandmother who has suddenly become seriously ill, his campaign said today.

Barack Obama warned his supporters not to “get carried away” by his lead over Republican rival John McCain in national polls today.

Electing a black man as president of the US would be a phenomenal change for the country and the world, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan said today.

Barack Obama will increase taxes despite the fact Americans are already hurting and angry, his Republican presidential rival John McCain said today.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain will unveil new economic proposals today aimed at helping middle-class Americans as he fights to make up a slump in the polls.

Barack Obama unveiled a new plan to tackle the United States’ economic crisis today as his Republican rival John McCain insisted the race was not over yet.

Trailing in the polls, John McCain today said US political pundits may have written off his presidential campaign but he will “fool them again” and “come from behind like we have every time in the past”.

America cannot afford the "kind of erratic and uncertain leadership" offered by John McCain, his Democratic rival Barack Obama said today.

US presidential candidate Barack Obama has backed calls for an inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane, campaigners said today.

Barack Obama has “better answers” for the United States, former President Bill Clinton said as polls showed the Democrat had regained the lead in the race to the White House.

IN his letter (September 27), PJ McElhone asks whether John McCain is a good investment if the US economy struggles for the long term. The answer is a resounding yes.

John McCain said he could not continue his presidential campaign as though the "dangerous situation" with the US economy had not occurred today.

John McCain called for the first face-to-face debate of the US election to be postponed after both presidential candidates urged Americans to come together to solve the financial crisis.

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

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama dismissed the "lipstick on a pig" controversy as a "silly season in politics" before White House candidates halted their attacking adverts to mark the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks today.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s comments that “you can put lipstick on a pig” were “offensive and disgraceful”, his rival John McCain’s campaign said today.

John McCain urged Americans to fight for their country, to make history, and to rid Washington of its “constant partisan rancour” today as he accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

REPUBLICAN presidential candidate John McCain says his vice-presidential pick, Sarah Palin, was already an experienced government official while his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, was working as a community organiser.

Barack Obama delivered a “misleading” speech which was at odds with his “meagre” record, his Republican rival John McCain’s campaign said today.

Hillary Clinton put the full weight of her presidential campaign and her political career behind Barack Obama in a passionate speech which drew thunderous applause at the Democratic Party’s national convention.

THE schism in the Democratic party will finally be put to bed when Bill Clinton gives a ringing endorsement of Barack Obama tonight.

Democrats will gather in Colorado today to formally nominate Barack Obama as their candidate for US president.

THE camps of Barack Obama and John McCain sparred yesterday over the Democrats’ choice of a longtime Washington insider as his running mate.

Former US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has today congratulated Senator Joe Biden on his nomination to be Barack Obama's running mate.

IRISH political parties have clearly indicated their preference for the next president of the United States by not sending a single representative to the Republican convention where John McCain will be officially nominated as candidate.

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is expected finally to name his running mate this week.

US Democrat Barack Obama quickly took off the gloves and was again battering John McCain as little different from President George Bush as the race for the White House intensified.

Hollywood actor George Clooney has denied he enjoys a close friendship with US presidential candidate Barack Obama - insisting he has "never texted or emailed" the politician.

Hillary Rodham Clinton told an exuberant crowd she wanted Barack Obama to win the White House, saying that even though he dashed her presidential dream he is a better choice to lead America than Republican John McCain.

A man said to have been keeping weapons and military-style gear in his hotel room and car appeared in a Florida court accused of threatened to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.