Donald Trump has pledged post-election lawsuits against every woman who has accused him of sexual assault or other inappropriate behaviour.

Sarah Palin said she is “still kind of contemplating” a presidential campaign as she and her family set off from the US capital on a bus tour of historical sites that left observers puzzled about what the former Alaska governor planned next – both for her schedule and her career.

World leaders will light an eternal flame, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will lead a reading of the names of 2,823 victims to mark the anniversary of the World Trade Centre attack.

President George W Bush today sent Christmas greetings to US troops fighting the war on terrorism and to families who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks. ‘‘America grieves with you,’’ he said.