ENGLAND:

A man who set himself on fire in the National Mall in Washington has died of his injuries, police said.

A man has been flown to hospital after setting himself on fire on the National Mall in Washington DC.

President Barack Obama saluted Dr Martin Luther King today as a man who “stirred our conscience” and made the Union “more perfect”.

Thousands of people have gathered in Washington to give the new Martin Luther King Memorial a proper dedication on the National Mall after its opening in August.

Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Irene have begun lashing the east coast of the US, with the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage.

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.

US president Barack Obama has said he remains confident that a government shutdown can be avoided this weekend if negotiators can build on constructive talks over a public spending impasse.

The second major snowstorm in a week has today swept up the US east coast, piling on already-snowbound Washington, where most federal government offices have been shut down since last week, and moving on to New York City.

A blizzard-like storm has rocked the Mid-Atlantic and North-eastern US states, crippling travel across the region and causing hundreds of thousands of power cuts.

THE crossroads America passed through this week comes to life in many places but few capture it better than the junction of U Street and 14th in Washington DC.

Barack Obama will make history today when he is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States – the first black American to hold the post.

WASHINGTON is bracing itself for an onslaught today as the city’s population begins to swell in anticipation of tomorrow’s inauguration of Barack Obama as America’s first black president.

Americans offered a much more negative view of the Iraq war than President George Bush’s verdict on its fifth anniversary today.

Al Gore today announced a surprise Live Earth concert in Washington, foiling Senate Republicans who blocked Gore’s attempt to bring the global warming extravaganza to the grounds of the US Capitol.

Independence Day celebrations were planned today across the United States on a day that will include thousands of immigrants becoming citizens and heightened security following attempted car bombings in Britain.

The “new” Northern Ireland was showcased in the United States today by Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness and one of his one-time leading critics, Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Peter Robinson.

Actress Jane Fonda broke her silence over Iraq to join tens of thousands of protesters in Washington in a massive anti-war demonstration that included some members of the military.

Thousands of people joined celebrities and lawmakers at a US rally yesterday urging the Bush administration and Congress to help end genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Hundreds of thousands of people demanding US citizenship for illegal immigrants took to the streets in dozens of cities from New York to San Diego yesterday in some of the most widespread demonstrations since the mass protests began around the US last month.

US President George Bush today told abortion opponents they are pursuing “a noble cause” and making a real difference in the campaign to recruit more Americans to stand on their side.

Terrorism suspects held in the US Navy prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are being dealt with “humanely” and with “dignity,” the nation’s top military officer says in disputing reported abuses.

George Bush swore the oath of office for a second term as president of the United States today, pledging to seek “freedom in all the world” as the surest path to peace in an era of terrorism across the globe.

As Americans celebrate their first Independence Day since September 11, jet fighters will patrol the skies over major cities and plainclothes FBI agents will be on hand, and on high alert.

Efforts to build a national memorial honouring Martin Luther King Jr have stalled because the American civil rights leader’s family wants money to use his name and likeness in the marketing campaign.