White House rivals turn attention to hurricane

Presidential rivals John McCain and Barack Obama turned their attention to hurricane Gustav today as the Republican Party’s national convention was suspended.

Mr McCain urged his party “to act as Americans, not as Republicans” and Mr Obama urged his vast network of supporters to “give whatever you can afford, even $10 (€6), to make sure the American Red Cross has the resources to help those in the path of this storm”.

An estimated two million people have evacuated Louisiana and the US Gulf coast as authorities warned the “storm of the century” was coming.