President’s quest in self-mythology stops off in Dallas for a Republican convention where fans indulged his lies and revelled in his jokesKim Il-sung of North Korea reportedly sought transfusions of blood from young men; Mao Zedong of China believed sex with young women could prolong his life; Muammar Gaddafi underwent fat injections and hair transplantation to make himself look younger. But for Donald Trump, the secret of eternal youth lies in nights like this.The occasion of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas was enough to get the 80-year-old US president’s juices flowing. An arena with thousands of fanatical supporters indulging his lies, laughing at his jokes and burnishing his fantasies of greatness is Trump’s happy […]

Harvested data of users was sold during 2016 US election and allegedly used in ads designed to reduce Democratic voter turnoutFacebook’s trial over a privacy scandal that erupted during the 2016 US election when the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica bought user data harvested from millions of profiles has begun in New Mexico.Attorney Randi McGinn, representing New Mexico, told jurors that Cambridge Analytica had used Facebook profile data to target Democratic voters with messaging such as “Hillary’s got it, you don’t need to vote” in an alleged attempt to reduce voter turnout. Continue reading...

President makes offer that would cost US over $1tn and asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’ despite being deeply unpopular among electorateDonald Trump pledged to pay every adult citizen in the US $5,000 if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the midterm elections, during a marathon speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in which the president assailed Democrats as “radical” and defended his unpopular war in Iran.The outlandish proposal, which would cost over $1tn, immediately raised ethical concerns. But it laid bare the extent of the Republicans’ concern about their prospects in the pivotal November elections. Continue reading...

Budget cuts, loss of knowledgeable officials and diverted resources raise risk of another attack, experts warnThe US faces growing challenges in countering international terrorism as resources are diverted to other threats, experienced security officials leave and “complacency” spreads, experts have warned.It is 25 years this week since the 9/11 attacks launched by Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida on New York and Washington, which killed about 3,000 people and led to decades of conflict, radicalisation and instability across the Middle East and beyond. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed.US citizens will receive $5,000 if Republicans win midterms, Trump claims in lengthy convention speechSign up for US Breaking News emailStefany Shaheen, the daughter of a longtime New Hampshire senator and former governor, has won the Democratic nomination in the race for Chris Pappas’s former House seat.Stefany Shaheen’s mother Jeanne Shaheen is a former governor who has represented New Hampshire in the Senate since 2009. The younger Shaheen’s family ties to the Democratic establishment – and accusations of nepotism – became a point of attack by her opponent in the primary race. Continue reading...