Obama in Orlando to console grieving families

Obama in Orlando to console grieving families

President Barack Obama arrived in Orlando, where he will console loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage that has fueled America's culture wars and a fresh push for gun controls.

Air Force One touched down shortly before 1:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Florida, where Obama will call for national unity and meet families whose lives have been ripped apart by a tragedy of national proportions.

The massacre of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub last Sunday was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of a country that is depressingly familiar with such events. Another 53 people were wounded.

"This will be, I think, an emotional trip," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden.

Obama and Biden are slated to meet emergency medical crews and hospital staff who laboured to save lives in the chaotic hours after the massacre by gunman Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent.

Mateen was killed in a police raid, but his motivation and how he came to possess an special forces assault rifle remain deeply contentious.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the attack.

The IS group then claimed responsibility for the shooting, and FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalised by following extremist propaganda online.

That has prompted Republicans to call for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group.

The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group's strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama's own CIA director John Brennan, who warned the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world.

"Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he told senior US lawmakers. Read More

US Elections 2016: Trump, Clinton move closer to Presidential face-off

Real estate mogul Donald Trump has swept the crucial Republican presidential primary in Florida taking away with all the 99 delegates from the State which will provide major impetus to his aspiration to become the US President even as Hillary Clinton has won the North Carolina Democratic primary.

The former Secretary of State was projected to bag at least 56 delegates out of 107 at stake in North Carolina.

Clinton also won in Florida after having a massive lead over her sole rival Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton had support of 65.6% of the votes as against 30.6% for Sanders.

Notably, Republican Senator Marco Rubio has ended his campaign after suffering a humiliating loss in his home state of Florida.

It has been a "devastating" night for Rubio in Florida where he polled just 27.8% of the votes as against Trump's impressive 45.3%.

"Word is that, despite a record amount spent on negative and phony ads, I had a massive victory in Florida," Trump said in a tweet even before major television channels projected his victory.

Being billed as Super Tuesday 2.0, primary elections were held in five States - Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri.

Initial reports suggested that Hillary Clinton and Trump had leads in North Carolina where 72 delegates are at stake for the GOP. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was closely following Trump.

However, in Ohio where 66 delegates are at stake, State Governor John Kasich was leading against Trump. Clinton was leading in Ohio.

The primary US Elections held in five states yesterday is part of the process of both the Republican and Democratic parties to nominate their presidential candidates for the November 8 elections, which would elect the next occupant of the White House.

It all started with the Iowa caucus on February 1, with 17 Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates in the race. A month and half later, during which primaries and caucuses have been completed in nearly three dozen States and territories, the race to the White House has shrunk to four candidates on the Republican side and two on the Democratic side.

It would all culminate in the once-in-four-year conventions of both the parties in July wherein their respective delegates from all 50 States and territories would democratically elect and nominate their presidential nominations.

The Democratic convention would be held in Philadelphia where the party's 4763 delegates would nominate their presidential candidate. The nominee needs to have the support of majority of the 4763 delegates, which comprises of the elected delegates through the primary and caucuses and super delegates, who are party leaders and other elected officials.

Cleveland in Ohio will host the Republican convention wherein the nominee needs to have the support of at least half of the 2572 delegates.

If none of the candidates in the race are unable to have half of the delegates in their kitty before the Cleveland convention in July, the delegates would then vote for their favourite nominee, which might witness a rare horse trading in the American political system. However, the top leadership of the Republican party believe that this would be settled much before that and they would be able to avoid a contested convention.

Before yesterday's primaries, Trump was leading among the Republican candidates with wins in 15 States and 469 delegates to his kitty. He was followed by Senator Ted Cruz with 370 delegates and wins in seven States. Senator Marco Rubio was a distant third with three wins and 163 delegates. The Ohio Governor had 63 delegates without winning a State.

On the other hand, in the Democratic front, Hillary Clinton had 1235 delegates as against 580 of the Senator Bernie Sanders. But the margin was much narrow when it came to elected delegates: Clinton (748) and Sanders (542).