Hurricane disrupts US Republican convention
Updated
The hurricane has forced big changes to the U.S. Republican National Convention planned for this week.
North America Correspondent, Michael Rowland, reports from the convention floor in St Paul, Minnesota, Republican presidential nominee John McCain has ordered the cancellation of most of the opening day's events so as not to divert attention away from the approaching storm.
"I want to thank all my fellow Republicans as we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats, and we say 'America, we're with you, America we are going to care," he said.
President George W. Bush has pulled out the convention. He says he wants to focus on the emergency relief effort.
He is keen to avoid the criticism he faced over his slow response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago.
