Local Editor

Republican Donald Trump has refused to commit to accepting the election result if he loses, in the final TV debate against Hillary Clinton.

"I will tell you at the time," he told moderator Chris Wallace. For days he has claimed the election is "rigged".

The Las Vegas debate continued the campaign's bitter tone, with Trump calling Clinton a "nasty woman".

Polls show Trump is losing in key battleground states after facing a slew of assault allegations.

The final battle of wits came less than three weeks before Election Day on 8 November.

The candidates declined to shake hands before and after the political sparring, setting the tone for what would later become yet another debate marked by shouting and interrupting.

Trump appealed to the Republican establishment by vowing to appoint Supreme Court justices with a "conservative bent" who would overturn a key ruling that made abortion legal in the US and protect gun rights.

He also stuck to his pledge to deport undocumented immigrants and secure US borders.

Meanwhile, Clinton firmly declared she would stand up for the LGBT community, defend abortion rights, and focus on restoring the middle class and equal pay for women.

"The government has no business in the decisions that women make," she said.

When asked about her paid speech to a Brazilian bank in which she spoke of her dream of open trade and open borders, Clinton said she was talking about energy policy.

In one key exchange, he attacked her 30 years of "very bad experience" and she responded by going through her timeline, comparing where she was to where Trump was.

While she was in the Situation Room helping to take out Osama Bin Laden, "he was hosting the Celebrity Apprentice", she said.

Trump blamed Clinton whose campaign he said was responsible for drumming up the allegations.

In recent days Trump has railed against the election process itself, warning the vote is "absolutely rigged" with "large-scale voter fraud" taking place.

Polls suggest Clinton is ahead nationally and in key battleground states.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team