US President congratulates Hillary, will meet Sanders today

US President Barack Obama congratulated Hillary Clinton on Tuesday for clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, and planned to meet with her party rival Bernie Sanders later this week, the White House said.

Mr Obama called Ms Clinton and Mr Sanders and “congratulated both candidates for running inspiring campaigns that have energised Democrats, brought a new generation of Americans into the political process, and shined a spotlight on important policy ideas,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.

He also said the President will meet with Mr Sanders at the White House, “at Sanders’ request,” on Thursday.

The late night statement, coming on the final night of major primaries in the combative nominations race, fuels speculation about whether the self-described democratic socialist Mr Sanders would take his fight all the way to the Democratic convention in July, as he has repeatedly insisted, or concede defeat.

Mr Sanders has argued that a strong finish Tuesday in the six states, particularly in the trophy state of California, would bolster his argument for remaining in the race. But Ms Clinton had already won New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico on Tuesday, according to US networks.