Obama: Economy moving in right direction

President Barack Obama said the US economy was "slowly but surely moving in the right direction", as he addressed what the White House called a "kitchen table and backyard discussion".

He was speaking to a group of about 30 voters at a private home in the city Columbus.

Mr Obama is touting Democratic policies on a campaign-style swing through important electoral states.

He said: "Businesses are still trying to get more confident out there before they start hiring and people, consumers, are not going to start spending until they feel a little more confident that the economy is getting stronger."