Hillary Clinton's campaign released a new tool for Facebook and Twitter that lets users superimpose unflattering Trump quotes over their profile pictures. 

The "Trump Yourself" tool, which is available on Clinton's campaign website, external, highlights some of Trump's incendiary comments and insults, including calling women "fat pigs" and the time he said: "If you need Viagra, you're probably with the wrong girl."

Image source, AP

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel made history as the first speaker at a Republican National Convention to declare he was proud to be gay. 

"I am proud to be gay, I am proud to be a Republican, but most of all, I am proud to be an American," he said as the crowd erupted into cheers. 

"I'm not a politician, but neither is Donald Trump," he said in his opening remarks. "He is a builder and it's time to rebuild America." 

The tech billionaire added that he did not agree with every belief in the party's platform, but insisted that cultural wars like deciding where people can go to the bathroom were a distraction from real issues. 

Image source, Getty Images

While some US cities have recently seen year-over-year increases in violent crime, the FBI still reports that violent crime in the US is at its lowest levels in almost three decades.

"The average person in a large urban area is safer walking on the street today than he or she would have been at almost any time in the past 30 years,” researchers at the Brennan Center for Justice, external said. “Although headlines suggesting a coming crime wave make good copy, a look at the available data shows there is no evidence to support that claim.”  

However, Donald Trump's campaign manager has pushed back against these arguments, saying the FBI statistics can't be trusted. He said the FBI clearing Hillary Clinton in her recent email scandal shows that Democrats have control over the FBI.

British anti-immigration politician Nigel Farage, who was part of the force behind Brexit, took some time out at the convention to talk about anti-globalism to Infowars, the website founded by radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

"Things have gone badly wrong and I think people have become very unhappy about this, they recognise this and they're beginning to find political opportunities to express that," he said. "And Brexit was exactly that."

Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders was also in attendance this week.  

Wilders, one of the most prominent critics of Islam, praised Trump's embrace of immigration restrictions on Muslims entering the US, the Wall Street Journal reports, external.

Image source, Getty Images

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort told MSNBC that women will be voting for Donald Trump because “they can’t afford their lives. Their husbands can''t afford to pay for the family bills.”  Some conservative commentators weren't impressed.

"Lock her up" has become a common chant heard throughout the halls of the Republican National Convention this year. Everywhere our correspondents go they find memorabilia accusing the presumptive Democratic nominee of criminal behavior and bearing the slogan "Hillary for Prison". Some key Republican delegates have accused her of treason and even suggested that she should face a firing squad. The BBC's Ashley Gold looks at whether this political rhetoric has gone too far.

Read more: Do 'lock her up' chants mark a new low?

Twitter users have reacted dubiously to Evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr's assertion that Donald Trump is a "blue-collar billionaire".

Donald Trump might have officially clinched his party’s nomination - but winning the country over could hinge on one key factor - demographics. With America’s population changing, critics say he needs to do much more to broaden his appeal. So can he? The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan and Franz Strasser have been finding out.  

Each year at both the Republican and Democratic conventions, delegates don some of their most festive flair, often topped off with eye-catching hats bedazzled in buttons and other symbols of the states they represent . 

This year's Republican convention saw no shortage of stylish toppers and other elaborate headwear. 

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump is expected to open his speech to Republican delegates and prime-time television viewers seeking to cast himself as a "law-and-order" candidate who speaks for them.

Here are some of the key points from his prepared remarks:

• Trumps says he can end crime and violence: "I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored."
• Hillary Clinton comes under heavy fire: "[Clinton's] bad instincts and her bad judgement - something pointed out by Bernie Sanders - are what caused the disasters unfolding today. This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction and weakness."
• 'America First' is a theme: "As long as we are led by politicians who will not put America First, then we we can be assured that other nations will not treat America will respect."

Image source, Getty Images

Will Trump stick to the script? 

Donald Trump will use his address at the close of the four-day event to unify a fractious party. A week of turmoil has exposed sharp divisions within the party, including Senator Ted Cruz's refusal to endorse Trump as well as an effort by anti-Trump dissidents to block his nomination. 

The scripted speech, which has been leaked by multiple outlets, is an effort to rally some senior Republicans and party leaders who remain sceptical about Trump's ability to lead. 

It's unclear if Trump will speak with his usual bombastic demeanour that defined his primary campaign, or strike a more presidential tone to quell concerns about his candidacy. 

Trump told ABC News that his speech would focus on the themes that led to his nomination, including "trade", "law and order" and "borders".

Image source, Reuters

"Make America One Again"

As Trump attempts to mend the stark divisions apparent in the Republican party, he will also focus on a similar topic of unifying a divided country. 

The theme on the final night of the convention is "Make America One Again," which may touch on the racial tensions that have plagued the country in the wake of recent violence and mass shootings. 

The businessman is expected to also attack his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, a recurring theme at the convention this week. 

Before Trump takes the stage, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin is also scheduled to speak. 

Image source, Getty Images

Peter Thiel to become first openly gay RNC speaker

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel will make history as the first speaker at a Republican National Convention to declare that he is proud to be gay, the Washington Post reports, external and CNN , externalboth reported.

The tech billionaire, who supports gay marriage, is expected to tell delegates to not be distracted by cultural issues such as transgender bathroom bills. He will also share his support for a Trump presidency. 

Thiel will be the first openly gay speaker at a convention since Arizona Representative Jim Kolbe spoke in 2000, when George W Bush was nominated for the first time. 

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

An early version of Donald Trump's speech to the Republican National Convention has been released to the press several hours before he is due to deliver it and formally become the GOP's candidate . 

Journalists are reading and tweeting their analysis. 

BBC Radio 4 spoke with Republican speechwriters Clark Judge and Anneke Green hours before what is arguably the biggest speech of Donald Trump's life. Their advice? "Look presidential" and don't "resort to insults".

Texas Senator Ted Cruz stole the show on Wednesday night with his non-endorsement of his bitter rival Mr Trump. He got a lot of stick from critics who say he should have stuck to his promise to support the winner. Ohio Governor John Kasich has also refused to back the New Yorker.

The BBC's Anthony Zurcher has been writing about that pledge.

Theresa Kosmoski, a delegate from Texas, tells the BBC's Anna Bressanin that Donald Trump will "restore peace in the world". She fears that under a Hillary Clinton presidency there is a real threat that her children will experience war on US soil. 

"I think that Donald Trump is strong enough to find good ways that are acceptable both to the American people and the international community to stop these terrorists and to stop the countries that harbour these terrorists." 

Watch the interview below

A new web ad from the Clinton campaign strings together footage of Republicans publicly clashing with Donald Trump - pegged to Ted Cruz's controversial non-endorsement. Unfortunately for Mr Trump, there is a lot of material to work with.

Sam Clovis, a top adviser to the Trump campaign, tells the BBC's James Naughtie that Donald Trump's improbable run for presidency has been 35 years in the making. Mr Trump is resonating with voters, Mr Clovis says, because traditional politicians in Congress and in the White House have let them down. Listen to the full interview below:

Conservative blogger Milo Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter this week after he was accused of inciting online abuse against actress Leslie Jones. He spoke to the BBC's Deirdre Finnerty about the ban and his "superstar" status at the Republican National Convention.