Donald Trump admits Barack Obama was born in the US

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking at a campaign event at the Trump International Hotel in Washington today.Reuters

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has confirmed that he believes that President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

"President Barak Obama was born in the United States period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again," he said at a campaign event at the Trump International Hotel in Washington today.

Trump has been blamed for fuelling the so-called "birther" controversy.

Today he attempted to blame Hillary Clinton for starting the controversy and tried to take credit for ending it.

He has suggested in the past that Obama was born outside the US, which would have made him ineligible for the country's highest office. Obama released his birth certificate in 2011 in an attempt to quell the speculation.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before a meeting in Montreal, Canada, where he criticised Donald TrumpReuters

Earlier, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan accused Trump of playing into the hands of Islamic State.

Khan, who is Muslim, speaking at a press conference in Montreal, said: "Donald Trump said that Muslims from around the world – I'm paraphrasing – would not be welcome into the United States of America.

"Not only does that show a lack of understanding and awareness of the great country that is the USA and its history and legacy, it's also inadvertently playing into the hands of Daesh and so-called ISIS because it implies it's not possible to be a Western liberal and mainstream Muslim.

"I think it's important that the USA maintains her role as a beacon for tolerance, respect and diversity.

"I think it's important for those of us who are foreigners to stay out of the US elections. I hope the best candidate wins and I hope she does win with a stomping majority."

Trump has said in the past that if he did go ahead and ban Muslims, he would make an exception for Khan.