LIVE | Trump says he won't go down without a fight

November 06 2020 - 21:58

Biden on verge of winning US presidency, leads in Pennsylvania, Georgia

Democrat Joe Biden stood on the verge of winning the US presidency on Friday, as he expanded his narrow leads over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia three days after polls closed.

Biden has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to Edison Research. Winning Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes would put the former vice president over the 270 he needs to secure the presidency.

Biden would also win the election if he takes two of the three other key states where he held narrow leads on Friday: Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. Like Pennsylvania, all three were still processing ballots on Friday.

November 06 2020 - 21:48

Libertarian spoiler in US presidential election? Not a chance, experts say

The thin margins that separated US President Donald Trump from Joe Biden in several swing states raised the question:

Was the Republican incumbent hurt by the third-party run of Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen?

At midday Friday, the vote spreads between Biden and Trump in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona were smaller than the number of votes Jorgensen won in those states.

In Nevada and Wisconsin, Jorgensen's total plus the number who selected "none of the above" surpassed the gap.

It's tempting to assume Jorgensen's votes came at Trump's expense given past alliances between conservative Republicans and some Libertarians - not to mention the president recently said he considered himself "somewhat Libertarian.

"But most analysts said that's simply not the case."

We just don't know what would have happened if the Libertarians had not run a candidate," said David Boaz of the Cato Institute, who has authored books on the movement.

"Libertarians also get votes of people who just would not bother voting if they didn't have another choice."

There is disagreement over which of the two main parties takes a bigger hit when a Libertarian is in the race. Boaz pointed to a 2016 CBS exit poll that showed that 25% of Libertarians who voted that year would have supported Democrat Hillary Clinton if there had been no Libertarian candidate.

For Trump that figure was 15%, while 55% said they would have not voted.

Reuters

November 06 2020 - 21:14

Some Americans dance, others wield guns outside vote-tallying sites as counting draws to a close

Supporters of Joe Biden danced in the streets outside a ballot-counting center in Philadelphia on Friday as the steadily growing vote tallies showed the Democratic former vice president could soon be declared winner of the US presidential election.

In Detroit, several hundred supporters of President Donald Trump, some visibly armed with guns, raised premature chants of "We won!" outside a counting center, despite it looking increasingly unlikely that this would prove true.

Philadelphia appeared to relish its turn as the center of the nation's attention, even if it was earned only by the relative slowness of its vote counting as the biggest city in the closely fought state of Pennsylvania. It is one of a handful of pivotal states where the outcome of Tuesday's presidential election was still too close to call.

Sean Truppo, a 37-year-old social studies teacher, said he lit fireworks upon awaking to the news that Biden had overtaken Trump in the state's count before putting his 4-year-old daughter in a stroller to join the growing crowds outside the Philadelphia Convention Center.

"My daughter was born under Trump and I wanted her to witness the end of Trump," he said.

Reuters

November 06 2020 - 21:09

Trump vows to keep fighting, press ahead with legal challenges

US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to continue his legal fight, as his Democratic rival Joe Biden edged closer to securing enough votes to win the presidency and was expected to give a prime-time televised address Friday night.

November 06 2020 - 21:05

US Postal Service delivered 40,000 votes nationwide Thursday - lawyer

The US Postal Service (USPS) delivered about 40,000 ballots on Thursday as it continues to conduct court-ordered twice-daily sweeps before various state deadlines to receive ballots, a lawyer said Friday.

In a court filing early Friday, USPS said 1,076 ballots, had been found at the USPS Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center. About 300 were found at the Pittsburgh processing center, 266 at a Lehigh Valley facility and others found at other Pennsylvania processing centers.

In court, a Justice Department lawyer said it appears 668 of the 1,076 ballots in Philadephia were discovered on Wednesday and not Thursday.

Ballots must be received by Friday evening in Pennsylvania in order to be counted. The vote for the US president remains extremely close and Pennsylvania is one of the states that remains undecided.

November 06 2020 - 20:33

November 06 2020 - 20:32

Mitt Romney lambasts Trump over stolen election comments

November 06 2020 - 19:58

Biden close to White House victory as he builds leads in Pennsylvania, Georgia

Democrat Joe Biden expanded his narrow leads over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia on Friday, putting him on the verge of winning the White House three days after polls closed.

Biden has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to Edison Research. Winning Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes would put the former vice president over the 270 he needs to secure the presidency.

Biden would also win the election if he prevails in two of the three other key states where he held narrow leads on Friday: Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. Like Pennsylvania, all three were still processing ballots on Friday.

November 06 2020 - 19:48

UK's Johnson says he is confident in US election checks and balances

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had confidence in the US election process, after US President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims of fraud following Tuesday's presidential vote.

"I have every confidence in the checks and balances of the American Constitution," Johnson told broadcasters on Friday.

November 06 2020 - 19:38

White House in reach for Biden as he builds leads in Pennsylvania, Georgia

Democrat Joe Biden expanded his narrow leads over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia on Friday, putting him on the verge of winning the White House three days after polls closed.

Biden has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to Edison Research. Winning Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes would put the former vice president over the 270 he needs to secure the presidency.

Biden would also win the election if he prevails in two of the three other key states where he held narrow leads on Friday: Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. Like Pennsylvania, all three were still processing ballots on Friday.

November 06 2020 - 18:28

Who is winning the US presidential election?

The US election race between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden is still undecided, with the outcome hinging on results from five states that are still counting ballots.

Tallies from Edison Research and major news outlets show Biden ahead in the hunt for the 270 Electoral College votes it takes to win. There are 538 Electoral College votes allotted to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The table immediately below shows the latest vote count from Edison Research for the five states now at the center of the election, along with the number of electoral votes they represent. Below that is a separate table showing the state-by-state projections from Edison Research and six news outlets. 

Reuters

November 06 2020 - 18:05

Georgia state likely to go through recount in US presidential election - secretary of state

Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Friday said he expects a recount due to the small margin for the presidential election in the battleground state, where Democrat Joe Biden has a small lead over President Donald Trump of just over 1,000 votes.

The presidential candidates each had 49.4% of counted ballots, though Biden was ahead by 1,579 votes as of Friday morning with 4,169 left to count, Georgia's voting system implementation manager, Gabriel Sterling, said.

"With a margin that small, there will be a recount," Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's secretary of state, told reporters.

November 06 2020 - 17:40

Wall St dips as Biden edges closer to victory

Wall Street's main indexes gave back some of this week's sharp gains on Friday as investors awaited the outcome of a nail-biting election, while the monthly payrolls report underlined the economic challenge facing America's next president.

Democrat Joe Biden took the lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia, putting him on the verge of winning the White House hours after Trump falsely claimed the election was being "stolen" from him.

"Markets have been pretty comfortable with that idea (of a Biden win), but if it's contested, it adds a little bit of uncertainty," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida.

"Even with these states being really close, we might have to go back and recount so we're in for a long period of uncertainty."

Reuters

November 06 2020 17:12

November 06 2020 - 17:05

TIMELINE: Which states could tip US election and when will they report results?

Three days after Americans went to the polls to cast their votes for president, Democratic candidate Joe Biden has taken the lead in Pennsylvania and Georgia for the first time.

To capture the White House, a candidate must amass at least 270 votes in the Electoral College. Most major TV networks gave Biden a 253-214 lead over Republican President Donald Trump as of Friday morning.

November 06 2020 - 16:47

Biden moves ahead in Pennsylvania and Georgia, putting White House within reach

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took the lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia for the first time on Friday, putting him on the verge of winning the White House.

Three days after polls closed, Biden has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most major television networks. Winning Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes would put the former vice president over the 270 he needs to secure the presidency.

November 06 2020 - 15:40

France sees smoother trade ties with US if Biden triumphs, says minister

France expects smoother trade relations with the United States should Democratic contender Joe Biden win the presidential vote, with greater alignment on sustainable development and more multilateral cooperation, trade minister Franck Riester said.

President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on French wines in a row over Airbus subsidies, threatened levies on Champagne and luxury handbags in a digital tax dispute, and pursued an isolationist "America First" stance.

Asked if France anticipated that a Biden presidency would be more reconciling, Riester told Reuters: "We would surely see an improvement in relations. We would be more aligned on matters of sustainable development and perhaps also on multilateral work.

"Biden took a razor-thin lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia early on Friday, edging closer to winning the White House.

Biden's camp has said during the campaign that he would end the "artificial trade war" that Trump had waged against Europe, while addressing imbalances in agricultural trade with the bloc.

Reuters

November 06 2020 - 15:37

Biden takes slim lead in Georgia, edges closer to winning White House

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia early on Friday, edging closer to winning the White House in a nail-biting contest as a handful of undecided states continue to count votes.

Biden has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most major television networks. Winning Georgia's 16 electoral votes would put the former vice president on the cusp of the 270 he needs to secure the presidency.

Biden, 77, would become the next president by winning Pennsylvania, or by winning two out of the trio of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Trump's likeliest path appears narrower - he needs to hang onto both Pennsylvania and Georgia and also to overtake Biden in either Nevada or Arizona.

November 06 2020 - 15:22

Despite Trump-Erdogan ties, Turkey says it will work with whoever wins US vote

Turkey is ready to work with whoever wins the US election, two top Turkish officials said on Friday, despite a friendship with President Donald Trump that has helped the two countries through turbulent times.

"Regardless of which candidate takes office in the US, we will pursue a sincere approach to improve our relations," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara's closer ties with Moscow, its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, US charges against a state-owned Turkish bank and an erosion of rights in Turkey.

Cavusoglu said Turkey had worked with Democrat and Republican administrations alike and overcome difficulties with both.

He spoke as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia, putting the White House within Biden's reach as undecided states continued to count votes.

Reuters

November 06 2020 - 13:57

LISTEN | Voting fraud allegations 'threaten US democracy'

During the process of counting votes, US President Donald Trump has called the presidential elections a "major fraud".

Trump's Twitter timeline has been flooded with rants and accusations about fraud and the violation of America's democracy since the polls closed on Tuesday.

In an interview with Reuters, disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz discussed whether there is any evidence of voter fraud warranting a lawsuit.

LISTEN | Donald Trump calls US elections a ‘major fraud

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November 06 2020 - 13:56

WATCH | Trump's spiritual adviser calls upon 'angels from Africa' to help him get re-elected

US President Donald Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White has left social media users in stitches after calling on angels from Africa and South America to help Trump win the election.

During a live stream on Thursday, White can be heard speaking in tongues and calling upon angels to stop “demonic confederacies” who were trying to "steal" the presidential election from Trump.

Trump is going head-to-head with former Vice-President Joe Biden for president. Both candidates need 270 electoral college votes to win.

November 06 2020 - 13:55

Donald Trump reacts to Twitter censoring ‘misleading’ posts

US President Donald Trump has again spoken out against Twitter’s terms of use policy.

As the tight race in the 2020 US presidential elections continues, Trump has been accused of spreading misinformation through his Twitter account.

The US president, who has 88.3 million followers on the social media platform, has falsely claimed election victory, said Democrats are guilty of voter fraud and accused his opposition of rigging the election with “illegal votes”.

November 06 2020 - 13:53

Trump and Biden protesters duel outside vote-counting centers in cliffhanger election

Backers of President Donald Trump, some carrying guns, ramped up demonstrations on Thursday night against what he has baselessly called a rigged election, in battleground states where votes were still being counted.

The demonstrations were largely peaceful, although Trump supporters occasionally shouted with counter protesters. Trump says the election is being stolen but there has been no evidence of fraud.

In Arizona, one of the closely contested states in the too-close-to-call race between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, Trump and Biden supporters briefly scuffled outside the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix.

November 06 2020 - 12:49

German foreign minister says US is more than a one-man show 

The United States is more than a one man show and good losers are more important for the working of democracy than great winners, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday in an interview with the Funke media group.

"The USA is more than a one-man show. Those who continue to add fuel to the fire in the current situation are acting irresponsibly," Maas said in the interview, which appeared in Berliner Morgenpost and other newspapers.

- Reuters

November 06 2020 - 12:12

Biden gains ground in Pennsylvania and Georgia, edges closer to White House

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gained more ground on President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania on Friday, edging closer to the White House hours after Trump falsely claimed the election was being “stolen” from him.

November 06 2020 - 10:58

Judge denies Trump campaign bid to halt Philadelphia count

A federal judge denied an emergency request from US President Donald Trump's campaign on Thursday to stop ballot counting in Philadelphia so long as Republican observers were not present.

Trump's campaign had sued Philadelphia County's Board of Elections earlier in the day to seek an emergency injunction.

November 06 2020 - 10:06

Biden gains ground on Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania, edges closer to White House

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gained more ground on President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania on Friday, edging closer to the White House hours after Trump falsely claimed the election was being "stolen" from him.

Biden had a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most major television networks, and was inching toward securing the 270 votes needed to win the state-by-state Electoral College in four undecided swing states.

Biden, 77, would become the next president by winning Pennsylvania, or by winning two out of the trio of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Trump's likeliest path appeared narrower - he needed to hang onto both Pennsylvania and Georgia and also to overtake Biden in either Nevada or Arizona.

In Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, Biden cut Trump's lead to just over 18,000 by the early hours of Friday, while his deficit in Georgia, which has 16 electoral votes, shrunk to about 650.

- Reuters

November 06 2020 : 09:47

Climate activist Thunberg hits back at Trump over anger management taunt

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit back at Donald Trump on Twitter late on Thursday saying the US president should "chill" about the election, a repost to his tweet last year mocking the teenager over what he called her anger management issues.

Commenting on Trump tweeting "STOP THE COUNT!" on Thursday, as the election race in the United States went to the wire, 17-year-old Thunberg tweeted: "So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!"

November 06 2020 : 09:22

November 06 2020 : 08:54

Backers of President Donald Trump ramped up demonstrations on Thursday night against an election they believe was rigged or being stolen, in some cases bringing guns or clashing with counter-protesters as they rallied in battleground states.

November 06 2020 : 07:54

Dollar holds ground, more losses seen as US election drags on

The dollar steadied against many currencies on Friday but traders say more losses are likely as a contentious US presidential election diminished hopes for large stimulus to support the economy any time soon.

Investors are betting that Democrat Joe Biden will become the next president but Republicans will retain control of the Senate, which will make it difficult for the Democrats to pass the larger fiscal spending package they have been pushing.

Biden maintains an edge over President Donald Trump, but a few important states are still counting votes and Trump is mounting legal challenges to vote counts, so there is still a high degree of uncertainty.

The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies stood at 92.641, close to a two-week low. For the week, the dollar index was down 1.5%, on course for its biggest drop in almost four months.

-Reuters

November 06 2020 : 07:45

US Postal Service says 1,700 ballots found in Pennsylvania facilities

The US Postal Service said about 1,700 ballots had been identified in Pennsylvania at processing facilities during two sweeps Thursday and were in the process of being delivered to election officials.In a court filing early Friday, USPS said about 1,070 ballots, had been found at the USPS Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center.

About 300 were found at the Pittsburgh processing center, 266 at a Lehigh Valley facility and others found at other Pennsylvania processing centers.

Ballots must be received by Friday evening in Pennsylvania in order to be counted. The vote for the US president remains extremely close and Pennsylvania is one of the states that remains undecided.

- Reuters 

November 06 2020 : 07:40

Ndlozi slams US elections unrest: How can you count votes with parties carrying rifles outside?

EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has slammed the heated protests which have erupted across the US this week as Americans wait to find out who will be their next president.

November 06 2020 : 07:35

CNN's Van Jones expresses concern after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended President Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud. 

November 06 2020 : 06:35

"No elected Republican will stand behind Trump's statement": Santorum weighs in on Trump briefing

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) reacts to President Donald Trump's address from the White House press briefing room. Santorum said it was "very disappointing and shocking" to hear the allegations and hoped Republicans would defend the election's integrity. 

November 06 2020 : 06:28

Trump campaign loses legal fights in Georgia and Michigan, vows Nevada lawsuit

State judges tossed out both lawsuits on Thursday.

James Bass, a Superior Court judge in Georgia, said there was “no evidence” that the ballots in question were invalid.

In the Michigan case, Judge Cynthia Stephens said: “I have no basis to find that there is a substantial likelihood of success on the merits.”

A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the Michigan and Georgia rulings.