WRAP | 2024 U.S. presidential election: Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump in historic, high-stakes showdown as results roll in

Results as they come in for the 2024 US presidential election between Democratic presidential nominee Vice-president Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump.

Unlike any in the country's history, the contest has been portrayed as an existential moment for America.

06 November 2024 - 19:22

Ramaphosa congratulates Donald Trump, talks about bilateral ties

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Donald Trump on his return to the White House, putting a spotlight on bilateral relations between the countries.

06 November 2024 - 14:09

IN MEMES | The US presidential race

From Kamala Harris’ coconut brown takeover to Trump’s 40-minute dance party, the election has seen a Thai hippo and Literally Anybody Else go viral

06 November 2024 - 14:01

South Africa's Ramaphosa congratulates Trump on US election win

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election in a post on social media platform X.

"I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our cooperation," Ramaphosa said.

Reuters

06 November 2024 - 13:53

‘We do need to have conversations as a party’: Democrats analyst as Trump appears on brink of win

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and a panel of analysts discuss the possibility of an election win by former President Donald Trump. 

06 November 2024 - 13:50

A view of Mar-a-Lago after Donald Trump wins US election

A view of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's home the day after the 2024 US Election.

06 November 2024 - 13:44

Russia says it has no illusions about Trump and will robustly defend its national interests

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow had no illusions about Donald Trump after he was elected US president and would work with the new US administration to robustly defend Russian national interests.

The ministry said in a statement that Moscow would remain focused on achieving the goals of what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine and that its stance on the conflict remained unchanged.

Reuters

06 November 2024 - 13:14

Bid to legalise recreational marijuana in Florida, US, up in smoke

The initiative received more than 55% of the votes in favour but fell short of the 60% majority it needed to pass.

06 November 2024 - 13:06

Florida, two other states defy trend and vote down abortion rights

Voters approved most of the referendums expanding the right to abortion in US states on Tuesday, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota rejected such measures, giving anti-abortion advocates their first victories since the US Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to the procedure in 2022.

A proposal to amend Florida's state constitution to guarantee abortion rights fell short of the 60% vote threshold needed to pass, Edison Research projected.

06 November 2024 - 12:56

What Trump 2.0 would mean for trade, migrants, climate change and EVs

A Donald Trump presidential election victory would have huge implications for US trade policy, climate change, the war in Ukraine, electric vehicles (EVs), Americans' taxes and illegal immigration.

While some of his proposals would require congressional approval, here is a summary of the policies he has said he would pursue during his second four-year term in office.

06 November 2024 - 12:46

Donald Trump elected US president in stunning comeback

Donald Trump has been elected US president, capping a remarkable comeback four years after he was voted out of the White House and ushering in a new American leadership likely to test democratic institutions at home and relations abroad.

Trump, 78, recaptured the White House on Wednesday by securing more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, Edison Research projected, following a campaign of dark rhetoric that deepened the polarization in the country.

The mood of Harris supporters on election night

06 November 2024 - 12:45

Trump's erratic foreign policy to meet 'a world on fire'

While campaigning to regain the US presidency, Donald Trump said he would be able to end Russia's war in Ukraine in 24 hours, warned that Israel would be “eradicated” if he lost the election and vowed sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports.

Now that Trump has claimed victory, many at home and abroad are asking an urgent question: will he make good on his long list of foreign policy threats, promises and pronouncements?

06 November 2024 - 12:34

Trump’s impending return to White House brings criminal cases to a halt

The first former US president to face criminal charges, Trump for much of this year faced four simultaneous prosecutions over allegations ranging from his attempt to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign to his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

A New York jury in May found him guilty of falsifying business records tied to the Daniels payment, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a felony.

06 November 2024 — 12:03

Polish PM Tusk congratulates Trump after US election

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday after the Republican claimed victory in the US presidential election.

"Congratulations to Donald Trump on winning the election," Tusk wrote on social media platform X. "I look forward to our cooperation for the good of the American and Polish nations." 

Reuters

06 November 2024 — 11:43

Kamala Harris won't speak at Howard watch party election night event amid updating election results

Vice President Kamala Harris, a graduate of Howard University, was expected to be back at her alma mater as results start rolling in. But hours into the event, the co-chair of the Harris/Walz campaign announced that she would not be speaking on election night.

06 November 2024 — 11:34

Can Kamala Harris still win?

06 November 2024 — 11:28

Head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund casts Trump win as reset opportunity

The influential head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election opened up new opportunities to reset relations between Moscow and Washington.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when the Soviet Union and the US came close to nuclear war.

Russian and US diplomats say relations between the world's two largest nuclear powers have only been worse during the depths of the Cold War.

06 November 2024 — 11:19

German minister congratulates Trump, urges Europe to up security spending

Europeans must take over more responsibility for their own security, Germany's foreign minister said upon congratulating Donald Trump on winning the US presidential election, saying this was not a substitute however for transatlantic ties.

"We must now think big and make big investments in our European security," Baerbock told reporters in Berlin upon returning from a trip to Ukraine.

"This also means that we must free ourselves from the shackles we have put on ourselves, especially when it comes to investing in our security in Germany and the European Union."

This would not be a substitute for the transatlantic partnership, she said."It is an investment in our common transatlantic partnership. Because in these turbulent geopolitical times, we need each other more than ever on both sides of the Atlantic."

Reuters

06 November 2024 — 10:56

Hamas official says Trump will be tested on saying he can stop war within hours

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that Donald Trump will be tested on his statements that he can stop the war within hours as US president.

“We urge Trump to learn from (President Joe) Biden's mistakes,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Reuters 

06 November 2024 — 10:44

From Taiwan to trade, China braces for more rivalry as Trump claims victory

Trump showed strength across broad swathes of the country, earning a bigger share of the vote nationwide than he did four years ago, ballots showed.

Chinese strategists said while they expected more fiery rhetoric and potentially crippling tariffs from Trump, some said his isolationist foreign policy could give Beijing a vacuum to expand its global influence.

06 November 2024 — 10:38

European shares advance as Trump claims victory

European shares opened higher on Wednesday, tracking an advance in US stock futures, as Donald Trump claimed victory in the presidential election and Republicans took control of at least one chamber of Congress.

Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris although other news outlets had yet to call the race for Trump.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 1.1% as of 0810 GMT, with healthcare's 2.6% rise leading gains.

Novo Nordisk added 7.4% after the weight-loss and diabetes drugmaker reported better-than-expected quarterly sales of its popular Wegovy weight-loss drug and narrowed its 2024 outlook for the year.

Futures tracking the S&P 500 jumped as much as 1.8%.Trump has already won the swing states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania and holds leads in several others, according to Edison Research.

Shares of European renewable energy companies came under pressure. Earlier this year, Trump had said that he would halt offshore wind development.

Oersted and Vestas fell more than 10% each, while the broader utilities sector was down 1.3%.

Trump's policies on immigration, tax and tariffs are generally viewed as inflationary, which could prompt higher US interest rates.

Among other earnings-driven moves, BMW slipped 6.1% after the German automaker reported a 61% drop in its quarterly third-quarter profit that missed analyst expectations.

German medical technology company Siemens Healthineers added 8.1% after reporting revenue growth and full-year adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in line with estimates.

Reuters 

06 November 2024 — 10:33

India PM Modi looking forward to renewing collaboration with Trump

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he looked forward to renewing collaboration with Donald Trump, who has claimed victory in the US election, to strengthen the “comprehensive global and strategic partnership” between the countries.”

Let's work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” Modi said in a post on X.

Reuters

06 November 2024 — 10:00

Donald Trump joins supporters and campaign workers in Palm Beach

Supporters and campaign workers join Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to await results on election night.

06 November 2024 — 09:53

Trump claims victory after Fox News projects he has won US presidency

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he said early on Wednesday to a roaring crowd of supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

06 November 2024 — 09:40

Donald Trump wins the 2024 US election

The former president is projected to secure over 270 electoral votes making it impossible for Kamala Harris to win re-election.

06 November 2024 — 09:10

What is the most important issue to American voters?

'I feel like the most important issue is fixing our economy and making it better' — Americans from battleground states explain what's top of their mind as they cast their presidential ballots on November 5.

06 November 2024 — 08:00

Howard University students inspired by potential first female and black president

At Howard University, Kamala Harris' alma mater, spirits were high as thousands piled in with hopes of celebrating with the future president. Students said seeing both the first female and black president would give them hope for their own futures.

06 November 2024 — 07:50

Stocks jump on Election Day as investors eye outcome  

US stocks closed sharply higher in a broad rally after data signalled a solid economy, while an extremely tight US presidential election impacted markets in recent months.

06 November 2024 — 07:43

Results of state-level abortion ballot measures in the US election

Abortion was on the ballot in 10 US states in Tuesday's election, including battleground states that play critical roles in the presidential race and the fight for control of Congress.

06 November 2024 — 07:36

Trump wins North Carolina, Republicans take Senate; Harris' path to victory narrows

The outcome remained uncertain in six other states expected to determine the winner.

But Trump was showing strength across broad swathes of the country. He had won 230 Electoral College votes to Harris' 169 as of midnight ET (0500 GMT on Wednesday). A candidate needs a total of at least 270 votes in the state-by-state Electoral College to claim the presidency.

06 November 2024 — 06:55

FACTBOX | Results of national exit poll on US presidential election

Democrat Kamala Harris faced Republican Donald Trump on Tuesday in the US presidential election after the two candidates vied for support by staking positions on issues including abortion, the economy and foreign policy.

06 November 2024 — 06:26

Trump takes lead in US presidential race but battleground states too close to call

Republican Donald Trump was leading in the US presidential election on Tuesday, broadly drawing more support than he did in his failed 2020 campaign, though the result remained unclear in battleground states that will decide the winner.

Trump, bidding to become the first former president to return to the White House in more than 100 years, had won 211 Electoral College votes compared with 145 for his Democratic rival, vice-president Kamala Harris, with a third of the vote counted.

05 November 2024 — 22:41

BONGANI MADONDO | Borne in the USAs

A lover of America for most of his life, the essayist looks to its literary spirit to pen a ‘Lament to an Imaginary Friend in America’ on the eve of the country’s 2024 elections