Author: News Desk

Kamala Harris will not speak tonight it has been confirmed, as the crowd has now left Harris HQ. The mood amongst Democrats is low as two swing states have been called for Trump – with most people leaving soon after. The night had been like a party just a few hours earlier. The crowd has all but disappeared here at Harris HQ after it was just announced by a senior member of the campaign that Harris will not be appearing tonight.

US election 2024 live – Key updates so far  It’s after 1:00 in the eastern US with all polls closed and results flying in. Here’s a recap of whats happened overnight:

All polls have now closed – the last to do so were in Alaska and Hawaii. The current projections have Republican Donald Trump on 246 electoral college votes and Democrat Kamala Harris on 187. A candidate needs 270 to win the White House. So far, two swing states have been projected – North Carolina and Georgia – and both have gone to Trump. There are five more battlegrounds still to be called, though early projections suggest Trump is ahead in all of them.

Republicans to take control of the Senate – projection The Republican Party is set to take control of the Senate, according to a projection from the BBC’s US partner CBS. There are still lots of races being counted, but it looks clear that the Democrats will lose their effective majority of just one.

Florida abortion rights measure fails A proposal to restore abortion rights in Florida is expected to fail, marking a significant setback for efforts to expand local protections for abortion access. The amendment, which sought to allow abortion up to 24 weeks or fetal viability, needed 60% voter support to pass but is currently projected to secure only 57%, with 95% of votes reported. The measure was a direct challenge to Florida’s recently enacted law banning abortion after six weeks, with limited exceptions. Campaigners had pushed for the amendment as a way to counter this restriction, but it faced strong opposition,…

How much house prices are predicted to go up across the UK in five years’ time Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailForecasters have predicted that the average house price across Britain will be 23.4%, or £84,000, higher in five years.Savills expects the typical property value to reach £442,000 by the end of the five-year period to 2029, from £358,000 currently.The property firm expects house prices to increase by 4%, or £14,500, on average next year alone.The predictions are based on “mainstream” house prices, covering the…

Royal news – live: Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection Prince William confronted by founder of The Big Issue in awkward interactionGet the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailThe Queen has been forced to withdraw from all engagements this week after falling ill with a chest infection.Buckingham Palace said Camilla, who has recently returned from a busy official overseas tour to Australia and Samoa, has been advised to undergo a “short period of rest” by doctors.A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “With great…

Ban to stop children from ever smoking a cigarette to be introduced in Parliament Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailA ban to stop children from legally smoking tobacco when they become adults is set to be introduced in Parliament.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create the “first smoke-free generation”, will prevent anyone born after 1 January 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought, It is hoped the “historic” legislation could “save thousands of lives and…

Killers of Ugandan Olympian sentenced to 35 years Two men have been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete Benjamin Kiplagat. The 34-year-old steeplechaser was killed on New Year’s Eve in Eldoret, a town renowned for its training camps for elite athletes.  Kiplagat was stabbed to death after being followed by Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere, who attacked him in a premeditated act, according to CCTV footage. The motive remains unclear, though initial police reports suggested robbery. However, no valuables were taken from Kiplagat, leading his family to believe the murder was…

Elon Musk joins Trump during election night watch The world’s richest man planned to spend election night with Donald Trump in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he has said on X/Twitter.  Musk has backed Trump for president in recent weeks and has controversially been awarding prizes of $1 million to voters in swing states. Trump’s campaign is also hosting a watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center for thousands of supporters. Musk has donated more than $119m (£91.6m) this election cycle to America PAC – a political action committee he created to support the former president. He posted a…