President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to select his top team for his return to the presidency in January. The former president won the 2024 election by a landslide beating Vice President Kamala Harris, who delivered her first speech since the loss yesterday.

The Republican Party has secured control of the U.S. Senate, flipping key seats in West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana. With these wins, Republicans are guaranteed at least 52 of the Senate’s 100 seats, though a few races remain undecided.

Germany’s governing coalition is on the brink of collapse after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, triggering a political crisis. Scholz, leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), announced that he had lost trust in Lindner, who heads the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and is part of the coalition.

Hurricane Rafael has left Cuba in a nationwide blackout after making landfall on Wednesday with winds reaching up to 185 km/h (115 mph). The powerful storm caused a complete shutdown of the country’s electricity grid.

Australia’s government is set to introduce new legislation banning under-16s from social media. The PM announced that the proposed law, which will be tabled in parliament next week, is designed to reduce the “harm” caused by social media.

At least 40 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The strikes targeted areas in the Baalbek and Bekaa regions, which Israeli officials say were aimed at Hezbollah operatives.