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World leaders raced to congratulate Donald Trump as he claimed a stunning US election victory over Kamala Harris, while financial markets also rose.

Here are the first reactions:

China: ‘Mutual respect’

Without directly mentioning Trump, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing that China hopes for ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the United States. “We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” she said. “We respect the choice of the American people.”

Russia: Will judge ‘concrete steps’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists he was unaware of any plans by Vladimir Putin to congratulate Trump since the US is an ‘unfriendly country’. “We will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words,” Peskov said.

Israel: ‘Powerful recommitment’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump’s likely win signaled a new beginning in US-Israel relations. “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” said Netanyahu in a statement issued by his office.

Hamas: ‘Blind support’ must end

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told AFP that under Trump the United State’s “blind support for the Zionist entity must end because it comes at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region.”

Ukraine: Hopes ‘just peace’ closer

President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on his ‘impressive victory’ and said he hoped his presidency would bring a ‘just peace in Ukraine closer’. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media.

NATO: ‘Peace through strength’

NATO chief Mark Rutte congratulated Trump and said his return to power would help keep the alliance ‘strong’. “His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through NATO,” Rutte said in a statement.

EU: ‘Strong transatlantic agenda’

“I warmly congratulate Donald J Trump,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. “The EU and the US are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800m citizens. So let’s work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering for them.”

France: ‘Respect and ambition’

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated ‘President Donald Trump’, saying he was ready to work with him “with respect and ambition” like “we managed to do for four years”. In a post on X, Macron said that the relationship with Trump, who is leading the US presidential vote, would “take account of your convictions, and mine,” adding: “For more peace and prosperity.”

Germany: Will remain ‘reliable ally’

Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump and vowed Berlin would work with him for “prosperity and freedom.” “Germany and the USA have long been working together successfully to promote prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the benefit of our citizens.”

Qatar: ‘Security and stability’

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose Gulf monarchy is a key mediator in the Gaza conflict and hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, said he looked forward to “working together again in promoting security and stability both in the region and globally.”

Turkey: ‘My friend’ Trump

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated “my friend Donald Trump” and wrote on X that “I hope Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end.”

Egypt: ‘Reaching peace’

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi congratulated Trump and said he hoped his return to the White House could help bring peace to the Middle East. “I wish him all the success... and I look forward to reaching peace together, upholding regional stability and strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States and their friendly peoples,” Sisi said on X.

India: ‘Heartiest congratulations’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Trump’s “election victory.” “Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory,” Modi wrote on social media platform X. “As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration.”

South Korea: ‘Alliance to shine brighter’

President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated Donald Trump and posted on X that “under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-US alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you.”

Italy: ‘Sincere congratulations’

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her ‘sincere congratulations’ in a post on X. “Italy and the United States are ‘sister’ nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance,” she said. “It is a strategic bond which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”

AFP

Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

The victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal—often misogynistic and racist—terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants.

The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters—particularly men—in a deeply polarized nation. As president, he’s vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and retribution against his perceived enemies.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.

Vice-president Kamala Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.

But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration and championing of isolationism found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.

The campaign pointed to a nail-bitingly close contest, but the results came surprisingly fast, delivering a crushing victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term.

He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon—he will face sentencing in a New York court for fraud on Nov 26.

Already 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his four-year term. He will surpass Biden who is set to step down in January at the age of 82.

The US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced, with traders betting on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.

But turmoil likely lies ahead.

Trump’s victory comes with his promise of radical policy shifts—not just at home but also abroad, where his unrestrained isolationist and nationalist ‘America First’ stance is likely to have enormous consequences.

He has repeatedly suggested he would end the conflict in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia, and his threat of mass deportations of illegal immigrants has stirred deep concern in Latin America.

He also returns to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to dismantle his predecessor Biden’s green policies and jeopardize global efforts to curb human-caused warming.

Even before Trump’s stunning victory was fully confirmed, foreign leaders rushed to send congratulations.

AFP

All 2024 election polls are now closed, leaving voters to wait and see whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will win a historic presidential election.

By winning North Carolina, Trump could reach the 270 electoral vote threshold by carrying Georgia and Pennsylvania or by carrying Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also can win by carrying Wisconsin and Arizona, as well as other combinations involving Nevada.

As midnight approached on the East Coast, the Harris campaign turned off its projected broadcasts of CNN at its election night watch party at Howard University. Instead, various high-energy remixes blared from speakers alongside floodlights flickering in tempo to hype the crowd.

The cheers in the crowd had become less frequent as more results came in from battleground states showing a tight race or victories for Trump.

Some attendees began leaving the event though the vast majority of rallygoers remained. It is unclear if Harris will make an appearance at her alma mater.

AP

Beirut: The 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, the country’s Health Ministry said on Monday, more than double the number of people killed since their last major war two decades ago.

The war shows no signs of ending, and Israel has said it is carrying out new operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon and in parts of Syria while Hezbollah continues to launch dozens of rockets into northern Israel.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on 7 Oct 2023 ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran.

For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly contained to the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict dramatically escalated on Sept 23 with intense Israeli airstrikes on south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, leaving hundreds dead and leading to the displacement of nearly 1.2m people.

Israel began a ground invasion of south Lebanon on Oct 1, causing wide destruction in border villages but making little advances on the ground inside Lebanon. Israel says it is destroying Hezbollah weapons and command centers near the border, including an extensive tunnel system built by Hezbollah.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said 16 people were killed and 90 injured in attacks on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 3,002. At least 13,492 have been injured. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and Hezbollah fighters in its toll. Israel claimed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have been killed.

In Israel, 72 people have been killed by Hezbollah attacks, including 30 soldiers, according to the prime minister’s office. More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

Also on Monday, Israel announced it terminated the agreement facilitating the work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza.

It was the first step in implementing legislation passed last week that would sever ties with the agency, which Israel says has been infiltrated by Hamas, and prevent it from operating in Israel.

The agency, known as UNRWA, denies the allegations and says it takes measures to ensure its neutrality.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that it has notified the UN of the cancellation of an agreement dating back to 1967 that facilitates UNRWA’s work. It said UNRWA “is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution.”

Israel controls all entry into Gaza, and aid groups groups have warned that the legislation could severely hamper UNRWA’s work, creating further obstacles to addressing a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israel says that UNRWA is responsible for only 13 percent of aid entering Gaza and it says other UN agencies and aid groups can fill the gap. But aid organizations say UNRWA is essential, and the agency says the Israeli figures do not account for the key role it plays in coordinating aid deliveries.

“Without UNRWA coordination, without UNRWA logistics platforms ... no UN agency could operate at the scale required,” said Jonathan Fowler, a spokesman for the agency.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US was clear about their opposition to the legislation, and gravely concerned about the insufficient number of aid trucks entering Gaza. “We have serious concerns about the implications of it being fully implemented, as well as our concerns about the underlying humanitarian situation in, Gaza, even before Israel passed the legislation,” he told reporters in Washington on Monday.

The agency provides education, health and other basic services to Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants, who now number nearly 6m across the region. Refugee families make up the majority of Gaza’s population.

The remainder of the legislation is set to go into effect in three months.

AP