Donald Trump on Wednesday was elected the 45th president of the United States.
After defying all odds, the Republican said he would bind the nation's deep wounds and be a president "for all Americans," as he praised his defeated rival Hillary Clinton for her years of public service.
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Riding a wave of euphoria from his supporters at a victory party in his home city of New York, Trump sought to bury the divisions and rancor that had made the 18-month presidential campaign so toxic.
"For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country," Trump said, during his speech proclaiming a stunning victory in the White House race.
"I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all of Americans."
6:58pm: Amnesty urges Trump to uphold human rights
Amnesty International on Wednesday urged US president-elect Donald Trump to commit to upholding human rights, criticising his "poisonous rhetoric" following the Republican candidate's election victory.
Poisonous rhetoric must not become policy. President-elect Donald Trump must reaffirm US commitment to human rights https://t.co/9pJYI6uxMq pic.twitter.com/aTZCd6DJhU
— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) November 9, 2016
Trump has "raised serious concerns about the strength of commitment we can expect to see from the United States towards human rights in the future," said Salil Shetty, secretary general of the London-based group.
"He must now put this behind him and both reaffirm and abide by the United States' obligations on human rights, at home and abroad," Shetty said.
6:51pm WTO chief says ready to work with Trump
The head of the World Trade Organisation said he stood ready to work with Trump's administration following a US election campaign that saw the former reality TV star rail against global trade.
"Congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on his victory. The WTO stands ready to work with the new administration," Roberto Azevedo, director general of the Geneva-based WTO said on Twitter.
Congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on his victory. The WTO stands ready to work with the new administration
— Roberto Azevêdo (@WTODGAZEVEDO) November 9, 2016
Azevedo, a Brazilian national, said "US leadership in the global economy and the multilateral trading system remains vital."
6:06pm: Canada PM congratulates Trump, wants to work on trade, security
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US presidency and stressed the close friendship and ties between the two nations.
Our shared values are strong. Our common purpose is to build countries where everyone has a fair chance to succeed. (...)
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 9, 2016
Trudeau said in a statement that he looked forward to working very closely with Trump and his administration on trade, investment, international peace and security.
5:20pm: Obama congratulates Trump, invites him to White House
US President Barack Obama called Donald Trump, his newly-elected successor to congratulate him on his victory and invited him to the White House for talks on Thursday, his office said.
Obama also called Hillary Clinton, his onetime secretary of state and fellow Democrat, to express his "admiration for the strong campaign she waged throughout the country," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.
5:14pm: China's Xi congratulates Trump on election
China's President Xi Jinping sent congratulations to US president-elect Donald Trump and said he looked forward to working with him, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
President #XiJinping congratulates Donald #Trump on winning the US #Elections2016, says he's looking forward to boosting cooperation pic.twitter.com/wbQ18ppzvy
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) November 9, 2016
"I highly value China-US relations, and look forward to working together with you, and holding fast to mutual respect and non-conflict, non-confrontation," the channel cited Xi as saying in its nightly national broadcast.
As the world's two largest economies, China and the US have an important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability, and promote global prosperity, it quoted him as saying.
"Developing longterm stable and healthy Sino-US relations in accordance with the benefit of both countries' peoples is also the international community's common expectation."
4:40pm: Donald Trump takes to Twitter after win
Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2016
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2:50pm: PM Nawaz congratulates Trump on election win
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Trump on his historic victory in the 2016 US Presidential elections.
“On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you and the people of the United States, our most sincere felicitations on your election as the 45th president of the United States,” PM Nawaz said.
Read the full story here.
2:30pm: British PM May says congratulates Donald Trump
2:00pm: List of things Trump has pledged to do on first day as president
As Trump shocks the world, we take a look at what the 45th president of the US has pledged to do on his first day as president.
Read the full story here.
1:50pm: Japan's Abe congratulates Trump, calls nations 'unshakeable allies'
1:40pm: Shiv Sena distributes sweets to commemorate Trump's win
A far-right Hindu group, which has been one of Donald Trump’s most avid overseas cheerleaders, began celebrating in New Delhi on Wednesday as the Republican pulled off a shock U.S. presidential election victory.
Right-wing activists of India's Hindu Sena celebrate the potential victorious outcome for US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the US presidential elections, in New Delhi on November 9, 2016. PHOTO: AFPVishnu Gupta, chief of the ultra-nationalist Hindu Sena outfit, said supporters had taken to the streets to bang traditional drums even before Trump claimed victory and would also distribute celebratory sweets.
Trump’s hardline rhetoric toward Muslims has found favor in some quarters in India, the world’s largest democracy that has had its fair share of tensions between the majority Hindu population and its Muslim minority.
Read the full story here.
1:35pm: Modi congratulates Trump
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his congratulations to Trump for winning the US presidential election and thanked him for the "friendship" shown to India during the campaign.
We look forward to working with you closely to take India-US bilateral ties to a new height. @realDonaldTrump
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 9, 2016
Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on being elected as the 45th US President.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 9, 2016
Trump courted Indian-American voters in the run-up to election day and released a campaign advertisement in Hindi for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
In the ad Trump adapted a catchphrase used by Modi in his successful 2014 run for India's top job -- "Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar," which translates into English as "This time a Trump government" - and said he was looking forward to working with the Indian leader.
Modi echoed that sentiment in another tweet on Wednesday, telling the US president elect: "We look forward to working with you closely to take India-US bilateral ties to a new height."
1:30pm: Russia's Putin congratulates Trump on election win
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated businessman Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election in a telegram on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.
https://twitter.com/PutinRF_Eng/status/796304744851578880
"Putin expressed hope for joint work to restore Russian-American relations from their state of crisis, and also to address pressing international issues and search for effective responses to challenges concerning global security," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin said he was sure a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington would serve the interests of both countries, the Kremlin said.
1:25pm: Egypt's Sisi congratulates Trump, looks forward to new era of closer ties
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday on his victory in the US presidential election and said he hoped his election would unleash a new era of closer ties with Washington.
"The Egyptian Arab Republic is looking forward to the period of Donald Trump's presidency to imbue new spirit into the path of Egyptian-American ties with more cooperation and coordination in the interests of both the Egyptian and American people," he said in a statement.
1:20pm: Turkish foreign min says to strengthen US ties after Trump victory
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election on Wednesday and said Ankara would strengthen its "trust-based relations and cooperation" with the United States. He made the comments on his Twitter account.
1:15pm: Hope, fear and laughter: Twitter reacts to Trump's win the best way it knows how
Trump’s win divided the internet and many were quick to take to social media, giving rise to some of the most amusing and ominous memes and reactions. Almost immediately, #Trump began trending worldwide and here’s what followed…
12:50pm: Donald Trump takes stage as US President-elect
Trump says Clinton just called to congratulate him.
The 45th US president said he pledges to every citizen he will be president for all Americans. "It is time for us to come together as one united people," he said.
Trump addresses after being elected 45th US president. PHOTO: REUTERS"Ours was not a campaign but rather a movement," the Republican added. Further, he said for that who did not support him, he reaches out to them for guidance and help to work together.
PHOTO: REUTERS"We will get along with all other nations willing to get along with us," Trump added.
PHOTO: REUTERS12:35pm: Defying all odds, Donald Trump becomes 45th president of the United States
Donald Trump stunned America and the world Wednesday, riding a wave of populist resentment to defeat Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th president of the United States.
The Republican mogul defeated his Democratic rival, plunging global markets into turmoil and casting the long-standing global political order, which hinges on Washington's leadership, into doubt.
Trump was soon to address his jubilant supporters at a victory party in Manhattan, his hometown.
12:32pm: Trump wins Midwestern state of Wisconsin, putting him on verge of victory
12:10pm: Trump leads with 265 electoral votes
Trump leading 265-218 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
12:05pm: Clinton campaign chairman asks supporters to go home
Clinton campaign chairman asking supporters at rally to go home saying: Everyone should head home, get some sleep.
"Several states are too close to call, so we're not going to have anything more to say tonight," Podesta further said.
11:45am: Trump wins Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania had voted Democratic in previous elections.
11:30am: Republicans march toward defense of Senate, House majorities
Republicans will maintain their six-year control over the US House of Representatives, major TV networks projected on Tuesday night, and were also on track to defend their Senate majority, against a handful of failed Democratic challengers.
11:15am: Trump leading with 244 electoral votes
Trump leading 244-215 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
Trump needs 25 more electoral college votes to reach the presidency. Clinton needs 55.
10:55am: Pakistan stocks plunge as Trump edges ahead
Pakistan equities slumped as Republican candidate Donald Trump appeared to be edging ahead of his competitor, Hillary Clinton, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index plunging as much as 761 points or 1.8% in early-morning trading.
The KSE-100 Index, however, recovered almost half its losses, but was still down 428 points, or 1.02% at 10:30am.
Read the full story here.
10:50am: Trump needs 25 more electoral college votes to reach the presidency
10:25am: Clinton wins Nevada
10:15am: Canada immigration website appears to crash as Trump lead grows
Maybe some Americans were serious when they threatened they would move to Canada if Republican presidential candidate became successful in his often polarising campaign for the White House.
Some users in the United States, Canada and Asia saw an internal serve error message when trying to access the www.cic.gc.ca website.
Read the full story here.
10:05am: Trump leading by 240 electoral votes
Trump leading 240-209 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
9:58am: Donald Trump wins Utah
Donald Trump edges nearer to the magical target of 270. He is leading 222-209 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
9:48am: Trump wins Iowa, edging closer to White House
Republican candidate now needs 42 electoral votes to win.
9:44am: Clinton wins Washington and Colorado
9:30am: Trump leads again
Trump leading 216-188 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
Trump needs 48 electoral votes to win.
Clinton supporters react to Trump's lead. PHOTO: AFP9:18am: Clinton now leading
Clinton leading 188-187 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
9:14am: Donald Trump wins North Carolina, one of the night’s biggest electoral prizes
Trump supporters rejoice as he wins battleground states. PHOTO: AFP9:10am: Trump now in the lead by 187
Trump leading 187-175 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
9:05am: Clinton edges closer
Clinton edges closer. Trump leading 172-168 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
Clinton took Hawaii, California and Oregon.
8:55am: Donald Trump wins battleground state of Florida
Trump wins Florida in major blow to Clinton hopes.
8:50am: Trump beating Clinton in several battleground states
Trump is now leading Hillary Clinton 168-109 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
8:40am: Markets in free fall as Trump moves into lead
Markets went into free fall Wednesday and the Mexican peso tanked as Donald Trump appeared to be moving into the lead in the race for the White House.
Safe haven assets rallied as investors went running for cover, with the yen and gold rushing higher.
Read more here.
8:30am: Trump wins Ohio
Republican candidate won Ohio putting him in the lead 150-109 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
Carol Minor cheers during Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown. PHOTO: AFPBillionaire populist Donald Trump was poised for a possible shock victory over Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's historic US presidential election, as a string of early gains for the Republican jolted world markets and stunned her supporters.
Clinton -- the Democratic former first lady, senator and secretary of state -- began the day as the narrow favorite to win the White House and become America's first female president.
But as polls closed in all but the westernmost states, and media called state races one-by-one, giving the key battleground state Ohio to her Republican rival, pollsters were scrambling to update their forecasts and pointing to either a dead heat or an upset.
8:00am: Trump:Clinton-140:104
Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton 140-104 in the race to 270 electoral votes.
Clinton's supporters look increasingly nervous as #Trump takes the lead in many swing states. PHOTO: AFP7:40am: Global markets Dollar, Mexican peso, stocks sink as Trump edges ahead
The US dollar sank and stock markets slammed into reverse in wild Asian trade on Wednesday as every new exit poll in the US presidential election showed the race to be a nail-biter, sending investors stampeding to safe-haven assets.
Much of the action was in currencies where the Mexican peso has become a touchstone for sentiment on the election as Republican Donald Trump's trade policies are seen as damaging to its export-heavy economy.
7:20am: Trump leading
Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton 129-97 in the race to 270 electoral votes
7:00am: Results as they come in
Donald Trump wins in Kentucky and Indiana
Hillary Clinton wins in Vermont
Donald Trump wins in West Virginia
Hillary Clinton wins Massachusetts
Hillary Clinton wins DC
Donald Trump wins Oklahoma
Hillary Clinton wins New Jersey
Donald Trump wins South Carolina
Donald Trump wins Tennessee
Donald Trump wins Alabama
Hillary Clinton wins Rhode Island, giving her 48 electoral votes. Trump has 60.
Donald Trump wins Mississippi
Hillary Clinton wins Illinois
Donald Trump wins South Dakota
Donald Trump wins North Dakota
Hillary Clinton wins Illinois
Donald Trump wins Nebraska
Donald Trump wins Texas
Donald Trump wins Arkansas
Donald Trump wins Wyoming
6:15am: Trump, Clinton in tight battles in Ohio, Florida and elsewhere
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton waged a tight battle in several crucial battleground states on Tuesday in their bitter race for the White House, although opinion polls showed Clinton had an edge in the closing hours of the campaign.
With voting completed in more than half of the 50 US states, the race was too close to call in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Virginia, states that could be vital to deciding which contender wins the presidency.
Both candidates scored early victories in states where they were expected to win. Trump captured conservative states in the South and Midwest, while Clinton swept several states on the East Coast and Illinois in the Midwest.
Those victories were long predicted and not especially significant in the national race, which is likely to turn on a half-dozen toss-up states that will be crucial in the state-by-state fight for 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
Clinton had more options to reach 270, with Trump needing a virtual sweep of about six toss-up states to win.
00:45am: See how things play out
Trump has said he would have to "see how things play out" before accepting the results of Election Day, pointing to possible irregularities as he once again warned of a rigged system.
"We're going to see how things play out today. Hopefully they'll play out well and hopefully we won't have to worry about it, meaning hopefully we'll win," Trump said in a telephone interview on Fox News. "I want to see everything honest."
Trump tells Fox News he won't commit to accepting election results until he sees "how things play out." #ElectionDay https://t.co/A18eaSHVNt pic.twitter.com/CDlQLPaezc
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 8, 2016
11.25pm: Trump campaign sues in Nevada over polling place hours
Trump sued the registrar of voters in Clark County, Nevada over a polling place in Las Vegas that had been allowed to remain open late last week to accommodate people who were lined up to vote.
The lawsuit, filed in a Nevada state court on Monday, alleges the registrar violated state law and asked that the ballots from that polling place be kept separate from other votes, pending any future legal challenges to the results in the state.
Pakistani voters are nervous but hopeful
Pakistani voters are nervous but hopeful
As the US presidential election is underway, Pakistani-American voters are jittery about the outcome of America’s most volatile presidential campaign.
Read the full story here.
Trump booed as he arrives to vote
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9:00pm: Trump votes in Manhattan
Donald Trump greeted voters in Manhattan before casting his vote in the presidential election.
SCREEN GRABAfter casting his vote in the basketball court of Public School 59 Beekman Hill International, the Republican presidential nominee quipped to reporters that it was a "tough decision" to make his voting choice.
Outside the polling station, at least a hundred people gathered on either side shouted "New York hates you!" before a huge media presence as Trump entered and exited.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump vote at PS 59 in New York, New York, US November 8, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERSThere were also rival cheers, including from about half a dozen construction workers doing work on the street and wearing hard hats with Trump Pence stickers.
"We'll see what happens," Trump said when asked whether he would concede if the election were called for Clinton following a bruising, often nasty campaign.
"It's looking very good. Right now it's looking very good. It will be an interesting day. Thank you," Trump added at the rowdy polling station, where crowds chanted slogans in the background.
Accompanying him were his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner and the couple's daughter Arabella.
6:00pm: Hillary Clinton casts vote
Hillary Clinton cast her vote early Tuesday near her home in New York state.
US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton fills out her ballot at the Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua, New York, US November 8, 2016. SCREEN GRABChanting "Madam President," about 150 supporters turned out to cheer on the Democratic nominee who voted with husband Bill Clinton at an elementary school near their home in Chappaqua.
"I'm so happy, I'm just incredibly happy," said a smiling Clinton as she emerged from the polling station, shaking hands, mingling and chatting with the crowd.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (L) greets supporters after casting her vote in Chappaqua, New York on November 8, 2016. PHOTO: AFP"All my friends and my neighbors, it makes me so happy."
What time will the polls close? (And when will we know who won?)
Polls begin closing across the United States at 2:00am PST.
By 6:00am PST, enough states will have voted to make up at least half of the total 538 electoral votes. Half of the 106 electoral votes in competitive states and districts are in places that finish voting by 5:30am. About 90 per cent of the 106 electoral votes are in places that finish voting by 7:00am PST.
[poll id="1506"]
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton addresses a campaign rally on Independece Mall, November 7, 2016 in Philadelphia. PHOTO: AFPClinton could clinch at 7:00am PST if she takes all the states where she is expected to win, every one of the six competitive states that finish voting by that hour and Maine’s Second Congressional District. The six states are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Ohio.
Clinton and Republican maverick Donald Trump campaigned into the wee hours of polling day as they fought to sell their starkly different visions for the future of the world’s greatest power.
The 69-year old former first lady, senator and secretary of state — backed by A-list musical stars and incumbent President Barack Obama — urged the country to unite and vote for “a hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America.”
Bilawal Bhutto throws his weight behind Hillary Clinton
Trump meanwhile doubled down on his outreach to voters who feel left behind by globalization and social change, finishing with a flourish on his protectionist slogan: “America first.”
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during his final campaign rally on Election Day in the Devos Place November 8, 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. PHOTO: AFPWhat impact will US elections have on Pakistan?
A polling average by tracker site RealClearPolitics gave Clinton a 3.3 percentage point national lead, but Trump is closer or even has the advantage in several of the swing states that he must conquer to pull off an upset.
‘Corrupt elite’
No results or exit polls will be available before polling stations begin to close on the US East Coast from 7:00 pm, and it may be three or more hours after that before the direction of the race becomes clear.
And even then, questions remain. Trump has repeatedly warned that a “corrupt Washington and media elite” is seeking to rig the race and he said last month that he may not concede defeat if he thinks voting is unfair.
He has also threatened to lodge lawsuits against up to a dozen women who have come forward during the race to accuse him of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior.
Clinton has pushed a more optimistic vision, despite a wobble in the final weeks of her campaign when the FBI reopened an investigation into whether she had put US secrets at risk by using a private email server — only to close it again on Sunday.
Pakistan in a fix to pick sides in US presidential poll
In a radio interview on the last night of the race, she said the matter was behind her, and she courted voters at her final rallies in Philadelphia with Obama and rocker Bruce Springsteen, and in North Carolina with pop diva Lady Gaga.
“Tomorrow, we face the test of our time,” she declared in front of 40,000 people in Philadelphia, a record for her in a campaign where despite her opinion poll lead she has struggled to match her Republican opponent’s passionate and raucous crowds.
“There is a clear choice in this election. A choice between division or unity, an economy that works for everyone, or only for those at the top; between strong, steady leadership, or a loose cannon who could put everything at risk.”
At the same time, Trump, who hijacked his conservative party and turned it into a vehicle for populist bombast, concluded a last-gasp tour of swing states by painting his rival as doomed to defeat and the corrupt creature of a discredited elite.
‘I will fight for you’
“Do you want America to be ruled by the corrupt political class, or do you want America to be ruled, again, by the people?” he demanded at a rally in New Hampshire, a state won in 2012 by Obama that Trump hopes to flip into his column.
Clinton is Pakistanis’ choice for US president, survey finds
Promising to end “years of betrayal,” tear up free trade deals, seal the border, halt the drug trade and exclude all Syrian refugees, Trump told his supporters: “I am with you and I will fight for you and we will win.” Trump’s campaign spooked world markets seeking stability after the recent global slowdown.
Last week, US stocks as measured by the S&P 500 index fell for nine straight days for the first time since 1980, only to recover a little when the FBI confirmed Clinton would not face prosecution over her emails. Asian markets were up slightly on Tuesday as the world remained on tenterhooks for the result.
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