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US President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation this afternoon after Donald Trump was elected as his successor in an extraordinary political comeback.Mr Biden, who was replaced by vice president Kamala Harris as the Democrats' presidential candidate over concerns about his mental fitness, will speak at 4pm (UK time), the White House said on Thursday. He has already issued a statement in which he said Ms Harris "stepped up and led a historic campaign" that "embodied what's possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation".US election latest: Trump to select team in daysBut later today will be the first time the country will hear from the president in person. Mr Biden called Mr Trump after his emphatic victory in the US presidential election on Wednesda...

The UK has sanctioned a Russian military officer accused of helping poison former double agent Sergei Skripal with novichok in Salisbury.The Foreign Office has imposed 56 new sanctions on people and entities linked to Russia, including those in the Wagner mercenary group that operates unofficially on Vladimir Putin's behalf, and companies based in China, Turkey and central Asia supplying parts to Russia. Denis Sergeev, who the Met Police charged over the attempted murder of double agent Mr Skripal, has been sanctioned under the chemical weapons sanctions regime.Politics latest: Trump victory dominates European leaders' summit"Sergeev provided support in the preparation and use of the chemical weapon novichok in Salisbury...and provided a coordinating role in London on the weekend of the at...

Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon have killed 40 people, according to the country's health ministry. The strikes also wounded 53 more people around the eastern city of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley on Wednesday, as Israel's operation against the Hezbollah militant group continues.The Israeli military has not commented.More than 3,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon in the past year, but most deaths have happened over the past six weeks as violence between the Iran-backed militants and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) escalated.Late on Wednesday and earlier on Thursday, further strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs, after the Israeli military ordered residents to evacuate several locations.This morning, one large airstrike hit a site next to Lebanon's only international ...

A "dangerously fast" wildfire in California fuelled by strong winds has spread, destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands of people to flee - as forecasters warned of the potential for "extreme and life-threatening" blazes.The fire in Ventura County grew from less than half of a square mile to 16 square miles in just over five hours. Image: Firefighters have been racing to homes to save lives. Pic: AP "This fire is moving dangerously fast," Ventura County fire chief Dustin Gardner said."Bushes are burning, grass is burning, hedgerows are burning, agricultural fields are burning, and structures are burning." Image: Santa Paula, California. Pic: AP Th...