California has certified its presidential election and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s formal approval of Biden’s win in the state brought his tally of pledged electors so far to 279, according to a tally by The Associated …

The race to decide the US presidential election is on a knife edge with  Donald Trump leading Democratic rival Joe Biden in the vital battleground state of Florida. With other competitive swing states that will help decide the election, including North Carolina, still up in the air, American look likely to go to bed without knowing who their leader will …

US President Donald Trump was raring to get back to work, just days after contracting coronavirus. Some of his enthusiasm may be driven by an uncomfortable realisation that he may be heading for a decisive election defeat. Currency markets are now pointing to precisely that outcome — a turnaround in just a few weeks. Last month the price of derivatives …

US President Donald Trump’s medical team confirmed he has been prescribed dexamethasone, a steroid shown in studies to improve survival for patients hospitalised with critical COVID-19 symptoms. The medication is cheap and widely-used but according to guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America, it should not be given in mild cases since it can limit the body’s own ability …

US President Donald Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. At 48, the devout Roman Catholic would be the youngest justice on the bench if she is confirmed by the US Senate. Mr Trump hailed Judge Barrett as “a woman …

Naomi Osaka has won the US Open title for a second time, beating Victoria Azarenka in the women’s singles final at Flushing Meadows. The Japanese fourth seed was swept aside by a dominant Azarenka in the first set, before hitting back to win the next two sets to take the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in one hour 53 minutes. The …

Authorities have warned of mass fatalities as the largest firestorms on record ravaged the states of California and Oregon amid a deadly summer of wildfires. Deadly infernoes raging across Oregon have kept half a million people under evacuation alert as weary firefighters took advantage of improved weather to go on the offensive against the blazes. The fires have destroyed thousands …

A disturbing video purporting to show a suicide is reportedly doing the rounds on the popular short video app TikTok, reigniting debate about what social media platforms are doing to limit circulation of troubling material. According to media reports, the video first showed up on Facebook in late August but has been re-uploaded and shared across Instagram and TikTok — reportedly …

Google has warned Australians to expect “dramatically worse” services if the Federal Government follows through with plans to make it pay for Australian news content. Two weeks ago the Federal Government released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms and Australian media businesses that would make internet heavyweights Facebook and Google pay for the privilege of hosting Australian news. The …

A man has been arrested in the US state of Florida after a failed attempt at kidnapping WWE star Sonya Deville. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Phillip A. Thomas II began planning the abduction eight months ago. Thomas had never met Deville but had a ‘disturbing obsession’ with her and stalked her on social media. The 24-year-old was inside Deville’s …