US election live: Joe Biden wins and says 'It’s time for America to unite'

The prime minister of Australia, one of the US’ closest allies, has offered his congratulations to the president-elect and vice-president elect.

Scott Morrison, a conservative who has built a strong relationship with Donald Trump during his term, said Australia wished the incoming administration “every success in office”.

“The Australia-US alliance is deep and enduring, and built on shared values. I look forward to working with you closely as we face the world’s many challenges together.”

Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 US presidential election has been celebrated by athletes across America.

Trump has been involved in several clashes with high-profile athletes, such as NBA superstar LeBron James and World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe, during his presidency and the former was quick to react to the news that Joe Biden will take power in January.

James tweeted a video of himself smoking a victory cigar alongside a link to More Than A Vote, a campaign he has headlined to harness the power of black voters. The 16-time All-Star also posted a photo of one of the most famous moments of his glittering career, when he pulled off a spectacular block of Andre Iguodala during the 2016 NBA finals.

However, in Saturday’s tweet he had superimposed Biden’s head on his body with Trump as Iguodala. “Your pettiness level is through the roof and I’m here for it,” wrote WNBA star A’ja Wilson in response.

James, one of the most famous athletes in America, has repeatedly tangled with the president. James has been critical of Trump throughout his term in office. In September 2017, James called Trump a “bum” for rescinding his invitation to the Golden State Warriors to celebrate their NBA championship with a visit to the White House.

Meanwhile, shortly after Saturday’s result came in Rapinoe tweeted a thank you to “Black Women”, who voted overwhelmingly for Biden in this year’s election. Rapinoe was one of the first white athletes to kneel during the US national anthem and has called Trump sexist and misogynistic. Before the 2019 World Cup she said she would not go to the White House celebrations if the US lifted the trophy, a promise she kept.

The Guardian’s Tom Phillips reports from Rio de Janeiro:

Latin American leaders, including the presidents of Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, have started offering their congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

But so far there has been a deafening silence from Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who was one of Trump’s most fervent international supporters and had been openly rooting for his reelection.

Sources with Brazil’s presidential palace told the Estado de São Paulo newspaper Bolsonaro was waiting for a “concrete situation” before making any comment.

Foreign policy experts believe Biden’s victory will force Bolsonaro to replace his pro-Trump foreign minister, Ernesto Araújo, who has described the outgoing US president as a Godly “saviour” of western civilisation.

Hello, Oliver Holmes here, logging on to run the Guardian live blog following a peaceful transfer of power with my colleague, Joan E Greve.

It is just after 4pm US Eastern Time, 1pm US Pacific Time, and 9pm UK time.

Joe Biden has won the White House, and Donald Trump refuses to concede.

Our reporters across the US – and the world – will be keeping you updated with the latest.

Joe Biden’s win means the White House will once again be home to a first pet – or in this case two. The Biden family includes two German shepherds: Major, a young rescue dog, and Champ, who lived in the vice presidential residence during Barack Obama’s administration.