The Latest: SKorea media say Trump promises military support

Park’s office confirms Park and Trump talked by phone but hasn’t provided specifics on their conversation.

There have been worries in South Korea that a Trump presidency could bring a major shift in U.S. economic and diplomatic ties with Seoul. Trump has questioned the value of the U.S.-South Korea security alliance.

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3 a.m.

Hong Kong’s leader has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. election victory.

In a statement, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying says the government of the semiautonomous southern Chinese financial hub “looks forward to further deepening our links with the U.S.”

In Leung’s words, “Hong Kong and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade ties, the two places have also established close connections in various areas such as education, innovation, culture and tourism.”

Both Trump and Leung are wealthy businessmen with backgrounds in real estate.

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2:40 a.m.

Australia’s prime minister says he spoke with Donald Trump over the telephone and the U.S. president-elect agrees on the importance of the U.S. military alliance with Australia and the importance of the U.S. military presence to the security of the Asia-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Trump “appreciates, honours” and “admires” the 65-year-old bilateral defence pact that requires the security partners to consult if either comes under attack but does not commit them to come to the other’s defence.

Turnbull would not say whether Trump plans to continue to increase the U.S. military buildup in Australia. He described their talk as “warm” and “very frank.”

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11:30 p.m.

Cuban President Raul Castro has congratulated Donald Trump on the election victory, in what appears to have been a terse message to the man who could roll back two years of detente.

In a single-sentence statement, Cuba’s foreign ministry says Castro “sent a message of congratulations to Mr. Donald J. Trump for his election as president of the United States.”

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10:40 p.m.

A militant group responsible for attacks on oil installations says Donald Trump’s election victory gives hope to minorities in the West African nation.

The Niger Delta Avengers group said on its website Wednesday that Trump’s “hard fought victory against world establishments” is hope for more than 30 million members of minority communities in the Niger Delta region who have fought over resources with the government and Islamic forces.

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9:40 p.m.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto says he has spoken with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him and his family.

Pena Nieto says they agreed to meet during the transition period to discuss the U.S.-Mexico relationship.

He adds that it was a “cordial, friendly and respectful conversation.”

Pena Nieto said Wednesday in a brief televised address that when Mexico does well, so does the United States, and vice versa. He spoke of opening “new paths of co-operation and prosperity,” while promising to protect the rights and well-being of Mexicans everywhere.

Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to build a wall along the United States’ southern border and force Mexico to pay for it. He has also described migrants crossing the border illegally as criminals and rapists.

Trump met with Pena Nieto in late August in a surprise visit to Mexico City. Pena Nieto was widely criticized at the time for holding the meeting and for not confronting Trump more directly on the wall proposal and the candidate’s comments about Mexico.

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9:10 p.m.

Africa’s first elected female president is calling Hillary Clinton’s electoral defeat a “missed opportunity” to advance women’s rights.

In an interview with the BBC, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia said Wednesday she is “extremely saddened” by Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump, though she expects her West African nation to maintain good relations with the U.S.

Sirleaf was elected in 2005 as Liberia was emerging from 14 years of deadly civil conflict. As secretary of state, Clinton attended Sirleaf’s inauguration for a second term in 2012.

Liberia was founded by freed American slaves and is one of the U.S.’s closest allies on the continent.

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7:15 p.m.

Nicaragua’s leftist President Daniel Ortega has sent a congratulatory greeting to Donald Trump, saying he and his people “believe it is possible to work with the United States” on the world’s problems, “giving priority to peace.”

Ortega on Sunday celebrated an electoral victory of his own, winning a third consecutive term as leader of the Central American country.

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7 p.m.

Venezuela’s foreign ministry is congratulating Donald Trump on his win and saying it hopes he can advance “respectful bilateral political and diplomatic relations.”

It also expresses hopes that the new chapter will be marked by “respect for non-intervention in internal affairs.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to overthrow the South American country’s government, a charge that has been rejected by State Department representatives

The two countries continue to engage in trade despite not having embassies in their respective capitals since 2010.

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6:30 p.m.

Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway don’t expect Donald Trump’s election win to affect their key relations with the United States.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, a self-made millionaire, says he was surprised by the U.S. election result, saying the polls “got it pretty badly wrong about Brexit as well.”

Sipila said that U.S. relations for Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia, are of “paramount” importance and that Trump’s victory wouldn’t mean a change in the non-aligned county’s defence policy, its close ties to NATO or Finnish-Russian relations.

In Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said many people felt concerned about the U.S. election result, but that they had been “prepared” for it. He said Sweden has a long tradition of co-operation with U.S. governments “regardless of party political affiliations.”

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg congratulated Donald Trump, saying “the United States is our closest ally. It is decisive that we continue the co-operation.”

In Denmark, Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen “let’s give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt.”

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6:20 p.m.

Iran’s president says the historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers “cannot be overturned by a single government.”

President Hassan Rouhani spoke Wednesday following the election of Donald Trump, a harsh critic of the deal, as U.S. president. Trump has suggested he would try to renegotiate the agreement under which Iran curbs its nuclear program in exchange for a gradual lifting of international sanctions.

In remarks on Iranian state TV, Rouhani says the international position of the United States has been weakened “due to its recent wrong policies.” He says the U.S. election results show that America’s “sickness and civil instability will persist for a long time.”

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6:15 p.m.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has congratulated Donald Trump, saying he is looking forward to continued support in his country’s fight against the extremist Islamic State group.

In a statement on his website, al-Abadi said Wednesday that he hopes the “world and the United States will continue support Iraq in fighting terrorism.” He says terrorism doesn’t threaten Iraq alone, but the whole world.”

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6:10 p.m.

Mexico’s treasury chief says the country has been working to solidify its finances in preparation for external shocks such as the election of Donald Trump.

Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade says Britain’s Brexit vote was one shock, the U.S. election result another and the Fed’s decision on interest rates in December is yet another possibility.

Meade told journalists that officials don’t plan any immediate moves to prop up the peso, which plunged about 9.5 per cent after the U.S. election result due to fears Trump’s policies would slam the Mexican economy.

Meade says the state-owned oil company announced its new five-year plan the week before the election to send the message that it was not linked to the vote.

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5:55 p.m.

A German government spokesman says Chancellor Angela Merkel could meet Donald Trump before the G7 meeting in Italy in May.

Asked about the impact of Trump’s election win on ending the war in Ukraine, Steffen Seibert says Germany “will certainly stand by its policy on Russia.” The U.S. and the EU have slapped sanctions on Russia for backing separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Martin Schaefer, German foreign ministry spokesman, said the mood in Berlin ranges “from consternation to beyond.”

Stefanie Huppman, who works in Berlin, calls the U.S. election result “terrible. But every country gets the president it deserves.”

5:35 p.m.

Czech President Milos Zeman has welcomed Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, saying that proves Americans did not succumb to what he called “media manipulation.”

He says he appreciated Trump’s campaign because his message was “clear” though sometimes “rough.” Zeman, known for his strong anti-migrant rhetoric, said he shared Trump’s views on migration and the fight against the Islamic terrorism.

Zeman was among the several leaders in Central Europe, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who endorsed Trump during the campaign.

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5:25 p.m.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan is working on building ties with Trump and his advisers so Tokyo is well-prepared in case of any policy changes under his presidency.

Kishida says on TV it’s still unclear how Trump’s policy and his political leadership will affect Japan, and it may “require our flexible response.” Trump has said Japan should pay more for American troops stationed in Japan under the bilateral security pact or pull them out.

Kishida says Japan is still trying to understand how important the Asia-Pacific region is to Trump.

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5:15 p.m.

Poland’s former president and Solidarity founder Lech Walesa says Donald Trump has good intentions and sees the people’s discontent but has no policy plan.

Asked if Trump as U.S. president poses any threat, Walesa said the “threat lies in the fact that he is really unprepared. He has good intentions. He sees that people are dissatisfied. But, in my opinion he has no solutions.”

He said Trump won because people are “tired of old structures, of old politicians” and said that capitalism and democracy still need improvement.

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5:10 p.m.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has congratulated Donald Trump and reminded him of the important “strategic partnership” shared by their two nations, including the pledge to send troops to NATO’s eastern flank.

Poland’s populist leadership shares a number of ideological similarities with Trump. Yet there is anxiety in Poland that a Trump presidency could leave the region more vulnerable to a resurgent Russia given Trump’s repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggestions by Trump that the U.S. might not protect its NATO allies if they are attacked.

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5:05 p.m.

An analyst says U.S. foreign policy will now depend on Donald Trump’s key appointments and the extent to which the U.S. foreign policy establishment can exert a restraining influence on them.

Evan Laksmana at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia, says “even if he did only half of what he promised in foreign affairs, he could do a serious amount of damage in a short time.”

Within Asia, Japan and South Korea won’t accept Chinese predominance, he said, and would become independently more assertive if their alliances with the U.S. weakened. Also weaker states in Southeast Asia might slip further within China’s orbit if the U.S. is not involved in the region.

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4:55 p.m.

The Philippines’ foul-mouthed president has welcomed Donald Trump’s election victory, calling him a fellow curser.

Rodrigo Duterte, during a visit to Malaysia on Wednesday, says “Long live Mr. Trump! We both curse at the slightest reason. We are alike.”

Duterte has previously told President Barack Obama in the past to “go to hell” and criticized U.S. officials for expressing concern about his brutal crackdown on illegal drug sellers and users.

Philippine officials said Wednesday that Duterte has decided to reduce the number of joint military exercises with the United States.

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4:40 p.m.

Macedonia’s president has congratulated Donald Trump on his election, saying the small Balkan country counts on U.S. help in joining NATO and the 28-nation European Union.

President Gjorge Ivanov says U.S. support is of “vital importance” for Macedonian and other Balkan countries to join the international organizations.

Macedonia’s bid for EU accession has been frozen pending calls from Brussels for police and judiciary reforms, and for greater press freedom. Its hopes of becoming a NATO member have been blocked by neighbouring Greece, due to a festering dispute over Macedonia’s name.

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4:30 p.m.

European Council President Donald Tusk says the election of Donald Trump has brought uncertainty and poses new challenges for trans-Atlantic ties.

Tusk told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday that “while respecting the democratic choice of the American people, we are the same time aware of the new challenges that these results bring.”

He spoke of a “moment of uncertainty over the future of our trans-Atlantic relations”

Tusk added “the EU is a strong and reliable partner and will remain so. We expect the same from America and its new president.”

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4:25 p.m.

The favourite in Moldova’s presidential election has praised Donald Trump for winning the U.S. presidential race as a victory over “the Liberal orgy.”

Igor Dodon, who paints himself as a traditional Moldovan family man and wants closer relations with Russia, said Wednesday he liked Trump because “he is a supporter of Christian values.”

Trump has been divorced twice and has children from three different wives.

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4:15 p.m.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to work with President-elect Donald Trump “in a positive way.”

Trudeau told students in Ottawa that he will work with Trump not just for Canadians and Americans “but for the whole world.”

The prospect of Americans moving to Canada after Trump’s win drew so much online interest it temporarily knocked out Canada’s immigration website. Internet searches for “move to Canada” spiked Tuesday night as election returns favoured Trump. “Canada” was a leading U.S. trend on Twitter.

The website for Citizenship and Immigration Canada went down due to a surge in traffic. Andree-Lyne Halle, a spokeswoman for Trudeau, said staff worked throughout the night to resolve the issue.

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4 p.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the United Nations will count on Donald Trump’s administration to strengthen international co-operation to meet today’s global challenges.

Ban said the U.N. hopes to work with his U.S. government “to uphold shared ideals, combat climate change, advance human rights, promote mutual understanding” and implement U.N. goals for 2030.

Ban says after “a hard-fought and often divisive campaign, it is worth recalling and reaffirming that the unity in diversity of the United States is one of the country’s greatest strengths.”

Ban also praised Hillary Clinton “for a lifetime commitment to peace, the advancement of women and the well-being of children.”

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3:50 p.m.

Donald Trump’s victory has given moral support to anti-establishment movements in Italy riding a wave of discontent over the migrant crisis and the stodgy economic recovery.

The head of Italy’s anti-migrant anti-EU Northern League, Matteo Salvini, said Trump’s victory “signalled epochal changes,” and he set his sights immediately on leader Matteo Renzi, who faces a critical test in a referendum on constitutional reforms next month.

The Northern League has been keen to form alliances with far-right parties across Europe. Salvini, who is meeting with Russian lawmakers next week in Moscow, says Trump “has taught us that who has courage wins.”

The head of the anti-establishment 5-Star movement, Beppe Grillo, says “Trump represents the point of no return of a world that is changing.”

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3:35 p.m.

European Union foreign ministers will hold a special meeting on Sunday to assess the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and what it means for trans-Atlantic relations.

The 28 EU foreign ministers are set to meet with foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for a dinner in Brussels. European leaders have been fearful that Trump would lead an isolationist and protectionist course, undermining the cornerstones of trans-Atlantic co-operation.

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3:20 p.m.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his victory and the American people for their democracy.

Lagos-based SBM Intelligence risk analysts say the uncertainty generated by Trump’s win should be good for Nigeria, the African oil giant, since it will weaken the U.S. dollar.

Not everyone in Nigeria embraced Trump. At an election watch party organized by the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigerian artist Nike Davies-Okundaye called Hillary Clinton “my hero.” As Clinton’s loss became apparent, people pulled down the red, blue and white balloons and began popping them in disappointment

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2:55 p.m.

The residents of Melania Trump’s home town in Slovenia are hoping the future U.S. First Lady will come to visit together with her husband.

U.S. flags could be seen in the industrial town of Sevnica on Wednesday as the news came in of Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidency.

Sevnica mayor Srecko Ocvirk says he doesn’t expect Melania Trump to come any time soon but “I expect her to visit Sevnica later.”

Melania Trump’s childhood neighbour, Mirjana Jelancic, says she is happy for her friend. She says “it was part of her dreams and we are happy if she succeeds.”

Melania Trump, 46, was born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica. She left Slovenia in her 20s’ to pursue an international modelling career.

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2:45 p.m.

Bosnia is divided over Donald Trump’s presidential victory in the U.S., with the country’s Serbs welcoming it while Muslim Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats are disappointed with Hillary Clinton’s defeat.

The division is mainly based on the role former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s administration had in ending Bosnia’s devastating 1992-95 war, which took over 100,000 lives and included a four-year siege of Sarajevo.

Vitomir Blagojevic, a Bosnian Serb from Pale, said “I am really glad that he won.”

But in Sarajevo, Kemal Hadzibegic, a Muslim Bosniak, described Trump as “raw.”

“We were in favour of Clinton,” he said. “We trusted her more. This is a real surprise for us, but also for everyone else.”

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2:30 p.m.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders says, in a reaction to Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential win, “we will judge him on his actions.”

Koenders, of the centre-left Labor Party, says during the U.S. campaign “Trump made statements that were at odds with how we like to see our society and world order,” citing Trump comments about U.S. relationships with NATO, Russia and the European Union.

But the Dutch minister says it’s important for the Netherlands’ close relationship with the United States to continue since “we are facing global challenges such as climate change and the fight against terrorism.”

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2:20 p.m.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is congratulating the U.S. on its election — though not directly winner Donald Trump, who alarmed many by describing Mexican migrants as murderers and rapists.

Pena Nieto has sent a series of tweets repeating his readiness to work with Trump “in favour of the bilateral relationship.” He says Mexico and the U.S. “are friends, partners and allies who should continue collaborating for the competitiveness and development of North America.”

The value of Mexico’s peso currency plunged sharply after the election of Trump, who has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexican Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade urged against “premature reactions.” He said the election result won’t immediately affect trade and said Mexico “is in a position of strength” to face whatever may come. ___

2:15 p.m.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says the election of Republican Donald Trump as U.S. president offers an opportunity to repair ties between Moscow and Washington.

The Interfax news agency reported Gorbachev as saying “under a new president of the U.S. the Russian-American relationship could get significantly better. I am convinced it is essential now to go straight into a two-way dialogue at the highest level.”

The 85-year-old Gorbachev was admitted to a hospital Wednesday for what Russian media reported was a planned pacemaker.

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2:05 p.m.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has congratulated businessman Donald Trump on being elected U.S. president, calling his win “historic.”

The Pakistani leader says Wednesday that Trump’s election “is indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise.”

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2 p.m.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says Americans have voted for a change in a democratic ballot and says in a tweet that “we respect that and take it pragmatically.”

Sobotka noted one thing about President-elect Donald Trump’s election, saying “unlike some of his predecessors, Trump at least knows where the Czech Republic is located.”

Trump’s first wife, Ivana, is of Czech origin.

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1:50 p.m.

Despite being worried about an increased Russian military presence, the Baltic nations are still congratulating America’s new leader, Donald Trump.

Tensions grew during the U.S. presidential election campaign when Trump floated the idea that NATO members’ defence spending targets would be a prerequisite for the U.S. to defend a NATO ally.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite says “the people of the U.S. have made a decision, we will respect their choice.”

In Latvia, President Raimonds Vejonis is looking forward “to close relations with the new U.S. administration” while the new Estonian president, Kersti Kaljulaid, said the United States “will also continue to be one of Estonia’s most important allies.”

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1:40 p.m.

The leaders of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which campaigns against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policy, have welcomed Donald Trump’s presidential victory.

Party co-leader Frauke Petry says “it was high time that people disenfranchised by the political establishment get their voice back” in the U.S. Petry said Trump’s victory offered the chance to “readjust the trans-Atlantic relationship and end the big conflicts in Ukraine and Syria jointly with Russia.”

Fellow party leader Joerg Meuthen says “the establishment now has to recognize that you can’t rule past the population for long … Trump has rightly been rewarded for his bravery in standing up against the system and speaking uncomfortable truths.”

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1:30 p.m.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is offering his congratulations to Donald Trump after his victory in the U.S. presidential election and wishes him “all the best” for his term in office.

Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton comes as Los Angeles is bidding to host the 2024 Olympics. Trump’s statements during the campaign about Mexicans, Muslims and building a wall along the Mexican border may not help the California city’s Olympic case with some IOC members.

Los Angeles is competing against Paris and Budapest, Hungary. The IOC will select the host city in September 2017.

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1:20 p.m.

Italy’s premier has offered his congratulations to Donald Trump, brushing aside political differences, following his repeated public endorsements of Hillary Clinton.

Premier Matteo Renzi says Wednesday “in the name of Italy, I congratulate the president of the United States and wish him well in his work, convinced that the Italian-American friendship remains strong and solid.”

Renzi faces his own political reckoning next month with a constitutional referendum that has mobilized opposition as well as party dissidents against him. A no vote is likely to force at least a government shuffling, if not a new election.

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1:10 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he hopes Donald Trump’s election as president marks a new era in the United States that he hopes will lead to “beneficial” steps for fundamental rights, liberties and democracy in the world.

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12:50 p.m.

Environmentalists and climate scientists are alarmed over the election of a U.S. president who has called global warming a “hoax.”

Donald Trump’s win has raised questions about whether America, once again, would pull out of an international climate deal. Many said it’s now up to the rest of the world to lead efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, while others held out hope that Trump would change his stance on climate change and honour U.S. commitments under last year’s landmark Paris Agreement.

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine says Wednesday that as ” I expect he will realize that climate change is a threat to his people and to whole countries which share seas with the U.S.”

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12:45 p.m.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says his country will work “as closely as ever” with the United States under Donald Trump’s new administration.

He says “politicians and governments, congressmen, senators, prime ministers, presidents come and go according to the will of the people of Australia and the United States, but the bond between our two nations, our shared common interests, our shared national interests are so strong, are so committed.”

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12:40 p.m.

French President Francois Hollande says the election of Donald Trump “opens a period of uncertainty. It must be faced with lucidity and clarity.”

In brief remarks, Hollande congratulated Trump “as is natural between two heads of state,” but showed little enthusiasm. Hollande had openly endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Hollande said “certain positions taken by Donald Trump during the American campaign must be confronted.” He says “what is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East. It is economic relations and the preservation of the planet.”

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12:30 p.m.

The Taliban have called on Donald Trump to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan once he takes office as president.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that a Trump administration “should allow Afghans to become a free nation and have relationships with other countries based on non-interference in each other’s affairs.”

The Afghan conflict is in its 16th year. The Taliban have spread their footprint across Afghanistan in the two years since most international combat troops withdrew.

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12:25 p.m.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has conveyed his congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying he looked forward to working with Trump on promoting ties in a “constructive” way that avoids conflict and confrontation.

During his campaign, Trump accused China of illegally subsidizing exports, manipulating its currency and stealing intellectual property.

State broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday that Xi said the two biggest economies in the world shouldered a “special and important responsibility in upholding world peace.”

Xi says: “I highly value China-U.S. relations and am looking forward to working with you to expand co-operation in all fields.” He says he expects they would “manage differences in a constructive way.”

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12:15 p.m.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying “the American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.”

Kenyatta says Wednesday “the ties that bind Kenya and the United States of America are close and strong. They are old, and based in the values that we hold dear: in democracy, in the rule of law, and in the equality of peoples.”

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12:05 p.m.

The president of Slovenia — small Alpine nation that is the home country of future U.S. First Lady Melania Trump — says he hopes relations with the U.S. will further improve during Donald Trump’s presidency.

President Boris Pahor says Wednesday “we are allied as part of NATO and I will strive for the friendship and the alliance to deepen further.”

Melania Trump was born as Melanija Knavs in the industrial Slovenian town of Sevnica before working internationally as a model.

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12:01 p.m.

The Vatican’s first reaction to the election of Donald Trump has focused on its wish for global peace.

Pope Francis pope did not mention the U.S. elections during his Wednesday audience, but secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, offered Trump congratulations in a statement to Vatican Radio that “his government can be truly fruitful.”

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11:55 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready to try to restore good relations with the United States in the wake of the election of Donald Trump.

Putin said Wednesday at a ceremony accepting the credentials of new ambassadors that “we aware that it is a difficult path, in view of the unfortunate degradation of relations between the Russian Federation and the United States.”

Putin says “it is not our fault that Russian-American relations are in such a state.”

Earlier, the Kremlin said Putin sent Trump a telegram of congratulation, expressing “his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state.”

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11:45 a.m.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Donald Trump, calling him a “true friend of the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu said Wednesday he believes the two leaders “will continue to strengthen the unique alliance between our two countries and bring it to ever greater heights.”

Earlier, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, said Tump’s victory means that “the era of a Palestinian state is over.” The Palestinians want a state in lands Israel captured in 1967.

Netanyahu has said he is willing to negotiate a border deal, but has pressed ahead with Jewish settlement expansion on war-won land.

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11:40 a.m.

Without commenting directly on Donald Trump’s election, China’s government says Beijing hopes to work with the new U.S. administration to build sustainable ties and expressed confidence the two countries can handle trade disputes maturely.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that China is “looking forward to making concerted efforts with the new U.S. government to ensure the sustainable, steady and sound development of bilateral relations” to benefit both countries’ people and the world.

Asked about U.S. voters’ anger about economic losses blamed on Chinese exports, Lu said only that the two countries had established ways to deal with trade disputes.

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11:20 a.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered President-elect Donald Trump “close co-operation” on the basis of shared trans-Atlantic values that she says include respect for human dignity regardless of people’s origin, gender or religion.

Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the campaign which ended in Trump’s victory featured “confrontations that were difficult to bear.”

Merkel stressed Germany’s close historical connection with the United States. She said: “Germany and America are connected by values: democracy, freedom, respect for the law and for the dignity of human beings, independently of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views.”

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11:15 a.m.

A top official in South Sudan has welcomed the election victory of Donald Trump.

South Sudan’s Minister of Information and government spokesman Michael Makuei says Trump “will be better after all” for his nation. Makeui says “I really doubt President Obama had any clear policy to South Sudan other than to destroy it. “

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11:10 a.m.

Cambodia’s long-serving authoritarian prime minister Hun Sen has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential election victory.

Hun Sen has kept a tight grip on Cambodian politics for three decades by silencing critics with lawsuits, intimidation and other tactics.

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11:05 a.m.

European Union leaders have invited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to come visit the 28-nation bloc as possible to assess trans-Atlantic ties.

With “sincere congratulations,” EU Council President Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said that, despite Trump’s campaign talk of protectionism and isolationism, both sides “should consolidate the bridges we have been building across the Atlantic.”

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10:50 a.m.

Indonesia’s president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says the world’s most populous Muslim nation will work with Donald Trump’s new U.S. administration.

He says “we will keep good relations, especially in trade and investment as we know the U.S. is one of Indonesia’s major investors.

But, Komaruddin Hidayat, a noted Indonesian Islamic scholar, says Trump’s election as U.S. president is “shocking” for many people in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Hidayat says Trump has signalled backing for ultra-nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies that could be harmful.

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4:35 a.m.

Donald Trump’s surprise triumph dealt a blow to online betting sites, some of which had paid out winnings prematurely to gamblers backing Hillary Clinton.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power says it lost about 5 million euros ($5.5 million) in what the Dublin-based business called its “biggest political payout ever.”

Company spokesman Feilim Mac An Iomaire said Wednesday: “we decided to put our neck on the line by paying out early on Hillary Clinton, but boy did we get it wrong. We’ve been well and truly thumped by Trump.”

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4:30 a.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying the two countries will remain “strong and close partners on trade, security and defence.”

May said Trump had won after “a hard-fought campaign.”

May, who took office after British voters delivered a shock to the establishment by deciding to leave the European Union, declined to comment on rival candidates Trump and Hillary Clinton while the U.S. race was on.

On Wednesday, she stressed the enduring trans-Atlantic “special relationship, based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”

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4:25 a.m.

Egypt’s president has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election, saying Cairo wants to see more “co-operation and co-ordination” between the two nations to bolster stability and peace in the Middle East.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi telephoned Trump to offer his congratulations and invited him to visit Egypt. Cairo receives more than $1 billion dollars annually in U.S. military and economic aid.

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4:15 a.m.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he’s looking forward to working with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and that U.S. leadership is vital to the world’s biggest military alliance.

Stoltenberg said Wednesday that “it is important that the Trans-Atlantic bond remains strong” and that “U.S. leadership is as important as ever.”

Trump has criticized many allies for not paying their fair share of the NATO budget.

Stoltenberg said he looks forward to welcoming Trump at next Spring’s NATO summit in Brussels.

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4 a.m.

Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. election is being viewed with shock and revulsion in Ireland.

The country is close to the Clintons and fearful of Trump’s campaign pledge to confront U.S. companies using Ireland as a tax shelter.

The Irish Times branded the New York businessman a “misogynistic racist liar” who would fan instability overseas and intolerance at home.

Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole wrote Wednesday: “The republic of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt is now the United Hates of America.”

“President Trump is the creation of the same demographic that gave Europe its far-right authoritarian movements with such disastrous consequences for the world,” he wrote.

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3:50 a.m.

Turkey’s prime minister has called on Donald Trump to extradite a U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen — blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July — as soon as he is sworn in.

Binali Yildirim also said Wednesday that he hoped that the new leadership in the United States would take into consideration Turkey’s “sensitivities concerning the fight against terrorism,” give priority to policies that would bring peace and stability to the region.

Ties between the two allies have been strained over perceptions in Turkey that the United States is reluctant to arrest and extradite Gulen.

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3:40 a.m.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump in a message posted on Twitter. Modi tweeted that “we appreciate the friendship you have articulated toward India.”

Trump had reached out to Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid-October, praising Modi and vowing to defeat terrorism.

In the Indian capital, some right-wing Hindu nationalists from the group Hindu Sena celebrated Trump’s victory.

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3:20 a.m.

Hungary’s prime minister says Donald Trump’s victory is “great news” and shows “democracy is still alive.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been often criticized by the United States, including by Hillary Clinton, for weakening the democratic system of checks and balances. Orban last year built fences on Hungary’s southern borders to stop the flow of migrants heading toward Western Europe.

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3:15 a.m.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says that the trans-Atlantic ties with the United States go beyond the election of Donald Trump.

Federica Mogherini said Wednesday in a Twitter message that “EU-US ties are deeper than any change in politics. We’ll continue to work together, rediscovering the strength of Europe.”

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3 a.m.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he “congratulates the elected American president, Donald Trump, and hopes that peace will be achieved during his term.”

An Abbas aide, Saeb Erekat, said Wednesday he doesn’t expect U.S. positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Trump. Erekat said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution of the conflict.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.

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2:35 a.m.

Russia’s lower house of parliament is applauding the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

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2:15 a.m.

Dutch anti-Islam populist lawmaker Geert Wilders has tweeted his congratulations to Donald Trump.

Wilders, whose Freedom Party is riding high in opinion polls ahead of Dutch elections due in March, calls Trump’s win in the presidential election “A historic victory! A revolution.” Looking ahead to the Dutch vote, Wilders finished his tweet: “We also will give our country back to the people of the Netherlands.”

Wilders is known for his strident anti-Islam rhetoric and opposition to the Netherlands’ European Union membership.

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1:10 a.m.

The first French presidential candidate to comment on the U.S. election was populist, anti-immigrant politician Marine Le Pen, congratulating Trump even before the final results were known.

Le Pen, hoping to ride anti-establishment sentiment to victory in April-May French presidential elections, tweeted her support to the “American people, free!”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France would continue to work with the new president whoever wins but warned “We don’t want a world where egoism triumphs.” France’s Socialist government had openly endorsed Clinton.

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

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