Trump's $368b commitment to Albanese, 'disgusting' twist after mystery balls shut beaches: Australia news live

She burst onto our screens in controversial fashion just months ago, and it appears her career as we know it is over already.

Raygun has announced she will no longer be competing in breakdancing after her divisive appearance at the Olympics where she scored a total score of zero. The 37-year-old said it has been "really difficult" for her to continue in the sport as a result of the scrutiny she received.

Read all about her decision here.

Sydneysiders have been plagued by an influx of flies of late and sadly it's not going to get any better.

According to pest control expert Julian Bracewell, the "unprecedented" problem is going extend well into 2025.

“It’s been pretty bad for a few months and will likely continue until autumn or winter next year," he told news.com.au, saying the early heat this spring has been one of the reasons for the spike in numbers.

Earlier this week one TikTok user shared video of walkers in Cronulla covered in flies, with many in the comments revealing their similar encounters.

This is quite the discovery.

A woman is $102,000 richer after finding an old lottery ticket gifted to her last Christmas.

The Sydney woman held the 1st Prize winning entry for the December 28 Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot draw in 2023.

"I only just re-discovered the ticket when I was moving house recently," she explained to lottery officials. “I was clearing out my bedside drawers when I found the ticket."

Believe it or not, plenty of people have thought the following image is real.

Showing a vast underground car park underneath the Sydney Opera House, social media users overseas appear to have been fooled by the AI creation that has gone viral.

And not that they needed to, the Sydney Opera House has moved to rubbish the image, stressing the image is "false and doesn't resemble reality", AAP reported.

Many have been awaiting Kevin Rudd's response to Donald Trump's election win with the pair famously trading barbs in the past. Both have heavily criticised the other, raising questions whether the former prime minister's role as ambassador to the US is now untenable with Trump returning to the White House.

But in what appears to be a peace offering, Rudd has announced he has removed all negative commentary of Trump from his social media channels and personal website.

“In his previous role as the head of an independent US-based think tank, Mr Rudd was a regular commentator on American politics," a statement from Rudd read.

"Out of respect for the office of President of the United States, and following the election of President Trump, Ambassador Rudd has now removed these past commentaries from his personal website and social media channels.

“This has been done to eliminate the possibility of such comments being misconstrued as reflecting his positions as ambassador and by extension, the views of the Australian Government.

“Ambassador Rudd looks forward to working with President Trump and his team to continue strengthening the US-Australia alliance.”

Trump had previously called Rudd "nasty" and said he "won't be there long", referring to his role as ambassador to the US after Rudd once described him as the "most destructive president in history".

Rudd has been praised for his work in the US since taking the role last year, with former US ambassador Dennis Richardson calling him "highly effective".

There's been a disturbing development with the mysterious black balls that washed up on a host of Sydney beaches recently, causing councils to temporary close them off to the public.

While initial testing suggested the balls were likely the result of an oil spill, scientists from UNSW along with the federal environment department found that the balls contained human faecal waste and the drug meth in what they described as a "disgusting" development.

This discovery, along with other elements of the balls, suggests to researchers the origin of the balls may have been a nearby sewerage system.

"The high levels of fats, oils, greasy molecules and calcium, along with the low solubility, are consistent with a fatberg – a congealed mass of fats, oils and greasy molecules that can accumulate in sewage," an article summarising the findings said.

We bring you some big news now from Australia. Veteran radio host Ray Hadley has announced he is retiring from his hit 2GB show after more than four decades on Sydney's airwaves.

Hadley, 70, has been top of the ratings for his time slot since 2003 and his exit will undoubtedly leave a massive hole for the station. He made the announcement to listeners on Thursday morning.

“It’s been a hell of a ride, from a young bloke wanting to call the races, to being the old bloke sitting in this studio for so long,” the talkback host said.

“But the time has come for someone else to do the job.”

Former Democratic president Barack Obama has shared a statement as his party picks through the wreckage of a thumping election loss.

"This is obviously not the outcome we hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues. But living in a democracy is about recognising that our point of view won't always win out, and being able to accept the peaceful transfer of power," he wrote.

"America has been through a lot over the last few years – from a historic pandemic and price hikes resulting from the pandemic, to rapid change and the feeling a lot of folks have that, no matter how hard they work, treading water is the best they can do.

"The good news is that these problems are solvable – but only if we listen to each other, and only if we abide by the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great."

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, seen as the leading figure of the progressive left in the US Congress, has taken aim at the Democrats in a fiery statement.

"It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them," he said.

"Today, while the very rich are doing phenomenally well, 60 per cent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and we have more income and wealth inequality than ever before.

"Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?" he continued. "In the coming weeks and months those of us concerned about grassroots democracy and economic justice need to have some very serious political discussions."

Kamala Harris has addressed her supporters in Washing DC, saying her heart if "full of love and resolve".

With some members in the crowd visibly crying, Harris implored them to continue to "fight".

"I am here to say while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign – the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people.

"I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body, and not have their government telling them what to do.

"We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence.

“And, America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are, or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld."

Harris said she called President-elect Trump to concede defeat and promise a peaceful transition of power – appearing to go out of her way to make a pointed contrast to Trump's handling of his 2020 election defeat.

"A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results," she said to huge cheers.

In a very well received speech, Harris tried to offer solace to her supporters who fear a "dark" time could be ahead.

"There's an adage a historian once called a law of history - true of every society across the ages. The adage is, ‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.’

"I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time but, for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of billions of stars. The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service."

In the days prior to the election, footage resurfaced of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying that Donald Trump "scares the s*** out of me".

The clip dates back seven years but garnered attention in the Australian media this week.

Speaking to the ABC this morning, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong was asked if it will make for an "awkward" first conversation between the two leaders.

Ms Wong said the alliance between the US and Australia "is bigger than one individual past comment" and is based on "shared interests".

"We both want a stable region, a peaceful region, and we look forward to working with President Trump and the new administration on those objectives."

With the states of Nevada, Arizona and Alaska still to be officially called, Donald Trump is on the cusp of sweeping all the battleground states that swing US presidential elections.

The Republicans have also taken control of the Senate and will likely have a majority in the lower house, giving the conservative side of politics a stranglehold on American politics for at least the next two years.

With the expectation two justices could retire from the US Supreme Court during the next presidential term, it's now expected the court will have a conservative majority for decades to come.

Referring to the election outcome as tantamount to a "landslide" on the ABC's News Breakfast this morning, Michael Rowland described its significance.

"A new conservative era is sweeping over America and American politics," he said.

You can read in depth analysis about what the polls got right and what they got wrong about the election here.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton have both publicly congratulated Donald Trump on his emphatic election win.

"Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his election victory. Australians and Americans are great friends and true allies," Mr Albanese wrote on X.

"Working together, we can ensure the partnership between our nations and peoples remains strong into the future."

Mr Dutton also took to social media to congratulate the President-elect, declaring the US "has been an overwhelming force for good in the world".

"When our close ally is strong and at its best, the world is at its best," he wrote.

US Vice President Kamala Harris has called President-elect Donald Trump overnight to concede the presidential race. The Trump campaign said in an emailed statement that the two "spoke by phone earlier today where she congratulated him on his historic victory".

"President Trump acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country," said Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign communications director.