Russia is open to negotiations on an end to the Ukraine war if initiated by US President-elect Donald Trump, but any talks need to be based on the realities of Russian advances, Moscow's ambassador to the UN in Geneva told reporters on Thursday.

Republican Donald Trump's return to the presidency is expected to precipitate a shift in the US government's legal stance in major cases pending at the Supreme Court, including a closely watched dispute involving Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Her nomination came alongside a whole host of other big names appointed to important positions ahead of Trump's January 20th inauguration for a second term in the Oval Office.

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Matt Gaetz, a Florida Congressman known for stoking tensions within the House Republican conference, as attorney general. Gaetz, a Trump loyalist, gained significant attention after spearheading the effort to remove fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy as House speaker.

In staffing his incoming administration, President-elect Donald Trump has so far veered from the conventional to the confounding. But his choices all seem to have one thing in common: A bond with Trump himself. From his chief of staff to those he's tapped to lead the Justice Department, the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security, Trump is picking people who have been familiar faces at his campaign rallies, frequent visitors to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida or reliable defenders of him on TV.

The Republicans in the US Senate picked John Thune as the chamber's new leader Wednesday as lawmakers scrambling to prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's new administration rejected his camp's favored candidate. Thune, who already holds a junior leadership position, bested John Cornyn of Texas in a run-off to replace outgoing party leader Mitch McConnell, having already seen off Florida's Rick Scott, who was seen as most aligned with Trump.

Joe Biden welcomed Donald Trump back to the White House on Wednesday, in a show of civility to a bitter rival who failed to extend him the same courtesy four years ago. The US president and president-elect shook hands in front of a roaring fire in the Oval Office as they pledged a smooth transition -- a stark contrast to Trump's refusal to recognize his 2020 defeat.

US President-elect Donald Trump thanked President Joe Biden for pledging a smooth transfer of power as the victorious Republican made a historic return visit to the White House on Wednesday. "Politics is tough, and in many cases it's not a very nice world. It is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much," Trump said after the two men shook hands in the Oval Office.

Donald Trump has tasked Elon Musk with setting up a panel to streamline the US government. Although the president-elect has said little about how this group would operate, Musk has previously set an ambitious goal of cutting $2 trillion of spending.

Bitcoin reached a record high above $90,000 Wednesday as the world's biggest cryptocurrency benefits from president-elect Donald Trump's pledge to ease regulation around digital tokens. The volatile asset has rocketed more than 30 percent in value since Trump won last week's US presidential election, smashing its record-high on several occasions and breaching $90,000 for the first time Wednesday.

Donald Trump's impending White House return poses questions once again about conflicts of interest related to his business empire, with new cryptocurrency and other ventures raising fresh concerns.

Donald Trump's net worth has taken a $300 million hit following a dip in the shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social. The company's stock saw a decline of 8% on November 12, continuing a downtrend that began after an initial post-election surge, according to Forbes.

In leaning on hawks Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, Donald Trump is setting the stage for an existential battle against China -- although, as always, the president-elect's knack for dealmaking may intervene.

After Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk would be leading the 'Department of Government Efficiency' during his tenure, Musk said that the 'DOGE' will soon begin "crowdsourcing examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse."

"Americans voted for drastic government reform and they deserve to be part of fixing it," Musk wrote on X.

US President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump at the White House later today for their first post-election meeting, setting in motion the US transition of power that will be completed in January.

They will convene in the Oval Office at 1600 GMT (9:30 pm IST) at Biden's invitation, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Elon Musk, alongside Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the 'Department of Government Efficiency' in the Donald Trump-led US government. According to Trump, the duo will provide "advice and guidance" from outside the government and will partner with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive large-scale structural reform.

Secretary of Defense - Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Department of Homeland Security - Kristi Noem

National Security Advisor - Mike Waltz

Director of Central Intelligence Agency - John Ratcliffe

White House Counsel - Bill McGinley

Special Envoy to Middle East - Steven Witkoff

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

Donald Trump has appointed Bill McGinley, as his White House Counsel. 

McGinley served as White House Cabinet Secretary during Trump's first term as the US President.

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense.

In a statement, Trump hailed Hegseth as "tough, smart and a true believer in America First". 

"With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice - Our military will be great again and America will never back down," Trump said.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk will lead the 'Department of Government Efficiency'.