Donald Trump is preparing to select his top team ahead of his return to the White House, after Kamala Harris vowed a “peaceful transfer of power”.

In her first speech since losing the election, Harris told supporters: “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”.

In a decisive victory, Trump won five of the seven battleground states – and is ahead in the final two yet to declare, Nevada and Arizona, reports the BBC.

Meanwhile, Republicans have retaken control of the US Senate; they also lead the contest to control the House of Representatives, but it could take days for a final result.

And in a related development, the Justice Department, and US special counsel Jack Smith, are in discussions about winding down federal prosecutions against Donald Trump, the BBC’s US news partner CBS reports.

It says sources cite a longstanding policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. Smith is currently leading multiple cases against Trump, who will become the first president to take office while several cases against him are pending.

These include a case over alleged mishandling of classified documents, and one over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.