Elections

She has also announced the 2023 election will be on October 14.

Ardern said she is entering her sixth year in office and it has been a challenging role. 

You cannot and should not do the role unless you have a full tank, she says. She said she hoped over summer she would be able to prepare for another term, but she has not been able to do that.

Newshub reports the Prime Minister said her term has seen a major biosecuity incursion, a terror attack, a natural disaster, a global pandemic and an economic crisis.

In a statement issued from Mark Brown's office Sir Tom Marsters said he was "satisfied" that Mark Brown had the majority of the MPs elected to Parliament.

Following the final count of the Cook Islands general elections, the Cook Islands Party (CIP) gained 12 seats including the Ngatangiia seat which was initially tied between CIP's candidate Sonny Williams and Cook Islands United Party's Margaret Matenga.

Mark Brown thanked the community for a fair and peaceful election process.

Marape returns to the top job after turbulent general elections marred by claims of election fraud, widespread violence, deaths, and major damage to infrastructure across the country.

Marape, whose Pangu Party has won at least 36 of 118 seats, is set to lead a coalition government made up of at least 17 different parties.

So far 105 seats have been confirmed and votes continued to be counted for 13 seats.

Mr Lapid, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party and foreign minister, will take over from Naftali Bennett under an existing power-sharing deal.

They formed an unlikely eight-party coalition after last year's election.

However it collapsed last week, clearing the way for fresh polls.

It also creates an opening for Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to return to office despite being on trial on corruption charges which he denies.

It sees Prime Minister Scott Morrison go up against one of the country's longest serving politicians, Labor Leader Anthony Albanese.

The rising cost of living and climate change have shaped up as two key issues for voters.

But the election has largely been framed as a referendum on the leaders' characters.

Opinion polls suggest Labor will win by a narrow majority this time around. However, the polls were wildly inaccurate in the last election.

The social media giant said a network connected with the ministry of information had been using fake and duplicate accounts to impersonate users and boost the popularity of posts.

In a BBC interview, the government accused Facebook of being biased.

The run-up to the election has been marred by tension and violence.

After 35 years in power, President Yoweri Museveni, 76, is being strongly challenged by music star Bobi Wine, who is 38 and draws much of his support from young people.

Results released by the office this morning show the pair securing 7,154 of the 11,861 votes counted, more than 60 percent of the votes.

It is the first time in more than 30 years that there won't be a run-off election in the gubernatorial race.

According to the election office Lemanu and Talauega won 7,154 votes (60.3 percent) of the 11,861 votes counted Gaoteote and Faiivae garnered 2,594 votes or( 21.9 percent) , I'aulualo and Tapaau polled 1,461 votes, (12.3 percent) and Nua and Satele received 652 ballots, (5.5 percent).

Earlybird voter Linda Uan said there was handshaking and smiles as voters left the booth in her area.

She was part of a small lineup of less than a dozen voters as the booth she joined opened at 7am this morning.

Ms Uan said despite health warnings all weekend, including recommendations of social distancing and good hygiene, there was nothing different from the last elections.

She said people seemed to be more excited about exercising their right to vote rather than feeling nervous or fearful of the threat of Covid-19.

Police said the 50-year-old man from Malaita province used different dates of birth and other details for each alias.

Only one of them was his true identity.

He was arrested on Tuesday and charged with seven counts of providing misleading information, an offence under the country's new Electoral Act, which carries a maximum penalty of $US6,000 or five years imprisonment or both.

Police said more election fraud cases relating to the voter registration period were being investigated.

Mr Bainimarama's FijiFirst party will have another four years in power after last week's election.

"I, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama swear that I will be faithful and bare true allegiance for the Republic of Fiji, according to law," Mr Bainimarama said before a gathering of party members, diplomats, senior members of the military and judiciary at the presidential residence, State House.

"And I will obey, observe, uphold and maintain the constitution of the Republic of Fiji, so help me God."