Breaking: Raphael Warnock elected Georgia's first black US senator

With this historic victory for a black candidate in a former slavery and segregation state, Democrats are one step closer to taking back the US Senate, which would mean full control of Congress for Joe Biden.

From BBC News:

The Democratic Party of US President-elect Joe Biden is on the verge of taking control of the Senate as results come in from two elections in Georgia.

If the Democrats win both, Mr Biden will have a much better chance of pushing through his legislative agenda.

The election is being rerun because of Georgia's rule that a candidate must take 50% of the vote in order to win, and none of the candidates in November's general election met that threshold.

An Atlanta pastor, Mr Warnock is set to become the first black senator for the state of Georgia - a slavery state in the US Civil War - and only the 11th black senator in US history.

Claiming victory, he paid tribute to his mother, who as a teenager worked as a farm labourer:

"The other day - because this is America - the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else's cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator."

His victory has been hailed as a historic event across the nation:

Meanwhile, observers have noted the bitter irony of Republicans losing a Senate seat that seemed all but in their bag in November in the wake of president Trump's relentless attacks on the election process, pointing out the party's irresponsible stance as a clear strategic error:

Now the second runoff race will be crucial to determine who controls the US Senate: although the Democrats would need to take both seats to gain full control of Congress, the Republicans only need to win one.

If both Democrats win, the Senate will be evenly split 50-50, allowing incoming Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

This would be crucial for pushing through Mr Biden's agenda, including on key issues such as healthcare and environmental regulations - policy areas strongly contested by Republicans.

The Senate also has the power to approve or reject Mr Biden's nominees for cabinet and judicial posts.

A double win would bring the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives under Democratic control for the first time since President Barack Obama took office in 2009.