Donald Trump is projected by the BBC's US partner CBS News to have won the Iowa caucuses, cementing his status as frontrunner in the Republican presidential nomination contest.

Iowa is the first of the state-by-state contests where Republican voters pick their White House candidate.

Voting is still taking place at locations around the state, despite temperatures plummeting to -23C (-9F).

No projection has yet been made for the race's coveted second place, with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis both vying for the spot.

Performing well in Iowa would give either of them much-needed momentum in a contest that has been dominated by Trump.

The Haley campaign says it expects a "strong" result in Iowa, while DeSantis claims sturdy support among "bed-rock" conservatives.

Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face a Democrat, almost certainly Joe Biden, in the November presidential election.

Watch live BBC News coverage by clicking the play button at the top of this page.

Source: BBC

BDST: 0958 HRS, JAN 16, 2024 
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