USA – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate – the first black woman and South Asian American in the role.
Once a rival for the top job, the California senator of Indian-Jamaican heritage had long been considered the front-runner for the number two slot.
A former California attorney general, Harris has been urging police reform and nationwide anti-racism protests.
Biden will face President Donald Trump in the election on 3 November.
At a White House news conference on Tuesday, Trump, a Republican, said he was pleased with Biden’s choice, adding she did “very, very poorly” in her effort to become the Democratic nominee.
Harris will debate Trump’s running mate, Vice-President Mike Pence, on 7 October in salt Lake City, Utah.
The role of a vice presidential running mate is not clearly defined.
Biden tweeted that he had “the great honour” to name Harris as his number two, describing her as a “a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants”.
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