Democrat Pelosi narrowly re-elected as US House speaker

[WASHINGTON] Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking woman in the history of US politics, was narrowly re-elected on Sunday as House speaker in a deeply divided new Congress that convened in the final weeks of Donald Trump's presidency.

Ms Pelosi, an 80-year-old lawmaker from California, faced a scare when a handful of fellow Democrats defected and voted "present" during the floor vote.

But the woman who has led the Democratic caucus for several years secured her fourth non-consecutive term as House speaker with a vote of 216 for her against 209 for the Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.

AFP