U.S President Donald Trump has hailed a "big victory" in US mid‑term elections after Democrats seized the House of Representatives but Republicans consolidated their grip on the Senate.

The Democratic majority in the lower chamber will be in a position to block Trump's legislative programme.

But control of the Senate ensures Trump can still make key appointments.

The vote was seen as a referendum on the president, even though he is not up for re‑election till 2020.

The result confirms a historical trend for the party that is not in the White House to make gains in the mid‑terms.

[Source:BBC News]