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Making the resurgent coronavirus his immediate priority, US President-elect Joe Biden is to announce a 12-member task force to deal with the pandemic. US President-elect Joe Biden makes his first speech after being declared the winner of the US presidential election. Photo: AFP Biden spent much of his election campaign criticising President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic, which has now caused the deaths of 237,000 people in America. The United States saw a record number of new infections last week, with the total number of cases nearing 10 million. After four days of uncertainty as votes were counted in key states, Biden's victory in Pennsylvania put him over the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes he needed to clinch the presidency. Trump has not conceded and has vowed to challenge the outcome in court. The coronavirus task force will be charged with developing a blueprint for containing the disease once Biden takes office in January. It will be headed by three co-chairs, former surgeon general Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner David Kessler, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith of Yale University, according to two people familiar with the matter. "I will spare no effort - or commitment - to turn this pandemic around," Biden said in his victory speech on Saturday in Wilmington. In his speech Biden pledged that as president he would seek to unify the United States and "marshal the forces of decency" to battle the coronavirus pandemic, restore economic prosperity, secure healthcare for American families and root out systemic racism. Biden made an explicit call for cooperation between America's two major political parties as he faces political dysfunction and partisan gridlock in Washington. "Let this grim era of demonisation in America begin to end here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another, it's not some mysterious force beyond our control. It's a decision, a choice we make. And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate." Trump's allies made it clear the president does not plan to concede anytime soon. One Trump loyalist said the president was not ready to admit defeat even though there would not be enough ballots thrown out in a recount to change the outcome. "There's a mathematical certainty that he's going to lose," the loyalist said. Trump has filed a raft of lawsuits to challenge the results, but elections officials in states across the country have said there has been no evidence of significant fraud, and legal experts say Trump's efforts are unlikely to succeed. Symone Sanders, a senior Biden adviser, told CNN's "State of the Union" program on Sunday that "a number of Republicans" have reached out to the president-elect but "I don't believe anyone from the White House has." Sanders sidestepped a question on whether Biden planned to sign a series of executive orders shortly after taking office on 20 January that would reverse several contentious Trump policies. The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Biden plans to sign orders repealing a ban on travellers from several Muslim-majority nations, rejoining an international climate accord, reversing Trump's withdrawal from the World Health Organization and buttressing a program protecting from deportation "Dreamers" immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. The Covid-19 task force announcement will kick off a busy week that will see Biden and Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, moving forward with the presidential transition on a number of fronts, with Biden turning in earnest to the task of building his administration ahead of his January inauguration. His transition team has launched a new website, BuildBackBetter.com, and a new social media handle, @transition46, to provide the public with information on the handover. - Reuters

Joe Biden could erase much of President Donald Trump's four-year legacy of energy and climate deregulation with the stroke of his pen, according to regulatory experts, but replacing it with something new and durable may prove trickier. Joe Biden. Photo: AFP Trump's rollbacks are on shaky ground because most were done not through Congressional lawmaking but via presidential executive orders that can be easily torn up by a new administration. That means signature measures ranging from the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement to the easing of vehicle emissions targets could vanish fast. "Nothing Trump has sought to accomplish on climate change is secure," said Michael Burger, head of the Sabin Centre for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, which has been tracking Trump's deregulation efforts. But building a lasting plan to replace Trump's regulatory agenda with an ambitious blueprint to fight global climate change may prove tough without a Democrat-controlled Congress to pass legislation. Republican lawmakers appear on track to retain a majority in the Senate, and have been reticent to adopt sweeping climate change measures. The same issue dogged former President Barack Obama, who had also relied on executive authority to impose a raft of climate protections, due to a lack of support in his divided Congress. When he left office, Trump unwound them swiftly. White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump ran for his first term in the White House on a promise to unfetter the drilling, mining and manufacturing industries by slashing Obama-era green regulation and supporting new infrastructure permitting. Once in office, he moved quickly. Among his main accomplishments, he withdrew the United Stated from the Paris Agreement to combat global warming; replaced Obama-era rules meant to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and drilling operations; reduced automobile fuel efficiency targets; downsized wilderness national monuments; gave permits to energy companies seeking to build oil pipelines; and proposed opening new parts of the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans to drilling. Biden has promised to rejoin the Paris Agreement quickly once he takes office and rescind many of Trump's rollbacks. But he has also pledged to usher in policies to make the United States economy carbon neutral by 2050 to fight global climate change, something that would require legislation. Alden Meyer, an independent consultant and 30-year veteran of international climate negotiations, said the knowledge that presidents can radically shift U.S. climate polices underscores the need for Biden to accomplish something more lasting. "The new administration should take the time to do this right and make sure the new (climate) pledge is credible and has political support," Meyer said. Legal challenges Many of Trump's domestic energy deregulatory policies never took full effect due to court challenges by conservation groups and Democratic states that identified bureaucratic errors. "There has been a combination of sloppiness and impatience in rolling back regulations (under Trump)," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, whose state has filed more than 100 lawsuits to challenge Trump policies. "In so many of our victories, we have defeated them on the Administrative Procedures Act, not even getting to the substance of the regulation," Becerra said. The Trump administration has lost 84 percent of its energy- and environment-related lawsuits, according to New York University Law School's Policy Integrity Centre. The Biden administration could stop defending the lawsuits that remain, effectively killing the policies at issue. But Biden's administration could also draw lawsuits from fossil fuel interests if it replaces Trump's policies through executive or administrative orders, and may have trouble defending itself in a judiciary with many conservative Trump appointees. Biden is expected to lean on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a little-known government panel, to help push through some of his climate policy without new legislation, including decarbonising the power grid by 2035. Michael Gerrard, also of the Sabin Centre, said the most lasting impact of Trump's energy and environment policy may be felt on federal lands, after several years of record auctions that gave would-be drillers millions of acres of leases. While Biden has promised to end new permitting for drilling on federal lands, many companies hoarded permits in the run-up to the election, according to previous Reuters reporting. "If there is a 30-year lease, you can't take it away. A lease is binding for its term," Gerrard said. The Interior Department under Trump auctioned more than 24 million acres of land, an area larger than Indiana, according to the House Natural Resources committee. - Reuters

Princess Diana Photo: AFP This month 25 years ago, the world watched on as Diana, Princess of Wales, went on the BBC and did something no other royal dared to do. Some 23 million viewers tuned in live to watch Diana speak openly about her isolation in the royal household, her troubled marriage, and her struggles with bulimia and post-natal depression. It was a boon for the BBC and the journalist Martin Bashir, who secured the first solo interview with the Princess. At the time, she was one of the most photographed people on the planet. But circumstances surrounding the interview have been thrust into the spotlight again following the airing of a new documentary about its creation on Britain's other public-service broadcaster, Channel 4. New allegations of journalistic malpractice have been levelled against the BBC over the interview, as Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer - also the ninth Earl Spencer - claimed she had been deceived to take part in the programme. While a 1996 BBC internal inquiry acknowledged Bashir commissioned forged documents in the lead up to the interview, the BBC maintained the forgery played no part in the Princess's decision to participate. So who's to believe? And what will come of this? Just how big of a deal was the Panorama interview? The interview aired in an era where the internet was still in its infancy, when television was the world's dominant media platform. The Panorama interview was one of the most-watched television events in history at the time, with 23 million viewers in the UK alone. It was a record that was only surpassed by the live broadcast of Princess Diana's 1997 state funeral, which garnered an estimated worldwide audience of 2.5 billion. By 1995, animosity between the couple was well-known, but the interview exposed the full extent of Diana's isolation in the marriage. Prince Charles and Harry and William wait in front of the Westminster Abbey in London after the funeral ceremony of Princess of Wales Photo: AFP Her husband Charles, Prince of Wales, had his own documentary aired a year prior, where he discussed his longtime affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, who is now his wife. "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," the Princess told Bashir. But the interview traversed more territory than the disappointment of an unhappy marriage, and came at a time when frank discussions of mental health struggles from high-profile figures were incredibly rare. "I had bulimia for a number of years. And that's like a secret disease," she said. "You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don't think you're worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day - some do it more - and it gives you a feeling of comfort. "It was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage." What are the new allegations? This week, the Earl alleged Bashir showed him false bank statements that suggested British security services were paying two royal courtiers for information on the Princess, which included her private secretary. The Earl said these documents convinced him to introduce Bashir to his sister. It is unclear why the Earl has waited 25 years to make these new allegations, or how his correspondence with the BBC was leaked to the Daily Mail - a British tabloid newspaper that routinely attacks the broadcaster. The detail of what Earl Spencer alleges Bashir did is truly shocking - faking bank statements claiming senior royal aides were being paid by the security services and writing/speaking to him detailing vile and false slurs about members of the royal family. He is demanding answers — Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) November 3, 2020 Separately, the BBC confirmed in 1996 that Bashir had an in-house graphic artist mock-up two fake bank statements that falsely claimed the Earl's head of security was paid by the British tabloids for information on his sister. The BBC has apologised to the Earl over those statements. But the broadcaster has claimed that a handwritten note from the Princess proved she "had not seen" the statements, and they "played no part in her decision to take part in the interview". The BBC has said the note has since been lost, but it was referred to multiple times during the 1996 inquiry. However, it remains unclear if the Princess was shown the additional falsified bank statements involving her staff. The ABC has sought comment from the BBC about these new allegations. Why does it matter? There is no shortage of profound breaches of press ethics when it comes to Princess Diana - her therapist published a book about their private sessions, covert portraits of her at the gym were sold to the tabloids, and the paparazzi pursued and photographed her as she was dying in the wreckage from her fatal 1997 car crash. But few would anticipate that the BBC - which has a considerable reputation for impartiality and ethics - could be accused of tactics usually associated with tabloid media. In a letter to the current BBC director general Tim Davie, the Earl accused the corporation of "whitewashing" Bashir, who he said was guilty of "yellow journalism" - an American term that describes inaccurate and sensational journalism. "That a publicly-funded media corporation with a reputation for the highest form of journalism stooped so deep into the gutter is beyond belief. And yet it is so," the Earl wrote. Denis Muller, a media ethics specialist at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism, said the Earl's allegations were "extremely serious" as "journalistic integrity is absolutely vital" to press overall. "Clearly there was a strong public interest in the issues surrounding the collapse of Charles and Diana's marriage, but that does not justify forgery," Muller said. If the new allegations prove to be true, Muller said it would "tarnish the reputation of the BBC and probably destroy Bashir's career". Julian Disney, Australian Press Council chair, told the ABC that whether the Princess viewed the forged documents or not was a moot point. "If the statements were deliberately false and were shown to Earl Spencer as alleged, that is in itself deeply improper conduct even if they were not shown to Princess Diana and/or did not directly influence her decision to grant the interview," Disney said. Charles Spencer Photo: GETTY via AFP Disney told the ABC that Bashir's behaviour was "very high on the list of improper journalistic conduct". "That conduct would be very high on the list of improper journalistic conduct and very damaging to the ongoing reputation of the BBC, unless it was fully and frankly exposed by the organisation and those responsible were dismissed or suspended for a very lengthy period (and not commissioned to do any work for the BBC)." What has been the response from Bashir? Nothing, yet. Bashir, who is now the BBC's Religion editor, hasn't been able to speak publicly in response to these new allegations from the Earl, as he is "seriously unwell" with Covid-19-related complications. The broadcaster cleared Bashir of wrongdoing after the then head of news, Tony Hall, launched the 1996 investigation into the alleged forgery. The Earl maintains he was never consulted by the BBC during the investigation. In BBC internal documents released this year under a freedom of information request from Channel 4, Lord Hall said Bashir "wasn't thinking" when he commissioned the fake bank statements, and insisted Bashir was an "honest and honourable man". Lord Hall also called the programme the "interview of the decade - if not of our generation" which "changed the way we report on the monarchy" in a letter to Bashir afterward. What happens from here? The BBC has offered to launch a new internal inquiry into the program once Bashir recovers, but the Earl maintains that an independent external inquiry should be conducted. If his allegations prove to be true, the Earl wants financial damages from the BBC to go to the charities "forever linked" to Princess Diana. Mueller said the current facts about the BBC's 1996 inquiry show it was "manifestly inadequate". "The fact that Earl Spencer was not interviewed attests to that," he said. - ABC

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will be the first woman to serve as vice-president of the United States, and is only the second person of colour to be elected to the executive branch of the US government behind Barack Obama. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addresses the nation from the Chase Centre in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo: AFP Harris, 56, said she was standing on the shoulders of America's pioneering women during her first speech after the US election was called for Joe Biden. "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last," Harris told a cheering crowd. The senator, who wore white as a nod to the suffragettes women's rights movement, walked out to greet ecstatic crowds in Wilmington, Delaware. The song she walked out to was just as significant as her historic victory - Work That, by Mary J Blige. It was the same song playing when she walked off the stage of the Democratic National Convention after becoming the first woman of colour nominated to a major political party's presidential ticket in US history. While I may be the first, I won’t be the last. pic.twitter.com/R5CousWtdx — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 8, 2020 The senator and former Attorney-General of California paid tribute to her late mother, Shymala Gopalan Harris, who migrated to the US from India at the age of 19. She thanked her and said this was a breakthrough moment for women in the county. "When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn't quite imagine this moment, but she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible. "And so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women, black women … Asian, white, Latina, Native American women." "Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities." Historic significance Since the US presidential office was created in 1798, there have been 92 men in the position of either president or vice-president. It took 131 years for women to be allowed to vote in the United States, and a further 45 years for African Americans to be allowed their right to vote. Harris, who is no stranger to breaking new ground in US politics, was the first black person to serve as Attorney-general in California and also the second black woman to be elected to the US Senate - the first was Illinois Democrat Carol Moseley Braun, who served from 1993 to 1999. During her speech, Harris said the determination of women and black Americans before her and over the last 100 years provided her the opportunity to become vice-president-elect. "Throughout our nation's history, [women] have paved the way for this moment tonight," she said. "Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all. "Including the black women who are often, too often, overlooked, so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy." She addressed the challenging times the country has been going through, and thanked Americans for their vote, reassuring them of their decision. "And I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months. The grief, sorrow and pain, worries, the struggles," she said. You chose hope, decency, science, and yes, truth." Harris, who made an immediate impact on the US political scene, regularly questioning Donald Trump's cabinet appointees during confirmation hearings, addressed the children of the country, encouraging them to become leaders. "To the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message - dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not, simply because they have never seen it before," she said. And to the American people, no matter who you voted for, I will strive to be a vice-president, like Joe was to President Obama: loyal, honest and prepared, waking up every day, thinking of you and your family, because now is when the real work begins." Celebrity tributes to Kamala Shortly after the Biden-Harris victory, a plethora of social media congratulatory messages rolled in from celebrities to politicians. In the months leading up to the election, many celebrities expressed their support for a Biden-Harris government, posting video messages encouraging people to vote for the Democrats. Former first lady Michelle Obama's twitter tribute gained significant attention. She congratulated Harris for being the first "Black and Indian-American woman Vice-President". I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it. pic.twitter.com/yXqQ3tYRoa — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020 Musical superstar Beyonce Knowles updated her official website congratulating Harris and Biden. Other celebrities also chimed in to celebrate Harris's momentous appointment, including singer Lady Gaga and rapper Megan The Stallion. - ABC

On a day when autumn's golden light bathed the tree-lined campus of Kabul University, its warm rays slanting through classrooms' open windows, the first day of a course on peace and conflict resolution began. Kabul. Photo: Unsplash / Sohaib Ghyasi In this kind of moment, so full of possibilities, you could almost forget it was just another day in a country steeped in war. "You are starting the fifth semester in your bachelor's degree so behave accordingly," Professor Sayed Rateb Mozzafari counselled his class packed with some 50 young Afghan students. "Try not to get hit by a car," he warned in a teasing tone. Freshta Hashimi, 20, leaned across her desk and whispered with a wink to her classmate, "He has forgotten about suicide attacks". By the end of that day, at least 22 were dead, including university students and professors, and dozens more injured during a brutal six-hour siege that began with a suicide bomber blowing himself up at a campus gate. Security forces battled to end this bloody assault on 2 November, claimed by Islamic State militants, on Afghanistan's largest and oldest university, a leafy compound which has educated and inspired rich and poor, from across the country, for decades. "I shouted 'jump out of the window or you will die'," Freshta, a member of the university's student council, recalled shouting as gunfire ricocheted along the corridors and into classrooms, and grenades were lobbed into rows of desks by gunmen prowling the halls. In the frenzied rush to flee, two of Freshta's closest friends were the last to jump from the first floor windows. They didn't make it. Ziba Ashgari drew her last breath as she clung to life, her body slumped over the window ledge. Haseena Hamdad died of a heart attack. "Ziba had just got engaged and she was always saying, 'One day I will be a diplomat'," Freshta said. "And Haseena was the most intelligent girl in our class." We spoke a few days after the attack, which sent shock waves across Afghanistan and beyond - even at a time when Afghans are living and dying in everyday violence. Every story of a life taken that day is a chronicle of a dream destroyed, a passion and potential killed. Security personnel stand guard outside Kabul University on November 2, 2020 after gunmen stormed the university. Photo: AFP Generation of hope targeted The story of the victims is the story of the Afghan twenty-somethings, the generation which came of age after the US-led invasion of 2001, whose memories of Afghanistan's civil war of the early 1990s, or the harsh Taliban rule which followed, are only anecdotes told and retold by parents and grandparents. "They're the generation of builders and change makers who can help heal our society if peace ever comes, because they didn't live through those times," said Shaharzad Akbar, who heads Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission. "They talk about artificial intelligence, they talk about life on Mars, they talk about climate change. They have the potential to elevate our discourse, to move it beyond sensitive political issues, to discussions about being part of the global family," he said. In a country where some 70% of the population is under the age of 25, this demographic is the future. Even families of little means invest in higher education. The day after the Kabul attack, protests erupted on provincial university campuses. Even in conservative districts, young men and women brandished placards emblazoned with slogans: "Killing Students Kills the Future;" "Attacks on Students are un-Islamic." No one sees this raw potential more clearly than teachers, including Sami Mahdi, a lecturer in Kabul University's Department of Policy and Public Administration, which bore the brunt of the assault. He paid emotional tribute to 16 of his pupils, one after another, in poignant pen portraits on his Twitter account. There was 24-year-old Ahmad Ali with dark piercing eyes, the book lover who "almost every day after class used to come after me and ask his sharp questions". Roqia was remembered for her "calm face and gentle smile," the fourth-year student who also taught at a primary school to support her "humble working family". Sohaila was the student whose question in the last class had to be cut short to save time for his lecture. "I wish I had never stopped you talking," wrote Mr Mahdi, who also heads the Kabul bureau of Azadi Radio. "The opportunity to listen to you is taken from us for ever." That post included a snapshot of Sohaila in pitch black headscarf and bright white tunic, peering intensely through her round dark spectacles. But the photograph which electrified Afghan social media that day showed Sohaila, sprawled face down on the floor in her stark black and white apparel, a crimson red book about Simon Bolivar, the South American revolutionary, splattered with blood. It was one of many searing images which juxtaposed a passion to learn alongside a potent killing machine: a cracked pen alongside an empty bullet casing; an open book smeared with blood; a smashed clock on a classroom wall peppered with bullet holes. "Every time I had gone to class, I felt challenged by their courage, talent and dedication for their country and their education," Sami Mahdi told me in a conversation punctuated by emotional pauses. "This generation is very, very different from any other generation in our history. From day one, they've grown up in a very different environment, when there was freedom of expression, elections, social media, and the ability to speak openly about politics and any other social and cultural issues." One of his posts which touched the deepest chord was a short video by a charismatic student with twinkling eyes and a warm, wide smile. "We have to live no matter what life brings," Mohammad Rahid urged fellow students in his rousing pep talk. "Don't forget to smile." But a generation which surged from the starting blocks now finds itself being pulled back from the finishing line. Who's to blame for the attack? "When I listened to that video about living with a smile, I thought he's not just talking about something fancy but something basic - the right to life," said Shaharzad Akbar of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission. In a reminder that a new generation is not immune from the incendiary politics of the past, a vitriolic blame game is now eclipsing the grief. Young twenty-something Afghans backing the Taliban, some living in Taliban-controlled districts, have wielded their social media accounts to point an accusing finger at the government they accuse of working with "evil elements". "The attack on Kabul University is the work of the enemies of Islam, peace and the light of knowledge," tweeted 26-year old Anas Haqqani, the youngest son of the late Jalaluddin Haqqani whose Haqqani network, which now forms part of the Taliban, has been blamed for some of the worst attacks on civilians. "IT IS THE WORK OF THE TALIBAN," Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh posted in emphatic capital letters on social media, dismissing claims of responsibility by the Islamic State (IS) group, and depicting the assault as a tactic similar to those used by the Haqqani network. "This war has to stop," insisted Sami Mahdi. "That can be the only justifiable condemnation of this brutality." "All sides in this war are failing in their responsibility to protect civilians who should never, ever be a target in war - never." For now, speculation runs rife. Was it the extremist IS, which has boasted of attacking schools in the past, including a tuition centre in the capital just last month? Four years ago, it was suspected Taliban attackers who stormed the Kabul campus of the American University of Afghanistan. Or could this have been an insider attack, aided by Islamists from inside the university itself? Afghans are struggling to comprehend how, even in such a merciless war, innocent university students could be killed in cold blood. "They're afraid of education, they're afraid of us because we are learning," insisted fourth-year economics student Jamshid Roshangar. "We will keep fighting with our pens and books and new ideas." 'I will never feel the same' But the growing numbers of young Afghans turning to smugglers to find a way out also attests to their fear and despair. On a trip to Greece in September, the BBC documented how young Afghan men now dominate the wave of young migrants determined to take what is known as the Balkan route to reach a European country which can offer another chance in life. "My friends at Kabul University told me it was good I left," one young Afghan we met in September on a southern Greek island told us this week in a WhatsApp message. He's now in northern Greece, close to his next destination, the North Macedonian border. Borders are shut, and barriers are now multiplying, on every step of the way, but young Afghans keep trying. "No one is safe here in Afghanistan, not even in the classroom," Jamshid Roshangar admitted. "I want to go abroad to continue my education but I also want to come back to help make Afghanistan great." He added, "not great again, as President Trump would say, because we've never been great and that's why we must continue our education." "Education is the weapon that can change the world," declares Kabul University's website. But a generation armed with knowledge is now facing its toughest test. Jamshid still can't sleep at night because his mind is still full of his friend Mohammad Ali Danish, who was shot dead during his law class while Jamshid was able to run for his life from his economics lesson. "Ali and I had the same dream and I still can't believe I won't see him again," he said. Freshta Hashimi also wakes in the middle of the night. "I've seen things I never thought I would see and I will never feel the same when I go to the university," she said. "Now we are the wood in the fire of this war." - BBC

Watch - Democrat Joe Biden has outlined his vision for the United States in his victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware, after winning the US presidential election today. Watch Biden's victory speech here: [embedded content] The result was called after Biden overtook President Donald Trump in the state of Pennsylvania, winning the state gave Biden more than 270 Electoral College seats which he needed for victory. Taking to the stage for his speech, Biden said the people had spoken. "They have delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory." He said he had seen an outpouring of "joy, of hope, of renewed faith in tomorrow to bring a better day, and I am humbled by the trust and confidence you placed in me". Photo: AFP "I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. Who does not see red states or blue states, and only sees the United States. "I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation ... and to make America respected around the world again. "It's the honour of my lifetime for so many of you to vote for that vision. Now, the work of making that vision is real. It is the task of our time." He said he understood Trump voters will be upset. "I've lost a couple of times myself. But now, lets give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric ... and to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies... they are Americans. "This is a time to heal in America." Photo: AFP or licensors He said having someone like Vice-President elect Kamala Harris in the White House was long overdue. "Once again, America has bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice." He said those who worked to run the election deserved the thanks of the nation. He said he believes Americans have called for leadership to marshall the forces of decency, fairness, science and hope to stand up to the "great battles of our time". "The battle to control the virus, the battle to build prosperity, the battle to secure your family's healthcare. The battle for racial justice and to root out systemic racism in this country. And the battle to save our planet by getting climate change under control. "Folks, our work begins with getting Covid-19 under control. On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisers to help take the Biden-Harris recovery plan and convert it into a blueprint that will start on January 20th 2021." Photo: AFP Biden said he was a proud Democrat, but will govern as an American president. "I will work as hard for those who didn't vote for me as for those who did. Let this grim era of demonisation in America begin to end here and now. Refusal of Democrats and Republicans to work with one another ... is a choice we make... and if we can decide not to co-operate, we can choose to co-operate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people. They want us to co-operate in our interest." Too many dreams in America have been deferred for too long, he said. He said the country had always been shaped by its decisions in tough times, and America was at one of those moments now. "We have the opportunity to defeat despair. I have long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We can restore soul of America. Our nation is shaped by constant battle by our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what a president says in that battle matters. It's time for our better angels to prevail. "Tonight, the whole world is watching America. And I believe that at our best, America is a beacon for the world. We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example." Follow the latest developments with RNZ's live blog. At the age of 77, Joe Biden will be the oldest president in American history, while Harris will be the first ever female vice-president. Introducing the new President-elect, Harris thanked the American people "who make up our beautiful country" and thanked them for turning out in record numbers to make their voices heard. "I know times have been challenging ... for four years you marched and organised for equality and justice... and then you voted. You delivered a clear message." Photo: AFP She said Biden will help the United States regain its sense of purpose. She said was was thinking about all the women who had paved the way for this night. "Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are so often overlooked, but prove they are the backbone of our democracy. "All the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century. One hundred years ago with the 19th amendment, 55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act and now in 2020 with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. "But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities." In ending his address, Biden said there was nothing the United States had tried that it could not do, and he used an anecdote about his grandparents. "As my grandpappy said when I walked out of his home when I was a kid up in Scranton, he said 'Joey, keep the faith'. And our grandmother, when she was alive, yelled: 'No Joey, spread it'. Spread the faith. God love you all, may God bless America, and may God protect our troops." Biden and Harris are expected to be inaugurated on 20 January 2021. Photo: Graphic by RNZ's Vinay Ranchhod, AFP photo

Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump has been besieged by civil lawsuits and criminal investigations of his inner circle. Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC, on election night. Photo: AFP With Democrat Joe Biden capturing the presidency, according to all major US television networks, Trump's legal woes are likely to deepen because in January he will lose the protections the US legal system affords to a sitting president, former prosecutors said. Here are some of the lawsuits and criminal probes that may haunt Trump as he leaves office. A New York prosecutor Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who enforces New York state laws, has been conducting a criminal investigation into Trump and the Trump Organization for more than two years. The probe originally focused on hush money payments that Trump's former lawyer and self-described fixer Michael Cohen paid before the 2016 election to two women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump, which the president has denied. Vance, a Democrat, has suggested in recent court filings that his probe is now broader and could focus on bank, tax and insurance fraud, as well as falsification of business records. Republican Trump has called Vance's case politically motivated harassment. The case has drawn attention because of Vance's efforts to obtain eight years of Trump's tax returns. In July, the US Supreme Court, denying Trump's bid to keep the returns under wraps, said the president was not immune from state criminal probes while in office, but could raise other defences to Vance's subpoena. Vance will likely ultimately prevail in obtaining Trump's financial records, legal experts said. The US Justice Department has said a sitting president cannot be indicted. Vance is not bound by that policy because he is not a federal prosecutor, but he may still have been reluctant to charge Trump because of uncertainty over whether the case was constitutional, said Harry Sandick, a former prosecutor in New York. "Those concerns will disappear when Trump leaves office," Sandick said. The investigation poses a threat to Trump, said Corey Brettschneider, a professor of political science at Brown University. "The fact that they have issued the subpoenas and have litigated all the way to the Supreme Court suggests that this is a very serious criminal investigation of the president," Brettschneider said. Justice Department probe? Trump could conceivably face a criminal prosecution brought by the US Department of Justice, led by a new US Attorney General. Some legal experts have said Trump could face federal income tax evasion charges, pointing to a New York Times report that Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017. "You've got the stuff that has come out of the New York Times that has all kind of indications of tax fraud," Nick Akerman, a lawyer at Dorsey & Whitney and a former federal prosecutor. Akerman cautioned that it is not possible to know for certain until seeing all of the evidence. Trump has rejected findings from the Times report, tweeting that he had paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled to depreciation and tax credits. Such a prosecution would be deeply controversial, and the Justice Department could decide charging Trump is not in the public interest even if there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Biden has approached that question very carefully, saying he would not interfere with his Justice Department's judgement. Biden told National Public Radio in August that pursuing criminal charges against his predecessor would be "a very, very unusual thing and probably not very - how can I say it? - good for democracy." A lawyer for Trump did not return requests for comment. New York civil fraud investigation New York's Attorney General, Letitia James, has an active tax fraud investigation into Trump and his family company, the Trump Organization. The inquiry by James, a Democrat, began after Trump's former lawyer Cohen told Congress the president inflated asset values to save money on loans and insurance and deflated them to reduce real estate taxes. The Trump Organization has argued the case is politically motivated. The inquiry is a civil investigation, meaning it could result in financial penalties but not jail time. Trump's son, Eric Trump, an executive vice president for the firm, was deposed in October because of what the attorney general described as his close involvement in one or more transactions being reviewed. E. Jean Carroll E. Jean Carroll, a former Elle magazine writer, sued Trump for defamation in 2019 after the president denied Carroll's allegation that he raped her in the 1990s in a New York department store and accused her of lying to drum up sales for a book. In August, a state judge allowed the case to go forward, meaning Carroll's lawyers could seek a DNA sample from Trump to match against a dress she said she wore at the store. A federal judge in Manhattan rejected a bid by the US Justice Department to substitute the federal government for Trump as defendant in the case. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said that Trump did not make his statements about Carroll in the scope of his employment as president. Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan, said she expected Biden's Justice Department to abandon the effort to shield Trump from the case. "It would seem unlikely for DOJ to continue to pursue what I see as a frivolous argument in a new administration," said McQuade, a former federal prosecutor. Summer Zervos Trump also faces a lawsuit by Summer Zervos, a 2005 contestant on Trump's reality television show "The Apprentice," who says Trump kissed her against her will at a 2007 meeting and later groped her at a hotel. After Trump called Zervos a liar, she sued him for defamation. Trump said he is immune from the lawsuit because he is president. The case here has been on hold while a New York state appeals court reviewed a March 2019 decision that Trump had to face the case while he is in office. Trump's immunity argument would no longer apply once he is out of office. - Reuters

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the US election, wrestling power away from Donald Trump, according to major news media outlets. Days after polls closed, Biden has now won more than the 270 he needs to secure the presidency. Gallery: Americans take to the streets after Biden victory The former vice president's projected win in Pennsylvania took him to 273 electoral votes earlier this morning NZ time, and he has now been projected to win Nevada as well. Speaking at his victory speech today, Biden said he was honored that Americans have chosen him to lead the country. At the age of 77, Joe Biden will be the oldest president in American history. His running mate, Kamala Harris, will be the first ever female vice-president. Follow all the latest developments with RNZ's live blog here: Trump has continued his attacks on the validity of the results. His campaign is pursuing a series of lawsuits across battleground states, but legal experts said they were unlikely to change the election outcome. The US Senate looks likely to be dominated by Republicans. Reuters commentator Andy Sullivan said a divided Congress could prevent Biden from enacting major priorities, such as expanding healthcare, fighting climate change and providing aid to millions whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus. Biden has said on his first day in the White House, he would issue a national strategy to respond to Covid-19 that would probably include a mask mandate and clearer guidance on testing and school reopenings. He has also promised to work more productively with health officials that Trump ignored, such as the nation's top infectious-disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci. Former New Zealand diplomat and trade deal negotiator Charles Finny said New Zealand could expect a "more conventional presidency" from Biden than was seen with Trump. However, Biden might not be able to achieve all that he wanted with a Republican majority in the Senate, Finny said. Biden had supported the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), but it was uncertain whether he could get his party to agree to the US joining the trade agreement with New Zealand and other nations. "He would be much more likely to join this agreement than a second Trump presidency," Finny said. Victoria University professor of strategic studies Robert Ayson said the Biden administration would change the US "tone" towards international institutions. "New Zealand will find in America a partner that is much closer on supporting multilateralism," Ayson said. "Even though Mr Biden will want to take the US back into the Paris Climate Change Accord, he's going to need the Republicans if he wants to spend some big money on climate change mitigation. "That's going to be the big issue."

Joe Biden has been projected to reach the 270 electoral college votes needed to beat Donald Trump in the race to the White House. What happens now? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Photo: AFP or licensors The former vice-president does not get to move his furniture into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue straight away - there are a few things that need to happen first. It's usually a smooth process, but there are extra complications this time due to probable legal challenges to the election. When does Joe Biden become president? It's written in the US Constitution that the new term of office begins on 20 January at noon. It happens at a ceremony called the inauguration which takes place in the capital, Washington DC. The new president and vice-president take an oath of office administered by the Supreme Court chief justice. So expect to see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inaugurated on 20 January 2021. There are exceptions to this timetable. If a president dies in office or resigns, the vice-president is sworn in as soon as possible. Barack Obama and Joe Biden speak with Donald Trump at his inauguration in January 2017. Photo: AFP or licensors What is the presidential transition? This is the period in between the election result and the start of the new presidential term on 20 January. The incoming president assembles a group called a transition team who prepare to assume power immediately after inauguration - and the Biden team has already set up a transition website. They will pick people to serve in the cabinet, discuss policy priorities and prepare to govern. Members of the team go into the federal agencies to get briefed on things like looming deadlines, budgets and which career staff do what. They gather all that intelligence for the incoming staff and still make themselves available to help after inauguration. Some of them may stay on to serve. In 2016, President Barack Obama met his successor Donald Trump and their Oval Office photos conveyed how little warmth there was - and remains - between them. Joe Biden has spent months putting together his transition team, raising cash to fund it and last week he launched a website about it. The president and the president-elect had a rather chilly handover in 2016. Photo: AFP or licensors What words will we hear a lot of? President-elect: When a candidate wins the election but has yet to be sworn in as the new president on 20 January, this is what they are called. Cabinet: Joe Biden will soon start announcing who he wants in his cabinet, which is the top team at the highest level of government. It includes heads of all the key departments and agencies. Confirmation hearing: Many of the top government posts filled by the president require approval from the Senate. The people picked by Mr Biden are interviewed by Senate committees in a hearing, followed by a vote to approve or reject. Celtic: As president-elect, Biden gets increased protection from the Secret Service and his codename is Celtic. These names are chosen by the candidate. Trump was Mogul and Kamala Harris has reportedly picked Pioneer. Will there be legal challenges? Almost definitely. Trump has suggested he would challenge all "recent Biden-claimed states", alleging fraud but offering no evidence. And it's reported that his campaign are head-hunting top lawyers to lead the charge. Their efforts to throw out some postal votes would begin in state courts but could end up in the Supreme Court. However, legal experts have suggested the lawsuits are unlikely to succeed in altering the results. There are also expected to be recounts in some states, requested by the Trump campaign, but they are not expected to change the outcome. What if Trump doesn't concede? By North America reporter Anthony Zurcher Donald Trump has previously said he would contest the results. If his efforts to do so are unsuccessful, the pressure on him to publicly concede defeat will mount. But does he have to? The concession phone call from a losing candidate to the victor is a respected tradition of American politics. It is by no means obligatory, however. In 2018, for instance, Democratic governor candidate Stacey Abrams claimed voter fraud and intimidation and never conceded to Brian Kemp, her Republican opponent. That's never happened in a modern presidential race, however. But as in Georgia, as long as election results are legally processed and certified, the machinery of government will grind on, regardless of what Mr Trump may do. While Trump doesn't have to concede, or even put on a good face and attend Biden's inauguration, he does have some legal obligations. He must authorise his administration to make the logistical preparations for Biden's team to take over. That is something, according to Trump officials, the president has already done. Donald Trump ascended to the presidency as an unconventional candidate unafraid to break long-established norms and traditions. If he so desires, he could exit the office that way, as well. What will Kamala Harris do in the transition? Kamala Harris, the first woman to be vice-president, will be appointing her staff and learning more about the job from the previous administration. The vice-president works at the White House in the West Wing, but they don't live there. It is traditional that they live on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory which is in the north-west of the city, about a 10-minute drive from the White House. Her husband Doug Emhoff is a lawyer who works in the entertainment industry. He has two children from his first marriage - Cole and Ella - whom Harris says affectionately refer to her as "Momala". Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff. Photo: AFP or licensors What is it like to move into the White House? Better nowadays than it was in 1800 when the first presidential couple John and Abigail Adams moved in - the building was unfinished. These days it is expected that a new president and family will need to replace decor or furniture due to wear and tear, so Congress sets aside cash for them to do so. There are 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms to maintain in the residence alone. First Lady Melania Trump, having worked in the fashion world, led several home improvements and was in charge of the lavish event of unveiling the Christmas decorations. - BBC