US election: Putin congratulates Biden after electoral college win - BBC News

Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has become one of the last world leaders to congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden on his victory.

The Kremlin had said it would wait for official results from November's vote before recognising the victory.

Mr Biden was confirmed as the winner on Monday by the electoral college.

Most world leaders congratulated Mr Biden within days of the 3 November poll, when it was clear he had defeated sitting President Donald Trump.

Mr Biden and Mr Putin had frosty relations when the former served as vice-president under Barack Obama.

Democrat Joe Biden won November's contest with 306 electoral college votes to Republican Donald Trump's 232.

• The people who ultimately pick the US president
• What Biden's victory means for rest of world
• 'Let's work together!' World reacts to Biden win

Confirmation by the electoral college, which took place on Monday, was one of the steps required for Mr Biden to take office.

Last month, President Trump said he would leave office in January if Mr Biden were affirmed as the election winner by the electoral college, but he has continued to make unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has also finally congratulated Mr Biden but Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro, has still not done so, nor has North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

What did Putin say in his message?

According to a Kremlin statement, Mr Putin wished Mr Biden every success and said he was "ready for collaboration and contacts with you".

He "expressed confidence that Russia and the United States, which have a special responsibility for global security and stability, could, despite their differences, really help to solve the many problems and challenges facing the world", the statement added.

Reuters

But analysts say Mr Biden, who describes Mr Putin as an autocrat, is expected to take a tougher line on Russia than Mr Trump.

Russia has faced accusations of interference in the 2016 US election to help get Mr Trump elected.

In US-Russian relations, personal chemistry is so important. Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan had it. Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton, too. Putin and Biden? Don't hold your breath.

On a trip to Moscow in his capacity as vice-president, Mr Biden concluded that Mr Putin had no soul. More recently he's labelled Russia the greatest threat to America. Doesn't sound promising, does it?

It doesn't help that Vladimir Putin waited so long to congratulate America's new leader. The Kremlin claimed it was doing things by the book, simply waiting for the official result. But the delay smacks of sour grapes.

There's little doubt the Russian authorities would have preferred Donald Trump to be re-elected. Not that US-Russian relations flourished under his administration but at least he avoided criticising Russia and its leader. Plus, the weakening of the Western alliance under President Trump was viewed positively by Russian officials.

Moscow is bracing itself for a tougher US approach to Russia and, possibly, additional sanctions. But whatever political, ideological or personal differences they may have, Presidents Biden and Putin will need to develop some kind of working relationship. There are issues of global importance - like arms control - where co-operation between Russia and America is vital.

While Mr Putin waited nearly a month and a half before congratulating Mr Biden, in 2016 he congratulated Mr Trump on his victory the day after the vote.

How did Biden greet confirmation of his win?

In a speech after the announcement, he said it was "time to turn the page". US democracy had been "pushed, tested and threatened", he said, but it had "proved to be resilient, true and strong".

He condemned Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the result, referring to the president's efforts to question the outcome and his legal challenges which have been rejected by courts across the country.

"Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even when we find those results hard to accept," Mr Biden said, speaking in Delaware.

"The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago," he added. "And we know that nothing not even a pandemic or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame."

He also warned that, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to ravage the US, there would be difficult months ahead.

"There is urgent work in front of us," he said. "Getting this pandemic under control and getting the nation vaccinated against this virus."

He was speaking as the Covid death toll in the US - the country worst affected by the virus - rose above 300,000.

What happens next?

The results of the voting process will be sent to Washington DC and formally counted in a joint session of Congress on 6 January presided over by Vice-President Mike Pence.

That will pave the way for Joe Biden to be sworn in as president on 20 January.

On Tuesday, Mr Biden travels to Georgia to campaign for the Democrats in next month's repeat Senate elections. Two seats will be decided on 5 January and could decide whether or not his party takes control of the chamber.

• Georgia starts voting in pivotal senate battle

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2020-12-15 14:26:00Z
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US election: Putin congratulates Biden after electoral college win - BBC News

Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has become one of the last world leaders to congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden on his victory.

The Kremlin had said it would wait for official results from November's vote before recognising the victory.

Mr Biden was confirmed as the winner on Monday by the electoral college.

Most world leaders congratulated Mr Biden within days of the 3 November poll, when it was clear he had defeated sitting President Donald Trump.

Mr Biden and Mr Putin had frosty relations when the former served as vice-president under Barack Obama.

Democrat Joe Biden won November's contest with 306 electoral college votes to Republican Donald Trump's 232.

• The people who ultimately pick the US president
• What Biden's victory means for rest of world
• 'Let's work together!' World reacts to Biden win

Confirmation by the electoral college, which took place on Monday, was one of the steps required for Mr Biden to take office.

Last month, President Trump said he would leave office in January if Mr Biden were affirmed as the election winner by the electoral college, but he has continued to make unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

What did Putin say in his message?

According to a Kremlin statement, Mr Putin wished Mr Biden every success and said he was "ready for collaboration and contacts with you".

He "expressed confidence that Russia and the United States, which have a special responsibility for global security and stability, could, despite their differences, really help to solve the many problems and challenges facing the world", the statement added.

Reuters

But analysts say Mr Biden, who describes Mr Putin as an autocrat, is expected to take a tougher line on Russia than Mr Trump.

Russia has faced accusations of interference in the 2016 US election to help get Mr Trump elected.

In US-Russian relations, personal chemistry is so important. Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan had it. Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton, too. Putin and Biden? Don't hold your breath.

On a trip to Moscow in his capacity as vice-president, Mr Biden concluded that Mr Putin had no soul. More recently he's labelled Russia the greatest threat to America. Doesn't sound promising, does it?

It doesn't help that Vladimir Putin waited so long to congratulate America's new leader. The Kremlin claimed it was doing things by the book, simply waiting for the official result. But the delay smacks of sour grapes.

There's little doubt the Russian authorities would have preferred Donald Trump to be re-elected. Not that US-Russian relations flourished under his administration but at least he avoided criticising Russia and its leader. Plus, the weakening of the Western alliance under President Trump was viewed positively by Russian officials.

Moscow is bracing itself for a tougher US approach to Russia and, possibly, additional sanctions. But whatever political, ideological or personal differences they may have, Presidents Biden and Putin will need to develop some kind of working relationship. There are issues of global importance - like arms control - where co-operation between Russia and America is vital.

While Mr Putin waited nearly an month and a half before congratulating Mr Biden, in 2016 he congratulated Mr Trump on his victory the day after the vote.

How did Biden greet confirmation of his win?

In a speech after the announcement, he said it was "time to turn the page". US democracy had been "pushed, tested and threatened", he said, but it had "proved to be resilient, true and strong".

He condemned Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the result, referring to the president's efforts to question the outcome and his legal challenges which have been rejected by courts across the country.

"Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even when we find those results hard to accept," Mr Biden said, speaking in Delaware.

"The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago," he added. "And we know that nothing not even a pandemic or an abuse of power can extinguish that flame."

He also warned that, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to ravage the US, there would be difficult months ahead.

"There is urgent work in front of us," he said. "Getting this pandemic under control and getting the nation vaccinated against this virus."

He was speaking as the Covid death toll in the US - the country worst affected by the virus - rose above 300,000.

What happened at the electoral college?

Normally the electors do not get that much attention but this year, after uncertainty generated by a raft of challenges to results in Democrat-won states by the Trump campaign, the state-by-state vote was in the spotlight.

Solidly Democrat California, with its 55 electors, was one of the last states to vote on Monday and took Mr Biden across the 270-vote threshold required to win the presidency.

Heightened security had been put in place in some states, including Michigan and Georgia, ahead of voting, which took place in state capitals and Washington DC.

In Michigan - a key swing state which Mr Biden won - legislative offices in the state capital Lansing were closed due to "credible" threats of violence.

The vote at the capitol building went ahead peacefully although a group of Republicans tried to enter the building to hold their own vote and were turned away.

In his speech, Mr Biden described the harassment of officials following the election as "unconscionable" and said: "It's my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw in this election."

He also noted that he had the same number of electoral college votes that Mr Trump said was a "landslide" when the Republican won in 2016. Mr Biden emphasised that he had also won the popular vote, something Mr Trump failed to clinch four years ago.

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said: "The presidential election is over. States have certified the votes. Courts have resolved disputes. The electors have voted. I hope that President Trump will put the country first, take pride in his considerable accomplishments, and help President-elect Biden get off to a good start."

Curtain lowered on Trump court challenges

The quadrennial meeting of the US electoral college is usually a formality along the way to a presidential inauguration - a vestigial political event that long ago lost its power and relevance.

Donald Trump's scorched-earth strategy of contesting the results of the 2020 election, however, gave the proceedings new attention.

His legal team has had little success in challenging the results in multiple battleground states and the official recording of the electoral college ballots effectively lowered the curtain on these long-shot judicial manoeuvres.

That does not mean the Trump team is giving up, of course. They will continue with futile court challenges and, eventually, ask Congress to overturn the election results.

It is an alternative reality that Donald Trump's supporters may find more comforting than the one where Joe Biden is president-elect.

Given that the House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, the official electoral college tally has been duly certified by the states and federal law is on Mr Biden's side, Mr Trump's chances of success in the real world, however, sit squarely at zero.

What happens next?

The results of the voting process will be sent to Washington DC and formally counted in a joint session of Congress on 6 January presided over by Vice-President Mike Pence.

That will pave the way for Joe Biden to be sworn in as president on 20 January.

Most Republicans have stood behind Mr Trump in his efforts to overturn the result, but some have broken ranks in recent weeks.

One Michigan congressman, Paul Mitchell, announced he was leaving the party weeks before his retirement in protest over what he said was its failure to accept that the election process was over.

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2020-12-15 13:30:00Z
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Japan 'Twitter killer' Takahiro Shiraishi sentenced to death - BBC News

Getty Images

A man who murdered nine people after contacting them on Twitter has been sentenced to death, in a high-profile case that has shocked Japan.

Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", was arrested in 2017 after body parts were found in his flat.

The 30-year-old had admitted to murdering and dismembering his victims - almost all of whom were young women he met on the social media platform.

The serial killings triggered debate over how suicide is discussed online.

More than 400 people turned up to watch the verdict on Tuesday, despite the court only having 16 seats available for the public, reported local media.

Public support for the death penalty remains high in Japan, one of the few developed nations to retain capital punishment.

How did he find his victims?

Shiraishi used Twitter to lure suicidal women to his home, saying he could help them die and, in some cases, claimed he would kill himself alongside them.

He strangled and dismembered eight women and one man aged 15 to 26 between August and October 2017, said Japan's Kyodo news agency, citing the indictment.

• Japan to act on suicide websites
• Why does Japan have such a high suicide rate?
• How many countries still have the death penalty?

The serial killings first came to light on Halloween that year when police found dismembered body parts in Shiraishi's flat in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo, while they were searching for a missing 23-year-old woman, who turned out to be one of the victims.

After she had gone missing, her brother accessed her Twitter account and alerted police to a suspicious handle, leading them to Shiraishi's residence on the morning of 31 October in 2017.

Japanese media called it the "house of horrors" after investigators discovered nine heads along with a large number of arm and leg bones stashed in coolers and tool boxes.

What happened at the trial?

Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Shiraishi.

But his lawyers argued that he was guilty of the lesser charge of "murder with consent", claiming his victims had given their permission to be killed.

EPA

Shiraishi later disputed his own defence team's version of events, and said he killed without their consent.

On Tuesday, Judge Naokuni Yano, who delivered the verdict, called the crimes "cunning and cruel", and found the defendant "fully responsible" for his actions.

"None of the nine victims consented to be killed, including silent consent," public broadcaster NHK quoted the judge as saying.

"It is extremely grave that the lives of nine young people were taken away. The dignity of the victims was trampled upon."

Who were the victims?

The names of those Shiraishi murdered were withheld to protect their privacy.

The father of one victim, aged 25, told the court last month that he would "never forgive Shiraishi even if he dies", according to Japanese broadcaster NHK

"Even now, when I see a woman of my daughter's age, I mistake her for my daughter. This pain will never go away. Give her back to me," he had said.

On Tuesday, the father of another victim, who was 17, told NHK the death sentence was "appropriate".

"I feel like I want to get revenge, but bereaved families can't do anything. I don't know how to vent my anger," he said.

The brother of a 25-year-old victim said his "heart died" when he heard Shiraishi's testimony.

"It didn't sound at all like he regretted it... It felt like I was being hurt with a sharp knife over and over again."

The man Shiraishi killed was a male friend of one of his female victims, who was seeking her whereabouts.

What impact has the case had?

The killings stunned Japan, triggering fresh debate about suicide and how to help those considering it, as well as about websites where suicide is discussed. The government has indicated it may introduce new regulations.

Summing up, the judge said the case had "provoked great anxiety in society, because social networks are so commonly used".

The murders also prompted a change by Twitter, which amended its rules to state users should not "promote or encourage suicide or self-harm". Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey called the case "extremely sad".

Japan has long battled one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialised world. Figures have dropped since preventative measures were introduced more than a decade ago but there have been signs that rates have been rising again during the coronavirus pandemic.

If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations which offer advice and support, click here.

In the UK you can call for free, at any time, to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066. In Japan you can get help here.

You may also be interested in:

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2020-12-15 12:00:00Z
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Japan: 'Twitter killer' Takahiro Shiraishi sentenced to death over serial murders of people he dismembered - Sky News

A man dubbed Japan's "Twitter killer" has been sentenced to death for murdering and dismembering nine people he contacted through the social media platform.

Takahiro Shiraishi was arrested in 2017 after body parts were found in his flat in the city of Zama, near Tokyo.

The 30-year-old admitted strangling and dismembering eight women and one man aged 15-26, from Tokyo and four other prefectures, between August and October that year.

Image: The 30-year-old targeted suicidal people on Twitter

He is also alleged to have stolen cash from them and sexually assaulted all his female victims.

Shiraishi, who set up his Twitter profile in March 2017, targeted his victims as they had expressed suicidal intentions on the platform.

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He used a handle which loosely translates as "hangman", The Japan Times reported, and sent them messages promising to help them die.

His Twitter profile reportedly included the words: "I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM me anytime."

More from Japan

Authorities became involved when one of the female victims, a 23-year-old, was reported missing.

They searched Shiraishi's flat on Halloween that year and found parts of the nine bodies stuffed in coolers.

Image: Police outside the flat in Zama where police found nine dismembered corpses

According to Japanese media, the only male victim, aged 20, was killed after confronting Shiraishi about the whereabouts of his girlfriend.

Shiraishi was found guilty by the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court and sentenced to death for his crimes.

The father of one of the victims, a 25-year-old woman, told the court he would never forgive Shiraishi, according to public broadcaster NHK.

He said: "Even now, when I see a woman of my daughter's age, I mistake her for my daughter. This pain will never go away. Give her back to me!"

Shiraishi's lawyers argued his charges should be changed to the lesser offence of homicide with consent.

They said his victims apparently gave consent to be killed, according to the messages that were sent.

However, Judge Naokuni Yano ruled this was not the case.

According to NHK, he told the court: "None of the nine victims consented to be killed, including by silent consent.

"It is extremely grave that the lives of nine young people were taken away. The dignity of the victims was trampled upon."

He said Shiraishi had committed "extremely vicious crimes" but was mentally fit to be held responsible based on five months of psychiatric testing before his indictment.

Following the case, Twitter introduced warnings and links to support groups and charities anytime words related to suicide or self-harm are searched in Japan.

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2020-12-15 10:47:37Z
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