America's Electoral College on Monday confirmed Donald Trump's election as the 45th president of the United States, unswayed by a desperate bid by die-hard opponents to bar the Republican's path to the White House.
Six weeks after his upset victory over the Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump sailed as expected past the 270 votes needed to make his victory official according to US media, clearing the way for him to succeed Barack Obama on January 20.
"We did it!" the 70-year-old billionaire tweeted after the results came in. "Thank you to all of my great supporters, we just officially won the election (despite all of the distorted and inaccurate media)."
In a statement released by his team, the president-elect welcomed the "overwhelming vote" in his favor, while reaching out to the Democrats who sought against the odds to block him.
"With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead," he said. "I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans."
Under normal circumstances, the college vote is a little-watched, rubber stamp formality in which electors -- most of them party members -- officially cast ballots for the candidate that won the popular tally in their state.
This time, however, the divisive nature of the campaign, Trump's provocative personality, and Clinton's lead of nearly three million votes in the popular tally combined to raise the stakes.
The Electoral College vote works like this: when US voters cast ballots on November 8, they did not directly elect the president but rather 538 electors charged with translating their wishes into reality.
Trump won a clear majority of those electors: 306.
Democratic activists casting the Republican as a threat to the nation staged a vocal, weeks-long campaign urging electors to break ranks and refuse to vote for him.
To bar Trump's road to the White House, they needed to convince at least 37 Republican electors to abandon their candidate.
The odds of that happening were considered next to none.
According to a New York Times tally, a total of seven so-called "faithless" electors defected for someone else than their party's nominee, the biggest number ever.
In Washington state, three of the state's 12 electoral votes went to former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell and a fourth went to Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader who helped block the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
An elector in Hawaii cast a vote for Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton's opponent in the Democratic primaries. Two Texas Republican electors defected, one voting for former representative Ron Paul and another for Ohio Governor John Kasich.
- 'Fate of our nation' -
One Texas Republican elector, Christopher Suprun, had publicly said he would not vote for Trump, arguing he is unqualified to be president for reasons including conflicts of interest created by his vast overseas business holdings.
Suprun says he received death threats as a result.
An online petition urging electors to reject Trump collected some five million supporters. Hollywood stars including Martin Sheen recently released a video to goad electors to dump Trump.
Undeterred by their outside chance of success, protesters rallied Monday at statehouses from Pennsylvania to Texas to Utah as electors gathered across the country to cast their votes.
In Wisconsin, where Trump carried a thin margin that was key to propelling him into the Oval Office, a few protesters chanted "Shame!" as the state's 10 electoral votes for Trump were announced, the Times reported.
"I feel the fate of our nation is at stake here," protester Ray-Ellen Kavey, 68, told The Washington Post outside the capitol building of the Rust Belt state of Pennsylvania.
"I know nothing will come of this, but my conscience won't let me do any less."
In New York, former president Bill Clinton cast one of the state's 29 electoral votes for his wife.
"I've never cast a vote I was prouder of," he was quoted as saying by the Post.
- 'Cynical' -
The Republican National Committee welcomed the result -- and urged Democrats to accept Trump's victory once and for all.
"This historic election is now officially over," RNC co-chair Sharon Day said in a statement. "For the good of the country, Democrats must stop their cynical attempts to undermine the legitimacy of this election."
The anti-Trump movement gained further momentum in recent days amid the uproar over allegations of Russian hacking aimed at swaying the vote in favor of the Republican.
Even in the unlikely event that Trump had lost the Electoral College vote, it would have been up to the House of Representatives -- controlled by Republicans -- to designate the successor to President Barack Obama.
The final vote result will be formally announced in the US Congress on January 6, two weeks before the next president is to be inaugurated.
AFP
Tue Dec 20 2016
Protestors fill the rotunda of the Michigan State Capitol before the state electoral college met to cast their votes on December 19, 2016 in Lansing, Michigan, United States. - Sarah Rice/Getty Images/AFP
Isu surat layang: Mangsa ugutan, gangguan seksual diminta lapor polis
Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri (JKN) Perak meminta mangsa yang mendakwa menerima ugutan serta gangguan seksual yang dikaitkan dengan isu surat layang tular membabitkan kakitangan perubatan Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) supaya membuat laporan polis.
Bekalan Darah: Kadar penderma darah dalam negara masih rendah
Menurut Timbalan Pengarah I, Pusat Darah Negara, Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM), Dr Tun Maizura Mohd Fathullah, kadar tersebut perlu ditingkatkan bagi memastikan bekalan darah mencukupi terutamanya pada waktu-waktu terdesak.
KBS umum syarat pelepasan cukai latihan sukan
Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) mengumumkan syarat-syarat pelepasan cukai bagi latihan sukan pada Jumaat.
Kastam tumpaskan sindiket penyeludupan, temukan dadah bawah pokok
Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia Pulau Pinang menumpaskan cubaan penyeludupan dadah apabila merampas dadah jenis methaphetamine seberat 30 kilogram bernilai hampir RM1 juta.
Pengawal keselamatan didakwa bunuh anak kandung berusia enam bulan
Seorang bapa yang tergamak mendera anak kandungnya yang berusia enam bulan sehingga mengakibatkan mangsa mati didakwa di Mahkamah Bandar Baru Bangi, pada Jumaat kerana kesalahan membunuh.
Perang Iran-Israel, kesan kepada geopolitik Asia Barat
Penyelidik Kanan IRIS Institute, Asyraf Farique memberikan analisis semasa mengenai perang Iran dan Israel serta kesannya kepada geopolitik di Asia Barat.
Batik Air gantung operasi ke Istanbul bermula 1 Mei
Syarikat penerbangan itu berkata keputusan itu dibuat sebagai respons terhadap situasi di Timur Tengah yang memberi kesan kepada laluan penerbangan Batik Air.
Perang Iran-Israel, kesan kepada geopolitik Asia Barat
Dekan Institut Pengajian Siswazah Universiti Islam Melaka, Prof Dr Kamaruzaman Yusoff memberikan analisis semasa mengenai perang Iran dan Israel serta kesannya kepada geopolitik di Asia Barat.
'OIC, UNSC dah tak berguna!' - Pakar tidak tolak kemungkinan Israel serang negara sekutu Iran
Salawati berpandangan tidak mustahil untuk Israel menyerang negara berjiran Iran dengan tanggapan mereka sekutu yang bersekongkol dengan negara itu.
Kampit beras dibuang: SWCorp tutup sementara tapak pelupusan sampah
Penutupan itu dilakukan bagi membolehkan pihaknya melakukan siasatan terhadap pihak terlibat termasuk penyedia tapak pelupusan dan pihak yang membuang sampah di lokasi tersebut.
7 juri dipilih dalam bicara kes wang sogok yang dihadapi Trump
Tujuh juri dipilih dalam perbicaraan kes wang sogok Donald Trump di New York, perbicaraan jenayah pertama terhadap bekas presiden Amerika Syarikat.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Perbicaraan skandal Donald Trump - bintang porno bermula
Donald Trump menjadi bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat pertama yang menghadapi perbicaraan kes jenayah.
Bicara kes bayaran tutup mulut yang dihadapi Trump bermula dengan pemilihan juri
Donald Trump akan menjadi bekas presiden pertama dalam sejarah Amerika Syarikat (AS) yang dibicarakan atas tuduhan jenayah.
Trump gagal tangguh, perbicaraan tetap berlangsung 15 April ini
Ini merupakan kali pertama bekas Presiden AS dibicarakan melibatkan bayaran menutup mulut kepada seorang bintang filem lucah.
Biden menang pemilihan peringkat awal di Dakota Utara
Dalam pemilihan peringkat awal di Dakota Utara, terdapat 13 perwakilan ditawarkan dan kebanyakan pengundian dilakukan melalui undi pos.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Perbicaraan Donald Trump bermula 15 April
Ini merupakan kali pertama bekas Presiden AS dibicarakan melibatkan bayaran menutup mulut kepada seorang bintang filem lucah.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
'Demokrasi AS berakhir jika saya tewas pilihan raya' - Trump
Trump memberitahu penyokongnya jika beliau tidak memenangi pilihan raya, ia bermakna kemungkinan demokrasi AS akan berakhir.