World
Biden cleared by Congress as next US president
Democrat Joe Biden has been cleared by Congress to be sworn in as the next US president on January 20.
Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence declared that Congress had confirmed the Electoral College tally of states’ results that showed Biden the winner of the November 3 contest against incumbent President Donald Trump.
Shortly after Pence’s declaration, Trump released a statement saying, “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.”
US lawmakers reconvened on Wednesday evening to certify the electoral college votes, after the session was interrupted earlier in the day by rioters who stormed the Capitol building.
Four were reported dead in the riots.
World
Trump tells aides he is willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz, WSJ reports
U.S. President Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing administration officials.
World
Pentagon preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, Washington Post reports
The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
The plans could involve raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported. Whether President Donald Trump would approve any of those plans remains uncertain, according to the Post.
The Trump administration has deployed U.S. Marines to the Middle East as the war in Iran stretches into its fifth week, and also has been planning to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne to the region.
World
G7 foreign ministers demand an end to attacks on civilians in Iran war
The ministers also reiterated the need to restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations called on Friday for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
In a joint statement agreed on the second day of a G7 meeting in France – this year’s host country – the ministers said they had underscored the importance of minimising the impact of the conflict on regional partners, civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
“We focused on the value of diverse partnerships, coordination, and supporting initiatives, including to mitigate global economic shocks such as disruptions to economic, energy, fertilizer and commercial supply chains, which have direct impacts on our citizens,” they said in the statement seen by Reuters.
The ministers also reiterated the need to restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The G7 members are the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, along with the European Union.
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