US Capitol Violence LIVE Updates: Congress Finalises Joe Biden's Victory, Trump Pledges 'Orderly' Power Transfer After Capitol Riot

READ | How the Chaos Unfolded as Pro-Trump Mob Stormed US Capitol Leading to 4 Deaths

Congress moved late Wednesday toward confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory after a mob of loyalists, urged on by President Donald Trump, stormed and occupied the Capitol, disrupting the final…

'Archaic' US Electoral System Doesn't Meet Democratic Standards: Russia | 'Archaic' US electoral system does not meet democratic standards: RussiaRussia said Thursday that an "archaic" US electoral system that does not meet democratic standards and the politicisation of the media were to blame for American divisions and unrest in Washington. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump was "an internal US affair" but that blame rested with the US system.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: The rampage at the Capitol yesterday was a disgraceful act and it must be vigorously condemned.

French President Emmanuel Macron: What happened today in Washington, D.C., is not America, definitely. We believe in the strength of our democracies, we believe in the strength of American democracy.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: What is happening is wrong. Democracy the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel: A fundamental rule of democracy is that, after elections, there are winners and losers. Both have to play their role with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner. ... President Trump regrettably has not conceded his defeat since November, and didnt yesterday either, and of course that has prepared the atmosphere in which such events, such violent events, are possible. 

READ | US Congress Certifies Joe Biden Win, Trump Concedes Defeat Hours After Harrowing Capitol Hill Assault

Hours after hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in a harrowing assault on American democracy, a shaken Congress on Thursday formally certified Democrat Joe Biden’s…

World Shares Up on Stimulus Hopes as Congress OKs Biden Win | Global shares rose today after Congress certified Democrat Joe Biden's electoral college victory following unprecedented chaos when supporters of President Donald Trump ran rampant through the US Capitol, reports Associated Press. The formal recognition of Biden as president-elect on Thursday has raised expectations his administration, helped by control of both houses of Congress, will push ahead with more generous support for the US economy. Shortly after Congress certified his loss to Biden, President Donald Trump issued a statement saying there will be an orderly transition on January 20.

China Draws Comparison Between Storming of US Capitol, Hong Kong Protests | China drew a comparison on Thursday between the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump and last year's often-violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, but noted that no one had died when demonstrators took over the legislature of the China-ruled city. Clips of the chaotic scenes from Washington aired repeatedly on Chinese state television. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily briefing said that while events in Hong Kong in 2019, when the city's legislature was stormed, were more "severe" than those in Washington, "not one demonstrator died".

READ | US Capitol Hill Breached: Bombing, Assassination Attempt and Other Past Instances of Violence

The US Capitol Hill in Washington DC is the seat of the government of the most powerful country in the world.

Netanyahu Says 'Rampage' at US Capitol 'Disgraceful', Must be Condemned | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the storming of the US Capitol by demonstrators was “a disgraceful act that must be vigorously condemned”, reports Reuters. Calling the incident in Washington a “rampage” during televised joint remarks with visiting US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Netanyahu said he had “no doubt that “American democracy will prevail”, adding: “It always has.”

Joe Biden Win Confirmed After Pro-Trump Mob Storms US Capitol | Congress confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner early Thursday after a violent mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in a stunning attempt to overturn America’s presidential election, undercut the nation’s democracy and keep Trump in the White House, reports AP.

READ | How the Chaos Unfolded as Pro-Trump Mob Stormed US Capitol Leading to 4 Deaths, Uniting a Divided Congress

Congress moved late Wednesday toward confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory after a mob of loyalists, urged on by President Donald Trump, stormed and occupied the Capitol, disrupting the final…

READ | Why Did Nobody Protect the US Capitol? Police Draw Severe Criticism as 4 Dead in Attack by Pro-Trump Mob

As the world watched in horror the violence in the US's Capitol Hill, where four people were killed, security experts in the US questioned the police over its failure to stop the incident that led to…

Capitol Hill Violence Product of Years of 'Hateful Rhetoric': Experts | The storming of the U.S. Capitol is a jarring but natural product of years of violence and hateful rhetoric stoked by disinformation and conspiracy theories, experts on far-right extremism said as they pored over images of Wednesday's riot. Members of far-right groups, including the violent Proud Boys, joined the crowds that formed in Washington to cheer on President Donald Trump as he urged them to protest Congress' counting of Electoral College votes confirming President-elect Joe Biden's win. Then they headed to the Capitol. Members of smaller white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups also were spotted in the crowds. Police were photographed stopping a man identified as a leading promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory from storming the Senate floor. Online forums popular with Trump supporters lit up with gleeful posts about the chaotic scenes broadcast from the Capitol. Thousands of messages on Parler, a right-wing alternative to Twitter, included the hashtag #civilwar or other variations of the term. “If you’re surprised, you haven’t been paying attention,” said Integrity First for America executive director Amy Spitalnick. “We should all be horrified by this, but nobody should be surprised that this is happening.”

Former US Presidents Denounce Capitol Violence | Every living former US president on Wednesday denounced the violence of a mob that stormed the Capitol building in Washington, forcing lawmakers to flee to safety and leaving one woman dead. The crowd, made up of supporters of President Donald Trump, opposed the certification underway in Congress of Joe Biden's presidential election win in November. George W. Bush called out fellow Republicans for fueling the "insurrection," likening the situation to a "banana republic." Read more

President Trump is 'Menace', Must Be Removed and Held Accountable for Capitol Attack: US Media

Donald Trump, whose "seditious rhetoric" incited a violent attack on the Capitol, is a "menace" and is unfit to remain in office and must be removed, US media outlets have asserted, as they tore into…

Trump Pledges an "Orderly" Transfer of Power to Biden | Following a formal affirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, President Trump said the decision "represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history." "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement, CNN reported. "I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," Trump said while repeating false claims about the election that incited a mob to storm the Capitol.

Biden is Now Officially the Next US President | Congress has just affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump, CNN reports. The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden. Republicans also objected to Arizona, Nevada and Michigan's electoral votes, but the motions failed before they reached debate. The certification comes after Pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol earlier Wednesday. The joint session of Congress, which is normally a ceremonial step, was halted for several hours when rioters breached the Capitol. Proceedings resumed at about 8 p.m. ET with Vice President Mike Pence, bringing the Senate session back into order. "Let's get back to work," Pence said.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz Says Vote Objection Was 'Right Thing to Do' | Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is defending his objection to the Electoral College results as “the right thing to do.” The Texas senator condemned the violence that erupted as supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an extraordinary attack over the election outcome. Cruz led the first challenge to Joe Biden’s defeat of President Donald Trump by objecting to Arizona’s results. He sought to have Congress launch a commission to investigate the election. His effort was roundly defeated in the House and Senate. Cruz said he was confident the country will have a “peaceful and orderly transition of power.” Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20.

House Lawmakers Come Close to Brawl | A small group of House lawmakers came close to physically fighting early Thursday morning as the congressional count of electoral votes stretched into the wee hours and a Pennsylvania Democrat charged that Republicans had been telling “lies” about his state’s votes. Rep. Morgan Griffiths, R-Va., objected after Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., said a breach of the Capitol by an angry mob earlier in the day was “inspired by lies, the same lies you are hearing in this room tonight.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot down the objection, but a few minutes later Republicans and Democrats streamed to the middle aisle, with around a dozen lawmakers getting close to each other and arguing. But the group quickly broke up when Pelosi called for order on the floor. President Donald Trump has falsely claimed there was widespread fraud in Pennsylvania and other states and Republicans have echoed those claims as they have challenged electoral votes.

Congress Takes Dig at Modi After Capitol Hill Violence | Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the US saw violence when a pro-Trump mob stormed the US capitol. Modi has often in the past supported Trump's presidency and leadership, most recently when he hosted mega-event in his honour called 'Namaste Trump' last year. "Our Hon PM  @narendramodi Ji pleaded for "Phir Ekbar, Trump ki Sarkar", God forbids, else #USA the Oldest Democracy in the World would have been destined for Worst-ever days for USA...(sic)," he said in a tweet.

Our Hon PM @narendramodi Ji pleaded for "Phir Ekbar, Trump ki Sarkar", God forbids, else #USA the Oldest Democracy in the World would have been destined for Worst-ever days for USA...
(1/4)

— Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) January 7, 2021

In Pictures | Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held today, January 6, to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup. (Olivier Douliery/AFP) 

Why Did Nobody Protect the US Capitol? Police Draw Severe Criticism for Attack by Pro-Trump Mob

As the world watched in horror the violence in the US's Capitol Hill, where four people were killed, security experts in the US questioned the police over its failure to stop the incident.

House is Voting Now on Objection to Pennsylvania's Electoral Votes | The House just wrapped up its debate over an objection on Pennsylvania's electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden, CNN reports.

Democratic Congresswoman Joins Calls for Trump's Removal by 25th Amendment | Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean joined calls for President Trump's removal from office by means of the Constitution's 25th Amendment, the CNN has reported. "I certainly hope it is possible," the Pennsylvania lawmaker told CNN. "I think this President has proved himself day after day, month after month, year after year to be unstable and unfit. In these waning days of this disgraceful presidency I hope we will be able to invoke the 25th Amendment," she added.

A Somber Senate Unites to Reject Election Challenges | A sober, shaken Senate returned to its hallowed chamber Wednesday night to slap away a frivolous election challenge, but its secondary purpose seemed to be to rise from the wreckage of a shocking day in which they were forced to flee the Capitol by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump. The riot in the Capitol prompted more than half of those who had signed on to the protest to instead vote “no.” Catering to Trump's supporters seemed less important than defending democracy. Tennessee's GOP senators abandoned the effort, as did Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her runoff election Tuesday, helping to deliver control of the Senate to Democrats. Wisconsin's GOP Sen. Ron Johnson dropped out, as did James Lankford, R-Okla., a promising younger Republican who raised eyebrows when initially supporting the effort. The 93-6 tally upholding President-elect Joe Biden's win in Arizona was preceded by an unusually serious debate in which party labels were shed and constitutional prerogatives embraced. “We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs, or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “We are back at our posts. We will discharge our duty under the Constitution for our nation. And we are going to do it tonight."

Ahead of US Capitol Hill Siege, Black Voters Played a Key Role in Turning Georgia Blue | Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol Hill on Wednesday, as the entire world watched in shock, only hours after Democrats won both the Georgia runoffs. Democrat Raphael Warnock made history as the first black senator in the state, winning against Senator Kelly Loeffler, and Democrat Jon Ossoff won against Republican David Perdue. The twin win is historic in many ways as this will tip the balance of power in the US Senate in favour of the Democrats. Read more

The Indian Tricolour Waving in a Viral Video of US Capitol Riots Has Left Desi Internet Curious

Visuals of violence erupted in US Capitol Hill emerged on social media after US President Donald Trump's supporters invaded and ransacked the building to disrupt the certification by Congress of…

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Resigns | White House Deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger resigned in response to President Trump’s reaction to a mob of his supporters breaching the US Capitol, a person close to Pottinger confirmed to CNN. He told people there was very little for him to consider.  CNN reported Wednesday night that several of President Donald Trump's top aides, including national security adviser Robert O'Brien and deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell, were considering resigning.