The US Congress has certified Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. The certification clears the way for Mr Biden to be sworn in on 20 January.

It came on the day two Democrats won Senate seats in elections in Georgia, giving the party effective control of the whole of Congress. This major political victory will ease the passage of Mr Biden's agenda after he is inaugurated.

Democrat Joe Biden's victory was confirmed at about 03:30 local time (08:30 GMT) on Thursday in a joint session presided over by Republican Vice-President Mike Pence.

Objections by some Republican lawmakers to overturn the result in Arizona and Pennsylvania were rejected. Congress formally certified the final electoral college vote, with Mr Biden receiving 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232.

For days Mr Trump had been piling pressure on his vice-president to block certification. But in a letter to Congress on Wednesday, Mr Pence said he had no "unilateral authority to decide which electoral votes should be counted".

Donald Trump is furious that so many top celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Tom Hanks, are going to feature at president-elect Joe Biden’s inaugural celebrations on Wednesday, in stark contrast to his own event four years ago.

The president was once a firm fixture at celebrity parties in New York, and hosted several star-studded events throughout his time as host of The Apprentice. In 2005, during his wedding with Melania, he had Elton John and Billy Joel sing. But after the rhetoric of his 2016 campaign and the establishment of his hard-line policies, which continued throughout his presidency, many Hollywood stars maintained their distance, including from his inauguration in January 2017.

Mr Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, a limited affair due to Covid-19, will involve a 90-minute prime-time programme to be hosted by Tom Hanks. It will include remarks from Mr Biden, vice president-elect Kamala Harris and performances from stars including Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, the Foo Fighters, John Legend, Eva Longoria, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, and Kerry Washington.

Several other Hollywood stars are also expected to be part of the programme. The programme will be live on most television networks and across social media channels.

Trump ‘furious’ so many celebrities performing for Biden inauguration

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b1789192.html



Bad for Trump, Good for Joe .....

Why does anyone even want a job where thousands of people hate you and are after your blood from day 1?

Out of the millions of Americans there are, I find it difficult to understand how America came up with those two.

Trump ‘furious’ so many celebrities performing for Biden inauguration

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b1789192.html


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Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th US president at the US Capitol in Washington.

Vice-president Kamala Harris has taken her oath too - becoming the first woman to hold that position.

In his first speech, Biden says "this is democracy's day" and says the US "has much to do in this winter of peril, much to repair"

The new president says the country must confront the rise of white supremacy, and reject manufactured facts.

He goes on: "I will be a president for all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did".

Joe Biden becomes the 46th US president

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...anada-55730500



Good for Joe .....