There was - thankfully - some good news from what went on yesterday in the (not very) United States.
If you're reading this before looking at or hearing other news, you'll be disappointed to hear that Washington DC descended into chaos yesterday as the Senate was in the process of formally certifying the victory of Joe Biden in November's election. In a nut shell, in a speech to thousands of his supporters, Trump egged them on to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and cause trouble at the Capitol. They duly did.
However, amid the ghastly spectacle, there was some good news:
Before the Capitol was stormed (and senators were evacuated), Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader - and, once, one of Trump's staunchest allies - chastised Trump at the certification ceremony, before it was disrupted - for spreading dangerous conspiracy theories, saying there's no proof of illegality. "We're debating a step that has never been taken in Americana history - whether Congress should overrule the voters and overturn a presidential election," he said. "President Trump claims the election was stolen. Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election."
Despite the psycho-drama between Trump and his Vice President, Mike Pence, it's now clear that Pence has no intention of subverting the democratic transfer of power to Joe Biden. Why? Because Pence sent a letter to Members of Congress ahead of Wednesday's Joint Session of Congress, essentially refusing to do what President Trump was asking him to do; namely, contesting the certification. Pence, who has a largely formal and constitutionally prescribed role of presiding over the House and Senate, said he cannot claim "unilateral authority" to reject electoral votes that will make Joe Biden president.
Meanwhile, in good news for those that believe that America needs to pull its proverbial finger out and start concentrating on dealing with environmental issues - which Joe Biden states is the “number one issue facing humanity” - the two Georgia Senate run-offs yesterday produced two Democrat winners. With Kamala Harris, as the new Vice President from 20 January, that means that Biden's party has the casting vote in any tied situations. The Georgia results will therefore significantly, positively, affect the extent to which President-elect Joe Biden will be able implement his agenda.
Once police and soldiers had restored calm at the Capitol late in the evening, senators returned to work on the certifying process. They worked right through the night but, finally, certified Joe Biden as the next President. So, that's it. Trump is, categorically, out.
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President on 20 January. No doubt, security will be somewhat tighter for that event.
Meanwhile, in Belarus...