Briefly

UNITED STATES

Biden hits campaign trail in Georgia

US President-elect Joe Biden threw his weight into the Democratic battle for control of the US Senate on Tuesday, as his White House win was finally acknowledged by top Republicans. Biden flew into Georgia－a southern state he won in an upset against President Donald Trump－to host a rally for two Democratic candidates in runoff races that will determine the Senate's balance of power. One day after the Electoral College affirmed Biden's victory, attention shifted to the looming Senate battle. A Democratic sweep in Georgia would give the party control of both chambers of Congress as well as the White House. But Trump still refuses to concede, continuing to tweet allegations of mass fraud that have been rejected in dozens of lawsuits.

INDIA

PM Modi reaches out to angry farmers

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government is committed to farmers' welfare and will address their concerns. Reaching out to farmers in the Kutch area of the western state of Gujarat, Modi said his government was addressing the concerns of farmers over newly introduced farm laws. Saying that his government was committed to farmers' welfare, Modi said that the opposition parties were spreading fears. Thousands of farmers have been camping at several interstate borders around New Delhi, protesting against the three new farm laws recently enacted by the central government. Several rounds of talks between federal government ministers and the farmers' representatives have failed, as the agitated farmers demanded a complete withdrawal of the three laws.

JAPAN

Man charged with murder over arson

Japanese prosecutors on Wednesday charged a man with murder over the 2019 arson attack on Kyoto Animation that killed 36 people, local media said. More than 30 people were also injured in the attack on the studio. It was the country's deadliest violent crime in decades. Shinji Aoba, 42, was detained in the aftermath of the July attack, but has been hospitalized since then with severe burns sustained in the incident, and reportedly only regained consciousness in August. There were no immediate details on the full extent of the charges against Aoba, who was only formally placed under arrest in May. Aoba has reportedly confessed to the arson, and is said to have shouted "drop dead" before starting the fire.

Xinhua - Agencies