Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated.

The police force, which numbers about 2,000 officers and has sole jurisdiction over the Capitol’s buildings and grounds, was clearly outnumbered and unprepared for the onslaught, even as it was openly organized on social media sites like Gab and Parler.

It took more than two hours, and reinforcements from other law enforcement agencies, before the order was restored. One woman who appeared to have wrapped herself in a flag was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer, according to Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, which was called in for backup. Another woman and two men died during the events because of as-yet unspecified medical emergencies, he said.

At least 52 people were arrested, he said, including five on weapons charges and at least 26 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Most of the arrests were for violating the 6 p.m. curfew, he said, adding that the police would circulate pictures of those sought for breaching the Capitol building. In addition, pipe bombs were found at the headquarters of both the Republican and the Democratic national committees and a cooler containing a long gun and Molotov cocktails was discovered on the Capitol grounds, the chief said.

The criticism of the Capitol Police was swift and, in some quarters, unforgiving.

Some law enforcement experts were astonished by the sight of an officer cowering in the crush of pro-Trump extremists and rioters using police shields and metal barricades as battering rams.

And protesters on the left saw a stark double standard, saying they had been hit with rubber bullets, manhandled, surrounded and arrested while behaving peacefully during demonstrations against racial injustice over the summer.

Attica Scott, a state representative in Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on felony charges that were later dropped during the many months of protest over the death of Breonna Taylor in a botched police raid. “You can be arrested for walking while Black,” she said, “but you can be white and riot and basically get away with it.”

President Donald Trump’s own rhetoric has included stark contrasts toward protests. After George Floyd’s death, he called demonstrators “thugs” and promised that those who got out of line near the White House would be met with “the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.” Federal law enforcement officers swept people into unmarked vans and used pepper spray to clear peaceful protesters so that Trump could pose for photos in front of a church.

But on Wednesday, after he gave a rally where he said he would “never concede,” he was far kinder to those who proceeded to storm the Capitol. Hours after the riot began, he finally posted a video saying, “You have to go home now.” He added, “We love you.”

After the rally, at around 1 p.m., crowds amassed at the temporary perimeter fence that had been set up around the Capitol and grew increasingly animated. “There was a noticeable change in their demeanour,” Contee said.

One policing expert said there should have been a heavily manned perimeter sealing off the entire Capitol grounds and a second around the building itself given that extremist groups with a history of violent confrontations were involved.

“How they were not ready for this today, I have no idea,” said Charles Ramsey, a former D.C. police chief. “They were overwhelmed, they did not have the resources. You have to be able to protect the Capitol. That is not OK.”

The Capitol Police did not answer the phone or email, or put out any statements about the incident.

Members of Congress demanded explanations as well. “We must investigate the security breach at the Capitol today,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said on Twitter. “I warned our Caucus and had an hour-long conversation with the Chief of Police 4 days ago. He assured me the terrorists would not be allowed on the plaza &amp;amp; Capitol secured.”

Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday night that the Capitol Police appeared understaffed. “It did not seem that they had a clear operational plan to really deal with” thousands of people who descended on the Capitol after Trump’s complaints of a “rigged election,” she said.

Ramsey said police officers in riot gear should have been stationed nearby.

The officers at the perimeter were easily overwhelmed, with the crowds — some in body armor — jostling them and spraying them with chemical plumes. On the east side of the Capitol, the rioters who broke through the perimeter then confronted a line of officers on the steps, a video shows. Those officers eventually retreated up the stairs, allowing the crowd to follow.

Another video shows officers appearing to move the barricades aside and let the protesters in. Protesters scaled walls and scaffolding, hoisted themselves up on a maintenance platform, posed for photos and vandalized office signs.

Some experts defended the police, noting that the Capitol Police deals with protests, both inside and outside the building, legal and illegal, on a regular basis, but they are nothing like this.

“This isn’t what happens at the U.S. Capitol,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank in Washington. “This is completely unprecedented. This is as close to a 9/11 attack as you can think of, in that no one has ever done this before.”

Wexler said legitimate questions would be raised about why more officers were not on hand and why they did not anticipate the threat. But he laid most of the blame on political leaders who legitimize violent groups. “If the president tells his supporters, ‘This is what I want you to do,’ that could be more valuable than a thousand cops,” he said.

Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said it was unrealistic to expect the police to quell “people who are hell-bent on destruction.”

“They used violence against the police. They attacked the sacred Capitol and the Rotunda and then used tear gas or chemical agents, and physical attacks,” he said. “And what troubles me is the first thought was, well, why wasn’t the law enforcement better prepared?”

If the Capitol Police did not anticipate violence, the city did. Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard to supplement the city’s police force and warned counterprotesters and D.C. residents to stay away from planned pro-Trump actions Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Monday, the city police arrested Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right fraternity that uses street thuggery as political theater. Tarrio, who had two high-capacity firearm magazines, was wanted after bragging online about burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during protests last month. He was released but ordered to stay out of D.C.

The Proud Boys have been beating the drum for months for confrontations in support of Trump. In a statement on one of their social media channels after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Proud Boys attempted to justify the violence by saying that they were only copying the tactics of leftist protesters.

But Ja’Mal Green, a Chicago-based activist, said there was no comparison between the tactics or the response. “We all know if Black Lives Matter would have stormed the Capitol, there would have been deadly force used to protect that building, especially because it’s a federal building,” he said. “We today saw what it means for white people to have the privilege.”

Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated.

Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated. The police force, which numbers about 2,000 officers and has sole jurisdiction over the Capitol’s buildings and grounds, was clearly outnumbered and unprepared for the onslaught, even as it was openly organized on social media sites like Gab and Parler. It took more than two hours, and reinforcements from other law enforcement agencies, before the order was restored. One woman who appeared to have wrapped herself in a flag was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer, according to Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, which was called in for backup. Another woman and two men died during the events because of as-yet unspecified medical emergencies, he said. At least 52 people were arrested, he said, including five on weapons charges and at least 26 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Most of the arrests were for violating the 6 p.m. curfew, he said, adding that the police would circulate pictures of those sought for breaching the Capitol building. In addition, pipe bombs were found at the headquarters of both the Republican and the Democratic national committees and a cooler containing a long gun and Molotov cocktails was discovered on the Capitol grounds, the chief said. The criticism of the Capitol Police was swift and, in some quarters, unforgiving. Some law enforcement experts were astonished by the sight of an officer cowering in the crush of pro-Trump extremists and rioters using police shields and metal barricades as battering rams. And protesters on the left saw a stark double standard, saying they had been hit with rubber bullets, manhandled, surrounded and arrested while behaving peacefully during demonstrations against racial injustice over the summer. Attica Scott, a state representative in Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on felony charges that were later dropped during the many months of protest over the death of Breonna Taylor in a botched police raid. “You can be arrested for walking while Black,” she said, “but you can be white and riot and basically get away with it.” President Donald Trump’s own rhetoric has included stark contrasts toward protests. After George Floyd’s death, he called demonstrators “thugs” and promised that those who got out of line near the White House would be met with “the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.” Federal law enforcement officers swept people into unmarked vans and used pepper spray to clear peaceful protesters so that Trump could pose for photos in front of a church. But on Wednesday, after he gave a rally where he said he would “never concede,” he was far kinder to those who proceeded to storm the Capitol. Hours after the riot began, he finally posted a video saying, “You have to go home now.” He added, “We love you.” After the rally, at around 1 p.m., crowds amassed at the temporary perimeter fence that had been set up around the Capitol and grew increasingly animated. “There was a noticeable change in their demeanour,” Contee said. One policing expert said there should have been a heavily manned perimeter sealing off the entire Capitol grounds and a second around the building itself given that extremist groups with a history of violent confrontations were involved. “How they were not ready for this today, I have no idea,” said Charles Ramsey, a former D.C. police chief. “They were overwhelmed, they did not have the resources. You have to be able to protect the Capitol. That is not OK.” The Capitol Police did not answer the phone or email, or put out any statements about the incident. Members of Congress demanded explanations as well. “We must investigate the security breach at the Capitol today,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said on Twitter. “I warned our Caucus and had an hour-long conversation with the Chief of Police 4 days ago. He assured me the terrorists would not be allowed on the plaza &amp; Capitol secured.” Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday night that the Capitol Police appeared understaffed. “It did not seem that they had a clear operational plan to really deal with” thousands of people who descended on the Capitol after Trump’s complaints of a “rigged election,” she said. Ramsey said police officers in riot gear should have been stationed nearby. The officers at the perimeter were easily overwhelmed, with the crowds — some in body armor — jostling them and spraying them with chemical plumes. On the east side of the Capitol, the rioters who broke through the perimeter then confronted a line of officers on the steps, a video shows. Those officers eventually retreated up the stairs, allowing the crowd to follow. Another video shows officers appearing to move the barricades aside and let the protesters in. Protesters scaled walls and scaffolding, hoisted themselves up on a maintenance platform, posed for photos and vandalized office signs. Some experts defended the police, noting that the Capitol Police deals with protests, both inside and outside the building, legal and illegal, on a regular basis, but they are nothing like this. “This isn’t what happens at the U.S. Capitol,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank in Washington. “This is completely unprecedented. This is as close to a 9/11 attack as you can think of, in that no one has ever done this before.” Wexler said legitimate questions would be raised about why more officers were not on hand and why they did not anticipate the threat. But he laid most of the blame on political leaders who legitimize violent groups. “If the president tells his supporters, ‘This is what I want you to do,’ that could be more valuable than a thousand cops,” he said. Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said it was unrealistic to expect the police to quell “people who are hell-bent on destruction.” “They used violence against the police. They attacked the sacred Capitol and the Rotunda and then used tear gas or chemical agents, and physical attacks,” he said. “And what troubles me is the first thought was, well, why wasn’t the law enforcement better prepared?” If the Capitol Police did not anticipate violence, the city did. Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard to supplement the city’s police force and warned counterprotesters and D.C. residents to stay away from planned pro-Trump actions Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday, the city police arrested Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right fraternity that uses street thuggery as political theater. Tarrio, who had two high-capacity firearm magazines, was wanted after bragging online about burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during protests last month. He was released but ordered to stay out of D.C. The Proud Boys have been beating the drum for months for confrontations in support of Trump. In a statement on one of their social media channels after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Proud Boys attempted to justify the violence by saying that they were only copying the tactics of leftist protesters. But Ja’Mal Green, a Chicago-based activist, said there was no comparison between the tactics or the response. “We all know if Black Lives Matter would have stormed the Capitol, there would have been deadly force used to protect that building, especially because it’s a federal building,” he said. “We today saw what it means for white people to have the privilege.”

Capitol breach draws sharp condemnation of law enforcement

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor.

“I thought we’d have to fight our way out,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger in Iraq, who found himself captive in the House chamber.

What unfolded at that point, at times on national television, was a tableau of violence and mayhem that shocked the nation, one of the most severe breaches of the Capitol since the British invaded during the War of 1812 and burned it down.

An armed standoff ensued in the House chamber, with police officers drawing their weapons. A pro-Trump protester casually monkeyed around at the dais of the Senate. Intruders in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite overturned desks and smashed photos. Others ripped artwork in Senate hideaway offices.

“This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said as he and other senators were hustled off to a secure location.

Some of the protesters gawked at the grand and storied building they had unlawfully flooded while others looked at it with contempt.

“I don’t trust any of these people,” said Eric Martin, 49, a woodworker from Charleston, South Carolina, as he marveled at the opulence of the Capitol and helped a friend wash pepper spray from his eyes. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

But if some only stared at the Capitol, others resorted to violence. A woman inside the building was shot and later died, the District of Columbia police said, and multiple officers were injured. Two explosive devices were found around noon near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee, then destroyed by a bomb squad. And the federal authorities arrested a 70-year-old man from Alabama near the Capitol in possession of a firearm and materials to make several Molotov cocktails.

By Wednesday evening, the scene outside the Capitol had calmed, after Capitol Police, supplemented by FBI agents and Homeland Security officers with members of the National Guard on their way, squeezed protesters from every corner of the Capitol to the majestic Rotunda, then persuaded them to leave.

Before that was mayhem. At one point, as lawmakers and staff members were rushing out of a Senate chamber under assault, aides rushed back to grab boxes containing the Electoral College certificates, making sure that the protesters could not literally steal the results of the election.

It began around 1 p.m., when a mass of Trump supporters, some in camouflage and armed with baseball bats or knives, left the National Mall and, encouraged by President Donald Trump, ascended on the Capitol complex. Leaders exhorted the crowd through megaphones, “This is our house” and “Move forward!”

The few police officers standing on the steps of the Capitol were overwhelmed. Their flash-bang grenades only invigorated the protesters. Around 2:30 p.m., an entrance near the west side of the Capitol descended into chaos as a wave of Trump supporters wearing Make America Great Again apparel pressed passed police barricades.

On the east side of the complex, people banged on the glass windows. Crowds charged past the front columns, and some pressed their faces into the glass. Others in camouflage used poles to batter an entrance to the building, breaking it open. The crowd then rushed through, passing through metal detectors as one man blared a Trump speech about the “stolen” election through a speaker.

For about an hour, the Trump loyalists went in and out of at least one entrance of the Capitol with little disruption from the police.

As debate progressed in the House chamber over a Republican protest of Arizona’s Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, few lawmakers knew of the commotion. But Capitol Police officers were quietly locking down the building, instructing everyone in the hallways to shelter in place and preparing reporters for the possibility of doing so in the chamber.

Soon, a nervous energy pulsed through the room. The police began to close the gallery doors, which had remained open to allow for better ventilation as lawmakers streamed in. Congressional leaders were quickly ushered out, as staff aides urged lawmakers in the gallery and on the floor to remain calm.

“This is because of you,” Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., yelled from the gallery at his Republican colleagues.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and a former Pentagon official, was on her way to the House chamber when she heard screaming, breaking glass, and what sounded like a flash bang. She returned to her office, locked the door, offered shelter to a colleague and began working the phones.

One of her first calls was to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to plead for help from the National Guard.

“I said, ‘Mark, I absolutely understand that you are between a rock and a hard place. But we need help here. There are weapons,’” she said.

In the House, just after 2:30 p.m., a police officer stepped on the dais and informed lawmakers that they might need to duck under their chairs.

“We now have individuals that have breached the Capitol building,” he said, warning them to be prepared to relocate to the cloakrooms. “They are in the Rotunda.”

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a veteran, jumped on the armrests&nbsp;of chairs and began directing members to move calmly and quickly from the chamber. Frantic shouting filled the room as lawmakers struggled to unfold the plastic bags that they were instructed to put over their heads in case of tear gas. Police officers and members of the floor staff began yelling for lawmakers to exit.

A wooden chest was pushed in front of the main doors to the chamber. Security officers drew their guns, pointing and shouting at the entrance, as lawmakers, staff aides and reporters cowered in the top levels of the chamber. There was a bang, and everyone was told to get down.

Shortly after 2:45, the evacuation resumed. With the police in the lead, guns drawn, the lawmakers entered a scene of havoc, Crow said. Some police officers scrambled to barricade other doors to block pro-Trump extremists. Others pinned some protesters to the ground to allow the lawmakers to pass.

“We heard yelling through the halls,” said Crow, who said he brought up the rear to ensure all the members made it to safety. As the police led the members down stairwells and into the subterranean maze of tunnels to a secure location, Crow said he called his wife in Colorado, who had been watching the scene on television.

But the mob continued to stream in. A young man in a red baseball hat was helping people through a broken window. Inside, two large wooden desks were on their sides, broken. Two large panels of glass were crushed on the colourful tile floor.

In a surreal scene of chaos and glee, hundreds of Trump loyalists roamed the halls, taking photos and breaking into offices. No police officers were in view. In a room where there were images of mountains and maps of Oregon on the wall, a man in a leather jacket ripped a scroll with Chinese characters. A young man put a framed picture of the Dalai Lama in his backpack.

“We’re claiming the House, and the Senate is ours,” shouted a sweaty man in a checked shirt, shouted, stabbing his finger in the air.

Nearby in the first-floor Crypt, the heart of the Capitol building, the police appeared to be overwhelmed. One wiped tear gas from his eyes.

When a man approached to ask where the bathroom was, he said softly, “We just need you guys to get out of here safely.”

An officer with the U.S. Capitol Police tried to reason with the crowd.

“You guys just need to go outside,” he said to a man in a green backpack. Asked why the police were not forcing the mob out, the officer said, “We just got to let them do their thing for now.”

Another officer stood by a stairway, watching everything unfold and answering a few questions, including directing a woman to the bathroom. One protester came up to him and shouted in his face, “Traitor!” When another man approached to apologize to the officer, the officer replied, “You’re fine.”

“Everybody’s been OK today, except that guy,” he said, motioning to the yeller.

Most of the crowd in the Crypt just milled around. A young man in a red Trump hat smoked a cigarette. Several men shouted and screamed. A man in a backpack with two American flags jumped up and down underneath a chandelier, yelling, “Whose house,” as the crowd answered, “our house.” The sound boomed and reverberated around the tile and marble, as the police looked on.

Around 3:30 p.m., about 25 police officers had entered the Crypt and started asking people to move back. A few minutes later, dozens more, wearing riot gear and some in gas masks, ejected the roughly 150 protesters in the Crypt. But not before one man marched through the halls of Congress with a Confederate flag while another protester raised a Trump flag from the balcony of the Capitol.

Protesters repeatedly exited from the building bearing trophies that they had torn off walls. A few carried “Area Closed” signs that they had snatched and then stormed past. But it was objects stolen from Pelosi’s office were especially popular.

One man emerged from the risers set up on the steps of the Capitol, wielding a piece of a wooden plaque that marked the entrance to Pelosi’s office.

He held it up like a trophy, as hundreds of people on the steps below cheered wildly. “Not our speaker!” shouted one woman. “Get her out!” shouted another man.

Another man, Richard Bigo Barnett, 60, stood outside the Capitol, his shirt ripped open and his chest bared to the cold, bragging about how he had gotten into the speaker’s office. He was brandishing an envelope with the speaker’s letterhead.

“I left a quarter on her desk for it,” he said, adding, “I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk.”

Others turned their vitriol on the police.

“We backed you,” one man shouted at the line of officers outside. “Traitors!”

By 7 p.m., the presence of police officers and federal agents had drastically increased along the National Mall. Officers pushed back against aggressive protesters as they prepared for the possibility of more potential unrest overnight.

At the Capitol, lawmakers prepared to resume their session counting electoral votes that would end the Trump presidency.

“We want to go back,” Crow said. “And finish the business of the people to show that we are a democracy, and that the government is stronger than any mob.”

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor.

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor. “I thought we’d have to fight our way out,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger in Iraq, who found himself captive in the House chamber. What unfolded at that point, at times on national television, was a tableau of violence and mayhem that shocked the nation, one of the most severe breaches of the Capitol since the British invaded during the War of 1812 and burned it down. An armed standoff ensued in the House chamber, with police officers drawing their weapons. A pro-Trump protester casually monkeyed around at the dais of the Senate. Intruders in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite overturned desks and smashed photos. Others ripped artwork in Senate hideaway offices. “This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said as he and other senators were hustled off to a secure location. Some of the protesters gawked at the grand and storied building they had unlawfully flooded while others looked at it with contempt. “I don’t trust any of these people,” said Eric Martin, 49, a woodworker from Charleston, South Carolina, as he marveled at the opulence of the Capitol and helped a friend wash pepper spray from his eyes. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But if some only stared at the Capitol, others resorted to violence. A woman inside the building was shot and later died, the District of Columbia police said, and multiple officers were injured. Two explosive devices were found around noon near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee, then destroyed by a bomb squad. And the federal authorities arrested a 70-year-old man from Alabama near the Capitol in possession of a firearm and materials to make several Molotov cocktails. By Wednesday evening, the scene outside the Capitol had calmed, after Capitol Police, supplemented by FBI agents and Homeland Security officers with members of the National Guard on their way, squeezed protesters from every corner of the Capitol to the majestic Rotunda, then persuaded them to leave. Before that was mayhem. At one point, as lawmakers and staff members were rushing out of a Senate chamber under assault, aides rushed back to grab boxes containing the Electoral College certificates, making sure that the protesters could not literally steal the results of the election. It began around 1 p.m., when a mass of Trump supporters, some in camouflage and armed with baseball bats or knives, left the National Mall and, encouraged by President Donald Trump, ascended on the Capitol complex. Leaders exhorted the crowd through megaphones, “This is our house” and “Move forward!” The few police officers standing on the steps of the Capitol were overwhelmed. Their flash-bang grenades only invigorated the protesters. Around 2:30 p.m., an entrance near the west side of the Capitol descended into chaos as a wave of Trump supporters wearing Make America Great Again apparel pressed passed police barricades. On the east side of the complex, people banged on the glass windows. Crowds charged past the front columns, and some pressed their faces into the glass. Others in camouflage used poles to batter an entrance to the building, breaking it open. The crowd then rushed through, passing through metal detectors as one man blared a Trump speech about the “stolen” election through a speaker. For about an hour, the Trump loyalists went in and out of at least one entrance of the Capitol with little disruption from the police. As debate progressed in the House chamber over a Republican protest of Arizona’s Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, few lawmakers knew of the commotion. But Capitol Police officers were quietly locking down the building, instructing everyone in the hallways to shelter in place and preparing reporters for the possibility of doing so in the chamber. Soon, a nervous energy pulsed through the room. The police began to close the gallery doors, which had remained open to allow for better ventilation as lawmakers streamed in. Congressional leaders were quickly ushered out, as staff aides urged lawmakers in the gallery and on the floor to remain calm. “This is because of you,” Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., yelled from the gallery at his Republican colleagues. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and a former Pentagon official, was on her way to the House chamber when she heard screaming, breaking glass, and what sounded like a flash bang. She returned to her office, locked the door, offered shelter to a colleague and began working the phones. One of her first calls was to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to plead for help from the National Guard. “I said, ‘Mark, I absolutely understand that you are between a rock and a hard place. But we need help here. There are weapons,’” she said. In the House, just after 2:30 p.m., a police officer stepped on the dais and informed lawmakers that they might need to duck under their chairs. “We now have individuals that have breached the Capitol building,” he said, warning them to be prepared to relocate to the cloakrooms. “They are in the Rotunda.” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a veteran, jumped on the armrests of chairs and began directing members to move calmly and quickly from the chamber. Frantic shouting filled the room as lawmakers struggled to unfold the plastic bags that they were instructed to put over their heads in case of tear gas. Police officers and members of the floor staff began yelling for lawmakers to exit. A wooden chest was pushed in front of the main doors to the chamber. Security officers drew their guns, pointing and shouting at the entrance, as lawmakers, staff aides and reporters cowered in the top levels of the chamber. There was a bang, and everyone was told to get down. Shortly after 2:45, the evacuation resumed. With the police in the lead, guns drawn, the lawmakers entered a scene of havoc, Crow said. Some police officers scrambled to barricade other doors to block pro-Trump extremists. Others pinned some protesters to the ground to allow the lawmakers to pass. “We heard yelling through the halls,” said Crow, who said he brought up the rear to ensure all the members made it to safety. As the police led the members down stairwells and into the subterranean maze of tunnels to a secure location, Crow said he called his wife in Colorado, who had been watching the scene on television. But the mob continued to stream in. A young man in a red baseball hat was helping people through a broken window. Inside, two large wooden desks were on their sides, broken. Two large panels of glass were crushed on the colourful tile floor. In a surreal scene of chaos and glee, hundreds of Trump loyalists roamed the halls, taking photos and breaking into offices. No police officers were in view. In a room where there were images of mountains and maps of Oregon on the wall, a man in a leather jacket ripped a scroll with Chinese characters. A young man put a framed picture of the Dalai Lama in his backpack. “We’re claiming the House, and the Senate is ours,” shouted a sweaty man in a checked shirt, shouted, stabbing his finger in the air. Nearby in the first-floor Crypt, the heart of the Capitol building, the police appeared to be overwhelmed. One wiped tear gas from his eyes. When a man approached to ask where the bathroom was, he said softly, “We just need you guys to get out of here safely.” An officer with the U.S. Capitol Police tried to reason with the crowd. “You guys just need to go outside,” he said to a man in a green backpack. Asked why the police were not forcing the mob out, the officer said, “We just got to let them do their thing for now.” Another officer stood by a stairway, watching everything unfold and answering a few questions, including directing a woman to the bathroom. One protester came up to him and shouted in his face, “Traitor!” When another man approached to apologize to the officer, the officer replied, “You’re fine.” “Everybody’s been OK today, except that guy,” he said, motioning to the yeller. Most of the crowd in the Crypt just milled around. A young man in a red Trump hat smoked a cigarette. Several men shouted and screamed. A man in a backpack with two American flags jumped up and down underneath a chandelier, yelling, “Whose house,” as the crowd answered, “our house.” The sound boomed and reverberated around the tile and marble, as the police looked on. Around 3:30 p.m., about 25 police officers had entered the Crypt and started asking people to move back. A few minutes later, dozens more, wearing riot gear and some in gas masks, ejected the roughly 150 protesters in the Crypt. But not before one man marched through the halls of Congress with a Confederate flag while another protester raised a Trump flag from the balcony of the Capitol. Protesters repeatedly exited from the building bearing trophies that they had torn off walls. A few carried “Area Closed” signs that they had snatched and then stormed past. But it was objects stolen from Pelosi’s office were especially popular. One man emerged from the risers set up on the steps of the Capitol, wielding a piece of a wooden plaque that marked the entrance to Pelosi’s office. He held it up like a trophy, as hundreds of people on the steps below cheered wildly. “Not our speaker!” shouted one woman. “Get her out!” shouted another man. Another man, Richard Bigo Barnett, 60, stood outside the Capitol, his shirt ripped open and his chest bared to the cold, bragging about how he had gotten into the speaker’s office. He was brandishing an envelope with the speaker’s letterhead. “I left a quarter on her desk for it,” he said, adding, “I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk.” Others turned their vitriol on the police. “We backed you,” one man shouted at the line of officers outside. “Traitors!” By 7 p.m., the presence of police officers and federal agents had drastically increased along the National Mall. Officers pushed back against aggressive protesters as they prepared for the possibility of more potential unrest overnight. At the Capitol, lawmakers prepared to resume their session counting electoral votes that would end the Trump presidency. “We want to go back,” Crow said. “And finish the business of the people to show that we are a democracy, and that the government is stronger than any mob.”

As House was breached, a fear ‘we’d have to fight’ to get out

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is close to surpassing Amazon.com Inc's billionaire Chief Executive&nbsp;Jeff&nbsp;Bezos as the world's richest person.

Electric carmaker Tesla closed trading on Wednesday with a market value topping $700 billion for the first time.&nbsp;Tesla's share price ended with a gain of 2.8 per cent to $755.98 for a total value of whopping $717 billion.

The boost in the market value of Tesla enabled Musk to be within a range of $3 million of Bezos who currently occupied the top spot of Bloomberg's Billionaire's Index.

An over 670 per cent&nbsp;jump in Tesla shares this year has boosted Musk's net worth from $27 billion to $155 billion, just behind Amazon.com Inc's&nbsp;Jeff&nbsp;Bezos, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

After shares rocketed higher in 2020 on surging auto deliveries, Tesla enters 2021 with plenty of momentum even as its vision of taking electric cars mainstream remains a way off.

The auto industry disruptor led by&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;wowed Wall Street yet again over the weekend, reporting annual car deliveries of 499,550, just shy of its 2020 target of half a million, but well above analyst estimates.

The disclosure capped a year that saw Tesla report a series of profitable quarters and join the S&amp;P 500, establishing the company as one of the world's most valuable businesses and elevating&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;to the second-wealthiest person behind Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Aerospace companies such as Musk's SpaceX and&nbsp;Bezos' Blue Origin are aiming to become the first private firm to launch a human into space.

Super-rich businesspeople including Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk and Amazon.com Inc founder&nbsp;Jeff&nbsp;Bezos&nbsp;who want to colonise space to support human life are pouring cash into cutting-edge private spacecraft.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is close to surpassing Amazon.com Inc's billionaire Chief Executive Jeff Bezos as the world's richest person. Electric carmaker Tesla closed trading on Wednesday with a market value topping $700 billion for the first time.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is close to surpassing Amazon.com Inc's billionaire Chief Executive Jeff Bezos as the world's richest person. Electric carmaker Tesla closed trading on Wednesday with a market value topping $700 billion for the first time. Tesla's share price ended with a gain of 2.8 per cent to $755.98 for a total value of whopping $717 billion. The boost in the market value of Tesla enabled Musk to be within a range of $3 million of Bezos who currently occupied the top spot of Bloomberg's Billionaire's Index. An over 670 per cent jump in Tesla shares this year has boosted Musk's net worth from $27 billion to $155 billion, just behind Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. After shares rocketed higher in 2020 on surging auto deliveries, Tesla enters 2021 with plenty of momentum even as its vision of taking electric cars mainstream remains a way off. The auto industry disruptor led by Elon Musk wowed Wall Street yet again over the weekend, reporting annual car deliveries of 499,550, just shy of its 2020 target of half a million, but well above analyst estimates. The disclosure capped a year that saw Tesla report a series of profitable quarters and join the S&P 500, establishing the company as one of the world's most valuable businesses and elevating Musk to the second-wealthiest person behind Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Aerospace companies such as Musk's SpaceX and Bezos' Blue Origin are aiming to become the first private firm to launch a human into space. Super-rich businesspeople including Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk and Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos who want to colonise space to support human life are pouring cash into cutting-edge private spacecraft.

Elon Musk is close to surpassing Jeff Bezos as world's richest person

Teachers and protesters at Istanbul's Bogazici University are protesting&nbsp;against what they claim is the politically motivated appointment of a rector at a top Turkish university by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Hundreds of students and about two dozen faculty members say the appointment of Melih Bulu at the leading Turkish school was undemocratic. Such demonstrations are rare and little tolerated in&nbsp;Turkey, especially since a failed coup in 2016.

Students clashed with police on Monday at the entrance to the university and officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Police on Tuesday raided 24 homes and detained 17 people including two Bogazici students, the Istanbul governor's office said.

Faculty members gathered on campus later on Tuesday during the swearing-in of Bulu, who has a doctorate in business management and turned their backs on the rector's building.

They said in a statement Bulu was the first rector appointed from outside a university since a 1980 military coup and part of increasing anti-democratic practices since 2016 when the failed coup prompted Erdogan's government to launch a crackdown against perceived opponents.

Erdogan assumed the power to directly appoint university rectors after surviving a failed 2016 coup, and it is not the first time his choice for Bogazici has caused controversy.

When Professor Mehmed Ozkan was appointed as rector in November 2016, there were tensions and upset from students and academics.

Rectors for&nbsp;Turkey's universities were appointed through elections before July 2016.

In an interview on Haberturk TV, Bulu said he would not resign because his appointment met global standards, and that police stopped non-students from entering campus.

"Bogazici students can protest wherever and however they want," he said.

Bulu added he joined Erdogan's ruling AK Party when it was founded about two decades ago and later applied to run for a parliamentary election.

Several hundred police officers and a handful of trucks with water cannons were sent to the school on Tuesday.

More than a hundred students gathered on campus for a second day and chanted: "Melih Bulu is not our rector" and "Students and teachers are in solidarity".

Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli criticised the slogans.

Created in 1863, the university was originally known as Robert College and was the first American university founded outside the United States.

It was renamed when the university was handed to&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;in 1971. The name reflects the campus location overlooking the Bosphorus river,&nbsp;"Bogazici" in Turkish.

"We cannot accept or remain silent to our police being called murderers," he said, adding some of those detained had links to an outlawed leftist organisation.

Authorities have arrested thousands of academics, lawyers, journalists, civil servants and military members as part of the post-2016 crackdown, which the government says was necessary given threats to the country.

Critics say Erdogan has used the coup attempt as a pretext to quash dissent.

Teachers and protesters at Istanbul's Bogazici University are protesting against what they claim is the politically motivated appointment of a rector at a top Turkish university by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Teachers and protesters at Istanbul's Bogazici University are protesting against what they claim is the politically motivated appointment of a rector at a top Turkish university by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hundreds of students and about two dozen faculty members say the appointment of Melih Bulu at the leading Turkish school was undemocratic. Such demonstrations are rare and little tolerated in Turkey, especially since a failed coup in 2016. Students clashed with police on Monday at the entrance to the university and officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Police on Tuesday raided 24 homes and detained 17 people including two Bogazici students, the Istanbul governor's office said. Faculty members gathered on campus later on Tuesday during the swearing-in of Bulu, who has a doctorate in business management and turned their backs on the rector's building. They said in a statement Bulu was the first rector appointed from outside a university since a 1980 military coup and part of increasing anti-democratic practices since 2016 when the failed coup prompted Erdogan's government to launch a crackdown against perceived opponents. Erdogan assumed the power to directly appoint university rectors after surviving a failed 2016 coup, and it is not the first time his choice for Bogazici has caused controversy. When Professor Mehmed Ozkan was appointed as rector in November 2016, there were tensions and upset from students and academics. Rectors for Turkey's universities were appointed through elections before July 2016. In an interview on Haberturk TV, Bulu said he would not resign because his appointment met global standards, and that police stopped non-students from entering campus. "Bogazici students can protest wherever and however they want," he said. Bulu added he joined Erdogan's ruling AK Party when it was founded about two decades ago and later applied to run for a parliamentary election. Several hundred police officers and a handful of trucks with water cannons were sent to the school on Tuesday. More than a hundred students gathered on campus for a second day and chanted: "Melih Bulu is not our rector" and "Students and teachers are in solidarity". Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli criticised the slogans. Created in 1863, the university was originally known as Robert College and was the first American university founded outside the United States. It was renamed when the university was handed to Turkey in 1971. The name reflects the campus location overlooking the Bosphorus river, "Bogazici" in Turkish. "We cannot accept or remain silent to our police being called murderers," he said, adding some of those detained had links to an outlawed leftist organisation. Authorities have arrested thousands of academics, lawyers, journalists, civil servants and military members as part of the post-2016 crackdown, which the government says was necessary given threats to the country. Critics say Erdogan has used the coup attempt as a pretext to quash dissent.

Turkey: Teachers protest against Erdogan-appointed university rector

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date.

Called GN-z11, the galaxy is&nbsp;13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometers away from us.

The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo.

Kashikawa said&nbsp;“From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light years, or 134 nonillion kilometers (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.”

“We looked at ultraviolet light specifically, as that is the area of the electromagnetic spectrum we expected to find the redshifted chemical signatures,” said Kashikawa. “The Hubble Space Telescope detected the signature multiple times in the spectrum of GN-z11. However, even the Hubble cannot resolve ultraviolet emission lines to the degree we needed. So we turned to a more up-to-date ground-based spectrograph, an instrument to measure emission lines, called MOSFIRE, which is mounted to the Keck I telescope in Hawaii.”

The MOSFIRE captured the emission lines from GN-z11 in detail, which allowed the team to make a much better estimation on its distance than was possible from previous data.

As per&nbsp;the most widely accepted cosmological models, the Universe began with a Bang&nbsp;Bang almost 13.8 billion years ago. The Cosmic Dark Ages began 370 thousand years after this and continued for another 1 billion years.

At this time, the only light sources were the photons released before&nbsp; Cosmic Microwave Background or those released by neutral nitrogen atoms. The shifting of light of the photons due to&nbsp;the expansion of the Universe is called the redshift where the wavelength of light is elongated.

MOSFIRE discovered that that&nbsp;GN-z11's levels of redshift indicates that it existed 400 million years after the Bang Bang.

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date. Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date. Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometers away from us. The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo. Kashikawa said “From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light years, or 134 nonillion kilometers (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.” “We looked at ultraviolet light specifically, as that is the area of the electromagnetic spectrum we expected to find the redshifted chemical signatures,” said Kashikawa. “The Hubble Space Telescope detected the signature multiple times in the spectrum of GN-z11. However, even the Hubble cannot resolve ultraviolet emission lines to the degree we needed. So we turned to a more up-to-date ground-based spectrograph, an instrument to measure emission lines, called MOSFIRE, which is mounted to the Keck I telescope in Hawaii.” The MOSFIRE captured the emission lines from GN-z11 in detail, which allowed the team to make a much better estimation on its distance than was possible from previous data. As per the most widely accepted cosmological models, the Universe began with a Bang Bang almost 13.8 billion years ago. The Cosmic Dark Ages began 370 thousand years after this and continued for another 1 billion years. At this time, the only light sources were the photons released before Cosmic Microwave Background or those released by neutral nitrogen atoms. The shifting of light of the photons due to the expansion of the Universe is called the redshift where the wavelength of light is elongated. MOSFIRE discovered that that GN-z11's levels of redshift indicates that it existed 400 million years after the Bang Bang.

Scientists discover the oldest, most distant galaxy till date

Nepal's top court on Wednesday will begin hearings on petitions challenging Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's sudden decision to dissolve the parliament, a move that has triggered public outrage and has been labelled unconstitutional.

In their plea before the Supreme Court, politicians, activists and lawyers are questioning whether it is the legitimate right of the leader to dissolve the parliament, 18 months before schedule.

The Oli, 68, cited internal squabbling within his ruling Communist party and lack of political unity as reasons behind his December&nbsp;20 decision.

His colleagues and opposition political parties have blamed Oli for derailing a stable government amid a pandemic that has triggered an economic downturn.

Seven ministers have quit Oli's government to oppose his move and protesters last month burnt effigies of him.

"The constitution duly defines and delimits the power of the prime minister," said Dinesh Tripathi, an independent petitioner.

"It does not give Oli the prerogative to cause an untimely death to parliament at his will," he said.

The five-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, will hear at least 13 petitions questioning the rights of the prime minister.

Officials working with Oli said his move was in line with the constitution.

"We are fully prepared to face the challenge in the court," said Rajan Bhattarai, an aide to Oli.

If the court upholds Oli's move, Nepal will hold elections this summer. If not, parliament will be reinstated.

"If the verdict is in favour of the dissolution, there will be elections for a new parliament but we risk that in the near future, governments may not complete a full five-year term, as the prime minister could dissolve it anytime," said constitutional lawyer Bhimarjun Acharya.

"The country has been trapped into a tunnel of instability, as the dissolution was a blunder," Acharya added.

Nepal's top court on Wednesday will begin hearings on petitions challenging Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's sudden decision to dissolve the parliament, a move that has triggered public outrage and has been labelled unconstitutional.

Nepal's top court on Wednesday will begin hearings on petitions challenging Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's sudden decision to dissolve the parliament, a move that has triggered public outrage and has been labelled unconstitutional. In their plea before the Supreme Court, politicians, activists and lawyers are questioning whether it is the legitimate right of the leader to dissolve the parliament, 18 months before schedule. The Oli, 68, cited internal squabbling within his ruling Communist party and lack of political unity as reasons behind his December 20 decision. His colleagues and opposition political parties have blamed Oli for derailing a stable government amid a pandemic that has triggered an economic downturn. Seven ministers have quit Oli's government to oppose his move and protesters last month burnt effigies of him. "The constitution duly defines and delimits the power of the prime minister," said Dinesh Tripathi, an independent petitioner. "It does not give Oli the prerogative to cause an untimely death to parliament at his will," he said. The five-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, will hear at least 13 petitions questioning the rights of the prime minister. Officials working with Oli said his move was in line with the constitution. "We are fully prepared to face the challenge in the court," said Rajan Bhattarai, an aide to Oli. If the court upholds Oli's move, Nepal will hold elections this summer. If not, parliament will be reinstated. "If the verdict is in favour of the dissolution, there will be elections for a new parliament but we risk that in the near future, governments may not complete a full five-year term, as the prime minister could dissolve it anytime," said constitutional lawyer Bhimarjun Acharya. "The country has been trapped into a tunnel of instability, as the dissolution was a blunder," Acharya added.

Nepal's top court to begin hearing on dissolution of parliament amid political flux

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro&nbsp;on Wednesday that his country is ''broke'' and he ''can't do anything about it'',&nbsp;attributing the crisis to "the press-fueled" coronavirus.

The subsidies which have kept millions of Brazilians from destitution ended as the pandemic, which has killed almost 200,000 people in the country, only worsens.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-world-scampers-for-vaccine-bolsonaro-working-in-two-modes-denial-and-bizarre-351478">As world scampers for vaccine, Bolsonaro working in two modes: denial and bizarre</a>

Pressed by supporters outside the presidential palace on Tuesday asking for economic relief, Bolsonaro scowled.

"Brazil is broke, boss, I cannot do anything," the former army officer said, responding to one of the supporters who greeted him in front of his official residence in the capital Brasilia.

"I wanted to modify the tax reduction table, but there was that press-fueled virus that we have there, that press without any character," Bolsonaro said.

The reform he was referring to was a campaign promise for a raise in the level of tax-exempt income. Bolsonaro attributes the country's economic collapse to lockdown measures pushed by state governors to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolsonaro&nbsp;has been widely criticised for dismissing the dangers of the coronavirus and is now facing questions over delays to Brazil’s vaccine rollout.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-under-fire-over-brazils-troubled-vaccine-roll-out-350890">Bolsonaro under fire over Brazil's troubled vaccine roll-out</a>

Nearly 200,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19, yet a national immunisation program is still at least three weeks away, even as inoculations have already begun in regional peers Chile, Mexico and Argentina.

Despite his country's soaring death toll, Bolsonaro saw his popularity rise thanks to emergency aid paid out for nine months to 68 million Brazilians, almost a third of the population.

But those payments ended this month under pressure from markets worried about the country's high deficit and debt.

Marcelo Neri, director of the Center for Social Policies of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), warned Brazil may be "on the edge of a social abyss."

"No matter how strong the president's words are, I see them as a rhetorical argument to politically prepare for cuts in emergency spending and trying to balance public spending," said Andre Perfeito, of investment group Necton.

"The situation is serious," said Perfeito, who noted that "the central problem is not the lack of money, but the lack of a clear plan" in a country that still does not have a start date for vaccinations against Covid-19.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the number of new infections and deaths continued to climb.

In the last 24 hours, the South American giant logged 1,171 deaths and almost 60,000 new cases, numbers that should skyrocket in the coming weeks due to the massive celebrations that took place over the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to health officials.

Brazil’s economy is likely to grow 3 per cent&nbsp;in 2021 and less next year, the World Bank said on Tuesday, as stimulus fades and the country struggles to recover output lost in the pandemic.

The World Bank’s forecast for Brazil’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) is 0.8 percentage point higher than its June estimate, but not enough to offset a likely 4.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;drop in 2020 amid the world’s worst COVID-19 death toll outside the United States.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday that his country is ''broke'' and he ''can't do anything about it'', attributing the crisis to "the press-fueled" coronavirus.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday that his country is ''broke'' and he ''can't do anything about it'', attributing the crisis to "the press-fueled" coronavirus. The subsidies which have kept millions of Brazilians from destitution ended as the pandemic, which has killed almost 200,000 people in the country, only worsens. Also read: As world scampers for vaccine, Bolsonaro working in two modes: denial and bizarre Pressed by supporters outside the presidential palace on Tuesday asking for economic relief, Bolsonaro scowled. "Brazil is broke, boss, I cannot do anything," the former army officer said, responding to one of the supporters who greeted him in front of his official residence in the capital Brasilia. "I wanted to modify the tax reduction table, but there was that press-fueled virus that we have there, that press without any character," Bolsonaro said. The reform he was referring to was a campaign promise for a raise in the level of tax-exempt income. Bolsonaro attributes the country's economic collapse to lockdown measures pushed by state governors to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Bolsonaro has been widely criticised for dismissing the dangers of the coronavirus and is now facing questions over delays to Brazil’s vaccine rollout. Also read: Bolsonaro under fire over Brazil's troubled vaccine roll-out Nearly 200,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19, yet a national immunisation program is still at least three weeks away, even as inoculations have already begun in regional peers Chile, Mexico and Argentina. Despite his country's soaring death toll, Bolsonaro saw his popularity rise thanks to emergency aid paid out for nine months to 68 million Brazilians, almost a third of the population. But those payments ended this month under pressure from markets worried about the country's high deficit and debt. Marcelo Neri, director of the Center for Social Policies of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), warned Brazil may be "on the edge of a social abyss." "No matter how strong the president's words are, I see them as a rhetorical argument to politically prepare for cuts in emergency spending and trying to balance public spending," said Andre Perfeito, of investment group Necton. "The situation is serious," said Perfeito, who noted that "the central problem is not the lack of money, but the lack of a clear plan" in a country that still does not have a start date for vaccinations against Covid-19. Meanwhile, the number of new infections and deaths continued to climb. In the last 24 hours, the South American giant logged 1,171 deaths and almost 60,000 new cases, numbers that should skyrocket in the coming weeks due to the massive celebrations that took place over the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to health officials. Brazil’s economy is likely to grow 3 per cent in 2021 and less next year, the World Bank said on Tuesday, as stimulus fades and the country struggles to recover output lost in the pandemic. The World Bank’s forecast for Brazil’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) is 0.8 percentage point higher than its June estimate, but not enough to offset a likely 4.5 per cent drop in 2020 amid the world’s worst COVID-19 death toll outside the United States.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says his country is 'broke' and he 'can't do anything'

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday&nbsp;after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration.

The runoffs for two Senate seats follow the November 3 election that saw Democrat Biden narrowly win Georgia and defeat President Donald Trump in their bitter White House race.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-will-fight-like-hell-to-hold-on-to-presidency-donald-trump-354509" hreflang="en">I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump</a>

After polls closed at 7:00 pm (0000 GMT Wednesday) in the southern state, US news outlets reported the races were too close to call, with Georgia officials saying results may not be known until Wednesday or later.

Georgia's unusual runoff for two Senate seats pits Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against incumbent Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue respectively.

As polls closed Tuesday evening, preliminary results showed Warnock and Ossoff had jumped to narrow early leads.

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Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and Warnock, a pastor at a historic Black church in Atlanta, are challenging Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

With about 49 per cent&nbsp;of the estimated vote counted, Warnock led Loeffler by 6.8 percentage points, while Ossoff was ahead of Perdue by 6.4 percentage points, according to Edison Research. The early results still heavily reflect Democratic-leaning areas.

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Looks like they are setting up a big “voter dump” against the Republican candidates. Waiting to see how many votes they need?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346659909492998146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The races appeared headed to a close finish, with an Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters finding half had voted for Republican President Donald Trump in November and a half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate.

The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday.

Democrats must win both contests in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January&nbsp;20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

If Republicans hold onto the Senate, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden's political and judicial appointees as well as many of his policy initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice.

The state already had relatively complete results for 27 counties in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;with about 197,000 total votes. Ossoff has done about 0.2 percentage point better than Biden did in those counties, while Warnock is doing about 0.8 percentage point better than Biden did.

The outcome may remain in doubt for days if the margins are razor-thin.

Both Biden and Trump campaigned in the state on Monday, underscoring the stakes.

No Democrat has won a US&nbsp;Senate race in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;in 20 years, but opinion surveys show both races as exceedingly close. The head-to-head runoff elections, a quirk of state law, became necessary when no candidate in either race exceeded 50 per cent&nbsp;of the vote in November.

Biden's narrow statewide win in the November&nbsp;3 election,&nbsp;the first for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, has given the party reason for optimism in a state dominated by Republicans for decades.

More than 3 million&nbsp;Georgians voted early by mail or in person, shattering the record for runoff elections even before Election Day arrived. The two races drew nearly half a billion dollars in advertising spending since November&nbsp;3, a staggering total that fueled a tsunami of television commercials.

(With input from agencies)

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration.

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration. The runoffs for two Senate seats follow the November 3 election that saw Democrat Biden narrowly win Georgia and defeat President Donald Trump in their bitter White House race. Also read: I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump After polls closed at 7:00 pm (0000 GMT Wednesday) in the southern state, US news outlets reported the races were too close to call, with Georgia officials saying results may not be known until Wednesday or later. Georgia's unusual runoff for two Senate seats pits Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against incumbent Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue respectively. As polls closed Tuesday evening, preliminary results showed Warnock and Ossoff had jumped to narrow early leads. Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and Warnock, a pastor at a historic Black church in Atlanta, are challenging Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. With about 49 per cent of the estimated vote counted, Warnock led Loeffler by 6.8 percentage points, while Ossoff was ahead of Perdue by 6.4 percentage points, according to Edison Research. The early results still heavily reflect Democratic-leaning areas. Looks like they are setting up a big “voter dump” against the Republican candidates. Waiting to see how many votes they need? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021 × The races appeared headed to a close finish, with an Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters finding half had voted for Republican President Donald Trump in November and a half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate. The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday. Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. If Republicans hold onto the Senate, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden's political and judicial appointees as well as many of his policy initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice. The state already had relatively complete results for 27 counties in Georgia with about 197,000 total votes. Ossoff has done about 0.2 percentage point better than Biden did in those counties, while Warnock is doing about 0.8 percentage point better than Biden did. The outcome may remain in doubt for days if the margins are razor-thin. Both Biden and Trump campaigned in the state on Monday, underscoring the stakes. No Democrat has won a US Senate race in Georgia in 20 years, but opinion surveys show both races as exceedingly close. The head-to-head runoff elections, a quirk of state law, became necessary when no candidate in either race exceeded 50 per cent of the vote in November. Biden's narrow statewide win in the November 3 election, the first for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, has given the party reason for optimism in a state dominated by Republicans for decades. More than 3 million Georgians voted early by mail or in person, shattering the record for runoff elections even before Election Day arrived. The two races drew nearly half a billion dollars in advertising spending since November 3, a staggering total that fueled a tsunami of television commercials. (With input from agencies)

Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call

Norway is investigating the death of two nursing home residents who died after receiving doses of the&nbsp;Pfizer&nbsp;and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

It comes after a&nbsp;paediatric surgery assistant in Porto was found dead two days after receiving jabs of Pfizer's&nbsp;vaccine.

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Medical Director of Norwegian Medicines Agency Steiner Madsen said in a statement ''We have to assess whether the vaccine is the cause of death, or if it is a coincidence that it happened soon after vaccination.''

The agency along with Norway's National Institute of Public Health are looking into cause the deaths.

Madsen also added that as people of advanced age are receiving&nbsp;the coronavirus vaccine first it is entirely possible that the deaths could be coincidental.

Pfizer Inc's CEO Albert Bourla had&nbsp;said in an interview that the company&nbsp;is "not certain" if those who receive its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a>&nbsp;will be able to transmit the coronavirus to others.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-ceo-not-certain-if-coronavirus-vaccine-will-prevent-transmission-347495">Pfizer CEO 'not certain' if coronavirus vaccine will prevent transmission</a>

After Pfizer's claim that the COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 per cent&nbsp;effective based on initial trial results, a few volunteers said that they suffered side effects comparable to a flu jab, with one comparing them to "a severe hangover".

&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;will impose fresh restrictions to prevent a resurgence in the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Sunday, including a nationwide ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and bars and not inviting guests home.

The Nordic country has seen a rise in cases over the past month and now estimates its R number - which represents the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to - stands at 1.3.

All travel for private purposes, be it foreign or domestic, is now discouraged.&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;had already some of the toughest travel restrictions in Europe, requiring non-residents to have proof they are COVID-19 negative before entering the country.

On Thursday, Oslo imposed mandatory COVID-19 tests for all people entering&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;from abroad, either upon arrival or within 24 hours, to stop the spread of the coronavirus variant detected first in Britain.

Small border crossings have been shut as they do not have capacity to have COVID-19 test centres and more military personnel will man the border with Finland in the Arctic.

Norway's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was at 113.6 in the week Dec. 21-27, the fourth lowest in Europe behind Iceland, Greece and Finland, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

Norway is investigating the death of two nursing home residents who died after receiving doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. It comes after a paediatric surgery assistant in Porto was found dead two days after receiving jabs of Pfizer's vaccine.

Norway is investigating the death of two nursing home residents who died after receiving doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. It comes after a paediatric surgery assistant in Porto was found dead two days after receiving jabs of Pfizer's vaccine. Medical Director of Norwegian Medicines Agency Steiner Madsen said in a statement ''We have to assess whether the vaccine is the cause of death, or if it is a coincidence that it happened soon after vaccination.'' The agency along with Norway's National Institute of Public Health are looking into cause the deaths. Madsen also added that as people of advanced age are receiving the coronavirus vaccine first it is entirely possible that the deaths could be coincidental. Pfizer Inc's CEO Albert Bourla had said in an interview that the company is "not certain" if those who receive its vaccine will be able to transmit the coronavirus to others. Also read: Pfizer CEO 'not certain' if coronavirus vaccine will prevent transmission After Pfizer's claim that the COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 per cent effective based on initial trial results, a few volunteers said that they suffered side effects comparable to a flu jab, with one comparing them to "a severe hangover". Norway will impose fresh restrictions to prevent a resurgence in the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Sunday, including a nationwide ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and bars and not inviting guests home. The Nordic country has seen a rise in cases over the past month and now estimates its R number - which represents the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to - stands at 1.3. All travel for private purposes, be it foreign or domestic, is now discouraged. Norway had already some of the toughest travel restrictions in Europe, requiring non-residents to have proof they are COVID-19 negative before entering the country. On Thursday, Oslo imposed mandatory COVID-19 tests for all people entering Norway from abroad, either upon arrival or within 24 hours, to stop the spread of the coronavirus variant detected first in Britain. Small border crossings have been shut as they do not have capacity to have COVID-19 test centres and more military personnel will man the border with Finland in the Arctic. Norway's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was at 113.6 in the week Dec. 21-27, the fourth lowest in Europe behind Iceland, Greece and Finland, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

Norway investigating death of two people who received Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine

January 06 in history: Britain announces recognition of the People's Republic of China and more

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un admitted on Wednesday&nbsp;that the country's economic plan had failed to meet its goals in a rare congress of the ruling Workers' Party.

The gathering is the first of its kind in five years, only the eighth in the nuclear-armed country's history, and comes weeks before US President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

In his opening speech, Kim said the country had achieved a "miraculous victory" by bolstering its power and global prestige since the last meeting, referring to military advances that culminated in successful tests in 2017 of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US&nbsp;mainland.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-deliberately-faked-his-death-to-expose-traitors-in-his-circle-report-296811">Kim Jong-un deliberately faked his death to expose traitors in his circle: Report</a>

Relations with Washington have been deadlocked since talks between Kim and President Donald Trump stalled over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

At the same time, the North is more isolated than ever after closing its borders last January to protect itself against the coronavirus that first emerged in neighbour and key ally China.

"The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) opened in Pyongyang," the official Korean Central&nbsp;News&nbsp;Agency&nbsp;(KCNA) said.

On the first day of his work review, Kim said the results of the last five-year economic development strategy "fell extremely short of our goals in almost all areas", KCNA reported.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-months-of-claiming-to-have-no-cases-north-korea-requests-covid-vaccine-354496">After months of claiming to have no&nbsp;cases, North Korea requests Covid vaccine</a>

On the global pandemic, Kim lauded party workers for ensuring "stable situations against the coronavirus from beginning to end."

They had "resolutely overcome difficulties in the face of an unprecedentedly prolonged, unparalleled global health crisis," he added.

The coronavirus pandemic has added to the pressures on the North, with Pyongyang blockading itself far more effectively than even the most hawkish backer of sanctions could ever hope to achieve.

North Korea has not officially confirmed any coronavirus cases, although it reported thousands of "suspected cases" to the World Health Organization.

South Korean authorities have said an outbreak in the North cannot be ruled out as it had active trade and people movement with China before closing its border last January.

The congress, the country's eighth and the second under Kim, was attended by 4,750 delegates and 2,000 spectators, Kim said.

In KCNA images, no one was seen wearing masks and participants did not sit apart, unlike at some other recent public events.

Kim was accompanied by top aides, including his sister and senior party official Kim Yo Jong, nominal head of state Choe Ryong Hae and Premier Kim Tok Hun.

The meeting will last some days, during which Kim is also expected to announce leadership changes - potentially involving his sister - and discuss other organisational, budget and audit issues.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un admitted on Wednesday that the country's economic plan had failed to meet its goals in a rare congress of the ruling Workers' Party.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un admitted on Wednesday that the country's economic plan had failed to meet its goals in a rare congress of the ruling Workers' Party. The gathering is the first of its kind in five years, only the eighth in the nuclear-armed country's history, and comes weeks before US President-elect Joe Biden takes office. In his opening speech, Kim said the country had achieved a "miraculous victory" by bolstering its power and global prestige since the last meeting, referring to military advances that culminated in successful tests in 2017 of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US mainland. Also read: Kim Jong-un deliberately faked his death to expose traitors in his circle: Report Relations with Washington have been deadlocked since talks between Kim and President Donald Trump stalled over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return. At the same time, the North is more isolated than ever after closing its borders last January to protect itself against the coronavirus that first emerged in neighbour and key ally China. "The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) opened in Pyongyang," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. On the first day of his work review, Kim said the results of the last five-year economic development strategy "fell extremely short of our goals in almost all areas", KCNA reported. Also read: After months of claiming to have no cases, North Korea requests Covid vaccine On the global pandemic, Kim lauded party workers for ensuring "stable situations against the coronavirus from beginning to end." They had "resolutely overcome difficulties in the face of an unprecedentedly prolonged, unparalleled global health crisis," he added. The coronavirus pandemic has added to the pressures on the North, with Pyongyang blockading itself far more effectively than even the most hawkish backer of sanctions could ever hope to achieve. North Korea has not officially confirmed any coronavirus cases, although it reported thousands of "suspected cases" to the World Health Organization. South Korean authorities have said an outbreak in the North cannot be ruled out as it had active trade and people movement with China before closing its border last January. The congress, the country's eighth and the second under Kim, was attended by 4,750 delegates and 2,000 spectators, Kim said. In KCNA images, no one was seen wearing masks and participants did not sit apart, unlike at some other recent public events. Kim was accompanied by top aides, including his sister and senior party official Kim Yo Jong, nominal head of state Choe Ryong Hae and Premier Kim Tok Hun. The meeting will last some days, during which Kim is also expected to announce leadership changes - potentially involving his sister - and discuss other organisational, budget and audit issues.

Kim Jong-un admits economic failure as rare party congress begins

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's&nbsp;executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-order-banning-transactions-with-eight-chinese-apps-354714" hreflang="en">Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps</a>

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security."

China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;order,&nbsp;Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US&nbsp;was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies.

Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20.

But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration."

The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official.

The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security.

It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.

The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office.

"By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states.

Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds.

Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing. Also read: Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security." China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the Trump order, Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies. Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20. But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration." The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official. The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security. It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well. The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office. "By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states. Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds. Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

'Bullying': China slams US over Trump's order to ban Chinese apps

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