This was the first time the vice president has hinted at the range of measures being considered by the White House. He said he and the president were determined to act. The tragedy at Newtown, Connecticut had, he said, awakened the conscience of the country and it was important not to be put off by the complexity of the task. Mr Biden didn’t say what those measures were, but they almost certainly include the reintroduction of a ban on so-called assault weapons as well as a more comprehensive system of background checks on those purchasing guns.
The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made her first public comments after a month away from her desk because of sickness. Mrs Clinton told reporters in Washington she was thrilled to be back at work. She said she was focusing on unresolved issues before handing over to her successor in President Obama’s new administration, Senator John Kerry.
“You know obviously somewhat bittersweet because I’ve had the most extraordinary experience, and I work with an amazing team of people, but I’m very much looking forward to doing everything we can these last few weeks to resolve and finish up wherever possible and then to have a very smooth, seamless transition to Senator Kerry to continue the work.”
World News from the BBC
A British businessman extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to sell missile components to Iran has been jailed for 33 months. Christopher Tappin was also ordered to pay an $11,000 fine. In a plea bargain, he’d admitted to submitting false shipping documents to export batteries used for Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Iran via the Netherlands.