Morning mail: Trump's final hours, India revels in Test win, battery breakthrough

Wednesday: Mitch McConnell acknowledges Capitol mob was provoked by the president'. Plus: batteries with five-minute charging times

Good morning, this is Tamara Howie bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Wednesday 20 January. US politics will likely dominate today's news as Donald Trump's last day in the White House draws to a close. On home shores, more Australian Open players have tested positive to Covid and the inventor of the internet weighs in on Australia's proposed media laws.

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has acknowledged the violent mob that attacked the Capitol earlier this month was provoked" by Donald Trump. Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell said, The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people." Meanwhile, two US army national guard members have been removed from the mission to secure Joe Biden's presidential inauguration because of their connections to far-right militia groups. We're still waiting to hear who will be in the flurry of presidential pardons Trump is expected to make before Joe Biden is sworn in. Sources suggested that neither the president himself, nor Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, or former aide Steve Bannon would be on the list, but rapper Lil Wayne was among those reportedly expected to receive a pardon or clemency.