The U.S. Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with a vote of 74 to 25. This marks a significant development in President Donald Trump's administration, as Ratcliffe becomes the second nominee to be approved following Marco Rubio's confirmation as Secretary of State earlier this week.

Ratcliffe, who previously served as the Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021, is the first individual to hold both positions. His confirmation comes amid discussions about enhancing the CIA's technological capabilities, particularly in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to better address threats from adversaries like China and Russia.

During his confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe emphasised the need for the CIA to produce unbiased intelligence and improve its operational effectiveness.

The confirmation process faced delays due to concerns raised by some Senate Democrats regarding Ratcliffe's ability to remain objective and not politicize his role, given his close ties to Trump during previous impeachment proceedings.

Despite these concerns, Republican senators praised Ratcliffe's qualifications and expressed confidence in his leadership abilities.

ANI