Congress passes Guantanamo bill

The US Congress has approved several measures to allow Guantanamo inmates to be tried in the country.



The Senate vote, which follows approval in the House last week, clears one of the hurdles facing President Barack Obama as he seeks to close the detention camp in Cuba.



But the measure does not allow those convicted to be imprisoned in the US nor permit those cleared to stay.



Mr Obama has set a January 22 deadline for closing the detention centre.

More than 220 inmates are still being held at the Guantanamo camp which was opened after the September 11 attacks.



The bill, which must now be signed into law by President Obama, was passed by 79 to 19 votes in the Senate as part of a larger budget bill for the Department of Homeland Security.



The US justice department has said that it intends to decide by mid-November which detainees will stand trial and what kind of court they will face.