Senate ratifies top posts

The United States Senate yesterday confirmed retired Air Force Lieutenant General James R. Clapper as the next director of national intelligence, voting him chief of America's 16 spy agencies.

President Barack Obama nominated Clapper to succeed Admiral Dennis Blair.

The Senate also approved General James Mattis, a tough-talking Marine who helped lead the invasion of Iraq, to replace General David Petraeus as head of the US Central Command.

Petraeus took control of the operations in Afghanistan after General Stanley McChrystal was fired. Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court also won Senate approval.