Biden, introducing health teams, vows 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in first 100 days

29 Sept 00:03 Key points summarised by AI

President-elect Biden announced a comprehensive plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in his first 100 days, aiming for 100 million vaccinations, school reopenings, and strengthened mask mandates.
He introduced his public health team, including Xavier Becerra as HHS Secretary and Jeff Zients as the COVID-19 "czar," stressing the urgent need for congressional funding to deliver vaccines nationwide.
Biden also revealed key cabinet picks: retired Army General Lloyd Austin as the first Black Defense Secretary (requiring a waiver), Marcia Fudge for HUD, and Tom Vilsack returning to Agriculture.
Austin's nomination faces scrutiny from some Democrats concerned about civilian oversight, highlighting a potential challenge in the closely divided Senate.

Macron condemns those who 'sought to bring down the Republic' after rioting mars nationwide protests

19 Oct 12:56 Key points summarised by AI

President Macron condemned widespread rioting and looting during nationwide protests, blaming far-left activists and criminals for the "unrestrained violence" and vowing accountability for those who "sought to bring down the Republic."
Over 2,400 arrests were made as protests against rising living costs and poor school conditions escalated, causing extensive damage to public buildings and businesses in cities like Paris, Limoges (where City Hall burned), Marseille, and Lyon.
The unrest, which organizers hoped would revive the "yellow vest" movement, saw political leaders trade blame, with Macron instructing prefects to protect public buildings and potentially ban future protests to prevent further disorder.