Biden orders review of COVID origins as lab leak theory debated

13 Sept 12:17 Key points summarised by AI

President Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to intensify their investigation into COVID-19's origins, specifically exploring both natural transmission and the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, with a 90-day deadline for a definitive conclusion.
U.S. intelligence agencies are actively pursuing rival theories but currently lack strong confidence in their conclusions, leading to an ongoing internal debate about the virus's most probable origin.
Biden's public disclosure lends increased credibility to the theory of a lab leak, contrasting with a previous World Health Organization (WHO) report that deemed a laboratory incident "extremely unlikely."
Washington expresses growing frustration over China's perceived lack of cooperation in international investigations, while earlier classified U.S. intelligence cited three Wuhan lab researchers falling ill in November 2019, further fueling the lab leak hypothesis.

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

Yesterday 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.