Toulouse became the first French city on Wednesday to make face masks compulsory even outdoors in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Authorities in France’s fourth-largest city fear that a mass movement of people as the summer break draws to a close will lead to a spike in infections, which are already on the rise in many areas of France. Source France24
A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by new U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of many immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. Source Reuters
The United States could face a heightened threat of domestic extremist violence for weeks from people angry at Donald Trump’s election defeat and inspired by the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Homeland Security warned on Wednesday. Source Reuters
Chinese military exercises near Taiwan are a “solemn warning to external forces”, Beijing said Wednesday, after the new US government expressed strong support for the self-ruled island. Source Bangkok Post
