US Defense Secretary Austin still in hospital Immigration dispute: French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigns

According to the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains in hospital – there is no date yet for his release. Austin is recovering and is in good shape, the US Department of Defense announced on Monday evening (local time). “He is no longer in intensive care and is recovering in a more private part of the hospital,” it said. Austin continues to have symptoms, but his prognosis is good. The Pentagon continued to provide no information about the medical reason for Austin’s hospitalization.

The hospital stay caused a lot of fuss because the ministry initially did not make it public. The Pentagon chief had already been admitted to a clinic on New Year’s Day due to complications from a previous procedure – but the department only announced this publicly last Friday. US President Joe Biden was reportedly not initially informed. Austin apologized for the information policy on Saturday evening.

The Pentagon not only informed very late about Austin’s hospital stay, but also withheld the details. The ministry did not provide information on what type of procedure had caused complications or what treatment was necessary. Several US media outlets, including NBC, reported, citing government circles, that Austin’s deputy Kathleen Hicks arrived after a holiday in Puerto Rico and took on some duties from there. (sda/dpa)