Washington, December 8: US President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Black ex-general Lloyd Austin to lead Pentagon. The Politico reported that he was chosen as the Defense Secretary.

Austin, who would be the first Black US secretary of defence. According to reports, it was a surprise pick over Michelle Flournoy, the woman considered the leading contender for the job. Flournoy would have been the first woman defense secretary. Indian-American Dr Vivek Murthy in Joe Biden's Health Team, Anthony Fauci to be Chief Medical Adviser on COVID-19.

Retired General Lloyd Austin to be the First Black US Secretary of Defense

Biden, who takes office on January 20, also announced members of his health team to lead the administration’s response to the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the major challenges on Biden’s path would be to contain the rising COVID-19 cases that have killed more than 282,000 Americans and finding ways to jump-start an economy still reeling under pandemic-fueled job losses

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 08, 2020 07:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).