Countries across the European Union on Sunday began administering the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, signaling the official start of the bloc's campaign to inoculate more than 450 million people.

The authorities said Duke Webb, an active U.S. military member from Florida, was taken into custody and charged for the shooting that left three dead and three others wounded in Rockford, Ill.

Archaeologists working in the ruins of the former Roman city this month excavated a thermopolium, or snack bar, containing food that dates back to A.D. 79.

Representative Steny H. Hoyer, the Democratic majority leader, tried to get a stand-alone bill approved that would have provided $2,000 payments to Americans. Republicans rejected the move even though President Trump had proposed it.

Hundreds of dollars in direct payments may start going to American households as soon as next week after Congress overwhelmingly passed a $900 billion stimulus package.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, said on Sunday evening the stimulus package would include direct payments for Americans.

France's president, Emmanuel Macron, met with Prime Minister António Costa of Portugal just before it was announced that Mr. Macron tested positive for coronavirus.

This week, nursing home residents across the U.S became some of the first patients to receive the new coronavirus vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would stand by a plan to ease restrictions on gatherings between Dec. 23 and 27, despite rising coronavirus cases.

On Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, recognized Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the president-elect and Senator Kamala Harris of California as vice president-elect.