Germany will go into national lockdown from the start of next week in an effort to curb rocketing COVID-19 infections, while France will introduce similar measures next Friday.
Anger has been mounting in cities throughout Europe over new restrictions. Protesters across Italy clashed with police this week as a curfew for bars and restaurants took effect.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the new lockdown measures during a televised address on Wednesday afternoon local time, saying the Federal Government had come to an agreement with states to lock down the entire country from November 2 – for at least two weeks.
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MIDDLE EAST
Saudi-led coalition destroys two ballistic rockets targeting Saudi Arabia's Jazan and Najran: state TV.
Satellite photos show construction at Iran nuclear site.
ran declares 'full-scale war' as virus deaths hit record.
Yemen on brink of losing entire generation of children to hunger, UN warns.
Erdogan warns of military action in Syria, decries Russian strike.
Turkey threatens legal, diplomatic action over Charlie Hebdo’s caricature of Erdogan.
Turkey’s lira on track for its worst month this year.
Lebanon, Israel hold second round of maritime demarcation talks.
ASIA
Drop in insurgent attacks, coalition airstrikes leads to fewest civilian casualties in Afghanistan since 2012.
U.S. special envoy calls for urgent reduction of violence in Afghanistan.
Esper, Pompeo drive US anti-China message in India visit.
China condemns COVID-19 blame game during BRICS forum.
Vote cancellations trigger outrage among Myanmar minority voters.
Pakistan PM: Talks with India only if Kashmir ‘siege’ is lifted.
Pakistan seeks to 'control digital media' amid anti-government protests.
New Zealand house prices soar despite Covid recession, worsening affordability crisis.
AFRICA
Tanzanian opposition accuses police of killing nine during protests.
Pascal Affi N'Guessan leads fractured Gbagbo party in Ivory Coast polls.
Guinea loosens restrictions on opposition, 10 days after disputed election.
Algeria's president transferred to German hospital amid coronavirus scare.
Suspected jihadist freed by Mali is detained in Algeria.
Kidnappers of American in Niger demand ransom: official.
Libyan investigators find more mass graves in recaptured city.
EUROPE
New deaths as fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh keeps flaring.
Azerbaijan says 21 dead in Armenia attack near Nagorno-Karabakh.
European Commission: EU faces a long coronavirus pandemic.
Macron orders France back into Covid-19 lockdown amid surge in cases.
Germany to impose one-month partial lockdown.
Divided Belgium among Europe’s worst virus hotspots.
Italy posts record infection numbers as Europe locks down.
France encourages EU allies to take measures against Turkey after Erdogan's boycott calls.
AMERICAS
As COVID-19 roars back in U.S., Trump stages rallies in Arizona.
Hunter Biden's former business partner releases audio of 'Biden family friend imploring him not to go public' - and claims Joe’s brother chuckled and said 'plausible deniability' allows the family to 'get away with it'.
Trump administration sets record low limit for new U.S. refugees.
Philadelphia curfew after two nights of chaos and looting.
Five Chinese agents arrested in US for targeting Beijing opponents.
Venezuelan refinery damaged by ‘terrorist attack’, president says.
Hurricane Zeta hammers Gulf Coast with rain, wind, outages.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
Al Qaeda feels losses in Syria and Afghanistan but stays resilient.
Jihadists behind 2015 Mali terror attacks sentenced to death.
France tightens security, facing 'very high' terror risk after teacher beheading.
Mali Radisson Blu attack: Two Islamists sentenced to death.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
S&P 500 sinks 3.5% as surging virus cases lead to shutdowns.
Twitter's Jack Dorsey says 'conservatives have lost our trust' as he, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai are quizzed over Hunter emails - but says Holocaust denial is NOT banned on Twitter in angry clashes with Republican senators.
Boeing plans to slash 11,000 more jobs as planemaker reports its fourth straight quarterly loss and reveals it had NO orders for new jets last month.
US tries to block Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who would be first African WTO head.