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8.03pm BST
French health authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous record of 13,498 and setting a fourth all-time high of daily additional infections in eight days.
The number of people in France who have died from Covid-19 infections was up by 52, to 31,511, and the cumulative number of cases now totals 497,237.
7.57pm BST
Israel’s prime minister has defended his decision to tighten the country’s lockdown measures, including restricting people’s ability to demonstrate and pray at synagogues.
The country of 9 million entered a second lockdown a week ago as infection rates surged to record levels, and the government recommended extra rules that would reportedly limit protests to groups of 20 people as of Friday.
The right to demonstrate, like the right to pray, the right to earn a living, the right to transportation, are very important rights, sacred rights in a democracy. But they are not unlimited rights. The right to life is also a right.
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