France heads wearily into a 3rd COVID lockdown as infections surge
CBSN
Paris — France is going back into lockdown as the country battles a third wave of coronavirus infections. It's the third time during this pandemic that the French have been told to stay home. This lockdown starts on Saturday and is due to last four weeks.
The numbers of new coronavirus infections keeps soaring, with 59,000 new cases recorded in the 24 hours to Wednesday alone. To date, 4.64 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in France, and the disease has claimed almost 96,000 lives. Hospitals across the country are overflowing and non-essential surgeries are being cancelled. More than 5,000 patients are in intensive care this week.Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Kathmandu — Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Mount Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 29,032-foot mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatize.