French President Macron under pressure to lock down as Covid-19 hospitalizations soar
CNN
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to tighten coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday as case numbers and admissions to intensive care units soar across France, where the government has been resisting a third nationwide lockdown.
Macron will address the nation at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) as he faces growing criticism over his approach to the current Covid-19 surge. His administration has favored regional restrictions over the strict national lockdowns imposed in other European nations, against the advice of France's scientific council. A nationwide 7 p.m. curfew is in place, while non-essential businesses are closed and movement restricted in 19 of the 96 departments on mainland France, but there are few other measures to slow the rapid pace of infection across the country.
Hamas has announced that the next hostage release scheduled for Saturday will be postponed, alleging Israel had failed to abide by the terms of the agreement.
Three male Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners were freed in the fifth round of exchanges between Israel and Hamas Saturday as Israel expressed concern about the appearance of the released captives.
Hamas on Friday released the names of three Israelis it said it would release from Gaza on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted US President Donald Trump a golden pager during their meeting in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli political source told CNN.
Life in northern Gaza is desperate – there is no water, no electricity and so much rubble that there’s barely enough space to put up tents. Yet many Palestinians are determined to stay and rebuild – even if US President Donald Trump wants them out of the enclave so he can create a Middle Eastern “riviera.”
A Palestinian toddler who doctors say only has days to live without urgent medical treatment was evacuated from Gaza by the Jordanian military on Monday, in a special mission after Israel had repeatedly delayed her evacuation.
Israel and Hamas are expected to release another round of Gaza hostages and Palestinian prisoners as part of their ceasefire deal. Follow for live updates.