France

France is set to cull about 600,000 poultry birds as the virus spreads among duck flocks in the southwest of the country, the farm ministry said.

France is among European countries - including Britain and Germany - to have reported highly contagious strains of bird flu late last year, leading to mass culls as authorities try to limit transmission from wild birds to farm flocks.

France has already slaughtered about 200,000 poultry and plans to cull a further 400,000 birds, a farm ministry official said.

Some of the 2,500 ravers in Lieuron, near Rennes in northern France, had planned to party until Tuesday.

Police issued fines to revellers found leaving and the organisers were being identified as the party ended.

A number of party-goers were from the UK and Spain, police said.

Attendees clashed with police, setting fire to a car and throwing objects at officers attempting to shut the event down. At least three officers were injured.

The suspect, 48, said to be known to authorities on child custody issues, was later found dead, officials said.

A woman had fled to the roof of a house in a remote village near Saint-Just in the early hours of Wednesday.

The gunman killed one officer and wounded another. He then set fire to the house and killed two more officers who arrived. The woman was rescued.

President Emmanuel Macron said the nation shared the grief of the families of the police officers.

People will not be allowed out the house between 20:00 and 06:00 without an authorisation form.

Christmas Eve will be exempt, but the rule will stay in place for New Year's Eve. Bars and restaurants are to remain closed until at least 20 January.

The number of people in France who have died from coronavirus infections rose by 790 on Tuesday to a total of 59,072.

People in France are no longer required to print or download an official justification for leaving their homes during the day.

The priest was fired on twice at around 4pm as he was closing the church, and he was being treated on site for life-threatening injuries, the source said.

Witnesses said the church was Greek Orthodox. Another police source said the priest was of Greek nationality, and had been able to tell emergency services as they arrived that he had not recognised his assailant.

He said France would not surrender its core values after visiting the Notre-Dame basilica in the southern city. An extra 4,000 troops are being deployed to protect churches and schools.

In Nice, one elderly victim was "virtually beheaded", officials said. Another woman and a man also died.

A male suspect was shot and detained.

Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attack and France has raised its national security alert to its highest level.

Mr Macron said that under the new measures, starting on Friday, people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.

Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories will remain open.

Covid daily deaths in France are at the highest level since April. On Tuesday, 33,000 new cases were confirmed.

Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first".

The other detainees include four family members of the killer, a father at the school and a known Islamist radical.

Police carried out some 40 raids on the homes of suspected radicals on Monday and more raids are expected.

The brutal killing has shocked France.

Tens of thousands of people took part in rallies across the country on Sunday to honour Mr Paty and defend freedom of speech. A ceremony paying tribute to Mr Paty, who was 47, will be held at the Sorbonne University in Paris on Wednesday.

 A further 30,621 infections were confirmed on Thursday, up from 22,591 the day before.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that tough restrictions are "absolutely necessary" to save lives.

Millions in Europe have been told they must live under strict new measures as governments battle a second wave.

From Saturday, socialising indoors will be banned in London, as the UK capital and other areas of England will be put under a higher Covid alert.

The measure - from 21:00 to 06:00 - will come into effect from Saturday and last for at least four weeks, Mr Macron said in a televised interview.

"We have to act. We need to put a brake on the spread of the virus," he said.

A public health emergency has also been declared. A further 22,951 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Wednesday.

Now was not the time for "conviviality", Mr Macron explained, saying that the virus is spreading at parties and "festive evenings".