Protests against the latest health restrictions erupted in southern European countries over the weekend as global infections topped 46.4 million. There were injuries and looting in the Spanish capital, Barcelona, Malaga, Vitoria, Valencia, Santander and Burgos in response to regional curfews, prompting prime minister Pedro Sanchez to call for calm (The Guardian). Spain had the second-highest death rate in Europe at 4.5 deaths per 100,000. Funeral home staff across the country began striking on Sunday, demanding more workers to handle the growing death toll.
In Italy, protests in Naples were gaining momentum. Slovakia, meanwhile, reported 25,850 new cases on Saturday after testing half of its population (2.58 m) in a single day—a rate of 1%.
It emerged on Sunday that Britain’s Prince William contracted the virus in April, around the same time as his father, Prince Charles (Reuters). He reportedly kept the diagnosis secret to avoid alarming the country. The UK will return to lockdown measures for at least one month starting Thursday. In response, Brexit party leader Nigel Farage has said he will rebrand the group as an anti-lockdown party called Reform UK.
The FT has this analysis of the continent’s measures.
Local outlook
In Luxembourg, which began a curfew and the rule of four on Friday, 849 people tested positive, a rate of 135,6 per 100,000 inhabitants. The country recorded three further fatalities bringing the death toll to 160. In total 168 people were in hospital, of which seven were in ICU. The reproduction rate was 1.2, according to the health ministry figures reported on Sunday.
The Luxembourg government is preparing additional measures to be deployed if the infection rate does not fall, prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP) said in an interview with Radio 100,7 on Saturday.
Luxembourg mobility minister François Bausch emerged from quarantine after testing negative on the sixth day of isolation.
A new petition in Luxembourg has called for nightly walks to be permitted under the new curfew measures. While another petition calls for a minute’s silence to remember the people who died in the pandemic.
Housing rights
Luxembourg tenant’s association Mieterschutz has launched a petition for access to affordable housing to be made a right. It was one of eight new petitions to go live on Saturday. House prices rose 15% over a year to the second quarter of 2020, figures from the country's housing monitor found.
Cinema viewers
Cinema chain Kinepolis revealed a 74% drop in viewing figures and €2.4m in losses during the first three quarters of 2020. The film “Tenet” helped the chain boost visits to 70% of expected numbers, according to Paperjam.
Cruise firm closes
Luxembourg cruise agency Cruisopolis has announced it will close because of heavy losses incurred as a result of the pandemic. Its activities will be taken over by We love to travel, part of the Sales-Lentz group, according to the Luxemburger Wort.
French churches on alert
Churches across France were monitored by authorities on Sunday, All Saints Day, after Thursday’s terror attack at a church in Nice, in which three people were killed. French police arrested three more suspects over the weekend. The Guardian, Reuters
US outlook
The US economy is emerging from recession but progress is slow, Reuters weighs up how its economic performance could impact Tuesday’s election results. The two presidential candidates spent the final weekend rallying voters. Donald Trump visited 10 rallies in seven swing states. Anonymous sources suggest he is planning to declare victory on Tuesday before the result is called. Trump denied the claim but confirmed he would try to shut down vote counting as soon as the polls closed on Tuesday. Democratic candidate Joe Biden told a drive-in rally in Philadelphia on Sunday that “To beat the virus we’ve first got to beat Donald Trump. He’s the virus.”
FBI are meanwhile investigating an incident in which a convoy of vehicles bearing Trump flags surrounded a bus carrying Biden’s staff in Texas. The FT has this comprehensive election primer.
Aviation updates
The Dutch government has halted a planned €3.4b bail out of KLM after pilots rejected a wage freeze until 2025. The pilot’s union had previously agreed a freeze until March 2022. Low-cost airline easyJet told Reuters that it was considering a number of financing options after raising £900m from the sale and leaseback of aircraft and securing a £600m loan from the UK government. It is flying at 25% capacity for the rest of 2020.
Turkey earthquake
Some 62 people have died in Izmir, Turkey, following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Aegean coast and Greek islands on Friday. On Sunday, rescue teams pulled a 70-year-old man from the rubble of a collapsed building. Reuters, BBC.
RIP
UK journalist Robert Fisk died of a suspected stroke at the age of 74 on Friday. Meanwhile Bond fans were in mourning after Scottish actor Sean Connery died in his sleep at the age of 90. BBC, FT, The New Yorker.
Recommended reads
The FT examines how the pandemic has impacted shopping habits in the UK and how big brands are reacting to changing trends. A socially conscious book shop that provides an alternative to ecommerce giant Amazon has expanded to the UK, The Guardian reports. And The Observer sheds light on a stone-mason’s hidden “selfie” in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral 900 years after it was carved.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Jess Bauldry.