Morning news brief: France reports record Covid cases, flights cancelled globally and more

Here are some of the top stories to start off your day: For the first time since the pandemic began, France reported 104,611 Covid infections in a single day. Meanwhile, more than 6,000 flights were scrapped globally over the Christmas weekend, as Omicron surge continues to play a spoilsport in holiday plans for millions of people. In other news, the Taliban has dismissed Afghanistan's election commission, dealing a major blow to the country's electoral process.

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As Omicron spreads rapidly, France records over 100,000 cases in 24 hours

As per the authorities, cases in intensive care went up from 28 to 3,282. This comes in as the Omicron variant is spreading at a very fast speed, worrying the authorities. To curb the spread of the virus, the authorities are considering bringing in the concept of vaccine pass.

Over 6,000 flights grounded globally over Christmas weekend amid Omicron surge

Pilots, flight attendants and other employees have been calling in sick or having to quarantine after exposure to Covid, forcing Lufthansa, Delta, United Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines and many other short-staffed carriers to cancel flights during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.

In what is being deemed as a hurried decision, Taliban dismisses Afghan election commission

Situation in Afghanistan has been worsening ever since Taliban's takeover. As per reports by the United Nations, nearly 23 million people, which is about 55 per cent of the population, face extreme levels of hunger, and nearly 9 million are at risk of famine this winter.

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