Paris extends curfew as Marseille, Lyon ban protests
France has extended movement restrictions in parts of Paris until Monday, while Marseille and Lyon have banned protests this weekend as authorities tighten security following widespread riots and looting.
The Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums will close on Saturday as officials prepare for further demonstrations. President Emmanuel Macron said only authorised union marches would be permitted in areas where protests have not been completely banned, while police deployments will increase by 20 percent compared with last weekend.
Gérald Darmanin, the Justice Minister said 217 people had been jailed following fast track trials over the unrest, with 2,700 arrests recorded nationwide and more than 1,000 people appearing in court.
The government has faced criticism for failing to anticipate the scale of the violence, which damaged businesses and historic buildings. Authorities are increasing security to prevent a repeat of the disorder.
Trump says Musk has restored Ukraine’s Starlink access
Donald Trump, US President has said Elon Musk restored Ukraine’s internet connectivity through Starlink after restrictions disrupted the satellite service used by the Ukrainian military.
Trump’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said military connectivity had not been fully restored. Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, supports Ukrainian battlefield communications, drone operations and early warning systems during Russian missile attacks.
Trump declined to comment on reports that he had pressured Musk to restore access but said the service had been reinstated. The Trump administration has previously denied instructing SpaceX to restrict Ukraine’s connectivity.
The disruption came amid US pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. Zelensky said he was awaiting further information from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on restoring the system’s full operating capacity.
Lula seeks Bolsonaro’s disqualification over alleged Meta election interference
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s President, has asked the country’s top electoral court to disqualify right wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, accusing Meta of restricting its content to favour his campaign ahead of Sunday’s presidential run off.
The complaint alleges that Meta limited the reach of Lula’s campaign material across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Bolsonaro’s campaign has filed a counter petition seeking Lula’s disqualification, accusing the government of widely circulating its posts on WhatsApp.
Meta has denied favouring either candidate. The dispute follows concerns raised by United Nations experts over reported differences in the campaigns’ online reach, engagement and visibility.
The UN report called on Meta to ensure fair treatment of both candidates. The election dispute highlights growing scrutiny of social media platforms and their influence on political campaigns in Brazil.
Venezuelans protest nationwide for free elections
Thousands of Venezuelans have staged opposition protests across the country, demanding free elections and political reforms in the first nationwide demonstration of its kind in nearly two years.
The demonstrations took place in Caracas and other cities, including Valencia, Maracay, San Cristóbal and Maracaibo. The protests were organised by Vente Venezuela, the movement led by opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
The demonstrations come as the United States works with an interim government led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January. Both Washington and Rodríguez have said elections will take place but have not announced dates.
Machado, who has been outside Venezuela for nearly a year following the disputed 2024 election, has called for elections by July 2027. Protesters cited economic hardship, the rising cost of living and difficulties accessing education among their concerns.
Trump ordered to testify in $10bn BBC defamation lawsuit
A US federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to give a deposition by December 11, in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over an edited clip of his January 6, 2021 speech.
Enjolique Lett, a US Magistrate Judge, issued the order on Thursday after the BBC argued that Trump had delayed giving testimony under oath. Trump cancelled a planned deposition in October, citing conflicts with his presidential duties.
The lawsuit, filed in Florida in December, alleges that the BBC misleadingly edited portions of Trump’s speech to suggest he had directed supporters to storm the US Capitol. The broadcaster previously acknowledged that the editing was misleading and apologised but denies that it was liable for defamation.
Trump’s legal team said the case was intended to hold the broadcaster accountable for defamation and alleged election interference. The BBC declined to comment on the latest ruling.
AFRICA
Egypt pushes Yemen diplomacy as parliament considers support for Saudi Arabia
Egypt has called for renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve Yemen’s conflict as its parliament prepares to consider authorising military support for Saudi Arabia against Iran aligned Houthi rebels.
Badr Abdelatty, the Foreign Minister, said Cairo wanted to explore every opportunity for a diplomatic settlement. He and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a message from President Abdel Fattah al Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Egypt’s parliament postponed a planned vote on military involvement until October 26 to allow further deliberations. Sisi has said any support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than launching attacks inside Yemen.
Direct Egyptian military involvement would raise the stakes in a conflict that threatens regional security and vital shipping routes. Cairo’s position reflects an effort to support Saudi Arabia while keeping diplomatic options open.
Hundreds of Ethiopians flee into Kenya after border fighting
Hundreds of Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya following fighting in the border town of Moyale, according to Kenyan officials and the Red Cross.
Gunfire was reported on Wednesday and continued into Thursday in parts of the Ethiopian side of the town, which straddles the border between the two countries. The cause of the fighting in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region remains unclear, and local officials were not immediately available for comment.
Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said many of those arriving were women and children staying with relatives and local residents. The Kenya Red Cross said it was assessing the number of displaced people and their humanitarian needs.
No displacement camp was ready to accommodate the arrivals, raising concerns about shelter and access to basic services if more people cross the border.
Foreign national beaten to death by crowd in South Africa
A foreign national has been beaten to death by a crowd of about 50 people in Durban, South African police said, amid renewed tensions over immigration.
Police said the unidentified man, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, was approached by two men near a roadside before being assaulted by a larger group. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and an investigation is under way.
Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said authorities could not yet establish the motive for the killing. The incident follows protests against immigration that have turned violent in parts of the country, including Durban and Soweto, where shops and vehicles were set on fire earlier this month.
The government has called for peaceful demonstrations while pursuing immigration enforcement measures. It says tens of thousands of foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since the crackdown began.
Swiss and Austrian women freed after more than a year in Niger captivity
Two European women held captive for more than a year after being kidnapped separately in Niger have been released and transferred to authorities in Benghazi, Libya.
The women, Austrian national Eva Gretzmacher, 76, and Swiss citizen Claudia Abbt, 69, were abducted in the northern Nigerien city of Agadez in January and April last year. Authorities have not disclosed who held them or the circumstances of their release.
Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said Gretzmacher was freed following intensive diplomatic efforts involving regional and international partners. Switzerland confirmed Abbt’s release and said she had received medical care in Benghazi before beginning her return journey.
The kidnappings had raised concerns about the security of foreign nationals in the Sahel, where armed groups operate across poorly controlled borders. Reports had previously linked the abductions to Islamic State militants, although the circumstances have not been officially confirmed.
Libya faces fresh central bank dispute over governor’s resignation
Libya faces renewed divisions over control of its central bank after the eastern based parliament backed the resignation of Governor Naji Issa and supported a board member as his interim replacement.
The House of Representatives said on Thursday it had approved the resignation in principle and backed Fowzi Musbah Abukhzam to take over temporarily. However, Naji Mukhtar Ali, first deputy head of the western based High Council of State, rejected Issa’s resignation and urged him to remain in office.
High Council of State leader Mohamed Takala took a different position, asking Abukhzam to assume the role on an interim basis pending agreement with the House of Representatives on a permanent governor.
The competing positions expose divisions within Libya’s rival political institutions and raise the risk of another dispute over the management of the country’s central bank. Control of the institution is particularly sensitive because of its role in managing state revenues and public finances in the oil producing country.
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Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
