WORLD IN BRIEF: France imposes curfews, Trump’s approval hits record low, Egypt backs Saudi Arabia and other stories

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Read History Go to My Account Log Out Enhanced by Google World WORLD IN BRIEF: France imposes curfews, Trump’s approval hits record low, Egypt backs Saudi Arabia and other stories France imposes curfews after riots and looting French authorities have imposed overnight curfews in parts of Paris and several other

Listen to this article Share France imposes curfews after riots and looting French authorities have imposed overnight curfews in parts of Paris and several other cities after days of rioting and looting, as the government faces mounting pressure to restore order. Police announced restrictions between 23:00 and 06:00 local time in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district in central Paris.

Authorities have also banned unauthorised gatherings in parts of the capital and introduced varying restrictions in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Lille. Prime Minister officials said local mayors would be empowered to impose curfews where necessary, although the government had not specified all the locations affected.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted that police had “lost control” in some cities, drawing criticism from opposition politicians over preparations for the unrest. More than 2,500 people have been arrested, while about 1,000 police officers have been injured. One demonstrator reportedly lost a hand after a police crowd-control grenade exploded.

The protests began last month with students demanding better school conditions but have expanded to include wider economic and social grievances, attracting trade unions and other groups. The escalation presents a challenge for President Emmanuel Macron’s government as it seeks to contain the violence while addressing public discontent.

Helen Haines, an independent Australian member of parliament, is critically ill in hospital after being struck by a car outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the incident appeared to have been deliberate, although investigators were still working to establish the motive.

Police said Haines, 65, was hit by a white Toyota Landcruiser at about 15:35 local time on Monday. A 43-year-old man was detained at the scene by a passerby, and police said a knife was found in the vehicle. Haines was initially taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to Melbourne for further treatment.

Victoria Police said they were investigating whether the incident was intentional and that there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the community. Counter-terrorism police are involved in the investigation, although authorities have not publicly established a terrorism link.

Albanese condemned political violence, saying there was no place for it in a democracy. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said reports of threatening or harassing behaviour towards politicians had risen from 951 to 1,067 over the past year, renewing concerns about the safety of elected representatives.

More than 50 security personnel have been killed and about 200 injured in a Houthi missile strike on a training camp in Yemen’s central province of Shabwa, local authorities said. The attack targeted al Alam camp near Ataq, which was being used to train recruits for security forces and the police.

A spokesman for the Saudi backed Yemeni armed forces said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the camp. The head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al Alimi, condemned what he called a “criminal attack” and promised a firm response. The Houthis said they had targeted what they described as Saudi enemy concentrations.

The strike comes as Yemen’s civil war intensifies. In early October, pro-government forces launched an offensive to retake territory held by the Houthis, with support from a Saudi led coalition. They regained areas along the Red Sea coast overlooking the strategically important Bab al Mandab Strait.

Fighting continues around the government controlled city of Taiz and in Marib and al Jawf provinces. The Houthis have also launched missiles and drones at Saudi airports, energy facilities and military bases in response to coalition air strikes, raising concerns that the conflict could further destabilise the region.

Barack Obama has criticised a federal investigation involving Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, describing it as “so appalling” and accusing the Trump administration of targeting an elected official for criticising the president. The White House rejected claims that the inquiry was politically motivated.

US media reports said the investigation concerns Omar’s immigration and citizenship history, including questions about her age when she arrived in the United States in 1995. Homeland security agents searched her Washington home last week as part of the inquiry. Omar, who was born in Somalia, moved to the US with her family as a child.

Obama argued that Omar’s father became a naturalised US citizen when she was 17, which he said made her eligible for citizenship under the law. He warned that pursuing an elected official on what he described as an unsubstantiated theory could set a precedent for future administrations to target political opponents.

Lauren Bis, White House spokeswoman denied that President Donald Trump had weaponised the Justice Department against his critics. She said the department was focused on restoring law and order and protecting Americans. The investigation’s allegations have not been established in court.

Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 31 percent, its lowest level across his two presidential terms, as Americans express concern about rising petrol prices ahead of the November 3 congressional elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The four day survey closed on Monday.

The poll found that 47 percent of registered voters would support Democrats if congressional elections were held immediately, compared with 35 percent who would vote for Republicans. The 12 percentage point Democratic advantage was the widest recorded during the current election cycle, suggesting growing dissatisfaction with the president and his party.

Republicans face the possibility of losing control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, either of which would complicate Trump’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his term. The poll’s findings indicate that economic concerns, particularly fuel costs, could influence voting decisions.

However, the nationwide generic ballot question does not capture differences between individual states and congressional districts. Republicans retain structural advantages in some contests, meaning the national polling lead does not guarantee that Democrats will take control of either chamber.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor, will leave the network next year after 43 years, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Her departure comes as CNN enters a new ownership era following Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros Discovery.

Amanpour will end her daily programmes across CNN and PBS at the end of this year. She is expected to continue hosting a weekly CNN programme through May and work on the transition until June. Her first major assignment was covering the Gulf War, and she later reported on conflicts in Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.

David Ellison, Skydance chief executive has faced criticism over his stewardship of CBS News, which is now under the same corporate ownership as CNN. Mark Thompson, CNN chief and Bari Weiss, CBS News editor-in-chief have retained their positions, reporting to Ellison and co chief executive Ynon Kreiz.

Lawmakers have accused Ellison of tailoring CBS News coverage to favour Trump, placing renewed attention on editorial independence under the new ownership. Amanpour’s departure marks a significant change for CNN’s international reporting, where she has become one of the network’s most recognisable journalists.

A Kenyan court has convicted preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 others of murder over the deaths of 190 children and an adult in one of the world’s worst cult related tragedies in recent history. The verdict was delivered on Monday, more than three years after authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest.

Prosecutors said Mackenzie and his Good News International Church operated a doomsday sect whose followers were instructed to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie denied forcing victims to starve, but the court rejected his defence. He and the other convicted defendants are due to be sentenced on November 6.

The case has drawn widespread attention in Kenya and raised questions about how Mackenzie continued operating despite coming to the attention of authorities in 2017. Police searched his premises that year, and authorities shut down his church in 2019 before he relocated to Shakahola Forest, according to police.

The ruling brought some relief to relatives of the victims. Francis Wanje, who lost eight family members, including two grandchildren, told Reuters that the judgment strengthened his confidence in the judiciary. Mackenzie’s lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, said he had been instructed to appeal.

Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major who became a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame, has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda. His body was discovered on the outskirts of Kampala over the weekend, and Ugandan police said his head had not been recovered.

Kabera, 50, had fled Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied, and sought asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution. His family said he had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45km outside Kampala before his death. His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told the BBC that she feared for the safety of herself and their children.

His death has renewed concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents living abroad. In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief and co founder of the opposition Rwanda National Congress, was found dead in a Johannesburg hotel. The RNC has called for a thorough investigation into Kabera’s killing and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

At least nine members of Libya’s Anti Threat Security Agency have been killed and several others wounded in a mortar blast during a training exercise in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, local media reported. The explosion occurred late on Sunday during an exercise involving the security force.

Libya Alahrar television reported that the blast involved an 82mm mortar round. The Anti Threat Security Agency operates under the UN recognised Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. Authorities had not issued an immediate public statement confirming the casualties.

Zawiya lies about 40km west of Tripoli and is home to Libya’s largest operating oil refinery. The city has also experienced repeated clashes between rival armed groups, reflecting persistent insecurity despite efforts to maintain a unified national government.

The incident highlights the risks facing security personnel in a country where armed factions continue to wield significant influence. Further details about the cause of the explosion and the number of injured personnel were not immediately available.

Egypt has said it is ready to provide Saudi Arabia with support to defend its security and stability as attacks by Yemen’s Iran aligned Houthis intensify. The announcement could mark a significant escalation in the regional conflict, which has expanded since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

President Abdel Fattah al Sisi requested an urgent parliamentary session to authorise military assistance if Saudi Arabia asks for it. A vote had been expected on Sunday, but two lawmakers and local media reports said discussions would continue on Monday. The presidency did not specify what form any assistance might take.

The Saudi led coalition supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north. Fighting between the two sides has intensified in recent weeks, opening another front in the wider conflict involving Iran and its regional allies.

Any Egyptian military involvement could broaden the war and increase pressure on regional security and energy supplies. The conflict has already disrupted global energy markets and pushed oil prices higher, raising concerns about further economic consequences if hostilities spread.

Gabon’s government says findings from its public debt audit remain under review by the International Monetary Fund and could be revised, as the country seeks a new financing programme. A government circular issued on Monday said Libreville was targeting a draft agreement with the IMF by the end of 2026.

Gabon requested a new programme in March and launched the audit in June to establish the scale of public debt, particularly domestic arrears. Preliminary findings published in September suggested total debt was lower than previously estimated. The latest circular, however, showed total arrears had risen to 1,198.8 billion CFA francs, equivalent to about $2.06 billion, by June 2026, up from 1,094.6 billion CFA francs at the end of 2025.

External arrears reached 437.3 billion CFA francs, or about $752 million. These included 176.7 billion CFA francs owed to China Exim and 92.4 billion CFA francs to multilateral creditors. Arrears to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, part of the World Bank Group, had also reappeared after Gabon cleared them in March 2025.

An IMF mission is expected to visit Gabon after discussions at the Fund’s Annual Meetings in Bangkok, although no date has been announced. The government cautioned that an agreement within its targeted timeframe was not guaranteed. Gabon’s previous Extended Fund Facility programme expired in July 2024 after completing only two reviews.

Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.