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Irish IndependentScandalFrance
France suspends the use of stun grenades to police school protests

France suspends the use of stun grenades to police school protests

France suspends the use of stun grenades to police school protests French riot police face off with protesters forming a human chain behind a barricade to block the Boulevard Saint-Germain outside Sciences Po university in Paris © REUTERSMakini Brice8 Oct 2026 5:30 AMShareThe French government said on Wednesday it was pausing the use of stun grenades in its policing of student protests, after a 15-year-old boy’s hand was blown off during a clash with riot police, fuelling accusations of police brutality.Protests showed no sign of easing, with more than 500 schools closed a day after demonstrations swept across the country, and unions representing high-school students, teachers and other workers planning more marches for Thursday.The wave of protests has been going on for more than two weeks and has exposed widespread public anger six months ahead of an election to replace President Emmanuel Macron.Read moreEoin O’Malley: Welcome to ‘process democracy’, a world where governments are not allowed to govern any moreSpeaking to the nation on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would review the demands made by students and present proposals at the end of October on issues ranging from renovating buildings to make more teachers available, but gave no details. “In the past, too many promises were not kept, quite simply because they were untenable,” Mr Lecornu said.

1d ago
Irish IndependentWar & ConflictIslamic World
Israelis mark three years since October 7 massacre as Palestinians mourn Gaza's destruction

Israelis mark three years since October 7 massacre as Palestinians mourn Gaza's destruction

Israelis mark three years since October 7 massacre as Palestinians mourn Gaza's destructionA woman places a candle at the fountain at Dizengoff Square where flowers, candles, memorabilia and pictures of victims of the deadly Hamas-led October 7 attack © REUTERSRami Amichay and Mahmoud Issa8 Oct 2026 5:30 AMShareIsraelis gathered in silence on Wednesday in a kibbutz near the Gaza border that was overrun by Hamas militants on October 7 three years ago, mourning victims of attacks that set off Israel’s assault in Gaza and plunged the Middle East into war.In the Gaza Strip, devastated by two years of Israeli bombardment, Palestinians sheltering among the ruins of destroyed cities recalled life before a war that displaced nearly the entire population and tore apart families.The attacks of October 7, 2023, were the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Militants led by Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, a cross-border incursion that traumatised Israelis who have demanded government accountability.Israel’s subsequent bombardment and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 74,000 people, including at least 1,400 killed in the past year since a US-brokered ceasefire, which halted major fighting but has failed to stop Israeli attacks or secure the disarmament of Hamas.Read moreExplainer: Trump's Gaza plan has not stopped Israeli fire or disarmed HamasIn Kfar Aza, where Hamas militants killed dozens of Israelis before taking 19 hostages back into Gaza, residents held a vigil for those killed, standing in silence as a trumpet played a solemn bugle call.

1d ago
The GuardianScandal
First Thing: Trump endures protests in Texas as DNC sues over adverts

First Thing: Trump endures protests in Texas as DNC sues over adverts

The president was repeatedly interrupted at a rally and faces a legal challenge over taxpayer-funded adverts. Plus Jonathan the giant tortoise, who may have the secret to longevity Good morning. Donald Trump suffered a torrid night at a rally in Texas that was rocked by repeated protests. The US president briefly stepped away from the microphone after one protester appeared to approach the stage. At least half a dozen demonstrators interrupted Trump during his remarks in San Antonio, with some led away by police. One was physically assaulted by an older Trump supporter as he tried to leave the arena. What is the latest development in the saga over taxpayer-funded pro-Trump ads? The Democratic National Committee has sued the Trump administration in federal court, asking a judge in Washington to stop the president from using taxpayer funds to air a series of ads promoting himself. The ads have cost taxpayers more than $12m so far, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact. Why has Trump been forced to distance himself from two top aides? Trump claimed he did not have “any idea who else they work for” after it was reported that Chris LaCivita, the co-manager of his 2024 presidential campaign, and James Blair, a campaign adviser and White House deputy chief of staff on leave of absence, spent the weekend assisting the pro-Russia government in Republika Srpska in the Balkans. Trump said: “I will terminate them, immediately” if he determined there was a conflict of interest. What is the latest in the diplomatic dispute between the UK and Israel? Britain is rebranding its East Jerusalem consulate as a UK mission. The move was forced by the Israeli government as punishment for Britain’s decision to ban trade with illegal settlements. There has been some dispute within the UK government over whether taking tough measures at this time against Israel could help Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election prospects this month.

1d ago