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French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's resignation following widespread weekend rioting and looting across major cities, instructing him to remain in office to overhaul policing tactics, Macron's office said Monday. Macron refused the resignation to maintain law enforcement command, directing Nuñez to ensure transparency regarding planning and intelligence failures and to swiftly deploy new ground tactics against mobile groups of troublemakers, looters, and far-left activists. The unrest followed Saturday's nationwide protests over rising living costs and poor school conditions, resulting in Sunday arson and business looting across Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other cities, with at least 2,400 arrests nationwide. In Limoges, a fire caused the roof of the 19th-century City Hall to collapse. Speaking on France Inter radio, Nuñez took responsibility and admitted authorities "lost control" in several cities. Meanwhile, Marseille's prefect banned all protests from noon to 8:00 p.m. Monday.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday vowed to hold accountable those involved in rioting and looting during nationwide protests over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools, as police arrested at least 1,800 people. “Those who looted will have to pay back for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation, expressing public “anger” and “shame” over the violence. He blamed the unrest on “insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals”. Macron had earlier held an emergency meeting with senior government officials following Saturday’s violence, when masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings, including city halls, in several cities. He said he had instructed prefects to work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses in the coming weeks, including by banning demonstrations when necessary. In Limoges, a city in central France, fire engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse and nearly destroying the building. Hundreds of protesters gathered again at Paris’ Place de la République on Sunday amid a heavy police presence. Officers used tear gas as tensions flared, with small groups attempting to set bicycles and rubbish bins on fire. “The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X, referring to the looting of hundreds of businesses in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. Authorities estimated that around 550,000 people participated in demonstrations across France, while organisers put the figure at about 800,000. The protests followed calls from labour unions, student organisations and activists seeking to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which emerged in 2018 to protest social injustice. Large demonstrations in France are often marred by violence on the fringes of otherwise peaceful marches, resulting in clashes with police. The number of arrests reported on Sunday approached the nearly 2,000 recorded nationwide during a single day of yellow vest protests in December 2018. One person died of a heart attack, Paris police said in a statement without providing further details. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was investigating the death. Parisians shocked by destruction Dislodged cobblestones, shattered shopfronts and broken glass littered the area around Place de la République on Sunday. Looting and damage were also reported in other tourist and shopping districts. Paris police said 855 people had been arrested in the capital region, while the city’s prosecutor’s office reported that 557 remained in police custody. “I am actually stunned by the level of destruction and violence that was expressed,” said Marie Peyreigne, a 57-year-old government employee, questioning what had led to the chaos. Residents surveying the damage photographed the partially dismantled base of the square’s central monument, a statue of Marianne, a symbol of France. Jean Foissy, 74, said he had intended to join the protest but encountered “a wall of riot police and fires everywhere” and returned home. “I was very scared,” he said, adding that the destruction had left him deeply upset as a lifelong Parisian. Margaux Eude, 26, said she supported the protest movement but had not expected the situation to escalate so severely. “It’s the troublemakers who came, and it breaks my heart because it delegitimizes the movement,” she said. Political leaders trade accusations Political leaders across the political spectrum sought to use the fallout from Saturday’s riots to their advantage ahead of next spring’s presidential election. Far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen criticised Macron’s centrist government as “exhausted, disoriented and seemingly incapable of doing anything other than commenting on its own powerlessness”, in a video posted on social media on Sunday. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of “playing with fire”, arguing that the government’s approach had united young people and labour unions. Mélenchon, who joined Saturday’s march in Paris, said those supporting the movement had no place in looting or destruction. US President Donald Trump also commented on the unrest, posting “France is burning!” on his Truth Social platform and linking the violence to immigration. “Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” he wrote. French authorities and police have not linked immigrants to the rioting. They have instead attributed some of the violence to radical far-left groups and others who joined the protests to loot businesses.

French police arrested at least 1,800 people across the country after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that drew hundreds of thousands of people protesting rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. Authorities said masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings, including city halls, in several cities on Saturday. In Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate told LCI television that the fire was deliberately set and nearly destroyed the building. The fire was brought under control on Sunday. French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting with senior government officials on Sunday afternoon before addressing the nation at 8pm, his office said. “The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X, referring to the looting of hundreds of businesses in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, Limoges and other cities. Nuñez and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed some of the violence on “radical far-left groups,” saying others later joined in to loot businesses. Paris police said on Sunday that 855 people had been arrested in the French capital region alone. Authorities estimated that around 550,000 people took part in protests across France, while organisers put the figure at about 800,000. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Nuñez said. One person died of a heart attack, Paris police said in a statement, without providing further details. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was investigating the death. Around Place de la République in Paris, dislodged cobblestones, shattered shopfronts and broken glass were visible on Sunday morning, reflecting the scale of the previous day's unrest. Looting and damage were reported around the square and in other tourist and shopping areas in the city centre. Police said groups ranging from several hundred to more than 1,000 people staged unauthorised marches across central Paris on Saturday. “By late afternoon, a new phase began with the arrival of large numbers of people whose sole aim was to steal and loot, taking advantage of the unrest,” police said. The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, the country's three largest cities, requested a meeting with the prime minister in the coming days, citing “the extent of the damage and the seriousness of the situation.” In the southern port city of Marseille, some protesters briefly forced their way into the City Hall lobby, while a group of hooded and masked people damaged a police station. In Lyon, a fire broke out inside a tourist office.

About 550,000 people took part in nationwide protests across France on Saturday, resulting in nearly 400 arrests and injuries to 60 internal security officers, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. Speaking on media, Nunez condemned the violence, citing attacks on public buildings, police stations, and businesses. He said city hall intrusions or attempts in Marseille, Lille, Calais, and Angers, alongside actions at prefectures like Bordeaux, while opportunistic offenders looted shops in several cities. According to media reports, the rallies brought together farmers, climate activists, trade unions, and students demanding action on fuel prices, living costs, education, and public services. Protests severely disrupted public transport, leading Paris operator RATP to suspend service on over 10 metro lines and close several stations. The Louvre Museum limited visitor numbers, while the Orangerie Museum required reservations. Stating violence has no place, President Emmanuel Macron warned on X that perpetrators of destruction, attacks on government offices, and looting will be prosecuted and punished. Expressing support for law enforcement, Macron declared, "We will stand united against those who sow chaos.".

A serious incident triggered a major fire at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday, leaving multiple people dead and injured. Defense Minister David McGuinty confirmed the fatalities and injuries, while Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed sympathies for affected military personnel, stating Ottawa is coordinating closely with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and local authorities. Premier Smith described the fire as "significant and tragic," affecting numerous service members, and thanked first responders. Neither leader immediately disclosed the cause or specific casualty figures. The base is located near Wainwright, approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) southeast of Edmonton. Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre offered support after speaking with Carney and McGuinty, urging residents to pray, follow emergency instructions, and keep roads clear for emergency crews. The incident occurred days ahead of an Alberta provincial vote on initiating a process toward seeking independence from Canada.

Fires and clashes broke out in several French cities on Saturday as protesters took to the streets against rising living costs and in support of students’ demands, with police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups. In Paris, a car and a newspaper kiosk were set on fire at Place de la République, while police used tear gas to push back masked protesters who threw fireworks and other objects at officers. In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, a fire broke out inside a tourist office, with smoke and flames rising from the building. In the southern port city of Marseille, several shops and a municipal police station were damaged, while some protesters briefly entered the lobby of City Hall before police dispersed them. Authorities recorded 140 protest actions outside the Paris region by midday, involving more than 30,000 people, according to the office of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. At least 166 people were arrested nationwide. The Interior Ministry reported violence involving masked protesters in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers, including attempted looting, attacks on police, fires set to street furniture and damage targeting government institutions and media outlets. The demonstrations followed calls on social media to revive the “Yellow Vest” movement, which emerged in 2018 over social injustice. Student groups, staging school blockades since mid-September, urged supporters to join the protests. The CGT, one of France’s major labour unions, also backed the demonstrations, demanding higher wages and pensions, lower prices and protection of public services. President Emmanuel Macron called for calm on Friday, saying people had a constitutional right to protest and express themselves but must also respect others and public property. Police banned some proposed gatherings in central Paris, while several metro stations were closed at their request, including stations near the Champs-Elysées, the presidential palace, parliament and government offices. France has witnessed thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and fires at schools in recent weeks as student protests spread nationwide, influencing the country’s presidential election campaign and drawing international attention. Some teenagers have suffered serious injuries from police crowd-control weapons. Nuñez suspended the use of a type of police stun grenade against young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand. Climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday urged support for new US sanctions against Russia after President Donald Trump suspended their implementation, raising concerns over Ukraine’s security ahead of winter. Zelenskyy said the sanctions legislation could put significant pressure on Moscow to end the war. However, Trump told Congress that pausing the restrictions was in the US national interest without providing further details. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a co-author of the bill, criticised the decision, saying it undermined US lawmakers and European allies. The legislation targets Russian officials, banks and tanker networks used to transport Russian energy. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Russia had launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, targeting more than 15 sites. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired four cruise missiles and 332 attack drones overnight, with all missiles and 289 drones intercepted or destroyed. Russian strikes killed three people in Sloviansk and an ambulance driver in the Kherson region, where at least 33 others were injured, Ukrainian officials said. In Russia, a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Belgorod region. Moscow said its forces shot down 610 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, Crimea and the Black Sea. More than 350 flights at Moscow’s airports were cancelled or delayed. The Kremlin also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had approved a programme to restore trade and logistics facilities damaged in drone attacks.

Protesters across France took to the streets on Saturday over rising living costs, joining high school students who have been demonstrating for better education conditions amid more than three weeks of school blockades. The latest mobilisation followed social media calls to revive the Yellow Vest movement, which emerged in 2018 to protest social injustice. Student groups involved in demonstrations since mid-September have urged others to join the protests. The CGT, one of France’s major labour unions, also backed the demonstrations, demanding higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people’s needs. President Emmanuel Macron called for calm and respect for people and property on Friday as officials warned of possible violence. “There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself, and I have always been vigilant and attentive that that right is fully respected,” Macron said in Brussels. However, he stressed that the right to protest must be exercised with respect for people and property, and without insults or destruction. He described the potential presence of people intent solely on causing damage and unrest as “unacceptable”. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said hundreds of protest actions and more than 80 marches were expected nationwide, including spontaneous gatherings, street demonstrations and blockades. In Paris, a march was scheduled to begin in the early afternoon at Place de la République, northeast of the city centre. Police banned some other planned gatherings in central Paris. Several Metro stations were also closed at police request, including stations near the Champs-Élysées, the presidential palace, parliament and government offices. France has witnessed thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and arson attacks on schools in recent weeks as student protests spread nationwide following the start of the new school year. The demonstrations have also influenced the country's presidential election campaign and attracted international attention. Some teenagers have suffered severe injuries allegedly caused by police crowd-control weapons. Nuñez suspended the use of a particular type of police stun grenade against young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand. On Tuesday, climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

Poland is blaming Russia for an arson attack on a Starlink satellite station in September and two Turkish citizens have been arrested in connection with the suspected act of sabotage, authorities said. The suspects, whose names were not released in line with Polish privacy rules, were arrested in Germany, Polish officials said Monday. They are accused of deliberately setting fire to Starlink infrastructure on Sept. 23 in Wola Krobowska, Poland, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Warsaw. “We have no doubt that Russian intelligence services are behind this act of sabotage,” Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services, said in a news release, noting that Russian intelligence services are increasingly turning to people with ties to the criminal underworld. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a post on X, called the incident “another act of hybrid warfare.” Other details were not immediately available. The Poland arson in September was one of more than 210 incidents across Europe that Western officials consider sabotage and malign activity linked to Russia tracked by The Associated Press since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A British court last year found three men guilty of arson in a March 2024 plot that targeted a London warehouse with Starlinks for Ukraine inside. British prosecutors said it was masterminded by Russia’s intelligence services. Officials say one goal of the attacks is to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources. Russia often uses proxies for such attacks and some perpetrators say they have no idea they have been hired by Moscow. Tech titan Elon Musk has allowed the Ukrainians to use his Starlink satellite communications system inside their own territory, including in Russian-occupied regions, but has restricted use of the satellite system inside Russia. Starlink has become deeply embedded in Ukraine’s military operations, with commanders and soldiers relying on satellite connectivity to communicate and coordinate operations. Polish spy chief says Ukraine's allies are facing near-constant Russian subversion Russia’s intelligence services are carrying out almost “daily acts of subversion,” Siemoniak said Tuesday at a security conference in Warsaw. “There is not a week where activities do not happen,” and the same goes for other European countries, he said, adding that the activity is aimed at countries that support Ukraine. He said Russia’s covert malign activity in Poland started in early 2024 as Russia recruited disposable agents on platforms like Telegram to carry out attacks, including against a shopping center. “Our enemy — that is Russia’s intelligence services — changes its methods of operation and has unlimited resources,” Siemoniak said. Fighting against Russia’s intelligence services is not like taking down an organized crime group where the group is convicted and the case is closed, he said. In the case of subversive activity, as soon as you cut one head off, another grows and “you never know what direction they will pursue next,” he said. “In cases of the subversive activity, it’s like the story of the dragon whose heads keep growing and you never know which direction they pursue next,” Beate Gangås, Norway's director-general of the Police Security Service, told the conference. “We are in the most serious situation since the Second World War.”

France has seen thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries, and schools set on fire as the new school year descended into nationwide student protests that are influencing France's presidential election campaign and drawing international attention. It’s the latest challenge to Emmanuel Macron’s presidency in a country beset by crises, both foreign and domestic. The majority of protesters have been peaceful, but violence on the fringes is having an impact, with a daily menu of fireworks thrown at police and volleys of tear gas fired at high school pupils. On Tuesday, climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, as France faced a new day of nationwide marches and strikes on top of the blockades at schools. Here is what to know about the movement: The protests started in a Paris suburb Demonstrations first erupted last month in a high school in Creteil southeast of Paris over a lack of staff. From there, class strikes, blockades and demonstrations spread to other Paris suburbs and then nationwide, even in smaller towns. Hundreds of schools had to close because of damage or attacks on staff. High schoolers are expressing broad grievances over schools that are under-resourced, with dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff, notably in lower-income neighborhoods. French media have shown videos of scampering rats, collapsed ceilings, leaks, broken furniture and other woes in dilapidated schools. Some students also complain that during summer heat waves, they roast in classrooms without air-conditioning, while in winter they freeze. They say school days, which often run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., are too exhausting and the university entrance system is complex and unfair. Some university students have also joined the protests. There have been broader concerns in France that the country's education system is losing ground to other countries and failing in its mission to enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to move up the social ladder. Scores in reading comprehension and mathematics have plunged, according to the latest PISA report, which evaluates students worldwide. A muscular police response has drawn criticism Riot police have liberally used tear gas and wielded their batons to disperse crowds. Police made more than 6,600 arrests nationwide as of last week, an unusually high number for a French protest movement. A police tear gas grenade shattered a 14-year-old’s jaw and many of his teeth. A 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a police stun grenade. Other adolescents have also suffered life-changing injuries blamed on police weaponry during protests. Macron’s government has repeatedly said that it respects the right to peaceful protest, but it has also issued written orders for police to break up protests that block access to schools and to rapidly put a stop to violence and vandalism. Police and school staff have been targeted with powerful fireworks and other injury-causing projectiles. The interior ministry says acid has been hurled in some cases, and that people intent on destruction and looting have grafted themselves onto the high schoolers’ movement. Presidential candidates are seizing the moment Candidates campaigning to succeed Macron in a coming presidential election in April and May have seized on the demonstrations as a political issue. Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has positioned himself firmly on the side of the students and has decried police actions. His party invited high school activists on stage at a rally Sunday, then proposed lowering the voting age to 16 and scrapping selective admissions at universities. Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has called for broader police powers against rioters. Conservative former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, one of Le Pen’s main challengers for the presidency, has condemned those who “break things, burn things or assault people.” Some other European countries have seen unrest Taking grievances to the streets is hardly unusual in the country that spawned the French Revolution of 1789. To name just a few, there were mass student protests in 1968, weeks of suburban unrest in 2005, yellow vest protests in 2018-2019, and demonstrations in 2023 against raising the retirement age. But some other countries have also seen some student unrest. In neighboring Belgium, some schools closed in Liege, a day after violence in the city and arrests there. Several Italian cities also saw student protests last week, though on a smaller scale than in France and focused on a broader set of domestic grievances.