Paris (France) (AFP) – Lawyers said Friday they would sue the interior minister over alleged police brutality during France's ongoing protests, which they say has led to severe injuries, including several demonstrators hit in the eye.

France has been rocked by high-school student blockades and cost-of-living protests in recent weeks, less than six months before elections to replace centrist President Emmanuel Macron after his maximum two terms, with the far right leading in the polls.

Rights activists have accused law enforcement of using disproportionate force, following several incidents including a 15-year-old losing a hand to a crowd-control grenade.

"We now believe it is imperative to target the person responsible for these mutilations and massive damage, namely Interior Minister Laurent Nunez," attorney Arie Alimi said at a press conference of lawyers representing at least 18 victims.

He said the lawyers would lodge a complaint with the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), the only court able to deal with cases against sitting members of government "for the orders he gave to use weapons which he knows to be mutilating".

Around 10 of their clients have given their consent to sign this collective complaint before the CJR, the lawyers said.

Alimi said the chances were slim it would lead to the opening of an investigation.

But "we have to do something to prevent more people from being mutilated, especially children," he said.

[...]

Police's rubber-coated projectile balls or grenades have caused at least 20 people -- including teenagers -- to be seriously injured during protests since mid-September, according to an AFP count.

As of October 30, police had opened 105 internal investigations into allegations of police brutality, according to a source close to the case.

Of those, 52 were linked to the high school student movement, 48 to violence during mass protests on October 17 and 18, and five to incidents on October 24.

Earlier cases of alleged police brutality included a 14-year-old who in September lost most of his teeth when a police officer appeared to fire a grenade at him at very close range.

A 15-year-old in October lost his hand at a protest when a grenade exploded. A police union source said he picked it up, but a witness said the grenade landed on him.

Alimi said more cases were still being discovered, with a particularly "horrifying" toll for October 17, a day when arson and looting broke out in several cities on the sidelines of peaceful protests.

"It feels like being in a wartime infirmary," he said.

Among those wounded on October 17 was his client Ahmed Benmezroua, a 27-year-old independent photographer who had been attending his first protest in Paris. He almost died after a grenade ruptured an artery in his leg, he said.

A young engineer was "on the verge of losing his foot" after a grenade exploded underneath it, the lawyer said.

A 19-year-old nursing student was hit in the eye with a sting-ball grenade, resulting in a fractured nose and possible loss of the use of an eye, Alimi added.

In the eastern city of Strasbourg, a 27-year-old lost an eye after police fired a sting-ball grenade on October 17, the lawyer said.

At a protest the same day in the eastern city of Mulhouse, a student called Maissa lost the use of an eye just before her 18th birthday, her attorney Pierre Brunisso said.

Several demonstrators were wounded in the eye during the Yellow Vest protest movement that shook Macron's first term.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – A US federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's massive triumphal arch project on Thursday, casting doubt over the future of the project hours after it was green-lit by a public commission.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, ruled that the Trump administration cannot start construction on the arch for two weeks while the court considers challenges to its legality.

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) had voted 8-4 to approve the project earlier Thursday, despite hearing hours of testimony from dozens of furious opponents who questioned its legality and purpose.

Chief among the complaints was the location of the 250-foot (76-meter) tall structure: adjacent to the hallowed Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for hundreds of thousands of American service members.

The giant arch would be much taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, its inspiration. It would also tower over the Lincoln Memorial, directly across the Potomac River.

The four dissenting commissioners had called for the decision to be delayed, noting there were legal concerns, a lack of congressional appropriation to fund the project and questions about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claims of the arch's military use.

But the majority on the panel, which is controlled by Trump allies, voted against a delay and the Trump administration said it aimed to start work right away.

Chutkan's ruling sided with several veterans and the attorneys general of Washington and Virginia, who had sued seeking to halt construction of the arch.

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Tehran (AFP) – Iran said Saturday its military has grown "stronger" since the outset of its war with the United States, which has offered a $20 million reward for information about Tehran's nuclear programme.

Mediators have been working to prevent any resumption of fighting after months of deadlock in the Middle East conflict, which began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Tehran has sought to limit traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Tehran retained control over the strategic waterway and that it would remain closed until its demands were met by the United States.

He also said Iran's forces had grown stronger and more confident, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

"Today, the Islamic Republic's armed forces... having gained experience from direct confrontation with the United States and the Israeli regime, are on higher alert and are stronger than they were at the beginning of the war," he said.

"They now possess greater motivation, commitment, and self-confidence."

"Under the order of the Supreme Leader, the response of the armed forces will be immediate, effective, and without geographical limitations," he added.

On Friday, the US military said it was offering a $20 million reward "and possible relocation" for information about Iran's nuclear programme.

Rewards for Justice, a State Department programme, was seeking information on topics including "facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community," US Central Command said on X.

The programme was established in 1984 under the State Department's national security rewards programme to offer money for information that protects American lives and interests.

In a statement about the reward, the State Department said Iran's "lack of compliance with the (International Atomic Energy Agency) on safeguards obligations has led to the agency's loss of 'continuity of knowledge' regarding Iran's production and inventory of key components like centrifuges."

It did not specify what type of information would warrant a $20 million reward.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said US forces have effectively obliterated Iran's nuclear programme.

"If we didn't hit Iran, you wouldn't have Israel today," Trump said Friday night in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"If they had nuclear, they would have used nuclear. They would have obliterated the Middle East."

...

Washington (United States) (AFP) – Washington is offering a $20 million reward "and possible relocation" for information about Iran's nuclear program, the US military said Friday, as President Donald Trump reiterated Tehran wants to make a deal to end the war.

A State Department program, Rewards for Justice, "is offering a reward of up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran's nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community," US Central Command said on X.

The program was established in 1984 under the State Department's national security rewards program to offer money for information that protects American lives and interests.

In its statement about the reward, the State Department said Iran's "lack of compliance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) on safeguards obligations has led to the agency's loss of 'continuity of knowledge' regarding Iran's production and inventory of key components like centrifuges.

It gave no specific parameters on what information would yield a $20 million reward.

Trump has repeatedly said US forces have effectively obliterated Iran's nuclear program.

"If we didn't hit Iran, you wouldn't have Israel today," Trump said Friday night in West Palm Beach, Florida. "If they had nuclear, they would have used nuclear. They would have obliterated the Middle East."

But the president also said Iran -- which he stressed has had its economy and military severely damaged over eight months of war -- is eager to end the conflict.

"We're dealing with them now. They want to make a deal very badly," he said.

Diplomatic efforts by mediators have been in full swing in an attempt to prevent any resumption of fighting.

And on Tuesday Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was still trying to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

Earlier this week Trump said he still had to "take care" of one or two targets, including so-called Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, a suspected nuclear site which Tehran denies is such a facility.

A self-proclaimed preacher from Kenya was sentenced to 200 years in prison on Friday for murdering 191 people, mostly children, by forcing them to starve to death. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered since 2023 at the cult's base near the beach resort of Malindi, in what became known as the Shakahola forest massacre.

Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie was accused of inciting his followers to starve themselves to death to "meet Jesus".

Last month, he was found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult between January 2021 and September 2023, alongside 28 co-accused.

The former taxi driver appeared indifferent as he arrived at Mombasa High Court on Friday.

Justice Diana Mochache said Mackenzie bore the "primary criminal culpability" for ordering his followers to fast to death.

"The sentence is appropriate and just, to send an unmistakable message that such atrocities warrant the maximum penalties allowed by law," she said.

The court sentenced him to 100 years for homicide charges and 100 years for offences related to starvation. Twenty-eight accomplices were also sentenced to a range of prison terms, the longest 160 years.

Mackenzie's lawyer said he would appeal.

The cult leader has also denied charges of manslaughter and terrorism in separate cases.

Francis Wanje, a 62-year-old teacher who lost two grandchildren, told French news agency AFP he had hoped Mackenzie would be sentenced to death to prevent further tragedies.

"Nothing can ease the pain," said Wanje, who blamed authorities for failing to act swiftly. "I really have great [anger] towards the authorities. If they had taken action, we would not be here today."

Prosecutors had called for the death penalty, citing the scale of the loss of life and the danger posed by Mackenzie's actions.

Although Kenya's law provides for the death penalty, the country has not carried out an execution since 1987.

Prosecutors also asked the court to sentence Mackenzie's co-accused to life imprisonment, arguing they had "been deeply indoctrinated by Mackenzie and were at risk of reoffending". They included guards who enforced his orders to fast and people who dug graves to conceal the bodies of those who died.

Around 120 prosecution witnesses testified during the trial.

Mackenzie established his church, Good News International Ministries, in 2003, setting up branches in Nairobi and along Kenya's coast that attracted thousands of devotees.

According to witnesses, the doomsday movement denounced formal education as "satanic", viewed modern medicine and hospitals as instruments of the devil and required followers to cut themselves off from the outside world.

...

Dublin (AFP) – Ireland's government said Friday that hoax bomb claims sent to Irish media outlets amid a spate of threats against Europe-wide flights were "likely" part of a "co-ordinated campaign of disruption".

Dozens of commercial flights in Europe have been targeted by false bomb threats this week, forcing authorities to reroute some planes or escort civilian aircraft with fighter jets.

No explosives have been found in any of the incidents so far, and those responsible have not been identified.

Some of the messages have come in emails signed by "fighters of the Male State", which matches the name of a radical misogynist group in Russia -- though AFP has not confirmed any link to the messages.

The group's founder, Vladislav Pozdniakov, denied any involvement, saying on social media Friday that the "movement does not exist since 2021".

The threats spread to a new target, with staff at several Irish media organisations evacuated after bomb threats were emailed to newsrooms, said the Irish government.

"These threats come on the heels of the ongoing disruption to aviation around Europe caused by similar threats, and it seems likely that this is a co-ordinated campaign of disruption," it added.

British broadcaster Sky News told AFP it had also received a "security threat" on Friday, but gave no further details.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was unclear whether the hoaxes and recent cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems at French blood banks and European supermarkets were "all connected".

"But they definitely all tell us the same thing: today, what is under attack are civilian infrastructures."

The NATO alliance continued to monitor the situation and was working "closely with allies", according to a senior NATO military official.

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Frankfurt (Germany) (AFP) – After decades of making bumper profits in China, Germany's carmakers have run out of road and sales have slumped dramatically, forcing painful job losses at home.

Volkswagen's woes in China pushed Europe's largest carmaker to a 5.8 billion euro ($6.5 billion) loss for the three months to end-September.

The 10-brand group's declining fortunes in the world's largest car market are the main reason behind a historic restructuring drive that could see it shed up to 120,000 jobs by the end of the decade.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are also cutting jobs, and all three have issued profit warnings this year.

"Nobody was prepared for the swiftness or the violence of the pivot," Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights told AFP. "The fall for the German automakers has been really abrupt."

The big three German carmakers' annual vehicle deliveries in China fell about a third between 2019 and 2025 to 3.87 million, according to AFP calculations based on company disclosures.

Chinese carmakers' shares of their domestic market meanwhile rose to 65.3 from 37.8 percent, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

...

Madrid (AFP) – The European Union is investigating the possible misuse of EU funds earmarked for the renovation of a Spanish railway line where a train crash killed 69 people, prosecutors said Friday.

The October accident on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line was one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century, overshadowing Spain's upcoming general election in November.

A similar investigation into the same stretch of track had already been opened in March in the wake of another accident that claimed 46 lives in the southern province of Andalusia in January, European prosecutors said.

"Today, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Madrid (Spain) is conducting investigative measures at the Administrator of Railway Infrastructure (ADIF), the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Court of Auditors in Spain," a statement from the prosecutors said.

"This comes after the opening of an investigation into possible fraud affecting EU funds allocated to the renovation and upgrading of safety, signaling and communications systems on the Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line," the EPPO added.

"This exceptional confirmation comes following high public interest and no further details will be made public at this stage."

Spain's Court of Audit confirmed that Spanish police officers were present at ADIF's offices to carry out searches at European prosecutors' request.

The fraud investigation comes on top of another probe launched by a Spanish court to establish how the crash happened.

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Lima (AFP) – More than 3,000 tarantulas were seized at an airport in Lima before the furry crawlers could be smuggled to Germany, Peruvian authorities told AFP on Thursday.

The spiders were hidden in dirty socks contained in three suitcases carried by two Germans and a Polish citizen, according to the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR).

During a routine customs inspection, agents noticed some unusual wriggling inside the luggage.

"We noticed that some of them were moving. There were small ones and large ones," said Cora Suarez, a SERFOR wildlife control technician.

Just one tarantula can sell for around 500 euros in Europe, Suarez said. That amounts to a potential 1.5 million-euro wildlife trafficking scheme for just one trip.

The hidden arachnids, which came from several regions of the country, were found in varying stages of development, from eggs and hatchlings to adults, Suarez said.

The Europeans accused of smuggling the tarantulas were detained by police specializing in environmental crimes and will face criminal proceedings, SERFOR said.

Illegal wildlife trafficking is a highly lucrative criminal activity that generates around $20 billion annually worldwide, according to Interpol.

Such trafficking is among the primary causes of the loss of biodiversity on the planet.

Asuncion (Paraguay) (AFP) – Paraguay's Senate on Friday rejected President Santiago Pena's bid to delay his impeachment trial over a banking scandal that has seen millions of people temporarily lose access to their deposits.

Senate President Basilio Nunez said Pena's bid for a three-day delay to prepare his defense "did not receive the necessary votes, so the extension is rejected."

He said Pena would be "notified and summoned" for the impeachment proceedings due to start Friday.

The crisis erupted on Tuesday, when the Central Bank took control of Ueno Bank over fears for its solvency and froze the accounts of around three million customers, nearly half the country's population.

Pena, who previously owned a stake in a group that controlled the bank, tendered his resignation on Thursday, but Congress put his resignation on hold while the impeachment process moved forward.

Writing on X, the 47-year-old president, an economist by training, said earlier Friday he had asked for a 72-hour extension to prepare his defense.

He said that he had been served with a 15-page indictment with around 300 pages of appendices only the evening before.

"This is not due process," he added hours before the Senate was due to hold the impeachment hearing.

The Central Bank's intervention in Ueno on Tuesday came as a shock in the South American country, which has a reputation for being economically and politically stable.

The Central Bank said that Ueno had breached minimum solvency requirements.

Pena, who came to power in 2023, owned shares in Grupo Vasquez, which has majority control of Ueno, until 2025 when he sold them.

The opposition accuses him of conflict of interest, which he denies.

The Attorney General's Office said it is investigating Pena for "acts related to the supervision and resolution of Ueno Bank S.A. and the placement of public funds in said entity."

In an address to the nation on Thursday, the right-wing leader said: "I want to apologize to the people if at any point I failed."

"It was never my intention to betray the trust you placed in me," he added.

...

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – California Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday he was commuting all death sentences across the state to life imprisonment, in a move that will affect over 500 prisoners.

Newsom, who is widely expected to make a run for the White House in 2028, said capital punishment was "incompatible" with the values of the most populous state in the US.

"Today I am acting on my long and deeply held conviction that individually and collectively we are stronger as a society when we reject state-sanctioned killing," he wrote in a letter addressed "to all Californians."

With 548 people awaiting execution in California, the state has one of the largest death row populations in the world.

However, it has not carried out a death sentence for two decades, even as courts continue to impose the penalty on those convicted of murder and other serious crimes.

"Many Californians feel that those who commit brutal crimes deserve to die. But as governor, I have concluded the state cannot morally kill them," he said, calling the decision "among the most difficult of my career."

"I do, however, pray that this action will finally separate the memories of the victims of these crimes from the fate of those who harmed them. We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honor their victims."

The announcement comes with a renewed spotlight on the death penalty in the United States, one of the few wealthy countries to retain capital punishment.

Three other US states -- Alabama, Florida and Indiana -- each carried out executions on the same day as Newsom's announcement.

In September, the state of Tennessee failed twice to kill convicted murderer Christa Pike with a lethal injection before rushing her to hospital. The drama made headlines around the world.

Last month Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the firing squad execution of a man who went on a shooting rampage at a US Army base would be livestreamed.

Days later and after an outcry from both sides of the political aisle, as well as from the Catholic Church and the United Nations, President Donald Trump cancelled the plan, saying Nidal Hasan would still die, but that the sentence would not be broadcast.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump signed an order Thursday designating the Oval Office as a national monument, redoubling his focus on beautifying the White House despite a brutal midterms defeat for his Republican Party.

Critics accused Trump of ignoring voter concerns over the Iran war and affordability ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections and obsessing instead on multiple construction and renovation projects in the capital.

The day after Democrats won the House of Representatives and Senate, Trump virtually ignored the result and showed off construction work on his new White House ballroom instead.

This time Trump's focus was on the Oval Office, which he has bedecked with gold ornaments since returning to power last year, and the neighboring Cabinet Room.

He said the proclamation would "make it impossible for anybody ever to destroy this incredible space" and prevent future presidents from carrying out any building work on the two rooms.

"It won't be able to be taken down, destroyed, touched, or anything else. It's called actually a national monument," Trump told reporters.

The move however fueled speculation that Trump could be preparing further work on the West Wing, after several hints that he could move reporters out of the famed briefing room located near the Oval.

Trump's signing of the order in the Oval Office was not broadcast on major US networks as he has banned CNN from the rotating "pool" of television outlets that cover White House events.

Trump did give one nod to the midterms, with a red baseball cap with the word "veto" on the Resolute Desk in front of him.

The 80-year-old Republican has threatened to use his presidential powers to block Democratic legislation, although saying he was also ready to work with the rival party.

Jakarta (Indonesia) (AFP) – The Australian government has deployed a military transport aircraft to help Indonesia put out wildfires in Borneo that are causing toxic haze across the region, both countries have said.

The months-long blazes have engulfed huge tracts of land and produced air pollution that has harmed human health, drifted across borders and frayed Indonesia's ties with its neighbours.

The C-130 Hercules plane left the Indonesian capital Jakarta for East Kalimantan province on Thursday to join local water-bombing efforts, the Indonesian disaster agency chief said.

"Based on our monitoring and observations, as well as discussions with the Australian technical team, there are still many hotspots in the East Kalimantan region," Kristomei Sianturi said in a statement late on Thursday.

The C-130 can drop 15,000 litres of water per sortie, or just over 100,000 litres per day, according to a statement from the Australian embassy in Indonesia.

Ambassador Rod Brazier said the countries were "enduring friends" and recalled support that Indonesia sent to help battle Australia's own devastating bushfires in 2020.

Australia is also sending a Cessna Citation aircraft as a guide plane as well as 20 personnel, including pilots, flight crew and paramedics.

The air operation is scheduled to last for seven days, from 6 to 12 November.

Deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas estimates the blazes consumed more than 1.9 million hectares of land in the first nine months of the year.

Experts say much of the destruction is linked to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices, often associated with the expansion of timber, palm oil and mining operations.

More than 400,000 people in Indonesia have been treated for acute respiratory ailments caused by the toxic haze, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Japan also sent about 350 Self-Defense Forces members with three helicopters to help with firefighting efforts in West Kalimantan in September.

Tokyo (AFP) – Tokyo said Friday it had demanded the immediate release of Japan Tobacco's assets seized in Russia, as relations with Moscow sour following the arrest of a Japanese journalist on spying allegations.

The seizure, which the Kremlin ordered Thursday, is the latest move against a foreign company's Russian operations under rules that Moscow casts as retribution for international sanctions.

Japan Tobacco is one of the world's biggest tobacco companies and holds around 40 percent of the Russian cigarette market, according to media reports.

Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara said that two senior officials from Tokyo visiting Russia "had lodged a protest with the Russian government together with the ambassador of Japan to Russia, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the measure".

Japan Tobacco said Friday that four of the group's manufacturing subsidiaries had been placed under temporary control and it was assessing "possible actions".

"Our group has continued its business operations in Russia while complying with all domestic and international sanctions and regulations," the firm said in a statement.

A decree issued by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the assets would be taken into "temporary administration".

Control of the company's Russian operations has been handed to a Russian company called "Industrial Assets", the decree stipulated.

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Istanbul (AFP) – A Turkish former minister and senior ruling party official was placed in detention pending trial on Friday as part of an investigation into a multi-billion-dollar investment fund scandal, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya was remanded in custody by an Istanbul court on charges of "violating the capital markets law" and "membership of an organisation established for the purpose of committing crimes", it said.

Kaya served as families minister from 2016 to 2018 and until recently was a deputy chair of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP.

She stepped down from the party role on September 26 after an opposition lawmaker sought clarification over claims she and her husband had made substantial profits through transactions involving shares which they allegedly offloaded before the scandal broke.

According to the prosecutors' referral document quoted by Anadolu, Kaya is suspected of having access to insider investment information.

It said she knew Erdin Ozel, a manager of the Tera Group, one of the firms at the heart of the investigation, and had been in touch with him "intensively" during the investment process.

Tera Group had invested heavily in shares in shipbuilding firm Ozata Denizcilik, it said.

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Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa's once-dominant African National Congress was headed for its worst-ever election performance Friday with about a third of support after 80 percent of the votes from local government polls had been counted.

Wednesday's municipal elections were dominated by concerns over failing water and power supplies in one of Africa's wealthiest nations which became a democracy in 1994 when the ANC took power.

With final results expected by Sunday, the election authority dashboard showed the ANC was still the largest party with 31.8 percent of votes after 80 percent had been counted.

Projections released Thursday by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a state-funded research body, put its support at nearly 32 percent.

This was its lowest score yet for the party after it secured just over 40 percent at the 2024 national polls and 46 percent at the previous municipal elections in 2021.

At the heart of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, the ANC -- the party of jailed liberation hero-turned-president Nelson Mandela -- took nearly 70 percent of the national vote in 2004.

"This is the most severe result that the ANC would have feared," political analyst Daniel Silke told AFP. "It's the ANC's worst result in history."

"It will undermine its ability to exert authority across South Africa, not just at a local level, but frankly at a national level as well," he told AFP.

"And opposition parties will be smelling blood when it comes to the next election in 2029."

The party now led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has borne the brunt of criticism about years of municipal mismanagement that have left South Africans grappling with failing water supplies, persistent power cuts and crumbling public services.

The pro-business, centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) was placing second with 24.2 percent of votes, according to the 80 percent count. This was up from nearly 22 percent in the 2021 local government election.

Dar es Salaam (AFP) – Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for inciting unrest, potentially barring him from the next election, in a case that has drawn international condemnation.

Tanzania was considered one of the more stable democracies in Africa but has seen its reputation plummet as the long-ruling government has cracked down brutally on the opposition and protests.

Lissu, head of the main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested ahead of last year's presidential election on treason charges and has spent 19 months in jail.

The court said he was not guilty of treason, but instead convicted him of incitement -- even though it was not among the charges in the case -- and sentenced him to four years in prison.

That could mean he remains in prison until just after the next scheduled election in October 2030.

"We are satisfied that through his statements, the accused intended to disrupt elections and instigate violence," the judge told a courtroom packed with his supporters.

Lissu responded that the trial was "political persecution", accusing the judges of following the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's orders.

"Excuses were created to imprison me," he told the court.

"I was not charged with incitement but you judges are convicting me with it just to impress the person who gives you the titles. I believe these were directives," he said.

Hassan's government carried out a wave of arrests and abductions targeting opponents and critics ahead of the October 2025 ballot, sparking huge protests during the election, which she ultimately won with 98 percent of the vote.

The authorities' response resulted in security forces killing thousands, according to the opposition and rights groups. The government puts the death toll at 518.

Security was heightened across the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and around the courthouse ahead of the verdict, with police warning against "those who want to stage a coup".

Analysts had warned that a treason conviction could trigger further unrest in the east African nation.

"It's a travesty of justice," John Kitoka, Chadema's head of foreign affairs, told AFP.

"The main purpose of the judgement was to keep him in prison during the next election," Kitoka said, though he added that Chadema would not take part in polls until they were "fair, independent or credible".

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Halle (Saale) (Germany) (AFP) – Immigrant shopkeepers in the eastern German city of Halle, fearful for their future after the virulently anti-immigrant AfD party scored a landslide victory in recent regional elections, staged a one-day strike Thursday.

"Because of the AfD and the racism -- well, I just can't stay here in Halle," Mohamad-Samer, who works at a fast-food restaurant that shut as part of the demonstration and did not want to give his last name, told AFP.

"And everyone else -- all the Syrians, all the foreigners -- they cannot stay here either," said the 29-year-old who has lived in the city for three years.

Barber shops, restaurants and small retail shops -- about 30 businesses in total -- all joined the demonstration, pulling down their shutters and marking off their businesses with red-and-white tape.

The coordinated action, dubbed "Halle Without Us?", was aimed at showing how vital immigrants are for the life of this mid-sized city in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which campaigned on pledges of mass deportations and touted the slogan "Remigration now!", won nearly 44 percent of the vote in September's state election.

Around 200 people also gathered in the market square on Thursday to speak out against the growing uncertainty faced by immigrants and refugees in Saxony-Anhalt.

Dalal Mirzo, one of the organisers, said daily racism and attacks had increased since the vote.

"Thirty shops joined in, but many others didn't dare to participate," said Mirzo, 38, an immigrant from Syria who settled in Halle 11 years ago.

"They are afraid because a significant number of their customers are far-right extremists, and they fear facing repercussions."

Fadi Darwish, who co-owns a shisha bar with his father, said he wasn't necessarily worried about his own future because of the AfD: "I know that if I was able to build something from scratch here, I could do the same thing somewhere else."

But Darwish, 21, who has lived in Halle for 13 years, said he hopes that his neighbours realise that the vast majority of Arab immigrants are hard-working people who contribute to the community.

"I hope that others -- the German people -- understand that, without us, many things wouldn't function properly," he told AFP in front of his closed shop.

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AFP) – A court in the Chinese territory of Macau sentenced ex-lawmaker and democracy campaigner Au Kam San to 12 years and six months in prison on Friday for subversion and other offences.

Au, 69, is the first person convicted under national security laws widened in 2023 in Macau, the former Portuguese colony and casino hub which reverted to China in 1999.

He co-organised annual vigils for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing, something previously tolerated only in Macau and neighbouring Hong Kong.

Au, detained in July 2025 and whose closed-door trial concluded in September within three days, was found guilty of "subversion against the political power of the State" and other offences, a court statement said.

Au helped "external hostile organisations in the collection, preparation, and public dissemination of various images and information that were manifestly filled with political claims of a subversive nature against the political authority of the State", it said.

He also sought to "incite hatred among Macau residents" against China, with the intent to "overthrow and undermine the fundamental system" of the state enshrined in the Chinese constitution, it added.

Macau's government welcomed the verdict, vowing to "strictly enforce the Macau National Security Law, prevent, stop, and punish acts endangering national security".

It added in a statement that it would "ensure the steady and long-term implementation of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle with Macau characteristics".

China dismissed criticism of the sentencing, and opposed any foreign entities "using individual judicial cases to interfere in Macau's internal affairs and China's domestic affairs".

Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman added that Macau has the responsibility and the right to deal with "acts suspected of colluding with external forces", and it was "entirely consistent with international law and common international practice".

The European Union had condemned Au's arrest last year, saying it only heightened concerns about the "erosion of political pluralism" in Macau.

The organisation Justice Abroad said in a statement in July that Au's family had not been permitted to see or speak to him since shortly after he was detained.

"My father dedicated more than 30 years of his life to serving the people of Macau," his daughter Cherry was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Nearly a year has passed, and we are still unable to communicate with him."

London (AFP) – British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.

Brand, who closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, was cleared of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Judge Joel Bennathan warned the 51-year-old actor turned conservative, religious online guru that he faced a "significant custodial term".

After the verdicts, London's Metropolitan Police paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them".

"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement.

"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy added.

Brand was convicted of four sexual offences -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.

He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that although he used to be promiscuous he had always had consensual sex.

The prosecution had earlier described him as a "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" sexual predator.

Moscow (AFP) – The Kremlin denied Thursday it was behind cyberattacks that hit supermarket fridges across Europe this week, calling the allegations against Moscow "absurd."

Grocery stores in at least nine European countries saw fridge temperatures soar, forcing retailers to discard hundreds of millions of dollars of food. The European Union warned of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the continent's food supplies.

European countries have in recent months warned of increased Russian sabotage activity as Moscow's war against Ukraine drags on for almost five years.

"These are absurd statements and they, as always, have no argumentation or proof behind them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian state media.

"These baseless accusations against our country, implicating it in everything –- well, unfortunately, this is becoming something of a persistent trend in European countries. I would like to emphasise once again that this is an utterly absurd accusation," he added.

Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported refrigeration problems this week. France suffered a major attack last month.

Western countries have accused Russia of regular cyberattacks, a trend that has increased since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine in 2022. Russia consistently denies the accusations.

Asuncion (Paraguay) (AFP) – Paraguayan President Santiago Pena resigned on Thursday after the takeover of a bank linked to the US-allied leader blocked almost half the population from accessing their money.

The Central Bank takeover of Ueno Bank two days earlier froze the deposits of some three million people, including pensioners, and sparked angry protests across the country.

Demonstrations in Asuncion have drawn hundreds of people, some waving placards calling for the right-wing president's impeachment and others clashing with police, who used tear gas and water cannons on the crowd.

"I don't even want to talk anymore, it's not worth it because I've run out of money," street vendor Reinaldo Gomez, 48, told AFP.

Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday submitted a request to impeach Pena over the crisis, alleging misconduct and a conflict of interest in dealings with the bank to which he is tied.

"I want to apologize to the people if at any point I failed. It was never my intention to betray the trust you placed in me," the right-wing president said in a video announcing his resignation on X.

Pena's priority, he added, is "the peace of mind of Paraguayans who entrusted their savings to our financial system."

Minutes after the announcement, lawmakers including those from Pena's ruling party unanimously approved the launch of impeachment proceedings against him while rejecting the same measure against Vice President Pedro Alliana.

...

London (AFP) – A UK government lawyer on Thursday defended before Britain's highest court the banning of Palestine Action as a "terrorist" organisation, insisting that it was not a "non-violent protest group".

Palestine Action was proscribed in July 2025 after a string of protests targeting a UK military site and defence contractors that caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Co-founder Huda Ammori has taken the legal battle against the decision to the Supreme Court after a successful High Court appeal was overturned this year.

Several people gathered outside the London court on both days of the hearing to support Palestine Action, and at least one woman was arrested Thursday, an AFP photographer saw.

The government's decision -- which places Palestine Action in the same category as the Islamist Al-Qaeda organisation and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah -- has made publicly supporting the group a criminal offence.

Since its proscription, some 4,200 people, including many elderly, have been arrested for showing support for it, according to the Defend Our Juries campaign group which has organised demonstrations.

Lawyer James Eadie told judges that Palestine Action was not a "transparent non-violent protest group", nor "part of a long and honourable tradition of civil disobedience".

"Their activities are planned and undertaken secretly in order to avoid detection," Eadie said, adding that "serious damage to property" -- even without injury to people -- could be considered "terrorism".

The ban came weeks after Palestine Action activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in southern England and spray-painted planes, sparking criticism from human rights organisations.

The lawyer for the Home Office said that no measure other than proscription "could properly be said to be equivalently effective".

Two UK Jewish groups have made legal submissions in support of the government's ban, saying the Jewish community was "especially vulnerable to Palestine Action's violent activities".

But Ammori's lawyer Raza Husain rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying Palestine Action "never targeted Jewish people and Jewish businesses".

"There are probably hundreds of 1000s of people, at least, whose profoundly important rights of political speech, association, and assembly... have been extinguished or seriously interfered with," Husain said.

The Supreme Court judges are expected to hand down a decision at a later date.