JERUSALEM — The United States could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a U.S. envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel. "Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and point man on Syria who does not have a direct role on Iran, told podcast host Mario Nawfal. President Donald Trump "is very clear. He's open and available and accessible to a deal and we've been at the table for months and months and months," Barrack said in an interview as he visited the Gulf. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections Tuesday, has in recent days repeatedly vowed to topple the clerical state in Iran, following two major bombing campaigns against it since last year. Trump has also signalled an openness to resuming strikes after a long deadlock in diplomacy, although he earlier said it would not happen before U.S. congressional elections on November 3. Barrack, in remarks that contradict Netanyahu, said the U.S. was not looking to topple the Islamic republic, a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel

PARIS — France will deploy some 70,000 police nationwide as it braces for new protests this weekend after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, the government said Friday. President Emmanuel Macron, who according to aides is postponing a visit later this month to Nigeria and Senegal amid the crisis, held a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials and was to meet security forces. He also hosted for the first time representatives of high school pupils, whose protests over conditions at their schools sparked the movement that has broadened into a nationwide show of anger against the government at the rising cost of living. Some 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at a press conference in Paris, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media. The protests have come at a critical moment for France six months ahead of elections to replace Macron, with a new poll underlining far-right candidate Marine Le Pen as the frontrunner a

TOKYO — Japanese author Ryu Murakami, whose edgy works heavily featured sex and violence and were translated globally, has died, his publisher said Friday. He was 74. "We are deeply and unbearably saddened to learn of the premature death of Ryu Murakami, who spent his career continuously releasing shocking works meant for a younger audience," publisher Gentosha said in a statement Friday. Among the writer's best-known works is his debut "Almost Transparent Blue", which depicted the depravity of youths steeped in drugs and sex and won him one of Japan's most prestigious literary awards in 1976. His 1980 novel, "Coin Locker Babies", featured children abandoned in baggage lockers and their subsequent survival, while the 1997 "In The Miso Soup" portrayed a tourist's plunge into Tokyo's red-light district. "We pray for the peace of Murakami, who raced his way through life as the frontrunner of an era," Gentosha said.

NEW YORK — New York's city council on Thursday voted to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, signaling the end of a tourist ritual that's been subject to years of heated debate. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who must sign the measure into law, had previously voiced support for such a ban but has also expressed concerns regarding protections for workers in the industry. If the mayor signs it, the ban will go into effect in June of 2028. The lead-up is meant to help the approximately 150 active carriage drives find new employment, city council speaker Julie Menin told journalists ahead of the vote. The Transport Workers Union representing those laborers have vowed court action. Legislative battles over the fate of the cultural tradition that's nearly as old as Central Park itself have been ongoing for nearly two decades. Critics say the animals suffer, pointing to deadly collapses and dangerous escapes, while advocates point to the jobs they create and the heritage they uphold. The bill includes a provision for exploring potential compensation for license holders, Menin said. It mandates that

PARIS — French authorities on Thursday imposed bans or restrictions on fresh protests springing up in the wake of demonstrations last weekend that degenerated into the country's worst street violence in years. President Emmanuel Macron said after chairing a meeting of key ministers and intelligence officials that curfews and other security measures would be imposed, including bans on "groups without legitimacy" holding protests. "The priority is a return to calm," he said, adding that he would chair a defence council meeting of key ministers on Friday to decide "the next steps" for new nationwide demonstrations called for Saturday and afterwards. The worst of the violence, Macron said, "was led by organised ultra-left groups aiming to bring down the republic," that he accused of "sedition." Officials are still reeling from the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism of public buildings that broke out on October 17, on the margins of mass demonstrations of more than half a million people against the surging cost of living. Macron's government has admitted police lost control, and candi

PARIS — The days of having to take out the trash or wash the dishes before leaving an Airbnb are numbered as the short-term rental platform is tightening rules on what conditions hosts may impose on guests. "Our rules regarding accommodations allow travelers to receive guidelines from hosts; however, our community has let us know that they can be confusing, restrictive, and difficult to manage," Airbnb said Thursday to AFP. New rules published this week that will apply to reservations made from November 20 will seek to reduce that confusion. In particular the new rules will generally prohibit hosts from asking guests "to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes." Hosts can still ask guests to put dirty dishes in the sink or separate trash and recyclables. Hosts will also no longer be able to impose fines or penalties on guests, who instead must seek compensation for any damage from insurance provided through Airbnb.

PARIS — French courts have jailed 217 people after convicting them in fast-track trials linked to last weekend's rioting, the justice minister said Thursday, hailing the judiciary's "extremely firm" response. Speaking outside the Fleury-Merogis prison on the outskirts of Paris, Gerald Darmanin said 2,700 people had been detained since Saturday. More than 1,000 of them had appeared in court, he said, of whom "217 people have been imprisoned... and this figure is continuing to rise a lot." Darmanin told reporters that of the 217 sent to jail "half had no criminal record," adding that "in general these are men aged between 18 to 25." "This shows that prosecutors and judges are imprisoning people who, until now, were not known to the judiciary and are first offenders. It shows that the decisions of the judiciary are being applied in an extremely firm way." Darmanin has vowed to oversee expedited trials to rapidly clear the backlog of cases and to serve as a deterrent. New protests over grievances including the rising cost of living are planned this weekend. But he has faced criticism from so