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

Several government, school and hospital websites across Europe and beyond were taken offline on Wednesday as organizations rushed to protect themselves from two critical security flaws in PHP, a programming language that powers a large share of the internet. Cybersecurity agencies across the world warned that organizations unable to apply fixes in time should consider taking affected sites offline. PHP's developers said a set of new updates fixing two previously identified critical vulnerabilities was available. Here are some major websites and services taken offline or otherwise affected: Germany A spokesperson for the German digital ministry said on Wednesday the federal IT service provider ITZBund had taken several websites offline due to the discovery of PHP vulnerabilities. The temporary deactivation was purely preventive and no security incidents were known to have occurred, the spokesperson said. France The Interior Ministry said it had temporarily taken offline the websites of prefectures, which are local government administrative offices, while awaiting a security fix for the PHP

An earthquake of magnitude 7 struck China's southwestern region of Tibet at around 10:33 p.m. (1433 GMT) on Thursday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said. It was not immediately known if there were any casualties or damage. The epicentre was in a high-altitude county in Nagqu, northern Tibet, at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), and the average elevation within 5 km of the epicentre is about 4,864 metres, CENC data showed. The quake, the strongest to hit China since January 2024, was clearly felt in the local area, CENC said. The epicentre was around 400 km from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 tremor struck Yushu, around 280 km away in neighbouring Qinghai province, killing at least 2,698 people and leaving nearly 300 people missing.

South Korea's international aid agency has decided to bring back one of its two staff members from its office in Ukraine's capital on safety grounds, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. Kyiv has come under increasingly heavy Russian drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, more than 4-1/2 years after Moscow's invasion of its neighbour. South Korea has also been caught up in a diplomatic dispute with Ukraine and withdrew its ambassador this month after accusing Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to the South. The decision by the Korea International Cooperation Agency to repatriate the aid agency staff member was made after a safety meeting, Yonhap said in its report. It cited an official from the agency who did not mention the dispute over the prisoners of war. The other staff member would stay in Kyiv, it added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the UN General Assembly in September that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South. He said the men had been sent there after be

NEW YORK — Oil prices climbed about 2 percent to a five-month high on Thursday after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns of further disruption to energy supplies from the key exporting region. Brent futures rose $2.42, or 2.2 percent, to $111.24 a barrel at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.14, or 1.2 percent, to $98.29. That drove Brent into technically overbought territory for a third time in a week and set for its highest close since May 18. Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf near Bahrain, Reuters reported, as fighting between the world's largest crude exporter and Yemen's Houthis intensifies. Clashes between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition that backs Yemen's internationally recognised government have raged since the Iran-aligned group pushed towards Bab el-Mandeb, a shipping chokepoint at the Red Sea's mouth. "Reports of Middle East crude oil exports exceeding pre-conflict levels are more than countered by attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi strikes on Sa

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

“I just want to be like a nameless wildflower.” That was what veteran actor Kim Hye-ja told director Song Il-gon last year when he visited her home in Yeonhui-dong, western Seoul, to ask her to star in his new film. Song, whose films include “Picnic” (1999), “Flower Island” (2001) and “Always” (2011), was developing a movie about victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, and Kim was his first choice for the lead role. But Kim turned him down. “I've never played a role like this before, and I'm scared, so I don't want to do it,” she said. Song persisted, even writing her a lengthy letter. After six attempts, Kim finally agreed. The result is “Still Shining,” which opened Wednesday and marks the actor's first film in nine years, since “The Way” in 2017. She turns 85 this year on Oct. 25. What changed her mind was the way the film chose to remember the victims. “Still Shining” follows Sun-ok and Jeong-im, two 18-year-old girls living in a remote mountain village in 1942. Played in their youth by Park Seo-kyung and Choi Ju-eun, the inseparable friends spend the

PARIS — Dozens of protesters took to the Paris streets on Thursday despite bans on demonstrations ordered in multiple French cities following a weekend of clashes and widespread looting that marked France’s most violent unrest in years. Organizers of the Paris protest said an administrative court in the city overturned a ban issued by police. The Paris police prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend. The Paris court ruling was not immediately made public. More bans were expected in the coming days. French President Emmanuel Macron said such measures aim to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings. The right to demonstrate in France is protected by the French Constitution, and the ban on demonstrations planned for Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble was seen by some as an infringement on French people’s right to protest. High school and university student groups said they will continue to mobilize, even though the autu

A Seoul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 70s suspected of setting fires at two buildings in southern Seoul earlier this week, leaving 19 people injured. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant on charges of arson resulting in injuries, saying the man is a flight risk. The suspect was taken into custody hours after setting fires at two patent firms in separate buildings in Seoul's Gangnam district Tuesday. The fires left 19 people injured, including one who was rushed to a hospital in cardiac arrest. Police suspect the man held a grudge against the firms as he claimed they had defrauded him by issuing fake patent registration certificates. The suspect told investigators that he had bought two jerrycans, a lighter and flammable materials near his home in western Seoul on Friday, according to the police. Police are examining the suspect's psychiatric records and considering additional charges of attempted murder based on testimony that he had been looking for a specific person before setting the fires. The suspect was previously sentenced to two and a ha

The world’s coral reef ecosystems almost all face a high risk of collapse in the next 50 years mostly due to warming oceans and heat waves, according to a global assessment released Thursday. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s assessment, announced on the sidelines of a U.N. biodiversity conference in Albania, found that 96 percent of shallow-water reef systems are already critically endangered and could disappear by 2075. Most of the world’s famous reef systems — including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Coral Triangle in the Western Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and the Red Sea coral reefs — are all critically endangered, the highest level of threat. “The risk of coral reef collapse is escalating, but this must be a wake-up call rather than a cause for despair," said Mishal Gudka, the scientific lead of the global IUCN Red List of Coral Reef Ecosystems assessment, the first of its kind. “Coral reefs have shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from devastating bleaching events,” he said. “Pockets of

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin announced Thursday a 10-year agreement for the production of 850 F-35 warplanes, underscoring Washington's long-term commitment to the stealth aircraft. The "framework agreement," which the Pentagon said would "modernize and expand" the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, still requires congressional approval and funding. The F-35, a joint project between the United States and a number of allies, is one of the world's most advanced military aircraft. There are more than 1,375 F-35s based around the world, according to Lockheed. The deal, if approved, would give Washington a "predictable, affordable, and resilient" fighter jet program, Lockheed said, pointing to billions of dollars in expected savings thanks to "long-term pricing and industry volume discounts." In exchange for the Pentagon's 10-year commitment, Lockheed Martin will fund $7 billion in projects supporting the F-35s, the Pentagon said. "We have fundamentally changed how we stabilize the American defense industrial base to produce at speed and scale," top Pentagon acq

South Korea and the United States on Thursday held joint river-crossing drills aimed at enhancing interoperability as part of the annual Hoguk military exercise, the South Korean Army said. Some 540 troops from the allies took part in the drills along the Namhan River in Yeoju, about 65 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The drills mobilized some 130 pieces of equipment, including 10 KM3 amphibious bridging vehicles, ribbon bridge systems and about 50 combat vehicles, such as K2 tanks and K21 armored vehicles. During the drills, the allied forces jointly installed and crossed a bridge spanning a 280-meter section of the river. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha and U.S. Brig. Gen. Robert Brown, commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division/South Korea-U.S. Combined Division, observed the drills.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday encouraged young Catholics to join a "pilgrimage of faith, friendship and hope," saying he looks forward to meeting them in Seoul for World Youth Day 2027. The pope's remarks came as the organizing committee opened registration for World Youth Day, an international gathering of Catholic youth, set to take place in Seoul in August next year. "This is not merely an invitation to see a new city — it is a call to set out on a pilgrimage of faith, friendship and hope," he said in a video message shared by the Vatican to mark the registration opening. "A pilgrimage gives you the chance not only to discover Christian sites in another location, but also to find the time and space to encounter God more deeply, both personally and within the dynamic life of the Church." In addition to deepening faith, the pontiff said participants will be able to meet young people who speak different languages and come from different cultures to forge lifetime friendships. The pope specifically mentioned the theme of World Youth Day, "Take courage! I have overcome the world," calling on p

Korea will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in two men's football friendly matches next month in Doha, the sport's national federation announced Thursday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the Taegeuk Warriors will first take on 55th-ranked Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and then play 60th-ranked Qatar on Nov. 17. The first match will kick off at 5:30 p.m. (local time) and the latter match will begin at 5 p.m. (local time). These matches will fall inside the last FIFA international match window of 2026. The KFA said the two matches will help prepare Korea, world No. 32, for the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, scheduled to start in January in Saudi Arabia. In 19 meetings against Saudi Arabia, Korea have five wins, nine draws and five losses. Against Qatar, Korea have recorded six wins, two draws and three losses. The KFA said it had earlier sought to schedule the Saudi Arabia match in Saudi Arabia but decided to relocate it to Qatar, with Saudi Arabia having been under attack from Yemen's Houthi rebels. These will also be the final two matches for Korea's interim head coach, Robert Mor

What does a company sports day look like when your co-workers are some of Korea’s best-known actors? Song Seung-heon offered a glimpse this week, sharing photos of himself alongside Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kwang-soo at their agency’s annual sports event. Song posted two photos on his social media account Wednesday with the hashtags “#KingKongbyStarship,” “#SportsDay,” “#LeeDongWook” and “#LeeKwangSoo.” The photos were taken at the “2026 Starship Entertainment ACTORS Sports Day,” held Tuesday. In one image, Song sits between Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kwang-soo as the three smile for the camera in casual outfits. Song and Lee Kwang-soo flash V signs, while Lee Dong-wook appears to be just about to make the same gesture. The rare three-shot drew attention as the actors, each with long-running careers in Korean entertainment, gathered for an unusually casual occasion away from drama sets, film premieres and red carpets. Another photo shows a large screen at the venue displaying the words “2026 Starship Entertainment ACTORS Sports Day.” All three actors are represented by K

The Seoul government held off on responding Thursday to remarks by the U.S. Eighth Army commander suggesting that American troops stationed here should be prepared for missions beyond countering North Korean threats. Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not comment when asked about Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert’s email interview with the South China Morning Post on the Eighth Army’s readiness for broader regional operations. According to sources familiar with the South Korean military, the lack of comment reflected a reluctance to publicly interpret Hilbert’s remarks, rather than an articulated government position on a broader U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) role. The sources noted whether deployments beyond the Korean Peninsula would require prior consultation between Seoul and Washington has yet to be clarified. In an email interview published by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, Hilbert said it would be “irresponsible to focus myopically” on threats within the Korean Peninsula or assume that being stationed in South Korea preven

A court on Thursday found 34 student activists guilty of trespassing on the then presidential compound and a U.S. military base between 2022 and 2024. The Seoul Western District Court sentenced a senior leader of the Korean Progressive University Student Union (KPUSU) to a suspended four-month prison term and ordered 32 other members to pay fines ranging from 1 million won ($756) to 6 million won. One other member received a deferred sentence of a 1 million-won fine. Two others were indicted but acquitted. The students faced multiple charges, including trespassing on a U.S. military installation in Korea in August 2022 and March 2023 to stage rallies against joint military exercises between Korea and the United States. In January and October 2024, they attempted to illegally enter what was then the presidential compound in Seoul's Yongsan Ward to demand the resignation of then President Yoon Suk Yeol and a special counsel investigation into then first lady Kim Keon Hee. The court ruled that the defendants did not act on impulse but conspired in advance, such as by sharing picket signs wit

Singer and actor Suzy has reportedly purchased a home in one of Seoul's most exclusive new residential developments, where units are priced as high as 40 billion won ($28 million) and a string of Korean celebrities, including BLACKPINK's Jisoo, are said to be her future neighbors. Suzy recently signed a purchase contract for L’Arbre 27, an ultraluxury residential development under construction in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, according to a TenAsia report Thursday. The development stands out even in Gangnam, Seoul's affluent southern district known as the home of some of the country's most expensive real estate. Prices reportedly range from around 14 billion won to more than 40 billion won depending on the unit's size, layout and location. L’Arbre 27 will have just 27 residences, emphasizing privacy and independent living rather than the large-scale community amenities typically associated with Korean apartment complexes. The project has already drawn attention for its reported celebrity buyers. Actor Shin Se-kyung, actor and singer Jang Keun-suk, television personality and former

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the recent rebound in the country's potential growth rates signals a recovery in the national economy's fundamentals and that the trend should help promote balanced growth of both large and small firms. The president made the remarks at a meeting with his senior aides, citing a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report projecting the country's potential growth rate at 2.14 percent this year and 2.2 percent in 2027. The figures mark the first consecutive annual increases in about 40 years. "The rebound in potential growth rates, which can be viewed as basic physical strength for an economy, is welcome news that indicates the foundation for the growth of our economy is getting stronger," Lee said. The president stressed that this trend should serve as a steppingstone to promote sustainable, balanced growth by further solidifying the competitiveness of artificial intelligence and other advanced industries while focusing financial and policy resources on sectors that are slower to recover. "In order for the rare rebound in potential growth rat