‘Majority voted for change’: Rallies to be held tonight in support of Jewish-Arab government
Fears of violence as France braces for Halloween protests * Flavio Bolsonaro says he left Brazil because he is the victim of 'persecution'
US, South Korea, Japan committed to ‘complete’ North Korea denuclearization
The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirm their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington.
Speculation is mounting over a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next month’s APEC summit in China, with Trump making repeated overtures to Pyongyang for nuclear talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization” of North Korea during talks on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, the US State Department says.
They also pledged “full implementation” of UN Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Despite long-running UN sanctions, North Korea, which is backed by Russia and China, has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law, with its regime repeatedly declaring its atomic arsenal permanent and irreversible.
Fears of violence as France braces for Halloween protests
France is braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops board up and authorities scramble to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.
The demonstrations come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.
President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was “not normal” for France to be in such a state of “turmoil” so close to a presidential election.
Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed today, matching the number mobilized a week ago, as authorities seek to avert a repeat of the October 17 unrest.
More than 40 metro stations will be closed in the capital and tram services will also be disrupted.
An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says they expect street violence on a scale “comparable” to the unrest two weeks ago, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.
The protest movement brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students. It initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.
But following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest.
‘Majority voted for change’: Rallies to be held tonight in support of Jewish-Arab government
Several demonstrations are expected across the country tonight in support of the formation of a Jewish-Arab government by the so-called change bloc.
Organizers from the Standing Together group say rallies will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, Jerusalem’s Paris Square, as well as in Beersheba, Haifa and Tayibe, calling for the formation of such a government following Tuesday’s election.
The election saw the opposition win 67 seats to the coalition’s 53. However, those 67 are made up of 48 seats for Zionist parties and 19 seats for Arab non-Zionist parties, with whom Jewish opposition leaders previously said they would not cooperate.
“Protesters are demanding that the bloc’s leaders recognize their victory and form a government based on Jewish-Arab partnership,” organizers say.
“The Jewish-Arab majority that voted for change must also be reflected in the next government. Now is not the time to abandon our partnership, but to turn it into a political force that changes reality. Arab votes are worth exactly as much as Jewish votes, and Arab citizens must be full partners in shaping the country’s future.”
Flavio Bolsonaro says he left Brazil because he is the victim of ‘persecution’
Former conservative presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro said Friday that he fled Brazil to the United States because he was a victim of “persecution” in his country.
“The persecution began even sooner than I imagined,” the senator said during an Instagram livestream in which he discussed his decision to flee after he lost in a presidential election and his Brazilian passports were canceled.