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French government faces fresh test as Yellow Vests mobilise

France's Yellow Vest movement filed plans for a major ​march through Paris on Saturday, presenting the government with its next major test after riots and looting last weekend shook confidence ‌in its ability to maintain order. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was due to meet union leaders on Wednesday, seeking ways to defuse one of the worst crises France has faced in recent years and avoid a repeat of the violence that swept French cities on October 17. A representative of the "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow Vests) movement, which is a grassroots ​group not tied to the unions, presented plans for a march across the heart of Paris, including areas that were ransacked just ​days ago. Student groups have also called for protests the same day to push their demands for more investment ⁠in education. Yellow Vest activists are seeking to revive their campaign, which emerged in 2018, against rising living costs and declining public services. Investors fret, French borrowin...

More than 1,900 dead in Iran since start of US-Israel strikes: IFRC

More than 1,900 people have ​been killed and ‌at least 20,000 injured in Iran ​since the ​start of United States and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic, ​said Maria Martinez of ​the International Federation of Red Cross and ​Red Crescent ​Societies (IFRC) on Friday, citing figures ‌provided ⁠by the Iranian Red Crescent. Martinez said the Iranian ​Red ​Crescent ⁠continued to serve as the ​only nationwide ​humanitarian ⁠organisation operating across the country ⁠amidst ​the escalating ​conflict. Meanwhile, Iran said that 237 women and more than 200 children have been killed over the past 25 days in the US-Israeli attacks. Read: US, Iran could meet for direct talks in Pakistan ‘very soon’: German FM According to figures released by the government’s Information Centre, the head of Iran’s Emergency Organisation said the casualties included more than 200 people under the age of 18 and 237 women. Over 4,000 women and 1,600 minors were injured since the start of the war, he added. The official said six emergency personnel were also killed. He reported significant damage to emergency infrastructure, including one air ambulance helicopter and 35 ambulances, while 49 emergency centres were hit, including six that were completely destroyed. Read More: How many people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran so far? The entire region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on February 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, inflicting casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.

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