Protests erupt across France after left-wing groups call for mobilization

France deployed 70,000 police officers Thursday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for nationwide strikes and protests after left-wing groups called for a mobilization.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed; in Lyon, French riot police fired tear gas and charged a group of protesters; and near Toulouse, a high school was set on fire, according to Reuters.

"We need to turn up in big numbers on the streets today," the news agency quoted the head of the left-wing CGT union Sophie Binet as saying.

The demonstrations come after France was rocked by violent protests in October, which outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron blamed on "ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic."

FRANCE'S MACRON BLAMES PROTESTS ON 'ULTRA-LEFT GROUPS WHOSE AIM IS TO BRING DOWN THE REPUBLIC'

An official close to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that by early Thursday, around 270,000 people had joined the union action in 180 rallies outside the capital.

About a third of France’s high schools were closed or unable to operate, some because of student blockades and others because teachers were on strike, The Associated Press reported.

Nuñez said the 70,000 police officers being deployed are backed by armored vehicles, drones and helicopters.

Authorities in the western region of Brittany also said "masked individuals" tried to block roads in Rennes, while some committed "serious acts of violence," including throwing steel balls at police.

AMERICANS WARNED OF VIOLENT PROTESTS AS MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION FACES SHUTDOWN THREAT

France’s main unions warned that the country is on the brink of recession and that layoff plans are multiplying.

"Fuel, food products, rent, gas, electricity... everything’s going up except wages and pensions," they said in a joint statement, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. Embassy had issued an urgent security alert for Americans in France ahead of the demonstrations, warning travelers to brace for severe disruptions, sudden curfews and the potential for violence.

The rallies come as the campaign to succeed Macron as president next May heats up, with political parties seeking to capitalize on the movement.

Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, while far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is the favorite to win, the AP reported.

Fox News Digital's Kelly McGreal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats

Multiple planes across Europe were diverted and forced to make emergency landings Thursday because of bomb threats that have turned out to be unfounded.

At least 11 planes, originating from cities including Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw, have been affected. The source of the threats was not immediately clear.

These incidents came after several flights in Europe received similar warnings on Tuesday that the U.K. government described as "malicious hoax threats."

"Upon receiving a threat regarding the placement of an improvised explosive device on board 4 aircraft heading to Prague, we are preparing with colleagues from Prague Airport for their landing. We assess the relevance of the threats as low," Czech Police wrote on X, before adding that inspections of the planes yielded "negative results."

The threats come at a time when European officials have been blaming Russia and Iran for "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage, which both Moscow and Tehran deny, Reuters reported.

RUSSIA'S SHADOW WAR IS PUTTING EUROPE ON EDGE AS GERMANY CONFRONTS A GROWING THREAT

Earlier, a flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military air base in western France because of a bomb threat, according to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office. That flight landed safely at the base in Evreux in Normandy, with all 151 passengers and six crew members disembarking, the office said.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed at its destination, where inspections found no hazardous or suspicious items, the airline said.

A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely in Bucharest following a bomb threat, according to airport spokesperson Teo Postelnicu.

FRENCH SUPERMARKETS FACE MILLIONS IN LOSSES AFTER CYBERATTACK HITS REFRIGERATORS NATIONWIDE

Finnair said that Flight 1761 from Helsinki to Rome was targeted by a bomb threat, but nothing was found after it landed in the Italian capital.

Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, had to make emergency landings because of bomb threats on board.

Two of the flights — one from Copenhagen, Denmark, and the other from Madrid — landed safely at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, airport officials told reporters. The third Sofia-bound flight, from London’s Stansted Airport to Sofia, had been diverted and landed safely at the airport in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, Plovdiv Airport CEO Krassimir Peshev said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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US Marine dies in training incident at Japan military base, officials say

A U.S. Marine died Tuesday after an incident during training at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, military officials said.

The incident happened in Okinawa, on a Marine Corps base near the northeastern coast of Okinawa Prefecture.

The Marine, whose identity has not been released by the military, was with the 3rd Marine Division.

ALLEGED KILLING BY MARINE PROMPTS US MILITARY TO RESTRICT OFF-BASE LIBERTY IN OKINAWA

"It is with heavy hearts that 3rd Marine Division announces the death of a Marine following a training incident at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, on Nov. 3, 2026," the 3rd Marine Division said in a statement to ABC News.

"We express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of our Marine," the statement continued.

The Marine's death remains under investigation, the 3rd Marine Division said.

The Marine's identity is expected to be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin has been notified, Lt. Tyler Thomas, a spokesperson for the III Marine Expeditionary Force, told the outlet.

Military officials have not said whether the Marine died at Camp Schwab or after being transported to a hospital. Thomas also declined to tell ABC News whether anyone else was injured.

FOX News Digital has reached out to the 3rd Marine Division.

MARINE MISSING FROM USS ANCHORAGE NOW FOCUS OF RECOVERY MISSION OFF CALIFORNIA COAST

Roughly 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, with most based on Okinawa. The island remained under U.S. control from the end of World War II until 1972.

Currently, nearly 80,000 Americans live on Okinawa, including about 30,000 active-duty service members from all four military branches, with the Marine Corps accounting for the largest presence there.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Canadian mother and daughter dead after suspected grizzly bear attack on hiking trail

A Canadian woman and her daughter were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack over the weekend while hiking on a trail near their home, according to authorities.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, went missing Saturday after going for a walk on the Snooka West Trail, just minutes from their home in Bella Coola, British Columbia.

Loved ones grew concerned when Balcarras failed to show up for a scheduled online meet-up on Saturday, her brother, Matt Balcarras, told The Vancouver Sun.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO NOT GETTING MAULED BY A BEAR WHILE HIKING OR CAMPING THIS SUMMER

After failing to reach the pair, relatives asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for a welfare check on Sunday morning.

Authorities discovered Balcarras' vehicle parked at the trailhead. Her body was recovered Monday, and search teams found Reed's body on Tuesday.

GRIZZLY BEAR MAULS HIKER, DRAGS HIM DOZENS OF FEET ON GLACIER NATIONAL PARK TRAIL

"There was evidence to suggest a bear may have been involved," Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, said in a video update posted to social media.

Tyre noted that officers were actively working to "locate and capture any bears involved" and said it was not immediately clear if more than one animal was responsible.

HIDDEN DANGER AT POPULAR US NATIONAL PARK FORCES TRAIL CLOSURES AS BEAR SIGHTINGS CLIMB

"Any captured bear will be assessed," conservation officials added in a statement. "If it is determined to have been involved in the attack, it will be dispatched in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety."

Matt Balcarras expressed shock over the location of the attack, emphasizing that his sister and niece were experienced in the region.

"They were not naive city folks," he said. "They were strong women living the life."

The tragic encounter came less than a year after a grizzly bear injured 11 people, including fourth- and fifth-grade students, during a school field trip near Bella Coola.

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Bukele warns Haitian gang leaders that his forces will 'finish' them as he did in El Salvador

After crushing powerful criminal gangs in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele has turned his attention to the Caribbean nation of Haiti, deploying 2,000 troops after four Salvadoran military aviation technicians disappeared following an Oct.18 ambush near Port-au-Prince.

"We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too," Bukele wrote in a message on X directed at Haiti's criminal groups. Bukele stressed that the operation's objective was not to invade Haiti or conduct a long-term occupation, but to recover the four missing Salvadorans alive.

The disappearance has become a national priority for Bukele, who has warned Haitian gang leaders that El Salvador is prepared to use overwhelming force if the men are not returned alive.

FLORIDA JURY CONVICTS 4 MEN WHO PLOTTED ASSASSINATION OF HAITI'S PRESIDENT FROM SOUTH FLORIDA HUB

The aviation technicians were assigned to a medical unit as part of the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti when their armored vehicle was attacked in Croix-des-Bouquets. Haiti’s National Police announced Tuesday, more than two weeks after the attack, that it had found the charred remains of the vehicle in the Santo neighborhood of Croix-des-Bouquets. Police said, however, they found no sign of the missing men. 

El Salvador says the men were abducted, the Haitian government says the soldiers are missing, and one gang leader says they are dead.

In a post on X Tuesday, directed at the "Haitian people" and written in Haitian creole, Bukele recalled the 1806 assassination of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who proclaimed Haiti’s independence from France in 1804 and who many regard as the founder of Haiti. 

"Dessalines liberated Haiti, but some people who were by his side betrayed him and killed him," Bukele said. "Those traitors still exist in Haiti."

SUSPECTS IN HAITIAN PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION TRANSFERRED TO MIAMI, ACCUSED OF FUNDING PLOT WITH COVID FRAUD

Bukele also reposted video of a helicopter engagement in Croix-des-Bouquets. 

"Gangs were attacking GSF soldiers from Chad," he wrote. "We arrived quickly and repelled the attackers with our attack helicopters."

Bukele has the backing of President Donald Trump, who, when asked by reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Halloween, confirmed speaking with the Salvadoran president. 

"He said that he has a big problem with Haiti," Trump said. "They killed some of his people. I said, 'You're running your country. You have to do what you have to do.'"

Unlike previous foreign interventions, Bukele's deployment has the backing of Haiti's transitional government. 

"The international force is not here to replace the state," Haitian Prime Minister Didier Fils-Aimé said Tuesday in his first remarks about the deployment. "They're here to support us."

Fils-Aimé added that Bukele "understands our fight. … He came to stand on the side of the Haitian people."

‘DONROE’ DOCTRINE AND CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES SQUEEZE CARTELS IN LATIN AMERICA

The operation has drawn criticism from human-rights advocates and gang leaders who warn that a military escalation could worsen civilian suffering. The U.N. says at least 5,700 people have been killed or injured due to the gang violence in Haiti since Jan. 1 as security forces struggle to contain the violence. 

The U.N. has also indicated that El Salvador’s deployment is separate from the GSF and has warned El Salvador must follow applicable international law.

One of those gang leaders is Wilson Joseph, known as "Lanmò Sanjou," leader of the powerful 400 Mawozo gang. He accused rival gang Chen Mechan of carrying out the ambush and claimed the Salvadorans are dead, he told The Associated Press. 

Joseph also sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres asking the U.N. for mediation and warning Bukele's "vengeful remarks, expectations, and threats … will lead to an escalation of violence and a logic of reprisals, of which the Haitian people would be the first victims."

EXCLUSIVE: HAITIAN ILLEGAL ALIEN GANG MEMBER WHO WENT VIRAL YELLING ‘BIDEN FOREVER’ DURING ICE ARREST DEPORTED

Joseph was indicted by the U.S. in 2022 on hostage-taking charges related to the 2021 kidnapping of 17 missionaries, including 16 Americans, and remains the subject of a reward of up to $1 million for his arrest.

Bukele dismissed such appeals, accusing gang leaders of attempting to use civilians and international concerns about human rights as a shield to preserve their power and avoid accountability. Bukele has said that negotiations have only prolonged the crisis that has devastated Haiti for years.

After years as one of the world's most violent countries, dominated by powerful gangs including MS-13, El Salvador launched an unprecedented crackdown in 2022 under a state of emergency. Authorities carried out tens of thousands of arrests, ultimately detaining more than 90,000 suspected gang members. 

Supporters credit the strategy with driving homicide rates to historic lows and restoring public safety. Critics accuse Bukele's government of human-rights abuses, arbitrary detentions and erosion of due-process protections.

The question now is whether that model can be exported to Haiti, where gangs control large portions of Port-au-Prince and wield influence over key transportation routes and neighborhoods. Despite years of international intervention, security conditions have continued to deteriorate. 

The GSF has struggled with manpower shortages and operational limitations, operating below its Security Council-approved intended strength, leaving Haiti's government unable to reassert full control over much of the capital.

"We can help you defeat them, but we are not your enemies," Bukele wrote on Tuesday. "We must stand up, take back control of our communities, and put under our control those who are making us endure all this pain, all this suffering. We are right there beside you… Haiti will be free."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Netanyahu faces coalition showdown as rivals maneuver to form Israel's next government

TEL AVIV, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power in Israel will be tested Wednesday as President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with leaders of all parties elected to the 26th Knesset before deciding which lawmaker to task with forming the next government.

The final vote count, published last Friday by Israel's Central Elections Committee, gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot — 61 seats are needed to form a government.

On Monday, Netanyahu posted to X that "the public in Israel does not want a government that depends on Ra'am and the Joint List—parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state."

NETANYAHU DEFIES EXIT POLLS AS VOTE SHIFTS IN HIS FAVOR, BUT MAJORITY REMAINS ELUSIVE

"A clear majority in the Jewish public chose the Likud as the largest party and me, as prime minister, to lead the next government. We aspire to form a broad government with our partners and with any party that wishes to do so and does not support terrorism. I am open to holding discussions on the matter," he added.

The two predominantly Arab parties he pointed his criticism at are the Joint List and Ra'am who secured a historic combined total of 19 seats, potentially positioning them as kingmakers in the government formation process.

A Joint List source told Fox News Digital that the alliance is likely to endorse Eisenkot to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government. If both predominantly Arab parties were to back him, he would receive recommendations from parties representing more than the 61 seats needed.

The lawmaker tasked with forming a government will have 28 days to do so, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.

Consultations will be held in ascending order of seat count, beginning with Religious Zionism-Zehut and Shas, which each won six seats, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu, which secured seven.

On Thursday, Herzog will meet with the leaders of United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit, which each won seven seats, followed by The Democrats and Ra'am, which each won eight, the Joint List (11), BeYachad (12), Yashar (21) and Likud (27).

Defense and government affairs commentator Amir Oren told Fox News Digital that while Herzog is formally free to choose whom to task with forming a government, he would be inclined to select the candidate whose nomination is backed by parties representing a majority of Knesset seats.

FORMER ISRAELI PM EMERGES AS WILD CARD IN HIGH-STAKES ELECTION WITH MIDDLE EAST'S FUTURE AT STAKE

"He must then task Eisenkot with forming the next government. That does not mean Eisenkot will succeed. If he fails, he will have to return the mandate to the president," Oren said.

Eisenkot may, in fact, struggle to assemble a 61-seat governing coalition, given competing interests within the opposition bloc. BeYachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu chief Avigdor Liberman are unlikely to agree to serve in a government reliant on the Joint List, given the latter’s pro-Palestinian positions and opposition to Zionism.

It is theoretically possible, however, that the opposition bloc could agree to form a minority government with the Arab parties providing support from outside the coalition.

While Israel has no precedent for forming a minority government immediately following an election, such arrangements have occurred during a Knesset term. Most recently, during Netanyahu’s current term, one of the ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew from the coalition over a dispute related to military conscription but continued to support the government from outside.

Religious Zionism-Zehut, Otzma Yehudit and Shas each confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday night that they would recommend Netanyahu to Herzog during consultations on forming a government.

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that Bennett and Liberman’s recent endorsement of Eisenkot suggests they are moving away from the prospect of a national unity government.

"I think it would behoove Netanyahu, Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Bennett and former Defense Minister Liberman to find a way to work together now, given the imminent clash between the apocalyptic death cult known as the Iranian regime, Israel and, by extension, the rest of the Western world," he said.

Complicating matters for Netanyahu, the 26th Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 10. Its newly elected members are expected to begin forming committees and advancing legislation, while the current prime minister and ministers remain in office and continue carrying out their duties under the oversight of the new parliament, ensuring continuity of government.

WHO IS ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, THE ISRAELI FIREBRAND RISING WITH THE POPULIST RIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE?

"They are doing everything they can to push Netanyahu out of office, and we are seeing that now with discussions about replacing the Knesset speaker. They can then begin trying to advance legislation in a Knesset with 19 seats held by Arab parties that would be very uncomfortable for Netanyahu," Diker said.

Oren highlighted another potential challenge, suggesting that the caretaker government's ability to launch military operations could face political constraints, potentially complicating any resumption of hostilities with Iran, even if U.S. President Donald Trump were to initiate such action.

Former Knesset member Dov Lipman told Fox News Digital that Eisenkot appears likely to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government, but suggested that most Israelis favor a national unity government built around Likud, Yashar and BeYachad, with one or more smaller parties also joining.

"As a first step, Eisenkot may approach Likud and ask it to join a government under his leadership, which Likud will reject. Eisenkot will then have to make a decision, as Liberman is unlikely to agree to serve in a government alongside Arab parties," Lipman said.

"Eisenkot will likely fail to form a government, after which the mandate will pass to Netanyahu, who will also likely fail."

That would trigger a 21-day period during which any Knesset member could attempt to form a government with the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. If the process reaches that stage, Eisenkot might agree to serve under Netanyahu for two years to avoid sending the country to another election, Lipman said.

Prof. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu would need to make concessions to persuade opposition leaders that he would honor his commitments, given their experience with the 2020 power-sharing agreement with then-Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.

NETANYAHU REVEALS HE WANTS AMERICAN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL TO 'DRAW DOWN TO ZERO'

Under the agreement, Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first 18 months, with Gantz serving as alternate prime minister and defense minister before taking over as premier on Nov. 17, 2021. However, the arrangement unraveled after the government failed to pass a state budget by the December 2020 deadline, triggering the Knesset's automatic dissolution and new elections. Gantz never assumed the premiership.

Rahat pointed to Israel’s 1984-1988 national unity government as a precedent, saying a similar arrangement could work.

"At the time, Israel was still embroiled in the Lebanon War, with IDF forces deployed in the country, while the economy was facing a severe crisis, with annual inflation exceeding 400%. Against that backdrop, Likud and Labor formed a national unity government under a rotation agreement, with Shimon Peres serving as prime minister for the first two years, followed by Yitzhak Shamir for the next two," he said.

While large parts of the public would likely support it, Rahat said, there are still issues that may create tension.

"They will have to freeze the judicial overhaul launched by Netanyahu’s government, find a way to investigate Oct. 7, as demanded by opposition parties and agree on a mechanism for Netanyahu to leave office when the time comes. But when it comes to major issues of security and the economy, unity governments can be quite effective," Rahat said.

"Once they resolve the major challenges, however, they start fighting among themselves and the magic is over."

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Ukraine's Zelenskyy on defying US in attacking Russian oil: 'Our response must be painful'

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is defying calls from the Trump administration for his armed forces to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, telling Fox News: "Our response must be painful."

In an interview in Kyiv, Zelenskyy acknowledged holding discussions with the Trump administration about targeting oil facilities, attacks President Donald Trump has pinned as being partly to blame for high gas prices in the U.S.

"We had different conversations — different, and several — with President Trump and with his team about attacks on refineries," Zelenskyy said.

"We said that if you want us not to attack Russia's refineries, they have not to attack our energy system."

TRUMP TELLS ZELENSKYY TO STOP DOING 'ONE THING' DURING ATTACKS ON RUSSIA

Ukraine has reported near-daily Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, triggering power outages just as temperatures dip ahead of winter.

"That's why we have to respond. But our response has to be painful for Russian military people," Zelenskyy said. "If we will not respond on energy, they will continue."

U.S.-Ukraine relations took a further hit in October when Trump struck a deal to import millions of tons of Russian diesel to the United States.

ZELENSKYY ACCUSES PUTIN OF DEFYING TRUMP'S CEASEFIRE PUSH, SENDS POINTED MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE

Zelenskyy suggested Ukraine might be encouraged to hold off on further attacks on Russian oil facilities if the United States were to deliver more U.S.-made Patriot missile interceptors to protect Ukrainian skies. Pressed by Fox News on whether that might be seen as an attempt to leverage Trump, Zelenskyy said: "I don't have any concerns when I share the truth between partners."

"Our countries are huge partners. American society (is a) huge supporter."

"And that's why I have to share with (the) president the truth, the real situation: that America can't help Russia. (The) president can't help Putin."

US WILL MEDIATE UPCOMING UKRAINE-RUSSIA TALKS IN ABU DHABI, WITKOFF SAYS

Ahead of planned peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, Zelenskyy urged Trump to launch another push for a targeted ceasefire where both Russia and Ukraine refrain from attacks on energy facilities.

"If the American president thinks that this war has influence on the prices," Zelenskyy said, "he can ask, energy ceasefire, during (the) Abu Dhabi trilateral meeting: energy ceasefire."

Zelenskyy spoke with Fox News hours before starved and exhausted residents left the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky and crossed into Ukraine under a humanitarian truce brokered by first lady Melania Trump, the first of its kind in more than four years of war.

Zelenskyy welcomed the first lady's initiative, calling the evacuations "a huge result," and adding: "I don't know how many such steps will be available for us, but if the First Lady can do it ... it's very helpful. I'm very thankful to her."

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