France halts protests with curfew crackdown
France imposed overnight curfews in major cities including Paris, Lyon, Lille, and Nice after protests over rising prices and crumbling public services erupted into widespread riots and looting that damaged around 3,000 shops in a single Saturday night. Violence spread to Milan, Italy, and Albania entered its seventh consecutive day of anti-government unrest, raising tensions across Europe. The programme also covers Japan's launch of a sample-return mission to Mars's moon Phobos, and a sharp rightward shift among young voters ahead of next Tuesday's Israeli general election.
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What this episode answers
What caused the large-scale riots in France, and what measures did the government take?
Protests over soaring living costs and deteriorating public services escalated into mass looting, with around 3,000 shops damaged nationwide on Saturday night alone. The government imposed overnight curfews in major cities including Paris, and Prime Minister Le Cornu accused far-left radicals of deliberately stoking chaos ahead of next year's presidential election.
How did the unrest in France spread to other European countries?
Spain and Portugal saw largely peaceful demonstrations, but in Milan masked groups smashed shop windows and set rubbish bins alight, prompting police to use tear gas. In Albania, protests demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation entered their seventh day, deepening tensions across the continent.
What are the goals and details of Japan's mission to Mars's moon Phobos?
The mission aims to collect 10 grams of rock samples from Phobos and return them to Earth in 2031, the first time material from the Martian moon will have been brought back. The primary scientific goal is to resolve whether Phobos formed from a captured outer-solar-system asteroid or from debris thrown up by a giant impact, to be determined through chemical analysis.
What trends are visible among young voters in the Israeli general election?
Around 75% of Israel's more than 500,000 first-time voters identify as right-wing or centre-right, with over 16% supporting far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party. Young voters have shifted sharply rightward since October 7, as topics such as Gaza settlement expansion and expulsion have moved into mainstream political debate.
What is the Albanian protest movement demanding, and what is the current situation?
What began as protests against government corruption under Prime Minister Edi Rama's 14-year rule has radicalised into a movement demanding his resignation. Seven consecutive days of clashes in Tirana have followed, including an attempted storming of the Court of Appeal and the arrest of hundreds of protesters.
France Rocked by Riots and Curfews
Protests over the soaring cost of living and deteriorating public services spiralled into violent looting across France, triggering overnight curfews in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Nice, and other major cities. Around 3,000 shops were damaged nationwide on Saturday night alone, making it one of the most widespread episodes of civil unrest in modern French history.
Paris bicycle-shop owner Hassan Ahmed described the damage: "I have put everything I own into this place. I have insurance, but it will not cover everything." In Marseille, clothing retailer Gérard Noussi was equally shaken: "Five or six thousand young people came and destroyed everything. It was like a tornado. The national police were completely overwhelmed."
Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornu blamed "far-left radicals for deliberately stoking chaos ahead of next year's presidential election" and ordered prefects to impose partial, localised curfews. Why police failed to anticipate the violence — and why they were so badly outnumbered — quickly became a political flashpoint. Left-wing opposition presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon fired back at once: "Show me the evidence — it is the government that created this disorder." Right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen, meanwhile, was seen as well-placed to benefit from growing public demand for security.
Unrest Spreads Across Europe
Spain and Portugal saw broadly peaceful demonstrations, but Milan told a different story. Hundreds of masked individuals smashed shop windows and set fire to rubbish bins, forcing police to deploy tear gas.
In Albania, protests in the capital Tirana entered their seventh consecutive day. What began as demonstrations against government corruption has radicalised into a movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Protesters attempted to storm the Court of Appeal; police responded repeatedly with armoured vehicles and water cannon. "He has been in power for 14 years," demonstrators said. "Half the population has been forced to emigrate. We are the poorest country in Europe, yet prices are high." Hundreds have already been arrested, with same-day trials held the following morning. Police have shown no sign of yielding control.
Japan's Mission to Mars's Moon Phobos
A spacecraft launched from a site in southern Japan is now en route to Phobos, a moon of Mars, on an ambitious mission to return rock samples from the small body for the first time in history. The roughly potato-shaped object — about 20 kilometres across — is scheduled to be reached in August next year. A rover will be deployed first to survey the terrain; the main craft will then land to collect samples. Only 10 grams of material will be gathered, but the mission plans to deliver them to Earth in 2031.
Dr. Chrysa Avdellidou of the University of Leicester, a member of the mission team, was enthusiastic: "We can do a great deal of research at the individual particle level. We do not need kilograms of samples. It is worth every cost and every effort." The mission is trying to resolve a long-standing question about how Phobos formed. Two competing theories exist: that it was an asteroid from the outer solar system captured by Mars's gravity, or that it coalesced from debris thrown up by a giant impact. Chemical analysis of the returned rocks is expected to settle the debate.
Israel's General Election — Young Voters Shift Right
Three years after Hamas's October 7 attack, Israel goes to the polls next Tuesday. There are more than 500,000 first-time voters, and surveys show around 75% of them identify as right-wing or centre-right. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Jewish Power party, is particularly popular among young voters, with more than 16% of first-time voters said to support him. Eighteen-year-old Nadav put it simply: "Before October 7 I leaned left. Now I think we need a leader who can keep us safe." Political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin offered context: "Gaza settlement expansion and expulsion were once taboo, but today's young people formed their political consciousness at a time when those issues were already on the table."
The opposition is fighting back with social media and young candidates. Yonatan Shalev, a 24-year-old candidate for former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's opposition Beyahad party, said: "Ben-Gvir understood the power of TikTok and Instagram before liberal politicians did." Prime Minister Netanyahu is also posting rap and weightlifting videos to compete for young votes. Polls show a tight race, with turnout expected to be decisive.
Other News in Brief
The latest effort to solve the mystery of American aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937, has again come up empty. The investigative team said only that the object under examination was "most likely an accumulation of debris," leaving the 90-year-old question unresolved. Separately, Apu — the *Simpsons* character who had been absent for years amid controversy over racial representation — returned with a new voice actor for the first time in around ten years.
Takeaways
- France suffered one of the worst outbreaks of civil unrest in its modern history, with overnight curfews imposed after around 3,000 shops were damaged in a single night of riots over rising living costs and declining public services.
- Japan launched a historic mission to collect 10 grams of rock samples from Mars's moon Phobos and return them to Earth by 2031, with the aim of resolving the mystery of how the moon formed.
- More than 75% of Israel's 500,000-plus first-time voters identify as right-wing or centre-right ahead of next Tuesday's election, reflecting a sharp shift in youth political sentiment since the October 7 attack.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.