Kurdish Protesters Clash with Police in Paris

A man holds a flag of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during protests in Republic Square in Paris, in protest against the killing of 3 Kurds in the French capital (Reuters)
A man holds a flag of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during protests in Republic Square in Paris, in protest against the killing of 3 Kurds in the French capital (Reuters)
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Kurdish Protesters Clash with Police in Paris

A man holds a flag of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during protests in Republic Square in Paris, in protest against the killing of 3 Kurds in the French capital (Reuters)
A man holds a flag of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during protests in Republic Square in Paris, in protest against the killing of 3 Kurds in the French capital (Reuters)

Clashes broke out for a second day in Paris on Saturday between police and members of the Kurdish community angry at the killing on Friday of three members of their community.

Cars were overturned, at least one vehicle was burned and small fires set alight near Republic Square, the traditional venue for demonstrations in the city where Kurds earlier held a peaceful protest.

Clashes broke out as some demonstrators left the square, throwing projectiles at police who responded with tear gas. Skirmishes continued for around two hours before the protesters dispersed.

A gunman carried out the killings at a Kurdish cultural center and nearby cafe on Friday in a busy part of Paris' 10th district, stunning a community preparing to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the unresolved murder of three activists, Reuters reported.

Police arrested a 69-year-old man who the authorities said had recently been freed from detention while awaiting trial for a saber attack on a migrant camp in Paris a year ago.

Following questioning of the suspect, investigators had added a suspected racist motive to initial accusations of murder and violence with weapons, the prosecutor's office said on Saturday.

After an angry crowd clashed with police on Friday afternoon, the Kurdish democratic council in France (CDK-F) organized a gathering on Saturday at Republic Square.

Hundreds of Kurdish protesters, joined by politicians including the mayor of Paris' 10th district, waved flags and listened to tributes to the victims.



Work, Travel Resume Across Taiwan after Typhoon Krathon Dissipates

A worker removes uprooted trees following Typhoon Krathon's fall in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 04 October 2024. .  EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
A worker removes uprooted trees following Typhoon Krathon's fall in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 04 October 2024. . EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
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Work, Travel Resume Across Taiwan after Typhoon Krathon Dissipates

A worker removes uprooted trees following Typhoon Krathon's fall in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 04 October 2024. .  EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
A worker removes uprooted trees following Typhoon Krathon's fall in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 04 October 2024. . EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Work, classes and flights resumed across Taiwan on Friday after Typhoon Krathon brought torrential rainfall to the island but finally dissipated over a mountain range.
A heavy rain advisory remained in place for the northern coast and mountainous areas, where two landslides occurred early Friday.
Krathon had brought much of the island to a standstill for three days but weakened to a tropical depression early Friday. Its center moved back over the sea after making a “U-turn” across the island’s southwestern tip overnight, The Associated Press reported.
Schools and businesses reopened with the exception of the city of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, and some parts of Hualien County and New Taipei. Domestic flights, which had been grounded for two days, resumed.
Krathon lashed Kaohsiung with winds up to 126 kph (78 mph) and higher gusts. It felled trees and flooded roads. Heavy rains and flooding also occurred along Taiwan’s southern and eastern coasts. Mountainous Taitung County saw 171 centimeters (5.6 feet) of rain over six days.
Two people died earlier in the week and one person remained missing, according to Taiwan’s fire department. The missing person was swept off a bridge.
Authorities had expected Krathon to bring devastation comparable to a major typhoon that swept Kaohsiung in 1977, causing 37 deaths.
But it lost steam shortly after making landfall in Kaohsiung and reaching the mountains northeast of the city, according to the Central Weather Administration.
Krathon was one of only two typhoons in recent history to “die” over Taiwan, beside Typhoon Trami, in 2001, the weather agency said.