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Russian Tanker Hit by Sea Drone Near Crimea Bridge

A man and his son drive a model of a Russian WWII tank at the Reserve of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol museum, in Sevastopol, Crimea, 24 July 2023 (issued 31 July 2023). EPA/STRINGER
A man and his son drive a model of a Russian WWII tank at the Reserve of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol museum, in Sevastopol, Crimea, 24 July 2023 (issued 31 July 2023). EPA/STRINGER
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Russian Tanker Hit by Sea Drone Near Crimea Bridge

A man and his son drive a model of a Russian WWII tank at the Reserve of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol museum, in Sevastopol, Crimea, 24 July 2023 (issued 31 July 2023). EPA/STRINGER
A man and his son drive a model of a Russian WWII tank at the Reserve of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol museum, in Sevastopol, Crimea, 24 July 2023 (issued 31 July 2023). EPA/STRINGER

A sea drone attack damaged a Russian tanker near the strategic bridge linking Russia to the annexed peninsula of Crimea, Russian authorities said on Saturday.
Russian media said the SIG vessel, approaching the Kerch Strait linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, was hit by Ukrainian drones. Ukraine's Interfax agency, citing an unnamed Ukrainian security service source, also said Ukraine's navy was behind the attack with drones in its territorial waters.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.
No one was hurt, but the Crimean Bridge and ferry transport were suspended for several hours, according to Russian-installed officials in Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.
Kyiv seldom claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has said that destroying Russia's military infrastructure boosts its counteroffensive chances in the 17-month-old war.
A drone attack on Russia's navy base at Novorossiysk damaged a Russian warship on Friday, the first time the Ukrainian navy has projected its power so far from its shores.
The SIG had been supplying oil to Russian troops in Syria, according to Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in Ukraine's southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia.
The United States sanctioned the tanker and its owner, St. Petersburg-based Transpetrochart, in 2019 for helping provide jet fuel in Syria.

Rogov posted on Telegram an audio clip in which the SIG requested a tow from tugboats. He also posted pictures of what he described as shattered fixtures and equipment inside the vessel.
"The SIG tanker... received a hole in the engine room near the waterline on the starboard side, preliminarily as a result of a sea drone attack," Russia's Federal Marine and River Transport agency said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia's Novorossiysk Maritime Rescue Coordination Center was cited by the RIA news agency as saying that water had stopped pouring into the SIG and that recovery work was underway with two tugboats nearby.
There was no fuel spill, it added, as the ship had been carrying only technical ballast.
The Moscow-installed authorities in Crimea said the bridge, which was completed by Russia in 2018 and has come under serious attack twice in the war, was not targeted.
Ukraine's UNIAN news agency said three explosions had been reported in the area. There was no immediate comment on the incident from Ukraine's government.

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World

France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
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France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP

The French government sought to draw a line Monday under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence, with President Emmanuel Macron headed to Marseille and the prime minister to meet with students demanding better school conditions.

France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.

The demonstrations have come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of a presidential election to replace centrist Macron.

The frontrunner -- far-right leader Marine le Pen -- held an election rally in Orleans Sunday, a day after yet more demonstrations also saw some violent clashes on the sidelines.

She vowed to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted her support, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism over the unrest.

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17, and had stepped up security for Saturday's protests.

While Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's rallies was more "positive" than a week ago, street violence still erupted in the French capital and a number of other cities including Marseille.

The Elysee said Macron would visit the city hall in Marseille, France's second-largest city, on Monday, after it was damaged in the protest violence on October 17.

He was also due to meet shopkeepers who had fallen victim to looting and vandalism, the Elysee said.

"He will also pay tribute to and thank the internal security forces that helped restore republican order," the presidency said.

After this weekend's protests, many shopfronts in the city center were still boarded up early Monday, just hours before Macron's arrival.

Macron's visit was intended to demonstrate that "the state is present, standing firm and fulfilling its mission to protect," an aide said.

- 'High level of violence' -

A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the most recent weekend protests, Nunez said on Monday.

"The day was brought under control and there were no serious incidents," he told broadcaster BFMTV.

"Nevertheless, we saw a very high level of violence directed at the internal security forces," Nunez added.

He said that 267 police officers and gendarmes were injured, along with 150 protesters, including three who were seriously hurt in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.

The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better learning conditions.

Several teenage protesters have been seriously injured and thousands arrested.

The police response to their demonstrations, which included blockades of schools, has been criticized as heavy-handed and sparked a broader movement against the cost of living and police violence.

In Paris on Monday, Lecornu was to meet student leaders, with National Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste joining him for the talks. Following that meeting, Geffray and Baptiste will hold a news conference.

Macron already met representatives of secondary school pupils last Friday, but they emerged from the talks urging students to keep protesting until the government put forward concrete proposals to address their demands.

On top of the protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl, outside Paris.

Macron has branded the shooting a "racist terrorist attack", as most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.

World

Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
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Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP

Experts have warned Bangladesh that deadly outbreaks of diphtheria, whooping cough and polio could follow an ongoing measles epidemic that has already killed over 1,200 children, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday.

"The measles outbreak is a litmus test and a warning sign of a deteriorating immunization system," said the report by an independent committee of national and international experts, which carried out its research earlier in October.

Bangladesh has struggled since March to contain the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,200 children and infected 220,000 people, making it the country's deadliest in decades, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"If no urgent mitigation measures are taken, it is only a matter of time before there are large outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria and even vaccine-derived poliovirus," added the report, which has been submitted to the government.

The health ministry pledged action on Monday.

"We are going to recruit vaccinators as quickly as possible as the first step towards implementing the recommendations," spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP.

The government, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gavi vaccine alliance and other partners, deployed a 70-member team earlier this month to assess the country's immunization program.

The review found that just 82 percent of children were fully immunized, well below the national target of 95 percent. Around 40 percent of vaccinator posts remain vacant.

Bangladesh was long considered an immunization success story. Since its program began in 1979, the country has eliminated polio and neonatal tetanus and controlled rubella and hepatitis B.

A measles vaccination campaign planned for 2024 was delayed by the revolution that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while strikes and political instability further disrupted a campaign in 2025.

Authorities have since launched a mass vaccination drive, but cases continue to climb.

Measles spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and has no specific treatment. Complications include brain swelling and severe breathing problems, with young children particularly vulnerable.

Whooping cough can cause severe illness and death in infants. Diphtheria can obstruct breathing and damage the heart and nerves, while vaccine-derived poliovirus can cause paralysis in under-immunized populations.

World

Israeli President Says He Won’t Bow to US Pressure on the Next Govt

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Andras Baka (not pictured) at the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Andras Baka (not pictured) at the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli President Says He Won’t Bow to US Pressure on the Next Govt

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Andras Baka (not pictured) at the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Andras Baka (not pictured) at the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on October 20, 2026. (AFP)

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said on Monday he won’t bend to pressure from US President Donald Trump on which party he will select first to form a government after Tuesday's national elections.

Herzog’s role is largely ceremonial. No single party is expected to outright win control of the country’s parliament, or Knesset.

The president is expected to tap the leader of the party with the most support to try to build a governing coalition, a process that could drag out for days or weeks, or fail entirely and force Israelis to return to the polls to vote again.

Herzog's remarks came after Trump reiterated his endorsement for Netanyahu, who is in a tight race to remain in power.

Herzog told the MS NOW cable news network that neither Trump nor anyone else “can intervene" and that it was up to him to see “what the facts are.”