Monday 8 Cheshvan – Protests Follow Arrest of Two Bachurim – Paris Shul Vandalised Amid Widespread Riots – Trump Endorses Netanyahu Ahead of Election & more…

Demonstrators blocked Route 4 near the Yavne Interchange on Sunday in protest against the arrest of two bachurim, bringing traffic to a standstill on a major road in central Israel.

The two students, from Ohr Hachaim in Yerushalayim, were arrested in Rishon Lezion over the weekend in connection with military enlistment requirements. They were reported to have received 20-day sentences in military prison.

Police directed motorists towards alternative routes while officers worked to reopen the highway. Footage from the scene showed confrontations between some drivers and demonstrators sitting on the road. Officers used force, including stun grenades, to disperse the protest.

Police subsequently announced that both directions had reopened after approximately two hours. No injuries or arrests at the demonstration were reported.

The protest comes as the status of bnei yeshivah remains a central issue ahead of the 27 October election, with Chareidi parties demanding legislation to protect full-time Torah learning.

A shul on Rue Burnouf in Paris’s 19th arrondissement was vandalised during the weekend’s unrest, with footage circulating on Sunday showing holy books and other religious items scattered across the floor.

Reports described overturned furnishings and damage inside the building. No injuries at the shul were reported, and it remained unclear whether anyone was present when the vandalism occurred. The identity of those responsible and their precise motive had not been established.

Sacha Roytman, chief executive of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, condemned the desecration and warned that attacks on Jewish institutions were a serious warning amid wider disorder.

The incident came as France assessed extensive damage following protests over living costs and educational conditions. Hundreds of businesses were looted or damaged, and a historic town hall in Limoges was torched.

Further clashes broke out in Paris on Sunday afternoon. President Emmanuel Macron held emergency talks with ministers before a planned address to the nation.

A petition filed in Israel’s High Court on Sunday challenges what its applicants describe as unequal enforcement of financial sanctions against young men whose military status has not been regularised.

Emet L’Yaakov B’Yisrael, represented by lawyer Yehudah Abeles, is asking the authorities to apply the same National Insurance discount rules to university and college students as to yeshivah students.

The organisation says information obtained through a freedom-of-information request shows that academic students receive reduced payments automatically, without checks on their military status. It contrasts this with the withdrawal of equivalent discounts from bnei yeshivah whose status is unresolved.

The petition names government ministers, the National Insurance Institute and the attorney general among the respondents. Its claims have not been determined by the court.

Abeles argues that if economic penalties are used to enforce enlistment requirements, the authorities must apply one consistent standard across all groups. The organisation is also pursuing a separate petition concerning other populations liable for service.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said on Sunday that he would not seek to overturn his party’s decision to describe Zionism as racism, confirming that the motion would remain official policy for at least two years.

Speaking to the BBC, Polanski explained that motions adopted at the party conference have a 24-month lifespan. He said he wanted to amend the policy at the first available opportunity, including changing its approach to a single-state solution.

Asked directly whether he would reverse the motion, he replied: “I’m not going to try and overturn it.” He also declined to recognise a distinct right for Israel to exist, arguing that international law does not give such a right to any state.

Polanski said his preferred outcome was for Israelis and Palestinians to determine their future and live in freedom and security.

His comments followed controversy over the conference motion. He maintained that he did not regret his handling of the issue.

Detectives are searching for two suspects after a police officer was shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre early on Sunday.

The officer had approached a man and a woman in Angel Row at approximately 4.50am when the shooting occurred. Both suspects fled. Police recovered a firearm and established a cordon while investigators examined the scene.

The injured officer remained in hospital in a stable condition. Nottinghamshire Police said he and his family were receiving support, while detectives pursued several lines of enquiry.

Assistant Chief Constable Claire Rukas thanked members of the public who immediately came to the officer’s aid. She said such incidents were extremely rare and that there was no information suggesting a wider threat to the public.

Additional patrols were deployed to reassure people living, working or visiting the area. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident 106 of 18 October 2026. Police stressed that even a small detail could assist the investigation.

Four Canadian service members died and dozens more were seriously injured in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Sunday.

The blaze began in a training area on Saturday afternoon. Strong winds drove flames towards the surrounding countryside, triggering a major response from military personnel, firefighters and emergency medical teams.

Carney said those affected had come from bases across Canada, including reservists and members of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. The military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the circumstances.

Hospitals in Alberta activated emergency arrangements for multiple casualties. Patients were transferred by air to larger centres, while local services faced intense pressure. Acute Care Alberta said ambulance resources around Edmonton had been severely depleted.

Carney thanked military and civilian crews who worked through the night in exceptionally difficult conditions. His confirmation of four deaths superseded earlier, unconfirmed reports of a higher toll. The cause of the incident remained under investigation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Sunday that the United States would make a historic mistake if it formally sided with Russia, while insisting that he still regarded President Donald Trump as an ally.

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Zelenskyy criticised Washington’s decision to pause a new sanctions package against Moscow. Trump said the waiver served American national interests.

Zelenskyy also challenged a deal allowing Russian diesel onto the world market, arguing that it would strengthen Vladimir Putin without resolving the main cause of rising fuel prices.

The Ukrainian leader said a temporary interruption in American intelligence sharing had been resolved, but restrictions affecting Ukraine’s use of the Starshield satellite service continued.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities reported fires following Ukrainian drone attacks on oil facilities and other sites in St Petersburg and the surrounding region. They said one person was killed and 15 injured. Those casualty figures were Russian official claims; the attacks’ full impact was still emerging.

President Donald Trump endorsed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday, nine days before Israelis vote in the 27 October Knesset election.

In a post addressed to the people of Israel, Trump praised Netanyahu’s leadership and their partnership against Iran. He gave the prime minister his “complete and total endorsement”, ending months in which he had not publicly committed himself in the election campaign.

Netanyahu welcomed the announcement and thanked Trump for his support and their work together. His Likud party accompanied the response with a short video showing the two leaders.

Trump’s message also warned that, under a different Israeli leader, the United States might have to confront Iran on its own, something he said he was reluctant to do.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot responded that Israeli voters would decide who should lead the country. The election will be Israel’s first national vote since the Hamas atrocities of 7 October 2023. The effect of Trump’s endorsement on the result remained uncertain.

A young child was killed after being struck by a bus on Avnei Nezer Street in Modi’in Illit on Sunday afternoon.

Magen David Adom said its emergency centre received the call at 5.10pm. Medics and paramedics arriving at the scene found the child unconscious and critically injured. They attempted resuscitation, but were unable to save his life and pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police said the collision involved a bus and a child riding a scooter. Officers from the Modi’in Illit station attended, and traffic investigators from the Yehudah and Shomron district were sent to examine the circumstances.

The medical team described finding the child without a pulse or breathing. Despite their efforts, the injuries were too severe for treatment to succeed.

An investigation has been opened to establish how the collision happened. The initial police and emergency-service statements did not announce findings on responsibility for the accident, and the circumstances remained under examination on Sunday evening.