Your Monday Briefing: A Weekend of Unrest in France

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France protests for a weekend

France deployed 45,000 officers to the entire country over the weekend, after violent riots erupted in multiple cities following the fatal shooting by police of a teenager. About 2,000 people have been arrested in two nights of protests. Protesters set fire to cars, buildings, and lit fireworks outside police stations.

Saturday night was quieter than other evenings. However, two attacks on civic leaders brought to light the volatile situation. A mayor claimed that protesters had rammed his car into his house and set it on fire. His wife and a child were injured. Police said that in a separate incident, rioters tried to burn down a car owned by another mayor.

Funeral: On Saturday hundreds of people gathered around a mosque located in Nanterre (a suburb of Paris) to mourn Nahel, the teenager shot and killed. The victim was a French national of Algerian descent.

Last week, France banned religious symbols from soccer. This includes hijabs. It was just a coincidence but the timing has highlighted France's identity crisis and lack of inclusion.

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Greece's deadly inaction on the sea

More than 600 people perished last month when the Adriana, an migrant vessel, sank into the Mediterranean. A Times investigation using sealed court documents, satellite images, radio signals and over 20 interviews with survivors found that hundreds of deaths were preventable.

The Greek authorities repeatedly stated that the Adriana was heading to Italy. The Times investigation, however, shows that the Adriana drifted in a circle for the last six and half hours.

My colleagues reported that survivors said passengers had called for help, and some even tried to jump onto a tanker which stopped to distribute drinking water. These reports contradict Greek claims that migrants didn't want to be saved. As panic spread, the Greek government acted more like a law-enforcement operation than a rescue.

The passengers paid $3.5 million collectively to have their luggage smuggled into Italy. Surviving passengers said that Pakistanis were on the bottom deck, women and children in the middle and Syrians Palestinians and Egyptians at the top. Out of 350 people, only 12 Pakistanis survived. Women and children, including young ones, perished with the ship.

Authorities often delay rescues for fear of emboldening smugglers who will send more people aboard ever-flimsier vessels. Each new ship arriving in Europe is a political flashpoint as the politics of Europe has shifted to the right.

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U.S. influence in Kabul endures

Most vestiges of U.S. nation building efforts in Afghanistan were erased when the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed Afghan government two years ago. The cultural legacy of the American occupation of Afghanistan for two decades lives on today in coffee shops, snooker rooms, video game dens and bookstores.

Kabul is the city that has had a lasting impact on international culture. After the U.S. invasion, Kabul became a center of attention for many countries. Women are now barred from attending high schools and college in Afghanistan. In some cafes, women can listen to music, and mingle with other men in spite of Taliban verbal orders.

Takeaway: These cafes and shops are an escape for some young people in the urban world from the reality that a country is being remade under the Taliban government. This often feels more alien to them than did the Western-backed administration.

Asia Pacific

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Gavi, a company that provides vaccines for developing countries, has approved a polio vaccination which could help eradicate the disease.

After threatening political opponents with violence, the Facebook account of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun-Sen appears to have disappeared.

Australia has developed a plan for the protection of the southern cassowary bird, which is similar to an emu and plays a vital role in the eco-system.

The War in Ukraine

Ukraine officials confirmed that Russia had launched drone attacks against Kyiv, the first in almost two weeks.

The counteroffensive moves slowly. It took Ukrainian soldiers several days to recapture one small village.

Analysis: The Wagner private company's revolt could have frightened Xi Jinping and led him to rethink his close relationship with Russia.

Around the World

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that President Biden’s plan to forgive student loans for tens and millions of borrowers was unconstitutional. The court also supported a web designer's right to refuse services to same-sex couples.

Brazilian judges banned Jair Bolsonaro (the former president) from running for public office before 2030 because he spread false claims about voting.

Paul Rusesabagina - the dissident who inspired 'Hotel Rwanda' - defied his government and spoke to The Times about recent arrest.

To avoid a shortage of raw materials that could derail their electric vehicle plans, major car companies have begun mining lithium.

The Times has reconstructed Titan's last hours.

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Ainu, an Indigenous group of Japan, lost their right to fish salmon in Hokkaido River over a century before. A group that represents them sued the government in order to regain their fishing rights. This was four years after Japan officially recognized the Ainu people as its Indigenous people. Some view the fight as a bid to restore a decimated cultural heritage.

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Rahul Mishra, the designer who was the first Indian to show at Paris Haute Couture Week three years ago, will present his collection today. His show's theme is "We, the People" and it focuses on the embroiderers who create his pieces, most of whom are from rural areas. Even figurines of artists are sewn onto the clothing.

Mishra designs regularly for celebrities. He made headlines in April for dressing actor Zendaya with a shimmery, blue sari to the Nita Ambani Cultural Center opening in Mumbai. Weddings are the core of his business. He calls these events'red carpets' for those who aren’t celebrities. This is especially true in Indian culture where weddings can last several days and require multiple outfits.

PLAY, WATCH and EAT

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