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Politics

France: Thousands march in Orléans against National Rally congress

Thousands of anti-fascist protesters took to the streets of Orléans on Saturday to demonstrate against a congress held by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party. Marchers criticised both Le Pen and President Emmanuel Macron, chanting slogans and carrying banners opposing the far right. The protest came amid renewed nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living, a week after rallies descended into street violence. The two-day congress also marked a major campaign event for Le Pen ahead of France’s presidential election in six months’ time. Antonia Kerrigan reports the latest from Or

France: March against National Rally in Orleans

Against this backdrop of heightened tensions, France’s far-right National Rally is holding its annual congress in Orléans, south of Paris, where it is expected to officially launch Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign and re-elect Jordan Bardella as party leader. Thousands of supporters are expected to attend, while a major counter-demonstration has been organised against racism, fascism and imperialism. Local authorities are preparing for possible clashes between the two groups. Antonia Kerrigan reports the latest.

Netanyahu orders West Bank operation

Israel has imposed widespread closures across the occupied West Bank and displaced residents following attacks by Palestinian gunmen that killed two Israeli soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site of the attack near Hebron and instructed security forces to immediately cordon off the city. Morgan Ayre reports.

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Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield connection 'stable' again

Ukraine has regained a "stable" connection to the Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems, Kyiv's defence minister said on Saturday. Recent disruptions to the connection led to tensions with Washington over the SpaceX-made network crucial to the Ukrainian army's operations.

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Live: French police seize weapons and arrest 135 people on the sidelines of new protests

Police have seized various weapons and arrested 135 people on the sidelines of new protests on Saturday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. Some 70,000 police have been deployed ahead of a march by “Yellow Vests”, trade unions and students, with authorities fearing a repeat of the looting and vandalism seen during last Saturday's unrest. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.