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By Dominique Vidalon and Clotaire Achi PARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to march through French cities and public workers to strike on Thursday, in a fresh test for President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of unrest that have rattled his government and dominated the agenda five months ahead of a presidential election. The mobilisation, called by trade unions including the left-wing CGT and backed by student groups, comes after demonstrations over living costs, public services and education triggered the worst civil unrest France has seen in years. Authorities have sought to lower tensions after riots and looting on October 17 caught security forces off guard, leaving damaged shops and public buildings across the country and fuelling criticism of Macron’s handling of the crisis. “We are extremely vigilant because it is out of the question to relive October 17,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told a press conference after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. French authorities will deploy around 70,000 police nationwide, BFM TV reported. The domestic intelligence service expects between 500,000 and 700,000 people to join demonstrations outside Paris, it said.  The Education Ministry said 17.5% of public primary school teachers were expected to strike, while unions warned of likely disruptions to rail and public transport services. Among those expected to join Thursday’s marches are students who say conditions in schools and growing uncertainty over their future remain major concerns.  “We’re trying to keep mobilising as much as possible. Some people aren’t doing so because they’re afraid. A lot of people are afraid of police violence,” said Irma de Banville, a 19-year-old student in Paris. The French government has defended police tactics while saying any abuses would be investigated. ‘GET THE RIVER BACK INTO ITS BED’ Macron convened a defence and security meeting on Wednesday ahead of the protests, underlining how a movement that began with student anger over deteriorating school conditions and concerns about opportunities for young people has evolved into a broader challenge to his government. “The goal in the coming weeks is to get the river that overflowed back into its bed and to launch the presidential election in the calmest possible conditions,” an official close to Macron said, pointing to the lower number of high schools blockaded this week compared with earlier in the crisis.  Nationwide protests last Saturday were generally peaceful, with some clashes on the fringes. Even so, the political atmosphere remains tense, with candidates manoeuvring ahead of the election and opposition parties seeking to capitalise on public frustration over living standards and government policy. French power unions are expected to join Thursday’s strike, state-owned utility EDF said. A previous power sector strike in mid-September reduced electricity supply in the country and cut delivery capacity at France’s biggest liquefied natural gas terminal, Dunkirk LNG.  (Additional reporting by Forrest Crelin; writing by Michel Rose; editing by Gareth Jones) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

By Field Level Media Nov 05 (Field Level Media) – Miami (Fla.) star wide receiver Malachi Toney sustained a high ankle injury during Wednesday’s practice and is planning to have surgery, leaving the top- ranked Hurricanes without one of their main weapons when they visit No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Sources told ESPN that Toney would undergo surgery, leaving him out of the lineup for at least four weeks, per the typical timeline for these types of injuries. That kind of absence would keep him available for the College Football Playoff. Per earlier reporting, the injury isn’t expected to be a long-term issue. “Malachi Toney sustained an injury during Wednesday’s practice and is currently undergoing further evaluation by the team’s medical staff,” Miami said in a statement. “We will share additional updates as appropriate.” The sophomore’s importance to the Hurricanes’ offense is undeniable. Toney leads the team with 73 receptions, 1,027 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches. He ranks second in the FBS with 9.1 receptions per game, third with 128.4 receiving yards per game and tied for second in TD receptions. Toney caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns in Miami’s 38-35 victory at North Carolina on Saturday. His second TD turned into a vital insurance score. It gave the Hurricanes a 38-28 lead with 2:33 to play; UNC responded with a touchdown with 1:33 to go to cut the margin to three. Miami (8-0) also was chosen No. 1 in the first edition of this year’s College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday. Notre Dame (7-1) was slotted 11th after routing Navy 35-13. (–Field Level Media) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

TOKYO, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Toyota posted its first profit gain in six quarters on Thursday, as a weaker yen and robust demand for hybrid vehicles offset a slide in sales in China and the Middle East. Operating profit for the July-September quarter jumped 34% to 1.13 trillion yen ($7.1 billion). That compares with a median forecast of 992 billion yen in a poll of nine analysts surveyed by LSEG. ($1 = 158.4300 yen) (Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Nov 5 (Reuters) – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday that two oil tankers and a tugboat had caught fire in separate incidents after attempting to use unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz. One tanker struck a mine while attempting to cross a passage south of the strait, while another supertanker caught fire while exiting the route in the eastern part of the waterway, the IRGC said. A tugboat that approached the second vessel to help extinguish the fire also caught fire. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

By Sfundo Parakozov and Nilutpal Timsina JOHANNESBURG, Nov 5 (Reuters) – South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) led in early results from municipal elections on Thursday but with a sharply reduced share of the vote, although counting was still at a preliminary stage and the picture could change significantly. With around 12% of votes counted by 0424 GMT, the ANC had about 32% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 31%, results from the election commission showed. The outcome will help shape the political landscape ahead of the 2029 national election and could influence the succession battle within the ANC as President Cyril Ramaphosa nears the end of his term as party leader in 2027. The early tally in the municipal elections may not mirror the final results, with only a small proportion of districts reporting in populous Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, home to some of the country’s biggest cities. But a projection given by South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research suggested the ANC could end up in the final tally with the same percentage of votes as it has now. The CSIR, a leading local research organisation, told public broadcaster that its projections based on 11.5% of voting districts having declared results showed the ANC would get about 32% in the final tally and the DA 26%. The Nov. 4 vote was widely predicted to see the ANC lose ground nationally as voters punished it for high crime rates, corruption scandals and failing basic services such as water and electricity. The ANC won 46% of votes in the last municipal elections in 2021, down from 62% in 2011. Its main competitor, the Democratic Alliance, has hovered around 22% of votes in recent years, while a number of smaller parties have vied for space. Major municipalities including Johannesburg are not expected to have any clear winner, meaning that parties will have to negotiate to form coalition governments. They will have two weeks from the declaration of results – expected on Sunday – to do so. Analysts have said that best option for stability in cities such as Johannesburg would be for the ANC to partner with the DA, mirroring the arrangement they have in national government. But the two are ideologically opposed on key issues such as racial redress. The ANC could also decide to team up with the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters and former president Jacob Zuma’s party uMkhonto weSizwe, cutting out the pro-business DA. (Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov and Nilutpal Timsina;Writing by Bate Felix and Nellie Peyton;Editing by Alexander Winning and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com