From a terror probe in a Paris suburb to a typhoon battering Taiwan, Friday's biggest global developments spanned security crises, natural disasters and a brewing protest weekend in France. Here are the stories that defined the last 48 hours around the world.
Trappes Drive-By Shooting Triggers Terror Probe in France
French authorities said one person was killed and four others seriously wounded — including a 12-year-old girl — in a drive-by shooting at several locations in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris. France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office opened an investigation, including whether the attack was racially motivated, and a suspect was arrested, according to DailyBrief and France 24. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez held a press conference outlining strict security measures, announcing the mobilization of as many as 70,000 security personnel across the country ahead of mass protests planned for Saturday, aimed at preventing further escalation and protecting public order.
France Braces for Saturday Protests as Courts and Government Clash
Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully in southeastern Paris on Thursday after an administrative court overturned a police ban on demonstrations — a ruling organizers won by challenging the prefecture's order, the Associated Press reported. The prefecture had argued the ban was necessary after weekend clashes in which masked youth looted shops and torched cars. Meanwhile, bans remain in place for demonstrations in Marseille, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, and a partial overnight curfew in parts of Paris was extended through Monday, according to DailyBrief. President Emmanuel Macron said after a security meeting that only union-organized demonstrations would be allowed elsewhere. Separately, UN Secretary-General António Guterres tied the cost-of-living protests to conflict-driven economic shocks, urging governments to address peaceful protesters' concerns while condemning violence and property destruction, EconoTimes reported.
Netanyahu Orders West Bank Lockdown After Checkpoint Shooting
Following a shooting attack near the West Bank city of Hebron that wounded at least five Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare for a full closure of the occupied West Bank, with restrictions expected to last at least until after Israel's general election, DailyBrief reported. Israeli soldiers shot and killed the two alleged gunmen, and Netanyahu blamed the Hamas militant group for the attack; Hamas's armed wing hailed the attack as heroic. The Israeli Air Force also carried out airstrikes on Kafr Tibnit in southern Lebanon, according to a Newsrael morning summary, while the European Parliament approved a resolution calling for the Houthis to be added to the EU's terrorist-organization list.
Tibet Earthquake Rescue: 16 Dead, Thousands Displaced
Chinese authorities said at least 16 people were killed and 76 others injured when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of Tibet's region, state media reported, via DailyBrief. The quake collapsed hundreds of homes and forced more than 12,000 people to evacuate, with rescue teams continuing to reach remote affected communities.
Typhoon Champi Batters Taiwan
Schools, offices and financial markets closed across Taiwan as Typhoon Champi passed close to the island's northeastern coast, leaving one person dead and more than 160 injured, and forcing the cancellation of more than 900 flights, according to DailyBrief. Forecasters warned the heaviest rain was still to come, with up to 35 inches possible in some areas before the storm moves north toward Japan.
Houthi Attacks Rattle Saudi Arabia
The Houthi movement carried out a series of attacks targeting airports and other sites in Saudi Arabia, including an airport attack that earlier killed an Indian citizen — a claim the Houthis themselves made, per Al Jazeera. The United States has begun pulling embassy staff from Saudi Arabia as the attacks escalate, and Iran says it has reached an agreement with Iraq to expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, the Long War Journal reported via Spearnet's global watch.
What to watch next: Saturday's national day of protests in France will test the authorities' 70,000-officer security plan; rescue operations continue in Tibet and in the storm-lashed Taiwan coast; and Israel heads toward its general election under the shadow of the West Bank lockdown. The Morning Post will keep updating these stories as they develop.