The Rest of the World Report | November 5, 2026 — Evening Edition

From The Rest of the World Podcast · 16:34

Show by Rest of the World Podcast hosted by Rudy Martinez

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources listed.FRANCE MARCHES, GOVERNMENT CALLS TALKSBetween 575,000 and 1.6 million people marched across France on Thursday, and the prime minister has called unions and employers to talks on Monday.Nationwide, the Interior Ministry counted 575,000 marchers and the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) counted close to 1.6 million. In Paris the ministry counted 65,000 and the CGT 350,000. The Paris march left Place de la République at 2 p.m. and ended at Place de la Nation, the route the police prefecture proposed and the administrative court upheld. Sophie Binet, who leads the CGT, said at the head of the march that the day would be a success. Presidential candidates Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Raphaël Glucksmann and Marine Tondelier took part. Glucksmann, a Social Democrat, was blocked for 45 minutes at the start by hostile activists and then left. Several hundred musicians of the Orchestre du nouveau monde played at République, and the orchestra said 25 other cities answered its call for street orchestras.The Ministry of Public Action and Accounts put the midday strike rate at 9.89 percent of state civil servants, 4.60 percent of local government staff and 3.93 percent of hospital staff. By 6 p.m. the Interior Ministry’s provisional national tally was 448 arrests, 53 members of the security forces injured and 86 fire interventions. Ministry officials said the marches declared in advance went off largely without incident. The Paris police prefecture said hooded individuals vandalized property along the Paris route. Tensions were also reported in Lyon, Rennes and Toulouse.In Strasbourg, between 10,000 and 26,000 people marched. A giant effigy of a riot police officer marked “CRS SS” was burned there, and the Bas-Rhin prefect said he will refer the act to prosecutors.The prime minister’s office announced that Sébastien Lecornu will hold a social conference with unions and employers on Monday to address purchasing power and wages. Lecornu has asked the labor minister to finish his consultations by Sunday. On Friday he will meet the heads of the main employers’ groups, including Patrick Martin of the Medef employers’ federation.🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: French unions marched on Thursday over wages and the cost of living. The Interior Ministry counted 575,000 people and the CGT nearly 1.6 million. Police reported 448 arrests nationwide. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called unions and employers to a conference on Monday.Sources franceinfo | ICIEditor’s desk - I was at the protests again today and it was peaceful, joyous, and even fun. TRUMP WEIGHS IRAN OPTIONSPresident Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran, a deal or continued economic pressure after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress.Trump said on Wednesday that it is “largely true” that the Iran war cost Republicans the midterms. Vice President JD Vance had written that the war is the reason Republicans lost. Trump blamed higher gasoline prices and said he would do it again, because Iran cannot be allowed a nuclear weapon. On election night he said he had no immediate plans to order attacks.Vance is the adviser pressing for an agreement. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent favor keeping the naval blockade of Iranian ports. US officials said the military is finishing preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations. The preparations include sending more military assets to the region, but they are not an order to resume combat.Qatar is seeking US and Iranian backing for a draft agreement that could restart talks within days. Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said Washington and Tehran remain committed to the negotiation process.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said three vessels, two of them supertankers, caught fire in two incidents overnight. It said they were crossing the Strait of Hormuz by an “illegal and unauthorised” route south of the waterway, and that one tanker hit naval mines. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) verified a report of two unidentified projectiles striking a tanker at 11:20 p.m. UTC on Wednesday. The tanker was about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, and the condition of the crew and the extent of the damage were not known.🌍 Translator’s Note: Gulf News frames the Iran question as Trump’s choice between renewed attacks and a deal, and Gulf governments are working on Tehran while he decides. On Thursday Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, held calls with Gulf counterparts. He phoned his Saudi counterpart and spoke with the Qatari and Omani foreign ministers. The UAE’s foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, took a call from him and stressed de-escalation and diplomatic efforts. Oman and Iran said in a separate call that Hormuz needs lasting understandings that end the state of war. Whichever way…

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