French Prime Minister stands firm against grassroots fuel protests

Protesters walk on the Champs Elysees to protest against fuel taxes in Paris, France. Photo / AP

France: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, standing firm against a wave of grassroots protests, said that fuel tax hikes would remain in place despite nationwide agitation. "The course we set is good and we will keep it," Philippe told France-2, "It's not when the wind blows that you change course." Nearly 300,000 protesters paralysed traffic at more than 2000 strategic sites around France in a bid to force the Government to lower taxes on diesel fuel and petrol. Other issues, like buying power, melted into the main demand as the demonstrations unfolded. The Government wants to close the gap between the price of diesel fuel and petrol as part of his strategy to wean France off fossil fuels.

United States: President Donald Trump is name-calling Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff for saying Matthew Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney-general is unconstitutional. Trump says Schiff shouldn't complain that Whitaker wasn't confirmed by the Senate because neither was Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating 2016 election interference and possible ties between Moscow and Trump's campaign. The Justice Department appoints special counsels. Critics contend Trump illegally sidestepped procedure by appointing Whitaker over Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein, who's been confirmed. Trump's tweet calls Schiff "little Adam Schitt". Schiff's response: "That's a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr Mueller's questions, or did you write this one yourself?"

'Indiana Jones of art' finds stolen Cyprus mosaic https://t.co/Lqjf76vhyw

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 18, 2018

Cyprus: The Communications Minister of Cyprus says a rare 6th-century portrait mosaic of St. Mark which was looted from an Orthodox Christian church more than four decades ago has returned intact to the Mediterranean island nation. Minister Vassiliki Anastassiadou said the mosaic arrived in Cyprus today. It was given earlier to church and government officials at the country's embassy in the Netherlands. AFP reports that it was handed back this week by a renowned Dutch art investigator, who found it in the possession of an unwitting British family. Arthur Brand has been dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the art world" thanks to his exploits to recover stolen works. The mosaic
depicting a youthful St. Mark was one of several that went missing from the Church of Panayia Kanakaria after Cyprus split into ethnic Greek and Turkish sides in 1974. A mosaic of St. Andrew from the same church was repatriated in April.

Spain: Spanish police have intervened to keep trouble from erupting at a rally marking the anniversary of military dictator Francisco Franco's death after feminist protesters interrupted the event in Madrid. Officers on horseback and on foot quickly moved to keep an angry crowd of about 200 away from the three members of the Feminist group Femen who ran into the gathering topless and with "Legal fascism, national shame" painted on their torsos.

WATCH: Fights broke out between far-right protesters and feminist anti-fascist activists at a rally marking the death of the dictator Francisco Franco. pic.twitter.com/5thNNQegdH

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 18, 2018

Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would take on the defence minister portfolio, rejecting calls to dissolve his Government even as early elections appeared increasingly likely. Netanyahu said heading to elections now, amid repeated violent confrontations with Gaza militants, was "irresponsible" of his coalition partners, who have been pushing for early polls since the resignation last week of Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman over a Gaza ceasefire. Most opinion polls show Netanyahu easily securing re-election. But several factors could trip him up, including a potential corruption indictment that could knock him out of contention.

Britain: British authorities say they found nine suspected migrants from Iran after they landed on a coast in southeastern England. The Home Office said the group landed at Folkstone, near the town of Dover, on an inflatable boat. It said they will be "processed in line with immigration rules." The BBC reported that a member of the public found them "clambering up rocks" on the coast. Last week, coast guard crews picked up three boats carrying more than 20 migrants from Iran, including a woman and a toddler. And 14 men and three minors on a fishing boat, also from Iran, were stopped at Dover Harbour.

Fourteen migrants steal French trawler and sail across the Channel to Dover https://t.co/jDJa5d3v4k

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) November 13, 2018

Iraq: Five people were killed in a car bomb blast in the city of Tikrit, the latest security breach to rattle the country in recent weeks. Sixteen others were wounded in the blast that set fires on both sides of a commercial street in the heart of the city, according to an Iraqi Army officer. Tikrit's main hospital said it had received several patients wounded in the attack. There were no immediate claims for the attack, but Isis (Islamic State) has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks.

Chile: Two senior police officials have resigned in Chile after the discovery that officers destroyed video showing the shooting of a young indigenous man whose death set off large protests. Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said that destruction of the memory card from a monitoring camera was "unacceptable". He said General Mauro Victoriano and Colonel Ivan Contreras Figueroa and four members of special forces unit resigned. Thousands of people attended the funeral of 24-year-old Camilo Catrillanca, who was shot last Thursday. Police said they fired while pursuing people who stole three vehicles. Catrillanca's family said he was shot in the back while riding on a tractor.

Alan Garcia, who was twice president of Peru, is under investigation for bribes allegedly paid by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht https://t.co/VtMCfQ5hln

— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 18, 2018

Peru: Former Peruvian President Alan Garcia has sought asylum in Uruguay's diplomatic mission hours after a judge retained his passport as part of a corruption probe, Peru's Foreign Ministry announced. The ministry said it was informed by Uruguay's ambassador that Garcia entered his residence seeking protection. It vowed to provide unspecified information to Uruguay as it evaluates Garcia's request. A judge in Lima granted prosecutors' request that Garcia be banned from leaving Peru for 18 months as investigators probe allegations he received illegal payment from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Sri Lanka: A crucial meeting among Sri Lanka's political party leaders failed to reach a breakthrough to resolve the political turmoil that has engulfed the island nation for several weeks, opposition MPs say. Sri Lanka has been in crisis since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe says he still has the support of a majority in Parliament.

- AP