Rooma News ; Violent cost-of-living protests erupt across France

 Sunday, October 18, 2026

By Rooma Mehmood

Islamabad

Rooma News

World News

Europe

Violent cost-of-living protests erupt across France

Nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs and school conditions turned violent in several French cities. Protesters set historic buildings and vehicles ablaze, looted shops, and clashed with police. Over 1,200 people were arrested and around 150 officers injured.

Unrest also spread to parts of Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. Authorities used tear gas as the student-led movement escalated.

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV returns to Vatican after surgery

Pope Leo XIV left hospital smiling and returned to the Vatican four days after lung cancer surgery. Crowds of well-wishers cheered his arrival, ending a period of uncertainty for the Catholic Church.

United States

Trump waives new Russia sanctions

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving upcoming sanctions on Russia, citing national interests. The move, issued days before the penalties were due to take effect, drew bipartisan criticism in Congress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it emboldens Moscow.

India

Stampede kills at least 19 at Kolkata festival

A crowd crush during a Hindu festival in Kolkata, India, left at least 19 people dead and dozens injured. Authorities detained the event organizer. Separate incidents included a fire at a Bangladesh beach resort that killed 10 and a deadly fire at a Canadian military base in Alberta.

Other global developments

North Korea tested a new AI-assisted precision-guided torpedo system.

Severe haze triggered high-level pollution alerts across parts of Southeast Asia, with Singapore ranking among the world’s most polluted major cities.

Albania saw a fifth consecutive day of violent anti-government protests, with police firing rubber bullets and making hundreds of arrests.

Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats in the occupied West Bank.

Hurricane Trudy strengthened toward Mexico’s Pacific coast while Typhoon Champi intensified near Guam.

Pakistan News

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP, saying the government was “compelled” by security concerns. Nawaz Sharif backed the move, accusing the previous provincial setup of using state resources for political confrontation. PTI announced it will challenge the decision in parliament. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected ministers’ allegations as “character assassination” and called for an in-camera session on security.

Defence

Strategic Command warns India

National Strategic Command chief General Aamer Raza warned India against any military miscalculation and called for national unity and resilience against attempts to destabilize Pakistan.

Security

Security incidents in Balochistan and along Afghan border

Two policemen were martyred in a gun attack in Nasirabad district, Balochistan, while armed men abducted about 20 police recruits from a bus on the Quetta-Karachi highway. Security forces launched a search operation.

Separately, Pakistani troops retaliated against unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces in the Upper Kurram area and reported destroying a militant base. Pakistan reiterated it will not hold unconditional talks with Afghanistan and demands a verifiable mechanism to stop terrorist attacks from Afghan soil.

Other key developments

Pakistan extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft until late November.

Food exports rose 25 percent in July-September, driven by rice shipments.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Khuzdar, killing one person.

Pakistan temporarily suspended certain Iran trade corridors citing security and smuggling concerns.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said attacks on Gulf infrastructure are “worrying” for the economic outlook but confirmed energy supplies are secured through November.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated Cairo is ready to take any measure to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks if requested. Pakistan condemned the Houthi strikes and expressed solidarity with Riyadh.

Editorial

Security First, But Democracy Must Endure

The imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has once again placed Pakistan at a familiar crossroads: the tension between urgent security needs and the long-term health of democratic institutions.

No serious observer can deny the gravity of the challenges along the western border and within certain districts. Cross-border firing, the abduction of police recruits, and persistent militant threats demand a firm response. A state that cannot protect its citizens and its forces loses the moral authority to govern. In that limited sense, decisive action is understandable.

Yet history offers a caution. Extraordinary measures, once introduced, have a habit of lingering beyond their original justification. Emergency powers and the suspension of elected provincial authority must remain temporary, transparent, and subject to genuine parliamentary scrutiny. The opposition’s right to challenge the decision in the National Assembly is not a luxury; it is a necessary check.

At the same time, political parties of every stripe share responsibility. Using provincial resources for confrontation with the federation, or treating national security as a partisan football, only deepens public cynicism. National security cannot be the exclusive domain of any single party or institution, nor can it become a convenient shield against accountability.

Beyond KP, the broader regional picture is equally unsettled. Escalating tensions in the Gulf, the volatile Afghanistan frontier, and the continuing freeze in relations with India all require clear-eyed statecraft. Pakistan’s measured stance on energy security and its refusal of unconditional talks with Kabul reflect a necessary realism. But realism must be paired with sustained diplomacy and economic resilience.

The public’s patience is not infinite. Citizens facing inflation, power shortages, and the lingering trauma of tragedies such as the recent school roof collapse in Peshawar expect results, not rhetoric. Strengthening institutions, improving governance, and delivering basic services remain the surest foundation for lasting security.

Governor’s rule may address an immediate crisis. Only inclusive politics, institutional integrity, and a shared commitment to the Constitution will secure the country’s future.

Rooma News

By Rooma Mehmood

Islamabad