Halloween Protests & French Promises, US Mid Term Mood, What now for Israel?

France braces for another weekend of unrest as the Yellow Vests return to the streets under the rallying cry of ‘Act III – Halloween’, with 70,000 police and security forces deployed after the riots and looting of recent weeks. A cash-strapped government faces mounting grievances, a rolling protest movement and little room for manoeuvre ahead of elections, as it struggles to restore order while grappling with crippling debt.

In Israel, an inconclusive election has left both Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot claiming victory, with neither securing the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Arab parties have made historic gains, potentially holding the balance of power, but Netanyahu is challenging the legitimacy of their result, while Eisenkot insists on a Zionist government.

Meanwhile, in the US, the final days of the midterm campaign have taken a distinctly theatrical turn, as Donald Trump and Barack Obama trade barbs in a public back-and-forth involving gold-plated White House décor, accusations of elitism and an unlikely cameo from the Cheesecake Factory.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Nicholas Rushworth, Théophile Vareille, Guillaume Gougeon and Marguerite Lacroix

Our guests

• Francis Collings Freelance journalist based in Paris

• Noga Tarnopolsky

• Andrew FEINBERG White House Correspondent for The Independent

• Frederic Arnould Radio Canada Correspondent for Europe