Our reporter Ségolène Le Stradic reports from Paris as labor unions rally in solidarity with high school students protesting school conditions.

An autumn of discontent has gripped the country ahead of its presidential election.

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Three African countries have started Tafouk TV, a Russia-partnered broadcast channel, after throwing out Western journalists and cracking down on local media.

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Chaos in schools, on the streets and in the markets is rooted in France’s struggles to fund its social welfare state, with a presidential election approaching.

© Yves Herman/Reuters

Union members, parents, teachers and others took part in mass demonstrations around the country, backing student demands that the government invest more in schools.

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Chaos in schools, on the streets and in the markets is rooted in France’s struggles to fund its social welfare state, with a presidential election approaching.

© Yves Herman/Reuters

The rallies are a test of the strength of the student-led protest movement that has escalated at French high schools since late September.