Riots in France, a Survived Execution, October 7 Anniversary, and Messi's Farewell

In France, about 250,000 people joined protests across the country on Wednesday. Teachers, parents, and students marched together to demand better school buildings, more teachers, and more money for education. The protests were mostly peaceful, but riot police in Paris used batons and tear gas on some protesters. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said more than 200 students and dozens of school workers were hurt.

In one northern French town, a 15-year-old protester lost his hand during the clashes, which shocked many people. Rights groups and unions were especially upset about the police response. They said the number of arrests and cases of police violence was possibly the highest they had ever seen. The government now faces a serious crisis over how it handled the protests.

In Tennessee, a woman named Christa Pike was on death row and went through a lethal injection last week. The execution did not work correctly — the drug leaked out of her veins and caused severe burns on her arms. Her lawyers say she has now woken up and is able to speak. They went to court asking the state to save any evidence from the failed execution.

Tennessee's governor, Bill Lee, has paused all executions in the state for the rest of the year. He wants officials to fully investigate what went wrong. If Christa Pike's lawyers can prove she suffered cruel and unusual punishment, they may be able to stop any future execution attempts. For now, she is safe from the execution chamber for the rest of this year.

Three years ago on October 7th, Hamas fighters launched a deadly attack on Israel. They killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. The war that followed has caused enormous destruction. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian health officials.

Today, about two million people in Gaza are crowded into a small part of the territory, living in tents and ruined buildings without enough food or water. A ceasefire was made but later broken, and Israeli troops now occupy about two-thirds of Gaza. The anniversary of October 7th comes just 20 days before Israel's national elections. Many Israelis are angry that their leaders have not taken responsibility for the worst security failure in the country's modern history.

Cornell University hired Sally Yates, a former top U.S. Justice Department lawyer, to look into how the school handled sexual assault complaints from students. The move came after students protested and called for change at the Ivy League school. An independent review will look at how Cornell prevents and responds to such claims. This kind of outside investigation is meant to make the process fair and trustworthy.

Lionel Messi said goodbye to international soccer in a memorable way. The 39-year-old played his final game for Argentina in front of a huge, cheering crowd in Buenos Aires. He scored one goal and helped set up two more as Argentina beat Benin 3-0. Messi finished his career with Argentina having scored 126 international goals. Tearful fans listened to his parting words, and after the final whistle, a drone show formed his number 10 as fireworks lit up the sky. Messi will keep playing club soccer for Inter Miami in the United States.