France is to consult its European Union partners on how to curb private jet emissions after French billionaires gallivanting around the world in fuel-guzzling planes caused a political controversy over the summer.
While an outright ban is not on the agenda, French government spokesman Olivier Veran said on Tuesday that at a time when more "sober" energy consumption habits are being promoted, regulating private jets would send a message that the same rules apply to all.
Several Twitter accounts tracking French billionaires' private jet flights have emerged recently, causing a public outcry over private jet emissions from the wealthy while regular folks are being asked to save on energy.
The leading "I Fly Bernard" account tracks the every move of a jet belonging to Bernard Arnault, the CEO of luxury giant LVMH and one of the world's richest men.
The account doesn't just have Mr Arnault in its sights, however, with no globe-trotting billionaire safe.
In this tweet, the flights of the private jet belonging to French banking billionaire Vincent Bollore on August 8 were tracked. Somewhat incredibly, Mr Bollore's plane took to the skies five times that day, "a record since the opening of this account", according to the tweet.
"Private jets have a symbolic value," Mr Veran told France Inter radio.
"One can understand that French people who cut their energy consumption can be hurt when some of his fellow citizens use a private jet to hop around from place to place even though in most cases private jets are used for business," he said.
This is why Transport Minister Clement Beaune proposed that EU ministers look at "ways to compensate Co2 emissions" of private jet flights, Mr Veran said.
Mr Beaune over the weekend told Le Parisien newspaper that it will be more efficient to act on the matter at a European level "to have the same rules and the most impact".
EU transport ministers are due to meet next month.
The head of the French Green party, Julien Bayou, who favours an outright ban, told RMC radio on Tuesday: "One cannot tolerate that some people burn with a few flights 50 years in the (energy) consumption of an average French person."
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Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
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Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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