Cars and trucks queue at the UK entrance of the Eurotunnel on December 17 before increased restrictions for travel to France from Britain. Reuters
Cars and trucks queue at the UK entrance of the Eurotunnel on December 17 before increased restrictions for travel to France from Britain. Reuters
Cars and trucks queue at the UK entrance of the Eurotunnel on December 17 before increased restrictions for travel to France from Britain. Reuters
Cars and trucks queue at the UK entrance of the Eurotunnel on December 17 before increased restrictions for travel to France from Britain. Reuters

France reverses ban on British drivers in transit


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

France on Thursday said it would show "tolerance" for British travellers hoping to transit the country to reach homes elsewhere in the European Union, after a surprise clampdown caused dismay for thousands of travellers.

Under tougher Covid rules that began to be applied this week, non-resident Britons were no longer able drive through France -- only those with a primary French residence will be allowed in.

Many Britons take the Channel Tunnel to France, using Eurotunnel's Shuttle service, to drive from the UK to their homes in other EU countries.

But under new travel guidance that was applied from December 28 by French authorities, only Britons whose official primary residence is in France are being allowed in.

Eurotunnel connects the UK and France and serves as a main conduit to mainland Europe, linking Folkestone in England and Coquelles, near Calais.

An “urgent” update by Eurotunnel confirmed on Wednesday that the French government had tightened its policy. "Unless they hold French residency, British citizens are now considered third country citizens and can no longer transit France by road to reach their country of residence in the EU," Eurotunnel said.

French travel guidance says “nationals of the European Union or equivalent", as well as their partners and children, "who have their main residence in France or who join, in transit through France, their main residence in a country of the European Union”, are considered to have a compelling reason for travelling from the UK through France.

Eurotunnel said the ban did not apply to British people living in France, or people from the UK who also hold an EU passport through dual nationality. But it did apply to British citizens living outside France in the EU.

Before Eurotunnel's announcement, there had been some confusion among British people based in the EU about the rules.

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Zombieland: Double Tap

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

Four out of five stars 

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

RESULT

Chelsea 2

Willian 13'

Ross Barkley 64'

Liverpool 0

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Fixtures and results:

Wed, Aug 29:

  • Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
  • Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
  • UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs

Thu, Aug 30: 

  • UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
  • Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets

Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal

Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore

Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu, Sep 6: Final

MATCH INFO

Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)

Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties

Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Company%20Profile
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Updated: December 30, 2021, 5:45 PM