Supporters of French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen have said a headscarf ban would be introduced gradually if she is elected, as her campaign seeks to win over left-leaning voters before a run-off poll on Sunday.
Louis Aliot, the far-right Mayor of Perpignan, said the ban would be introduced “little by little”, marking a softening of the campaign’s policy.
Ms Le Pen previously described the hijab as an “Islamist uniform” and called for a ban.
"There will be a debate in parliament and then the choice will be made," Mr Aliot told the France Inter radio network.
Another ally of Ms Le Pen, David Rachline, the Mayor of the south-eastern town of Frejus, said on Monday that "we don't want to attack people".
"All those women wearing a hijab are not Islamists," he said.
An estimated five million Muslims live in France, one of the largest populations in western Europe. Public servants are barred from wearing headscarves at work and the garment is banned in schools.
The issue of head coverings has become increasingly prominent on the political agenda before the run-off vote between President Emmanuel Macron and Ms Le Pen, as her right-wing policies come under the spotlight.
She wants to ban the headscarf in public places, with fines to be issued to those who break the rules. She has said the rule could be enforced in a similar way to regulations on wearing a seatbelt in cars.
But on Friday a voter wearing a hijab told Ms Le Pen to “leave the Muslims alone” while she was on the campaign trail.
Ms Le Pen has acknowledged that the issue is a complex one. She said parliament would have its say on the matter and that any unwanted law could be revoked.
Polls show that Mr Macron is the more likely winner of the run-off, but with a slim margin.
On Monday, an Ipsos poll for France Info radio and the newspaper Le Parisien showed Mr Macron leading Ms Le Pen with 56 per cent of the vote, up 0.5 per cent from the day before and 3 per cent from the first round of voting on April 10.
The pair face a potentially crucial public debate on Wednesday. The pair went head to head in 2017, when Mr Macron was considered to be the winner, clearing the way for his first-term victory.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
