Tractors and hay bales have blocked motorways around Paris as farmers continue their protest against rising costs, with ports and roads across Europe now facing similar rallies.
The French government is expected to take new measures on Tuesday in an attempt to address farmers’ concerns.
Protesters encircled Paris with traffic-snarling barricades on Monday, using hundreds of tractors and mounds of hay bales to block major roads leading to the French capital that will host the Olympic Games in six months. They came prepared for an extended stay, with tents and reserves of food and water, as the demonstrations continued on Tuesday.
The government announced a deployment of 15,000 police officers, mostly in the Paris region, to stop any effort by the protesters to enter the capital. Officers and armoured vehicles also were stationed at a hub for fresh food supplies in the capital, the Rungis market.
Farmers in France, Germany, Poland and Romania have been demonstrating for weeks over what they call excessive red tape, high fuel costs and unfair competition resulting from liberal EU trade policies.
The protests have spread into several countries in Europe as concerns escalate over the EU’s environmental policies and cheap food imports.
Belgian farmers plan to block access roads to the Zeebrugge container port, the country's second largest, from Tuesday, for at least 36 hours, media in Belgium reported.
The roadblock could last until Wednesday evening. Traffic near the Dutch border was also held-up on Tuesday morning, by a tractor convoy heading towards the port city of Antwerp.
"Police services have received information about an action at the Zeebrugge port," a port authority spokesman said. He said it was not clear what the action would entail.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was set to meet farmers' associations on Tuesday.
The Belgian protest movement was boosted by the outrage in France.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal again met union leaders late on Monday after concessions he made in the previous three days failed to bring an end to the unrest.
“We have a system that doesn’t work,” Patrick Meyer, a 35-year-old farmer camped on the outskirts of Paris, told BFM TV.
“We have our backs against the wall ... we’re determined to stay until there’s a response.”
Mr Meyer said he had driven his tractor more than 470km from the north-eastern French region of Alsace.
Farmers have been choking roads across the country to protest over higher production costs, stringent regulations imposed from Brussels and what they see as unfair competition from abroad.
France is the EU’s biggest agricultural producer, accounting for close to €100 billion ($108 billion) annually, or about 18 per cent of total output.
The newly appointed Prime Minister was due to deliver a speech to parliament later on Tuesday, during which he was expected to set out priorities and reform plans for the months ahead, though any announcement is likely to be overshadowed by the protests.
Farmers protest across Europe - in pictures
So far Mr Attal has promised to respond to concerns about competition and the transfer of farm properties. He has also pledged to reverse a plan to raise taxes on farming fuel and to issue big fines to companies that do not respect rules on price negotiations. Yet this has failed to bring an end to the disruption.
Farmers have also called on French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene in Brussels. Government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot said he would raise their concerns on the sidelines of a meeting of European leaders in the Belgian capital on Thursday.
She added that France has asked the European Commission to reverse rules on fallow land and has the backing of 22 member states.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
