Following Emmanuel Macron’s arrival in Lebanon, France’s chattering classes have backed their leader’s show of support for the stricken nation but some have questioned the French president’s heroic pose.
Mr Macron touched down in Beirut on Thursday, the first Western leader to visit the country since the devastating explosions in the city’s port that killed nearly 150 people, wounded thousands and sent a wave of destruction through the Lebanese capital.
Taking to Beirut’s streets to literally embrace its people, Mr Macron also chided the country’s political leaders. French aid and support for the Lebanese population would be “unconditional”, the French president said. But without the political reforms Paris had been urging for years, he added, “Lebanon will continue to sink.”
The French press has continued to examine the special bond between the two countries. Lebanon and neighbouring Syria became French protectorates in 1920 after the First World War and the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire.
However, the centre-left newspaper Le Monde has said the ties run deeper. Why was Mr Macron the first global leader to show solidarity with the country? "Love stories cannot always be explained," the daily asserted.
The news magazine Paris Match has drawn comparisons between Mr Macron's Beirut visit and his predecessor Jacques Chirac's eye-catching tour of the streets of Jerusalem in 1996. "In Beirut, Emmanuel Macron in Jacques Chirac mode," was the headline in the French glossy.
Mr Chirac also famously rushed to Beirut following the 2005 assassination of his friend Rafik Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister.
In January this year, similar comparisons between the two men were made during Mr Macron’s own visit to Jerusalem where he re-enacted Mr Chirac’s famous bust-up with Israeli security forces outside St Anne’s Church. That piece of political theatre, it now seems, was a dress rehearsal for a bigger stage.
Mr Macron’s political rivals have been less supportive. “Intrigued by the president’s speech in Beirut,” Olivier Faure, the leader of the French National Assembly’s left grouping, wrote on Twitter.
“Whatever one thinks of Lebanese leaders, what legitimacy to pose as a saviour?” Why the condemnation so late, putting on a scene in the middle of a tragedy?” Mr Faure asked.
Former French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon took aim at the colonialist overtones of Mr Macron’s visit. “Where does this feeling of omnipotence come from? What’s that tone? What is he threatening? What adventure is he leading France on?” he wrote, questioning whether Mr Macron wished to take France on another Libya-style mission like former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
In an earlier tweet, Mr Melenchon was equally condemning. “I warn against interference in the political life of Lebanon. It will not be accepted. Lebanon is not a French protectorate.”
Mr Macron has rejected the prospect of a return to the French mandate, though an online petition calling for a 10-year return of rule from Paris has garnered modest support and the proposition was put to him directly by local leaders on Thursday.
The French journalist and public intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy recently returned from his own controversial adventure in Libya and has defended Mr Macron, hitting out at Mr Melenchon and calling him “grumpy”.
“It is foolishness, after Macron’s journey to Lebanon, to howl at the violation of sovereignty,” he wrote
“As if sovereignty was the right to let oneself fall victim to thugs! And as if flying to the aid of a brotherly people was not, for 20 years, a duty and a right!”
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The five pillars of Islam
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
