French President Emmanuel Macron increasingly looked like a latter-day Louis XVI on Friday as the “gilet jaunes” prepared to stage fresh protests against a leader they branded “the president of the rich.”
Mr Macron remained holed up in the Élysée as Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe stepped up to the fore to quell the rebellion. This week Mr Phillippe announced a suspension of fuel taxes, promised to freeze a planned surge of electricity bills and dangled the possibility of future concessions, but the capital is bracing for its fourth round of protests as demands multiply rather than dissipate.
Since it began three weeks ago, the movement protesting environmental fuel tax hikes has spread well beyond its original grievances to encompass demands for better public services in rural areas, higher pensions and minimum salaries and the withdrawal of a reform impacting university entrance requirements.
This week a number of tax offices across France have come under violent attack by protesters donning the yellow high visibility vests. In Limoges, a tractor smashed into the entrance of the tax office, while in Poitiers 200 employees were taken to safety by police after protestors accused them of being “fascist collaborators.”
Across France, around 200 schools were closed or suffered disruption after students rose against government reforms that bring about changes to Baccalauréat examinations and university entry requirements and raise subscription fees for foreigners students.
The president is in danger of losing control of his capital city once again this weekend. His approval ratings have now dropped to 18 per cent, the lowest level in modern times after only 18 months in office.
Mr Macron so far refrained from imposing a new state of emergency or martial law in order to restore order. Calling out the army against his own citizens is likely to further escalate the violence and up the criticism against the president, who is already being lambasted for episodes of police brutality against protesters.
On Thursday, a video showing police patrolling over students kneeling on the floor with the hands bound behind their backs went viral on social media and sparked public condemnation.
The police operation, which occurred at a high school in the northern town of Mantes-la-Jolie, was part of a crackdown on days of protests over the government's education reforms,
The interior ministry said in a statement that more than 100 people were arrested in proximity of the school and that dozens of them were found to be carrying sticks, baseball bats and tear gas canisters.
But many observers did not condone how the authorities handled the situation. Cecile Duflot, the director general of Oxfam in France, said the video showed "intolerable" behaviour on the part of the police.
Former French education minister Benoit Hamon asked what authorities hoped to achieve by humiliating French youth. "This is not the Republic," he wrote in a Tweet.
Mr Macron appealed to his objectors on both sides of the political spectrum, inviting them to act responsibly. But interior ministry officials told French press agency AFP that authorities were bracing for "significant violence", based on indications that protesters on both the far right and far left are planning to take to the streets on Saturday.
The Parisian police prefecture invited business owners in the capital’s shopping district of the Champs Elysées to refrain from opening and barricade their windows to prevent damages.
Representatives of the public health sector said hospitals were taking additional measures to prepare for emergencies over the weekend. The protests have already led to four deaths and hundreds have been injured.
A survey by French daily Le Figaro found that Mr Macron's popularity has plunged lower than the approval rating for US president Donald Trump in France. Mr Trump – who is in many ways the political antithesis of Mr Macron – has seen his popularity among the French swell from 65 per cent to 80 per cent, while that of Mr Macron dropped from 27 to 18 per cent since the start of the protests.
The demise of Mr Macron could have dire consequences for France as well as for a European Union approaching its next parliamentary elections. Together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel – who recently announced her decision to step down as leader of the CDU at the end of her term in 2021 – the French president has stood up against the rising tide of populism that swept the bloc in the latest national elections.
Mr Macron’s vision of a global effort to combat climate change is also at stake. As world leaders gathered in Poland on Monday to kick-start the COP24 climate talks, Mr Macron stayed behind to deal with protests that are a direct result of the commitments to cut carbon emissions.
Despite being criticised for committing acts of vandalism, polls have shown that the “gilets jaunes” have the support of 70 per cent of the French public. If Mr Macron wants to keep his seat, he will have to find a cause that unites the French more than his own demise.
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)
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The%20specs
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