A French priest and two activists have completed three weeks of a hunger strike prompted by the death of a young migrant killed in the French coastal town of Calais after he tried to climb on board a lorry bound for Britain.
Father Philippe Demeestère, 72, started the strike in protest at the treatment of migrants in and around Calais, whose makeshift camps are routinely broken up by police and their tents confiscated, human rights groups say.
Calais – about 50 kilometres from the southern English port of Dover – is a mustering point for migrants seeking to make the final crossing into the UK, which is seen as attractive often because of family links and perceived financial reasons.
Britain and France have spent millions on policing the borders, which has included increasing security at lorry stops. It has prompted migrants to embark on riskier ventures, including travelling in small boats and jumping on to lorries, which resulted in the deaths of two young men within a month.
Yasser, 16, from Sudan on September 28, and Mohammed last week became the third and fourth people this year killed in a similar manner after falling from lorries, said rights group Utopia 56, which works with migrants in Calais. The tragedies are among about 300 border-related deaths in and around the English Channel since 1999.
Father Philippe and the two activists, Anais Vogel and Ludovic Holbein, are calling for an end to evictions from makeshift camps during the winter, an end to the confiscation of tents and personal effects, and increased distribution of aid to migrants.
Rights groups say up to 2,000 people living in desperate conditions in northern France now face hardship as winter approaches.
Migrants are commonly seen living rough in fields around Calais after fleeing thousands of miles to escape war, torture and economic woes.
Some spend months living there trying to cross to the UK every day, risking their lives trying to board lorries or getting into dinghies bound for the English coastline.
"The people that we meet every day here all have one thing in common: they're just trying to find safety," said Matt Cowling, a volunteer with aid group Care4Calais.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Results
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- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
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- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
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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.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
