Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Paris on Sunday to express their frustration at the rising cost of living as three weeks of a refinery strike caused fuel shortages across France.
The demonstration was led by the head of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, and organised by the left-wing political opposition.
Police were pelted with objects and retaliated with tear gas and baton charges, while on the fringes of the march, masked men dressed in black ransacked a bank.
Some protesters wore yellow florescent vests, the symbol of the often violent anti-government protests in 2018 that shook the pro-business government of President Emmanuel Macron.
"It's time to wake up," said Christopher Savidan, an LFI activist who has been out of work for five years.
"The people at the top are out of touch. We pay taxes, we don't know why. Everything is going down the drain."
Opponents of Mr Macron are hoping to build on the momentum created by the refinery dispute, which began at the end of September.
"We're going to have a week the likes of which we don't see very often," Mr Melenchon told the crowd.
"Everything is coming together. We are starting it with this march, which is an immense success."
He also called for a "general strike" on Tuesday.
Fuel strikes in France - in pictures
Several French unions, but not all, have declared the date a national day of strikes against road transport, trains and the public sector.
Organisers claimed 140,000 people attended Sunday's march, but police said there were 30,000. A count by the organisation Occurrence for news mediaput the figure at 29,500.
The strikes and protests are being closely watched by the government, which is aiming to pass a highly controversial change to the pensions system in the next few months.
Mr Macron, who won re-election in April, has pledged to push back the retirement age from 62, with the reform scheduled before the end of the winter.
"I'm really worried," one ruling party MP told AFP last week. "We need to find a route between the need for reforms and the fact that people are riled up and tired."
Four of France's seven refineries, all belonging to TotalEnergies, remained blocked on Sunday.
The French company announced on Friday that it had reached a pay deal with the two largest unions representing staff at its refineries, raising hopes of an end to the stand-off.
But the hardline CGT union has refused to accept it, with its members continuing to maintain picket lines.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told TF1 TV on Sunday evening that if the situation remained tense on Monday, the authorities would proceed with more requisitions, forcing striking workers back to their posts.
About 30 per cent of service stations were experiencing supply problems for one type of fuel or another, she said. "That's too many."
Long petrol queues becoming familiar sight in France - video
Earlier on Sunday, Budget Minister Gabriel Attal called the continuation of the strike "unacceptable", while business lobby group Medef said "150 people" were "taking the country hostage."
Staff at two other refineries owned by the US group Esso-ExxonMobil returned to work at the end of last week, but operations there will take at least a fortnight to return to normal, the company said.
With about a third of petrol stations across the country experiencing supply problems, drivers are often waiting hours to refuel.
Many companies have cut back on travel and deliveries, and even emergency service vehicles face shortages.
The huge profits made by energy groups due to record fuel prices have led to some sympathy for employees pushing for higher wages.
But a poll by the BVA polling group released on Friday suggested that only 37 per cent of people supported the strikes.
Sunday's Paris march and rally called by Mr Melenchon's party was backed by its coalition allies — the Greens, Socialists and Communists.
Recent Nobel literature laureate Annie Ernaux and another 60 people from the arts and public life also called for people to join the march in a joint letter.
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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HOW TO WATCH
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