Churchill statue’s protective box could come off for Macron’s London visit


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

A boxed-up statue of Sir Winston Churchill in London could be released from its confinement by Thursday when President Emmanuel Macron awards the city France’s highest honour for the protection it gave French citizens during the Second World War.

The statue of the wartime prime minister was hidden from view last week amid warnings it could face further defacement as Black Lives Matter protests and counter-demonstrations spread following the death of George Floyd in the US.

“Was a racist” had already been scrawled on the monument to a man regarded as one of Britain’s greatest heroes by many but also a personification of the UK’s colonial past by some. Statues representing the country’s history of slavery and colonialism have come under attack.

Churchill’s attitudes towards minorities have been criticised and he has been blamed for the deaths of millions during the Bengal famine in 1943, in British India. He once said he was “strongly in favour of using poison gas against uncivilised tribes”.

Mr Macron is set to give the Legion of Honour to London 80 years after French leader Charles de Gaulle called, from London, on France to rise up against the German occupation by the Nazis.

A senior Greater London Authority representative told The Telegraph newspaper there was a "very firm expectation" the protective box would come down ahead of Mr Macron's visit, which appears to be going ahead despite the coronavirus outbreak.

But the statue could still be boarded up again if authorities decide that risks remain. London Mayor Sadiq Khan had defended hiding the figure from view, saying it “may be a flashpoint for violence”. Far-right protesters claiming to be protecting the statue and demonstrating in support of Churchill clashed with police at the weekend.

Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill’s grandson and a former MP, said it was “very good news and the correct judgement” that the boarding was to be removed.

He had earlier described the defacing of his grandfather’s statue and the Cenotaph, Britain’s national war memorial, as “disgusting”.

epa08488639 A picture showing the a boarded up statue of Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain, 16 June 2020. London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the capital's landmarks would be review​ed by a commission to removing those with links to slavery. EPA/WILL OLIVER
epa08488639 A picture showing the a boarded up statue of Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain, 16 June 2020. London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the capital's landmarks would be review​ed by a commission to removing those with links to slavery. EPA/WILL OLIVER

“These people who are marching did not set out to do this, but a very, very small, extremely explosive group of people who have made a practice of hijacking entirely responsible demonstrations are behaving in an unspeakable and cowardly manner,” he had said.

“It feels like a society that has lost its compass.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to protect Churchill’s statue and described the attack on it as “absurd and deplorable”. He has also set up a racial inequality commission.

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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War and the virus
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Results
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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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Match info:

Wolves 1
Boly (57')

Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

If you go:

 

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

 

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Australia World Cup squad

Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

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