Travellers arrive from France on the Eurostar train at St Pancras International railway station in London. AP
Travellers arrive from France on the Eurostar train at St Pancras International railway station in London. AP
Travellers arrive from France on the Eurostar train at St Pancras International railway station in London. AP
Travellers arrive from France on the Eurostar train at St Pancras International railway station in London. AP

France rebukes Britain over 'excessive' travel curbs


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

A French minister has criticised the UK’s new travel curbs after tourists visiting France were excluded from Monday’s easing of holiday rules.

A last-minute rule change means France is the only country on Britain’s amber list where vaccinated UK tourists cannot travel without facing quarantine when they return.

Clement Beaune, a French minister for European affairs, described the new restrictions as excessive and questioned Britain’s reasoning.

“We don’t think that the UK’s decisions are totally based on scientific foundations,” he told French television.

The UK government’s move applies to travellers returning to England, but the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales are following suit.

Ministers justified their decision by raising concerns about the Beta variant first identified in South Africa.

The strain accounts for about 10 per cent of coronavirus cases in France and is feared to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines against Covid-19.

But critics said France’s figures were distorted by a Beta cluster in the overseas territory of La Reunion, thousands of miles from Paris.

Mainland France is seeing a rise in infections caused by the Delta variant which is causing havoc in Britain’s economy.

England lifted most of its Covid restrictions on Monday but high infection rates mean businesses face continued disruption from people being told to isolate.

British travellers visiting French attractions such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris will have to quarantine on their return. AP
British travellers visiting French attractions such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris will have to quarantine on their return. AP

The easing of amber list restrictions is aimed at reviving the hard-hit travel sector after a year of curbs on foreign holidays.

The UK unveiled its traffic light system in May but until now, amber list quarantine has as good as excluded most of Europe’s popular holiday destinations.

Passenger numbers at London’s Heathrow Airport are still about 90 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels, latest figures show.

Airlines including British Airways and Ryanair fell on the stock market on Monday amid concerns that new variants would hinder the industry’s rebound.

Travellers returning from France will still face 10 days of quarantine, although they can end their isolation early if they test negative after five.

Eurostar trains that enter Britain through the Channel Tunnel will be subject to special arrangements under the new rules for France.

Passengers who boarded their train in Belgium or the Netherlands will not need to quarantine if they are merely transiting through France.

France changed its own travel rules by announcing that unvaccinated travellers must show a negative test within the previous 24 hours, rather than 48 or 72 hours as was previously the case.

Britain switched its position on another major holiday market, Spain’s Balearic Islands, last week.

The islands were moved from the green to the amber list amid concerns about a surge in cases among unvaccinated younger people.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Price: upon application

On sale: now

My Country: A Syrian Memoir

Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury

Tour de France Stage 16:

165km run from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère

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In%20the%20Land%20of%20Saints%20and%20Sinners
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup

When: September 16-23

Where: Insportz, Dubai

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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
The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

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Updated: July 19, 2021, 10:48 AM`