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France: Onwards or Far Right?

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Le Pen casts her vote during the first round of presidential elections

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Emmanuel Macron will face off against Marine Le Pen in final round of voting on May 7

By Shailaja Paramathma

With the projections of the French presidential elections 2017 now out, France shows a preference for the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron at 23.7 percent on the one hand and on the other for extreme right-wing party candidate Marine Le Pen at 21.7 percent. The danger of this once social democratic country leaning far right for good is now as real as it is not. So in a way even though the first round of elections are over, we are nowhere over the hump with the suspense.

The second and final round of elections will be in two weeks time on May 7, where these top two candidates will vie for the presidency of France. It is often said that the French vote with their hearts in the first round of elections, pushing their preferred candidate to advance to the second round.  And in the second round they vote with their heads, coldly calculating to ensure that the candidate they dislike the most loses.

Former banker, Macron is only 39 years old and a relative newbie on the French political scene. Macron resigned from current president Francois Hollande’s government in 2016 and formed his own party En Marche (Onwards!). At that time, it had seemed like a rather ambitious plan but in just 18 months, he has managed to garner 200,000 singed-up members, which has made the possibility of him sitting in the hot seat quite real. In his manifesto he vows to cut taxes and spending but also provide support for those on low incomes. This ex-economy minister promises to bring down unemployment and give businesses greater leeway to design their own schedules. He is pro-globalisation and is in favour of France remaining in the European Union.

Accompanied by his wife, Macron casts his ballot

Accompanied by his wife, Macron casts his ballot

He differs on all of this with his contender Le Pen from the Front National but most of all the two are placed diametrically opposite from each other on immigration—Macron does not just support immigration but also intends to intervene in Syria if elected, whereas Le Pen has promised to be extremely hard on immigration and wishes to give back France to the French, as it were.

Daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen who led the Front National for four decades, it is only under Marine’s leadership that the party has for the first time come as close as she has to the presidential palace. Even though the junior Le Pen expelled daddy dearest from the party in 2015, she seems to have retained her father’s vitriol for immigrants, especially Muslims. A chest-beating nationalist, she has plans to hold a referendum on “Frexit”, if elected.

The final television debate between the two candidates will take place on May 3. It will be a highly watched program and decisive in more ways than one for those still sitting on the fence.

Irrespective of which way the voters lead their nation, the truth of the matter is that the tussle between the far right and the rest is at present very real in France. The two parties, with their agendas and promises, are very unlike each other. So, in that sense no matter which candidate wins, there will be an equal number of the French population who will be dissatisfied and opposed to what the winning party will do during its tenure.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack, says Zelensky as Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure

The Ukrainian Air Force stated that multiple missiles had been launched at the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions in the east.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin chose Christmas Day deliberately to launch a brutal assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in widespread explosions throughout the country, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.

The attack involved a significant barrage of missiles and drones aimed at critical energy facilities, including a thermal power plant, prompting citizens to seek refuge in metro stations on Christmas morning.

“Today, Putin intentionally chose Christmas for this attack. What could be more inhumane?” Zelensky remarked, asserting that Russia is resolutely pursuing a strategy to cause blackouts across Ukraine.

He emphasised that each large-scale Russian strike necessitates careful preparation, stating, “It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice—not only of targets but also of timing.”

In his statement on X, Zelensky reported that more than 70 missiles, including ballistic types, and over 100 attack drones were launched at Ukraine’s power infrastructure.

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said that at least one person was killed in the Dnipro region due to the attacks. He noted that heating services were disrupted for 155 residential buildings in Ivano-Frankivsk and that around 500,000 residents, or 2,677 buildings, in the Kharkiv region, were left without heat.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned that one Russian missile had passed through Moldovan and Romanian airspace. He added that Ukraine managed to intercept at least 50 missiles and a considerable number of drones during the attack.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stated that Russia had significantly targeted the country’s energy infrastructure again in a Facebook post. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that multiple missiles had been launched at the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions in the east.

“The electricity distribution system operator is implementing necessary measures to limit consumption in order to reduce the negative impact on the power system,” he explained. “Once the security situation permits, energy workers will assess the damage.”

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported that a Russian strike hit one of their thermal power plants on the morning of December 25, 2024, marking the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year. CEO Maxim Timchenko condemned the assault on X, stating, “Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people celebrating Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered.”

In response to the massive missile attack, the Ukrainian state energy operator, Ukrenergo, implemented preemptive power outages nationwide, resulting in electricity shortages in several districts of Kyiv.

In Kharkiv, at least seven strikes ignited fires throughout the city, as reported by regional head Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram. Authorities confirmed at least three injuries. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned residents, “Kharkiv is under heavy missile fire. A series of explosions have occurred in the city, and ballistic missiles are still incoming. Please stay in safe locations.”

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Russia-bound Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 60 passengers crashes near Kazakhstan’s Aktau

Azerbaijan Airlines in a statement said the flight had made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near Aktau.

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Russia-bound Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 60 passengers crashes near Kazakhstan’s Aktau

Many people are feared dead after a plane carrying 60 people crashed while making an emergency landing near Kazakhstan’s Aktau city on Wednesday. The authorities said that twelve people survived the crash.

Russian news agencies reported that Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia, but was rerouted due to fog in Grozny.

Furthermore, Kazakh media had initially reported that 110 people – 105 passengers and five crew members were on board. Later, the authorities revised the number to 72 – 67 passengers and five crew members.

A visual showed the moment the plane loses altitude and makes a rapid descent before it crashes and bursts into flames. As the plane crashes, plumes of smoke are seen rising on the spot. The plane crashed into an open field and burst into flames.

Kazakhstan’s emergency ministry stated that emergency services extinguished the fire at the crash site, adding that survivors were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.

Azerbaijan Airlines in a statement said the flight had made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near Aktau. It added that the Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, flight numbered J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route, made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near the city of Aktau. Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public, it mentioned. Reports stated that the authorities said they had begun looking into different possible versions of what had happened, including a technical problem.

Meanwhile, in another recent deadly plane crash, 10 people died on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed in a Brazilian town that’s popular with tourists. The 10 deceased were passengers and crew on board. Over a dozen people on the ground were injured in the incident, Brazil’s Civil Defence Agency said.

The Civil Defence Agency said that the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado.  It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

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YouTuber Zara Dar clarifies misconceptions, denies being Pakistani, and explains decision to quit PhD for OnlyFans

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Zara Dar clarifies her background and career change in a social media post

YouTuber Zara Dar, who sparked significant attention after revealing she was leaving her PhD studies to pursue a full-time career on OnlyFans, has addressed a series of misconceptions circulating about her. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Dar clarified the misinformation and took the opportunity to set the record straight on several points, particularly regarding her background and career shift.

The controversy began when Zara posted a video explaining her decision to quit her PhD in engineering and focus on adult content creation. The video quickly went viral, with some viewers misinterpreting or distorting the details of her story. One of the most prevalent rumors was that Zara Dar was of Pakistani origin.

In her clarification, Zara stated, “With all due respect, I am not Pakistani. I am American, born and raised, with a mixed background: American, Persian, Southern European, Middle Eastern, and Indian.” She explained that her name, “Darcy,” which she shortens to “Dar,” led to confusion, as it resembled that of a different Pakistani influencer, Zara Dar.

Zara also addressed the emergence of fake content under her name, including deepfake videos, and vehemently denied any associations with such material. She emphasized that, despite the false claims, she had not given any exclusive interviews and had only used social media to share her story.

Regarding her decision to leave academia, Zara shared that her shift to OnlyFans, while financially rewarding, also provided her with the freedom she felt was missing in her academic career. “It has given me the freedom to learn and share new content,” she stated, adding that while she had stepped away from her PhD, she would still continue to create educational content on her YouTube channel.

The announcement sent shockwaves across her fanbase, as many were surprised by her drastic career change. However, Zara explained that the decision was motivated not only by financial viability but also by her desire for personal autonomy outside the rigid structures of academia.

As Zara Dar continues to navigate the shift from academia to content creation, she remains committed to building her brand while tackling the misinformation surrounding her. Through her candid social media posts, she aims to keep her followers informed and provide clarity on her personal and professional choices.

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