Finally, it seems, Brexit is done.
The sight of Rishi Sunak selling his deal with the EU in Belfast, and the clear rapport between him and Ursula von der Leyen, the bloc's President, as they unveiled the Windsor Framework looked like steps, at last, to draw the Brexit rows and impasse to a close.
It’s almost seven years since the EU referendum (seven years!) and in that time, it’s as if Britain has stood still. Now, can we please get on with strengthening our economy and ensuring the UK is in the best shape for the future?
Once, we led the world in so many industries. Not any more. Today, we’re able to make a case for being main contenders in a few, but beyond that, if we’re honest — and unfortunately many of our politicians and media are not — we lag behind.
While we’ve been diverted by arguments over Europe, much investment has stood still due to the lack of certainty. Meanwhile, there’s been a marked sense of the rest of the world getting on with it and pulling away.
With Brexit out of the way, there is no longer any excuse. We need to catch up, indeed attempt to overtake, and fast.
One area where we must make a quick advance is semiconductors. It’s shameful that the UK is the most expensive country in the world in which to manufacture this essential 21st century product.
Scott White, chief executive of Cambridge semiconductor maker Pragmatic, said recently: “At the moment, it’s effectively far cheaper for us to go build our next fabrication line anywhere else in the world, other than the UK — because there are government support programmes in the US, EU, China, Taiwan and pretty much any other country in the world.”
Semiconductor urgency
White says a “level playing field” with competitor nations is essential if the government wants to grow computer chip manufacturing beyond R&D.
It’s true that in the UK, thanks to our universities and strong scientific base, we excel at innovation and at early-stage development.
After that, we wane, as often the potential world-beating star moves elsewhere, lured by bigger inducements and greater enthusiasm.
White’s fear is echoed by MPs. They’ve warned that we urgently require a semiconductor strategy. or we can face an exodus of companies in what should be one of our fastest-growing sectors.
“Countries across the globe have grasped the importance of securing semiconductor supply chains for their futures, why haven’t we?" asked Darren Jones, chairman of the House of Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee.
"While others race ahead, ploughing billions into setting up [microchip manufacturing plants] or industry support, we’re not even at the starting line.”
The world’s wake-up call came with the pandemic, when semiconductors were suddenly in short supply and their price climbed accordingly.
Since then, the continuing tension between China and Taiwan, the number one centre for high-end chip manufacturing, has made nations realise they must build their own industries, and quickly.
Think differently to win
In the US, the White House has passed legislation paving the way for an injection of $70 billion into producing semiconductors.
The EU is boosting chip-making in its member countries. South Korea has set itself the target of being world number one by 2030.
Not to be outdone, neighbouring Japan is pumping billions into its industry. Meanwhile, predictably, China intends to outgun everyone, with a $100 billion investment programme.
In the Netherlands, ASML, which makes the machine that produces the most advanced computer chips — the only one of its kind in the world — has become Europe’s most valuable tech firm, worth $22 billion.
We should be striving here to emulate that in the UK. We’ve got the scientific know-how, what our developers need is wholesale support.
The problem, as ever, for a cash-strapped UK government is the lack of funds available for financial assistance.
Fortunately, a new report suggests it’s not only about the money, that large-scale public cash injections are not required.
Cashing in our Chips by Gerard B Lyons (not the economist, that’s his father) says the UK can support its semiconductor industry without entering into a “subsidy arms race”.
Produced for the Centre for Policy Studies, Lyons’s analysis advocates that the UK play to its strengths rather than try to emulate the money-chucking strategies of others. Subsidies can prove to be inefficient and are not necessarily the best weapon.
There is a tendency to assume that hard cash is the only solution when there are other ways of providing assistance.
“The US and EU, among others, have put their cards on the table with their subsidy arms race, but a market-led, investment-friendly, approach is the ace Britain can — and should only — play to support our fledgling domestic semiconductor sector,” Lyons says.
We can make rapid progress
He suggests the use of tax and investment incentives for high-intensity R&D industries.
Typically, the UK had previously implemented a tax credit system for R&D, only for the government to narrow the eligibility and scope of the policy.
There should be an emerging technologies strategic investment fund, set up and managed by the British Business Bank to aim for likely winners.
We should drop the raising of immigration barriers to allow the admission of skilled high-tech workers. There is the tech visa scheme, created to encourage tech workers to move to the UK, but again, the start-up that operates the scheme has lost its government funding.
Britain is in a better position than it realises. We lead the world at the beginning of the industrial process, in R&D. It’s what comes later where we lose out. Similarly, we’re at the forefront of AI, quantum computing and life sciences.
We must turn this brilliance into underpinning our economy and producing powerhouses like the Netherlands’ ASML.
It’s not beyond us, but it’s not a given either. We have to put the effort in. There is plenty to aim for; hopefully, with Brexit done, minds will at last concentrate and we can make rapid progress.
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Company%20profile
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'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
LEADERBOARD
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