After two years of protracted grappling with the most ardent of Europhiles, it is in the conference room of a plush hotel in South Belfast that Theresa May might find the biggest hurdle to an amicable Brexit agreement.
On the eve of the British Prime Minister's trip to Brussels to draw up the final withdrawal agreement with the European Union’s remaining 27 member states, the threat comes from one-time allies.
Two years ago, the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 Westminster MPs were Mrs May’s only means of clinging to power after a disastrous decision to call an early election. Now the DUP, unhappy with the proposed Brexit deal, are rallying against her government and the 585-page agreement.
They portray the deal as an existential threat to Northern Ireland. “We will not accept any Brexit deal that divides Northern Ireland and Great Britain economically, or constitutionally,” said the party’s only member of the European parliament, Diane Dodds.
Without the DUP’s votes, and plagued by Brexiteer rebels in her Conservative party, the arithmetic appears difficult for Mrs May to get any Brexit agreement passed in parliament.
It is not the first time Northern Ireland has rallied against London. Almost exactly 100 years ago Edward Carson rallied against Westminster rule over the province of Ulster, as it was known them. Now a statue of him, his right hand aloft, stands in front of Stormont, the home of Northern Ireland’s devolved assembly. The assembly has not sat in two years as a result of a political deadlock.
“The reality is that if we are to secure a better outcome than is currently on offer then the only option is to look beyond this current draft withdrawal agreement and work in the time ahead for an improved outcome,” warned DUP leader Arlene Foster in her speech to the conference, leaving no doubt as to her party’s opposition to Brexit in its current form.
Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom is far more important than its relationship with the European Union, she said.
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Read more:
The moment of reckoning is upon Theresa May as she seeks EU backing for her Brexit deal
This lady should be for turning: stubbornness could be Theresa May's ultimate downfall
Draghi to be grilled this week as ECB mulls future of €2.6tn stimulus
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For the DUP, the Brexit deal’s so-called backstop arrangement puts its support for Mrs May in question — even with professed republican Jeremy Corbyn waiting in the wings to form a government in the event Mrs May’s government should fall.
Mrs Foster’s deputy, MP Nigel Dodds, described the agreement as a “two-way street”. He said it might have to be rethought if Mrs May’s Conservatives do not play their part.
Yet the DUP are not entirely isolated; they have found support in the Eurosceptic wings of Westminster, notably Boris Johnson. One of Mrs May’s staunchest critics when it comes to Brexit, Mr Johnson was invited to address the DUP conference, prompting on observer to tweet: “The ego has landed."
The former foreign secretary took the opportunity to warn of Northern Ireland becoming “an economic semi-colony of the EU”.
Stoking the flames of a unionist wild fire, Mr Johnson continued: “We would be damaging the fabric of the union with regulatory checks and even customs controls between GB and NI on top of those extra regulatory checks down the Irish Sea that are already envisaged in the withdrawal agreement.”
Indeed, on Tuesday, the unionist hardliners fired several warning shots, abstaining on a several votes on a finance bill in parliament they would have been expected to support.
But other events suggest the Mrs May's government is not as hamstrung by the DUP as some might think.
Recent days have seen the prime minister attempting to exploit a recently emerged split between businesses in Northern Ireland and her "supply and confidence" partners, as the DUP's support arrangement with government is called.
On Thursday, a delegation of Northern Ireland business leaders publicly backed the withdrawal agreement, while Mrs May has dispatched both Chancellor Philip Hammond and the secretary for international trade, Liam Fox, to the region to win them over. Some in Downing Street believe that with Northern Irish business on side, she can soldier on irrespective of the DUP.
Ms Foster insisted that the supply and confidence arrangement was still alive. If that is the case, then it is barely so, and it is surely now on life support.
Mrs May goes to Brussels on Sunday to agree on a final version of the withdrawal agreement with the EU. She takes with her a seeming inability to satisfy the DUP's demands; and some fear it is just a matter of time before the power goes out.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
The%20Crown%20season%205
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImelda%20Staunton%2C%20Jonathan%20Pryce%2C%20Lesley%20Manville%2C%20Jonny%20Lee%20Miller%2C%20Dominic%20West%2C%20Elizabeth%20Debicki%2C%20Salim%20Daw%20and%20Khalid%20Abdalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWritten%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeter%20Morgan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%20stars%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
