There is an old British cliche that something truly safe is “as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar". But Gibraltar itself does not entirely feel safe nowadays. Legally it is a British Overseas Territory, a tiny foothold of British imperial power since 1704, attached to the landmass of mainland Europe at the southern tip of Spain. At the top of the Rock there is a sign that says the monkeys – Barbary macaques originally from the Rif mountains of Morocco – will snatch plastic bags from visitors. The monkeys know the bags often contain food. Very clever survivors, these monkeys live on a fortress that has been fought over for centuries.
I am on a short visit, thinking what an important part the Rock and the seas around here have played in British history. The Battle of Trafalgar was fought – and won – by the British fleet in the seas not far from where I am staying. Gibraltar stood out against Nazism and fascism in the Second World War and survives as a British territory, despite occasional friction with Spain. Everywhere, there are monuments to past conflicts adapted for peaceful use. Near my hotel was an air-raid shelter with a sign that said it was built in 1939. A man in a Jaguar sports car was using it as a parking space.
Speaking to a local, I asked if the monkeys really do snatch plastic bags. She laughed and said one even stole the hat she was wearing from her head. I rather admire these monkeys – and the view from their home at the top of the Rock, from which you can see north Africa. The currency here remains the British pound, the language is English – although many workers come over the border from Spain every morning. The food is British, Spanish and Moroccan. But many locals fear that their way of life is perhaps being snatched from them by the distant political monkeys in Westminster.
Read More from Gavin Esler
Most Gibraltarians loathe the idea of Brexit. At the Gibraltar Literary Festival, I am discussing my latest book on the subject and listening to local people, who say Britain leaving the European Union will complicate their lives unnecessarily as a result of their often fractious relationship with Spain. The recent Spanish general election has proven a boost for the far-right party Vox. One group of Gibraltarians explained to me that Vox represented a section of Spanish politics that "hates us", was a party for "fascists" and cherished the memory of Francisco Franco, Spain's former dictator. Franco is controversial even in death. After years of protests, his body was exhumed last month from Spain's great war memorial and reburied in a private family plot.
In the 2016 Brexit referendum, an astonishing 96 per cent of Gibraltarians voted to remain in the EU. Every political party here and every member of Gibraltar's parliament supported Remain. All this points to a new strain in what it means to be part of the UK and its dependent territories. Scotland, Northern Ireland, London and Gibraltar voted Remain three years ago but they were overruled by the majority of English voters. Now, in my recent visits to Belfast, Edinburgh and Gibraltar, many citizens I have spoken to and heard from in public meetings say they feel resentful that their opinions do not count for much. And that is the flaw in having a referendum in the first place.
Brexit, above all, is about the politics of identity. Those still opposed to Brexit often manage to juggle several layers of identity – Scottish, Northern Irish or Ulster, Gibraltarian, plus British, plus a citizen of the EU. Brexit means being forced to drop one identity – that of EU citizen – and in Gibraltar that could at best be a significant inconvenience at the Spanish border. Those in favour of Brexit say losing freedom of movement in the EU is a price worth paying to restore "lost sovereignty", and avoiding "interference" from the EU.
But sovereignty, as I learned from the leading British jurist Sir David Edward, is a slippery idea. Sir David said that at its core sovereignty is about power. Within the EU, the British have accepted some dilution of sovereignty in order to achieve a greater economic and political power as part of the world’s richest trading bloc. But in Scotland, Northern Ireland and most notably here in Gibraltar, loss of sovereignty means something different. It means, some Gibraltarians said, a sense of powerlessness to influence the faraway British government in Westminster.
All this political turmoil adds up to a very profound change in the way the parts of the UK and dependencies like Gibraltar now see themselves, with many fearing that the union itself may be in jeopardy. It would be a truly great irony if the Conservative party of Boris Johnson, steeped in the history of the British empire and of the union of the UK, were to “get Brexit done" – as their slogan tells us – and then find that Brexit, like one of those cheeky Gibraltar monkeys, snatches away the historic structure of the country that they claim they wish to preserve.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and presenter
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
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Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERemedy%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Microsoft%20Game%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%204%20%26amp%3B%205%2C%20Xbox%3A%20360%20%26amp%3B%20One%20%26amp%3B%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20Nintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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