The European Commission announced the departure of Frans Timmermans, the first vice president and climate chief, hours after he was confirmed as the leader of a left-wing coalition for an upcoming Dutch election.
Mr Timmermans, 62, hopes to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands after spending close to a decade in Brussels, where he became a powerful figure in charge of the bloc's ambitious climate policies.
He previously served as Dutch foreign affairs minister between 2012 and 2014, during which he oversaw the aftermath of the shooting down by Russian separatists of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which killed 198 Dutch nationals.
“I want to become prime minister because I think together we can do politics differently than it had been done in the past few years,” Mr Timmermans said last month.
Mr Timmermans' term as EU executive vice president had been scheduled to end after next year's European elections but Ursula von der Leyen accepted his resignation.
The collapse of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's coalition over asylum issues triggered snap elections that will be held on November 22.
The politician is seen as a heavyweight contender from the left for the position of Dutch prime minister.
He was appointed to the top spot in the PvdA (Labour) and GroenLinks (GreenLeft) coalition after a ballot in which some 91 per cent of more than 37,000 party members backed his candidacy on Tuesday.
“An overwhelming majority has agreed to have Timmermans as leader,” the PvdA-GroenLinks coalition said.
There was no other candidate.
Ms von der Leyen thanked Mr Timmermans for his work, saying that his “excellent contribution and strong personal engagement” had enabled Europe to make “great strides” in its efforts to become “the first climate-neutral continent, and towards raising the levels of climate ambition globally”.
Mr Timmermans' announcement last month that he was a candidate to lead the leftist coalition raised questions about the EU's ability to influence negotiations at Cop28.
Ms von der Leyen said that vice president Maros Sefcovic would replace Mr Timmermans as executive vice-president for the European Green Deal.
She also temporarily assigned Mr Sefcovic, 57, the climate portfolio until the appointment of a Dutch commissioner. It was not clear whether the new Dutch official would assume the same post.
Mr Sefcovic, a Slovakian national, was appointed to the EU executive in 2009 as education and culture commissioner. He currently oversees EU relations with Britain and the EU's joint gas-buying programme to replace Russian gas supplies, after previously being in charge of the bloc's energy policy.
Ms von der Leyen said that: “our priority will be to strengthen industrial clean innovation, upgrading our grids and infrastructure for the energy transition and access to critical raw materials."
“The implementation of the European Green Deal requires an even more intensive dialogue with industry, stakeholders like forest owners, farmers, as well as citizens. And finally, we will continue to develop a stronger international strategy for the European Green Deal, in line with our economic and geopolitical interests,” added Ms von der Leyen.
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
AIR
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Poacher
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HOW TO WATCH
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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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The view from The National
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
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
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