Britain and the EU are expected to meet this week for talks on the future of trade in Northern Ireland as the arrest of two men added to growing political unease in the region.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is set to welcome the EU Commission's Maroš Šefčovič in London where they will discuss issues surrounding the implementation of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Last week, the EU was roundly criticised for a bungled attempt to stop the flow of the AstraZeneca vaccine into the British province in a row over its distribution.
Slogans condemning an ‘Irish Sea border’ appeared in various areas of the port town of Larne on Saturday, prompting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to carry out searches of the area and led to two arrests.
Two men, aged 21 and 25, were charged with criminal damage near to the port where the politically contentious Brexit import checks are being carried out. The pair will appear before court later on Monday.
Last week, checks on goods were suspended at Larne after workers were threatened by hard-core unionist groups opposed to the Brexit deal, which has imposed a de facto border for goods and services between Northern Ireland and the UK mainland. Mr Gove told parliament that any intimidation of workers at Belfast and Larne ports was "completely unacceptable".
Meanwhile, new coronavirus restrictions came into force on Monday preventing people in Northern Ireland crossing the border into the Republic. Irish police have warned they will impose a €100 (£88) fine on anyone caught flouting the rules without a “reasonable excuse”.
Brexit is having a profound impact on businesses on Northern Ireland which have had to adapt to new trading arrangements, including new systems for companies and officials. Some businesses have struggled with new customs declarations and health certificates as the coronavirus pandemic also hits firms.
International members of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) reported a 68 per cent fall in exports in January, the group wrote on Twitter, after Brexit deal took effect.
"I find it deeply frustrating and annoying that ministers have chosen not to listen to the industry and experts," RHA Chief Executive Richard Burnett told The Observer newspaper.
Meanwhile, Ireland is open to "modest" extensions of waivers on the movement of certain goods from Britain into Northern Ireland after the British government asked the EU to tweak post-Brexit rules, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said.
"I would be open to advocating for modest extensions of grace periods," Mr Coveney told Ireland's RTE Radio, but he said there was no question of scrapping the Northern Ireland Protocol of Britain's EU divorce deal.
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Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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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
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Power: 727hp
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
