From Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum to a Christmas Eve trade deal after months of talks, Brexit has been a rocky and divisive process.
Britain becomes first nation to vote to leave the EU
In a referendum on June 23, 2016 that followed decades of arguments over Europe, Britons vote by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to become the first nation to leave the EU bloc.
Conservative leader David Cameron, who led the campaign to remain in the EU and called the vote expecting to win, resigns as prime minister the next day.
Theresa May takes the lead to exit Britain from the EU
Mr Cameron is replaced by Theresa May, the interior minister who also backed remaining in the EU.
Mrs May formally triggers the exit process on March 29, 2017, sending a notification letter to Brussels that gives Britain until March 29, 2019, to leave.
Britain and the EU agree a draft divorce bill
Ending more than a year of acrimonious talks, British and EU negotiators agree a draft divorce deal on November 13, 2018.
But May faces an angry backlash from her own Conservative party over its terms and MPs vote against the deal in the biggest government defeat in British parliamentary history.
Brussels refuses to re-negotiate.
EU extends Britain’s exit date
The EU agrees to delay Brexit until May 22 and then until October 31, 2019.
Theresa May resigns as prime minister
The European election defeat and parliament's rejection of her Brexit deal forces Mrs May to step down as Conservative leader on June 7.
Boris Johnson becomes prime minister
On July 23, party members choose Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson as their new leader. He becomes prime minister the next day.
MPs approve Brexit deal in principle
On October 22, British MPs approve in principle a new Brexit deal struck days earlier with the EU.
Brexit date faces delay
On October 28, EU members agree to postpone Brexit until January 31, 2020.
Mr Johnson's resounding win in a snap general election on December 12 eases his Brexit bill's passage through parliament on January 9, 2020.
MPs pass bill for divorce date
The divorce takes place on Friday, January 31.
An extendable transition period, during which much in the relationship will not change, is agreed up to December 31, 2020.
Difficult negotiations begin with Brussels
In March 2020, the EU and Britain began difficult negotiations on their future trade relationship, which are then broken off due to the coronavirus crisis.
Talks resume in April, without any notable progress on key sticking points.
Britain announces it doesn’t want to delay transition period
On June 12, Britain officially says it does not wish to extend its transition period beyond the end of the year.
In July, Britain and the EU agree to intensify talks with a view to meeting an October deadline for an accord, if the European and British parliaments are to have time to ratify it by the year end.
On September 8, the two sides open an eighth round of negotiations amid tensions as Mr Johnson warns that if there is no compromise by October 15 he will walk away with no deal.
Britain tries to rewrite the withdrawal agreement
To the EU's dismay, the British government the next day submits a bill to overwrite parts of the withdrawal agreement.
Negotiations pass October deadline
The October deadline comes and goes with no sign of a deal, with Johnson telling the EU there was "no point" in extending talks.
But Britain then ends days of threats to abandon the negotiations and instead agrees to redouble efforts to avert the potential economic chaos of a no-deal at the end of the year.
Britain enters into last-minute talks with the EU
Remaining key sticking points include so-called "level playing field" provisions to ensure Britain does not try to retreat from the EU's environmental or labour standards, how to arbitrate future differences, and fishing rights.
Talks extend into December, and Mr Johnson heads to Brussels to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to try to break the deadlock.
Negotiators work around the clock up to Christmas Eve to craft a legally binding text in time for parliamentary ratification on both sides of the Channel, with a deal finally struck in the afternoon.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
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.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Griselda
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
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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
