File photo: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks out the door to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, May 13, 2022. Johnson is heading to Northern Ireland on Monday, May 16, 2022 to try to end a political deadlock that is preventing the formation of a regional administration. AP
File photo: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks out the door to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, May 13, 2022. Johnson is heading to Northern Ireland on Monday, May 16, 2022 to try to end a political deadlock that is preventing the formation of a regional administration. AP
File photo: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks out the door to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, May 13, 2022. Johnson is heading to Northern Ireland on Monday, May 16, 2022 to try to end a political deadlock that is preventing the formation of a regional administration. AP
File photo: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks out the door to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, May 13, 2022. Johnson is heading to Nort

UK's Boris Johnson prepared to act if EU refuses to compromise on NI Protocol


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK will have to act if a compromise cannot be reached with the EU regarding the deepening crisis over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He said the UK government is open to “genuine dialogue” with Brussels before a trip to Belfast on Monday for emergency talks with parties in Northern Ireland.

He went on to say that if a deal cannot be reached with the EU, the government will set out its “next steps” in a statement to Parliament “in the coming days”.

There were reports British ministers could table emergency legislation as early as this week to override the protocol which requires customs checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

EU leaders said such a move would violate Britain’s international treaty obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement signed by Mr Johnson and would lead to retaliatory measures.

In the meantime, the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland remain suspended with the British loyalist DUP refusing to join Irish nationalist Sinn Fein in a new executive or to allow the election of a speaker to the assembly unless there is fundamental change to the protocol.

Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Johnson said there was still a “sensible landing spot” where the interests of all sides are protected – including the integrity of the EU single market, which the protocol is designed to maintain.

However, he said that would require movement on the part of the EU.

“We have been told by the EU that it is impossible to make the changes to the protocol text to actually solve these problems in negotiations – because there is no mandate to do so,” he said.

“We will always keep the door wide open to genuine dialogue. There is without question a sensible landing spot in which everyone’s interests are protected.

“I hope the EU’s position changes. If it does not, there will be a necessity to act.

“The government has a responsibility to provide assurance that the consumers, citizens and businesses of Northern Ireland are protected in the long-term.

“We will set out a more detailed assessment and next steps to Parliament in the coming days”.

Although the government signed up to the protocol, ministers said change is needed as the way it is operating is hurting businesses and fuelling sectarian tensions, with Unionists feeling their position in the United Kingdom is being undermined.

Earlier, however, Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said there would be a “consequence” if the UK took unilateral action in breach of its obligations under international law.

He said such a move would be deeply harmful to UK-Ireland relations and could “fundamentally undermine” the functioning of the institutions of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

“The last thing the EU wants, the last thing that Ireland wants, is tension with the UK, particularly at the moment given what’s happening in Ukraine, Russian aggression, and the need to work together on an international stage,” he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.

“Unfortunately, it has been the briefings that have come from the British government this week that have raised a real red flag in Dublin and in Brussels because the British government is now threatening to break international law to break a treaty that they signed with the EU.”

But in a round of broadcast interviews with the BBC and Sky News, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng hit out at “irresponsible” threats of a trade war, saying it would take “a very long time” for the EU to implement new tariffs.

“It is up to the EU. We think it would be completely self-defeating if they went into a trade war, but that is up to them,” he said.

“Any tariff situation would have to go to arbitrators. It is not something they can do willy-nilly, arbitrarily.”

Downing Street said Mr Johnson will use a series of private meetings in Belfast on Monday to deliver a “tough message” that any “fix” to the protocol must involve the parties coming together to form an executive and assembly.

He is expected to say that while the UK government will “play its part to ensure political stability”, politicians must “get back to work” so they can deliver on “bread-and-butter issues” for the voters.

Before his visit, however, Sinn Fein – which is now the biggest party in the assembly following the elections – accused the prime minister of being “in cahoots” with the DUP and supporting its “blocking tactics”.

Generational responses to the pandemic

Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:

Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.

Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.

Kamindu Mendis bio

Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis

Born: September 30, 1998

Age: 20 years and 26 days

Nationality: Sri Lankan

Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team

Batting style: Left-hander

Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)

RESULTS - ELITE MEN

1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40    
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45   
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57           
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58            
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59       

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah. 

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sour%20Grapes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZakaria%20Tamer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESyracuse%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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

Updated: May 16, 2022, 4:00 AM`