Good progress has been made in resolving a dispute over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading rules, but substantive issues remain, a representative for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday.
“We agree that significant progress has been made,” the representative told reporters.
“I think the Prime Minister has been very clear that there are still substantive issues that need to be resolved with EU.”
Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Mr Sunak of imitating Theresa May's doomed Brexit strategy, as Tory Eurosceptics were urged to allow the “time and space” needed to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The prominent Brexiteer questioned why “so much political capital” was being spent on brokering a new deal without ensuring the Democratic Unionist Party and his wing of the Conservative Party were on board.
Negotiators could “see the finishing line” for a deal as fresh high-level talks were arranged with the EU amid warnings of potential ministerial resignations over any deal.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was unsure whether a breakthrough could come this week, but said a “huge amount of progress has been made”, as he called for Mr Sunak to be given “some time and space” so he can consult with the Conservatives.
Health minister Maria Caulfield, a Brexiteer who quit Ms May's front bench over her Chequers plan, urged colleagues to “support the Prime Minister”.
“There isn't a deal done yet so all these rumours about ministers or MPs not being happy,” she told Times Radio. “I haven't seen the details — we have to give the Prime Minister that time and space to get these negotiations done.
“We need to give him the time and space to thrash out the final elements of any final deal.”
But Mr Rees-Mogg, a former cabinet minister and long-term critic of Mr Sunak, criticised his tactics as similar to those that eventually led to the resignation of Ms May as prime minister.
He joined Boris Johnson in urging Mr Sunak to press ahead with the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, effectively ripping up parts of the agreement with Brussels, rather than seeking a deal which may not guarantee the return of a power-sharing executive in Stormont.
But in a new rift in the Tory party, former justice secretary Robert Buckland wrote in an article published in The House magazine that the bill “no longer has any legal justification” now the situation has “dramatically” changed.
On his ConservativeHome podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “There seems to me to be no point in agreeing a deal that does not restore power-sharing.
“That must be the objective. If it doesn't achieve that objective, I don't understand why the government is spending political capital on something that won't ultimately succeed.”
He said the bill has the support of “the person who had a mandate from the British voters” — Mr Johnson — and he said Mr Sunak should first get the approval of the European Research Group of Conservative Eurosceptics.
“I don't know why so much political capital has been spent on something without getting the DUP and the ERG onside first,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.
It was “very similar to what happened with Theresa May”, wherein a policy would be presented in the hope that people would “conveniently fall in behind” it, he said.
“Life doesn't work like that. It's important to get support for it first before you finalise the details and that doesn't seem to have been done here.”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris were to hold fresh video talks with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday afternoon.
Before the meeting, Mr Sefcovic said: “We clearly can see the finishing line, but in such a negotiation being close doesn't mean being done.”
The trio held “productive” talks on Monday and the EU said they still plan to meet for scheduled face-to-face talks later this week.
Government insiders still believe a deal could be struck in the coming days, but acknowledged it would slip to next week if not concluded by the first anniversary of the Ukrainian conflict on Friday.
Mr Sunak told his cabinet meeting “intensive negotiations with the EU continue on resolving the issues with the way the protocol was being enforced”, Downing Street said.
“Negotiations have progressed and that is to be welcomed, but there still remain a number of unresolved issues,” the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.
“And as is the nature of these negotiations, it is often some of the more long-lasting challenges that need to be addressed as you get to this point, and that's not unusual.”
The spokesman disputed Mr Rees-Mogg's suggestion that the DUP and ERG should have been brought into discussions earlier, saying: “We have been speaking to relevant parties at the appropriate times throughout this process.
“Engagement will continue as we continue to negotiate, emphasising there are still intensive negotiations ongoing. There is no finished deal.”
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
HAJJAN
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RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
