The UK and EU announced a hard-fought Brexit deal on Monday that will now have to survive the high temperatures of British politics.
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled the so-called Windsor Framework with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to the UK.
The aim is to simplify trade across the Irish Sea, but the issue has much deeper implications for Northern Ireland's peace and identity.
Mr Sunak will have to convince right-wing MPs, including his predecessor Boris Johnson, that concessions to the EU such as oversight by European judges do not cross their red lines.
Ms von der Leyen has meanwhile agreed to cut back EU checks at Irish Sea ports, addressing British complaints that the rules are too strict.
After two Brexit deals in 2019 and 2020 that failed to put an end to UK-EU wrangling, it remains to be seen whether this time will be different.
Why are we still talking about Brexit?
The Northern Ireland Protocol signed in 2019 broke a long stalemate over the terms of Brexit, but it imposed trade checks that soon angered British MPs.
Goods were checked in the north so they could travel freely to EU member the Republic of Ireland, avoiding a “hard” Irish border that could inflame sectarian violence.
But many Conservative and Democratic Unionist Party MPs said the checks were excessive and loosened ties between Northern Ireland and the British mainland.
The issue led to the collapse of the devolved government in Belfast and was described by EU diplomats as the “Achilles heel” of post-Brexit ties with Britain.
UK and EU negotiators worked for months on a revised protocol deal, eventually beating the deadline of April’s 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace deal.
What does the deal contain?
The EU has agreed to what Britain calls a “green and red lane” system, in which goods merely heading for Northern Ireland are not checked.
There will still be checks on “red lane” goods that are destined for the EU’s single market.
In return, Mr Sunak has conceded that the European Court of Justice has the final say on EU rules applied in Northern Ireland.
"The European Court of Justice is the sole and ultimate arbiter of EU law," Ms von der Leyen said.
There will also be a mechanism for Northern Irish politicians to express a view on new EU rules, addressing what MPs have called a “democratic deficit”.
The so-called "Stormont Brake" will allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to object to new EU rules, Mr Sunak said.
Whether the deal will see Britain drop its threat to unilaterally scrap parts of the protocol remains unclear.
A bill to override the protocol was passed by MPs last year but has yet to become law.
Can Mr Sunak get a deal past MPs?
On the face of it, yes. Mr Sunak has a majority in the House of Commons, and the opposition Labour Party has said it is willing to back a deal.
However, this is not a mere question of numbers.
Mr Sunak may not mathematically need the support of Northern Irish MPs, but many Tories have made clear that if the DUP is not on board, then neither are they.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said the party would take its time to consider the detail of the pact.
Leading Eurosceptic MP Mark Francois said it was a “practical reality” that if the DUP does not agree with the deal then “it is simply not going to fly”. The ECJ's role is likely to be particularly contentious.
Another prominent player is Mr Johnson, who has said the threat of unilateral action should remain, and is widely thought to be manoeuvring for a possible comeback.
Mr Sunak could still win a vote with Labour’s support, but it would make him look weak and expose Tory divisions over Brexit.
The US is another interested party. Senior figures in Congress have warned of damage to the “special relationship” with Britain if it does not strike a deal with the EU.
There are rumours that President Joe Biden — who often talks of his Irish heritage — could visit the island to mark the Good Friday Agreement anniversary in April.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
The%20specs
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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.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
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
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
EGYPT SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
