Stephen Barclay has been promoted to Brexit Secretary. AP
Stephen Barclay has been promoted to Brexit Secretary. AP
Stephen Barclay has been promoted to Brexit Secretary. AP
Stephen Barclay has been promoted to Brexit Secretary. AP

New Brexit secretary named after British cabinet resignations


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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale

Embattled British prime minister Theresa May has replaced two senior ministers who resigned from her cabinet in protest at a draft Brexit deal.

Steve Barclay has been appointed as Brexit secretary, having previously served as a junior minister in the Department for Health.

A Leave supporter in the 2016 referendum, Mr Barclay replaces Dominic Raab, who quit on Thursday.

Downing Street confirmed that Amber Rudd would be returning to the cabinet as work and pensions minister following Esther McVey's resignation.

A remain supporter and ally of Mrs May, Ms Rudd stepped down as home secretary earlier this year over her involvement in the Windrush scandal.

Her appointment was instantly criticised by Labour, who said it was "extraordinary" Ms Rudd had been allowed back into the cabinet before victims of the scandal had been compensated.

Meanwhile Mrs May's leadership was looking increasingly fragile on Friday as the threat of an imminent vote of no confidence looked increasingly more likely.

UK media reported that the threshold of 48 senior cabinet members calling for the vote is close to being met.

So far 21 Conservative MPs have said publicly that they have given letters of no confidence was delivered to Sir Graham Brady, the head of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs which runs leadership elections in the party.

Mark Francois, a strident Brexiteer, claimed that '[Mrs May] Just Doesn't Listen' and claimed that it was "something he thought he'd never do".

Doubt over her continued leadership of the party began when senior figures Mr Raab and Ms McVey resigned on Thursday following a cabinet meeting that signed off on the Brexit deal, which some criticise for keeping Britain locked in a backstop arrangement it cannot unilaterally withdraw from.

Mrs May has come under renewed pressure after Michael Gove rejected her offer to take on the role as Brexit minister.

_____________

Brexit deal fall out

British expats in UAE watch Brexit chaos from afar, unsure what is to follow

What's next for Brexit? The draft deal explained

Pound plunge was mere prelude to what may happen with no deal

May vows to fight on despite backlash 

No-deal Dover rejects Theresa May’s Brexit dreams of EU compromise

_____________

Rumours of Mr Gove's resignation as Environment secretary which had been swirling overnight were ended when he stated that he would remain in his post.

Arriving at his office on Friday morning, he told reporters that he "absolutely" had confidence in the prime minister and was "looking forward to continuing to work with all colleagues in government and in parliament to get the best future for Britain."

Mr Gove and other cabinet Brexiteers Liam Fox, Chris Grayling, Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom have agreed to stay “to get this in a better place” according to The Sunday Times's political editor Tim Shipman. “Resigning and joining a rebellion is not going to help anything”.

Mr Fox, the international trade secretary, chided hardline Brexiteers as he told journalists that “I hope that we all take a rational and reasonable view of this, as I say, we are not elected to do what we want, we’re elected to do what’s in the national interest, and ultimately I hope that across parliament we’ll recognise that [a] deal is better than no deal.

“Businesses do require certainty and confidence as they go forward in their planning an there are those round the world who are waiting to get certainty also to begin to discuss trade agreements with the United Kingdom, it’s in our national interest,” Mr Fox said.

Mrs May took to national radio earlier in the day to address public concerns of the deal. Answering callers' questions about Brexit on London's LBC radio on Friday morning, Mrs May said her job was to persuade MPs from all parties that the agreement was in their constituents' interests.

Giving an example of the consequence of a no deal, Mrs May, who is diabetic, said her insulin comes from Denmark and that medical supplies such as the one she depends on would be cut off in the event of a hard Brexit.

Mrs May said her government was "working to ensure continuity so that people don't see a sudden cliff edge" in the event of a no deal.

Also speaking on LBC earlier this week, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, admitted that lives would be at risk due to a shortage of medicine in the event of a no deal.

Mrs May stressed the need for “collective responsibility” among her party in ensuring the draft deal moves forward.

Mrs May also admitted that she could lose the crucial support of the Democratic Unionist Party, whose 10 MPs at Westminster props up the minority Tory government.

“When this vote comes back, every individual MP will decide how they will vote, whether they are DUP, Conservative, Labour, all parties within the House of Commons,” she said.

“My job is to persuade first and foremost my Conservative benches, those who are working with us – the DUP are working with us, obviously, confidence and supply – but I want to be able to say to every MP: I believe this is the best deal for the UK.”

The Daily Telegraph had reported on Thursday that the DUP would refuse to vote for Mrs May's deal and that their continued support for the Tories would "depend on who the leader of the Conservative party is".

Telegraph reporter Harry Yorke tweeted: "The DUP will not vote for the Withdrawal Agreement in its current form under any circumstances."

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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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 three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. 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
THE CLOWN OF GAZA

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Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

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RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

Ahmed Raza

UAE cricket captain

Age: 31

Born: Sharjah

Role: Left-arm spinner

One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95

T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
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Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
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Investment raised: $4 million 
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While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash. 

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

THREE
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale