Truckers scuffle with police as Dover port remains gridlocked despite deal to reopen


Paul Peachey
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Stranded lorry drivers scuffled with police on Wednesday after a deal was struck to allow traffic to move from the English port of Dover to mainland Europe.

Several thousand lorries were parked near the port when France imposed a 48-hour travel lockdown after a fast-spreading mutation of coronavirus took hold in southern England.
Angry drivers left their cabs in the morning, jeering and whistling at authorities, with many shouting "open the borders" and "we want to go home".

Drivers shelter from the rain as they block the road by the entrance to the port in Dover in protest against a blockade. AFP.
Drivers shelter from the rain as they block the road by the entrance to the port in Dover in protest against a blockade. AFP.

The ban on lorries moving to France was lifted on Wednesday. Hauliers will be tested for the virus before being allowed to board ferries or the cross-Channel rail service to the continent, where cases of the new mutation have been identified.

The stand-off began on Sunday night when French authorities shut the border with Britain as news of the highly-contagious Covid-19 variant emerged.
At least 55 counties around the world have since introduced travel bans on passengers from the UK in a bid to keep the mutation from spreading.
The European Commission on Tuesday advised against a blanket travel ban but said non-essential travel should be discouraged.
A British minister said "common sense has prevailed" on Tuesday after the European Commission advised EU member states not to restrict freight movements because of concerns over shortages and disruption to vaccine supplies.

Thousands of lorries, the majority from mainland Europe, were stuck for days on roads and parked at an airport because of the dispute. The government said the traffic jam will take days to clear and that it will bring in the army to help set up testing facilities at the airport.

“The scientific evidence suggested that HGV drivers were relatively unlikely to pass the virus,” Housing Minister Robert Jenrick said. “These were arguments we have made... common sense has prevailed.”

He said he hoped that the first lorries would start crossing to France on Wednesday morning.

Drivers grew increasingly angry as it became clear they may not get home for Christmas. Many were stranded in their vehicles without access to hot food or bathrooms.

"They don't give us food, they don't give us drinks, they don't give us sanitation, they don't offer us anything," one driver said. "The situation is basically inhumane, so what we are asking for is a solution."

Drivers will first take a lateral-flow Covid-19 test. Anyone with a positive result will take a more comprehensive PCR test, for which results take longer to process. Anyone testing positive again will be given a hotel room in which to isolate.

A mobile testing site was set up at Manston Airport, 29 kilometres from Dover. The International Road Transport Union said that even a 30-minute test would be "a disaster", with UK authorities having to test at least 6,000 drivers a day.
Kent Police confirmed that one person had been arrested following an incident at the Manston site.

European officials said the saga provided an insight into the trouble the UK is likely to face in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

A temporary arrangement preserving the free flow of goods between Britain and the 27-nation bloc will end on December 31 and negotiators are deadlocked on fishing rights and ensuring fair competition.

The government is bracing for a 7,000-lorry snarl-up in the event that no deal is reached. Guy Verhofstadt, a former Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament, said the past 48 hours hinted at chaos to come.

“We forgot what borders look like,” he tweeted. “They [the UK] will now start to understand what leaving the EU really means.”

Some British politicians have criticised Macron's move to close the ports, with some accusing him of performing a political stunt. 
"I'm afraid this was an example of politics spilling into the hardship of managing this pandemic," British MP Tobias Ellwood told The National. "It is unfortunate that as negotiations reached a critical juncture, that this action should muddy the waters."

A food industry chief warned of further mayhem after the disruption outside Dover, which raised concerns of shortages of vegetables in UK shops.

“This kind of chaos and this kind of delay could easily be a presaging of what is to come,” Ian Wright, chief executive the Food and Drink Federation, told Bloomberg. “It’s lifting the curtain a little on the chaos that could happen if it all goes horribly wrong.”

The end of the travel ban is a plus for the UK government, which is expected to extend restrictions on the population because of the surge in Covid-19 cases, blamed in part on the virus mutation.

Much of the world shut its borders to Britain this week after the variant spread quickly. The government’s Covid operations committee is meeting on Wednesday to consider the latest data amid reports that Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city, could join London by imposing the most restrictive measures.

The new variant, which is said to be 70 per cent more infectious than previous strains, has already spread around Britain, with cases identified in Wales and Scotland.

Similar problems were reported in mainland Europe with Germany recording 962 Covid-related deaths, a new one-day record.

To curb the spread, the German government last week shut most shops, tightened rules on social contact and discouraged people from travelling to see relatives over Christmas.

Company%20Profile
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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.


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Favourite things

Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery

Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount

University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China

Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai

Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China

Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs

UAE v United States, T20 International Series

Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.

1st match: Friday, 2pm

2nd match: Saturday, 2pm

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat

USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh

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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29

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Third Test

Result: India won by 203 runs

Series: England lead five-match series 2-1

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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
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What are the regulations?
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Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt

Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure

Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers

Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels

Where can I submit a sample?

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Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

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Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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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

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Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

The specs

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Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

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The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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7pm: Flood Zone
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What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate

If you go

The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates


The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
 

When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season

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Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

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Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

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McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17

European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th

PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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