Hello from The National and welcome to the View from London – your weekly guide to the big stories from our London bureau
Ceasefire at a crossroads
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer has told The National that Israel is in breach of the ceasefire plan promoted by US President Donald Trump. The failure to open crossings, including those from Jordan into the West Bank, means the 20-point plan cannot move on from phase one, he said.
"We're clear that crossings, which were clearly envisaged to be opened under the 20-point plan, remain unopened," he told our correspondent Thomas Harding last night. "That is a vital part of phase one, and we need to see progress on that immediately.”
He was speaking to us a day after he met UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh, with whom he said he had discussed these issues "intensively".
From the London vantage point, he added: “We can't see an overly restrictive approach to aid because that will prevent the necessary materials getting in at the speed required.”
UK Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer meets with Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh. Photo: Hamish Falconer / X
Asked about links between the Houthis in Yemen and the Sudanese Armed Forces, he told us of the importance of support for Yemen's Coastguard. Its recent interception of dual-use items is vital at this time.
"Now, I can't tell you where that high-tech equipment that could be used very much for military purposes, to whom it was intended to be delivered, but there clearly is a very significant problem in the area of advanced weaponry travelling across the Red Sea,” he said.
In her short time as Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper has made it clear she is “deeply worried” about atrocities in Sudan. She has now been presented with another factor in the conflict, with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood influencing the refusal of the Sudanese Armed Forces chief to entertain a ceasefire offer.
Ms Cooper is in continual contact with the US, UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to encourage those ceasefire efforts.
Yesterday she spoke with US envoy Massad Boulos about how to bring about "a humanitarian truce to protect civilians and get aid in".
"Sudan needs a global push for peace," she said, before heading to Brussels where she will today attend a meeting of Nato foreign ministers.
She last night launched a global action coalition, warning of an “epidemic of violence” against women in wars, not least in the Sudan conflict.
Yvette Cooper attends meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. EPA
Efforts to forge a GCC-UK trade deal were in the spotlight at an event to mark the UAE's Eid Al Etihad, formerly known as National Day, in London this week.
Minister of Trade Chris Bryant followed up his recent trip to Dubai with a plea to the UAE to help overcome residual resistance in the talks.
"I'm not going to name the other countries, I'm not going to name individuals that you need to speak to," he said. "But honestly, this has been taking us far too long. I really want us to get this trade deal done, because I think it's in our geostrategic interest.
"It's in our personal interests. It's in the interest of trade. It's in the interest of supporting the rules-based order around the world, which has enabled all of us to prosper."
Mr Bryant said the UAE was the UK's largest regional trading partner, with £25 billion ($33 billion) of bilateral trade in the year ending in June. He also said there were 5,000 British businesses operating in Dubai. He said he had argued for the UAE's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership at a recent summit of the current members.
Among the British politicians at the 54th Eid Al Etihad commemorations was former deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, former chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond, and former foreign secretary and home secretary James Cleverly, as well as serving parliamentarians.
In Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Dowden asked Mr Falconer, the Middle East minister, to mark Eid Al Etihad by reaffirming the strategic relationship between the two countries.
"They are a key partner," Mr Falconer said of the UAE. "I welcome their investments all over the country and we will take the relationship from strength to strength."
Extreme blockades
I thought I'd relay some stark talk at Oxford Analytica Prospects 2026: Crises, Conflicts and Aftermaths about the resurgence of Islamist extremist groups in Africa.
The capitals of Somalia and Mali are being choked by insurgent groups.
"In Somalia, Al Shabab has been on the rise again, launching attacks in very close proximity to Mogadishu, having prosecuted very successful attacks and putting the army on the back foot," Oxford Analytica's analysts said. "Part of the reason for this being that the government right now is focused on its own internal problems."
Al Qaeda-linked Jamaat Nusrat Al Islam wal Muslim (JNIM) has meanwhile moved to choke off trade into Bamako and to put pressure on the military junta there to erode its political popularity.
"JNIM is definitely going from strength to strength militarily," the panel heard. "Neither of these groups have any intention of trying to seize power in these countries."
The more likely outcome predicted by the experts is a coup, rather than a takeover.
A Syrian-British business delegation made its first trip to Damascus last week, hoping to drum up investment from UK companies in Syria’s devastated economy.
Syria offers a “potentially high-return market”, despite a “challenging and high-risk context”, the new guidelines from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.
The lifting of UK sanctions in March was intended to allow for “essential investment” in the country to support Syrians in rebuilding their devastated lives. This included reversing punitive measures on the Central Bank of Syria, the Ministry of Defence in Damascus and other key institutions.
Yet sanctions are still imposed on the export and import of luxury goods, diamonds and gold, although the Foreign Office has advised that individual traders could be eligible for an exemption on these.
What a pity there is no UK embassy there to get into the nitty-gritty of all this. London is unable to give a firm date for the reopening of its embassy in Damascus despite wanting to "normalise" its presence, a minister revealed last night.
Development Minister Jenny Chapman told the House of Lords that the need to ensure the embassy would be “successful and sustainable” was hanging over the process. It was a cautionary tale about severing diplomatic relations with other countries in future.
“The reason we’re so reluctant to withdraw from a country or city is because once you've withdrawn and once you no longer have that embassy, it's very difficult and always takes time to establish that presence,” Ms Chapman said.
Meanwhile, the UK government is relying on aid organisations and the UN to address humanitarian issues in Syria, such as displacement from the civil war and poverty from economic collapse.
“We do work through NGOs and the United Nations, and at the moment that's the right approach to take. We do look forward to a time when we can have a more normalised presence."
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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.
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood. Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues. Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity. Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
