Joe Biden and Boris Johnson found common ground in their much-anticipated first meeting as leaders of the US and UK on Thursday.
The two leaders met on England's Cornish coast on the eve of this weekend's G7 summit.
They proclaimed a new “Atlantic Charter” to reinvigorate the transatlantic alliance, named after the 1941 pact between wartime leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
As part of their agreements, the US and UK will combine efforts to tackle future pandemics through global surveillance and genomic sequencing.
The leaders discussed Afghanistan, China, Iran and Russia among other foreign policy issues.
The summit took place under the cloud of tensions over Northern Ireland which had the potential to overshadow the talks.
But greeting Mr Johnson at a seaside hotel, Mr Biden said: “I’m very pleased to be here”.
Speaking after the talks, Mr Johnson described Mr Biden as a “breath of fresh air”.
“The talks were great, they went on for a long time,” he said. “We covered a huge range of subjects.
“It’s wonderful to listen to the Biden administration and to Joe Biden. There’s so much that they want to do together with us, from security and Nato to climate change.”
Asked whether Mr Biden had raised the alarm with Britain about Northern Ireland, Mr Johnson said: "No he didn't".
Amid reports of a formal diplomatic rebuke, the US warned the UK before the talks that it would oppose any move that would undermine the 1998 peace agreement in Northern Ireland.
But Mr Johnson said the UK, US and EU all wanted to uphold the Good Friday Agreement.
"That is absolutely common ground," Mr Johnson said.
Mr Biden said the talks had been "very productive".
"We discharged and discussed a broad range of issues on which the United Kingdom and the United States are working in very close co-operation," he said.
“We talked about the shared sacrifices our service members have made, bravely serving side by side in Afghanistan for close to 20 years.
“The UK was with us from the start as they always are, equally committed to rooting out the terrorist threat.”
The leaders said they would work towards a future UK-US trade agreement and seek to re-open transatlantic travel.
Making his first foreign trip as president, Mr Biden called for global collaboration to rebuild after Covid-19.
The agreement on pandemic preparedness will see the UK's Health Security Agency collaborate with an arm of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
They will aim to establish an early warning system to help lower-income countries who do not have the same surveillance capabilities.
Britain said it was "vital the whole world has access to the UK and US's sophisticated surveillance and sequencing technologies".
"We are sharing our expertise with the world," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
With the world looking to the G7 to help overcome the pandemic, Mr Biden and Mr Johnson are calling for efforts to boost global vaccine supplies.
The US will donate half a billion doses to poorer countries in the next year, the White House announced on Thursday.
Mr Johnson is calling for a pledge to vaccinate the world by the end of 2022.
Wartime echo
Thursday's summit was the first in-person meeting of UK and US leaders since the end of the tumultuous Donald Trump years.
Mr Biden once described Mr Johnson as a "physical and emotional clone" of Mr Trump.
But since Mr Biden's election, the UK has sought to stress its alignment with him on issues such as climate change.
The leaders had planned to visit the spectacular island of St. Michael’s Mount but the trip was scrapped because of bad weather.
Instead, they met above the beach at the G7 site in Carbis Bay and looked out at the ocean while trading pleasantries.
The two leaders were joined at the Cornwall hotel by their wives Carrie Johnson and Jill Biden.
Eighty years ago, the US president and British prime minister stood together promising a better future. Today, we do the same
Mrs Biden told reporters that her husband was “over prepared” for his meetings during his week in Europe.
“He’s been studying for weeks, working up to today,” she said. “Joe loves foreign policy.”
The event was Mrs Johnson's first major public engagement since she married the Prime Minister on May 29.
"We both married way above our station," Mr Biden joked.
“I’m not going to disagree with you on that,” said Mr Johnson, “or indeed on anything else.”
The first ladies spent the afternoon walking on the Cornish beach together while the leaders held talks.
Mr Biden said the revitalised Atlantic Charter was aimed to "speak directly to the challenges of this century" such as climate change and cyber security.
"We discussed our common goals for driving ambitious climate action to address the climate crisis," he said.
Mr Biden spoke of the UK's "special relationship" with the US, although Mr Johnson has signalled that he dislikes the term.
Mr Johnson described the UK and US as "the closest of partners and the greatest of allies" as he announced the symbolic charter.
"While Churchill and Roosevelt faced the question of how to help the world recover following a devastating war, today we have to reckon with a very different but no less intimidating challenge – how to build back better from the coronavirus pandemic," he said.
"Eighty years ago, the US president and British prime minister stood together promising a better future. Today, we do the same."
Mr Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan described the pact as a "refresher" of the wartime charter.
"There will be an updated statement of principles between the US and the UK as free peoples," he said.
Transatlantic travel plans
The new charter calls for action on climate change, biodiversity, cyber threats and economic recovery from the pandemic.
As part of this recovery, Mr Biden and Mr Johnson will seek to relaunch UK-US travel as soon as possible.
A task force will be set up to make recommendations on how to resume transatlantic flights, which have mostly been banned since March 2020.
Mr Johnson will host the three-day G7 summit starting on Friday, attended by Mr Biden and the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and the EU.
Adding to the pressure on Mr Johnson over Northern Ireland, EU leaders said on Thursday that they would tackle the subject at the G7.
"The protocol and the withdrawal agreement has to be implemented, completely," said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
"We will discuss that in a trilateral meeting in Cornwall together. We are determined to do everything to keep peace and stability on the island of Ireland."
Europe is threatening retaliatory action, including tariffs, if the new trading arrangements are not implemented.
After the G7, Mr Biden will visit Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and fly to Brussels for summits with Nato and EU leaders next week.
He will finish his European tour in Geneva, where he will meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin next Wednesday.
Mr Biden said he planned to "meet with Mr Putin to let him know what I want him to know".
"We're not seeking conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship," he said.
"But I've been clear – the United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way when the Russian government engages in harmful activities."
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Libya's Gold
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.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMay%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHusam%20Aboul%20Hosn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%E2%80%94%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%20funding%20raised%20from%20family%20and%20friends%20earlier%20this%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
