When British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts next week’s G7 summit in Cornwall, he will be hoping he can use the event to highlight his post-Brexit vision of Global Britain.
By contrast, the other members of the Group of Seven, as the club of developed countries is formally known, attending their 47th summit will be looking to justify the group’s continued existence at a time when other world powers, most notably China, are questioning its relevance in tackling the major issues of the day.
Ever since its foundation, the annual summit of the world’s seven largest advanced economies has acquired a reputation for being more of a talking shop than a body that takes any decisive action on key issues of the day.
A classic example of the G7’s tendency for inaction over intervention was provided during the 2015 summit held in the Bavarian resort of Schloss Elmau. Held against a backdrop of the deepening diplomatic stand-off over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, as well as the Eurozone crisis sparked by Greece’s financial meltdown, the summit concluded with a vague statement on reducing global greenhouse emissions, with none of the participants willing to make any firm commitments on binding targets.
Other summits have seen G7 leaders steer clear of making any firm commitments on issues, such as tackling the Syrian refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and Nato funding. This prompted former US President Donald Trump to remark after last year's summit, which was due to be held at Camp David, was cancelled due to coronavirus travel restrictions, that the alliance was a "very outdated group of countries".
The G7 has a reputation for being more of a talking shop than a decisive body
In an effort to broaden the appeal of G7, and no doubt also to boost his own Global Britain credentials, Mr Johnson has this year expanded the guest list to include the Prime Ministers of India and Australia and the President of South Korea.
Mr Johnson has justified the addition of these three countries to the core standing membership of Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, the US and UK on the grounds that they are “countries with whom we share interests and values”.
The inclusion of India, one of the world’s emerging economic powers, will certainly help to address criticism that the membership of G7 is too narrowly focused. It also supports US President Joe Biden’s vision of building a global alliance of like-minded nations to address future challenges.
Mr Johnson, who claims to be half-Cornish, was instrumental in choosing the quaint Cornish resort of Carbis Bay as the location for next week’s summit on the grounds that it will “help to spur Cornwall’s recovery from Covid-19 by attracting more visitors and injecting £50 million into the local economy”.
But while the choice of resort will enable the attendees to enjoy one of the more spectacular regions of the British coastline, the variety of issues that need to be tackled potentially gives the participants an opportunity to reassert the value of the annual G7 get together. And it will provide Mr Johnson with an important platform from which to demonstrate his global leadership credentials.
Mr Johnson is certainly starting to look like a prime minister who enjoys more than his fair share of good fortune. The fates have been kind to Mr Johnson in terms of granting him the privilege of hosting two main global conferences in the UK in the space of just a few months. Apart from hosting G7, Britain will also be hosting the UN’s major UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, at which Mr Johnson’s commitment to delivering on a number of ambitious climate change targets will be under scrutiny.
The UK has set a climate change target of reducing emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition, Mr Johnson wants a ban on the sale of all petrol-fuelled cars by 2030.
From Mr Johnson's perspective, therefore, it is important that next week’s G7 conference actually produces some tangible results instead of concluding with its usual set of platitudes.
On climate change, Mr Johnson, who claims the Cornwall summit will be the first carbon-neutral G7 meeting, has already declared that he wants to see other nations follow Britain’s lead by creating a “greener, more prosperous future''.
Nor will there be any shortage of other important issues for the leaders to get their teeth into, not least of which will be the problematic issue of securing sufficient quantities of Covid-19 vaccines for the entire world, and not just the privileged few.
With coronavirus heavily impacting countries worldwide over the last 18 months, leading the global recovery, both in terms of the vaccination programme and reviving economic growth, will be at the heart of the agenda.
Other topics of discussion will likely include championing free and fair trade and renewed calls to end all spending on oil and gas.
Mr Johnson is also likely to come under pressure from Mr Joe Biden, who will be on his first visit to Europe since entering the White House, to support his efforts to create a minimum corporate tax rate, a move designed to force major Silicon Valley tech giants to pay their fair share of tax.
But key issues concerning vaccinations are likely to dominate the agenda, such as the waiving of patents to speed up production of Covid-19 treatments in poor countries, and a G7 burden-sharing deal to fund a global vaccination push.
The failure to provide developing countries with adequate vaccine supplies has already led some African countries to denounce what they see as “vaccine apartheid”.
Certainly, if G7 leaders are serious about demonstrating the organisation’s relevance in the modern age, then providing clear-cut commitments to resolving the global vaccination challenge would be a good place to start.
Con Coughlin is a defence and foreign affairs columnist for The National
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ASHES SCHEDULE
First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vault%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBilal%20Abou-Diab%20and%20Sami%20Abdul%20Hadi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EInvestment%20and%20wealth%20advisory%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutliers%20VC%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
