The surfers who typically ride the waves off the coast of Cornwall, in the south west tip of England, recommend a seriously thick 5mm wetsuit this time of year because the waters are so cold.
When Joe Biden arrives at the picturesque village in June for a G7 summit the sea will have warmed considerably – perhaps not enough for the 46th President to take a dip, but surely enough for a photo opportunity stroll along the broad sands.
By that time, Boris Johnson will be hoping that a similar thaw will have taken place between himself and the new Potus.
Downing Street insiders are pinning their hopes on the charms of Carbis Bay alongside Britain’s hosting of the COP 26 summit on climate change in November to provide “massive opportunities” to rekindle the alliance.
An inauspicious start
There is considerable legwork to be done by Boris Johnson’s government.
Their working relationship will have to overcome tensions that can be traced back to Mr Biden's time as Barack Obama's vice-president and the 2020 campaign.
The Prime Minister caused irritation among Democrats with his references to Barack Obama’s heritage and for being rather too chummy with the discredited regime of Mr Trump. There was also the Brexit threat to Northern Ireland’s peace agreement that triggered a rare tweeted rebuke direct from Mr Biden.
The US president's Irish heritage has been a lodestar of his long political career. Mr Biden’s refusal to speak to world leaders during his presidential campaign left no opportunity to smooth things over.
Happily for Mr Johnson, his threat of ripping up the Brexit agreement which would have broken international law never came to pass. He will hope the other issues will equally have been put to bed and his formidable optimism coupled with Mr Biden’s friendly pragmatism could see a strong transatlantic relationship restored.
A green future
On the heels of the G7 meeting, global leaders will also be making their way to the UK in November for the COP26 meeting on the Paris Climate accord.
“These events (G7 and COP 26) give us a big opportunity to work with the Americans on something that was obviously an issue for us with the Trump administration, in that we were pretty upfront about disagreeing with their stance on climate change,” said a UK government source. “We know climate is a massive priority for the US president as it is for the prime minister.”
The two men share a political slogan Build Back Better that foresees a recovery from the recession triggered by the pandemic that is dominated by green growth. The march towards reducing the carbon economy is a share political goal for both men. Mr Johnson hopes that the November meeting can set tough targets that give Mr Biden a chance to show the US is back in the driving seat in the global efforts to tackle climate change.
Security ties gives the UK an opening
Washington is united in wanting Nato to spend more on defence. London remains a key international ally of the US military in a way that no other European nation can challenge. It was a key demand of Mr Obama and Donald Trump and will be at the top of the Biden agenda too.
The British government last year approved the largest rise in its defence budget since the end of the Cold War, with £16.5 billion additional spending over four years.
Trump was right to make the world wake up to the threats China poses
Mr Johnson will doubtless emphasise the strong ties with America as US Marine squadron F35 jets are deployed on the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The carrier’s destination of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific signals where the struggle for world power is now focused.
The bow wave from HMS Queen Elizabeth cutting through the South China Sea will likely be followed by a political tide confronting the rising power of Beijing. It is the looming clash with China in the post-Trump era that will dominate the political landscape after the Covid pandemic and potentially strengthen the British-American bond.
“Trump was right to make the world wake up to the threats China poses,” said Tobias Ellwood, MP, chairman of the Defence Committee. “But he didn't do anything about it. So the G7 group of nations coming to Cornwall is a fantastic opportunity to build a bigger alliance.”
By signing an investment treaty with China the European Union has hardly endeared itself to Mr Biden’s team and a principled stance by Britain would be well-received.
“It’s going to take a while before the EU and US relations work themselves out and China's going to be one of the big issues,” Sir Lawrence Freedman of King’s College London said at a webinar this week entitled ‘UK in a changing Europe’.
“But I think the position that Britain is in at the moment is not bad, in terms of being able to work pretty closely with the incoming administration and it's quite notable that the EU is actually being more cautious.”
Tip-toeing towards a trade deal
Pictures of US jets on British warships will also be a key image of Global Britain in the post-Brexit age. It might help fast-track a trade deal that Mr Trump blithely promised but his predecessor Barack Obama poured cold water on, suggesting Britain would be “at the back of the queue”.
“A new trade agreement is not a priority for the Biden administration,” said Dr Dan Allin of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “But the alliance between the US and Britain is very serious and very deep and there's no reason why a Biden team would be vindictive.”
We need our foreign secretary to be empowered to have a British global strategy and a Johnson and Biden that can come together and really transform this
Mr Johnson will potentially find himself agreeing with Labour’s shadow foreign secretary who said that Mr Biden’s tenure provided an opportunity “to strengthen and deepen the relationship” based “not just on shared interests but on shared values as well”.
However, Lisa Nandy said that Britain’s “trashing of international law” over its threat of a hard border in Northern Ireland “was such a mistake because the special relationship is based on both the US and the UK being safe, steady, reliable, dependable partners”. It also undermined Mr Biden’s commitment to Ireland, she said.
Ms Nandy is among many who believe there is currently no defined global strategy in Britain that as yet makes sense to the US and beyond. While that may be understandable, the UK is embroiled in the tumult of Covid-19 deaths and has only just completed a post-Brexit trade deal that doesn’t help Mr Biden.
“We need our foreign secretary to be empowered to have a British global strategy and a Johnson and Biden that can come together and really transform this,” said Tom Tugendhat, MP, and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We have to decide what we want from it. When I speak to counterparts in France and Germany, they are very clear about what they want out of their relationship with the US but I don't see that same level of priority here in the UK.”
Life post-Covid
However, Boris Johnson has always seen opportunity in strife and Britain’s well-placed vaccination programme, along with the G7 and COP26 summits, will see him head down to Cornwall with Brexit in the rearview mirror and, it is hoped, the pandemic petering out.
He now has just over four months to right the relationship with Mr Biden and a dash across the Atlantic to Washington to move things along can’t be ruled out. “I think you can expect a lot of movement in the coming days once Biden has unpacked his bags,” said the Downing Street source.
Shortly, there will be a transatlantic call to break the ice.
No doubt Mr Johnson will offer a view on Mr Trump’s disgraceful last weeks in office before he moves the chat towards aircraft carriers, green deals and also the current most pressing global issue – an international vaccine programme to halt the stampede of Covid.
Joe Biden has shown in just a couple of days more inclination to take the pandemic seriously than his predecessor. On Thursday he unveiled a Covid-19 plan.
“Over time, we’ve always managed to make the relationship work,” Mr Ellwood said. “From JFK and Macmillan, to Bush and Blair. Biden is an enormous pragmatist and should have no problem striking the correct relationship with Britain.
"But where we perhaps need to be aware is that our favoured nation status is being challenged by France and Germany so we cannot take that relationship for granted.”
The coastline of Cornwall is unlikely to provide another romance akin to the Reagan-Thatcher era.
“Boris Johnson is starting from a low point with his verbal recklessness while in journalism,” Dr Allin said.
“There's no question that there are people on the Biden team who have a pretty low view of him. But Britain's hosting of the G7 and climate meeting will be very important because after Covid this is the number-one priority for Biden in foreign policy terms.”
There’s plenty advice on offer for Mr Johnson. Emphasise a focus on climate change and don’t cause division with Europe, some say. Others believe vaccination geopolitics is going to be the major issue this year.
Come June, the British leader could well be in a position to help many other countries in need of inoculation. The sands of Carbis Bay may seem distant in January but its summer shores promise a moment when the tide might have turned for Mr Johnson.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
On racial profiling at airports
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
LEADERBOARD
%3Cp%3E-19%20T%20Fleetwood%20(Eng)%3B%20-18%20R%20McIlroy%20(NI)%2C%20T%20Lawrence%20(SA)%3B%20-16%20J%20Smith%3B%20-15%20F%20Molinari%20(Ita)%3B%20-14%20Z%20Lombard%20(SA)%2C%20S%20Crocker%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESelected%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E-11%20A%20Meronk%20(Pol)%3B%20-10%20E%20Ferguson%20(Sco)%3B%20-8%20R%20Fox%20(NZ)%20-7%20L%20Donald%20(Eng)%3B%20-5%20T%20McKibbin%20(NI)%2C%20N%20Hoejgaard%20(Den)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%206%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tim%20Merlier%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%20%E2%80%93%203hrs%2041min%2012sec.%3Cbr%3E2.%20Sam%20Bennett%20(GBR)%20Bora%20%E2%80%93%20Hansgrohe%20%E2%80%93%20ST%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dylan%20Groenewegen%20(NED)%20Team%20Jayco%20Alula%20%E2%80%93%20ST%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders%20%E2%80%93%209sec%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pello%20Bilbao%20(ESP)%20Bahrain%20Victorious%20%E2%80%93%2013sec%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
