Explained: what is the G7 and why is the 2021 summit in Cornwall?
G7 leaders agreed to maintain the global fiscal stimulus launched during the pandemic on Saturday and put at the heart of it a US-backed infrastructure initiative dubbed the ‘Build Back Better for the World’ plan.
US President Joe Biden pushed his fellow leaders to show that the elite group can act as the engine of recovery for countries suffering the Covid-19 induced pandemic downturn.
The offer for high quality financing for vital infrastructure, from railways in Africa to wind farms in Asia is part of a White House vision that leading democracies can retake their role leading multilateral cooperation.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, emphasised support for a new era in international co-operation in a bilateral meeting with the US president at the Carbis Bay summit in south-west England.
"What we need is co-operation and I think its great to have a US president part of the club and very willing to co-operation," he said. "What you demonstrate is that leadership is partnership."
Mr Biden responded with his pledge to demonstrate "America is back" a point that reinforces his China policy and sets the stage for his first presidential meeting with Vladimir Putin next week.
Officials said that in the round table meeting the US pushed for strong language in the final communique on Russia, supported by the host Boris Johnson and the Canadian leader Justin Trudeau.
Germany's Angel Merkel argues that the pressures of the pandemic means keeping links alive with Beijing and that specific "action-oriented" measures are not helpful. In that the German leader got support from Mario Draghi, the Italian leader.
The influence on the global economy by the perceived rivals to the Western nations has been the great preoccupation of the meeting. The likely outcome is a joint task force to target areas that the US can build cooperation on policies with its allies over time.
As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system
The infrastructure initiative not only provides additional funding for developing countries in embracing a "greener recovery" but also represents a counterweight to China's Belt and Road initiative as a source of diplomatic leverage. Chinese diplomats retort that the "time is over" for a small elite group of countries to marshal global development.
While the framework lacks a firm budget, again as a result of German opposition, backers belief it can support sustainable development and green transitions in developing countries.
UK officials said the proposal would grant developing countries access to more finance to accelerate a global shift to renewable energy and sustainable technology. The initiative would form part of the Cop26 Summit in November also in the UK.
“As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system," Mr Johnson said. "The G7 has an unprecedented opportunity to drive a global Green Industrial Revolution, with the potential to transform the way we live.”
The British host of the gathering had a tough Saturday morning as the meetings got under way in earnest. He was pressed by European leaders to live up to the terms of the Brexit deal that London now says cannot be implemented for Northern Ireland trade.
Northern Ireland protocol fallout isolates UK
The UK prime minister lashed out at his European guests and warned he may soon be forced to suspend a key part of the Brexit deal agreed just last year.
He said the EU leaders needed to "get it into their heads" the protocol was interfering with the UK's national markets. "I think that to be fair there's quite a lot of misunderstanding around the EU about the situation in Northern Ireland, the balance of the Good Friday Agreement, the peace process," he said.
"I was just, in a gentle way, getting across what that means and I think that we'll have some pragmatic solutions."
The leaders of the G7 – the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Japan – view the gathering at Carbis Bay as a chance to show the world that the richest democracies can offer help to a recovering global economy. Pledging to help vaccinate the rest of the world is the most pressing plank of this recovery.
Director general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Saturday welcomed the sharing sentiments but said “we need more, and we need them faster.”
“The challenge, I said to the G7 leaders, was that to truly end the pandemic, our goal must be to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the world’s population by the time the G7 meets again in Germany next year.”
At the opening session, the members were joined by South Korean, Indian, Australia and South African leaders as well as Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
