As the UK and Australia meet this week for talks on trade and defence, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has described the two countries as the “best of mates”.
Discussions will be held in London, Salisbury and Portsmouth this week with James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace set to meet Australian ministers.
The annual “Aukmin” meeting will be attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.
“The UK and Australia are the best of mates and for over a century we have been hard-headed champions of freedom and democracy," Mr Cleverly said.
“In an increasingly volatile world, we are pursuing a forward-looking agenda with Australia as a trusted partner and friend.
“Together we are promoting prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific, boosting trade and pursuing our vital climate targets.”
After talks on Wednesday, the group will visit Salisbury Plain to see Australian and British troops training Ukrainian soldiers, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.
The training programme, which also involves troops from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania and the Netherlands, is part of an “acceleration of efforts” to aid Ukraine in defeating the invading Russian force, officials say.
On Thursday, the Foreign Office said ministers would gather for meetings at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to discuss long-term co-operation in the Indo-Pacific, and broader collaboration on climate, security and trade.
The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published in 2021, announced a UK “tilt” towards the Indo-Pacific.
London wants to protect security interests amid China’s growing influence in the region, and to capitalise economically.
It has applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership a £9 trillion ($11.1 trillion) free trade bloc.
The Foreign Office said the region was set to account for half of global growth by 2050.
London and Canberra are working closely on defence, with a three-way Aukus pact between the UK, Australia and the US signed in September 2021 set to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to the Commonwealth country.
Officials said ministers would “take stock of progress” on Aukus and review work towards ratifying the UK’s free-trade agreement with Australia, which is expected to come into force in spring.
Former environment secretary George Eustice has become one of the most vocal critics of the deal, saying British negotiations gave away “far too much” to secure the post-Brexit agreement.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Australian Premier Anthony Albanese at the G20 summit in Bali and Indo-Pacific minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan visited Australia in November.
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Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
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
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
CREW
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RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Results
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
