US President Joe Biden meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House. EPA
US President Joe Biden meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House. EPA
US President Joe Biden meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House. EPA
US President Joe Biden meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House. EPA

Biden hosts Boris Johnson at White House


Bryant Harris
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US President Joe Biden hosted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House on Tuesday to discuss climate change, the Afghanistan withdrawal and the Pacific following a recent agreement to transfer sensitive nuclear submarine technology to Australia.

Mr Biden said climate change would be the core focus of their talks as both leaders attempt to galvanise countries around the world to set ambitious emissions reductions targets as the UN climate conference in Scotland approaches.

“I’m really anxious to attend in Glasgow in November,” Mr Biden told reporters at the start of the meeting.

“We’re going to discuss the next steps in all of this, as well as how the US and UK can continue our co-operation in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific and around the world.”

The two leaders met after travelling to Washington from New York, where Mr Johnson devoted most of his speech at the UN General Assembly earlier in the day to climate change.

He urged developed member states to contribute more financial assistance to lower income countries to help them cope with the effects of global warming and decarbonise their economies.

Climate change is also a priority for the Biden administration, with the US setting an ambitious target to cut carbon emissions in half over 2005 levels by 2030.

Both leaders hope to secure enough emissions reductions pledges to keep global warming below 1.5°C to mitigate some of the worst effects of climate change.

However, Mr Johnson said in advance of the talks that he would not address a key British priority with the US: a free trade agreement following Brexit.

“The reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry,” Mr Johnson told reporters before the meeting.

However, Mr Johnson touted the fact that the Biden administration has dropped tariffs on UK products that had been instated under former president Donald Trump’s trade war with Europe.

“The ban has been lifted on British beef and the people of the United States of America are getting rich beef and lamb,” Mr Johnson said at the start of the meeting with Mr Biden.

Despite Mr Biden’s pledge to repair relations with key US allies damaged under former president Donald Trump, the US-UK nuclear submarine deal with Australia has prompted France to withdraw its ambassador from Washington while likening the current president to his predecessor.

French officials were not informed of the agreement - which prompted Australia to cancel a $90 billion submarine contract with France - until they read foreign press reports about the deal the same day that Mr Biden announced the new trilateral defence pact, known as Aukus.

Mr Johnson is scheduled to meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison separately in Washington later on Tuesday. Both leaders are expected to meet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Mr Biden also met with Mr Morrison on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday before returning to Washington.

The Australian prime minister will meet Mr Biden again when he visits the White House on Friday alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as part of the quadrilateral security dialogue between the four countries.

Despite increased US diplomatic activity in the Indo-Pacific and the Australian submarine deal, Mr Biden continues to insist that Washington is not pursuing a policy of containment against China.

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

The biog

Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi

Favourite TV show: That 70s Show

Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving

Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can

Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home

Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sugary teas and iced coffees

The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.

For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

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Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: September 21, 2021, 10:56 PM`