Pope ends visit to Britain

The Pope has returned to Rome after his four-day visit to the UK during which hundreds of thousands of people attended events and gatherings.

During the trip, Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out about what he called the "marginalisation" of Christianity and the march of "aggressive secularism" and has apologised for the abuse of children by Catholic priests.

The pontiff's visit began in Scotland and included numerous public events including Mass at Westminster cathedral and the beatification of Cardinal Newman in Birmingham.

Joint Communiqué between HM Government and the Papal delegation

A Joint Communiqué following a working dinner hosted by Her Majesty’s Government for the Holy See delegation accompanying Pope Benedict XVI on his official visit to the UK on 17 September.

Read the Joint Communiqué

Her Majesty’s Government hosted a dinner on 17 September for the Holy See delegation accompanying Pope Benedict XVI on his official visit to the UK, headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, H.E. Cardinal Bertone. The U.K. side was headed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt. Hon William Hague, M.P. Those present included a number of senior British Government Ministers and senior officials from the Holy See. The discussion covered a range of areas of shared interest between the U.K. Government and the Holy See.

Her Majesty’s Government and the Holy See share a commitment to bringing an end to poverty and underdevelopment. On the eve of a summit in New York to review progress towards implementing the Millennium Development Goals, they share the conviction that more needs to be done to address the unnecessary suffering caused by hunger, disease and illiteracy. Strong political leadership and respect for the ethos of local communities are necessary in the promotion of the right to life, food, health and development for all.

The British Government and the Holy See share a conviction of the urgent need for action to address the challenge of climate change. Action is needed at every level from the governmental to the individual if we are to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to set in motion the transition to a global low-carbon economy, and to assist poor and vulnerable countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change that are already inevitable.

There was a good exchange of views on a variety of social and economic issues, recognising the role played by faith in the lives of individuals and as part of the fabric of a strong, generous, tolerant society.

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI provided the opportunity to develop a deeper exchange of views between the Holy See and the U.K. Government. Tonight’s discussion provided a useful basis for both sides to continue to pursue initiatives and discussions on areas of common interest to the UK and the Holy See.

PM’s message for Eid

Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his warm wishes to Muslim people in the United Kingdom, to mark the start of the festival of Eid ul Fitr and the end of Ramadan.

With the devastating floods in Pakistan still fresh in everyone’s minds, the PM called Eid “a time for celebration but also a time for contemplation”.

He said:

“As families, friends and communities come together around the United Kingdom to celebrate the end of the Holy month of Ramadan and the start of Eid ul Fitr, I want to send you all my warmest best wishes.

“Eid is a special time, a time for celebration but also a time for contemplation.

“The terrible scenes of devastation in Pakistan have shocked us all. I am hugely impressed by how we in the UK have responded to this tragedy, with communities up and down the country coming together to mobilise support.

“As Eid begins we should enjoy this very special time but our thoughts will of course turn to those less fortunate.

Eid Mubarak.”

Source: this message first appeared on the Prime Minister's official website.

HSBC chairman appointed UK's new minister of state for trade

HSBC chairman Stephen Green has been officially appointed UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Green, 61, will stand down as Group Chairman of HSBC and take up his unpaid ministerial role early next year.

"With Stephen's experience and expertise, I know he will make an invaluable contribution towards this crucial agenda, helping to drive strong economic growth in the UK," the Prime Minister said in a press statement.

Green began his career with the Ministry of Overseas Development, before joining McKinsey & Co Inc in 1977. He joined HSBC in 1982 and became an Executive Director in 1998. He served as Group Chief Executive from 2003 to 2006 before his appointment as Group Chairman, taking over from Sir John Bond. He has worked in Hong Kong, New York, the Middle East and London.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the appointment will "hugely strengthen our work to secure the UK's economic recovery, promote open markets and inward investment and support greater access for British companies worldwide".

Green's Ministerial role will be to work across the Department for Business and the Foreign Office, to forge "strong international relationships to open new trade links, promote British business overseas and maximise inward investment to the UK," the Prime Minister continued.

Financial industry speculation has pointed to the bank's chief executive Michael Geoghegan or former Goldman Sachs president John Thornton as Green's most likely successors, according to reports.

However, a hurdle to Geoghegan, 56, getting the chairmanship is his current position as chief executive, the Wall Street Journal said yesterday.

He was recently relocated to Hong Kong to emphasise the bank's Asian focus.

Green has been a vocal supporter of prudent corporate behaviour at HSBC, which is one of the few large banks that did not tap government bailout funds during the global financial crisis.

Placing Geoghegan in the chairman's seat could see Stuart Gulliver, HSBC's highly-paid investment banking chief, promoted to chief executive, the Financial Times said.

Others speculated that the bank would appoint a non-executive director with Thornton, who is an HSBC board member and non-executive chairman of HSBC North America, as a likely contender for the chairman's job.

Useful background

Vince Cable, Business Secretary, said in a press statement that Green's background will be valuable for the trade white paper he aims to publish at the turn of the year.

"In Stephen we will be appointing a Minister with a long career as a leading international banker, one of the few to emerge with credit from the recent financial crisis, and somebody who has set out a powerful philosophy for ethical business.

Green himself said in a statement: "It is an honour to accept this new role with Her Majesty's Government, serving Britain in the vital areas of trade and investment.

"In an increasingly competitive and international world, trade and investment are ever more critical to Britain's economic success and I am delighted to be joining the Government at this exciting and challenging time."

source: Gulf News

David and Samantha Cameron welcome baby daughter Florence to Downing Street

David Cameron and his wife Samantha have posed for pictures outside Downing Street with their 10-day-old daughter Florence Rose Endellion

Asked how many nappies he had changed, Mr Cameron joked: "Hundreds."

Another journalist asked: "Has Nick Clegg changed any nappies yet?"

Mr Cameron replied: "That's next."

The baby was wearing a white shawl crocheted by a member of the public who sent it in to congratulate the couple on the birth.

The woman, Jane Fraser-Cross, from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, is a local fundraiser and grandmother of six, who likes to be known as "Granny Jane".

Mrs Cameron was wearing an orange dress made by a local dressmaker in which she has been pictured several times before.

Asked if the baby was keeping them awake, she smiled and replied: "Yes."

Mr Cameron bent to kiss the baby on the head and she opened her eyes briefly.

The appearance was delayed by more than 10 minutes and a Downing Street press officer said this was for "operational reasons". It was not clear if there was nappy changing involved.

The Prime Minister said in a statement: "Samantha and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kindness and generosity since the birth of baby Florence.

"We have been really, really touched by all the people who have offered their warm congratulations, and by the many cards, gifts and flowers that we have received."

Florence was born at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on Tuesday 24th August, weighing 6lb 1oz.

She was not expected until this month, but caught the family by surprise while they were on holiday.

Her middle name, Endellion, refers to the village of St Endellion on the north Cornish coast, near where the Camerons were staying.

The Camerons are also parents to Nancy, six, and Arthur Elwen, four.

Mr and Mrs Cameron lost their other son, Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, when he died aged six last year.

Florence is only the third baby to be born to a serving Prime Minister since 1849.

The US-UK “special relationship”

When a cross party foreign relations committee recently urged the British Government to adopt a more hard-headed approach towards the US and avoid the phrase “special relationship” there was a palpable sense of relief amongst those who had felt for some time that the phrase was best avoided.

Unsurprisingly, as the British Prime Minister visits the United States this week, the term remains as popular as ever. It seems the Americans are just too polite, or possibly too astute, to suggest it be consigned to history. Instead, just like with previous high profile UK-US meetings, the term is being rolled out to make yet another appearance and will most likely be used just enough times to avoid mass hysteria in the British media.

The Prime Minister’s first official visit to Washington comes at a time of widespread concern within UK media and foreign policy circles that Obama’s ethnic origin and upbringing may have defined a world view that is very different from his predecessors. To be more precise, policymakers are concerned that Obama is less interested in the special relationship because he is not of European origin.

To many observers such conclusions serve only to highlight the unhealthy obsession with the special relationship and the emotional nature of Britain’s friendship with the US. Whilst it may be true the US-UK relationship seems less warm under Obama, it's probably due to his government's focus on new priorities including the establishment of a new multi-polar world that includes the likes of China, Russia, India and Brazil. The alliances of the past will no longer suffice, even for the Americans, and it is therefore only natural that British/ European security is currently less of a priority for them.

Similarly, even though the US will continue to be the UK’s most significant bilateral ally for the foreseeable future, it is also apparent that the relationship will be less important in a world increasingly dominated by the multilateral process. In this new world order Britain will be expected to forge a common European security and energy policy and to establish strong relationships with emerging world powers such as India and Brazil and midsized powers such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Britain should remain confident that it will continue as a privileged US ally, not least because the Americans wish to maintain their status as both an Atlantic as well as Pacific power. This requires the Americans to remain fully engaged with Europe and its big countries. Therefore the US cannot ignore Britain’s status as Europe’s largest military power and still one of the world’s largest economies - expected to remain that way even in 2050 - when it will also be the largest economic power in Europe. Britain also continues to be a leading investor in the US (BP is a case in point) and maintains close cultural and military ties that bind the two together.

It’s therefore rather surprising to see articles appear in respected British publications suggesting the UK has little to offer the United States. Even the Prime Minister’s suggestion that Britain is America's “junior partner”, whilst probably nothing more than a self-deprecating remark in the best British tradition, only serves to support this line of thinking.

In a world where geopolitical power is set to become increasingly diffuse, Britain must gradually reduce its dependence on the special relationship and learn to foster new friendships and alliances in order to maintain its privileged status in world affairs.

Mr. Zulfi Caar Hydari is a British financier based in Dubai. He is Co-Founder and CEO of HBG Holdings and Co-Chairman of British Conservatives Abroad for Dubai and Northern Emirates. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/zak_hydari

Conservatives Abroad Annual Conference

Conservatives Abroad Poland will host the Conservatives Abroad Annual Conference starting Friday 15th October in Krakow Poland.

The Executive Committee of Conservatives Abroad Dubai and Northern Emirates agreed that David Haigh will represent Dubai at the conference this year.

Marek Matraszek is Branch Chairman of Conservatives Abroad Poland.

Queen Elizabeth to visit UAE and Oman

You've probably heard the announcement that Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will pay State Visits to the UAE and Oman this Autumn.

This will be the second visit by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to both Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The previous visit took place in 1979. This year’s visit to Oman will mark the occasion of the 40th year of the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

What you may not know is that The Queen surprisingly cancelled a previously planned visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in March 2009 because of an overburdened work schedule which included a state visit to Britain by the President of Mexico and the gathering of G20 leaders in London around the same time.

It was unusual as it was the first time in recent memory that a state visit was cancelled for reasons other than war or terrorism.

The BBC and Dubai fall out over cash

Dubai is a place where the Britishness of a colonial yesteryear has been well preserved, from red-faced drunks to the well-trimmed lawns and bungalows of the British Embassy compound. So there has been a Lilliburlero feel to the tea-time conversation in Expatland over the last few days. Two topics dominate. One is the recently announced visit this autumn of the Queen, which attracted more positive interest than, I suspect, it would in Leeds or Bristol. The other is the disappearance from the air-waves of the BBC World Service.

To read full article click here: The BBC and Dubai fall out over cash

source: Daily Telegraph

London Luxury: West End Targets High End

London's West End is polishing up its image in a bid to topple Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo as the top destination for luxury shopping.

A new campaign called London Luxury has been launched by New West End Company, which clusters together 300 luxury retailers into a new district on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street.

High-end retailers including Burberry, Cartier and Louis Vuitton will work alongside top five-star hotels, such as The Ritz and The Langham, to enhance the shopping experience of the 200 million visitors each year.

A recent study of key affluent international and domestic markets showed that the most rapidly growing markets of overseas shoppers in the West End were from Brazil (up 70%), followed by Australia (up 40%) and China (up 36%).

The Middle East was identified as the most important market as visitors spend an average of £1,334 while shopping around town.

The other important markets were China and Russia, which spend an average of £879 and £789 respectively.

Mideast investors consider BP move

Middle East investors are thought to be mulling over a possible investment in stricken oil giant BP, it was reported on Sunday.

As problems continue to hit the company amid the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, informed sources said proposals from the region had already been made to BP advisers in London, UAE daily The National reported.

“BP knows there is potential support from the Middle East,” a source told the paper, adding that Middle East investors would also consider buying key assets from BP.

The company's balance sheet has been badly damaged by the cost of cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with estimates putting the clean-up cost as high as $60bn.

UAE, Saudi buyers target London's elite homes

Wealthy UAE investors are among the biggest buyers of luxury properties in London, especially in the poshest areas of Belgravia, Hyde Park and Knightsbridge, a new report has revealed.

In a new study of the English capital's real estate market, consultants Knight Frank said UAE investors were sixth in a list of international buyers.

The report said overseas buyers now accounted for more than 50 percent of all prime London residential purchases, with that figure rising to 68 percent in the homes valued at more than GBP5m.

Establishing a distinctive foreign policy

In a keynote speech at the Foreign Office in London, William Hague has outlined Coalition plans for a "clear, focused and effective" foreign policy.

He criticised the previous Labour Government for neglecting to lift its eyes to the wider strategic needs of this county and failing to secure our influence in a rapidly changing world.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary set out five key areas for pursuing a distinctive British foreign policy:

1. Establishing a National Security Council and launching a Strategic Defence & Security Review
2. Bringing together all of the Departments of Government in the pursuit of national objectives
3. Using our national strengths and advantages to build strong bilateral relationships for the UK. They include our world-class education system, the standing of our Armed Forces and quality of our Intelligence Services and GCHQ, which are unique and of inestimable value
4. Encouraging the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to be more ambitious in articulating and leading Britain's efforts overseas
5. Giving due weight to Britain's membership of the European Union and other multilateral institutions, including NATO, the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

Concluding the speech, William said: "We are now raising our sights for the longer term, looking at the promotion of British interests in the widest sense."

And he added, "Although the next twenty years is likely to be a time of increased danger in foreign affairs, it is also a time of extraordinary opportunity for a country that sets out to make the most of its still great advantages."

UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo wins prestigious RIBA architecture award

The UK Pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, designed by Heatherwick Studio, has won the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize.

Speaking at the award dinner on 29 June 2010, Sir Andrew Cahn said:

“It’s a huge pleasure to be here for the award to Thomas Heatherwick of the prestigious RIBA Lubetkin prize. Thomas has asked me to say a few words, as the client for the project in the Foreign Office.

“What was the clients’ brief? We wanted to change perceptions of Britain amongst the coming generation of Chinese; away from their old image of us, as a land of swirling fog and cobblestones, old buildings and old attitudes. We wanted them to understand contemporary Britain, the home of creative industries and artistic talent.

England Out – With Our Worst Ever World Cup Defeat

England are out of the World Cup in the last sixteen stage, after being thumped by Germany by four goals to one. There were plenty of stories along the way, but ultimately, we just were not good enough, and have not been good enough all through the tournament.

The team that qualified for this World Cup was different. That England looked good. This England looked awful from the word go. The players have absolutely no-one to blame but themselves.

Prince Charles 'put Qatar royals in a difficult position' - The National Newspaper

LONDON // The heir to the British throne placed the Qatar royal family “between a rock and a hard place” by objecting to the modernist design of a development they planned in west London, a judge has said.

Prince Charles’s intervention in a £3 billion (Dh16.5bn) project at the site of the old Chelsea Barracks was “unexpected and unwelcome”, Mr Justice Vos ruled at the High Court in London.

The development was days away from being considered by planners when Qatari Diar Real Estate (QD), which is wholly owned by the Qatar royal family, abruptly withdrew its proposal.

The withdrawal came after Prince Charles had told both Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, the QD chairman, Qatar’s prime minister and a cousin of the emir, that he hated the design by Lord Rogers. The prince is noted for his opposition to modern architecture.

The High Court was ruling on a claim from QD’s partner, the property developer Christian Candy, that the Qataris had breached the terms of their agreement by withdrawing the proposal.

Although Mr Justice Vos ruled in favour of Mr Candy’s company, CPC Group, he said the firm was not entitled to the early payment of £68.5 million under the terms of the contract.The judge said he would consider the issue at a later hearing if CPC seeks damages for breach of contract.

Mr Justice Vos said that both CPC and QD “were faced with a very difficult position once the Prince of Wales intervened in the planning process”.

The judge added: “His intervention was, no doubt, unexpected and unwelcome.”

Source: The National (UAE)

“Deep friendship between the UK and UAE” – PM

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the friendship between the United Arab Emirates and UK is deep and is based on a “unique, shared history and common interests”.

The PM completed his visit to the UAE on Saturday 12 June after meeting President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

He also met members of the UAE Cabinet and senior state officials during his brief visit to the country.

This was one of Mr Cameron’s first overseas visits as Prime Minister, highlighting the importance that the UK government attaches to the UK-UAE relationship.

Gulf Tories Meeting

The Gulf Tories held held its regional meeting in Bahrain earlier today. Members from Conservatives Abroad branches across the Gulf gathered to discuss a range of subjects including voting rights for long term British expats and matters related to UK inward investment.

Gulf Tories
10 June 2010

PM outlines plans for transparent Government

The Prime Minister has outlined plans to make Government more transparent and allow people to hold ministers and public services to account.

In his first podcast, David Cameron said he would “rip off the cloak of secrecy” surrounding Government information and help to rebuild trust in politics.

As a first step, details of public spending over the past 12 months, information about hospital infections and some of the salaries of senior Whitehall officials will be published next week.

The PM said:

“If there’s one thing I’ve noticed since doing this job, it’s how all the information about government; the money it spends, where it spends it, the results it achieves; how so much of it is locked away in a vault marked sort of private for the eyes of ministers and officials only.

“I think this is ridiculous. It’s your money, your government, you should know what’s going on. So we’re going to rip off that cloak of secrecy and extend transparency as far and as wide as possible. By bringing information out into the open, you’ll be able to hold government and public services to account.”

“We are getting to grips with the deficit” – PM

The Prime Minister has spoken about the Government’s plans to cut the deficit during a live interview on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning.

Speaking to presenter Evan Davis, the PM said there could only be a “sustained recovery” with real growth and jobs if ministers tackled the Budget deficit.

Earlier this week, Chancellor George Osborne outlined where £6.2 billion of savings will be made in government spending during this tax year and the plans were a key part of the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday.

The PM said:

“The key thing is we promised £6 billion of spending reductions; we have delivered £6 billion of spending reductions. That is good for our economy, it shows us getting to grips with the deficit, it will enhance international confidence in the economy.”

He added:

“I think it is an important point, though, that reducing the deficit and getting the economy to grow, they’re not alternatives, they go together. We’re only going to get a sustained recovery with real growth, real jobs [and] the wealth we want to see in our country, if we get to grips with the fact that we have an 11 per cent budget deficit.”