Biden arrives in UK for G7 summit in Cornwall – his first official overseas trip as US president
Joe Biden has arrived in the UK on Air Force One ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall.
His plane touched down at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Wednesday evening, beginning his first overseas trip as US president.
A large crowd of US Air Force personnel and their families were waiting for him inside a hangar, where he addressed them.
Mr Biden’s first stop in the UK was RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk
Mr Biden spoke to US Air Force personnel and their families at the base
He said: “At every point along the way we are going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and the issues that matter most to our future.”
The UK and US, as founding members of NATO, were part of “the strongest military and political alliance in the history of the world”, he said.
“Now we need to modernise our alliance, investing in our critical infrastructure, our cyber capabilities and to keep us secure against every threat we’ve faced over the last decade, and the new challenges we are about to face as well.”
After his time at Mildenhall, Mr Biden flew to Newquay before travelling on to Tregenna Castle in Carbis Bay.
He will meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson tomorrow before the G7 begins in Carbis Bay on Friday.
Mr Biden told his troops that democracies were ‘standing together’
After the summit – which also includes leaders from Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy – Mr Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, will meet the Queen at Windsor Castle before the president meets NATO leaders in Belgium and then Russian President Vladimir Putin in Switzerland.
Speaking about his meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Biden said the US was not seeking conflict but would respond in a “robust and meaningful way” if Russia engaged in harmful activities.
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‘I’ll be letting Putin know what I want him to know’
Mr Johnson has said he wants to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and urge other leaders to do more to vaccinate the rest of the world, but it is likely the growing Brexit trade row and its effect on the Northern Ireland peace process will also come up.
Mr Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan has warned that the president has “very deep” concerns on the issue, adding that the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol is “critical” to ensuring that the Good Friday Agreement is protected.
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What is the G7?
During Mr Biden’s flight across the Atlantic, his press secretary Jen Psaki and Mr Sullivan told reporters what else is on Mr Biden’s agenda:
• Boosting vaccine supply – the US announced on Wednesday evening that it would donate 500 million COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries
• Following discussions about possible waivers of intellectual property laws allowing more vaccines to be produced around the world, Mr Sullivan said he does not anticipate contention but “convergence” on the issue
• Mr Sullivan said that moves to vaccinate poorer countries faster are “the right thing to do” and the smart thing to do in terms of stopping new variants of the virus. Mr Biden also wants to show that democracies can lead the fight
• Mr Biden will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Switzerland where he will discuss the rise in ransomware attacks that have been attributed to Russian hackers
• The conflict in Syria will be discussed, as will concerns about Russia’s new nuclear systems
• Mr Biden and Mr Johnson are expected to refresh the Atlantic Charter. The charter was first announced in 1941 by the US and UK, setting out a vision for the post-war world
The US’ newest high-tech nuclear stealth bomber has made its debut after years of secret development.
The B-21 raider, which will be able to deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons around the world using long-range and mid-air refuelling capabilities, is part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China.
It is the first new US bomber aircraft in more than 30 years.
The bomber was unveiled at an event at the US Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California where six aircraft are already at various stages of assembly.
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said: “This isn’t just another airplane.
“It’s the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we all love…We will soon fly this aircraft, test it, and then move it into production”.
Each aircraft, which carries a similar ‘flying wing’ shape to its predecessor, the B-2, is projected to cost roughly $729.25m.
The Air Force planned to buy at least 100 of the planes and begin to replace B-1 and B-2 bombers. Almost every aspect of the programme is classified.
The aircraft is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernise all three legs of its nuclear triad – which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it shifts from the counterterrorism campaigns of recent decades to meet China’s rapid military modernisation.
The B-21 Raider could confuse adversary radars and disguise itself as another object
China is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035.
The Pentagon said this week in its annual China report that Beijing’s gains in hypersonics, cyber warfare and space capabilities present “the most consequential and systemic challenge to US national security and the free and open international system”.
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Deborah Lee James, the Air Force secretary when the Raider contract was announced in 2015, said: “We needed a new bomber for the 21st Century that would allow us to take on much more complicated threats, like the threats that we fear we would one day face from China, Russia”.
Kathy Warden, chief executive of Northrop Grumman Corp., which is building the bomber, said the B-21 is “extremely advanced” compared to the B-2 with advances in computer capabilities and materials used in coatings which make it “harder to detect”.
Several defence analysts say other advances include new ways to control electronic emissions – meaning the bomber could confuse adversary radars and disguise itself as another object.
A 33-year-old man has been arrested following the fatal shooting of rapper Takeoff.
Patrick Xavier Clark has been charged with the murder of the Migos star, who was killed last month outside a bowling alley in the US city of Houston, Texas.
Takeoff was the youngest member of the Grammy-nominated rap trio, which also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset.
Born Kirsnick Khari Bal, the 28-year-old was one of three people police said were shot in the incident when an argument erupted as around 40 people left a private party.
Takeoff was the youngest member of the group
The other victims were a man and a woman, who both suffered non-life threatening injuries during the shooting, in which at least two people fired shots.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Police Sergeant Michael Burrow said the shooting followed a dispute over a game of dice, but that Takeoff was not involved and was “an innocent bystander.”
The day after the attack, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Takeoff was “well respected” and there was “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time”.
Read more:
Rapper breaks silence on Takeoff’s death
His music ‘brings people together’ – fans mourn Migos star
BRIT Awards nominee jailed over brawl
On Wednesday, police announced the arrest of another man named Cameron Joshua in connection to the shooting.
The 22-year-old was charged with illegally having a gun at the time Takeoff was shot, but Sgt Burrow said investigators believe it was Clark’s gunfire that killed the rapper.
After Takeoff’s shooting, Clark applied for an expedited passport by submitting the itinerary for an “imminent” flight to Mexico, according to court records.
They say he was arrested the day he received the passport and was in possession of a “large amount” of cash.
Cameron Joshua. Pic: Houston Police Department
Who are Migos?
Migos’ record label Quality Control mourned Takeoff’s death in a statement posted on Instagram that attributed it to “senseless violence”, while fellow musicians including Drake and Justin Bieber celebrated his legacy in a memorial service.
Migos first broke through with the massive hit Versace in 2013.
(L-R) Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in 2018
They had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, though Takeoff was not on their multi-week number one hit Bad and Boujee, featuring Lil Uzi Vert.
They put out a trilogy of albums called Culture, Culture II and Culture III, with the first two hitting number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Takeoff and Quavo released a joint album Only Built For Infinity Links just weeks before his death.
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