For decades, in Europe and countries such as Canada and Australia, defence has been shunned, regarded by much of the population and the investment community as something to be avoided.
Its proponents were harbingers of death and destruction, on the wrong side of politics and, more recently, the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) divide.
That has shifted dramatically. Defence manufacturers now top the stock market performance charts, enjoying a surge in popularity. Even so, for many the sector bears a residual taste.
In the UK, those who sneer and shun point at Keir Starmer. There he is, the Labour Prime Minister, a former human rights lawyer, someone arguably to the left of Tony Blair, undoubtedly a person of conscience and principle. He’s been elected on a ticket to correct, as his supporters see it, the wrongs of Tory rule.
That entails heavy spending on state health, education, social care and welfare. There’s no extra money to be had, so the emphasis is on cutting costs and taxing those who can best afford to pay.
That drags a lagging economy, so a switch is made to growth. Suddenly, it’s all about investing and construction. Then, Donald Trump lands and the US reorders its foreign policy. European leaders are told America will no longer write a blank cheque for their nations’ protection, they must step up and the fighting in Ukraine must also end. Starmer responds by saying defence is the "number one priority of this government".
He said it, he really did. There can be no greater validation. Add to that, the uncertainty and fear that is gripping the world and the head-in-the-sand approach is no longer an option. Not only that, Britain and its neighbours have let their military capacity dwindle. It requires boosting, and fast.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war
In the UK, Starmer is scrambling around for the cash. So far, it’s to be collected from those areas of public finances that had been met with the glowing approval of those who scorned defence, from aid and development. This is public affirmation writ large.
Domestically, defence companies tick the economic boxes – they provide jobs and training, their workers are highly skilled in all manner of disciplines, they’re heavily tech-based, their supply chains are long, extending to the smallest local and regional SMEs. Often, they’re in places blighted by post-industrial decline. This is an opportunity to rebuild, to help restore the lost industrial base.
For those who still harbour misgivings, the new justification is drawn from the Roman writer Vegetius Renatus: "Si vis pacem, para bellum." If you want peace, prepare for war.
Elsewhere in the world, they’ve long obeyed that maxim. Thanks to Trump’s forced realigning, Europe and those other places are now engaged in a hasty catch-up.
It’s easier said than done and money is not the only problem. As military spending has been allowed to decline, so too has the accompanying infrastructure. Procurement is a slow, cumbersome process full of delays. Complaints when the equipment eventually arrives that it is not fit for purpose are commonplace.
Britain has two new aircraft carriers, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth II. Their deployment has proved to be one enormous headache, necessitating long periods in the maintenance dock when they should be out on the high seas, leading the naval fleet. They each cost £3.5 billion ($4.45 billion) to build, but so bad have been the technical problems there was increasing speculation they could be mothballed or sold to a friendly nation at a knockdown price. That’s vanished, and the push now is to get them up and battle ready.
Likewise, one of the army’s pillar contracts was for the Ajax ‘mini tank’, built by General Dynamics in Wales. The vehicles were intended to enter service in 2017 but have only just arrived, eight years late, the result of a "litany of failures", according to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, including noise and vibration issues that injured the soldiers testing them.
For the air force, the Eurofighter Typhoon is overdue for being replaced. It’s meant to be the Tempest, to be built by BAE, Leonardo and Rolls-Royce. The buyers lined up are Britain, Sweden, Italy and Japan. It’s so many years from fruition that the order has gone out for production of the Typhoon to be scaled up.
Examples abound of similar protracted contracts and faults, so much so that some analysts claim the increased UK spending on defence of £6 billion will be absorbed entirely in getting orders and deliveries up to speed, not on adding to capability.
Overall, there is another concern, which is that Britain and its allies have tended to focus their efforts on expensive kit, designed for what was perceived as the new, modern warfare. Ukraine has blown a hole in that approach, showing that boots on the ground really do matter, and with them come drones and artillery. What that means is that governments not only need to spend on hardware, they must also recruit and raise troop numbers.
But funding is in short supply and again, the accompanying infrastructure is not there. In some nations, including Britain, there is even talk of introducing conscription for 18 year olds. While that would be anathema to many, it is seen as having the added merit of helping resolve social issues of youth unemployment, lack of skills and crime.
Again, it is hugely expensive. It would, too, represent an enormous leap, necessitating societal change. The fact it is being aired, though, indicates just how much minds have been sharpened. In his inimitable fashion, Trump has upended what had become accepted orthodoxy.
THREE
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
