This is the time of year when Scottish men – including me – wear traditional highland dress. The tartan kilt is worn on and around Burns Night to celebrate the birth in January 1759 of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns.
I was a speaker at a formal “Burns Supper” in London, paying tribute to the genius of our national poet. The traditional food during this annual festival is Scottish, as you would expect. It includes haggis (a kind of sausage, which is delicious). The haggis is paraded around the dining room on a large silver platter, following a bagpiper playing a traditional Scottish tune. The piper also wears the kilt.
For many of us, these traditions bring back sentimental thoughts of the past, of dinners with loved ones who are no longer with us. This year, the memories were especially sharp.
I’m one of the first generations in my Scottish family not to have been forced into military service by conscription into the British army or other branches of the armed services. My family were often in the Scottish infantry. They wore the kilt in the Seaforth Mackenzie tartan because they were Seaforth Highlanders, an old army regiment that suffered many casualties in the First World War.
I have in my filing cabinet a letter sent to my family in Glasgow in 1917 informing them of the death of one relative killed by German machine gun fire in the Battle of Passchendaele. The letter, from his commanding officer, reveals the pain felt by his comrades at his loss.
Much later, my father was also in the British army. He also wore Seaforth Mackenzie tartan, and so do I. Doing so is a celebration of Burns Night and being Scottish, but it’s also tinged with memories of people in the family who are no longer with us, some of whom died in the service of their country.
Since Brexit, the UK has not only diminished its role in Europe, it has become a much less significant ally to America
The reason I am thinking of this now is that there are rumblings within British military circles, and also within Nato, about the relative weakness of British armed forces. This has led to a public debate about whether conscription – forced military service – might ever return in Britain.
US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro suggested that worldwide strategic threats mean the British Royal Navy is underpowered and needs a boost. The military committee chair of Nato, Admiral Rob Bauer, and the outgoing British army chief, Gen Patrick Sanders, also warned of potentially a wider European war if Russia defeats Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US Air Force is putting nuclear weapons back in a refurbished air force base in eastern England.
What is fascinating about all this military discussion is that the British government has for years been scaling back defence spending. One central plan has been to cut back the full-time British army to about 73,000 troops.
Some reports claim that this is a level last seen after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, although I think that is not correct. Historians suggest that after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, the British army was cut back to 90,000. It looks as if the deeper cuts now to 73,000 full-time soldiers would take Britain back to the troop numbers of 1715, a year after the end of the war of the Spanish Succession.
Whatever the historical context, the result is indisputably a much weaker British military. This was acknowledged by former defence secretary Ben Wallace in 2022. He warned that the army nowadays was only big enough to “stay at home and tootle around”.
The depleted state of the Royal Navy may be even more significant. It takes a long time to commission and build modern warships and a Reuters report in 2016 concluded: “The Royal Navy is a shadow of its former self. Government budgeteers have repeatedly, and excessively, cut the numbers of its ships, planes and manpower. It can barely patrol the United Kingdom’s own waters, much less project British influence abroad.”
What makes the problem worse is that the under-resourcing of the military has been compounded by a failed recruitment programme, handled by a private recruitment company, along with government failures to get a grip and make a military career attractive to younger people.
Since Brexit, as leading British diplomats know only too well, the UK has not only diminished its role in Europe but as a result, it has become a much less significant ally to America. When US President Joe Biden decided to pull his country’s troops out of Afghanistan, for example, Britain was informed rather than consulted.
No one thinks the British government right now has plans to introduce conscription into the armed forces. But for many years, until the invasion of Ukraine, a major land war in Europe was also unthinkable. The 2020s are proving that the world is particularly dangerous and unpredictable.
The tradition of wearing the kilt into battle has, unfortunately, been matched by another British tradition, that of being unprepared for conflict until it bursts upon us. That’s a tradition we should also remember. And avoid.
Quick%20facts
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MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
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
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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25%20Days%20to%20Aden
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ten10 Cricket League
Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider
Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider
Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The%20Iron%20Claw
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
