The UK government's ambitious defence and foreign strategy for the next decade risks being derailed by a funding black hole, MPs suggested.
The Ministry of Defence needs to get its existing programme under control, as well as make further cuts, before it can embark on new projects, the Public Accounts Committee report said.
The findings will be an embarrassment to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who later on Tuesday will announce the much-anticipated Integrated Review, intended to be the most comprehensive review of the UK's defence, security, development and foreign policy since the Cold War.
A huge budget increase for Britain’s armed forces announced in November as the first outcome of the review will be “eaten up” by major cost overruns in the MoD, the parliamentary report said.
It was hoped the extra £16.5 billion ($22.9bn) of funding announced by Mr Johnson would be used for advanced technology programmes, but the report suggested it will be swallowed by MoD debt.
The funding issue also comes just a day after a highly critical report predicted the British Army would find itself “outgunned” in a major conflict with Russia.
The ‘Obsolescent and Outgunned’ paper by the Commons Defence Committee said the Army’s decreasing number of armoured vehicles would put its forces at “serious risk” of being overwhelmed by adversaries. The number of British battle tanks has fallen from 1,200 in 1990 to 227, and is likely to drop to 150 after the review.
But it is the funding shortfall that will most worry defence chiefs who are seeking to rapidly reorganise and modernise the military in the face of new threats.
The ambitions for a new Space Command, advanced jets, warships, cyber warfare and drones are estimated to cost £20 million, yet this price is not included in the financial plan. “This is highly destabilising for defence and must not continue,” the report said.
The PAC’s evidence was based on the former MoD permanent secretary stating that the new money had not been “added to a balanced budget” and was “not all going to go on new and revolutionary kit”.
The MoD’s funding shortfall estimate for 2020-2030 is £7.3bn but the true figure could be as high as £17.4bn if certain risks materialise, absorbing almost all of the new money, the report said.
“On the face of it, it’s potentially swallowed whole by the up-to-£17.4bn funding black hole at the centre of our defence capabilities,” said Meg Hillier, the PAC chairwoman. “What is crucial is that this new money is not instead just eaten up, once again, by the constant, debilitating time and budget overruns that have been eroding our national defence and security for years.”
The report recommended that within three months of the Integrated Review being published, the MoD should provide “full transparency on its allocation of the additional funding”.
There are also concerns that the review will not address the specific threat of a coronavirus-inspired terrorist attack.
Britain’s strategic focus is expected to “tilt East” to the Indo-Pacific region and towards Chinese dominance after a rapid cooling in recent relations.
The 100-page document addresses national security, foreign policy and the UK’s approach to the global economy for the next decade.
Setting out the conclusions of the Integrated Review, Mr Johnson will say: “The UK will live up to the responsibilities that come with our position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We will play a more active part in sustaining an international order in which open societies and economies continue to flourish and the benefits of prosperity are shared through free trade and global growth.
“We must show that the freedom to speak, think and choose – and therefore to innovate – offers an inherent advantage, and that liberal democracy and free markets remain the best model for the social and economic advancement of humankind.”
The review is expected to say that the UK must address the challenges of new powers are using all the tools at their disposal to redefine the international order and in some cases undermine the open and liberal international system that emerged in the wake of the Cold War.
"As we champion an international order in which democracies flourish, we will harness the fundamentals of the British approach to foreign policy and national security: a defence of democracy and human rights; the importance of our relationship with the US; our constant work to keep the people of the UK safe from terrorism and serious organised crime; and our leadership on international development as we continue to be one of the largest aid contributors in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development," the review will say.
It will also establish tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity as the UK’s top international priority in the decade ahead.
Biological warfare expert Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon urged the government to prioritise biosecurity, warning that greater precautions were needed against either an enemy state or terrorist use.
“I hope the politicians are not over-prioritising bombs and bullets when pathogens actually pose a more realistic threat to British lives,” he said. “Covid-19 has provided a template for terrorists, as well as Russia and China, for how effective a biological weapon could be.”
But Phillip Hammond, a former chancellor of the exchequer, said Britain had to accept China’s power as it was too important for trade.
“China is a very large economy and an emerging strategic power and we have to live with the world as it is. What this Integrated Review has to do is work out how best for Britain to engage with the facts. There are huge economic stakes and, frankly, a lot of British jobs.”
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Company%C2%A0profile
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Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
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Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
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Why are you, you?
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We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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Mountain%20Boy
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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
