Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Britain's armed forces chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin warned the Gaza war could spread across the Middle East as he revealed the "pace and intensity" of global instability was moving far faster than officials had estimated.
Speaking at the Chatham House think tank in central London, Adm Radakin said the UK's role in the Middle East was a vital pillar of its defence strategy with the conflicts in Ukraine and the Red Sea now shaping future plans.
"We have a war in the Middle East with attendant risks to implode across the region and impact on the globe," he said. "We add in an extra frigate and destroyer in the region, our operations in the Red Sea are getting seriously up [to the] threat, to protect our merchant ships."
Under the US and UK-led coalition to protect Red Sea vessels, successive rounds of strikes have been launched targeting the Houthis militias, which since late last year have been attacking shipping lanes of the region in a strategy the Yemeni faction says is in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza.
The air force and naval deployments since the UK joined the US in strikes in January are already feeding into the future needs of Britain's arsenal.
"There are lessons we must learn from Ukraine and the Red Sea in terms of future investment choices," Adm Radakin said. "Integrated air and missile defence for the UK; long-range missiles for the army; land attack for our surface fleet; strengthening nuclear deterrence; and hundreds of thousands more drones across all three services."
Maintaining the British position as the second-largest foreign power with a Middle East presence was important to the defence, not least to ensure the country's trade ties with the rest of the world were not disrupted.
"Look at what we're doing in the Middle East and how we compare to other nations and again, I think it's clear that we're stronger than any other nation, other than America."
The war in Ukraine has triggered speculation that the UK could end up having to draft conscripts as its armed forces expand to counter future Russian threats, Adm Radakin said
"We are not on the cusp of war with Russia, we are not about to invaded, no one in the Ministry of Defence is talking about conscription in any traditional sense," he said. "I am not saying that Russia is not dangerous. It has demonstrated that with the aggression it employs both domestically and internationally.
"But at the same time, it is also significantly less capable than we anticipated following its disastrous illegal invasion into Ukraine."
After the recent failure of the missile system that carries the country's nuclear deterrent in a test off the Florida coast, Adm Radakin stressed its nuclear force was a key part of its ultimate guarantee.
"These are dangerous and uncertain times," he said. "But Britain has what it needs to succeed. A G7 economy. An extensive science and technological base. Our island geography.
"Our membership of the world’s strongest alliance. Our status as a nuclear power and our seat in the UN Security Council.
Other near-term issues that could cause the UK problems included "random attacks in space [and] on our underwater cables".
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
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
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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
