The United States will spend more than US$640 billion (Dh2.35 trillion) on defence and related areas such as the energy department in the coming year.
House and senate negotiators agreed yesterday on defence legislation authorising some US$640.7bn in the current fiscal year for the Pentagon and related programmes at other agencies.
But negotiators defied the White House and passed the budget bill that includes a ban on funding for the final year of a joint ground-based missile defence programme with Italy and Germany.
They prohibited a final US payment of $400.9m for development of the medium extended air and missile defence system (Meads), saying Washington had no plans to continue funding the system being built by Lockheed Martin and its partners in Italy and Germany.
Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, the German ambassador to the US and the Italian defence minister all wrote to policymakers urging them to preserve the funding.
Giampaolo Di Paolo, Italy's defence minister, told policymakers this month Meads was ideally suited to help address "the current and future air, tactical and ballistic missile threats that Italy, Europe and Nato will have to face for many years to come".
Failure by the United States to fulfil its funding commitment for next year would be "a unilateral withdrawal of our transatlantic agreement and [memorandum of understanding] and the US would be held financially liable", he said.
Politicians moved to cut off Meads because "we're not going to use it", Mr Levin said.
"We don't see the value outweighs the cost."
Meads has been in development for more than a decade at a combined cost of more than $4bn.
Industry executives and foreign officials say the government may face termination fees nearly equal to the money required to finish the system. Michael Amato, a spokesman for the Democrats who serve on the house armed services committee, said US participation in the programme was based on "availability of appropriated funds".
He said policymakers agreed to fund the programme in fiscal 2012 on condition the Pentagon wrap up funding for the programme, and propose a lower-cost solution.
"This year, the House and Senate were clear that they would prohibit the funds for this programme as there are no plans for production," he said.
The White House had no additional comment, referring to its previous statement of administration policy.
The annual authorisation legislation calls for added economic sanctions on Iran, while giving Barack Obama, the US president, more time to implement them, policymakers said. The administration had said it was too soon to add to the sanctions already in place.
The house representative Howard "Buck" McKeon, a California Republican who heads the house armed services committee, said the measure would be brought to the house floor for final approval today, followed by a senate vote that would clear the bill for the president to sign.
The measure includes provisions that would require defence contractors to report computer security breaches and would reduce restrictions on exports of commercial satellites.
The new budget bill authorises $633.3bn under the direct jurisdiction of the congressional defence committees, or about $1.7bn more than requested by Mr Obama. The bill also includes $88.5bn to continue funding for combat in Afghanistan.
The legislation asks the Pentagon to weigh three options for an east-coast missile-defence system, delaying action on that issue. The United States currently has interceptor silos in Alaska and California. The measure also would prohibit the transfer to the US of detainees from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where accused and suspected terrorists are held.
The spending outlined in the authorisation bill will not take effect unless funding is provided later by the congressional appropriations committees. The measure also does not account for the possibility of automatic defence cuts that would be required under the process called sequestration.
* compiled from Bloomberg News and Reuters
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
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
