President Joe Biden signed the National Defence Authorisation Act into law on Friday, officially approving a record funding bill for the Pentagon and US defence programmes.
The $858 billion legislation includes $816.7 billion for the Department of Defence, with most of the rest destined for national security programmes within the Department of Energy.
The amount far exceeds defence spending by another nation, and was $45 billion more than Mr Biden had asked for.
According to the National Priorities Project non-governmental organisation, America pays more for defence than the next nine countries combined.
Washington's 2021 budget accounted for almost 40 per cent of the world's total military spending, according to the Institute for Policy Studies.
“The Act provides vital benefits and enhances access to justice for military personnel and their families, and includes critical authorities to support our country's national defence, foreign affairs, and homeland security,” Mr Biden said.
The defence act, which runs to almost 4,500 pages, includes efforts to bolster Washington's support for Ukraine and the Nato alliance, re-emphasises a focus on China and mandates the Captagon Act aimed at combatting the Middle East's drug trade.
“Republicans in the House and Senate worked very hard with Democratic colleagues to make the bill a very bipartisan bill with very little poison pill provisions in it,” Republican Congressman French Hill, who spearheaded including the Captagon Act in the budget, told The National.
The budget's most contentious point was a provision repealing the military's Covid-19 vaccination mandate, pushed by congressional Republicans.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy praised the provision as “a victory for our military and for common sense.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House still backs a mandate, even though Mr Biden ultimately signed the bill rescinding it.
Mary Kaszynski, director of government relations for the Democrat-aligned veteran political action group VoteVets, said the repeal weakens military readiness.
“If you have one person who is vulnerable to disease, especially something that's extremely fatal and extremely contagious, that impacts the military readiness of the entire unit. They could be taken out by one case of Covid,” said Ms Kaszynski.
As of December of last year, 98 per cent of the force, including 96 per cent of active duty soldiers, were fully vaccinated, according to the Pentagon.
About 8,000 American service members were “severed” under the mandate over their refusal to comply, something Republicans touted as extreme and unfair.
Congress broadly increased the budget authorisation level by $45 billion over Mr Biden's budget request in part “to address the effects of inflation and accelerate implementation of the National Defence Strategy.”
That includes a significant pay raise for military personnel and civilian employees, with a 4.6 per cent salary boost, and additional funding to address inflation.
“American service members work night and day … They have families, they struggle with inflation just like everyone else, just like civilians. They deserve that pay raise every year,” Ms Kaszynski added.
The bill authorises a total of $12.6 billion to account for inflation impacts alone on purchases; $3.8 billion for inflation impacts on military construction projects; and $2.5 billion for inflation impacts on fuel purchases.
But those hikes did not come without criticism. Mr Biden himself highlighted other areas of concern after he signed the document.
Among them, a section that continues to bar the use of funds to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the custody of certain foreign countries, and another that would continue to prohibit the use of such funds to transfer certain detainees to the United States.
“It is the long-standing position of the executive branch that these provisions unduly impair the ability of the executive branch to determine when and where to prosecute Guantanamo Bay detainees and where to send them upon release,” Mr Biden said.
Progressive Democratic Representative Barbara Lee critiqued the scope of the funding, and petitioned Washington stop “wasteful spending” on a department that “has never passed a single audit.”
The expansive budget also emphasised modernisation and further sharpened Washington's focus on China.
It increased US investments in the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, and authorised the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act of 2022, which is designed to increase security co-operation with Taiwan.
The budget also mandates co-ordination between Washington's intelligence community, State Department, and the Pentagon to produce a report for Congress on “the use of online social media platforms by entities designated as foreign terrorist organisations” for recruitment, fund-raising, and the dissemination of radicalising information.
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
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Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
more from Janine di Giovanni
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
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
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
TALE OF THE TAPE
Floyd Mayweather
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
Conor McGregor
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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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%3Cp%3EFly%20with%20Etihad%20Airways%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20New%20York%E2%80%99s%20JFK.%20There's%2011%20flights%20a%20week%20and%20economy%20fares%20start%20at%20around%20Dh5%2C000.%3Cbr%3EStay%20at%20The%20Mark%20Hotel%20on%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20East%20Side.%20Overnight%20stays%20start%20from%20%241395%20per%20night.%3Cbr%3EVisit%20NYC%20Go%2C%20the%20official%20destination%20resource%20for%20New%20York%20City%20for%20all%20the%20latest%20events%2C%20activites%20and%20openings.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
