Latest news with #EidFestival
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Canada promises to boost defense spending, meet NATO target much earlier
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) Eid Festival in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo TORONTO - Canada's Liberal government will pour extra billions into its armed forces and hit NATO's 2% military spending target this fiscal year, five years earlier than promised, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday. Canada has been under pressure from the United States and other NATO allies for years to increase military funding. Canada currently spends about 1.4% of GDP on defense. "Now is the time to act with urgency, force, and determination," Carney said in a speech in Toronto, reiterating promises to work more closely with Europe's defense industry. Carney won the April 28 election on a promise to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and also to reduce the country's military reliance on Washington. Carney said another reason for Ottawa to act was what he called the decision by the United States to gradually withdraw from the concept of collective security. "Rising great powers are now in strategic competition with America. A new imperialism threatens. Middle powers compete for interests and attention, knowing that if they are not at the table, they will be on the menu," he said. The previous Liberal government last year formally committed to hit the NATO target by 2032. During the election campaign Carney pledged to get to 2% by 2030. Canada will boost pay for the armed forces and buy new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the sea floor and the Arctic, Carney said. "The transformation of our military capabilities can help transform our economy," he said. Officials are due to give more details of the plan before Carney speaks to the media at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (1700 GMT). REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Canada promises to ramp up defense spending, meet NATO target much earlier
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) Eid Festival in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo TORONTO - Canada's Liberal government will pour extra billions into its armed forces and hit NATO's 2% military spending target this fiscal year, much earlier than scheduled, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday. Canada has been under heavy pressure from the United States and other NATO allies for years to increase funding for its military. Canada currently spends about 1.4% of GDP on defense. "Now is the time to act with urgency, force, and determination," Carney said in a speech in Toronto. The previous Liberal governent had promised to hit the NATO target by 2032. Canada will boost pay for the armed forces and buy new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the sea floor and the Arctic, Carney said. (Reporting by Wa Lone, writing by David Ljunggren, editing by Promit Mukherjee) ((Reuters Ottawa editorial; Keywords: CANADA POLITICS/DEFENSE REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Canada promises to ramp up defense spending, met NATO target much earlier
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) Eid Festival in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo TORONTO, June 9 (Reuters) - Canada's Liberal government will pour extra billions into its armed forces and hit NATO's 2% military spending target this fiscal year, much earlier than scheduled, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday. Canada has been under heavy pressure from the United States and other NATO allies for years to increase funding for its military. Canada currently spends about 1.4% of GDP on defense. "Now is the time to act with urgency, force, and determination," Carney said in a speech in Toronto. The previous Liberal governent had promised to hit the NATO target by 2032. Canada will boost pay for the armed forces and buy new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the sea floor and the Arctic, Carney said. (Reporting by Wa Lone, writing by David Ljunggren, editing by Promit Mukherjee) ((Reuters Ottawa editorial; Keywords: CANADA POLITICS/DEFENSE
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan's Sindh, Punjab provinces announce prison sentence remissions ahead of Eid
KARACHI: The provincial governments in Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab provinces have announced remission in sentences for prisoners as a special concession on account of the upcoming Eid Al-Adha festival, official notifications released this week said. Pakistani leaders traditionally announce sentence remissions for prisoners on religious festivals and other special occasions like the two Eid festivals and Independence Day. The remissions are intended as goodwill gestures to promote rehabilitation and allow selected inmates to reunite with their families during important national and religious holidays. 'Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha-1446 (2025), has approved a special remission of 120 days for convicted prisoners confined in various prisons and correctional facilities across Sindh Province,' the CM's office said in a statement. The special remission applies to all convicted prisoners 'except for condemned prisoners and those convicted of serious offenses including murder, espionage, subversion, anti-state and terrorist activities, rape, kidnapping, robbery, dacoity, offenses, and financial embezzlement causing loss to the national exchequer.' In Punjab, a special 90-day sentence remission was announced for 450 inmates. The statement said 270 of the 450 prisoners would be released from Punjab's jails and celebrate Eid with their families. However, prisoners convicted of militancy, sectarianism, espionage, treason, anti-state activities, murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, financial embezzlement or causing loss to the national treasury, as well as those punished for violating jail rules within the past year, would not be eligible for the sentence remission. Eid Al-Adha will be celebrated in Pakistan on Saturday, June 7.
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Arab News
Pakistan Railways to run five special trains on Eid Al-Adha
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways will run five special trains on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha to facilitate passengers wanting to travel to their native cities and villages to celebrate the religious festival with their loved ones, state media reported on Monday. Pakistan Railways runs special trains on each of the two major Eid festivals, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, for ease of holiday travelers. 'Pakistan Railways will operate five Eid Special Trains from various cities to facilitate passengers during Eid-ul-Adha,' Radio Pakistan said. The first special train will depart from Karachi Cantt Railway Station in the southern Sindh province for Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, at 1pm on June 2 while a second train from Quetta, the provincial capital of the southwestern Balochistan province, will leave for Peshawar in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province at 10am on June 3. On the same day, a third train will depart from Lahore for Karachi at 5pm while a fourth carriage will leave Karachi Cantt for Rawalpindi at 730pm. The fifth and final Eid special train will depart from Karachi Cantt for Lahore at 730pm on June 4. Eid is expected to fall on Saturday, June 7, this year. Commemorating the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son on God's command, Muslims mark the holiday by slaughtering animals such as sheep, cows and goats. The meat is shared among family and friends and also donated to the poor.
