Latest news with #armedforces
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK Taps Ukraine Lessons to Plow £1 Billion Into Warfare Systems
The UK will invest more than £1 billion ($1.4 billion) in a new digital targeting system to allow the country's armed forces to pinpoint and eliminate enemy targets more swiftly as part of a forthcoming revamp of Britain's defensive capabilities. In its strategic defense review, expected to be published in full next week, the UK will also set up a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks against tens of thousands of cyber attacks a year and help coordinate Britain's own cyber operations, the Ministry of Defence said Thursday in a statement. The command will also lead operations to jam enemy signals to drones and missiles and help intercept military communications.
The National
a day ago
- Health
- The National
Sudan says a cholera epidemic has killed 172
Sudan said on Tuesday that at least 172 people have died in a cholera epidemic sweeping the war-torn nation, with most new cases in the greater capital region. The Health Ministry said cholera cases have risen to 2,729 in seven days and affect people in six of Sudan's 18 states. Ninety per cent of new cases have been reported in the capital's greater region of three Nile-side cities: Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri. Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by ingesting contaminated water or food, can kill within hours if untreated. It is easily preventable and treatable when clean water, sanitation and timely medical care are available. The epidemic has hit Sudan at a time when the nation of 50 million is in the grip of a devastating two-year-old civil war between the armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan's healthcare sector has been hit hard by the war in the capital's three cities, which were held by the RSF until March when the army took them back after fierce fighting over several months. Besides crippling Sudan's infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, the war has killed tens of thousands, displaced about 13 million and left about 26 million people facing acute hunger, with pockets of famine surfacing across much of the vast and impoverished nation. Last Tuesday, the ministry said 51 people had died of cholera out of more than 2,300 reported cases over the previous three weeks, 90 per cent of them in Khartoum state. Drone attack The latest death toll from cholera also coincided with reports that an RSF drone had hit a fuel depot in the southern city of Kosti in White Nile state. Tuesday's attack was the latest in a string of devastating hits by RSF drones on strategic facilities in Port Sudan, the army's wartime capital on the Red Sea. Those hit included major fuel depots, the international airport, military bases and power transformers. Eyewitnesses in Kosti reported hearing explosions and seeing columns of thick smoke rise over the city soon after the drone hit. Earlier this month, the RSF launched drone strikes across Khartoum, including three power stations, triggering a massive blackout that disrupted electricity and water services and arguably contributed to the cholera outbreak. Cholera is endemic in Sudan, but outbreaks have become worse and more frequent since the war broke out in April 2023, when months of tension and political wrangling between the army and the RSF turned violent. With electricity supply and subsequently the local water network out of service, residents have been forced to turn to unsafe water sources, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). "Water treatment stations no longer have electricity and cannot provide clean water from the Nile," Slaymen Ammar, MSF's medical co-ordinator in Khartoum, said in a statement. In Omdurman, residents say they have had no power for nearly two weeks. "We now fetch water directly from the Nile, buying it from donkey carts that bring it in barrels," resident Bashir Mohammed said. According to a doctor at Omdurman's Al Nao Hospital, the capital's main functioning health facility, residents have resorted to "drinking untreated Nile water, after the shutdown of water pumping stations." Up to 90 per cent of Sudan's hospitals have at some point been forced to close because of the fighting, according to the doctors' union, with health facilities regularly stormed, bombed and looted.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan says IMF approved $1 billion loan tranche ‘on merit' despite Indian push for review
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Monday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved a $1 billion disbursement for Pakistan on 'merit' despite India leaving 'no stone unturned' to convince the lender to review the payout. Pakistan secured a $7 billion bailout program from the IMF last year and was granted a new $1.3 billion climate resilience loan in March. Earlier this month, Pakistan received the second tranche of special drawing rights worth $1,023 million from the IMF under the extended fund facility (EFF) program, bringing disbursements to $2 billion within the latest bailout. The program is critical to the $350 billion economy and Pakistan has said it has stabilized under the bailout that helped it stave off a default threat. India raised concerns with the IMF on its loans to Pakistan, asking for a review earlier this month as tensions soared after an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad — an accusation it denies. The tensions erupted into military fighting as the two nuclear-armed nations launched missiles and drones deep into each other's territories and exchanged gunfire on their de facto border, the Line of Control, until a ceasefire was announced on May 10. Nearly 70 people combined were killed on both sides of the border. 'Our armed forces and political leadership, the way they stood up against the [Indian] aggression, the entire nation has celebrated it, and rightly so,' Aurangzeb told reporters in Islamabad. 'At the same time, there was no stone left unturned in terms of ensuring that the [IMF board] meeting doesn't happen and if the meeting does happen, then these items are not on the agenda, whether it's the second tranche [of $7 billion loan] under the EFF or the RSF [Resilience and Sustainability Facility] of $1.3 billion in terms of our climate resilient facility.' The finance minister said he was thankful that the IMF went on to discuss and decide the Pakistan case 'on merit.' Last week, India also announced plans to approach the global financial watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to place Pakistan on its grey list and said it would oppose a World Bank plan to focus $20 billion in lending to the cash-strapped nation over the coming decade on development issues like the impact of climate change as well as boosting private-sector growth. Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in 2022, receiving a clean bill of health on terror financing, which significantly improved its standing with international lenders, crucial for its crisis-hit economy.
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Freedom isn't free: Honor those who never came home on this Memorial Day
Memorial Day should make you a little uncomfortable. Because sacrifice should never be comfortable. But from that discomfort can come gratitude. And from gratitude, a commitment to live better—not in guilt, but in honor. And yet sadly, for most Americans, it merely marks the start of summer. It's beach chairs and burgers, sales and three-day weekends—a reprieve from work with little thought given to the sacrifice this day was meant to honor. But for those of us who've stood on foreign soil, witness to teammates who never came home, Memorial Day is a haunting—but beautiful— reckoning we face each year. There's a harsh truth about war that never leaves you: the fallen gave everything in an instant—and the living carry it for a lifetime. We, like other generations before us, have lost teammates, more than we care to count, some to bullets and bombs, others to the invisible wounds they carried back with them. Brave souls who gave everything—not for politics or glory—but for love of country and you. For an ideal, the American ideal of what we stand for and the potential of what we can become. And therein lies the covenant between the living and the fallen: they laid down their lives for a belief, an ideal—an unbreakable faith in us and our potential to become something greater. This is hard to explain to those who haven't served, and we don't blame anyone for that. Less than 1% of Americans serve in the armed forces today. Only about 5% of Americans have ever worn the uniform. Most live free of any direct connection to war. That's not a condemnation—it's a consequence of the freedoms we enjoy, protected by those willing to fight and die for them. But that disconnection has made Memorial Day more misunderstood and underappreciated with each passing year. One way to bridge that divide is to listen—to learn the stories of those who gave everything. This Memorial Day, FOX Nation is releasing a powerful new series, "The Unsung of Arlington," honoring five extraordinary Americans laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. From John Glenn to Jane Delano, their lives remind us what courage, sacrifice, and unwavering belief in this nation truly look like. The series doesn't just tell their stories—it keeps their legacies alive. If you've ever wondered how to honor the fallen, start by learning who they were. Memorial Day is not about glorifying war. It's about honoring those who gave up everything so the rest of us could live in peace, prosperity, and yes—comfort. It's about men and women like Darrik Benson (USN), John Brown (USAF), Shannon Kent (USN), Joshua Wheeler (USA), Edward Smith (USMC), and countless others whose names never made headlines but whose legacies live on in the quiet grief of Gold Star families and the unwavering loyalty of those who fought beside them. Memorial Day is not a celebration—it's a remembrance of both their sacrifice and the covenant left upon us. A day when the living should ask themselves one question: Am I living a life worthy of their sacrifice? No one is asking you to feel guilty. They fought so you wouldn't have to. But what they ask—what they hope—is that for one day out of the year, Americans pause to reflect on the cost of the freedoms they so casually enjoy. Reflect on the blessings of safety, security, and opportunity. Reflect on the cost paid by strangers so that your kids can play in the yard without fear. And maybe—do something more. Teach your kids about the meaning of the day. Toast to the fallen. Or simply take a moment of silence—real silence. That silence—that discomfort—is where gratitude begins. And from gratitude comes action. This Memorial Day, enjoy your freedom. But don't forget where it came from. It's not a holiday. It's a headstone. For those of us who came home, for those who never did, and for those who never had to go—it's a covenant. One that we, as Americans, cannot and must not ever break. Never Forget. Forever Honor. God Bless America. Mike Sarraille is host of the brand-new Fox Nation series "The Unsung of Arlington" available right now on Kirk Offel is a former Navy Submariner and Founder/CEO of Overwatch Mission Critical.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Some grocery stores are closed Memorial Day. Walmart, Publix to remain open
Monday, May 26, is Memorial Day, a national holiday that honors those in the U.S. armed forces who have died in service. Volusia County and Flagler County hosted various ceremonies and services this weekend, honoring fallen members of the military. The long holiday weekend is also viewed as the unofficial start of summer, usually filled with beach days, barbecues and special deals. Due to the federal holiday, banks, schools and nonessential government offices will be closed May 26. With banks and federal institutions closed, are stores open for business? Luckily, if you need to grab something last-minute, here are the grocery stores that will be open Monday and their holiday hours. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. In 2025, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 26. Memorial Day 2025: Looking for Memorial Day events in Volusia and Flagler? Here are some options Yes, Memorial Day is one of 12 federal holidays. Here are 2025 federal holidays: Jan. 1: New Year's Day Jan. 20: Inauguration Day and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Feb. 17: Washington's Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day. May 26: Memorial Day June 19: Juneteenth July 4: Independence Day Sept. 1: Labor Day Oct. 13: Columbus Day Nov. 11: Veterans Day Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day Dec. 25: Christmas Day Yes. Memorial Day also is a paid holiday in Florida. The Florida Department of Management Services lists the following days observed as paid holidays by state agencies: Jan. 1, Wednesday: New Year's Day Jan. 20, Monday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day May 26, Monday: Memorial Day July 4, Friday: Independence Day Sept. 1, Monday: Labor Day Nov. 11, Tuesday: Veterans Day Nov. 27, Thursday: Thanksgiving Nov. 28: Friday after Thanksgiving Dec. 25, Thursday: Christmas Day ➤ See list of 2025 Florida, federal holidays, including new one for Sunshine State Publix will be open on Memorial Day. However, pharmacies will be closed, the company told USA TODAY. Publix is closed for three holidays during the year: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Aldi stores will be open but will have limited hours. See store hours using the store locator. Aldi is closed on four holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Most Whole Foods stores will be open on Memorial Day, the company said on its website. Whole Foods is closed on Christmas and many stores have modified hours on: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. ➤ Check your store's hours. All Winn-Dixie grocery and liquor stores will be open regular business hours on Memorial Day. More: From Trader Joe's to Tesla, a look at the 5 projects coming for 'Daytona's moment' Walmart stores will be open during its regular hours on Memorial Day, a company spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY. Store hours are typically 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. ➤ Shop top Walmart Memorial Day deals on outdoor furniture, appliances Yes, Target will be open on Memorial Day. Store hours vary by location, so check with your local store on its holiday hours. Sam's Club will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Plus members and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Club members on Memorial Day, according to the company's website. Costco will be closed on Memorial Day. It is one of seven days the warehouse stores are closed, according to its website. Daytona Beach weather forecast for Memorial Day (5 a.m. to 5 p.m.), according to Accuweather: Monday, May 26 5 a.m. 74 degrees. Clear skies 6 a.m. 72 degrees. Mostly clear 7 a.m. 74 degrees. Mostly sunny. 8 a.m. 76 degrees. Mostly sunny. 9 a.m. 79 degrees. Mostly sunny. 10 a.m. 82 degrees. Mostly sunny. 11 a.m. 85 degrees. Mostly sunny. 12 p.m. 87 degrees. Mostly sunny. 1 p.m. 87 degrees. Mostly sunny. 2 p.m. 87 degrees. Mostly sunny. 47 percent chance of rain. 3 p.m. 87 degrees. Partly sunny with thunderstorms. 51 percent chance of rain. 4 p.m. 84 degrees. Mostly sunny. 47 percent chance of rain. 5 p.m. 84 degrees. Mostly sunny. 15 percent chance of rain. Going to Daytona Beach for Memorial Day? Expect more lifeguards, big crowds this weekend Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day can trace its origins back to the years after the Civil War when people began to decorate the graves and say prayers to those killed during the war. In 1868, Gen. John Logan called for a nationwide day of remembrance, according to The observance was called Decoration Day, and it was observed on May 30, 1868, as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. The date was chosen because it wasn't the anniversary of any Civil War battle, said. Originally honoring only those who died during the Civil War, Decoration Day expanded to recognize the sacrifices of others after World War I. "The holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971 and changed from May 30 to the last Monday in May under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Fast facts: 10 historical facts about Memorial Day Contributor: Gabe Hauari, USA Today This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: See Memorial Day grocery store hours, Daytona Beach weather radar
