Trump touts achievements, honours fallen heroes on Memorial Day
Washington, May 29: US President Donald Trump marked Memorial Day by touting his administration's achievements and remembered fallen service members, calling their love of country "more deep and more pure than most will ever know", the media reported.
Trump commemorated the day which is held annually to honour service members who died for the US, with a tweet saying: "Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics ever (and women in 18 years), rebuilding our military and so much more. Nice!"
He had also tweeted a video in honour of the holiday.
Later he visited the Arlington National Cemetery where he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and stood in silence as a bugle played "Taps".
"They marched into hell so that America could know the blessings of peace. They died so that freedom could live," he said.
"To every parent who weeps for a child, to every child who mourns for a parent and to every husband or wife whose heart has been torn in two today we ask God to comfort your pain, to ease your sorrow and to wipe away your tears.
"This is a very special day and today our whole country thanks you, embraces you and pledges to you we will never forget our heroes," Trump added.
Trump honoured several living veterans in attendance, including former Republican Sen. Bob Dole and Ray Chavez, both World War II veterans. Chavez, at 106, is the oldest-living survivor of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, reports CNN.
However, Trump's earlier tweet was ridiculed on social media,.
According to statistics from the Department of Labour, the black and Hispanic unemployment rates both reached record lows last month.
The initial quarterly growth figure for 2018 was far from Trump's promise to hike annual economic growth to 3 per cent, a level he says will be attained as a result of his enormous tax reduction plan including significant tax cuts for companies and, to a lesser degree, for workers, reports Efe news.
The US unemployment rate also fell to 3.9 per cent in April, the first time it has been below 4 per cent since 2000.
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Israel's top general resigns citing security failures during Oct 7 attack
Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AP): Israel's top general resigned on Tuesday, citing the security and intelligence failures related to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel meanwhile launched a large operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least six people, according to Palestinian officials.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security breakdown on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led members carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities for hours.
The attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the group abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still being held in Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Halevi's resignation came just says into a fragile ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the war and the return of the remaining captives.
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel's Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also tendered his resignation.
The resignation of the two senior generals will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the October 7 failures, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose leadership could be implicated — has said must wait until the war is over.
Halevi had also appeared to be at odds with Israel's new defence minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war, with Halevi saying Israel had accomplished most of its goals and Katz echoing Netanyahu's vow to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas.
In his letter of resignation, Halevi said the military, under his command, had “failed in its mission to defend the State of Israel" when Hamas attacked but had made “significant achievements” in the ensuing war, which rippled across the Middle East.
Halevi, who began what was meant to be a three-year term in January 2023 said his resignation would go into effect March 6.
