The US Marine Corps is now without a permanent leader and other top officer nominations are being held up because of a single Republican senator's views on abortion.
Tommy Tuberville from Alabama is using a Senate procedure to put a hold on hundreds of military nominations from moving forward because he believes the Pentagon is improperly using government funding to cover travel costs for abortions for service members and their dependents.
The military is already having to shuffle staff to fill a top leadership post after the commandant of the US Marine Corps, Gen David Berger, stepped down on Monday when his four-year term ended.
His deputy has taken over in an acting capacity, but Mr Tuberville's hold on promotions has left the marines without a confirmed leader in the job for the first time in more than a century.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden's nominee to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Charles Brown, warned that Mr Tuberville's blockade of military promotions could have a far-reaching impact across the US armed forces, affecting troops and their families.
“We will lose talent,” Gen Brown, the departing Air Force Chief of Staff, told his Senate confirmation hearing to become the Pentagon's top officer.
An aide to Mr Tuberville said his block would also apply to Gen Brown.
Democrats including Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Mr Tuberville for punishing uniformed military leaders who were not responsible for the policy on abortion travel that he was protesting against.
“If the senator from Alabama continues his reckless action, he will soon be holding 650 leaders who have served their country honourable hostage,” Ms Warren said.
Gen Brown would be only the second black officer to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after Colin Powell two decades ago.
Mr Tuberville has also drawn criticism after he said white nationalists were simply “Americans”.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said the Republican was “on a one-man mission to excuse and even defend the meaning of white nationalism”.
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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