World
Sudan army chief criticises Geneva talks, vows to continue fighting RSF
Sudan’s de facto ruler, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has said his government would not join peace talks in Switzerland, saying the military would “fight for 100 years” if necessary to defeat the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Burhan, who leads the governing Transitional Sovereignty Council, told reporters in Port Sudan on Saturday that the talks aim to “whitewash” the RSF and countries that support the paramilitaries.
“We will not put down our weapons as the rebellion continues. We will not co-exist with the rebels and we will not forgive them,” he said.
The United States opened talks in Switzerland on August 14, which concluded on Friday, aimed at easing the human suffering and achieving a lasting ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also acted as mediators in the talks, which aimed to secure more aid as Sudanese civilians face famine, mass displacement and disease.
While an RSF delegation showed up, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Burhan, were unhappy with the format and did not attend. But they were in telephone contact with the mediators.
“Though we were in consistent communication with SAF virtually, we regret their decision not to be present, and we believe that limited our ability to make more substantial progress towards key issues, particularly a national cessation of hostilities,” the mediators said in a statement on Friday.
The war in Sudan, which began last year, has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crises.
The Sudanese army and the RSF – under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as “Hemedti” – have been vying for power and control of the African country of 46 million people.
Rights groups have called on both sides to avoid civilian harm and enable humanitarian access.
More than 25 million people are facing acute hunger across Sudan, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-backed body that monitors global hunger.
The war has also displaced more than 10 million people and triggered a public health disaster.
Last week, the warring parties agreed to improve access for humanitarian aid, with two routes identified to ensure the flow of resources to civilians, mediators said.
One was the Adre border crossing with Chad, which leads into the Darfur region. The other was along the Dabbah Road from Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
US Sudan envoy Tom Perriello told a press conference in Geneva on Friday: “We hope that this will be a source of momentum for much bigger steps and progress down the road.”
But he acknowledged that progress had been slow due to the absence of the SAF — and the results were inadequate to address the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
Moreover, overlapping efforts in pursuit of a ceasefire, including Saudi- and US-led talks in Jeddah, have not eased the fighting.
“We do believe that the national cessation of hostilities is possible. We know that that is going to take a great deal of work,” Perriello said.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, said that the international community has failed to exert the necessary pressure to ensure decisive action in Sudan.
“These are two armies that are caught in a pitched, existential battle. The last thing that they’re interested in is respecting agreements that they don’t see themselves as parties to,” he said.
“So I think the only thing that’s going to change their outlook is if we bring real pressure to bear — if there are consequences for not showing up in Geneva.”
The strikes came a day after heavy bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs and as heavy ground fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants continues in southern Lebanon, with Israeli troops pushing further into the country.
At least 11 people were killed and dozens more injured after Israeli airstrikes devastated parts of central Beirut on Saturday – with diplomats scrambling to broker a ceasefire in the country.
The strike destroyed an eight-story building, leaving a crater in the ground, and was the fourth on the Lebanese capital in less than a week.
Lebanon’s civil defence said the death toll was provisional as emergency responders were still digging through the rubble looking for survivors.
A separate drone strike in the southern port city of Tyre killed one person and injured another, according to the country’s National News Agency.
Israel’s military did not issue a warning for residents to evacuate prior to the strikes in central Beirut and would not comment on those strikes or on the one in Tyre.
The news comes as heavy ground fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants continues in southern Lebanon, with Israeli troops pushing farther from the border.
US envoy Amos Hochstein travelled to the region this week in an attempt to broker a ceasefire deal to end the more than 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into full-on war over the last two months.
More than 3,500 people have been killed and over 15,000 wounded by Israeli bombardment in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. 1.2 million people, or a quarter of the Lebanese population, were reportedly displaced by the fighting.
On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by rockets, drones and missiles in northern Israel and in fighting in Lebanon.
The world’s most expensive house is located in London, England.
Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the king, is widely considered the most expensive house in the world, valued at around $4.9 billion.
Buckingham Palace is far from a traditional house with 775 rooms and 50,000 people visiting each year for receptions, dinners, state banquets and other events, according to the royal family website.
Buckingham Palace is considered the most expensive house in the world. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images I Fox Photos/Getty Images)
ROYAL FAMILY SPOUSES: KATE MIDDLETON, MEGHAN MARKLE, OTHER CURRENT SPOUSES OF ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS
This, of course, is outside the half million tourists who visit the destination each year. In 2023-2024, about 530,000 tourists visited Buckingham Palace, according to Statista.
In addition to viewing the breathtaking palace, visitors often watch the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony.
For those who want a look inside Buckingham Palace, guests can view the state rooms in the summer as well as on select dates in the winter and spring when small guided tours are available, according to the Royal Collection Trust website.
The Changing of the Guard ceremony is one many tourists observe while visiting Buckingham Palace. (Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)
OWNER OF WORLD’S LARGEST CAR COLLECTION HAS OVER 7,000 VEHICLES IN HIS POSSESSION
Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of the United Kingdom’s sovereigns, according to the royal family website.
Among the 775 rooms located in Buckingham Palace are 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 bedrooms for staff, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, according to the royal family website.
The royal palace is full of breathtaking places, including the White Drawing Room, the Throne Room, the Ballroom and the 47-meter Picture Gallery filled with historical art.
The royal family waves to the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during events. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
SET SAIL ON WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE OVER 7,000 GUESTS PER VOYAGE
The Grand Staircase and 39-acre Palace Garden are other highlights.
The balcony of the royal palace is where generations of royals have stepped out for public appearances.
Another home ranked as one of the most expensive is Antilia in Mumbai, India.
Antilia holds the Guinness World Record for the “most expensive private house in the world.”
The mansion is estimated to be worth between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Architectural Digest India.
It is owned by business magnate Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.
The most expensive private residence is Antilia in Mubai, India, which is owned by Mukesh Ambani. (Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The 400,000-square-foot residence is 570 feet tall.
The 27 stories of Antilia include numerous swimming pools, a spa and a theater, according to Guinness World Records.
The property also includes 168 parking spaces and three helipads.
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