World

Sudan latest: US sanctions, suspended talks, continued fighting

Published

2 years ago

June 2, 2023

Sudan latest: US sanctions, suspended talks, continued fighting

Sudan’s conflict has continued for a seventh continuous week, where fighting has propelled the nation into an all-out war since fighting between duelling generals from the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out on April 15.

The country has plunged into a humanitarian crisis, with more than 1,800 people killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, and at least 1.6 million displaced within the country or across its borders, the United Nations has said, with many fleeing to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan.

On the ground, multiple ceasefires have been violated by both parties and Saudi and United States-brokered peace negotiations have now been suspended.

Here’s the latest on the conflict:

US imposes sanctions

On Thursday, the US imposed the first sanctions related to the conflict in Sudan, warning that it will “hold accountable” all those undermining peace in the northeast African country.

The sanctions targeted firms associated with the conflict’s actors, including those controlled by RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo in the United Arab Emirates and the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, as well as two defence firms linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The White House also said it was imposing visa restrictions “against actors who are perpetuating the violence”, but did not identify them.

The sanctions are targeted to affect those companies in a way that would make the warring parties have less ammunition to fight and force them back to the negotiating table, according to Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, who was reporting from Sudan.

Fragile ceasefire and suspended talks

The US and Saudi Arabia suspended ceasefire talks late on Thursday due to repeated violations of multiple ceasefires, the countries said in a joint statement.

The Sudanese army backed out of the talks a day earlier, saying the RSF is not implementing parts of an agreement that had been signed days prior.

The Biden administration has said that it is still coordinating with its mediator counterpart Saudi Arabia, as well as the African Union and other actors in the region, to urge the warring sides to end the conflict.

Fighting continues

In a pattern marking continued violations of ceasefires, residents said heavy artillery fire could be heard in cities in Khartoum state on Thursday, including in northern Omdurman and Khartoum North.

The firing occurred despite a ceasefire that was meant to run until Saturday evening.

“Fighting has […] increased or intensified since the Sudanese army suspended its participation two days ago from the talks,” said Al Jazeera’s Morgan.

More artillery shelling took place in the southern part of the capital, Khartoum, on Thursday, Morgan added, with the Sudanese army trying to take control of a military base there that belongs to the RSF.

Outside Khartoum, the region of Darfur continues to be a hotbed of violence. A regional rights group said this past week alone at least 50 people have been killed in the westernmost city of el-Geneina, which has been experiencing a communications blackout for more than 10 days.

Humanitarian situation

The UN refugee agency said on Thursday that more than 100,000 people have fled violence in Sudan to neighbouring Chad, with that number possibly doubling in the next three months.

Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, was already hosting about 600,000 refugees before the conflict.

Additionally, aid groups face continued troubles, with the World Food Programme reporting that nearly 17,000 tons (15,400 tonnes) of food aid have been looted since the start of the conflict.

#SUDAN: We strongly condemn the looting of @WFP food & assets happening right now in El Obeid.
Our warehouses have come under attack – and food for 4.4 million people is at stake.
It is unconscionable to steal from the hungry. This must stop.
[1/2] pic.twitter.com/QSvRt0odBl
— Cindy McCain (@WFPChief) June 1, 2023

Additionally, a curfew was placed this week on the city of Port Sudan, a key evacuation point, which has also become a base for the UN, aid groups and diplomats.

Residents say buses have been stopped from entering the city.

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World

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.

World

Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25.

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico.

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January.

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families.

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations.

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner.

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple.

17 SECRET TRAVEL TIPS FOR FALL AND WINTER THAT AREN’T SO SECRET AFTER ALL

Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with.

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence.

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN THE 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source.

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before.

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast.

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo.

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico.

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico.

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com.

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season.

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Published

6 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Twin-engine plane crashed in largely residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities say.

A small plane has crashed into a tourist hotspot in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, officials have said.

The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a home and the second floor of a different house before crashing into a shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela, Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said on Sunday.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference that the aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.

Leite said that 17 people on the ground were injured, 12 of whom were still receiving treatment in hospital.

Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its CEO and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters had died in the crash.

“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

“In this moment of immense pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and affection received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also sympathize with all those affected by the accident in the region.”

Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular destination for vacationers, especially during the Christmas season.

The crash comes a little more than a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.