Showing posts with label Sudan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sudan. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Sudan and Iran resume diplomatic relations severed seven years ago, promising to 'open embassies soon'

Report from The Associated Press (AP)

Written by JACK JEFFERY

Dated Monday, 9 October 2023; Updated 8:28 PM BST - here is a full copy:


Sudan and Iran resume diplomatic relations severed 7 years ago, promising to ‘open embassies soon’


CAIRO (AP) — Sudan and Iran announced in a joint statement Monday the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries after a seven-year hiatus.


Khartoum cut ties with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi Arabian embassy in Iran. The oil-rich kingdom had executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others days earlier, triggering demonstrations and severing Saudi-Iranian relations.


At the time, Sudan was a close ally of Saudi Arabia and had deployed troops to fight in the Saudi coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.


“Both countries agreed to take the necessary measure to open embassies in the two countries soon,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in an online statement.


OTHER NEWS


Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and his Sudanese counterpart, Ali al-Sadiq, met in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku in July, the first known high-level meeting between the two countries since 2016.


“The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation on different areas which can fulfill the interests of both nations and ensure security and stability in the region,” Iranian state media said, in a parallel statement.


The rapprochement comes seven months after regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in a deal brokered by China.

Iranian Presidency Office via AP

Sudan has been rocked by violence since mid-April when fighting erupted between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamden Dagalo.


The conflict has killed at least 5,000 and wounded more than 12,000, according to according to the United Nations. Activists and medical groups in Sudan say the figures are much higher.


View original: https://apnews.com/article/iran-sudan-diplomatic-ties-saudi-8ce7690acb75bfaff092e63713ae52c0

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Summary from BBC News Live Reporting on Tue 10 Oct 2023 at 21:00 BST

  • US President Joe Biden has described Hamas' attack on Israel as an "act of pure evil"
  • Biden accused the militants of "butchering" people and said Israel will have "what it needs" to respond
  • Details of a massacre in an Israeli village where fighting continued until Tuesday morning have emerged
  • Babies were killed in their bedrooms, says an Israeli general who has been removing bodies of adults and children from the kibbutz
  • Israeli soldiers also told BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen that some of the dead had been beheaded
  • The full details of atrocities carried out by Hamas are being revealed after Israel's military regained full control of the Gaza border
  • Hamas has launched a fresh rocket attack on southern Israel after warning people to leave the city of Ashkelon
  • Israel is also continuing its heavy bombing of Gaza; a BBC reporter there said it was the worst bombing he had seen in 20 years, with neighbourhoods flattened
  • The death toll in Israel has reached 1,000 and more than 800 people have been killed in Gaza

Click here to follow BBC News Live Reporting.


[Ends]

Monday, October 09, 2023

Israel-Palestine war explodes on Sat 7 Oct. Sudan voices support for Palestinians' legitimate rights

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: "We are at war," says Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu, after a surprise Palestinian attack saw hundreds of rockets hit Israel from Gaza on Saturday, 7 October 2023. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him [Revelation 6:8 KJV]. God’s Word says Israel will not lose. Here below is a news summary from BBC News online Oct 7 and a report from China View Oct 8 'Sudan voices support for Palestinians' legitimate rights' followed by a page copied from the website of the late great American evangelist The Reverend Billy Graham entitled 'ARE WE IN THE END TIMES?' 

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Snapshot of BBC News LIVE Summary online 

Saturday, 7 October 2023:

  • "We are at war," says Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu, after a surprise Palestinian attack saw hundreds of rockets hit Israel from Gaza
  • Dozens of Israelis are believed to have been captured by Palestinian militant group Hamas which has launched its biggest attack in years
  • "We are at war," says Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu - with 250 people in Israel reported killed
  • Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on Gaza, killing more than 230 people, officials say
  • The violence continued on Saturday evening - with Tel Aviv and other central Israeli cities hit by a new barrage of rockets and Israel saying they are fighting militants in 22 places
  • Hamas commander Mohammed Deif says the group had "decided to say enough is enough"
  • US support for Israel is "rock solid", says President Joe Biden, pledging to make sure "they can continue to defend themselves"
  • Dozens of gunmen from the Islamist militant group Hamas appear to have infiltrated southern Israel
  • About 545 people have been injured in the attacks, with at least 22 Israelis dead, according to Israeli officials
  • A senior commander from Hamas claims thousands of rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel
  • Mohammed Deif says the Palestinian militant group had "decided to say enough is enough"
  • The Israeli military says it has begun striking targets in the Gaza strip in response "to the barrages of rockets"

Monday, 9 October 2023, 13:43 BST:

  • Israel's defence minister orders a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip and the cutting off of food, fuel, electricity and water supplies
  • It comes two days after shock attacks in Israel by Hamas militants left hundreds of civilians dead
  • Nine US citizens are now confirmed dead, while more than 10 British citizens are feared dead, or missing
  • Rocket attacks from Gaza targeting Israel continue, with explosions heard in Jerusalem
  • Israel says it has regained control of its communities near Gaza - but some militants remain active
  • More than 700 people have been killed in Israel since Saturday, including 260 people massacred by Hamas gunmen at a music festival
  • Dozens of people were also kidnapped and Hamas claims four of the hostages were killed by air strikes in Gaza
  • More than 500 people have died in Gaza since Israel began striking the area

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Report from ChinaView.cn - Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
Dated Sunday 8 October 2023, 17:30 - here is a full copy:


Sudan voices support for Palestinians' legitimate rights


KHARTOUM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Saturday voiced support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in response to the developments in the Palestinian territories earlier on the day.


"Sudan renews its support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in their independent state and calls for commitment to the decisions of the international legitimacy and the protection of innocent civilians," the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.


"The decline in international concern with the Palestinian issue, including the absence of progress relating to the two-state solution, has led to continued violence and tensions in the region," said the statement.


It added that today's incidents confirmed that the absence of a solution to the prolonged conflict in the area would push the region into a new era of instability.


The ministry further expressed concern about the developments in Palestine, stressing the need to resolve the Palestinian issue in accordance with decisions of international legitimacy and to enable the Palestinians to establish their independent state.


Earlier on Saturday, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), launched a surprise attack on Israel, which included the firing of thousands of rockets and the infiltration of dozens of militants into the Israeli towns bordering Gaza.


In response, Israel launched tens of airstrikes against Hamas sites and residential buildings in Gaza. The fierce confrontation has led to hundreds of deaths on both sides. 


View original:

http://www.chinaview.cn/20231008/9ec33e9411d54089a6e74457f10e5aa1/c.html


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POSTSCRIPT from Sudan Watch Editor: Here is a page from the 'PeaceWithGod - Find Your Purpose & Hope' website of the late great American evangelist The Reverend Billy Graham.


ARE WE IN THE END TIMES?


So many people are looking for signs of the end times. They’re seeking answers because they see so much suffering around them and the world seems broken. The evangelist Billy Graham once said,


“We are like people under [a] sentence of death, waiting for the date to be set. We sense that something is about to happen. We know that things cannot go on as they are. History has reached an impasse. We are now on a collision course. Something is about to give.


Mr. Graham was also confident the Bible speaks directly to this question.


“I believe that this world, as we know it, will come to an end. … This is not fanciful imagination but the clear and repeated testimony of the Bible.

So what does the Bible say about the end times? Are we in the last days?


…In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).


How much does this sound like our present world? Can you see these things around you?


Billy Graham went on to say, “We see the storm clouds gathering and events taking place that herald the second coming of Jesus Christ.” If the end times announce the return of Jesus, what did He say about the last days?


He said in Matthew 24:6-7, “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.”


We experience more than a dozen major earthquakes every year. Millions die of hunger annually and many live under the constant threat of war. But wait, you can still find hope in this.


God will not allow evil to win and He offers you peace in this world and beyond. Billy Graham said, “The end will come with the return of Jesus Christ. … That is why a Christian can be an optimist. That is why a Christian can smile in the midst of all that is happening. … We know what the end will be: the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ.”


God has smiled on us and Jesus’ victory is certain. God’s peace is shared with everyone who desires a relationship with Him.


Look beyond the end times and begin your life with Jesus today.



[Ends]

Sunday, July 23, 2023

US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues and Sudan conflict

Report from News Track Live - newstracklive.com
By ANIKET DIXIT
Published on Thursday 20 July 2023 at 03:05 PM - here is a full copy:

US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues

Riyadh: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state of the United States, met on Wednesday in Washington to discuss the urgent issues surrounding the Middle East.


The US State Department claimed in a statement on its website that the "strategic dialogue" is a "opportunity for us to work even more closely together on the many issues that are affecting the lives of people in all of the countries represented by the Arab League as well as the United States."


The comprehensive conversation, which Aboul Gheit described as the first of its kind at the level of the US state secretary and GCC secretary-general, will "explore further the level of cooperation" and "deepen the relationship."


The statement made no mention of specifics, but some news reports have quoted political analysts as saying that, now that Syria has been readmitted to the 22-member alliance, the US will follow up on its earlier statement for the Arab League to press the Assad regime to address pressing issues.


The northwest regions of Syria, which are controlled by the opposition and home to more than 4 million displaced people, have been requested by the UN for greater access by international aid organizations. The UN Security Council was unable to come to an agreement last week to maintain the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing, which permits aid organizations to enter from Turkey.


During the height of the so-called "Arab Spring" uprisings, Syria's membership in the league was suspended in 2011 due to the Assad regime's deadly crackdown on dissent. The UN estimates that the ensuing armed conflict has resulted in the deaths of 306,887 civilians and the displacement of more than 12 million Syrians, including 5.4 million who as of 2022 were refugees in other countries.


Other urgent regional issues that are anticipated to be covered in the Arab League-US dialogue include the conflict in Sudan, Israel's escalating land aggression against the Palestinians, Yemen's peace initiative, and more.


View original: 

https://english.newstracklive.com/news/us-state-department-and-arab-league-start-talking-about-urgent-middle-east-issues-sc57-nu355-ta355-1286214-1.html


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Monday, June 19, 2023

Sudanese hero and basketball superstar Manute Bol

Thanks to Cameron Hudson @_hudsonc for retweeting news of a great Sudanese humanitarian and basketball super star Manute Bol. Read about his incredible life story and amazing heart of gold here.
[End]

Thursday, March 05, 2020

South Sudan Trust is hoping to reverse the extinction of the Northern White Rhino

Bold expedition to find 'extinct' Northern White Rhino in war-ravaged South Sudan
Report from The Daily Mirror - www.mirror.co.uk
Dated 25 February 2020, 22:26

South Sudan Trust is hoping to reverse the extinction of the Northern White Rhino. 

Locals have reported sightings and believe the 'biologically extinct' species could exist in the country. A one-hour BBC special, The Last Unicorn, will track the bold search

The BBC is hoping to find the “extinct” Northern White Rhino with a bold ­expedition to war-ravaged South Sudan in Africa.

Locals have reported sightings and believe the “biologically extinct” species could exist in the country.

The civil conflict has made it too dangerous to film there for years and the Northern White was declared extinct in 2018 when the last male died.

Only two females remain – both are too old to reproduce – and they live under armed protection in Kenya.

Doug Hope, executive producer for the BBC’s Natural History Unit, said: “It is a long shot, but there are rumours of them out there, and in a place that is so remote, so unexplored.
Photo: These are the last remaining female Northern White Rhinos - Najin and Fatou (Image: BBC)

“From what our sources are telling us, it remains prime rhino habitat, so surely there is still a chance? And until this search is carried out we can’t close the book on the Northern White Rhino.”

A one-hour special, The Last Unicorn, will track the journey of Paul Naden, of charity Saving the Survivors, cameraman Vianet Djenguet, vet Johan Marais and high security expert Aldo Kane.

BBC2 boss Patrick Holland said: “Natural World has always covered the most urgent stories in conservation and this project could not be more timely.”
Photo: Vianet with the last white rhinos (Image: BBC)

Hundreds of thousands of people were killed and millions displaced in South Sudan’s civil war, which began in 2013 and was declared ended this month.

Once classified as the most dangerous place on the planet, the country has no permanent roads, electricity, phone networks or internet.

Scientists are planning to flood the black market with fake rhino horns in an attempt to thwart poachers.
Photo: Sudan, the legendary male Northern White Rhino who died (Image: SWNS.com)

A timeline of decline
1907 The Northern White is officially identified as a distinct species of rhino.
1960 Estimated numbers of over 2,000 in the wild made them more abundant than the Southern White Rhino.
1970 The numbers of Northern White Rhinos have halved in the past decade and are declining at an alarming rate.
1975 The continued decline in the species sees a Czech zoo import five as a precautionary measure.
1981 The Northern White rhino is declared critically endangered.
1984 It is reported that only 15 known Northern White rhinos are left in the wild. This number rises to 31 but poaching continues to thwart conservation efforts.
2008 The last official sighting of the Northern White Rhino in the wild with just six remaining in zoos.
2009 Four rhinos are shipped from the Czech zoo to Ol Pejeta in Kenya where it is hoped their natural environment will encourage them to breed.
2015 With the remaining rhinos in zoos dying, only three remain in Kenya.
2018 The last male Northern White dies, with only two infertile females remaining. The species is declared functionally extinct.

To view a video click here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/bold-expedition-find-extinct-northern-21576298 

View Original: https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/bold-expedition-find-extinct-northern-21576298