CAIRO: Egypt is attempting to mediate between Sudan’s warring factions, hosting a regional summit on Thursday, the latest in a series of international efforts to prevent the outbreak of civil war and the deepening of a humanitarian crisis.
Fighting between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out in the capital Khartoum in April, and has spread westward to the fragile Darfur and Kordofan regions.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and 3 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations, which warns of a growing hunger crisis.
The United States and Saudi Arabia had negotiated a series of cease-fires, but suspended talks after violations. Earlier this week, Ethiopia hosted a regional East African summit, but the army boycotted, claiming Kenya, the lead sponsor, was biased.
Egypt, which has historically close ties with the Sudanese army, invited Sudan’s neighbors to the Thursday summit.
The aims of the summit are to stave off foreign interference and influence in the fighting, two Egyptian security sources said, and to ultimately launch a process to achieve a peaceful agreement to stop the fighting.
That plan aims to achieve a three-month cease-fire and open aid pathways amid a series of meetings with military and tribal leaders, the sources said.
Previous one-day and multi-day cease-fires were quickly violated, and were described by the UN special envoy Volker Perthes as an opportunity for the forces to re-position.
Speaking on Wednesday, he described mediation attempts as “emergency diplomacy.”
“The two warring parties still think they can win the war so they accept diplomatic initiatives when they think it can help their aims,” he said.
Among the African leaders attending is Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed, whose country has clashed with Egypt over its construction of a giant dam on the Blue Nile.
He met Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday, after last week saying the fourth filling of the dam this summer would be delayed and would ensure Sudan and Egypt would receive enough water, a conciliatory move after years of tension.
Egypt to launch fresh Sudan mediation attempt during summit
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Egypt to launch fresh Sudan mediation attempt during summit
- More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and 3 million people have been displaced due to the fighting
- Saudi Arabia and the US had negotiated a series of cease-fires, but suspended talks after violations
Police investigate ‘Islamophobic’ attack on grave plaques at UK cemetery
- Hertfordshire Police confident act of vandalism ‘religiously motivated’
- 85 plaques damaged at Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery
LONDON: British police are investigating the vandalism of Muslim grave plaques in the town of Watford, near London, as an Islamophobic hate crime.
About 85 graves, including those of babies and children, were targeted at Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery, which is designated for Muslim burials. A family discovered the damage at the weekend after attending a funeral.
On Wednesday, Hertfordshire Police appealed to the public for information relating to the crime, which they said happened between 1pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday.
Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, head of Hertfordshire’s Local Policing Command, said: “We are continuing to investigate every line of inquiry into this terrible crime, which we are now treating as an Islamophobic act.”
The police “are confident that, sadly, this was a religiously motivated act.”
Sergeant Irfan Ishaq, chair of the Hertfordshire Association of Muslim Police, said: “We recognize that news of this crime will not only impact the Muslim community but those from all walks of life.”
He said a police presence would be maintained in and around the cemetery.
The cemetery site, located off Oxhey Lane, is owned by Brent Council. Its leader, Muhammed Butt, said that grieving families and the community were in shock.
“There is absolutely no place for hate or discrimination of any kind anywhere, but particularly in London, a city where everyone is welcome and where our diversity is one of our greatest strengths,” he said.
He said the council was working to reinstate the damaged plaques and return the cemetery to a “peaceful, quiet place of remembrance for families.”
Karachi braces for heatwave this week as mercury soars in southern Pakistan
- Starting this Sunday, Karachi’s temperature may surge close to 40 degrees Celsius, says meteorologist
- More relief centers will be set up providing water and first aid to citizens, says commissioner’s office
KARACHI: Authorities in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi are bracing for a heatwave expected to hit the metropolis next Sunday, with the mercury already surging to high levels in some parts of the southern Sindh province.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast “heatwave conditions” are likely to continue in Sindh, South Punjab and Balochistan till Apr. 18. It said that a shallow westerly wave is expected to affect the upper parts of the country from Wednesday afternoon until Apr. 20.
The highest temperature during the day in Sindh was recorded in Nawabshah, 47° C., as per the Met Office. The temperature in other cities of Sindh such as Larkana and Jacobabad surged to 46° C.
“Mainly hot and dry weather is expected over most parts of the country, while very hot in southern parts,” the Met Office said. “However, dust/thunderstorm-rain is expected at isolated places in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar region, Islamabad, northeast Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during (evening/night).”
Meteorologist Anjum Zaigham told Arab News that a heatwave situation is anticipated in Karachi from Sunday onwards. He said the temperature in the city these days is “more or less normal,” ranging between 34 to 37 degrees Celsius.
“Starting this coming Sunday, there will be an increase in the intensity of heat in Karachi, and it is expected that the temperature may reach close to 40 degrees Celsius, potentially creating a heatwave-like situation,” Zaigham said.
He noted that high humidity, particularly in the morning, contributes to a higher “feels like” temperature.
“From this coming Sunday until Wednesday or Thursday, a heatwave like situation may develop in Karachi,” he said.
Relief stalls were set up in different districts of Karachi, with the commissioner’s office spokesperson saying more roadside relief centers will be established to provide water and first aid in case of emergency.
Climate change is exacerbating heat waves in Pakistan, leading to more frequent extreme temperatures. Pakistan ranks among the top ten most vulnerable to climate change impacts and also faces increased risks of untimely downpours, floods and droughts.
These heat waves contribute to various illnesses, significant economic losses and weather-related deaths during the summer season. A deadly heat wave in Karachi in 2015 resulted in over 2,000 deaths, while devastating floods in 2022 killed approximately 1,700 people and affected over 33 million nationwide, requiring extensive rebuilding efforts.
Spain police dig up underground shooting range used by gun traffickers
- Spanish officers raided a house in the southern province of Granada and found the site
- Authorities believe the site was used to test weapons that the group supplied to drug trafficking rings
MADRID: Spanish police said Wednesday they have uncovered an illegal underground firing range they suspect was operated by a weapons trafficking ring that supplied assault rifles and other arms to drug gangs.
Officers raided a house in the southern province of Granada and found the site, which was located three stories underground, said a police statement.
Neighbours could not hear guns going off because of the depth of the range, it added.
Police said it was the first time they had found a “illegal shooting range run by a criminal group” in Spain.
Authorities believe the site was used to test weapons that the group supplied to drug trafficking rings, who then used them to defend themselves or attack rival gangs.
“The operation has removed weapons from the streets that could have been used to commit extremely serious crimes,” the statement said.
Police said the group offered to sell assault rifles, submachine guns and automatic pistols, as well as ammunition, bulletproof vests and other tactical equipment.
Officers arrested three people and seized several weapons and more than 60,000 euros ($68,000) in cash. They said further arrests were possible.
Spain is a major gateway to Europe for drug trafficking networks due to its ties to former colonies in Latin America and its proximity to Morocco, a top cannabis producer.
Bodies of eight Pakistani nationals killed in Iran to be repatriated tonight, says envoy
- Pakistan’s envoy to Iran says Islamabad will send military plane to repatriate bodies for urgent burial
- Baloch separatists claimed responsibility for killing eight Pakistanis in Sistan-Baluchestan last week
ISLAMABAD: The bodies of eight Pakistani nationals killed in Iran last week will be repatriated to the country later tonight, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran announced on Wednesday, saying that a military plane would bring back the corpses for urgent burial.
Pakistan on Saturday confirmed eight of its nationals were killed in the Mehrestan County of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan. The attack was claimed by the Balochistan National Army (BNA), one of several separatist outfits operating in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a televised address to the federal cabinet on Tuesday, hoped Iran would immediately arrest the killers and bring them to justice.
“All arrangements have been completed for sending mortal remains of 8 of our nationals to Bahawalpur tonight,” Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said on social media platform X.
“To honor the departed souls, our leadership is sending military plane for urgent burial.”
Tipu said the Iranian dignitaries will be paying their respects to the bodies before sending them to Pakistan.
IRAN ASSURES ‘FULL COOPERATION’
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi condoled the killing of the Pakistani nationals and assured Islamabad of “full cooperation” in bringing the perpetrators to justice, Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Araghchi spoke to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in a telephone call, the foreign office said.
“Wherein the latter while offering condolences on the tragic death of eight Pakistanis in Iran assured full cooperation in bringing the perpetrators to justice and repatriating the mortal remains of the victims,” the statement said.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly from economically disadvantaged areas, frequently cross into Iran to take up informal work in sectors such as vehicle repair, construction and agriculture.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has faced a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades. Baloch separatist groups accuse the central government of exploiting the region’s natural resources such as gold and copper, without providing benefits to the local population.
Islamabad denies these allegations, asserting that it is committed to improving the lives of Baloch residents through various development projects.
Russia detains former governor of Kursk region
- Alexei Smirnov, 51, and Alexei Dedov, 48, were in charge of the region
- The defendants were taken into custody on Tuesday and Wednesday
MOSCOW: The former governor of Russia’s Kursk region and his ex-deputy have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling over $12 million of funds earmarked for border defenses with Ukraine, authorities said Wednesday.
Alexei Smirnov, 51, and Alexei Dedov, 48, were in charge of the region when Ukrainian troops stormed across the border in August 2024, mounting the biggest ground assault on Russian territory since World War II.
The two were detained “as part of a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of budget funds totalling more than one billion rubles ($12 million),” Russian interior ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Telegram.
The funds were allocated to a local state-backed developer “for the construction of fortifications on the region’s border with Ukraine,” she added.
The defendants were taken into custody on Tuesday and Wednesday, she said, without saying which person was arrested on which date.
Video showed Smirnov being escorted into a glass defendant’s box at Moscow’s Meshchansky District Court.
The court said he would be held in pre-trial detention for at least two months.
Smirnov, governor of the region between May to December 2024, had drawn criticism over his response to the incursion, telling residents the situation was under control despite Ukraine breaking into several settlements.
President Vladimir Putin replaced him with pro-Kremlin lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein in December, saying the region needed a new crisis manager after residents voiced anger at the handling of the attack.
Kyiv’s forces captured hundreds of square kilometers of territory in the assault, but Moscow has since reclaimed most of it back.
