US slaps sanctions on Sudan paramilitary leader

US slaps sanctions on Sudan paramilitary leader
The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions against a senior leader in war-torn Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for his role in obtaining weapons for the paramilitary organization. (AFP/File)
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Updated 08 October 2024
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US slaps sanctions on Sudan paramilitary leader

US slaps sanctions on Sudan paramilitary leader
  • Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa was sanctioned “for his involvement in RSF efforts to procure weapons and other military materiel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said
  • His actions have fueled war in Sudan “and brutal RSF atrocities against civilians”

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions against a senior leader in war-torn Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for his role in obtaining weapons for the paramilitary organization.
Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced since war broke out in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the RSF after their head generals refused a plan to integrate.
Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa was sanctioned “for his involvement in RSF efforts to procure weapons and other military materiel that have enabled the RSF’s ongoing operations in Sudan,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
His actions have fueled war in Sudan “and brutal RSF atrocities against civilians, which have included war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing,” Miller said.
The US Treasury said that as a result of such sanctions “all property and interests in property of the designated persons... that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported.”
The United States has led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting in Sudan but has seen limited success and leverage, with RSF commanders unlikely to hold major assets in the West that would be affected by sanctions.


Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year as tensions with US loom

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year as tensions with US loom
Updated 7 sec ago
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Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year as tensions with US loom

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year as tensions with US loom
TEHRAN, Iran: I’ve worked for The Associated Press as a photographer since 1999. A lot of what I cover involves either Iran’s government or its relations with the West, but I also try to shoot on the streets of Tehran as well to show the world what life looks like here in my hometown.
The fire festival offers a great opportunity for that.
Known as “Chaharshanbe Souri” in Farsi, the festival comes in the hours just before the Wednesday before Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year.
To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky. Others jump over and around fires, chanting “My yellow is yours, your red is mine,” invoking the replacement of ills with warmth and energy.
The fire festival also features an Iranian version of trick-or-treating, with people going door to door and being given a holiday mix of nuts and berries, as well as buckets of water.
It’s not necessarily an easy assignment though. Here in Iran, some people remain sensitive about having their photograph taken, particularly women who aren’t wearing Iran’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab.
Meanwhile, the joy sometimes overcomes safety concerns as smoke fills the air and fireworks explode at random overhead. There are injuries every year and sometimes deaths. I ended up having a piece of a burning firecracker land inside my left shoe. I’m OK — it just burned a hole through my sock and left a small blister.
I used a flash for some of my photos to capture people jumping through the fire, given their speed and the low light available. One picture my photo editors especially liked shows a man holding a lit firework, his face silhouetted by its bright light. Behind him, you can see the empty branches of trees in the park I shot in.
Nowruz marks the start of spring. Soon, leaves will sprout again.

Gaza civil defense says 13 killed in Israeli strikes overnight

Gaza civil defense says 13 killed in Israeli strikes overnight
Updated 15 min 24 sec ago
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Gaza civil defense says 13 killed in Israeli strikes overnight

Gaza civil defense says 13 killed in Israeli strikes overnight
  • Israel on Tuesday launched its most intense strikes on the Gaza Strip since a January 19 ceasefire
  • The bombardments, which came after the collapse of talks on extending the truce, killed more than 400 people

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Wednesday that 13 people had been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian territory since midnight.
Israel “carried out several air strikes... which resulted in the deaths of 13 people and wounded dozens, including women and children, in Khan Younis and Gaza City,” Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the agency, said.
Israel on Tuesday launched its most intense strikes on the Gaza Strip since a January 19 ceasefire between it and Palestinian militants Hamas ended more than 15 months of war.
The bombardments, which came after the collapse of talks on extending the truce, killed more than 400 people, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned late Tuesday that the strikes were “only the beginning” and that future negotiations with Hamas “will take place only under fire.”
“Hamas has already felt the strength of our arm in the past 24 hours. And I want to promise you – and them – this is only the beginning,” he said in a video statement.
Netanyahu’s office also said early Wednesday that the Israeli government had “unanimously approved” his proposal to reappoint far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir as national security minister.
Ben Gvir had resigned in protest over the January 19 ceasefire agreement, which his Jewish Power party called a “capitulation to Hamas.”
Israel has vowed to keep fighting until the return of all the hostages seized by the Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war.
Hamas has not responded militarily so far, but in a statement it urged friendly countries to “pressure” the United States to bring to an end the strikes by its ally Israel.


Police arrest Istanbul mayor, a key Erdogan rival, over alleged corruption and terror links

Police arrest Istanbul mayor, a key Erdogan rival, over alleged corruption and terror links
Updated 19 March 2025
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Police arrest Istanbul mayor, a key Erdogan rival, over alleged corruption and terror links

Police arrest Istanbul mayor, a key Erdogan rival, over alleged corruption and terror links
  • The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued warrants for some 100 other people
  • The arrest came after a search of Ekrem Imamoglu’s home, a day after a university invalidated his diploma

ISTANBUL: Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor — a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and terror links, media reported.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued warrants for some 100 other people. Authorities closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest.
The arrest came after a search of Ekrem Imamoglu’s home, a day after a university invalidated his diploma, effectively disqualifying the popular opposition figure from running in the next presidential race. Having a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
The mayor’s party — the main opposition Republican People’s Party — is to hold a primary on Sunday where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen for its candidate in future presidential elections. Turkiye’s next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but early elections are likely.
“We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged,” Imamoglu said in a video message posted on social media. He accused the government of “usurping the will” of the people.
In nullifying Imamoglu’s diploma, Istanbul University cited alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration. Imamoglu said he would challenge the decision.
The opposition leader faces multiple lawsuits, including allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.
Imamoglu is also appealing a 2022 conviction of insulting members of Turkiye’s Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political ban.
He was elected mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in March 2019 in a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. The party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won. The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which his party made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.


Iran-backed Houthis claim fourth attack against US warships

Iran-backed Houthis claim fourth attack against US warships
Updated 19 March 2025
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Iran-backed Houthis claim fourth attack against US warships

Iran-backed Houthis claim fourth attack against US warships
  • The U.S. launched a wave of strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who said last week they were resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping to support Palestinians in Gaza

SANAA: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Wednesday they launched another attack against American warships in the Red Sea, their fourth time firing on the carrier group in 72 hours.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson said the operation entailed “a number of cruise missiles and drones, targeting the aircraft carrier ‘USS Harry Truman’ and a number of enemy warships,” adding that the attack was “the fourth within 72 hours.”
 

 


After one of the deadliest days in Gaza, here’s the conflict in numbers

After one of the deadliest days in Gaza, here’s the conflict in numbers
Updated 19 March 2025
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After one of the deadliest days in Gaza, here’s the conflict in numbers

After one of the deadliest days in Gaza, here’s the conflict in numbers
  • The renewed Israeli offensive threatens to escalate the spiraling humanitarian crisis for Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians

JERUSALEM: Israel’s wave of predawn airstrikes across Gaza shattered two months of relative calm during a ceasefire with Hamas. Tuesday was one of the deadliest days in Gaza since the war began, with over 400 Palestinians killed and hundreds more wounded.
The first phase of the ceasefire saw Hamas release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal also called on Israel to ramp up delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. After those exchanges wrapped up, Israel cut off all aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas to extend the ceasefire.
The renewed Israeli offensive threatens to escalate the spiraling humanitarian crisis for Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians. Hamas says the pounding bombardments put the 24 remaining hostages’ lives in danger.
Here’s a look at the 17-month-old conflic t by the numbers, sourced from the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli military and government, and the United Nations.
Current situation inside Gaza
Palestinians killed Tuesday — at least 404
Women and children killed Tuesday — 263
Senior Hamas officials killed Tuesday — 6
Aid trucks Israel let into Gaza since March 2 — zero
Overall war statistics
Palestinians killed — at least 48,981
(The Hamas-linked Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says more than half of them were women and children.)
Palestinians wounded — at least 112,603
Average number of aid trucks entering Gaza each day in December — 93 (UN), 163 (Israel)
Aid trucks entering Gaza each day between the start of the ceasefire and March 2 — 600
People killed in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — 1,200
Israeli soldiers killed in Israel’s subsequent ground operation in Gaza — 407
Palestinians displaced at war’s peak — 1.9 million, or roughly 90 percent of the population
Hostages/Prisoners
Living hostages held by Hamas — 24
Non-Israelis — 1 Thai and 1 Nepalese (alive), 2 Thais and 1 Tanzanian (dead)
Living Israeli hostages — 22, including 4 soldiers
Bodies of hostages held by Hamas — 35, including 9 soldiers
Hostages released during recent ceasefire — 33
Hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023 — 251
Palestinian prisoners released during recent ceasefire — more than 1,700