UN seeks $6 billion to ease ‘appalling’ suffering in Sudan
Appeal represents 40 percent increase from 2024 amid tight budgets
UN plan is most ambitious globally, aiming to reach 21 mln people
Updated 17 February 2025
Reuters
GENEVA: The United Nations said on Monday it is seeking $6 billion for Sudan this year from international donors to help ease suffering in what it called one of the most devastating crises of our times, characterised by mass displacement and growing famine.
The UN appeal represents a rise of more than 40 percent from last year’s for Sudan at a time when aid budgets around the world are under increasing strain, partly due to a pause in funding announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs across the globe.
But the UN says the funds are necessary because the impact of the 22-month war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — that has already displaced a fifth of its population and stoked severe hunger among around half its population — looks set to worsen.
“Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher ahead of the launch. “Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages. Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling.”
Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, the UN statement said, adding that this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.
One of the famine-stricken camps was attacked by the RSF last week as the paramilitary group tries to tighten its grip on its Darfur stronghold.
While some aid agencies say they have received waivers from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains on the extent of coverage for providing famine relief.
The UN plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people within the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response so far for 2025, and requires $4.2 billion — the rest being for those displaced by the conflict.
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says
Both nations attacked military installations in their mainlands this month before the US brokered a ceasefire on May 10
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza says latest conflict has lowered the ‘threshold,’ won’t be restricted to disputed Kashmir
Updated 9 min 39 sec ago
Reuters
SINGAPORE: Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbors this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future.
Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced.
The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad.
On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were “terrorist infrastructure” sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier.
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels.
“We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,” said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict.
India’s ministry of defense and the office of the Indian chief of defense staff did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza.
Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move toward nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation.
“Nothing happened this time,” he said. “But you can’t rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.”
He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India.
‘DANGEROUS TREND’
The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947.
New Delhi blames Pakistan for an insurgency in India-administered part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination.
“This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers...in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,” Mirza said. “This is a very dangerous trend.”
Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral.
But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries.
“The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,” he said.
Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries.
India’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday “talks and terror don’t go together” in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan.
Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defense staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum.
“These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,” Mirza said.
Death toll in central Nigeria floods rises to 36: rescuers
Updated 13 min ago
AFP
KANO: The death toll in central Nigeria flash floods has risen to 36 after rescuers recovered more bodies, an emergency services spokesman told AFP Friday.
Flooding after torrential rains late on Wednesday washed away more than 50 homes in the city of Mokwa in central Niger state, drowning residents with many missing, according to the Niger state emergency management agency (SEMA).
“As at this morning, 11 more bodies were recovered in addition to the 25 found earlier, which brings the number of fatalities to 36 so far,” Ibrahim Audu Husseini, SEMA spokesman said.
Teams of rescuers continued to search for missing residents into Friday.
“We expect the toll to rise considerably because there are different rescuers at different locations,” Husseini said.
Nigeria’s rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Scientists warn that climate change is already fueling more extreme weather patterns.
Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country.
In Nigeria, the floods are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways, and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday.
In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, making it one of the country’s worst floods in decades, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Digital shift keeps Saudi credit card borrowing above $8bn and just 2% below record level
Updated 22 min 34 sec ago
Dayan Abou Tine
RIYADH: Credit card loans from Saudi banks posted their second-highest figure on record in the first quarter of 2025, after an annual rise of 12.53 percent.
According to the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, this borrowing of SR30.66 billion ($8.18 billion) is just 2 percent below the all-time peak recorded at the end of 2024.
SAMA figures also revealed that consumer loans reached SR479.78 billion in what was a 6.41 percent rise during the same period.
The vast majority – over 90 percent – of consumer lending falls into a broad “other” category, which includes debt consolidation, personal family expenses, or any borrowing not classified under the specific purposes.
This indicates that many Saudis take personal loans for a range of needs, from home renovations to weddings, but each of those specific uses is a relatively small slice of the overall figures.
Multiple factors are supporting the rapid growth of the credit card segment. A central driver is the national push toward a cashless society under Vision 2030, which has seen SAMA implementing policies to promote electronic payments and reduce dependence on cash.
This includes expanding point-of-sale infrastructure, mandating that businesses accept electronic payments, and fostering fintech innovation. As a result, 79 percent of all retail transactions in 2024 were electronic, card or digital payments, up from 70 percent the year before, according to an April release by SAMA.
In parallel, banking penetration has expanded, with nearly all bank cards in the Kingdom now enabled for contactless payments. By 2023, 98 percent of in-person card transactions were contactless — up from just 4 percent in 2017— according to Visa executive Andrew Torre, speaking to Arab News in October.
There is a push toward a cashless society under Vision 2030. Shutterstock
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift to tapping cards and phones, ingraining cashless habits. With nearly 50 million payment cards in circulation and a decline in ATM usage, the ecosystem is primed for card spending over cash.
Another factor is consumer behavior and economic policy. Strong consumer spending in Saudi Arabia — supported by economic growth and initiatives to boost household income — has encouraged more use of credit for purchases.
Rather than delaying purchases, many consumers are comfortable using credit cards to buy now and pay later, especially with the availability of installment plans.
Additionally, banks and payment networks are actively marketing credit cards with attractive promotions. Cashback deals, reward points, airline miles, and no-fee installment offers are abundant, which incentivizes consumers to use credit cards for both large and small purchases.
The entry of Shariah-compliant credit cards has also played a role. By addressing religious sensitivities, Islamic banks have made credit cards acceptable to a wider customer base that previously avoided interest-based products.
Furthermore, the growth of e-commerce and digital services in Saudi Arabia has naturally increased credit card adoption. Online retailers, food delivery apps, ride-hailing, and travel platforms often work best with card payments, so as these services proliferate, so does card usage.
Consumer loan usage and slower growth trends
Credit cards and personal consumer loans differ fundamentally in structure, usage, and cost. Consumer loans in Saudi Arabia are typically taken as a fixed amount to be repaid in installments over a set term, usually at relatively lower interest or profit rates.
They are often used for significant expenses like buying a car, financing education, or other big-ticket needs, and come with a structured repayment plan that helps borrowers budget effectively.
By contrast, a credit card provides a revolving credit line up to a predefined limit, with no fixed repayment period as long as the borrower makes minimum payments.
Traditional consumer loans, which are often called personal loans, remain much larger in absolute terms than credit card debt in Saudi Arabia, but their growth has been relatively sluggish in recent quarters.
These loans — which exclude mortgages — totaled SR471 billion by the end of 2024, and saw annual growth in the mid-single digits compared to double-digit growth for credit cards.
In early 2024, growth was even slower. In the first quarter, consumer lending was up less than 1 percent year-on-year, and in the second quarter around 2 percent, before accelerating later in the year according to SAMA data.
Saudi Central Bank. File
The uses of consumer loans are generally for big one-time expenditures or needs. The largest defined sub-category is financing for vehicles, which accounted for roughly 2.5 percent to 3 percent of total consumer loans in 2024. Other specific purposes include education loans and loans for furniture and durable goods, and vehicle and private transport means.
The recent slower growth of consumer loans compared to credit cards can be attributed to a number of factors.
High interest rates over 2022 to 2023, as global rates climbed, made borrowing via fixed loans less attractive, potentially dampening demand. By contrast, credit card lines were often already in place and could be tapped without a new loan application.
Another factor is the growing availability of credit card installment plans and Buy Now, Pay Later services, which are increasingly used to cover expenses that previously required personal loans.
With zero-interest installment offers and flexible repayment options — particularly appealing to younger consumers — many now prefer to finance mid-sized purchases through these tools rather than committing to long-term bank loans.
All of this has led to personal loan growth being moderate. Nonetheless, consumer loans did rise in absolute terms, primarily driven by continued needs for cars, education, and other big expenses.
The credit card segment’s growth outpaced consumer loans by a wide margin, highlighting a shift in how Saudis finance their spending toward more flexible, short-term credit and digital payment tools, and slightly away from traditional fixed personal borrowing.
Al-Nassr working on renewing Ronaldo deal, says club chief
Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified
Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons
Updated 26 min 52 sec ago
Reuters
RIYADH: Al-Nassr are negotiating with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract extension but face competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d’Or winner, the Saudi side’s sporting director Fernando Hierro said on Thursday.
Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified after Al-Nassr’s season-ending match at Al-Fateh on Monday, with Ronaldo posting on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
“Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 30. We will work to renew his contract so he can continue with us, and there are many clubs interested in signing him,” Hierro told a news conference.
Despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the June 14-July 13 tournament in the United States.
FIFA has created a special transfer window for clubs to sign players for the event, and while Wydad Casablanca had been linked with a move for Ronaldo a source close to the Moroccan side said last week they were not in talks to sign him.
Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons and Hierro described him as a trailblazer for Saudi football.
“Ronaldo’s presence from the beginning is a national project,” Hierro said.
“Cristiano has opened up soccer in this country to the world. It’s phenomenal that he had the courage to come here, stay here, and open up the Saudi Arabian league to the world.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Olympic medalist Arshad Nadeem and compatriot javelin thrower Muhammad Yasir have qualified for the finals of the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.
The championship, running from May 27 till May 31, is featuring over 2,000 athletes from 43 countries, who are competing across 45 track and field events at the Gumi Civic Stadium.
Nadeem advanced to the final with a powerful throw of 86.34 meters on his first and only attempt in the A qualification round, while Yasir secured his spot in the final with a 76.07-meter throw in the B qualification round.
“Alhamdulillah, qualified this morning for the final competition tomorrow afternoon at 1:10pm Pakistan time at the Asian Championships,” Nadeem said on X.
“As always I would need your support and prayers.”
Alhamdulilah qualified this morning for the final competition tomorrow Afternoon at 1.10PM Pakistan time at the Asian Championships. As always I would need your support and prayers pic.twitter.com/Jc6VvKxsZs
Nadeem tops the 21-member field. He is followed by Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage with a throw of 83.71 meters and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama with a throw of 81.36 meters.
Yasir entered the final ranked 9th.
Nadeem made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning Pakistan’s first-ever athletics gold with a record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97 meters. His throw not only set a new Olympic and Asian record but also ended Pakistan’s 32-year Olympic medal drought.
He has since become a national hero, inspiring millions with his journey from humble beginnings in smalltown Mian Channu to the top of the Olympic podium.
