The Governor of Sudan's turbulent Darfur region, Mini Miniawi, is calling on residents to arm themselves for self-protection, an ominous move that comes amid intensifying fighting in the vast and mostly desert area.
The call by Mr Miniawi, a former rebel leader, comes just two days after national army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan called up reservists and retired soldiers to join the six-week-old fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of his former ally, Gen Mohamed Dagalo.
The Defence Ministry in Khartoum has also called on able-bodied men and retired soldiers to go to the nearest army base to be armed to protect themselves, their families and property against looters, who are widely believed to be members of the RSF or criminal gangs.
Much of the fighting in Sudan, which began on April 15, has been focused in Khartoum and Darfur, which borders with Chad and was the battlefield of a civil war in the 2000s, when the RSF's forerunner, the Janjaweed militia, fought on the government's side against African rebels.
The violence left 300,000 dead and displaced 2.5 million, according to UN estimates.
Darfur saw renewed tribal and ethnic violence after Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo jointly staged a coup in 2021 that upended Sudan's democratic transition and plunged the nation into political and economic crises, as well as creating a security vacuum in outlying regions including Darfur and Blue Nile in the south.
That latest violence killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.
Mr Miniawi has declared his support for the army in its fight against the RSF.
His men are now fighting the RSF in Darfur, which is known to be awash with weapons. The fighting in Darfur has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands who sought refuge in neighbouring Chad.
Mr Miniawi's call on citizens of Darfur to arm themselves came in a tweet he posted on Sunday.
"There are many who do not wish for the safety or rights of citizens and deliberately sabotage national institutions," he wrote.
"I call on all our honourable citizens, the people of Darfur, old and young, men and women, to take up arms to protect their property."
Mr Miniawi and Gen Al Burhan's calls do not bode well for a close end to the fighting in Sudan. A week-long ceasefire mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia expires on Monday night.
The fighting across Sudan has killed more than 1,800 people in the past six weeks, according to some estimates. The death toll could be much higher.
The UN says more than a million people have been displaced within Sudan, and 319,000 have fled to neighbouring countries which also include Egypt and South Sudan.
Also on Sunday, Saudi Arabia and the US called for the extension of the ceasefire, which has brought relative calm in Khartoum but little humanitarian relief for the millions trapped in the city with little water, food, power or medical care, and having to fend off looters.
There were clashes overnight in Khartoum and its adjoining sister city Omdurman across the Nile.
"While imperfect, an extension nonetheless will facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people," Saudi Arabia and the US said in a joint statement.
They also warned that both sides appeared to be preparing themselves for an escalation in the fighting.
The RSF has said it is ready to discuss the possibility of renewing the truce, while the army said it was considering it.
Pathaan
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Nope'
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Lady Parma, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Mutawakked, Szczepan Mazur, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The%20new%20Turing%20Test
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE) 68 72 69 67 - 4-under