The UAE, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Switzerland, the UN and the African Union issued a joint statement on Friday welcoming the decision by the Sudanese Armed Forces to reopen the Adre border crossing with Chad for three months, allowing the passage of vital humanitarian assistance to hunger-stricken areas.
The army-aligned government in February blocked aid deliveries through the crossing into territory controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The council said it was being used for the delivery of weapons, with the country gripped by conflict since April last year.
The decision was announced as talks are held in Geneva to find a route to peace in Sudan. The army-backed government has refused to attend the negotiations, which are being co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, with the UAE, African Union, Egypt and the UN forming a steering committee.
“The delegations in Geneva welcome the decision by the Sudanese Armed Forces to open the Adre border crossing – a critical step for saving lives and preventing the spread of famine – and we look forward to seeing the first convoys cross in the coming days," the statement read.
"We call on the RSF to take immediate steps to ensure that the aid groups entering through the Adre border are provided safety, unfettered humanitarian access and operational independence from armed and political actors."
Adre crossing
The reopening of the vital border crossing with Chad would allow humanitarian assistance to flow into the western region of Darfur, where hunger is more widespread than anywhere else in Sudan.
"We all must take immediate steps to move humanitarian assistance into Darfur and across Sudan with safe and unhindered passage to the people in need, regardless of which party controls territory," the statement said.
"The expansion of humanitarian assistance is a top priority for the members of the international community gathered in Switzerland. The facilitation of humanitarian access and civilian protection is consistent with the parties' commitments under the Jeddah declarations and obligations under international humanitarian law."
Aid agencies said thousands of tonnes of aid had been stranded in Chad, with the army's only approved crossing into the region, Al Tina, inundated by heavy rain.
Delivering aid at other approved points, including five crossings designated by the government's de facto capital in Port Sudan, takes longer and involves entering conflict areas, aid agencies said.
Sudan is experiencing the world's worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory according to the UN, as clashes continued between the army and the RSF. More than 10 million people have been displaced from their homes as the country edges closer to full-scale famine.
Escalating violence in Sudan has severely restricted humanitarian access and pushed parts of North Darfur into famine, notably Zamzam camp for displaced people, according to a report by a global food security monitor.
Areas including the camp, 12km south of El Fasher, which has a population of more than 500,000, are experiencing “the worst form of hunger”, known as Phase 5 on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an internationally recognised standard.
The UN's World Food Programme also welcomed the news regarding the border crossing.
The opening of the Adre crossing comes at a crucial time when the only other border crossing from Chad to Darfur has been rendered unusable by heavy rains, leaving about 30 trucks carrying WFP aid unable to cross, Lenny Kisnley, WFP Sudan spokesperson said in a video conference in Geneva on Friday.
Zamzam camp, close to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is confronting a dire situation with famine already declared.
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023, after weeks of tension over the role of the army and RSF descended into violence. The fighting was initially restricted to the capital Khartoum, but later spread across much of the country, with the RSF seizing large areas of territory from the army.
Both sides claim to be fighting for a democratic Sudan and vow to put the country on the right path of freedom and prosperity. However, the conflict is rooted in a 2021 coup jointly staged by army leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his one-time ally Gen Mohamed Dagalo, commander of the RSF.
The coup overthrew a transitional government that took office after the ousting in 2019 of ruler Omar Al Bashir amid a popular uprising, derailing the country's transition to democratic rule and plunging it into one of its worst political and economic crisis.
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Series result
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2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
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General Intelligence Directorate
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Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
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