Sudan has declared an economic state of emergency after its currency fell sharply in recent weeks, setting up special courts to prosecute what officials called a "systematic operation" to vandalise the economy.
The transitional government, in charge of the country since the removal of authoritarian president Omar Al Bashir last year, will criminalise purchasing, selling, possessing or smuggling raw gold or precious minerals, key hard-currency earners.
Officials blamed manipulation by those opposing the transitional government for the decline of the Sudanese pound in recent weeks.
"We are able to simply say what happened is an open war against the revolution, the economy, the government," Information Minister Faisal Saleh told a news conference on Thursday.
Special courts will be set up in coming days to fight smuggling and other illicit activities, he said.
Sudan, a gold producer, took steps in June to further open up the precious metals trade to private investors, allowing them to handle all exports and taking the business out of state hands.
But authorities recently noted people selling gold at above market price to intentionally move the exchange rate.
"What is happening is a systematic operation to vandalise the Sudanese economy, choke the transitional government, and we will not relent or be complacent," acting Finance Minister Hiba Mohammed Ali said.
Al Bashir's government had tried to crack down on the black-market traders by arresting some of them, but had little success. The currency has been devalued four times since 2018.
Inflation in Sudan is second only to that of Venezuela, with the headline rate climbing to 143.78 per cent in July.
Security forces would also step up border controls to stop the smuggling of commodities, officials said.
Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdelbari said smugglers would be punished by 10 years in prison.
Also Thursday, an economic adviser to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said that the European Union would soon begin sending more than €300 million (Dh1.3 billion) in aid as part of a commitment made at a donor conference.
Sudan is technically ineligible for debt relief and financing from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank because of its blacklisting by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation dating back to Al Bashir's Islamist government.
Mr Abdelbari said Sudan expected to be removed "soon" from the US list, a move that would require approval from the US Congress.
Last month, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo became the highest-ranking US official in more than a decade to visit Sudan, underscoring a dramatic turnaround in relations with the African country that became an international pariah under Al Bashir’s long rule.
Sudan last week declared a three-month state of emergency over flooding across most of the country.
The United Nations said on Thursday that the floods had affected more than half a million people, destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes and raised the risk of disease outbreaks.
As of Tuesday, "557,130 people have been affected by floods in 17 out of Sudan's 18 states", said the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or Ocha.
It said the worst-hit states were Khartoum, North Darfur in the country's west, and Sennar in the south "which account for 43 per cent of all people affected".
At least 111,426 homes were damaged or destroyed across the country, Ocha said.
The floods have been caused by unprecedented heavy rains that have battered Sudan for more than a month.
According to the civil defence, at least 103 people have been killed and dozens others injured.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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