Global News

By AFP and Reuters | Posted by TOE An air strike near Chad’s border with Sudan has killed at least 12 people, with Chad accusing the Sudanese army of launching it. Addressing Thursday’s strike, a Chadian security source said it “targeted a fuel market where the RSF [Rapid Support Forces] refuel. The strike killed 12 people and wounded seven”, AFP news agency reported about the attack on the paramilitary group. Chad’s accusation comes against the backdrop of a civil war between Sudan’s army and the RSF which has lasted over three years and displaced millions of people. Previously, Chad said that Sudan was responsible for an air strike that hit a military convoy in its territory last week. Chad’s army said the strikes took place more than 100km (62 miles) inside its territory in the eastern Ennedi region, and that there were no Chadian casualties. In response to threats posed by drones, Chad had raised its alert lev...

By Yomna Ehab and Parisa Hafezi Reuters Qatar’s prime minister ​will visit Tehran on Thursday in a bid to relaunch diplomacy after the U.S. and Iran traded recriminations over Washington’s promise to increase economic pressure on ‌Tehran by targeting its trade partners for sanctions. A Gulf neighbour of Iran and a U.S. ally, Qatar has served as a back-channel negotiator for the warring parties and played a direct role in securing the June ceasefire that briefly led to a cessation of hostilities. The visit comes as the war nears its sixth month with fighting largely paused but no diplomatic breakthrough in sight. Both sides are at odds over control of ​the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil supplies that Tehran has used as leverage. An unidentified projectile hit a tanker in the strait to set off ​a fire that was later doused, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said early on Thursday, but all crew were safe and ⁠accounted for. ...

By Gopal Sharma Reuters | Posted by TOE Heavy casualties are feared after a massive flash flood in parts of northern Nepal washed away villages and damaged infrastructure, including a hydropower dam. A ⁠massive flash flood ⁠in the Himalayan nation of Nepal ⁠washed away villages while damaging roads, bridges and power projects in a region bordering Tibet, authorities said on Wednesday, as they warned against the risk of casualties. The waters ​were too high for helicopters to land in Nepal’s affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, with a population of about 50,000, officials said, while flagging the risk of casualties. “There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” district administrator Narendra Pariyar told Reuters. “But I cannot say for sure now.” Pariyar urged those living on ‌the banks of the Bhote Koshi river ⁠in the area to seek higher ground, pointing to reports that nearby villag...

By DENG MACHOL AP | Posted by TOE Armed men ambushed a patrol traveling to a remote area of  South Sudan  on Monday, killing two U.N. peacekeepers, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan said. Though  violence is rampant  in the African country, attacks against peacekeepers are rare. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven others were wounded — three peacekeepers, two members of the South Sudanese police and two civilian staffers, the mission known as UNMISS said in a statement. The two peacekeepers killed and three injured were from Ethiopia, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. The mission said it had deployed a “Quick Reaction Force” to secure the area and support the emergency response after the attack. The patrol was going to the area of Pajut in the state of Jonglei when it came under attack. “Such deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel who are serving to support peace in South Sudan is un...

By Reuters | Posted by TOE Iran has issued a warning that vessels violating its ‌arrangements for transiting the Strait ‌of Hormuz could face restrictions, including fines, detention, ​or confiscation, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority wrote in a post on X. The warning heightens risks for the charterers and ‌shipowners whose ⁠vessels transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for ⁠the world’s energy shipments. The PGSA, a new body Iran has established with ​the aim ​of managing the ​strait, has said ‌cargo owners should refer to an updated list of vessels deemed non-compliant for voyages relating to the Persian Gulf. Vessels engaging in operations including ship-to-ship transfers or ‌transshipment with non-compliant vessels ​will also be ​added to the ​restricted list, it said. Ships ‌seeking the removal of their ​names from ​the non-compliant vessels’ list must submit a request with relevant explanations ​to Iran’s ‌maritime authorities,...

By Associated Press | Posted by TOE A mountainous heap of refuse collapsed at the largest landfill in Guinea ‘s capital of Conakry early on Sunday, killing 30 people, according to the central government. Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2 a.m., washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam — the largest landfill in Conakry — and triggered a landslide that buried nearby shacks. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed. The site, an open-air waste dump which is the largest in the city, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion. Locals living around the landfill had been given eviction notices, which forced many to leave the area, but many others were still around at the time of the disaster, according to authorities. “We will ensure that the remaining famili...