Arab League Council condemns Israeli plan to impose control over Gaza
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Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sudan's Famine Enters Dangerous New Phase
With the world's attention focused on crises elsewhere, Sudan's war-induced famine is growing in what used to be productive farmlands. Staples of the Sudanese diet, such as sorghum and millet, have been unavailable in most markets, forcing people to survive on animal feed made of peanut shells. Now even that has become too expensive for most people because of constrained supplies. Heavy rains are cutting off roads, class="backlink" data-vars-page-type="story" data-vars-link-type="Manual" data-vars-anchor-text="warring parties">warring parties are blocking aid deliveries and farmers are reluctant to risk being killed while working the fields. The country is now in the middle of the long, dry period between harvests—from the middle of July to September. Famine could spread from six locations to 17, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative supported by the United Nations and major relief agencies, said recently. 'Millions of people are already weakened after a sustained run of rising hunger; many do not have the strength to miss even a single meal a day,' said Francesco Lanino, Save the Children's deputy country director for Sudan. More than two-thirds of the country's 49 million people need humanitarian aid, according to the U.N. With the U.S., formerly the largest donor to the mosaic of aid agencies working on the ground, now stripping back its contributions, a full-blown disaster is building unless the war ends. How did the crisis reach this point? Darfur has been the site of two genocides over the past two decades. Both have been carried out by what is now called the Rapid Support Forces, a rebel group trying to overthrow Sudan's military government. The RSF, which is composed mainly of ethnically Arab fighters, has been targeting tens of thousands of Black Sudanese in Darfur. The Sudanese army's last stronghold is in Darfur's capital, El Fasher. Residents trapped there are subjected to daily bombings and ethnic violence. The RSF fighters, driving in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns, have repeatedly attacked displacement camps over the course of the war, raping women and killing men and teenage boys, rights groups say. Recently, RSF fighters attacked two famine-stricken displacement camps outside El Fasher, where they killed more than 40 civilians and injured dozens of others. The fighting, now in its third year, has triggered the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with the U.N. accusing both sides of using hunger as a weapon. The U.S. estimates that more than 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict. What does it look like on the ground? In August last year, the IPC's review committee declared that famine had taken hold in the Zamzam displacement camp, home to more than 500,000 people. Some 637,000 Sudanese are already living in famine, with an estimated eight million in need of emergency food assistance, according to the U.N. In the city of El Fasher, the U.N.'s World Food Program is supporting over 250,000 trapped residents with digital cash, but they can't find any food to purchase in the markets due to blocked roads, according to the U.N. 'Everyone in El Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,' said Eric Perdison, WFP's regional director. 'People's coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war.' Children at a camp in Sudan's Nuba Mountains last year. At a displaced-people's camp in South Darfur, some 13 children have died from starvation in early August, while many other residents are battling malnutrition, the Sudan Doctors Network said. In the Kordofan region, famed for its sorghum and wheat fields, residents have begun to starve to death, after escalating violence disrupted the main harvest, aid officials say. In areas around the Nuba Mountains, bags of food aid dropped from aircraft—to sidestep rebel-infested highways—often split open on landing, leaving famine-stricken residents scrambling to collect what food they can from the ground. What can the rest of the world do to intervene? The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have led talks to reach a truce between the warring factions, but with little success. During the signing of a peace deal between Rwanda and Congo in Washington in June, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington's next priority would be to end Sudan's conflict. But there are powerful geopolitical factors in play, with countries like Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China all competing for influence. With a 400-mile Red Sea coastline, the country is perched on a strategic shipping lane between the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. The U.S. has accused Russia of backing both sides, while Iran and the U.A.E. have also seized on the conflict to extend their influence across the region. Iran tried to persuade Sudan to let it build a naval base on its Red Sea coast, while the U.A.E. has been aiding the RSF to protect its economic interests in Sudan, which range from ports along the Nile River to vast farmlands and lucrative gold mining operations, according to researchers and activists. In response to a request for comment, the U.A.E. denied that it was aiding either side in the war and called for an immediate cease-fire and unhindered passage for humanitarian aid throughout the country. A camp hosting Sudanese refugees in Chad last year. How could this war destabilize the region? The RSF has seized control of the strategic border region that straddles Sudan, Egypt and Libya, inserting themselves at the center of a vital trade corridor. The region also serves as a transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe from sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly four million Sudanese have fled to neighboring countries, most of them to Chad, South Sudan, Libya and Ethiopia. The influx has strained public resources in some of the most-fragile states and increased the spread of diseases such as cholera, measles and malaria, further straining underfunded refugee camps, according to the World Health Organization. Write to Nicholas Bariyo at Sudan's Famine Enters Dangerous New Phase
News18
13 minutes ago
- News18
Chandigarh Police personnel honoured on Independence Day 2025
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], August 15 (ANI): On the occasion of Independence Day 2025, UT Chandigarh Director General of Police Dr Sagar Preet Hooda was awarded the President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) for his exemplary contributions during his tenure in Delhi. Sub-Inspector Rajender Kumar and Head Constable Vikram of Chandigarh Police were conferred the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) for their outstanding commitment and addition, 18 personnel of Chandigarh Police were honoured with the Administrator's Police Medal for Distinguished or Meritorious Service. The recipients of the Administrator's Police Medal for Distinguished Service included ASI/LR Kawaljeet Singh, ASI/LR Malvinder Singh, ASI/LR Munish Kumar, and HC Sunil awarded the Administrator's Police Medal for Meritorious Service included Inspector Mini, SI Dinesh Kumar, SI Rakesh Kumar, ASI/LR Naresh Kumar, ASI/LR Gautam Singh, HC/PR Manju, HC Meenu, HC/PR Vishal Bamel, HC Amit, Sr. Constable Rakesh Kumar, Sr. Constable Vipin Sharma, Sr. Lady Constable Bharti Rawat, Sr. Constable Sandeep Kumar, and Sr. Constable honours, conferred by the UT Administration, highlight the unwavering dedication, professionalism and exemplary service of Chandigarh Police in maintaining safety, security and public Punjab Governor and Chandigarh's Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria hoisted the tricolour during the Independence Day celebrations at Chandigarh's Sector 17 Parade Ground, delivering a spirited address that honoured the sacrifices of freedom fighters, lauded the bravery of the armed forces, and reminded citizens of their duty to protect the nation's unity and rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters, Kataria said that August 15 was not only the day India broke free from 200 years of colonial rule but also a celebration of its cultural unity. He particularly emphasised Punjab's unmatched contribution to the independence movement, recalling the sacrifices of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh and Kartar Singh against ongoing threats from neighbouring countries through cross-border terrorism, drug smuggling and arms trafficking, Kataria praised the armed forces and security agencies for their vigilance and courage. He hailed recent operations such as Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev as proof of India's readiness to take decisive action in the face of the issue of narcotics, Kataria described drugs as 'a threat to the very foundation of our society" and urged young people to reject them completely to help build a strong and healthy India. He said the Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration were working relentlessly through anti-drug drives, rehabilitation programmes and awareness campaigns, with active support from NGOs, schools and Punjab's recent achievements in public welfare, Kataria expressed satisfaction that the state was setting new benchmarks in transparency, inclusive growth and citizen-focused governance. He said Punjab had established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics — the majority in rural areas and 316 in urban centres — to provide accessible healthcare at people's doorsteps, with 200 more clinics in the on India's progress since independence, the Governor said that in the 79 years since 1947, the nation had made remarkable strides in agriculture, industry, science, technology and defence. However, he stressed the need for development to be rooted in moral, social and environmental values to ensure holistic concluded his address with chants of Jai Hind and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, met with thunderous applause from the gathering. (ANI)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Senior terrorist eliminated': IDF says Hamas military control department head killed in Khan Younis
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has killed a senior Hamas figure in an airstrike in southern Gaza, releasing video footage of the operation. In a post on X, the military said that on 9 August 2025, the IDF and Shin Bet, under the leadership of the Southern Command, struck in the Khan Younis area, eliminating Nasser Moussa, a senior terrorist in Hamas's Rafah Brigade. — idfonline (@idfonline) According to the IDF, Moussa served as head of the military control department of Hamas and was responsible for training and preparing the brigade's fighters for operations against Israeli forces and civilians. 'Moussa was a close associate of Mohammed Shabana, the commander of the Rafah Brigade, who was eliminated in May 2025,' the statement said. The IDF added that Moussa had also held roles as head of military intelligence and the observation network for the Rafah Brigade, and that his death 'further weakens the Rafah Brigade and hampers the ability of Hamas terrorists to carry out terrorist operations against IDF forces in the area. ' The IDF said that a day before Moussa's death, fighter jets struck a building in Khan Younis used for storing rockets intended for launch against Israel. Ground and air operations continue across Gaza, it added, with the 36th Division conducting offensive actions in Khan Younis, destroying a terrorist structure and eliminating cells, while the Gaza Division destroyed dozens of military sites in the south and carried out targeted airstrikes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo In the north, the 99th Division continues to secure the Gaza Envelope, destroying tunnel shafts and killing militants. 'The IDF and Shin Bet will continue to operate with force against terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip,' the statement concluded. The announcement came as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepened. Hospitals reported fresh casualties from Israeli strikes, and Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll since the start of the war had risen to more than 61,700, with nearly half women and children. Aid groups accused Israel of blocking relief supplies through restrictive rules, claims the Israeli military body COGAT denied, saying delays occur only when organisations fail to meet security requirements. International criticism of Israel's military campaign and aid restrictions has grown, with several countries citing the crisis as a factor in moves toward recognising Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, Israel has advanced plans for new West Bank settlements, prompting further condemnation from rights groups and foreign governments.
