Latest news with #Idriss
Leaders
3 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Drones Fly over Port Sudan as New PM Takes Oath
The Sudanese city of Port Sudan, the seat of power for the government, has seen the firing of anti-aircraft missiles in response to drones flying over the city, reported the AFP citing eye witnesses. This came as the country's new Prime Minister, Kamil Idriss, sworn in before the Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Drones over Port Sudan On Saturday, citizens reported the sighting of drones flying over Port Sudan and hearing anti-aircraft missiles fired after nearly a week-pause in drone strikes. According to one witness, the city's residents heard 'the sound of anti-aircraft missiles north and west of the city and drones flying in the sky.' Port Sudan, which has become the country's de-facto capital since the eruption of the war between SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has become the target of RSF's drone strikes since early May. RSF Drone Campaign The RSF targeted Port Sudan with drones for the first time in the war in early May, hitting the city's only functioning airport and the country's main entry point in the last two years. The drone strikes also hit critical infrastructure, including a military ammunition warehouse, fuel depots, and the maritime port. The attacks stopped for about a week before resuming on Saturday. After losing the capital Khartoum in March, the RSF has adopted a strategy that involves targeting SAF-controlled cities with long-range drone strikes, alongside counteroffensives to recapture territory in Sudan's south. Recapturing Khartoum In March, the SAF regained control over most parts of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, in a significant victory for the country's army after two years of fighting against the RSF. The civil war, which broke out in April 2023, has split Sudan in two, with the SAF controlling the center, north and east, and the RSF holding almost all of the western Darfur region and parts of the south. The UN described the war in Sudan as 'the world's most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis,' killing tens of thousands of people and displacing around 13 million inside Sudan and to neighboring countries. Two weeks ago, the SAF declared it had successfully forced out the RSF from their final strongholds in Omdurman. 'We affirm that Khartoum state is completely free of rebels,' SAF spokesman, Nabil Abdallah, announced in a statement. New Prime Minister On Saturday, Sudan's new Prime Minister, Kamil Idriss, took the oath of office before Al-Burhan, reported Sudan News Agency. Idriss was appointed on May 19, 2025, by a constitutional decree. Idriss will begin consultations to form a new government, as the army has pledged it will not interfere in the Prime Minister's decisions. Moreover, Al-Burhan cancelled the Sovereign Council members' oversight over the ministries, according to Sudan Tribune. Idriss is a Sudanese politician from Omdurman, who served as director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from November 1997 to September 2008. He was also the secretary-general of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). Furthermore, Al-Burhan appointed two female figures, Salma Abdul Jabbar al-Mubarak and Nawara Abu Muhammad Taher, as members of the Sovereign Council, representing Eastern and Central Sudan. In February 2025, Al-Burhan said he would form a technocratic wartime government to help 'complete what remains of our military objectives, which is liberating Sudan from these rebels.' In the light of this, the Sovereign Council Chairman announced in late April the appointment of Dafallah Al-Haj Ali as the country's Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Acting Prime Minister, and Omar Seddik as Sudan's Foreign Minister. Short link : Post Views: 1
Mada
3 days ago
- Health
- Mada
Sudan Nashra: RSF reclaim strategic areas in Kordofan, bomb hospital in Obeid Burhan forms committee to investigate US chemical weapons claim
As ground battles between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shift to the Kordofan states in western Sudan, newly appointed Prime Minister Kamel Idriss arrived in Port Sudan to formally assume office for the renewed transitional period. Idriss is working to assemble his administrative team in secrecy, a source in the cabinet told Mada Masr, and has yet to engage with any political or military blocs for the new government. According to a source in the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), Idriss is expected to retain some ministers and has been granted full autonomy in selecting his cabinet without interference from either the military or the council. The source also ruled out the inclusion of any armed group not party to the Juba Peace Agreement in the new government. Meanwhile, in response to accusations from the United States that Sudan has used chemical weapons — and Washington's decision to impose sanctions — TSC Chair and military Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the claims. A senior Foreign Ministry official said the move was made at the ministry's recommendation to adhere to international protocol. On the health front, a major surge in the cholera outbreak has swept through the capital Khartoum, with Omdurman at the epicenter. The disease is spreading rapidly amid a collapsed healthcare system and widespread water contamination, exacerbated by RSF shelling of water and electricity stations. Overcrowded hospitals have left patients receiving treatment in the streets. In North Kordofan, an RSF drone strike hit the Daman Hospital in Obeid, killing six people and injuring several others, including medical staff. The attack caused heavy damage and forced the hospital out of service, further straining an already overwhelmed health infrastructure. On the battlefield, the RSF regained control of strategic areas in South and West Kordofan, including Debeibat, Hammadi and Khawi, following a major build-up in the region to push back the military's advance toward Darfur. *** New prime minister arrives in Port Sudan Newly appointed Prime Minister Kamel Idriss arrived in Port Sudan on Thursday ahead of his anticipated swearing in and formal assumption of duties in Sudan's administrative capital. His appointment was announced when Burhan issued a constitutional decree on May 19, naming Idriss — an independent former presidential hopeful and UN official — as prime minister. The move followed internal disputes within the TSC over the earlier nominee, Sudan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dafallah al-Hajj Ali, whose ties to the former regime, coupled with the sweeping authorities granted to the premiership's position, sparked concerns among the council's members. Idriss is assembling his administrative team in secrecy and has not yet communicated with any political or military groups to form the new government, a senior cabinet official told Mada Masr. The new prime minister — the first in the position since transitional Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned in January 2022 — is expected to retain several current ministers, an informed source in the TSC told Mada Masr, stressing that the choice of cabinet members will be entirely his, without input from the military or the TSC. As for armed groups fighting alongside the military, the source said there has been no communication or appointments that would include any armed faction other than those signatory to the Juba Peace Agreement. Local reports had suggested military-allied Sudan Shield Forces led by Abu Agla Keikel and Baraa ibn Malik brigades would be part of Idriss's upcoming government. Government spokesperson Khalid al-Eaisar described Idriss's arrival in Port Sudan as marking 'a new chapter of hope and democratic transition.' *** Burhan orders investigation into US allegations of chemical weapons use Sudan will face US sanctions over the use of chemical weapons in 2024, the US State Department stated on May 22, a claim the government denied, calling it 'unsubstantiated.' The sanctions include restrictions on US exports to Sudan and limits on access to US government credit lines. In response, Burhan issued a decree on Thursday establishing a national committee to investigate the allegations. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the formation of the committee reflects 'compliance with Sudan's international obligations, including the Chemical Weapons Convention,' and aligns with the government's 'policy of transparency.' The ministry also reiterated Sudan's rejection of the US accusations. Government spokesperson Khalid al-Eaisar condemned the US decision a day after it was made public, describing it as part of a broader pattern of missteps in Washington's policy toward Sudan. 'What distinguishes the present moment,' he said, 'is that such interventions — devoid of moral and legal justification — are further eroding Washington's credibility and shutting the door to any future influence in Sudan through its unilateral and unjust actions.' According to Burhan's decree, the national committee will include representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs and defense, as well as the General Intelligence Service. It has been tasked with investigating the claims and submitting its report promptly. A senior official at the Foreign Ministry told Mada Masr that the committee was formed based on ministry recommendations to adhere to diplomatic protocols rather than resorting to political responses. The US claims lack any supporting evidence, the official added, emphasizing the importance of grounding Sudan's response in international principles. *** RSF regains control of strategic areas in South, West Kordofan Territorial control in Kordofan continues to shift between the military and the RSF as the former presses to assert control in the region and push toward Darfur. Over the past week, the RSF retook strategic areas following heavy clashes. Fighting broke out Thursday in the city of Debeibat, South Kordofan, where the RSF ultimately reclaimed control, a field source told Mada Masr. The paramilitary group stated that it had inflicted heavy losses on the military and its allied forces, reiterating its intent to retake all territory held by the military. The field source said the RSF also seized the town of Hammadi on its northward advance. Videos circulated by RSF fighters appear to confirm their presence in the area. The military had taken control of Hammadi on May 13 and stormed Debeibat on May 23, before the RSF reversed those gains. On Thursday afternoon, the military carried out several airstrikes on RSF gatherings inside Debeibat, resulting in casualties, including injuries to a prominent RSF commander in Kordofan, another field source told Mada Masr. The RSF had been mobilizing large forces from Kordofan and Darfur over the past few days to push back the military's advance and recapture key strategic areas, the source said. Debeibat holds a strategic importance as a junction linking the three Kordofan states. For the military, control of the city would have paved the way to the city of Dalang in South Kordofan and allowed the military to lift the siege on its forces there — forces that have previously engaged in heavy fighting with the RSF and allied militias in the same region. Simultaneously, the RSF launched a large-scale attack on the town of Khawi in West Kordofan on Thursday, capturing it on Friday morning after the military retreated. A local source told Mada Masr that RSF fighters bypassed an advanced military defense line and reached the town's outskirts. In a statement on Thursday, military-allied armed movements' joint force said that it secured a 'sweeping victory' in the Khawi front and that the battle took place just kilometers outside the town. The statement said 344 RSF fighters, including field commanders, were killed, and 67 trucks were destroyed before the remaining RSF forces fled. But the RSF resumed its offensive on Khawi and ultimately established full control the following day, pushing military units, allied armed movements and supporting battalions back toward the outskirts of Obeid, a local source told Mada Masr. RSF troops also advanced northward from South Kordofan to the Kazgil area south of Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. Khawi has seen repeated rounds of heavy fighting, most notably on May 13, when the military dealt a significant blow to the RSF. The town serves as an advanced defensive line for Obeid and holds economic significance for its large gum arabic and livestock markets. At this stage of the Kordofan campaign, a former military officer told Mada Masr, the military's operational objective is to wear down RSF forces and selectively destroy strategic targets before reclaiming territory. Movements on the ground, they said, should be interpreted within that context. *** RSF strike shuts down Daman Hospital in Obeid The RSF bombed the Daman Hospital in Obeid, capital of the North Kordofan State on Friday, killing and injuring several people and incapacitating the hospital. The hospital administration announced that operations have been suspended until further notice due to the extensive structural damage caused by what it described as a strategic drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces. All staff have been placed on a two-week leave. The Sudanese Doctors' Network said in a statement that six people were killed and 14 others injured in the attack, which they confirmed rendered the hospital non-operational. The Emergency Lawyers group, meanwhile, said 15 were injured, including patients, their companions and medical staff. Having Daman Hospital out of service compounds an already dire healthcare situation in the city, the group said. *** Khartoum grapples with cholera surge amid collapse of health, basic services Cholera cases in Khartoum State have surged dramatically, rising from 90 to 815 reported cases per day between May 15 and 25, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Since January, the state has recorded more than 7,700 cases and 185 deaths. Federal Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, on the other hand, estimated on May 24 that cholera cases climbed to a weekly average of 600 to 700 new infections per week over the previous four weeks. The outbreak comes as more than 34,000 people have returned to Khartoum State in 2025, UNICEF said, many of whom are coming back to homes damaged by fighting with little or no access to essential services, including clean water and sanitation. Around 26,500 children in the state's Jebel Awliya and Khartoum localities are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, leaving them especially vulnerable to cholera infections. Attacks on power infrastructure have severely disrupted electricity and water supplies, forcing families to rely on unsafe water sources and worsening the spread of waterborne diseases, UNICEF added. Just 10 percent of Khartoum's water pumping stations remain operational, while RSF drone strikes deliberately targeted many power facilities, Ibrahim said in a seminar organized by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, which Mada Masr attended. This forced many to rely on untreated Nile water, he added. Nationwide, the disease has infected 23,736 people and claimed 672 lives since the start of the war, with the majority of cases concentrated in Khartoum, according to Ibrahim. The capital's health sector is nearing total collapse. An estimated 90 percent of hospitals are now closed — either destroyed or lacking essential medical supplies, he said. The few facilities still functioning are severely overburdened by the recent spike of patients and face acute shortages of basic medicines, often having to resort to treating people in the hospital's corridors, waiting areas, or even on the streets outside, he said. Omdurman, one of the cities that make up the capital, has particularly borne the brunt of the crisis since last week. At the Naw Hospital, volunteers told Mada Masr that 118 new infections and 24 deaths were recorded inside the isolation ward alone on Tuesday and Wednesday, while another 15 patients who had arrived in critical condition died shortly after. To cope with the numbers, the federal health ministry has transferred patients to other facilities, including Bashaer, Rajhi, Um Badda, Omdurman, and Mohamed al-Amin Hamed Children's Hospital, a volunteer said. In Um Badda, west of Omdurman, an emergency room member told Mada Masr there is a spread of cholera and acute diarrhea, largely due to contaminated drinking water. The member reported 420 cholera cases and 72 deaths over just two days near Um Badda Hospital — a spike likely linked to the transfer of infected patients. In eastern Khartoum, a member of the East Nile emergency room told Mada Masr that over 80 cholera cases, including five deaths, have been documented at the Ban Gadid Hospital in recent days, noting a wider outbreak spanning the Ban Gadid and Umdawanban hospitals. The situation is further compounded by ongoing power outages, which are disabling vital medical equipment and spoiling life-saving medicines and vaccines that require refrigeration, Ibrahim said in the seminar. Medical staff across Khartoum continue to work in perilous conditions, often without security or adequate supplies.
Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
9 summer skincare swaps to make now, based on your skin type
Here at Cosmo, we're not about having hundreds of bottles of skinovations clogging up the bathroom cabinet for every eventuality, nor do we believe that you need a 12-step routine for perfect skin. Buying what works for you – whether that's a £6 or £60 serum – is the most important thing. And for the most part, a consistent, year-round routine is going to keep your skin at its happiest. But there are a few exceptions when switching up your routine is necessary and one of them is called: summer. No matter your type; oily, dry, combo or acne-prone, your skin's needs do change in the summer. This is down to the temperature of your body being hotter, sweatiness entering the building and, of course, the way direct sunlight affects the actives in products you might be using day to day. To understand the tweaks we should be making, we hit up board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology and Dr. Idriss Skincare, Dr Shereene Idriss. Oily skin in the summer can sometimes feel as greasy as the pan that cooked your Full English. Shiny, sweaty and probs more irritable than usual, if you have excess sebum come this time of year, great news, you can, and should strip it all the way back. According to Dr Idriss, 'If you have oily skin you can most definitely cut down on steps in your routine to avoid going overboard and layering too many products.' And in particular parts of the world, your oily skin can work in your favour. 'In a humid climate specifically, your skin naturally retains more moisture, so in the mornings, you can get away with just one step - sunscreen,' she says. Less money on your beauty regimen and more on small plates? We are sold. If you're finding the shine breakthrough a little too much though, you can minimise by swapping your cleanser. 'If you're an oily slick ball in the summer, a salicylic acid cleanser at night is a great addition for oily skin, as it helps reduce sebum production and keep pores clear,' says Dr Idriss. 'Use it up to three times a week to avoid over-exfoliating. On alternate nights, a sulfur cleanser is a gentle yet effective option to help control oil while also soothing redness and inflammation.' Interested in more beauty? Sign up to our free Beauty Lab: Unlocked newsletter for your access-all-areas peek inside the Cosmopolitan beauty cupboard. From the inside scoop on the products our Beauty Director actually rates, to the latest launch reveals and unboxings, and a snoop inside the Cosmopolitan team's makeup bags, get it all direct to your inbox! Yes, dry skin is particularly annoying during the winter months but summer dryness is still a real bummer and the season has its own problems that have to be countered like air conditioning and excess sun exposure. But the thing that'll determine the skin swaps you make will be the environment you find yourself in. 'Depending on your climate, you may not need to layer as much hydration in the hotter months as you do in winter,' Dr Idriss says. 'Instead of piling on a hydrating mist, essence, serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen, you can pare down your routine. In humid climates, dry skin can hold onto moisture more easily, so a lightweight serum, moisturiser and sunscreen would be enough to keep your skin balanced without feeling overloaded. You can also cut back exfoliation from 3-4 times a week to 1-2 times a week.' She also has a clever at-home hack for maintaining moisture levels. 'If you have dry skin and live in a dry climate but don't want to layer on too many steps, a DIY glycerin mist can be a total game changer in the summer. I love using a nano mini mister from Amazon to keep my skin hydrated on the go - just mix water with a few drops of glycerin for an instant moisture boost whenever your skin feels parched.' With acne-prone skin, it's really important to maintain as much consistency as possible with your routines. But, depending on how oily or dry your skin is, there are a couple of swaps to help to prevent breakouts 'If you're acne-prone, you're likely on the oily side, making salicylic acid a great option to keep pores clear and control breakouts. However, if your skin leans more dry, glycolic acid is a better choice, as it exfoliates while also boosting hydration and improving skin texture.' Does the heat leave your skin more irritated than usual? Swapping out your actives for soothing ingredients is the key to calm. 'If your skin is sensitive or easily irritated, summer is all about soothing, strengthening, and protecting your barrier. Look for ingredients like niacinamide to calm inflammation and Centella Asiatica to soothe and repair,' says Dr Idriss. Like puppies, retinoids (such as retinal and retinol) aren't just for Christmas - they are year-round. It's probably one of the biggest misconceptions in skincare, that you shouldn't use retinoids when it's sunny. 'This is a myth that has been perpetuated,' Dr Idriss says, 'I mean think about it, what about the places where it's summer all year round?' The truth is that, yes, vitamin A products can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, but that doesn't mean you have to avoid using them as soon as sunnier days approach. 'You can absolutely use retinoids in the summer, you just have to be smart about them. You need to be extra diligent with sunscreen, which, let's be real, you should be anyway'. Sound advice. Instead of dropping retinoids altogether, if you are an outdoorsy beachy girl a la Nadine Coyle, Dr Idriss recommends cutting back the frequency of use. 'And if you're more sensitive, always pair your retinoid with a moisturiser to buffer your skin and keep your skin barrier happy,' she advises. Retinoids are also always best used at night, to minimise photosensitivity. Dr Shereene Idriss is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology and Dr. Idriss Skincare. She is also Cosmo UK's contributing skin expert who we turn to for all of our hard-hitting skin queries. If you don't already you need to follow Dr. Idriss on TikTok – her page, which has over 1 million fans is full of helpful advice, tips and tricks. Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
TimesLIVE
21-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Sudan accuses UAE of May 4 drone attacks on Port Sudan
Sudan says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is responsible for an attack on Port Sudan this month, accusing the Gulf state for the first time of direct military intervention in a war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UAE denied the allegations in a statement and said it condemned the attack. "It is deeply regrettable that the Port Sudan authorities continue to perpetrate violence against their own citizens, yet seek to deflect blame from their own responsibility for Sudan's internal conflict by making unfounded allegations against others," a UAE official said. Speaking in New York on Monday, Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations al-Harith Idriss alleged that the May 4 strike on the army's wartime capital Port Sudan was carried out by MQ-9 or MQ-9B warplanes and kamikaze drones launched from an Emirati base on the Red Sea with the aid of Emirati ships. Idriss alleged that the strike on Port Sudan was revenge for an army attack a day earlier on an alleged Emirati warplane in the RSF-controlled city of Nyala, which he said had killed 13 foreigners including "Emirati elements."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olympian Noraseela Khalid welcomes Malaysia's move to reconnect with German athletics
Noraseela Khalid nearly missed the chance to compete in the 2008 Olympics as she contemplated giving up her athletics career in 2003. However, a decision to send her and several other athletes to train in Germany breathed new life into her career, helping her set a 400m hurdles record of 56.02s in Regensburg, Germany, on June 17, 2006 – a record that still stands. Thus, she is excited to learn that National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Jefri Ngadirin had discussions about sending Malaysian athletes to train in Germany. 'I cherish my time training in Germany as it made me a better athlete and person,' said Noraseela, who speaks fluent German and completed a sports psychology course in Germany. 'I'm sad that the partnership and cooperation between the two countries didn't continue, but I'm hoping it will be rekindled.' Besides Noraseela, other Malaysian athletes who benefited from training in Germany in the early 2000s were Moh Siew Wei, Malik Tobias and Zaiful Zainal Abidin. High jumper Nauraj Singh had set up base in Germany before retiring in 2023. Noraseela said training in Germany under Idriss Gonschinska revitalised her career. 'I first broke the national record in 1999, but after several more record-breaking years, I felt my career had stagnated. I was considering giving up athletics due to a lack of support,' said Noraseela, who went on to compete in the 2012 London Olympics. 'The opportunity to train in Germany with Idriss was a turning point. In three months, I lowered my national record from 58.77s to 56.90s. Imagine how much faster I could have run if I had gone there sooner. 'I trained under Idriss for four years. He made me a better hurdler, and I went on to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.' Although proud that her time remains in the record books, it doesn't bring Noraseela any joy. 'It is a shame that no one has come close to breaking my record. I'm still the only Malaysian woman to run the 400m hurdles in under a minute,' said Noraseela, who recently reunited with Gonschinska, now the chief executive officer of the German Athletics Association (DLV). Gonschinska was in Malaysia with a 50-strong German contingent that trained at Alice Smith International School in Kuala Lumpur for three weeks ahead of last weekend's World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China – a qualifying event for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, from Sept 13-21. The training stint was made possible with the help of Malaysian Athletics vice-president and coaching chairman Datuk Mark Ling. The team included bronze medal-winning members of the women's 4x100m relay team from the Paris Olympic Games – Sophia Junk, Lisa Mayer and Rebekka Haase – and the men's 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams, who earned bronze at the European Championships in Rome last year. 'It was great meeting my former coach and other familiar faces from my time in Germany,' said Noraseela, president of the Malaysia Olympians Association. 'I hope to see more Malaysians training in Germany in the coming years and breaking the long-standing records we set when we trained there.' Besides Noraseela, two other athletics records set by athletes during their training stint in Germany, which have yet to be broken, are Moh Siew Wei's 100m hurdles time of 13.27s set in 2004 and Malik Tobias' decathlon mark of 7,095 points in 2003. 'It makes me wonder how much better off Malaysian athletics would have been if we had continued our friendship with the German association,' said Noraseela. 'Hopefully, the office bearers within Malaysian Athletics can work with the relevant authorities to help our athletes rise again.'
