Follow the latest news from the Sudan crisis here
Soldiers from Japan and Germany were preparing to evacuate citizens from Sudan's capital Khartoum on Wednesday, with countries around the world scrambling to evaluate the situation as heavy fighting rocked the city.
The German military halted a plan to rescue about 160 people, after the military said it was unsafe to launch the operation. The Germany Air Force dispatched three A400M transport planes for the mission early on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government said a contingent from the country's Self Defence Forces was preparing to rescue about 60 citizens, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. The Japan Times said they were embassy staff and staff from the national aid organisation, the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
No US citizens will be evacuated from Sudan, the White House said on Tuesday, adding that Americans must "shelter in place" and that it was assessing the situation as fighting rages across the capital Khartoum and outlying cities.
The announcement comes after a US diplomatic convoy came under fire on Monday, while the residence of the EU ambassador to Sudan was also attacked, with reports that ambassador Aidan O'Hara was assaulted but "not seriously hurt", according to Ireland's Foreign Ministry.
Airspace over the country is closed and thick black clouds of smoke are billowing from the city’s main international airport, with reports of up to 20 planes having been destroyed on the runway and fuel depots blown up.
The US statement comes as governments around the world are urgently contacting embassies in the Sudanese capital, to assess the safety of their citizens.
Sudan has been rocked by almost five days of near constant violence as two rivals, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, who runs the Sudanese armed forces and ousted a transitional government in 2021, fights with his former ally, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, who runs a powerful militia, the Rapid Security Forces (RSF).
Hundreds of foreign aid agencies and investors are still active in the country, and the sudden escalation of violence caught many off guard.
Before the current conflict, a coalition of civilian opposition groups had mounted months of protests against the military-led government.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said US citizens should remain sheltered in place. The US State Department said it had set up a Sudan Military Conflict Task Force, with one of its roles being to ensure the safety of Americans in Sudan, and prepare for a range of scenarios in the country.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said it was in contact with its embassy in Sudan “to make the utmost efforts to protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions”, spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
There were reports on Tuesday of two Chinese professors being evacuated from a Confucius Institute in Khartoum, one of the education establishments China has set up globally as part of a soft power initiative.
The foreign ministry said it would “decide whether to evacuate Chinese nationals from Sudan after making a final judgment of the situation”.
Malaysia also said it was in the process of making “risk assessments” after oil company Petronas was forced to evacuate its Khartoum complex. Another complex housing the country’s embassy in Sudan was also apparently overrun by assailants, but there were no casualties and no reports of who was responsible.
"Malaysia also expressed its objection to the actions of certain parties who broke into the complex," Foreign Minister Zambry bin Abdul Kadir said on Tuesday.
While many governments said they were looking at plans to rescue stranded citizens, Norway, the UK and France all said citizens should stay in shelter, while those planning to travel to Sudan should cancel their arrangements.
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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Company%20profile
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THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
