KHARTOUM // A cabinet minister was among 32 politicians, generals and other people killed yesterday when a plane crashed on its way to Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan state for the start of Eid Al Fitr, state media said.
"All people on board were killed" as the aircraft flew in for the Eid holidays, said Abdelhafiz Abdelrahim, a spokesman for the Sudan Aviation Authority.
The official Suna news agency said the most senior official among the dead was Ghazi Al Saddiq, Khartoum's guidance and endowments minister, tasked with religious affairs. There were 26 passengers and six crew on board, it added.
Speaking on official Radio Omdurman, the culture and information minister, Ahmed Bilal Osman, said the plane had "crashed into a hill" because of bad weather, killing the entire delegation.
Mr Abdelrahim said that the Antonov aircraft had been landing in Talodi town at about 8:00am when "an explosion was heard and the plane was destroyed".
Accidents are common among Sudan's ageing fleet of aircraft. Europe has banned all Sudanese airlines for safety reasons.
At least 30 people died when a Sudan Airways jet burst into flames after landing in Khartoum in 2008.
Several small airlines in Sudan use pilots from the former Soviet Union. It was not immediately clear which company operated the crashed plane.
Suna said six crew members died in the crash but it gave neither their names nor their nationalities. The other victims included two leading officials - Khartoum's state minister for youth and sport and the state minister of tourism - as well as the education minister for the Khartoum area, Suna said.
Ten victims, including three generals, were from the security forces, it added.
Also killed was the chief of the small Justice political party, a correspondent for state television, three others identified as being from the media, the head of Khartoum North municipality, a member of parliament, and other officials.
Although there have been no reports of major fighting around Talodi in recent weeks, the town has been a key battleground in the war between the government and ethnic rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), which began in June 2011.
Rebel spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said that his forces had nothing to do with the crash, which happened outside rebel territory.
"It is a government area," he said.
The town, about 50 kilometres from the disputed border with South Sudan, sits on a partly-forested plain beneath craggy hills.
Heavy rain have been reported in South Kordofan recently.
The dead minister, Mr Al Saddiq, took on the guidance and endowments portfolio, the duties of which include religious issues, in a July cabinet reshuffle that trimmed the number of ministries.
Prior to that, he had been minister of tourism and antiquities since December.
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
THE%20SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
PRISCILLA
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5