International

Clashes Erupts In Sudan After 24-Hour Ceasefire

Published

3 years ago

June 11, 2023

327 Views

The Sudanese capital has experienced Shellings and gunfire on Sunday, after a 24-hour ceasefire that had given civilians rare respite from nearly two months of war.

Deadly fighting has continued in the northeast African country since mid-April, when army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), turned on each other.

The latest in a series of ceasefire agreements enabled civilians trapped in the capital Khartoum to venture outside and stock up on food and other essential supplies.

But only 10 minutes after it ended at 6:00 am (0400 GMT) on Sunday the capital was rocked again by the sound of shelling and clashes, witnesses told AFP.

Heavy artillery fire was heard in Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman to the north, and fighting also erupted on Al-Hawa Street, a major artery in the south of the capital, the witnesses said.

Multiple truces have been agreed and broken since the fighting started, and Washington had slapped sanctions on both rival generals after the last attempt collapsed at the end of May.

The latest nationwide ceasefire was announced by US and Saudi mediators who warned they may break off mediation efforts.

“Should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning” talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah which have been suspended since late last month, the mediators said on Saturday.

The mediators said they “share the frustration of the Sudanese people about the uneven implementation of previous ceasefires”.

Upwards of 1,800 people have been killed in the fighting, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

Nearly two million people have been displaced, including 476,000 who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, the United Nations says.

AFP

International

Middle East War: IEA recommends options to ease oil price pressures on consumers, Motorists

Work from home where possible. Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.

Published

14 hours ago

March 23, 2026

OCHEFA

34 Views

Image credit : Shutterstock

Immediate actions to reduce demand:

1. Work from home where possible. Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.

2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h. Lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.

3. Encourage public transport. A shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.

4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days.

Number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.

5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices. Higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.

6. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods

Better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.

7. Divert LPG use from transport

Shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.

8. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist

Reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.

9. Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions

Encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.

10. Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures

Industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements

International

Hong Kong police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules

Those who refuse could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,700; £9,600), and individuals who provide “false or misleading information” could face up to three years in jail.

Published

15 hours ago

March 23, 2026

OCHEFA

38 Views

Image credit : Getty images

Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law (NSL).

It comes as part of new amendments to a bylaw under the NSL that the government gazetted on Monday.

The NSL was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020, in wake of massive pro-democracy protests the year before.

Authorities say the laws, which target acts like terrorism and secession, are necessary for stability – but critics say they are tools to quash dissent.

The new amendments also give customs officials the power to seize items that they deem to “have seditious intention”.

Monday’s amendments ensure that “activities endangering national security can be effectively prevented, suppressed and punished, and at the same time the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organisations are adequately protected”, Hong Kong authorities said on Monday.

Changes to the bylaw was announced by the city’s leader, John Lee, bypassing the city’s legislative council

(BBC)

International

UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms

“Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red.”

Published

15 hours ago

March 23, 2026

OCHEFA

36 Views

UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms5 hours agoMark PoyntingClimate researcherShareSaveGetty Images A man cools himself at a water fountain. He is wearing a red T-shirt and blue shorts and has both hands over his face, from which water is dripping towards the ground.Getty ImagesThe Earth’s climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN’s weather agency has warned.

The World Meteorological Organization says that our planet is gaining much more heat energy than it can release, driven by emissions of warming gases such as carbon dioxide.

This record “energy imbalance” heated the ocean to new heights last year and continued to melt our planet’s ice caps.

And scientists fear that a natural warming phase called El Niño – expected to begin later this year – could soon bring further heat records.

In response to the report, UN Secretary General António Guterres reiterated his call for countries to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy to “deliver climate security, energy security and national security.”

“Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” he warned, in a typically punchy video address.

The last 11 years were the Earth’s 11 warmest years in records stretching back to 1850, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.

In 2025, global average air temperatures were about 1.43C above those of “pre-industrial” times – before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels.

A temporary cooling from the natural La Niña weather pattern meant that 2025 was not quite as hot as 2024, which was boosted by the opposite El Niño phase.