live U.S. pressure on Iran intensifies as sanctions and blockade take hold
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
Local hospitals are overrun by a mysterious illness. The Sudanese town of al-Hilalya has seen at least 73 deaths according to local doctors. It comes as violence and displacement in eastern El Gezira state continue to intensify. It has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
At least 73 people have died from unknown causes in the town of al-Hilaliya, in Sudan's eastern El Gezira state, where residents have been besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since late October. According to the Sudanese Doctors Union, the deaths are linked to a mysterious illness, believed to be diarrhoea, which has overwhelmed the town’s healthcare facilities. The ongoing conflict between the RSF and Sudan’s army has already displaced over 135,000 people across the region, and the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen.
The siege of al-Hilaliya, which started on October 29, followed the defection of a senior RSF commander to the Sudanese army, sparking retaliatory attacks. Locals say the town, once a stable trade hub housing 50,000 people, including many displaced from other areas, was targeted due to its association with the family of the defected commander. The RSF's actions have included heavy shelling, looting of local markets, and cutting off access to communication networks, making it difficult for those inside the town to share information.
One resident, who spoke to Reuters, described the devastating impact of the illness, which has claimed the lives of his family members. However, due to a network blackout enforced by the RSF, it took days for the community to learn the true scale of the outbreak. "We only found out when others managed to escape to areas with internet access," the man said.
Satellite imagery from a Yale Humanitarian Lab report revealed a dramatic increase in burial sites in several towns across Gezira state since the latest wave of revenge attacks began. The imagery also showed signs of agricultural destruction, with fields in the village of Azrag reportedly set on fire by RSF forces.
As the war between the RSF and Sudanese army continues to ravage the country, the death toll rises, and the humanitarian crisis deepens. With more than 11 million people displaced and millions more at risk of famine, the situation has drawn in foreign powers, intensifying fears of a complete state collapse in Sudan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
Thousands of residents of Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the government’s handling of a migration crisis that followed a deadly border surge in July.
Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after the virus was detected in a dead long-nosed fur seal in South Australia, authorities said.
Malaysia is facing a sharp rise in dengue infections, with the capital Kuala Lumpur and the wider Klang Valley emerging as the main centres of concern.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases, with the death toll reaching 2,378, according to the latest government data.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to more than 5,000, with more than 2,300 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
Australia warned on Monday (3 August) of a wider spread of H5N1 bird flu after its first confirmed mass mortality event among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast of South Australia, south of Adelaide.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment