Sudan army rulers, protesters agree on 3-year transition period

Sudan's Transitional Military Council agreed with the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces opposition alliance that the country's transition period will last three years. (AFP)
Updated 16 May 2019
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Sudan army rulers, protesters agree on 3-year transition period

KHARTOUM: Sudanese army rulers and protest leaders Wednesday agreed on a three-year transition period for transferring power to a full civilian administration, even as negotiations over a new sovereign ruling body remain unfinished.
The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition following 30 years of iron-fisted rule by now deposed president Omar Al-Bashir, but the generals who toppled him have been holding onto a leadership role.
Talks between the two sides resumed earlier in the week but were marred by violence when an army major and five protesters were killed by unidentified gunmen at a long-running sit-in outside military headquarters in Khartoum.
The two sides announced early Wednesday after nearly 12 hours of negotiations that they had reached an agreement on the transition period.
“We agreed on a transitional period of three years,” Lt. Gen. Yasser Al-Atta, a member of the military council told reporters.
Atta said a final agreement on the sharing of power, including the forming of the next ruling body — the sovereign council — will be signed with the protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, within a day.
“We vow to our people that the agreement will be completed fully within 24 hours in a way that it meets the people’s aspirations,” Atta said.
He said of the transition period, the first six months will be allocated to signing peace accords with rebels in the country’s war zones like Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
Protester Mohamed Abdullah told AFP that he was happy the way the negotiations had turned out so far.
“We will wait for tomorrow’s talks, but my only question is ‘Who will guarantee this agreement with the military council?’,” he said as thousands of demonstrators gathered for another sit-in overnight.

The army generals had initially insisted on a two-year transition period, while the protest leaders wanted four years.
Key negotiations however remain on the composition of the sovereign council, which will replace the existing ruling body made up solely of generals.
The generals say this should be military led while protest leaders want it to be majority civilian.
After the forming of the sovereign council, a new transitional civilian government will be formed to run the country’s day-to-day affairs and would work toward having the first post-Bashir elections after the end of the transition period.
Atta said that during the transition period parliament will be composed of 300 members, of which 67 percent will be from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the rest will be from other political groups.
The Alliance for Freedom and Change meanwhile said the shootings on Monday were an attempt to “disturb the breakthrough” in talks.
On Tuesday, the United States blamed the army itself for the deaths.
They “were clearly the result of the Transitional Military Council trying to impose its will on the protesters by attempting to remove roadblocks,” the US embassy said on its Facebook page.
“The decision for security forces to escalate the use of force, including the unnecessary use of tear gas, led directly to the unacceptable violence later in the day that the TMC was unable to control,” it said.

Protest leaders, who on Monday had blamed the remnants of Bashir’s regime and allied militias, changed their stand on Tuesday.
“We put the whole responsibility on the military council for what happened yesterday because it’s their direct responsibility to guard and protect the citizens,” Mohamed Naji Al-Assam, a prominent figure in the movement, told reporters.
The latest round of talks which opened on Monday come after a break in negotiations that saw protest leaders threaten “escalatory measures” to secure their central demand of civilian rule.
The issue has kept thousands of protesters camped outside army headquarters around the clock ever since Bashir’s overthrow.
The sit-in has become the focal point for the protest movement, overtaking the near daily protests that had been held across Sudan while the veteran president remained in power.
But on Tuesday protesters in the capital’s twin city Omdurman also vented their anger on the streets.
Protesters gathered in the Abbassiya and Al-Arbaa districts, just across the Nile from the capital, with many chanting slogans against the military council, witnesses told AFP.
“Protect your homeland or prepare to die!” the protesters chanted.
 


UK’s Starmer arrives in Ukraine for security talks with Zelensky days before Trump is sworn in

Updated 7 min 52 sec ago
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UK’s Starmer arrives in Ukraine for security talks with Zelensky days before Trump is sworn in

  • The British government says Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign a “100-Year Partnership” treaty in Kyiv
KYIV: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine Thursday with a pledge to help guarantee the country’s security for a century, days before Donald Trump is sworn in as US president.
The British government says Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign a “100-Year Partnership” treaty in Kyiv, covering areas including defense, science, energy and trade.
Starmer’s unannounced visit is his first trip to Ukraine since he took office in July. He visited the country in 2023 when he was opposition leader, and has twice held talks with Zelensky in 10 Downing St. since becoming prime minister.
One of Ukraine’s biggest military backers, the UK has pledged 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago, and has trained more than 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil. Starmer is due to announce another 40 million pounds ($49 million) for Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery.
But the UK’s role is dwarfed by that of the United States, and there is deep uncertainty over the fate of American support for Ukraine once Trump takes office on Jan. 20. The president-elect has balked at the cost of US aid to Kyiv, says he wants to bring the war to a swift end and is planning to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom he has long expressed admiration.
Kyiv’s allies have rushed to flood Ukraine with as much support as possible before Trump’s inauguration, with the aim of putting Ukraine in the strongest position possible for any future negotiations to end the war.
Zelensky has said that in any peace negotiation, Ukraine would need assurances about its future protection from its much bigger neighbor.
Britain says its 100-year pledge is part of that assurance, and will help ensure Ukraine is “never again vulnerable to the kind of brutality inflicted on it by Russia,” which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and attempted a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The deal commits the two sides to cooperate on defense — especially maritime security against Russian activity in the Batlic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov — and on technology projects including drones, which have become vital weapons for both sides in the war. The treaty also includes a system to help track stolen Ukrainian grain exported by Russia from occupied parts of the country.
“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level,” Starmer said ahead of the visit.
“This is not just about the here and now, it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century, bringing together technology development, scientific advances and cultural exchanges, and harnessing the phenomenal innovation shown by Ukraine in recent years for generations to come.”
Zelensky says he and Starmer also will discuss a plan proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron that would see troops from France and other Western countries stationed in Ukraine to oversee a ceasefire agreement.
Zelensky has said any such proposal should go alongside a timeline for Ukraine to join NATO. The alliance’s 32 member countries say that Ukraine will join one day, but not until after the war. Trump has appeared to sympathize with Putin’s position that Ukraine should not be part of NATO.
As the grinding war nears the three-year mark, both Russia and Ukraine are pushing for battlefield gains ahead of possible peace talks. Ukraine has started a second offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, where it is struggling to hang onto a chunk of territory it captured last year, and has stepped up drone and missile attacks on weapons sites and fuel depots inside Russia.
Moscow is slowly taking territory at the cost of high casualties, along the 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line in eastern Ukraine and launching intense barrages at Ukraine’s energy system, seeking to deprive Ukrainians of heat and light in the depths of winter. A major Russian ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine on Wednesday, and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas.

Pakistan raises petrol price by Rs3.47 for rest of January amid global market fluctuations

Updated 19 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan raises petrol price by Rs3.47 for rest of January amid global market fluctuations

  • Pakistan adjusts petroleum prices fortnightly to pass on the impact of any change to consumers
  • Fuel price hikes can push consumer prices higher across sectors, causing popular resentment

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Wednesday raised fuel prices for the remainder of the month, increasing the per-liter rates of petrol and diesel by Rs3.47 and Rs2.61 to align with recent trends in global energy markets.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted fortnightly, based on fluctuations in international energy markets and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

The mechanism ensures that the net impact of changes in import costs is passed on to consumers, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.

“OGRA [Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority] has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products in view of fluctuations in [the] international market in the last fortnight,” it informed in a social media post while circulating the notification with revised rates.

It added that the new prices— 260.95 rupees per liter for high-speed diesel and 256.13 rupees per liter for petrol— would be effective starting Jan 16.

Fuel price increases typically push consumer prices higher across sectors, causing economic strain and fueling popular resentment.


Pakistan to implement new energy market system from March, relinquishing government control 

Updated 54 min 20 sec ago
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Pakistan to implement new energy market system from March, relinquishing government control 

  • New system enables consumers to buy power from multiple suppliers, moving away from government-controlled system 
  • Pakistan's energy sector has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Energy Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said this week electricity consumers will be able to buy power from multiple suppliers starting March, as the government moves to implement a new energy market system.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on Energy last October approved the formation of an independent entity to reform Pakistan’s energy market. The new system enables consumers to buy power from multiple suppliers, moving away from the current government-controlled system, where it is the sole buyer of electricity.
Pakistan’s energy sector has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses, which have led to blackouts and high electricity costs.
“The National Assembly was informed today (Wednesday) that the government will not purchase electricity after March this year as authorization has been given for the creation of an Independent Electricity Market,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. 
Leghari told the lower house of parliament during the National Assembly session’s Question Hour that the Independent Electricity Market will enable consumers to purchase electricity from multiple suppliers.
Pakistan’s government expects the move will reduce the country’s circular debt and stabilize electricity prices, which along with food prices, pushed inflation to a record 38 percent high in May 2023. 
The federal cabinet this week also approved a plan to renegotiate agreements with 14 independent power producers (IPPs), another move aimed at lowering electricity costs and addressing the mounting circular debt. 
The main issue between the government and the IPPs were capacity charges, or payments made to IPPs regardless of electricity consumption, which have exacerbated circular debt, now exceeding Rs2.4 trillion ($8.6 billion), as per the energy minister. 
Pakistan says revised contracts will save the government Rs1.4 trillion ($5 billion) over their duration, translating into annual savings of Rs137 billion ($493.2 million) for consumers.
The government’s renegotiation efforts were influenced by the International Monetary Fund’s reform recommendations, which seek to reduce tariffs and capacity payments to ease fiscal pressure.


India’s Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan stabbed at Mumbai home — media

Updated 16 January 2025
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India’s Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan stabbed at Mumbai home — media

  • Khan has received six stabbing injuries, with one located close to his spine
  • Hospital says the extent of the damage will become clear after the surgery

NEW DELHI: India’s Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan, 54, is being treated for six stabbing injuries following a scuffle early on Thursday with an intruder at his home in the financial capital of Mumbai, media said.
Khan lives in an apartment in the city’s western suburb of Bandra, home to many in the film industry, along with his wife Kareena Kapoor, who is also an actor, and their two children, Jeh and Taimur.
He was taken to a nearby hospital at around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday with six injuries, two deeper than the others, the Hindustan Times newspaper said, citing Niraj Uttamani, the hospital’s chief operating officer.
“One of the injuries is closer to his spine ... We will be able to tell the extent of the damage only after surgery,” it quoted the official as saying.
Police said the assailant fled after the incident and an investigation had been launched, with teams searching for him, media said.
The son of cricketer and former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, Khan is among the country’s most bankable stars, having featured in more than 70 films and television series, in some also as producer.


Pakistan raises alarm over US, Israeli airstrikes in Yemen, Houthi attacks in Red Sea

Updated 8 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan raises alarm over US, Israeli airstrikes in Yemen, Houthi attacks in Red Sea

  • Munir Akram says the conflict in Yemen must be viewed in the context of overall Mideast situation
  • He reiterates Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Yemen should be resolved through political means

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations raised concerns over US and Israeli airstrikes in Yemen and Red Sea attacks by the Houthis during a Security Council briefing on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to view the conflict in the context of the volatile situation across the Middle East.
The United States and Israel launched aerial attacks in Yemen in recent weeks, targeting positions held by the Houthis, a faction that controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
The strikes were said to be in response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and a series of missile and drone strikes against Israel, including a projectile intercepted near central Israel.
The Houthis have described their actions as a commitment to the Palestinian resistance, expressing solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the face of Israeli military operations.
A senior UN official noted during the briefing that the conflict in Yemen was increasingly becoming internationalized due to the involvement of external actors.
“Pakistan is deeply concerned on the airstrikes in Yemen,” Ambassador Munir Akram said during his comments to the Security Council. “Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s civilian infrastructure, including Sana’a International Airport, Red Sea ports and power stations have caused civilian casualties, further exacerbating the dire humanitarian and political crises in Yemen.”
“We are also deeply concerned over Houthi attacks on commercial and maritime vessels in the Red Sea, which threaten global trade, regional stability and the environment,” he added.
Focusing on Yemen’s internal situation, the Pakistani diplomat highlighted the progress made during the December 2023 peace negotiations, which resulted in agreements on a nationwide ceasefire, economic revival initiatives, resuming oil exports and ensuring the payment of public sector salaries.
“It is crucial to preserve these gains, establish a roadmap and fully implement commitments to foster sustainable peace,” he emphasized.
Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, also urged for “immediate de-escalation and genuine engagement for peace,” noting that nearly 40 million Yemenis had long awaited a peaceful environment to rebuild their lives.
Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Yemen should be resolved through diplomatic and political means.
“Pakistan urges all parties to prioritize dialogue, engage in a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, and resolve differences through peaceful means,” he said.