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Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The risk of genocide in Sudan’s devastating civil war remains “very high”, amid ongoing ethnically motivated attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a top UN official warned Monday.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including four million who fled abroad, triggering what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

“Both parties have committed serious human rights violations,” said Virginia Gamba, a UN under secretary-general and acting special advisor to UN chief Antonio Guterres on the prevention of genocide. 

“Of specific concern to my mandate is the continued and targeted attacks against certain ethnic groups, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions,” she told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She highlighted in particular that the RSF and allied armed Arab militias “continue to conduct ethnically motivated attacks against the Zaghawa, Masalit and Fur groups”.

The risk of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan remains very high,” Ms Gamba warned.

Her comments came after the top UN court last month threw out a case brought by Sudan against the United Arab Emirates over alleged complicity in genocide for allegedly supporting the RSF in the war — accusations denied by the Emiratis. 

The International Court of Justice said it “manifestly lacked” jurisdiction to rule on the case.

Superyachts, private jets, and Hollywood A-listers are flooding Venice this week for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s extravagant three-day wedding bash, but not everyone’s rolling out the red carpet.

Superyachts, private jets, and Hollywood A-listers are flooding Venice this week for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s extravagant three-day wedding bash, but not everyone’s rolling out the red carpet.

The Amazon founder and his fiancee have reportedly invited around 200 high-profile guests to celebrate their multi-million dollar nuptials, set to run from Thursday through Saturday. The exact ceremony location is under wraps, with whispers pointing to either the historic Abbey of Misericordia or the centuries-old Arsenale shipyard.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump are all rumored attendees. Reports say 95 private jets have requested landing slots at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport, while Bezos’ $500 million mega-yacht Koru is expected to anchor off San Giorgio Maggiore, with the island reportedly booked out entirely for the festivities.

But the glitz is colliding with growing local anger. Residents accuse Bezos of treating Venice like a billionaire’s playground, ignoring the city’s ongoing struggles with mass tourism, rising housing costs, and climate change

Greenpeace called out the hypocrisy of spending billions on luxury while Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage site, literally sinks under climate pressure. “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,” read a massive protest banner unfurled in St. Mark’s Square, featuring Bezos laughing.

Lauren Sanchez has faced her share of criticism too, for advocating climate action while jetting off into space aboard Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by her groom-to-be.

Venetian activist Tommaso Cacciari, who leads the No Space for Bezos campaign, didn’t mince words: “Venice isn’t a private ballroom. These events are driving residents out and condemning the city to death.” Protesters are planning to blockade canals with inflatable toys, boats, and even their own bodies as the wedding guests cruise past.

City officials, however, are downplaying the controversy. Tourism councillor Simone Venturini insists it’s just “one of many events” the city handles regularly. The couple’s wedding planners say they’re working to limit disruptions, and Bezos has reportedly made donations to support the city and are employing historic Venetian artisans.

Local pastry shop Rosa Salva is preparing 19th-century “fishermen’s biscuits” for the wedding favours, paired with pieces from Murano’s famed glassmakers. Some Venetians are embracing the celebration, even launching a counter-movement called Yes Venice Can, arguing the event brings valuable money and attention to the city.
 

After 40 years of wearing my wedding band, I decided it was time to get it properly cleaned. The jeweler examined it carefully, his brow furrowing as he turned it over in his hands. Then he looked up at me with an unpleasant expression. “You shouldn’t have this,” he mumbled, his tone angry. My pulse quickened, perplexed by the abrupt change in the room’s atmosphere…

The jeweler’s words hung in the air, full of meaning. I attempted to keep my voice calm as I asked, “What do you mean I shouldn’t have this?My attempt to sound calm failed, and the tremble in my voice revealed my growing anxiety. His gaze shifted from the ring to my face, as if seeking an explanation. The room appeared to press in on us, and the silence grew unbearable.He was apprehensive, hesitant to turn the ring over again in his hands. His eyes focussed on something small and almost undetectable. “What is it?

I leaned in to see what he was looking at, but he yanked the ring slightly out of reach.” I demanded, my fear rising. However, he provided no instant response, exacerbating my aggravation and worry.My heart started pounding in my chest. It’s just cleaning, I told myself, attempting to quiet the building wave of panic. How could something so simple become so ominous

New Delhi:

CIA Director John Ratcliffe claimed on Wednesday that new intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear infrastructure suffered severe and long-term damage following recent US airstrikes, contradicting reports suggesting the impact had been limited. Mr Ratcliffe said the agency had obtained credible intelligence, confirming that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”

“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,” he said. 

“CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed. When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency,” Mr Ratcliffe added. 

US President Donald Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, dismissed earlier reports by American intelligence services that downplayed the extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program. The president insisted the Pentagon’s own classified assessments lacked key information and defended his own conclusion that the strikes were devastating.

“This was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop,” Trump told reporters, reinforcing his claim that Iranian facilities had been “completely and fully obliterated.”

Trump announced that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth would host a press conference on Thursday to provide “irrefutable proof” of the operation’s effectiveness. He suggested the move was meant to support American military personnel, particularly the bomber crews involved in the mission, who he said were angered by “Fake News” coverage of the strikes’ alleged limited impact.

Rajnath Singh, along with the Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Jun and other leaders, also posed for a group photograph ahead of the Defence Ministers’ meeting.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived at the venue for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting at Qingdao, China, on Thursday.

The Defence Minister, upon his arrival, was welcomed by the Chinese Defence Minister, Admiral Dong Jun.

Mr Singh, along with the Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Jun and other leaders, also posed for a group photograph ahead of the Defence Ministers’ meeting.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had also arrived at the venue after Rajnath Singh made his entrance.

The SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting is set to be held from June 25-26.

The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, and several Central Asian countries, focuses on promoting regional stability and security through cooperation and dialogue.

During the meeting, the leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including regional and international peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts and cooperation among the Ministries of Defence of SCO member states.

In a press release, Ministry of Defence stated, “Defence Ministry is expected to highlight India’s continued commitment to the principles and mandate of the SCO, outline India’s vision towards achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region, and stress on the need for greater trade, economic cooperation and connectivity within SCO. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of some participating countries, including China and Russia, on the sidelines of the meeting.”

The Ministry of Defence noted that India attaches special importance to the SCO in promoting multilateralism, politics, security, economics and people-to-people interactions in the region.

It further said, “SCO pursues its policy based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity of nations, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, understanding and equality of all member states.”

SCO is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2001. India became its full member in 2017 and assumed the rotating Chairmanship in 2023.

The SCO members, besides India, include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. China has assumed the Chair of the SCO for 2025 under the theme ‘Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.’

Trinh Van Quyet, who owned the FLC empire of luxury resorts, golf courses and budget carrier Bamboo Airways, was given the lengthy jail term in August after a trial.

A Vietnamese appeal court on Thursday slashed a former property and aviation tycoon’s jail sentence in a $146 million fraud and stock market manipulation case from 21 years to seven.

Trinh Van Quyet, who owned the FLC empire of luxury resorts, golf courses and budget carrier Bamboo Airways, was given the lengthy jail term in August after a trial.

Quyet and 49 others including his two sisters and four stock exchange officials were punished for fraud, stock market manipulation, abuse of power and publishing incorrect stock market information.

After a 10-day hearing in Hanoi, the appeal court dropped Quyet’s three-year term for market manipulation and cut his 18-year sentence for fraud to seven years.

The appeal court gave several other defendants reduced jail terms on Thursday.

Its ruling comes after the tycoon’s family paid nearly $96 million in compensation for the losses. 

According to the indictment in August, Quyet set up several stock market brokerages and registered dozens of family members, ostensibly to trade shares.

Police said while orders to buy shares were placed in hundreds of trading sessions — pushing up the value of the stock — they were cancelled before being matched.

The court said there were 25,000 victims of the fraud as Quyet illegally pocketed more than $146 million between 2017 and 2022.

The appeal court said it had received 5,000 letters asking for a reduction of punishment for Quyet “from the victims, FLC staff, some associations and local authorities”.

The case is part of a national corruption crackdown that has swept up numerous officials and members of Vietnam’s business elite in recent years.

A Taiwanese man lost both feet after freezing them in dry ice for 10 hours to fake an accident and claim insurance.

A man in Taiwan has undergone double amputation after attempting to defraud five insurance companies by deliberately freezing his feet in dry ice for 10 hours, according to South China Morning Post. The man, identified as Zhang, was a university student in Taipei at the time. Over several years, he purchased multiple insurance policies from five companies, covering health, life, accident, long-term care, and travel insurance.

In January 2023, Zhang conspired with his former classmate, Liao, to fake an accident. The two bought dry ice in New Taipei City and returned to Liao’s apartment in Taipei’s Zhongshan District. There, Zhang placed his bare feet into a bucket of dry ice while Liao tied him to a chair with plastic straps to prevent him from backing out. He remained like that from 2 am to noon, as per the news portal.

Liao took photos and videos of the act. Two days later, Zhang visited Mackay Memorial Hospital with severe frostbite, bone necrosis, and sepsis. Doctors had to amputate both feet below the calf.

The pair falsely claimed that Zhang had experienced frostbite while riding a motorcycle. They submitted insurance claims totaling NT$41.26 million (Rs 12.08 crore). While one company paid a small amount, others detected inconsistencies and reported the case.

According to SCMP, Authorities later charged both men with fraud and intentional self-harm leading to serious injury. On June 20, the Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years (suspended), while Liao, deemed the mastermind, received six years in prison. The case shocked social media users, with many expressing disbelief at the extreme lengths taken for fraud money.

The kingdom was the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalise the drug when it removed cannabis from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022.

Thai cannabis store owners and activists on Thursday hit out at new government plans to tighten the rules on selling the drug by requiring a doctor’s approval, three years after it was decriminalised.

The kingdom was the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalise the drug when it removed cannabis from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022.

The intention was to allow sales for medical rather than recreational use, but the move led to hundreds of cannabis “dispensaries” springing up around the country, particularly in Bangkok.

While the relaxation has proved popular with some tourists, there are concerns that the trade is under-regulated.

Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed an order late on Tuesday requiring an on-site doctor to approve sales for medical reasons.

The rule would only come into force once it is published in the official Royal Gazette. It is not clear when this would happen.

Thanatat Chotiwong, a long-time cannabis activist and store owner, said it was “not fair” to suddenly change the rules on a sector that was now well established.

“This is a fully-fledged industry — not just growers selling flowers. There are lighting suppliers, construction crews, farmers, soil and fertiliser developers, and serious R&D,” he told AFP.

“Some of us have invested tens of millions of baht in greenhouses and infrastructure. Then suddenly, the government steps in to shut it all down.”

Thanatat urged the government instead to “implement proper taxation and regulation — so this revenue can be returned to society in a meaningful way.”

‘Too few doctors’

The government has made several previous announcements of plans to restrict cannabis, including legislation moved in February last year, but none has come to fruition.

The new rules would mean cannabis could only be sold to customers for medical reasons, under the supervision of licensed professionals such as medical doctors, traditional Thai medicine doctors, folk healers or dentists.

“It’s going to work like this: customers come in, say what symptoms they have, and the doctor decides how many grams of cannabis is appropriate and which strain to prescribe,” Kajkanit Sakdisubha, owner of The Dispensary cannabis shop in Bangkok, told AFP.

“The choice is no longer up to the customer — it’s not like going to a restaurant and pick your favorite dish from a menu anymore.”

And he warned that many of the shops that had sprouted since decriminalisation would not be able to adapt to the changes.

“The reality is there are too few doctors available. I believe that many entrepreneurs knew regulations were coming, but no one knew when,” he said.

While waiting for the rules to come into force, The Dispensary is halting cannabis sales as a precaution, store manager Bukoree Make said.

“Customers themselves are unsure whether what they’re doing is legal. I’ve been receiving a lot of calls,” Poramat Jaikla, the lead seller or “budtender”, told AFP.

The cannabis move comes as the government led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party is hanging by a thread after losing its main coalition partner, Bhumjaithai.

Though conservative, the Bhumjaithai party has long supported more liberal laws on cannabis.

The party quit the coalition this month in a row over a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

A Paris-bound Qantas Airways Ltd. flight returned to Perth mid-air due to Iran’s missile attack.

Passengers aboard a Paris-bound Qantas Airways Ltd. flight spent more than 15 hours in the air only to find themselves back where they started from in Australia after an Iranian missile attack shut down swathes of Middle East airspace. 

The Boeing Co. 787 jet departed Perth for the usual 17-hour haul to Paris at 7.35 pm local time Monday. It made it as far as the south-west fringes of Indian airspace when the airline was told about the missile attack, forcing it to turn around. The plane landed safely back in the Western Australian capital around 11 am Tuesday. 

Another Qantas flight from Perth bound for London Heathrow was also affected and diverted to Singapore, Qantas said in a statement. 

Passengers on both flights will be accommodated overnight. The diversions will also affect the return flights from London and Paris, and Qantas said it is working through options for affected passengers. 

The airline said it would continue to monitor airspace availability and utilize a number of flight paths for flights to Europe factoring in weather and the security situation.

Qantas’s non-stop European flights from Perth routinely fly over the Middle East region, and at times have been forced to take longer detours to skirt airspace restrictions or stop in Singapore to refuel.

Australia introduced mandatory breach disclosures and cybersecurity compliance reporting after 2022 attacks on Optus and Medibank exposing customer records.

Australian companies have sharply reduced the time it takes to recover from cyberattacks, a sign of improved preparedness amid heightened regulatory pressure following high-profile breaches at Optus and Medibank.

Businesses in Australia and New Zealand now take 28 days on average to recover from an incident, down from 45 days a year earlier, according to a survey of 408 IT executives that was shared exclusively with Reuters. That still trails the global average of 24 days.

“I do put that down to the fact that organisations and enterprises are getting more aware,” said Martin Creighan, Asia-Pacific vice president at U.S. data protection firm Commvault, which commissioned the survey.

“I also put it down to the fact that the regulators are being more stringent and more strict on what their requirements are,” he added in an interview.

Australia introduced mandatory breach disclosures and cybersecurity compliance reporting after 2022 attacks on Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications, and Medibank exposed millions of customer records.

The country’s cybercrime agency reported the average self-reported cost of cybercrime per business fell 8%, including an 11% drop for large firms, in the year to June 2024.

Despite improved recovery times, fewer than a third of firms could respond effectively to an attack, and 12% had no formal response plan, showed the survey by Commvault which counts some of Australia’s biggest banks and government departments as clients.

Over half lacked full visibility of where data was stored or how systems were connected, the survey found.

Creighan said cybersecurity was no longer confined to company tech departments and he had seen a rise in requests to brief boards on cyber resilience “because they’re worried about the regulation landscape”.