Sudan Faces Worsening Humanitarian Crisis as Civil War Continues

Published

1 month ago

December 27, 2024

RTX

As Sudan enters its 20th month of civil war, the country is grappling with what experts are calling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with conditions expected to deteriorate even further in the coming months.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. The war has displaced over 12 million people, while more than half of Sudan’s 48 million citizens face acute food insecurity. The country is also on the brink of famine, with millions of Sudanese struggling to survive amid widespread hunger and disease.

Political analysts and aid workers warn that the humanitarian situation will only worsen. Kholood Khair, a Sudanese political analyst, predicts that civilians will continue to face more displacement, hunger, and disease outbreaks in 2025. “Things look set to get much worse for civilians in the new year,” Khair said, pointing to the absence of a clear military victor and the ongoing violence that shows no sign of abating.

The conflict began as a power struggle between SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Despite once being allies, their partnership unraveled due to competing ambitions, leading to the current bloody conflict. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and weaponizing humanitarian aid.

In the Darfur region, the RSF is accused of committing atrocities against non-Arab ethnic groups, including possible ethnic cleansing, while the SAF has faced accusations of indiscriminate bombing attacks. A recent airstrike by the SAF on a market in North Darfur killed dozens of civilians, which Amnesty International described as a “flagrant war crime.”

The war has severely strained Sudan’s infrastructure, with over 70% of the country’s medical facilities out of operation. Additionally, a large cholera outbreak is further exacerbating the suffering, making it difficult to provide necessary care to the millions affected.

Despite these dire conditions, the international community has struggled to provide sufficient humanitarian aid. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) sought over $1 billion in funding for Sudan but received only 40% of the required amount by October. While some international aid, such as a $200 million U.S. donation, has been pledged, the situation remains critical.

Humanitarian groups, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), are calling for unfettered access to aid for those in need. However, the ongoing conflict and entrenched political positions of both the SAF and RSF complicate efforts to deliver assistance.

With no end in sight and the situation worsening by the day, Sudan faces the real possibility of fragmentation and prolonged suffering. As Khair notes, without significant political change and international intervention, Sudan’s civil war could last for decades, leaving civilians to bear the brunt of a conflict that shows no signs of resolution.

News

Meta Agrees to $25 Million Settlement in Lawsuit with Donald Trump

Published

7 hours ago

January 30, 2025

RTX

US President Donald Trump has reached a legal settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, following a lawsuit filed in 2021. The settlement, which totals approximately $25 million (£20 million), comes after Trump sued the tech giant and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, over the suspension of his accounts after the January 6 Capitol riots.

The terms of the settlement were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The majority of the funds, around $22 million, will be directed to a fund for Trump’s presidential library. The remainder will cover legal fees and support other plaintiffs who were part of the lawsuit. As part of the agreement, Meta has not admitted any wrongdoing.

Trump’s social media accounts were suspended by Meta in 2021, with the company imposing a ban of at least two years, citing concerns over the incitement of violence following the Capitol riots. In July 2024, Meta lifted the final restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, ahead of the upcoming US presidential elections.

Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, Zuckerberg was seen visiting Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. This visit was interpreted as a sign of an apparent warming of relations between the two, which had been previously strained. In a further indication of improved ties, Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund in the same year. Zuckerberg also attended Trump’s inauguration, seated alongside other high-profile tech figures.

In the past, Trump had been highly critical of Facebook, accusing the platform of being “anti-Trump” and calling it an “enemy of the people” after his accounts were banned. His relationship with Twitter, now rebranded as X, also soured after the platform permanently suspended him in 2021. However, after Elon Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion, Trump’s account was reinstated following a poll conducted by Musk.

In a separate development, Meta recently defended its $65 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI), even as US tech stocks faced volatility following the rise of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek. Zuckerberg told investors that despite the competition, Meta remains confident in its AI strategy, emphasizing the importance of an open-source approach to ensure the US remains a leader in the industry.

Zuckerberg’s remarks came alongside the company’s announcement of better-than-expected financial results, with Meta posting a 21% revenue increase for the final quarter of 2024, reaching over $48 billion. While Meta’s heavy investment in AI has impacted its finances, the company reported a profit of more than $20 billion, up 49% from the previous year. The company is also betting on the future success of smart glasses and reviving Facebook’s relevance, as it faces stiff competition from platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Zuckerberg, looking to the future, reiterated his vision that smart glasses will eventually replace traditional ones within the next decade.

News

Roman Abramovich Accused of Avoiding Millions in VAT Through Superyacht Scheme

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2025

RTX

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is facing allegations of avoiding millions of euros in VAT payments by falsely classifying five of his superyachts as commercial vessels, according to a joint investigation by the BBC, The Guardian, and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

The investigation revealed that between 2005 and 2012, the yachts—including The Eclipse, once the largest in the world—were labeled as commercial charters to sidestep VAT obligations. Under EU rules, private vessels are typically subject to VAT at around 20% when receiving services like refueling. By claiming these yachts were being chartered to external customers, Abramovich’s network avoided paying the tax.

However, leaked documents from Cyprus show the yachts were managed by Blue Ocean Yacht Management, a Cyprus-based company controlled by Abramovich. This company allegedly rented the vessels to entities registered in the British Virgin Islands—also owned by Abramovich—effectively creating a circular structure.

An email from 2005, written by Blue Ocean director Jonathan Holloway, detailed the scheme’s intent to avoid VAT. Holloway instructed that the structure should appear legitimate but acknowledged that a determined investigation could expose the arrangement.

“We want to avoid paying VAT on the purchase price of the yachts and where possible to avoid paying VAT on goods and services provided to the yachts,” Holloway wrote. He added that the setup must appear as separate entities, even though it was all under Abramovich’s control.

Abramovich’s lawyers deny any wrongdoing, stating that the billionaire always sought and followed expert tax and legal advice and was unaware of the alleged scheme.

Legal Actions and Outcomes
European authorities have scrutinized Blue Ocean in the past but did not appear fully aware of the extent of the yacht scheme.

In 2012, Cypriot authorities disputed Blue Ocean’s claim to VAT exemption and pursued more than €14 million in unpaid taxes for the period between 2005 and 2010. While the company contested the charges, Cyprus’s supreme court dismissed their appeal in 2021. Four months later, Blue Ocean was dissolved.

In another instance, Italian prosecutors in Trieste attempted to recover €500,000 in unpaid refueling duties in 2015. The case was dropped after Abramovich’s representatives argued the yachts were used for commercial purposes.

The allegations add to the scrutiny surrounding Abramovich, a prominent figure among Russian oligarchs, as European authorities continue to crack down on financial loopholes involving luxury assets.

News

Trump Administration’s First Week Brings Sweeping Tech Policy Shifts

Published

4 days ago

January 26, 2025

RTX

In his first week back in office, President Donald Trump unveiled ambitious plans to reshape the U.S. technology landscape, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), digital assets, and social media regulation.

AI Policies Revamped

President Trump signed an executive order on January 23 aimed at dismantling Biden-era policies that, according to the administration, hindered American innovation in AI. The order tasks officials with developing an AI action plan within six months, emphasizing systems free from “ideological bias or engineered social agendas.”

This move has sparked concerns over the future of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, an organization established under Biden to research the safe implementation of AI systems. Critics fear it may be dissolved as part of Trump’s broader rollback.

Additionally, Trump announced the formation of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), comprising 24 experts who will guide initiatives in AI, quantum energy, biotechnology, and autonomous systems. David Sacks, a former PayPal executive and Trump’s new “AI and crypto czar,” will lead efforts to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in technology.

$500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment

One of Trump’s cornerstone initiatives is a $500 billion (€476 billion) investment in AI infrastructure through a joint venture named Stargate. Partnering with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, the project will establish data centers and energy facilities in Texas.

While initially seeded with $100 billion (€95 billion), the investment could quintuple as companies like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Arm join the effort. The Stargate initiative builds on preliminary plans from the previous administration, though Trump emphasized its expansion under his leadership.

Digital Dollar Ban and Cryptocurrency Push

In a significant financial move, Trump signed an executive order banning Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), citing risks to financial stability and individual privacy. Instead, the administration will develop a framework for stablecoins backed by the U.S. dollar and explore a national crypto stockpile.

The digital asset strategy aligns with Trump’s campaign pledge to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.” The newly formed advisory committee on digital markets, chaired by Sacks, will present regulatory recommendations within six months.

TikTok Ban Postponed

Trump granted a 75-day extension for TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to secure a U.S. buyer, delaying an impending ban. While the app temporarily went offline on January 19, it has since been restored for users, though it remains unavailable on major app stores.

Potential buyers have surfaced, including a consortium led by YouTube star MrBeast and billionaire Frank McCourt’s “The People’s Bid.”

Tech Priorities on the Global Stage

President Trump’s early actions signal a strong focus on positioning the U.S. as a leader in cutting-edge technology while addressing privacy, security, and innovation challenges. As policies evolve, they are likely to shape the global tech landscape for years to come.