Author: News Desk

Sudan’s main opposition coalition and the ruling military council on Saturday signed a final power-sharing agreement, paving the way for a transitional government following the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. Stability in Sudan, which has been grappling with an economic crisis, is seen as crucial for a volatile region struggling with conflict and insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya. The Transitional Military Council (TMC) has ruled Sudan since April when the military ousted Bashir following months of protests against his rule during which dozens of demonstrators were killed. Bashir is wanted for war crimes in…

The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to extend a reprieve given to Huawei Technologies that permit the Chinese firm to buy supplies from U.S. companies so that it can service existing customers, two sources familiar with the situation said. The “temporary general license” will be extended for Huawei for 90 days, the sources said. Commerce initially allowed Huawei to purchase some American-made goods in May shortly after blacklisting the company in a move aimed at minimizing disruption for its customers, many of which operate networks in rural America. An extension will renew an agreement set to lapse on August 19,…

The United States has issued a warrant to seize an Iranian oil tanker caught in the standoff between Tehran and the West in the last-ditch effort to prevent the vessel from leaving Gibraltar. The Grace 1 was seized by British Royal Marines at the western mouth of the Mediterranean on July 4 on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions by taking oil to Syria. Gibraltar lifted the detention order on Thursday after the British territory’s chief minister said he had secured written assurances from Tehran that the cargo would not go to Syria. But with the vessel and its 2.1…

The US Justice Department has issued a warrant to seize a detained Iranian oil tanker, a day after its release by the Gibraltar government. Gibraltar’s authorities released the oil tanker despite a previous US request to seize it. The ‘Grace 1’ supertanker was released after Iran had guaranteed in writing that it was never destined to an EU-sanctioned entity, such as Syria. US Federal prosecutor, Jessie Liu, said that the Grace 1 supertanker, which is carrying more than 2 m barrels of oil, was subject to seizure. The US federal court warrant called for the seizure of the tanker and…

Three limited-edition bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup based on the tattoos of British songwriter Ed Sheeran, a dedicated fan of the condiment, sold at auction in London on Thursday, with one going under the hammer for £1,500 . Only 150 of the Ed Sheeran X Heinz Tomato Ketchup, the Tattoo Edition bottles, featuring a copy of Sheeran’s own Heinz inking, will be available across the world. The first three were sold for £1,050 pounds, £1,100 pounds and £1,500 pounds on Thursday. Nigel Dickie, Kraft Heinz director of corporate affairs, said 150 of the bottles were made to mark Heinz 150th…

The Customs Intelligence Department and Jebel Ali Customs Center in Dubai thwarted an attempt to smuggle 251.2 kg of crystal meth and 6.4 kg of heroin, with an estimated market value of Dh25 million. The operation was nicknamed “Gear Box” – the illegal drugs were concealed inside used vehicle spare parts. Despite the fact that the drugs were hidden carefully – a press release from the authorities stated – the inspectors uncovered the illegal shipment using a combination of tools including an in-house smart detection system and a canine unit. The shipment owner added different types and sizes of spare parts,…

The Los Angeles Opera has declined to release any details of its promised investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against opera legend Placido Domingo, the company’s longtime general director, including whether it has already started. The union that represents opera singers said on Friday that it plans a meeting in Los Angeles next week to address its members’ concerns ahead of the LA company’s season opener September 14. Len Egert, the executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, said that the union has been receiving its own reports from members since an AP story earlier this week detailing…

Flags of both Pakistan and India were projected onto the Burj Khalifa on Friday night to mark each country’s Independence Day, which fell on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, respectively. Indians and Pakistanis are the largest expat communities in the UAE and both countries have long-standing and close ties with the UAE. Celebrating 73 years since independence from British rule in 1947, the Pakistan flag was first projected onto the skyscraper at 8.42pm, followed by the India flag at 8.44pm. Numerous events were held at both country’s embassies and consulates during the week, but Friday gave citizens of both…

Donald Trump said Friday that tech giant Apple would be spending “vast sums” of money in the US in a tweet ahead of a dinner meeting with its CEO Tim Cook. The men have had several informal meetings before, including at Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is reportedly on a working holiday at his golf course. “Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the U.S. Great!” he tweeted at around 7 pm local time. The president’s latest missive comes after a gaffe in March when he referred to Cook as…

Cradling her one-year-old daughter in a house in southern Myanmar, 22-year-old Nu Nu Aye recalled the reasons her husband gave for beating her. She hadn’t looked after his rooster. In a meeting brokered by a village elder, he said he would beat her when “necessary”. “His abuse got worse after that,” she said. Finally, he tried to strangle her while she was sleeping. In Myanmar, where the US-funded Demographic and Health Survey suggested at least one-fifth of women are abused by a partner – figure activists say is likely an underestimate because many cases are not reported there is no…