Follow the latest Sudan updates here
As a 72-hour ceasefire in Sudan slowed the fighting, nations around the world seized the opportunity to help their citizens escape from Sudan.
Thousands have been evacuated to either their home countries or neighbouring nations by land, air and sea, as tens of thousands of Sudanese without second citizenships flee the capital Khartoum and other areas in droves.
Here is where the evacuations stand so far.
Americas
Despite originally saying the government would not evacuate its citizens from Sudan, US military helicopters on Sunday collected a little under 100 people from the embassy on the southern edge of Khartoum.
As the ceasefire continues to crumble with heavy fire around the capital and elsewhere, airlifts are becoming harder. The Pentagon said on Monday it was looking into ways to protect land routes out of the country.
“In the coming days, we will continue to work with the State Department to help American citizens who may want to leave Sudan,” said Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defence for special operations and low-intensity warfare.
“One of those ways is to potentially make the overland routes out of Sudan potentially more viable. So, DOD [Department of Defence] is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats.”
Canada's diplomatic staff left with the Americans, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said about 550 more wanted to leave. On Tuesday, 100 people were evacuated on UAE, Saudi, French and German flights. There are a total of 1,700 Canadians in Sudan registered with the foreign ministry.
Europe
Britain on Tuesday said it had begun “a large-scale evacuation” of its citizens, following an operation on Sunday to fly out embassy staff. British citizens trapped in Sudan had voiced anger over the lack of communication around a possible evacuation, which left some turning down other opportunities to leave after being told to wait by the embassy.
“The first flight has left and you can expect that there will be at least two more flights overnight tonight,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman told reporters.
About 4,000 Britons with dual citizenship and 400 with UK-only passports are in Sudan, according to the British government.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that 1,000 EU citizens had been evacuated.
Germany has been leading international co-ordination for the evacuations out of an airbase near Khartoum. It said a sixth and last flight to Jordan would take place on Tuesday evening.
France evacuated 538 people, President Emmanuel Macron said, with French citizens making up a little more than a third of them.
Ukraine said on Tuesday it had evacuated 138 people to Egypt, including 87 of its own citizens.
The Netherlands said “around 100 Dutch citizens have been evacuated, half of them on Dutch flights”, which also carried 70 others, according to the foreign ministry.
Italy evacuated about 200 people in a military operation on Sunday, rescuing all citizens who “had asked to leave” and others including Vatican representatives.
A Spanish military plane with 100 passengers, 30 of them Spanish, left on Sunday for Djibouti, Madrid said.
A first group of 17 Greek citizens arrived on Tuesday in Athens on an army transport plane via Djibouti, the defence ministry said.
Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania said citizens had been evacuated with foreign help.
Middle East and North Africa
Saudi Arabia led the first large-scale evacuations on Saturday by sea, and since then, hundreds of Saudis and people from more than 20 countries have been taken to the port city of Jeddah.
The UAE said it had “evacuated its citizens” to Port Sudan and was also hosting people from 19 other countries.
Jordan late on Sunday flew out nearly 350 people including Palestinians, Iraqis, Syrians and Germans to a military airport in the kingdom, and on Monday announced “20 Jordanians arrived” aboard a German plane.
Egypt on Sunday said 436 citizens had left by land. More than 10,000 Egyptians are thought to live in Sudan and thousands of refugees are heading towards its border to escape the fighting.
More than 200 Moroccans reached Port Sudan in convoys organised by their embassy, Rabat said on Monday, and Tunisia said a military flight had evacuated some of its citizens, but did not give a number.
Read more about Middle Eastern efforts.
Africa
Several African countries have begun pulling their citizens out via Port Sudan, including Mauritania and Chad, at 101 and 438, respectively.
Algeria, Tunisia and South Africa have also announced rescue operations.
Chad said it was sending planes to collect 438 citizens from Port Sudan.
Mali said on Tuesday that 55 citizens had arrived at Sudan's border with Ethiopia and another group of 14 was on its way there.
Kenya, which has about 3,000 citizens in Sudan, evacuated 38 Kenyans, Somalis and a Saudi citizen, who landed in Nairobi on Monday night.
Nigeria plans to fly about 3,000 citizens, mostly students, out by convoy to Egypt this week, an official said on Monday.
Uganda has evacuated more than 200 citizens on buses via Ethiopia, its ambassador told AFP.
Ivory Coast said 47 of its citizens were headed by bus from Khartoum to Cairo.
Asia
China said on Monday it had “safely evacuated” its first group of citizens, estimating that about 1,500 “Chinese compatriots” were in Sudan.
India also announced a successful rescue mission on Monday.
Pakistan said a convoy carrying 211 of its citizens arrived in Port Sudan on Tuesday, bringing the total number of Pakistanis evacuated to 700, with about 1,500 still in Sudan.
Japan has evacuated 45 citizens, including diplomats, aboard a military plane via Djibouti.
A plane carrying 28 South Koreans arrived in Jeddah on Monday, a Saudi official said.
Indonesia said it had moved 538 of its citizens to Port Sudan, with another 289 due to travel in a second phase. Malaysia said 30 citizens had arrived in Port Sudan on Tuesday.
The Philippines, which has about 700 citizens in Sudan, said on Tuesday that 50 were travelling overland to Egypt from Khartoum.
“We will do what we can,” said foreign affairs official Eduardo de Vega. “It's very difficult.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
THREE
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
