Several drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit Sudan's de facto capital on Tuesday, igniting fires and causing a power cut in the Red Sea city, which is now at the centre of the two-year civil war between the military and the RSF.
Tuesday's attacks hit Port Sudan's international airport, large fuel depots at the port, a power station and a military base, according to witnesses.
Also attacked was a luxury hotel 200 metres from the presidential palace, in a district home to diplomatic missions and UN offices, they said.
The attack on the fuel depots at the port ignited a fire and created a large cloud of black smoke.
The attacks were the third on Port Sudan in as many days. The RSF has not yet claimed responsibility for the drone strikes. The army has yet to publicly comment on the attacks on Monday and Tuesday.
"The situation is very dangerous and worrying. We expect a hike in food prices and transport costs," said Port Sudan resident Nasreldeen Ezzeldeen. "Traffic and daily life in general have not been affected by the attacks, but security has been stepped up, with police and army checkpoints in some areas."
Hours after Tuesday's attacks, long queues of cars formed at the city's petrol stations, witnesses said.
On Sunday, drones hit the military section of the city's international airport, causing several explosions when a munitions depot was attacked.
A day later, the drones hit the nation's main fuel depot, causing large fires. Monday's attack will probably affect the economy, causing fuel shortages and food price increases, adding to the already difficult task of delivering humanitarian aid to millions of hungry Sudanese.
There were no reports of casualties from the attacks.
Port Sudan has been the de facto capital of Sudan since shortly after the RSF overran Khartoum in the early days of the war.
It is home to the military-backed government, the armed forces' leadership and hundreds of thousands of Sudanese displaced by the war in the Afro-Arab nation.
Port Sudan, about 650km east of Khartoum, had until Sunday been spared the ravages of the war. There were no reports of unusually heavy traffic leaving the city after the drone attacks.
But the attacks are a major escalation in the civil war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced more than 13 million people and left about 26 million – more than half the population – facing acute hunger.
Authorities on Tuesday evacuated the airport at Port Sudan and suspended flights indefinitely, witnesses said. It is the only airport in the country to receive commercial international flights, with Khartoum airport closed since the start of the war.
Sudan's war began when months of tension between two generals - army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo - turned into an open conflict. Both men claim to be fighting for the restoration of democratic rule and economic prosperity, but they are widely believed to be vying for power in the resource-rich nation.
Following a string of battlefield successes in recent months, the army regained control of central Sudan and the capital. It continues to control eastern and northern Sudan. The RSF controls most of the vast Darfur region and parts of Kordofan to the south-west and the south.
The attacks on Port Sudan have drawn condemnation from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the attacks on Port Sudan were a "worrying development threatening the protection of civilians and humanitarian operations".
Nearly all humanitarian aid into Sudan arrives through the city. This week's attacks also open a new front when many expected the fighting to shift to Darfur and Kordofan, after the RSF was pushed out of Khartoum.
The expansion of hostilities into the east threatens to prolong the conflict. The war also carries the potential to draw Sudan's neighbouring countries.
Of the 13 million Sudanese displaced by the fighting, about three million have found refuge abroad, mostly in Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Sudan, said the attacks on Port Sudan will "deepen humanitarian suffering and needs" because they will compound difficulties already faced by agencies delivering aid to the needy in Africa's third largest country.
"Damage to critical infrastructure could also disrupt supply chains and increase the price of basic goods, further exacerbating human suffering in what's already the world's largest humanitarian crisis," she said.
Al Shafie Ahmed reported from Kampala, Uganda
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
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The view from The National
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars