Death Toll from Clashes in Sudan Rises to 413 Says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured in Sudan since intense fighting broke out there six days ago.

WHO has so far recorded 11 attacks on health facilities in the country and has called for such attacks to cease, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder said that at least nine children had been reported killed in the fighting and that more than 50 had been injured, warning that the fighting put the lives of Sudanese children already suffering from malnutrition at risk.

“Sudan already has one of the highest rates of malnutrition among children in the world. And now critical life-saving care for an estimated 50,000 severely acutely malnourished children has been disrupted. This is life threatening ” Elder said.

On Thursday, WHO reported 330 deaths and nearly 3,2000 people injured.

Meanwhile, armistice agreements that took place between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces did not hold amid intensified battles and exchange of accusations of breaching the armistice.

Humanitarian situation is still critical, and requires intensified rescue efforts in addition to the evacuation of a large number of civilians stranded in the crossfire.

Source: Qatar News Agency

EU calls on int’l community to redouble efforts to find political solution to Syria

The European Union Friday reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting the UN-led process to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis and urged the international community to redouble its efforts towards this goal.

“We continue to believe that the international community must redouble efforts to reach a durable and comprehensive political solution in Syria in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions,” EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Peter Stano, told a news conference in Brussels, “It is particularly important that we are fully committed to this goal and continue to support UN-led processes in full respect of the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria. These are the benchmarks of all our engagement when it comes to Syria,” he stressed.

He said the EU remains firmly committed to an UN-facilitated political process consistent with UNSC resolution 2254.

He noted that the G7 foreign ministers and the EU during their recent meeting in Japan underscored the need for the international community to continue supporting the UN Special Envoy who is dealing with all issues related with developments in Syria.

“For us it is important that the solution in Syria is Syrian-found and Syrian-led under the auspices of the UN,” he added.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Eid Al-Fitr Prayer Performed across Saudi Arabia

Muslims across Saudi Arabia performed Eid Al-Fitr prayer in the early hours of Friday morning.

Worshipers flocked to fully prepared mosques and open-air spaces throughout the Kingdom to perform the prayer.

The Eid prayer at the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah was led by Advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and Imam at the Grand Mosque Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hamid in a spiritual atmosphere.

In Madinah, crowds of worshipers performed the blessed Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the Prophet’s Mosque, led by Imam of the mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdalbari Al-Thubaiti. The prayer was attended by Governor of Madinah Region Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and by Deputy Governor of Madinah Region Prince Saud bin Khaled Al-Faisal.

The prayer was performed in all the regions, governorates and centers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

SpaceX’s Starship explodes on test flight

SpaceX announced that its Starship rocket had exploded midair a few minutes after launch on Thursday.

“At 8:33 a.m. CT, Starship successfully lifted off from the orbital launch pad for the first time. The vehicle cleared the pad and beach as Starship climbed to an apogee of 39 km over the Gulf of Mexico – the highest of any Starship to-date,” SpaceX said in a statement on its website.

“The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship.” It affirmed that as is standard procedure, the pad and surrounding area was cleared well in advance of the test. “We expect the road and beach near the pad to remain closed until tomorrow,” it added.

SpaceX said it “learned a tremendous amount” that it will implement into future flights.

The company also thanked its community and the county for supporting the launch.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

77 prisoners of aggression and its mercenaries released as unilateral humanitarian initiative

The National Committee for Prisoners in Sana’a released on Thursday 77 prisoners of aggression and its mercenaries unilaterally as a humanitarian initiative in response to the directives of the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, on the occasion of the month of Ramadan and the advent of Eid Al-Fitr.

The head of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, Abdul Qadir Al-Murtada, stated, in a press conference held today in Sana’a, in the presence of representatives of the International Red Cross, the Governor of Sana’a, Abdul Basit Al-Hadi, representatives of local authorities and social figures in the provinces, the process of releasing today 77 prisoners of war who were captured on the fronts while fighting on the side of the aggression is a tribute from the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, as a unilateral humanitarian initiative.

He stressed that the initiative included the elderly, the sick and others, and there are dozens of initiatives presented by the leader of the revolution, according to which hundreds of prisoners of the other side were released.

Al-Murtada expressed his hope that this honor would be a motive for the other party to take similar steps on their part to alleviate the suffering of the prisoners and their families, as well as to prove good intentions, especially as we are on the verge of new negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations and moving to the implementation of the second part of the agreement process represented in forming teams to visit the prisoners in prisons in Sana’a, and army prisoners in the prisons of the other side.

He stressed that these initiatives enhance confidence and push for the implementation of the agreements that were signed and pave the way for the implementation of what was agreed upon within the framework of the prisoner exchange deal, which is expected to start implementation next May.

He urged the prisoners who were released and who were included in the amnesty to appreciate this honor from the leader of the revolution and that they had learned a lesson during their time in prison about the danger of fighting under the banner of the invaders against their country, in light of the invaders ignoring them or demanding their release or even asking about them all along the last period.

The head of the Prisoners’ Affairs Committee also confirmed that the aggression coalition abandoned and neglected these prisoners and did not demand their release, despite the open channels of communication that were with them, and they did not include their names in the lists that had been agreed upon.

He said, “We often presented names to the other party, which denied them, disavowed its responsibility, and refused to include them in the lists of those who have been released.” He indicated that the prisoners knew that the other party focused its attention on the Saudi prisoners, leaders, and their sons, this has been implemented recently and they focus on only dozens of sons of leaders and Saudis.

He pointed out the keenness of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs that this release be in the presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as sheikhs and state leaders, and to hand over the prisoners to state leaders and social figures from the regions to which they belong, in order to deliver them to their regions, villages and families.

Al-Murtada expressed his hope that the release process would be a deterrent for those released not to continue and return again to participate in the fighting on the side of the aggression against their country.

In turn, the released prisoners expressed their gratitude for this generous gesture and the humanitarian initiative of the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and his generosity in directing their release after the aggression countries and their mercenaries abandoned them.

Source: Yemen News Agency

President directs release of all those who have public right remaining

Mahdi al-Mashat, President of the Supreme Political Council, directed the release of all those who have public right remaining.

President Al-Mashat also directed the Attorney General, and the head of the General Authority for Zakat, to release everyone who has special rights not exceeding ten million riyals.

Source: Yemen News Agency