War pushes Sudan into abyss
My colleague Declan Walsh and photographer Ivor Prickett spent three weeks in Sudan, where few foreign journalists entered last year. Since the conflict broke out in April 2023, millions of people have been displaced and looming famine threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
Khartoum, the capital and one of Africa’s largest cities, has been reduced to a charred battlefield. The feud between the two generals has plunged Sudan into civil war and made the city ground zero for one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
According to US estimates, as many as 150,000 people have died since the fighting began. The United Nations says nine million people have been forced from their homes, plunging Sudan into the worst displacement crisis on earth. Another genocide now threatens Darfur, a region that two decades ago became synonymous with war crimes.
The United Nations has warned that famine could kill more than 220,000 children in the coming months. If left unchecked, it could rival the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s.
on the ground: In the quiet famine ward, hungry babies fight for their lives. Every few days, one of them dies. Shells flew across the Nile and smashed into hospitals and homes. State television was used as a torture chamber.
What’s next: U.S.-led peace talks have reached an impasse. The Sudanese state is collapsing, threatening to bring down a fragile region. Experts say it is only a matter of time before neighboring countries such as Chad, Eritrea or South Sudan become involved.
Israel seeks to influence public opinion in the United States
A New York Times investigation found that Israel organized and funded a campaign last year that used fake social media accounts and news websites to urge U.S. lawmakers to support the Gaza war. The covert operation shows how far Israel is willing to go to influence public opinion in the United States.
The campaign started in October and continues to be active on X. While the United States has long been one of Israel’s staunchest allies, the war in Gaza has been unpopular with many Americans, who have called on President Joe Biden to withdraw support for Israel amid a mounting civilian death toll.
detail: Meta and OpenAI said last week that the activity had not had widespread impact. X did not respond to a request for comment.
Gaza:
UN says global temperatures will continue to break records
The Earth has experienced its highest temperatures in 100,000 years. However, the United Nations meteorological agency announced today that by 2028, there is a nearly 90% chance that the earth will set another record for the hottest year.
Between now and then, it is almost equally likely that average global temperatures will be 1.5 degrees Celsius (or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than at the beginning of the industrial era—a level that countries wanted to avoid in the early industrial era. .
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Today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. For many remaining veterans this could be their last visit to the beaches of northern France. Their number is less than 200, and their average age is around 100 years old.
One of them was 98-year-old Bill Becker, the top turret gunner on an American aircraft. “I made it,” he said with a tired smile.
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Saudi Arabia attracts tourists
In the past few years, Saudi Arabia’s royal family has spent heavily to improve the country’s reputation abroad and reduce the economy’s dependence on oil. This includes $800 billion in tourism investment.
But what is it like to travel to a country that has long been off-limits to most Westerners? Can the Saudi government convince potential tourists to forget — or reconsider — its longstanding ties to religious extremism, ultraconservatism and human rights abuses?
To see the changes firsthand, our travel reporter Stephen Hiltner filmed his month-long trip across the kingdom. Learn about his journey and view his photos.
