Why Has Violence Erupted in Sudan?
Plus: Saudi Foreign Minister visits Syria's Assad, ISIS kills 31 truffle hunters, Yemen crowd crush kills 78, Cleopatra race controversy, and much more.
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Why has violence erupted in Sudan?
Sudan is currently facing a critical situation as Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the armed forces chief, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, are engaged in a deadly battle for control of the country's 46 million people since late last week.
Despite increasing diplomatic pressure, both leaders have refused to negotiate or ceasefire, with tens of thousands of troops deployed in Khartoum.
The clashes have extended to other areas of the country, and various sources have reported around 300 deaths.
Read more on Associated Press and The New Arab to learn more about the violence that erupted in Sudan.
Saudi Foreign Minister visits Assad easing Syria's isolation
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Tuesday, April 18, marking a significant move towards ending Syria's decade-long regional isolation amid wider reconciliation in the region.
This was the first visit by a top diplomat from Saudi Arabia to Damascus since the country's ties were severed after Assad's deadly crackdown on protesters in 2011, leading to a decade-long civil war.
The meeting focused on political solutions to the conflict that would preserve Syria's Arab identity and reintegrate it into the Arab world.
Although some countries like the UAE have restored relations with Damascus, others like Qatar oppose normalization and Syria's readmission to the Arab League without a political solution.
ISIS militants kill at least 31 truffle hunters in Syria
Suspected ISIS extremists killed at least 31 people who were foraging for truffles near Hama, Syria, on Sunday, April 16.
Syria's desert truffles are valuable commodities in a country suffering from prolonged war and economic crisis.
Despite the authorities' warnings about the high-risk practice, hundreds of Syrians search for truffles in the Badia desert between February and April every year, where extremists are known to hide out.
Since February, more than 230 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by ISIS attacks targeting truffle hunters or landmines left by the extremists.
Son of Iran's last shah visits Israel amid mixed reactions
Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last shah who fled the country before the Islamic Revolution, visited Israel this week and met with top officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Pahlavi bills himself as an "advocate for a secular, democratic Iran" and said his visit aimed to show that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people.
While the far-right Israeli government welcomed his visit, critics viewed the visit as hypocritical, given Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Pahlavi has increasingly tried to fashion himself as the main opposition leader and a key figure in a future Iran.
Hamas and Abbas make separate trips to Saudi Arabia
Senior Hamas officials are visiting Saudi Arabia for a Muslim pilgrimage and to meet with Saudi officials.
The visit marks the first time since 2015 that senior Hamas leaders have visited Saudi Arabia, and it seems to be part of a reconciliation effort between the two sides.
The visit coincides with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's trip to Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has taken action against Hamas operations and arrested numerous operatives.
The visits are part of a broader diplomatic effort by MBS to improve Saudi relations with influential regional actors.
Tunisia police arrest Ennahda party chief Rached Ghannouchi
Ennahda party leader Rached Ghannouchi, who opposes Tunisian President Kais Saied, has been arrested at his home in Tunis, according to his party.
Ghannouchi's arrest follows the detention of more than 20 political opponents and personalities since February, including leading members of the opposition coalition National Salvation Front.
The arrests have drawn criticism from local and international rights groups.
Ghannouchi's arrest came after he was reported to have said that Tunisia would face "civil war" if political Islam were eradicated from the country.
Yemen crowd crush kills 78 at Ramadan charity event
At least 78 people were killed and dozens more injured in a crowd crush at a charity event in Yemen's capital, San'a, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, April 19, when a merchant was distributing financial aid to attendees, and the ruling Houthi rebels attempted crowd control by firing guns in the air, causing an explosion that led to a panicked exit.
Video footage showed people trapped in a pile and others trying to escape.
The Houthis detained two organizers and opened an investigation.
The incident is the deadliest in years not directly related to Yemen's civil war.
Read more on The Wall Street Journal.
Was Cleopatra a black African Queen?
Egyptian social media is in an uproar over the upcoming season of the Jada Pinkett Smith-produced Netflix series "African Queens," which focuses on the life of Queen Cleopatra and will air in May.
Egyptians are upset about the portrayal of Cleopatra, who was of Greek descent, as a Black African woman, and an expert in the trailer insists that "Cleopatra was Black."
Many see this as Afrocentric propaganda that erases the connection between ancient and modern-day Egyptians.
Some feel it is cultural appropriation and alienates modern Egyptians from their heritage.
The controversy has sparked a debate on whether Cleopatra was black or not.
Read more on New Lines Magazine.
Eid al-Fitr to start for Sunni Muslims while Shiites wait
Muslims around the world will celebrate the end of Ramadan on either Friday or Saturday, depending on the sighting of the new moon.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Sudan will celebrate on Friday, while Indonesia, Pakistan, and Oman will celebrate on Saturday.
The start of Eid al-Fitr is determined by different methods, including the sighting of the new moon and astronomical calculations.
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My name is Dario Sabaghi, and I am a freelance journalist interested in international news focusing on the MENA region.
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Cover photo: Photo: AFP/Getty Images - CNN