JUBA, South Sudan: Plagued by continuing conflict despite the calls for a ceasefire, Sudan finds itself grappling with a new and controversial weapon on its battlefield: drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles have sparked intense debate among experts, who question whether they hold the power to reshape the ongoing war.

KHARTOUM: Air strikes killed civilians and pummeled multiple parts of the Sudanese capital on Saturday, residents said, as mediators pushed the warring factions toward a new cease-fire.
Fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is entering its third month with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
The war has displaced 2.2 million Sudanese and killed hundreds, and has sent the war-weary Darfur region into a “humanitarian calamity,” the United Nations has said.

JUBA, South Sudan: The conflict in Sudan has left a trail of devastation, with thousands of lives lost and the country’s stability hanging by a thread. Various international actors have attempted to mediate and find a peaceful solution, but with limited success.

In light of these challenges, African regional bodies have emerged as potential interlocutors capable of fostering peace. But opinion is divided among analysts over the suitability of these institutions and their likelihood of success.

RAMALLAH: Residents of four Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank are living in fear as dozens of Israeli settlers return to rebuild a settlement that was evacuated in 2005.
Settlers are clearing land, setting up mobile caravans and building a religious school in Homesh, an outpost on the road connecting the governorates of Nablus and Jenin.
To help the settlers, the Israeli army has stepped up mobile and foot patrols, placed cement blocks on the main road, and built military observation towers.

AL-MUKALLA: Yemeni government and Houthi delegations met in Amman on Saturday for the second day of a new round of prisoner swap talks, raising hopes for the release of hundreds of captives.
The discussions, sponsored by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, began on Friday and are likely to focus on securing an agreement to exchange hundreds of inmates in the coming weeks.