ROME: Although Sudan has been in the throes of political turmoil since authoritarian leader Omar Al-Bashir was toppled in 2019, the sudden explosion of violence that began on April 15 appeared to catch the world by surprise.

Explosions and gunfire in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, in defiance of repeated attempts to broker a cease-fire, have forced nations to hastily extract embassy staff and citizens who were at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s army and its rival paramilitary said Sunday they will extend a humanitarian cease-fire a further 72 hours. The decision follows international pressure to allow the safe passage of civilians and aid but the shaky truce has not so far stopped the clashes.
In statements, both sides accused the other of violations. The agreement has deescalated the fighting in some areas but violence continues to push civilians to flee. Aid groups have also struggled to get badly needed supplies into the country.

TEHRAN: Iran’s parliament voted Sunday to fire the country’s industries minister over alleged mismanagement amid widespread dissatisfaction with the government.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said 162 of 272 lawmakers present voted in favor of dismissing Reza Fatemi Amin. The chamber has 290 seats. Fatemi Amin survived a previous impeachment in 2022. The decision came following discussion among lawmakers and government officials who questioned the minister.

CAIRO: Customs officers at Hurghada International Airport have thwarted an attempt to smuggle tramadol tablets into the country in breach of Egyptian anti-narcotics laws.

Fifteen strips of 100 ml pills were found among clothes in the luggage of a female passenger arriving from Slovakia. Her case has been referred for prosecution.

Separately, several bids were made to sneak jewelry and gold bars into Egypt through other airports.

MOSCOW: Saudi Arabia has evacuated several dozen Russian citizens from Sudan, it was announced on Sunday.

The press-attache of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Jeddah, Ruslan Usmanov, confirmed the evacuation in an interview with state news agency TASS.

“Russians are not evacuating on their own, they are being taken out by Saudi Arabian warships,” the diplomat said. “They took over the issue, they are taken out of the port of Sudan, then they are brought to the port of Jeddah to the naval base, we meet them there,” he added.