World

Sudanese security forces deploy ahead of planned anti-coup protests

Sudanese security forces have spread out around Khartoum and neighboring cities ahead of planned anti-coup protests, days after the resignation of the country’s civilian prime minister, witnesses said Tuesday.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Streets leading to the army headquarters in central Khartoum were sealed off amid a heavy presence of riot police, paramilitary forces and army personnel, the witnesses said.

Pro-democracy activists have stepped up calls for protests against an October 25 military coup led by top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who detained then-prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and cabinet ministers.

The coup has triggered mass demonstrations and a violent crackdown that has so far left at least 57 dead and hundreds wounded. At least 13 women have been raped during the unrest.

On November 21, Burhan reinstated Hamdok in a deal promising elections in mid-2023. The protest movement slammed the deal as “betrayal” and has kept up street pressure.

Late Sunday, Hamdok announced that he was stepping down, saying he had tried to prevent the country “from sliding toward disaster” but that it was now at a “dangerous crossroads threatening its very survival.”

Pro-democracy activists have urged protesters to take to the streets Tuesday and to head to the presidential palace in Khartoum “until victory is achieved.”

Sudan has been navigating a fragile transition towards full civilian rule since the April 2019 ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir following an unprecedented wave of youth-led protests.

Burhan last month issued a decree allowing security forces to arrest individuals “over crimes related to the state of emergency,” effectively banning street protests.

Security forces are allowed to enter and search “any building or individual” and impose “surveillance of any property and facility.”

Since the coup, authorities have often blocked internet services and disrupted communication lines to prevent mass gatherings.

Sudan PM’s decision to resign throws country further into the abyss

Sudan’s PM announces resignation amid political deadlock

World

Elon Musk to visit China this week: Sources

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is expected to visit China this week, three people with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be his first trip to the country in three years.
Musk is expected to meet senior Chinese officials and to visit Tesla’s Shanghai plant, two of the sources said.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
It was not immediately clear who Musk would meet and what they would discuss. The people with knowledge of the trip declined to be named as the matter is private.
Tesla and China’s State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters reported in March that Musk was planning a trip to China and seeking a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang as early as April, with the exact timing subject to Li’s availability.
China is Tesla’s second-largest market after the United States, and its Shanghai plant is the electric carmaker’s largest production hub.
Musk also owns social media platform Twitter, which is banned in China, although some people access it via virtual private networks (VPNs).
The trip would mark Musk’s first in China since he set the internet abuzz by dancing on stage during an event at Tesla’s Shanghai factory in early 2020.
It would also come at a time when Tesla is grappling with multiple issues, including intensifying competition with Chinese automakers that are exporting their China-made electric vehicles as demand in the world’s largest auto market weakens.
Tesla has not yet given any update on its plans to increase output by 450,000 vehicles a year at its Shanghai plant, although it said in April it would build a factory in Shanghai to produce Megapack energy storage products.
The company has submitted plans to local authorities to expand capacity for producing powertrains at the Shanghai plant to 1.75 million units annually.
China’s state planner has been struggling with a capacity glut in its auto industry with more than 100 players and has been cautious about approving new production capacity.
Musk told CNBC earlier this month that “there are some constraints on our ability to expand in China.” He added: “It’s not a demand issue.”
In the same interview, Musk said tensions between the United States and China “should be a concern for everyone.”
Tesla is building a plant in Mexico expected to produce a lower-cost electric car built on its next-generation platform.
Read more:
Elon Musk’s Neuralink gets FDA approval for study of brain implants in humans
Car-maker Tesla offers China-made electric vehicles for sale in Canada
Elon Musk says Tesla will try advertising

World

Iran set to unveil hypersonic missile ‘soon’: IRGC commander

Iran is preparing to unveil a hypersonic missile in the near future, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander said on Monday.

This comes after Iran last week unveiled a new ballistic missile capable of reaching a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and carrying warheads weighing over a ton.

“The hypersonic missile has passed its tests and will be unveiled soon,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC’s aerospace unit, as saying.

“This new missile is capable of passing through all missile defense systems. It targets the enemy’s anti-missile systems and is a big leap in the field of missiles,” he added.

“The hypersonic missile has a high speed and can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere.”

In November, Hajizadeh made the initial claim that Iran had developed a hypersonic missile. The claim was met with doubts from Washington, with a Pentagon spokesperson saying that the US was “skeptical” of the assertion.

Hypersonic missiles can fly at speeds at least five times faster than the speed of sound, following intricate trajectories that make interception challenging. Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles travel at low altitudes in the atmosphere, potentially enabling them to reach targets more swiftly.

On Thursday, Iran unveiled the Kheibar missile, which is an updated version of the Khorramshahr, the country’s longest-range missile to date.

State news agency IRNA described the Kheibar as “a liquid fuel missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a 1,500 kilogram warhead.”

The US described Iran’s missile program as a “serious threat” following the unveiling.

“Iran’s development, and proliferation of, ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to regional and international security and remains a significant non-proliferation challenge,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

World

New reservoir commissioned in Lusaily to increase water storage capacity

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has authorized the construction of a water reservoir in the Lusaily area to meet growing demand, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Monday.

DEWA officials say the project will have a storage capacity of 60 million imperial gallons (MIG) and investments totaling $42.86 million (AED 157.4 million).

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The purpose of the reservoir is to strengthen water security and keep up with the increase in demand, according to WAM.

“The water reservoirs we are building help increase the water flow and raise the volume of the Emirate’s water reserve to meet the growing demand and increase the efficiency and reliability of water networks to support the sustainable development of Dubai,” DEWA CEO Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer said.