Sudan Military Rivals Continue To Battle For Control Of The Country
Reuters: Sudan's army pounds paramilitary bases with air strikes in power struggle
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's army appeared to gain the upper hand on Sunday in a bloody power struggle with rival paramilitary forces after blasting its bases with air strikes, witnesses said, and at least 59 civilians were killed including three U.N. workers.
The fighting erupted on Saturday between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council.
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More News On Sudan's Civil War
Sudan clashes leave more than 60 dead — updates -- DW
Air strikes hit Sudan capital as clashes escalate between army and paramilitaries -- France 24
Dozens killed as army, rivals battle for control of Sudan -- AP
Death toll in Sudan rises to 56 civilians, scores of combatants, as military rivals fight for power -- ABC News Australia
Sudan: All-Out War Erupts In Clash Of Rival Military Forces - Casualties Mount -- Zero Hedge
Sudan army, paramilitary agree to UN proposal on 'humanitarian corridor' -- France 24
UN World Food Programme halts Sudan operations as fighting continues -- The Guardian
Sudan crisis: Shock and anger in Khartoum, a city not used to war -- BBC
Sudan unrest: What are the Rapid Support Forces? -- Al Jazeera
Unpacking Sudan clashes: Who is who and how did we get here? -- DW
Sudan fighting: The military rivalry behind the clashes in Khartoum -- BBC
Rival generals are battling for control in Sudan. A simple guide to the fighting -- CNN
Pentagon Leaks Say China Likely To Rapidly Achieve Air Superiority Over Taiwan
Taiwan highly vulnerable to Chinese air attack, leaked documents show © I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg News
The Guardian: China likely to rapidly achieve air superiority over Taiwan, US leaks say
Documents among those shared by alleged leaker raise questions over island’s military readiness
China would probably establish air superiority very rapidly in any attack on Taiwan, according to leaked US intelligence assessments that raise disturbing questions about the self-ruled island’s military readiness.
The documents, part of a series allegedly leaked by the US air national guardsman Jack Teixeira, emerged as G7 foreign ministers met to discuss a common China strategy and Beijing briefly halted flights over part of the East China Sea on Sunday.
The classified documents seen by the Washington Post reveal that Taiwan’s military leaders doubt their air defences can “accurately detect missile launches” and that only about half of the island’s aircraft are capable of effectively engaging the enemy.
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Update #1: Taiwan highly vulnerable to Chinese air attack, leaked documents show (Washington Post)
Update #2: China would gain swift air superiority over Taiwan, US leaks show (Times of India)
WNU Editor: U.S. concerns over Taiwan's air defenses is nothing new .... U.S. Needs Air Superiority, Ship-Killing Weapons to Defend Taiwan, Pacific Air Forces Commander Says (USNI News).
A Look At How China And Taiwan's Militaries Shape Up
China last weekend conducted large-scale military exercises which simulated a complete naval blockade of Taiwan - the latest in a string of aggressive war games.
Beijing's military described the threatening exercises as a warning to the self-governing island nation, declaring in a statement: 'The theatre's troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ''Taiwan independence'' and foreign interference attempts.'
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing's control - something the authoritarian president Xi Jinping has said he's willing to do by force.
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WNU Editor: A better question that should be asked is the following .... China Is Preparing For War; Is The US Ready? (Epoch Times).
Are Certain Nations And Global Business Interests Transferring Their Assets And Commitments Away From The U.S.?
The Hill: Is there a worldwide run on the Bank of the United States of America?
In talking this week with a friend about the United States seemingly imploding from within across multiple sectors, my friend stressed: “It’s not just from within. There is a run on the United States from certain nations and business interests around the world. Just like there was a run on banks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, many nations are either thinking about — or actually proceeding with — transferring at least a portion of their allegiance, assets and commitments from the ‘Bank of the U.S.’ to the ‘Bank of China’ or elsewhere.”
This was not just some person sitting on a porch casually talking about current events while whittling a stick waiting for his Social Security or pension check to hit the mailbox. This was a former high-level U.S. government official, now a CEO, someone who sits on the boards of directors for multiple companies. He has massive real-world and business experience and believes the United State may be on the verge of collapse.
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WNU Editor: It was not only the financial and economic sanctions the US imposed on Russia that was a wake-up call for the global community on what the US could do if they run afoul of US policies, but it was also the US threatening countries and global business interests that they could be next if they continue to do business with Russia or Russia-linked businesses.
No one wants their monies controlled in such a manner. Hence the move away from US banks and financial institutions.
Biden And Trump Hold Commanding Leads Heading Into The 2024 Primaries
PJ Media: New Polls Show Biden and Trump's Strong Lead Heading Into the 2024 Primaries
In some ways, we’re a long way from the 2024 elections, but we also know how time flies. After all, the first primaries are mere months away.
If the headlines give any indication, the next presidential election looks like a rematch of 2020, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump dominating media coverage. And as of right now, polling bears out the notion of a Trump-Biden grudge match in 2024.
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WNU Editor: In a Biden - Trump or Biden - DeSantis face-off, the polls say it is too close to call .... Biden’s poll numbers look grim as he preps for reelection bid (Politico).
IMF Says Global Debt Is Projected To Reach 100 Percent Of GDP
The International Monetary Fund headquarters building in Washington, on April 20, 2018. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)
Epoch Times: Global Debt Projected to Reach 100 Percent of GDP: IMF
Global public debt is expected to surge faster than in years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and to continue rising over the next few years, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In the organization’s latest Fiscal Monitor report, economists stated that while international government debt receded briefly as exorbitant pandemic-era fiscal and monetary policies were wound down, that debt is beginning to increase again. IMF researchers warn that these levels will continue to rise over the next five years.
The United States and China have mainly contributed to this upward trend. If these economies were excluded from the calculations, “the public debt-to-GDP [gross domestic product] ratio would be going down” worldwide, said Vitor Gaspar, director of the IMF’s fiscal affairs department.
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WNU Editor: And the projection is for more and more debt in the years to come.
US Arms Industry Planning First Taiwan Trip in Four Years
U.S. airmen stand by a U.S. Air Force drone in March 2016. Unmanned vehicles are considered key to deterring a Chinese attack on Taiwan. © Reuters
Nikkei Asia: U.S. defense industry plans first Taiwan trip in four years
Contractors to explore co-production of drones and ammunition
WASHINGTON -- Around 25 U.S. defense contractors plan to send representatives to Taiwan in early May to discuss joint production of drones and ammunition, US Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers told Nikkei, as Washington explores various options to help bolster the island's defenses.
The delegation will be led by Steven Rudder, the retired commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. This would be the first large group of envoys focused specifically on the defense industry to visit Taiwan from the U.S. since 2019.
In addition to talks with representatives from the Taiwanese defense industry, it is looking to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
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Update: US Arms Industry Planning First Taiwan Trip in Four Years (Antiwar.com)
WNU Editor: The U.S. arms industry may want to sell more weapons to Taiwan, but they should get rid of their backlog of arms deliveries to Taiwan first .... Slow arms deliveries to Taiwan blamed on US production bottlenecks (Defense News).
The Pentagon Is Spending $145 Billion On Researching And Developing New Weapon Systems
An operational version of the Active Denial System, a military counter-personnel directed energy weapon that is the equivalent of science fiction’s heat ray. (Unlisted USAF personnel/Public domain/ Wikimedia Commons )
Zero Hedge/Epoch Times: The Disruptive Military Technologies The Pentagon Is Spending Nearly $150 Billion On
President Joe Biden’s $886.3 billion Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) defense budget request includes $145 billion for research and development into emerging technologies to create new weapons systems using Artificial Intelligence (AI), hypersonic munitions, and electromagnetic swarms.
The Department of Defense (DOD) and its subsidiary military branch technology laboratories, working in tandem with universities and high-tech contractors that increasingly include small businesses, have produced such big-ticket splashes as newly deployed directed-energy weapons systems and hypersonic/ballistic sensors.
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WNU Editor: The discussion on "The Valley Of Death" that every new defense program must face is an eye-opener on how these programs must go through.
Picture Of The Day
Ukrainian servicemen place candles after a special service for Ukrainian Armed Forces, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, during a ceremony to bless Easter cakes at St Michael's Cathedral before Orthodox Easter in Kyiv, Ukraine April 12, 2023. REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiienko
WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Celebrating Orthodox Easter (Reuters).
IEA Says OPEC+ Production Cuts Could Derail Global Economic Growth
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo
CNBC: Surprise oil output cuts from OPEC+ could hurt consumers and derail the economic recovery, IEA warns
* In its latest monthly oil market report, the IEA said the energy alliance’s self-described “precautionary move” was likely to spell bad news for consumers at a time of heightened economic uncertainty.
* “Consumers confronted by inflated prices for basic necessities will now have to spread their budgets even more thinly,” the IEA said. “This augurs badly for the economic recovery and growth.”
* Several OPEC+ members announced on April 2 that they were set to tighten global production by an additional 1.16 million barrels per day until the end of the year.
The International Energy Agency on Friday warned surprise oil output cuts from the OPEC+ producer group risk exacerbating a projected supply deficit and could scupper an economic recovery.
In its latest monthly oil market report, the IEA said the energy alliance’s self-described “precautionary move” was likely to spell bad news for consumers at a time of heightened economic uncertainty.
“Consumers confronted by inflated prices for basic necessities will now have to spread their budgets even more thinly,” the IEA said. “This augurs badly for the economic recovery and growth.”
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IEA Says OPEC+ Production Cuts Could Derail Global Economic Growth
OPEC+ cuts risk oil supply deficit, threaten economic recovery -IEA -- Reuters
IEA Says OPEC+ Cuts Could Derail Economic Growth -- OilPrice.com
IEA issues warning over OPEC+ cuts -- RT
OPEC Cuts Will Slash Global Oil Supplies: IEA. That's a Problem for Inflation. -- Barrons
Poland And Hungary Suspends Food Imports From Ukraine
A truck waits at a grain terminal during barley harvesting in Ukraine's Odesa region in July 2022.
Reuters: Poland, Hungary ban grain and food imports from Ukraine; Kyiv unhappy
WARSAW/BUDAPEST - Poland and Hungary have decided to ban imports of grain and other food from neighbouring Ukraine to protect the local agricultural sector, the two governments said on Saturday, after a flood of supply depressed prices across the region.
Ukraine expressed regret about the Polish decision, saying that “resolving various issues by unilateral drastic actions will not accelerate a positive resolution of the situation”.
After Russia’s invasion blocked some Black Sea ports, large quantities of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than that produced in the European Union, ended up staying in Central European states due to logistical bottlenecks, hitting prices and sales for local farmers.
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WNU Editor: Slovakia has also banned Ukrainian grain .... Slovakia has Banned the Processing and Sale of Ukrainian Grain (Novinite).
Poland And Hungary Suspends Food Imports From Ukraine
Poland prohibits food imports from Ukraine to soothe farmers -- AP
Poland suspends food imports from Ukraine to assist its farmers -- Al Jazeera
Russia Continues To Make Progress In The Battle For Bakhmut
Reuters: Ukraine reports unprecedentedly bloody fighting in Bakhmut
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukrainian and Russian armed forces are fighting extraordinarily bloody battles in the smashed eastern city of Bakhmut, but pro-Kyiv forces are still holding on, Ukraine's military said on Saturday.
Russia's defence ministry said earlier in the day that fighters from the Wagner mercenary group had captured two more areas of Bakhmut, the main target of Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Wagner has spearheaded Russia's attempt to take Bakhmut since last summer in what has been the longest and deadliest battle of the war for both sides.
"Bloody battles unprecedented in recent decades are taking place in the middle of the city's urban area," said Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command.
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WNU Editor: I just finished reading a Ukrainian blogger's report that the Ukraine Army is trying to pour even more soldiers into the 20% of Bakhmut that they still control. I understand Ukraine President Zelensky's concern that should Bakhmut fall the entire Donbas front-line may collapse. But sending hundreds if not thousands of more soldiers to certain death to only prevent the inevitable makes no sense to me.
Russia Continues To Make Progress In The Battle For Bakhmut
Russian forces bear down on Ukrainian defenders in Bakhmut -- Euronews/AP
Russia Claims Gains North and South of Ukraine's Bakhmut -- Moscow Times/AFP
Ukraine Reveals Intense Fighting on Bakhmut's Streets in New Video -- Newsweek
Russia says Wagner Group seizes two more areas in Ukraine's Bakhmut -- Jerusalem Post
Fighting Rages In Ukraine's Bakhmut As Death Toll In Slovyansk Climbs To 11 -- RFE
Ukraine Forces Pull Back as Russia Mounts 'Re-Energised' Bakhmut Assault, UK Says -- Reuters
Ukraine denies its troops are surrounded in Bakhmut -- Daily Mail
Bakhmut: Timelapse map shows Russia slowly surrounding Ukraine -- Business Insider
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