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Paramilitary Attack On Sudan Village Kills 28

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Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed at least 28 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local doctors’ committee said on Sunday.

The Rapid Support Forces carried out a “massacre” in “the village of Um Adam” 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of the city on Saturday, the Sudan Doctors Committee said in a statement.

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Sudan’s war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, began last April 15.

Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to 15,000 in a single town in the war-ravaged Darfur region, according to United Nations experts.

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The war has also displaced more than 8.5 million people, practically destroyed Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Saturday’s attack “resulted in the killing (of) at least 28 innocent villagers and more than 240 people wounded”, the committee said.

It added that “there are a number of dead and wounded in the village that we were not able to count” due to the fighting and difficulty in reaching health facilities.

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A local activists’ committee had given a toll of 25 earlier in the day.

A medical source at the Manaqil hospital, 80 kilometres away, confirmed to AFP that they had “received 200 wounded, some of whom arrived too late”.

READ ALSO: We Cannot Work Under Barrel Of Gun – UN Cries Out As Sudan Boils The More

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“We’re facing a shortage of blood and we don’t have enough medical personnel,” he added.

More than 70 percent of Sudan’s health facilities are out of service, according to the UN, while those remaining receive many times their capacity and have meagre resources.

Both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and looting and obstructing aid.

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Since taking over Al-Jazira state just south of Khartoum in December, the RSF has laid siege to and attacked entire villages such as Um Adam.

By March, at least 108 villages and settlements across the country had been set on fire and “partially or completely destroyed”, the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience has found.

AFP

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Six Dead, Others Trapped As Gold Collapse

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Six people have been killed and up to 20 others are feared trapped after a gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan, authorities said on Saturday.

The accident occurred on Friday in the Um Aud area, west of the city of Berber in River Nile state, said Hassan Ibrahim Karar, executive director of the Berber locality.

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“Efforts are ongoing to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble,” Karar said, without specifying the cause of the collapse of the artisanal mine.

Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, both sides have largely financed their war efforts through the country’s gold industry.

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Official and NGO sources say nearly all of Sudan’s gold trade is funnelled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been widely accused of supplying arms to the RSF — a charge it denies.

Despite the conflict, the army-backed government announced record gold production of 64 tonnes for 2024.

Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country by area, remains one of the continent’s top gold producers.

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However, most gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale mining operations, which lack proper safety measures and often use hazardous chemicals, resulting in severe health risks for miners and nearby communities. Buy vitamins and supplements.

READ ALSO:Senegal’s New President Orders Economic Recovery Plan

Before the war pushed 25 million Sudanese into acute food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to industry figures.

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Today, mining experts say much of the gold produced by both warring factions is smuggled through Chad, South Sudan and Egypt before reaching the UAE — currently the world’s second-largest gold exporter.

The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced roughly 10 million people, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. An additional four million Sudanese have fled across borders.

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Popular Nail Polish Ingredient Banned Over Fertility Fears

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The European Union has outlawed the use of TPO in all cosmetic products as of September 1, citing evidence that it may cause long-term fertility problems. The move forces nail salons in all 27 EU countries, as well as Norway and others that follow EU rules, to stop offering TPO-based gels and safely dispose of their stock. Manufacturers will now be required to reformulate their products without the chemical.

TPO has been a staple in the beauty industry, used as a photoinitiator to harden polish quickly under ultraviolet light and give manicures a glossy, long-lasting finish. But while gel polish has been praised for staying chip-free for weeks, experts say the ingredient behind its durability may carry hidden dangers.

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READ ALSO:Lagos Enforces Ban, Seizes Single-use Plastics From Supermarkets

Industry insiders expect the UK and other countries to follow suit with a similar ban by late 2026. The US, however, has yet to propose any such restrictions, though American salons that import products from Europe could be affected.

This ingredient could not be defended. The industry was unable to prove there were no safer alternatives,” said Francesca Rapolla of the UK’s Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association.

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Still, not everyone agrees with the ban. Belgian retailer ASAP Nails and Beauty Supply warned of “major economic damage” to small businesses and argued there is “no human evidence of danger”. Meanwhile, US-based consultant Doug Schoon criticised the EU’s decision as “disproportionate”, saying it would waste safe products and undermine confidence in regulators.

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The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of chemicals in everyday cosmetics. Experts warn that toxic compounds, including endocrine disruptors, may contribute to rising cases of infertility, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. One striking trend is the surge in endometriosis cases — a painful condition linked to infertility — as global cases have risen to nearly 190 million. Scientists believe endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and now TPO could be a driving force.

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“These chemicals can linger in the body for years, stored in fatty tissue. They affect the immune system, disrupt hormones, and in some women, may trigger reproductive problems and endometriosis,” said Professor Katie Burns of the University of Cincinnati.

For now, Europe has chosen precaution over profit. The debate over TPO could prove a turning point in the battle over hidden toxins in beauty products — and their long-term toll on women’s health.

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Trump Threatens Severe Consequences Against ‘Wrongful’ Detention Of U.S. Nationals Abroad

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Trump threatens severe consequences against ‘wrongful’ detention of U.S. nationals abroad
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to protect U.S. nationals from what he termed “wrongful detention” abroad.

U.S. Department of State, in a statement issued on Friday, threatened severe consequences for those who “wrongfully” detain Americans abroad.

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“Today, President Trump signed an Executive Order that takes unprecedented action to impose new consequences on those who wrongfully detain Americans abroad,” the statement read.

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Through this Executive Order, actors designated as State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention may face severe penalties,” the statement added.

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The penalties include economic sanctions, visa restrictions, foreign assistance restrictions and travel restrictions for U.S. passport holders, according to the statement.

Like the State Sponsor of Terrorism determination, no nation should want to end up on this list.

READ ALSO:Trump Moves To Cut More Foreign Aid, Risking Shutdown

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The bottom line: Anyone who uses an American as a bargaining chip will pay the price.”

This administration is not only putting America first but also putting Americans first, the statement said

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