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Sudan War Drives Ine Million Children From Homes – UN

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2023

The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than one million children, 270,000 of them in the Darfur region, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) has said, warning more were at “grave risk”.

Fighting has raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

As well as the more than one million displaced, at least 330 children have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.

“Many more are at grave risk”.

The United Nations agency said an estimated 13 million children were in “dire need” of humanitarian assistance.

“Children are trapped in an unrelenting nightmare, bearing the heaviest burden of a violent crisis they had no hand in creating — caught in the crossfire, injured, abused, displaced and subjected to disease and malnutrition,” said UNICEF Sudan representative Mandeep O’Brien.

It said the situation in Darfur, already scarred by a two-decade war that left hundreds of thousands dead and more than two million displaced, was especially concerning.

“The situation in West and Central Darfur, in particular, is characterised by active fighting, severe insecurity and looting of humanitarian supplies and facilities,” UNICEF said.

Daglo’s RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed militias which former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed on ethnic minorities in the region in 2003, drawing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Its paramilitaries have been accused of carrying out the Wednesday killing of West Darfur state governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar hours after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a Saudi TV channel. The RSF has denied any responsibility.

The United Nations said “compelling eyewitness accounts attribute this act to Arab militias and the RSF”, while the Darfur Lawyers Association condemned the act of “barbarism, brutality and cruelty”.

“All those responsible for this killing must be held to account including those who bear command responsibility,” Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

– ‘Ominous reminder’ –

The US State Department said the atrocities unfolding in West Darfur were “primarily” the work of the RSF and provided an “ominous reminder” of the region’s previous genocide.

“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing human rights violations and abuses and horrific violence in Sudan, especially reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

“The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur.”

Miller said up to 1,100 civilians had been killed in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, alone.

“While the atrocities taking place in Darfur are primarily attributable to the RSF and affiliated militia, both sides have been responsible for abuses,” he added.

Now in its third month, the fighting has claimed more than 2,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

The International Organization for Migration says the fighting has driven 2.2 million people from their homes, including 528,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.

With mediation efforts at a standstill after repeated abortive ceasefires, the fighting has raged on unabated.

In Khartoum North, just across the Blue Nile from the capital, the regular army carried out air strikes drawing anti-aircraft fire from the RSF, witnesses said.

Across the Nile in Omdurman, an air strike hit the Beit Al-Mal neighbourhood, killing at least three people and damaging several houses, the neighbourhood “resistance committee” said.

The RSF said the strike killed 20 people, some inside a mosque, and accused the regular army, which has a virtual monopoly of the skies, of carrying out multiple strikes on residential neighbourhoods.

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Perplexity AI Makes $34.5bn Surprise Bid For Google’s Chrome Browser

Published

15 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Alphabet’s Chrome browser, a bold move that underscores the growing battle for dominance in the AI-driven search market.

The bid, announced on Tuesday, is more than double Perplexity’s own valuation of $14 billion.

The three-year-old company, led by Aravind Srinivas, has previously floated ambitious takeover ideas, including a proposal earlier this year to merge with TikTok’s United States business.

Google has not put Chrome up for sale and did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The tech giant is currently appealing a US court ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in online search, with the Justice Department pushing for a possible Chrome divestiture as part of the case.

Perplexity, which has raised around $1 billion from backers including Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank, did not reveal how it intends to finance the bid.

However, it said multiple funds have pledged to cover the offer in full.

The startup already operates its own AI-powered browser, Comet, but acquiring Chrome’s more than three billion users would give it a major edge against rivals like OpenAI, which is also developing an AI browser.

Perplexity has promised to keep Chrome’s open-source foundation, Chromium, accessible, while pledging a $3 billion investment over two years and committing not to alter Chrome’s default search engine.

Shares of Alphabet rose 1.6% in afternoon trading following news of the bid.

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Google Introduces Initiative To Equip 1,000 Nigerian Developers

Published

16 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

Google on Wednesday announced a new initiative, “Build with AI’’ in partnership with GOMYCODE to equip 1,000 Nigerian developers with critical Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills.

John Kimani, Head of Developer Ecosystem for Google in Sub-Saharan Africa, said in a statement that it was a significant move to accelerate Nigeria’s participation in the global AI economy.

Kimani said that the initiative was inaugurated to foster a new generation of tech talent capable of building transformative products that are both locally relevant and globally competitive.

He said that the initiative came at a pivotal moment, as industries across Nigeria and Africa increasingly look to technology to solve pressing challenges and drive economic growth.

According to him, by providing access to advanced AI tools such as Gemini and a curriculum with oversight from Google’s experts, the programme is set to bridge the gap between raw talent and the specialised skills required to innovate in the AI era.

The Google spokesperson said that this strategic focus was intended to accelerate the development of solutions in key sectors such as fintech, healthtech, and agritech, positioning Nigerian developers at the forefront of the continent’s digital transformation.

“We are witnessing a technological renaissance in Nigeria, driven by a vibrant community of developers who are eager to solve the challenges around them.

“Our collaboration with GOMYCODE is about more than just training; it’s about empowering this community with the tools and expertise they need to build the future,’’ he said.

Kimani noted that by equipping developers with Google’s Generative AI, it was helping to unlock a new frontier of innovation that could deliver significant economic and social impact across the continent.

He said that the 11-week programme would be delivered through GOMYCODE’s extensive network of hacker spaces, combining in-person instruction with hands-on, mentored lab work.

“This approach ensures that the training is both accessible and practical, allowing developers to immediately apply their learning to real-world projects,’’ he said.

The Country Director for GOMYCODE, Mr Babatunde Olaifa, said that GOMYCODE’s role was to provide the critical infrastructure and local expertise needed to nurture Nigeria’s tech talent.

Olaifa said that partnering with Google allowed it to bring world-class curriculum and technology directly to the developer community.

“We are creating an environment where innovation can thrive, and we are incredibly excited to see the solutions that will emerge from this programme built by Nigerians, for Nigeria and the world,” the GOMYCODE boss said.

He said that the “Build with AI” programme was now accepting applications from developers across Nigeria.

According to him, the initiative will culminate in a demo day where top participants will showcase their AI-powered solutions to a team from Google and other industry leaders.

He urged developers that are interested in being part of the AI revolution to apply by visiting bit.ly/BwAIDevTraining.

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Sean Kingston Sentenced To 3.5 Years In Prison Over Fraud

Published

17 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

American-Jamaican singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme involving luxury goods.

Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner, sentenced last month, received five years in prison.

Prosecutors said Kingston used his celebrity status to fraudulently obtain expensive items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and a 19-foot LED television.

Court documents revealed he presented falsified wire transfer receipts and enticed sellers with promises of social media promotion in exchange for the goods.

U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz ordered his immediate remand after Friday’s sentencing in a South Florida courtroom, rejecting a request by Kingston’s lawyer for a delayed surrender due to health concerns.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described the singer as a “thief and a conman,” accusing him of exploiting his fame to defraud victims for years.

His defence lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, countered that Kingston, 35, had poor financial discipline but had begun repaying victims.

Kingston and his mother were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT raid on his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale.

The singer, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at 17 with his 2007 global hit Beautiful Girls.