Sudan ruling council declares rival faction as 'rebels', battles unrelenting

The violence erupted Saturday after weeks of power struggles between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AFP)

Sudan's army chief on Monday branded the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces a rebellious group and ordered it be dissolved, the foreign ministry said, as the faction battled the army in the capital and across the country.

The rupture between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed at least 97 civilians and 45 soldiers according to a medics’ group, with airstrikes and fighting in the capital and strife spilling across Sudan

Both sides claimed they made gains on Monday as smoke hung over the capital Khartoum and residents reported a clamour of airstrikes, artillery fire and shooting that cut off basic services and damaged hospitals in a city unused to violence.

The order follows a violent power struggle that has killed at least 97 civilians and injured 365 since the fighting started early on Saturday, according to a toll published by the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, an activist group. The government has not published a toll.

Bombardments and airstrikes rocked Khartoum on Monday, including near the military headquarters, and in Bahri just across the Nile River near another base, witnesses in the areas said. Smoke billowed from the runway of the capital's international airport, where explosions and fires were visible on TV images.

The rare outbreak of violence in the capital has also spread to other parts of Sudan, pitting the armed forces against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a former militia that had been due to merge with the army and whose leaders shared power in a ruling military council.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan heads the ruling council while RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is his deputy. Both sides said they had made gains on Monday.

A protracted power struggle raises the risk of Sudan falling into civil war four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled in an uprising, as well as derailing an internationally-backed framework deal to launch a civilian transition that was due to be signed earlier this month.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan heads a ruling council installed after a 2021 coup and the 2019 ousting of veteran leader Omar Bashir during mass protests. RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is his deputy.

Under an internationally backed transition plan, the RSF was shortly due to merge with the army. Burhan on Monday ordered the group to be dissolved as the two sides exchanged bitter accusations.

In comments to Sky News, Burhan said he was secure in a presidential guesthouse within the defense ministry compound. He said his goal was to defeat the RSF, but did not rule out some form of negotiation. “Every war ends at the negotiation table even if the opponent is defeated,” Burhan said.

Egypt, which has long been wary of political change in Khartoum, is the most important backer of Sudan's armed forces. Hemedti has cultivated ties with several foreign powers including the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

There was no sign on Monday that either side was willing to back down. While the army is larger, and has air power, the RSF is widely deployed inside neighborhoods of Khartoum and other cities, making it hard for either side to secure a quick victory.

Fighting between the sides in Darfur has meanwhile raised the spectre of renewed conflict in the western region that from 2003 was plagued by years of bloody warfare that killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million

Hospitals damaged

Offices, schools and petrol stations in the capital were shut on Monday, while health services were widely disrupted and four major hospitals said they had been damaged and two were out of action due to the clashes.

The bridges linking Khartoum with Omdurman and Bahri across the Nile River’s two main branches were blocked by armored vehicles and some roads leading from the capital were impassable.

With water and power services also cut across large parts of the capital, some residents were venturing out to buy food, forming long queues at bakeries. There has been no police presence on the streets of Khartoum since Saturday and witnesses reported cases of looting.

There has been no police presence on the streets of Khartoum since Saturday and witnesses reported cases of looting.

“We’re scared our store will be looted because there’s no sense of security,” said Abdalsalam Yassin, 33, a shopkeeper who had bought in extra stock ahead of the coming Eid Al-Fitr Holiday.

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the outbreak of fighting and urged a return to calm, saying an already precarious humanitarian situation was now catastrophic.

The RSF claimed it had captured an airport and military bases, while the military said it was in control of its headquarters despite what it called “limited clashes” in the vicinity. Reuters verified video showing RSF forces in some of those locations but could not verify battlefield claims.

The army regained control of the main television station, which briefly went off air after gunfire was heard during a live broadcast. The station began broadcasting videos showing the army destroying RSF vehicles, a day after the RSF said it had taken over the building.

Power struggle

The eruption of fighting over the weekend followed rising tensions over the RSF’s integration into the military.

Discord over the timetable for that process delayed the signing of the framework framework deal to launch a civilian transition that was due to be signed earlier this month.

It comes four years after Bashir was toppled, and nearly two years after a military coup.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an immediate cease-fire was needed and that the fighting potentially posed a threat to the wider region. Germany called on both sides to de-escalate.

In Darfur, residents said fighting continued. “It’s calmer than yesterday but there was heavy artillery in the morning,” said Mohamed, a doctor in El Fasher in North Darfur.

In Nyala, the region’s biggest city, a member of a monitoring group said people were terrified. “We see men on motorcycles and they have been going into people’s homes, stealing cars, going into buildings, and going into NGOs and looting,” he said.

SpaceX postpones debut flight of Starship rocket, citing frozen valve

Elon Musk's SpaceX called off the highly anticipated debut launch of its newly-combined Starship cruise vessel and Super Heavy rocket in the final minutes of countdown due to a frozen valve, delaying the uncrewed test flight for at least two days.

The two-stage rocketship, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 394 feet (120 m) high, was originally slated for blast-off from the SpaceX "Starbase" facility at Boca Chica, Texas, during a two-hour launch window that began at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

But the California-based space company announced in a live webcast that it was scrubbing the planned 90-minute flight into space for a minimum of 48 hours, citing a frozen pressurization valve in the lower-stage rocket booster. That would make Wednesday the next available launch window for the mission.

SpaceX officials on the webcast said ground teams would nevertheless continue pre-flight fueling of the rocket until the last seconds of Monday's countdown, turning the canceled launch bid into a "wet dress rehearsal" for the next attempt.

Musk, the company's billionaire founder and chief executive, had told a private Twitter audience on Sunday night that the mission stood a better chance of being scrubbed than proceeding to launch on Monday.

Getting the vehicle to space for the first time would represent a key milestone in SpaceX's ambition of sending humans back to the moon and ultimately to Mars - at least initially as part of NASA's newly inaugurated human spaceflight program, Artemis.

Tourists take photos at sunset of SpaceX's Starship the day before it launches from the Starbase launchpad on an orbital test mission, in Boca Chica, Texas, U.S., April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gene Blevins

A successful debut flight would also instantly rank the Starship system as the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth.

Both the lower-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship cruise vessel it would carry to space are designed as reusable components, capable of flying back to Earth for soft landings - a maneuver that has become routine for SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 rocket.

But neither stage would be recovered for the expendable first test flight to space. Instead, both parts of the spacecraft would end their inaugural flight with crash landings at sea - the upper-stage of the Starship coming down in the Pacific after achieving nearly one full orbit of the Earth

Prototypes of the Starship cruise vessel have made five sub-space flights up to 6 miles (10 km) above Earth in recent years, but the Super Heavy booster has never left the ground.

In February, SpaceX did a test-firing of the booster, igniting 31 of its 33 Raptor engines for roughly 10 seconds with the rocket bolted in place vertically atop a platform.

The Federal Aviation Administration just last Friday granted a license for what would be the first test flight of the fully stacked rocket system, clearing a final regulatory hurdle for the long-awaited launch.

If all goes as planned for the next launch bid, all 33 Raptor engines will ignite simultaneously to loft the Starship on a flight most of the way around the Earth before it re-enters the atmosphere and free-falls into the Pacific at supersonic speed, about 60 miles (97 km) off the coast of the northern Hawaiian islands.

After separating from the Starship, the Super Heavy booster is expected to execute the beginnings of a controlled return flight before plunging into the Gulf of Mexico.

As designed, the Starship rocket is nearly two times more powerful than NASA's own Space Launch System (SLS), which made its debut uncrewed flight to orbit in November, sending a NASA cruise vessel called Orion on a 10-day voyage around the moon and back.

‘Teen Takeover’ terrorizes Chicago as hundreds of teenagers destroy property, attack tourists

Hundreds of teenagers stormed the streets of downtown Chicago, smashing car windows, attacking bystanders and sending panicked tourists running from the sound of gunfire.

"Where are their parents at? That's my question," a woman who identified as a Chicago native told Fox 32 as the unruly scene played out in downtown Chicago on Saturday night.

Fox 32 cameras captured video of teenagers crowding the streets and police seeking to restore order to the area.

Large groups of teens were seen blasting music from Bluetooth speakers and roaming in front of traffic, with some attempting to gain access to the city's Millennium Park, which is off-limits to those under 21 after certain hours, and the downtown Art Institute.

Police attempt to restore order in downtown Chicago after hundreds of teens descended on the area Saturday night.

Some teens in the group began jumping up and down on cars, smashing windows and attacking people inside. One woman told Fox 32 her husband was attacked from the driver side of his vehicle and beaten after a group of teens jumped up and down on the couple's windshield. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Hundreds of police officers assisted by SWAT teams descended on downtown in an attempt to restore order as gunfire was reported multiple times amid the unfolding scene.

Police were seen escorting frightened tourists back to their cars or hotels to escape the chaos, and traffic on Chicago's Michigan Avenue ground to a halt as police attempted to restore order.

Police say a 6-year-old boy was shot in the arm near the Chicago Loop and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg. Both were taken to Northwestern Hospital and listed in fair condition, according to a report from WLS.

Fox 32 reported that the chaos appeared to be another "Teen Takeover" of the city that was planned on social media, noting that a similar scene played out in Chicago last year.

"I understand kids having a good time, but this is simply bad parenting," the Chicago native witness told Fox 32. "We have to do better as parents. Our kids should not be out here."

Teens flooded downtown Chicago on Saturday night, smashing car windows and attacking tourists.

LIVE UPDATES - Wagner Assault Teams Liberate Two Areas in Artyomovsk

©Valentin Sprinchak/TASS

Russian air defense forces intercepted three rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

"Air defense capabilities intercepted three rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. In addition, they destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Verkhnetoretskoye, Vasilyevka and Krapivnitskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Golaya Pristan in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces neutralize three Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units and neutralized three enemy subversive groups in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation and artillery from the western battlegroup struck Ukrainian army units. The activity of three Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed P-18 and 36D6 surveillance radars of the Ukrainian army in the Kharkov Region and the enemy’s total losses amounted to 35 personnel and an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminate over 70 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area

Russian forces eliminated over 70 Ukrainian troops and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the battlegroup Center struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Terny and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The strikes "eliminated over 70 Ukrainian personnel, an armored combat vehicle and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer" in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces destroy over 270 Ukrainian troops, mercenaries in Donetsk advance

Russian forces destroyed over 270 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s total losses in that direction in the past 24 hours amounted to over 270 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, seven armored combat vehicles and five motor vehicles," the spokesman said.

Wagner assault teams liberate two areas in Artyomovsk

Assault teams from the Wagner private military company liberated two areas in northwestern and central Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

It was reported on April 16 that Wagner fighters liberated two areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of Artyomovsk.

"In the Donetsk direction, assault teams captured two areas in the northwestern and central parts of the city of Artyomovsk," the spokesman said.

Russian Airborne Force units, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, artillery from the battlegroup South provided support for the assault units and immobilized the enemy’s forces on the flanks, the general said.

"Aircraft flew 22 sorties and artillery of the southern battlegroup accomplished 54 firing objectives," Konashenkov reported.

The strikes inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Bogdanovka, Chasov Yar and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate 60 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces eliminated roughly 60 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from the Russian battlegroup East struck the enemy units near the settlements of Ugledar and Velikaya Novosyolka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Zagornoye, Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, the spokesman specified.

"As many as 60 Ukrainian personnel, two pickup trucks and a Msta-B howitzer were destroyed in those directions in the past 24 hours," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 55 Ukrainian troops, US-made M777 howitzer in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed over 55 Ukrainian troops and a US-made M777 artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, over 55 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, and also Akatsiya and Gvozdika motorized howitzers were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian army’s ammo depot, equipment hangar in Zaporozhye area

Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot and a hangar with military equipment belonging to the Ukrainian army in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the areas of the settlements of Novodanilovka and Novoandreyevka in the Zaporozhye Region, an ammunition depot and a hangar with armaments and military equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 65th mechanized brigade were obliterated," the spokesman said.

In addition, "in the area of the settlement of Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the activity of a Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance group was thwarted," the general said.

Russian forces strike 95 Ukrainian artillery units in past day

Russian forces struck 95 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 95 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 123 areas," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 407 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 228 helicopters, 3,764 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,699 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,086 multiple rocket launchers, 4,606 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,552 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Operasi Pencarian Pilot Susi Air, TNI: 1 Prajurit Tewas, 4 Orang Selamat, 5 Lainnya Belum Kembali

Kepala Staf Umum (Kasum) TNI Letjen Bambang Ismawan saat ditemui di Monas, Jakarta Pusat, Senin (17/4/2023).

Kepala Staf Umum (Kasum) TNI Letjen Bambang Ismawan mengungkapkan, terdapat satu prajurit yang terkonfirmasi tewas usai ditembaki teroris kelompok kriminal bersenjata (KKB) saat operasi pencarian pilot Susi Air Philip Mark Methrtens.

Adapun prajurit yang tewas adalah Pratu Miftahul Arifin. Bambang mengatakan Arifin gugur tertembak KKB saat sedang melakukan penyergapan.

"Tadi siang terakhir saya komunikasi dengan yang di lapangan, kepastian yang gugur itu satu orang. Itu Pratu Arifin," ujar Bambang saat ditemui di Monumen Nasional (Monas), Jakarta, hari Senin, 17/04/2023.

Sementara itu, masih ada lima prajurit lain yang belum kembali ke posnya. Tidak diketahui kondisi mereka saat ini.

"Sampai siang tadi masih dilakukan pencarian. Tinggal lima yang terakhir," ucapnya.

Bambang belum bisa memastikan kondisi kelima prajurit yang belum kembali tersebut. Yang pasti, kata dia, yang terkonfirmasi meninggal sejauh ini baru satu prajurit, yakni Pratu Arifin.

Bambang pun berharap lima prajurit ini akan segera kembali ke posnya.

"Kita belum bisa memastikan. Tetapi kalau lihat kasus sebelumnya yang empat orang yang sudah kembali itu, kan kemarin dispekulasikan bahwa, 'ah mungkin yang empat sudah (gugur)'. Tapi ternyata tidak," jelas Bambang.

"Jadi yang berita simpang siur (meninggal lebih dari satu orang) kan banyak, jadi itu tidak benar. Yang terkonfirmasi meninggal satu orang. Yang lainnya sudah kembali ke posnya masing-masing," imbuhnya.

Kepala Pusat Penerangan (Kapuspen) TNI Laksamana Muda Julius Widjojono memaparkan kronologi soal peristiwa prajurit Satuan Tugas (Satgas) Batalion Infanteri (Yonif) Raider 321/Galuh Taruna yang diserang KKB saat operasi pencarian pilot Susi Air, Philips Mark Methrtens (37).

Julius mengatakan, peristiwa penyerangan itu terjadi ketika Satgas Yonif Raider 321 sedang mendekati posisi penyandera Philips.

"Dari Satgas (Yonif Raider 321) mencoba menyisir mendekati posisi dari para penyandera (KKB), kemudian ada serangan dari mereka (kelompok kriminal bersenjata)," kata Julius saat konferensi pers di Mabes TNI, Cilangkap, Jakarta Timur, pada hari Minggu, 16/04/2023.

Akibat penyerangan tersebut, Pratu Miftahul Arifin terjatuh ke jurang dengan kedalaman 15 meter.

Setelah itu, lanjut Julius, terjadi serangan lanjutan dari KKB terhadap Satgas Yonif Raider 321.

"Ketika (prajurit) mencoba untuk menolong (Pratu Miftahul), (mereka) mendapatkan serangan ulang," ujar Julius.

Julius membantah bila disebutkan ada enam prajurit yang gugur akibat penyerangan susulan itu.

Dia mengatakan, kondisi prajurit lain yang mendapatkan serangan susulan itu masih didalami.

"Kondisi lainnya masih dalam tahap pendalaman," tutur Julius.

"Untuk jumlah korban nanti akan kami data ulang, dan kami sampaikan," tambahnya.

Terpisah, Kepala Penerangan Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih Kolonel (Kav) Herman Taryaman mengatakan, penyerangan tersebut terjadi pada Sabtu, sekira pukul 16.30 WIT.

"Kejadian penyerangan oleh gerombolan KST (kelompok separatis teroris) terhadap prajurit TNI yang sedang melaksanakan tugas di wilayah Kabupaten Nduga dalam rangka pencarian pilot Susi Air," kata Herman saat dihubungi, pada hari Minggu, 16/04/2023.

Elon Musk Reveals Government Read Twitter Users' Private Messages

'Government had full access': Elon Musk makes bombshell claim that US govt could access Twitter users' private messages

Elon Musk has made waves in the world of social media since buying out Twitter in October 2022, exposing how the company worked with federal agents to suppress information harmful to Joe Biden's presidential election campaign.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has claimed the U.S. government had access to users private messages on Twitter.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson, set to be broadcast on Monday and Tuesday night, Musk made the startling claims noting how he was shocked to learn that the government had full access to private communications on the platform.

Elon Musk has revealed that US government spies can read Twitter users' private messages. The Big Tech billionaire dropped the bombshell in an interview with Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, to be aired on Monday night.

pic.twitter.com/BilzqLGZsC

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 16, 2023

In a teaser clip for the show, Musk told how he was shocked to discover how deeply state agents were embedded in the social media site's organisation when he bought the company outright last October.

The billionaire tycoon told Carlson how unaware of the fact until he joined the company and expressed surprise at the degree to which government agencies were able to monitor social media.

'The degree to which government agencies effectively had full access to everything that was going on on Twitter blew my mind,' Musk said. 'I was not aware of that.'

"The degree to which government agencies effectively had full access to everything that was going on on Twitter blew my mind, I was not aware of that," Musk said.

Musk's admission that agencies had full access to everything happening on Twitter, including direct messages, is likely to raise concerns among users who may have assumed that their private conversations were entirely private and secure.

While it is unclear how long the government had such access, Musk's comments suggest the situation is far more widespread than many may have considered.

In addition to discussing government surveillance of social media, Musk also expressed concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence.

In an alarmist view, Musk stated that he believes AI has the potential to cause the downfall of civilization.

'AI is more dangerous than, say, mismanaged aircraft design or production maintenance, or bad car production in the sense that it has the potential — however small one may regard that probability, but it is non-trivial — it has the potential for civilizational destruction,' Musk said.

Last week, in another interview with the BBC, Musk, a self-confessed workaholic, confirmed he sometimes sleeps on a sofa in a library in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss was criticized for cutting half the company's full-time staff in one week, ending remote working and setting an ultimatum for remaining staff to agree to longer, more intense working patterns or leave.

It led to concerns that the platform could struggle to survive with the reduced maintenance team and available engineers.

Musk admitted that shutting down one of Twitter's service centers had ended up being 'quite catastrophic' as it resulted in the platform losing a large amount of its functionality.

He also said the business was now ‘roughly breaking even’, could be profitable again soon and he would be open to selling to the right person.

Musk also revealed legacy blue checkmarks will finally be removed this week.

Musk stated last month that legacy-verified Twitter users would see their blue ticks removed from the service on April 1, unless they paid a monthly fee of $8 to its Twitter Blue subscription operation.

As a result, thousands of the platform's high-profile users were braced to lose the ticks, which can help verify their identity and distinguish them from imposters.

"Would that include people's DMs?" Carlson asked, referring to private 'direct messages' between users, to which Musk replied: "Yes."

Musk has already exposed how the San Francisco-based company worked hand-in-glove with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to suppress the story of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop computer — which contained a trove of information damaging to his father Joe Biden — during the 2020 US election campaign.

The 'Twitter Files' also show how moderators for the platform worked with the feds to suspend users critical of the establishment line.