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Intense clashes between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have forced around 2,000 people to flee their homes in central Sudan over the past three days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday. The displaced people fled several towns and villages in the Bara area of North Kordofan province between Friday and Sunday, according to the agency. North Kordofan and the western Darfur region have become the latest flashpoints in the country’s brutal conflict, which has raged for more than two years and killed tens of thousands. Recent RSF assaults in Darfur — including the capture of the key city of El-Fasher — have left hundreds dead and driven tens of thousands to overcrowded camps, amid reports of atrocities by the paramilitary group, aid agencies and U.N. officials said. The war erupted in 2023 after tensions between the army and the RSF — once partners in Sudan’s fragile political transition — exploded into open fighting. The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization, though aid groups believe the real toll is much higher. In late October, RSF fighters attacked the town of Bara, killing at least 47 people, including women and children, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 9, nearly 39,000 people fled from several North Kordofan towns — including Bara, Sheikan, Ar Rahad, Um Rawaba, Um Siala and Sakra — the IOM reported. Many of them were moving north toward Khartoum, Omdurman, and Sheikan. The RSF also claimed on Monday that its fighters had entered the town of Babanusa in West Kordofan “in huge numbers” and were advancing toward the local army headquarters. Meanwhile, in Darfur, the Sudan Doctors Network said RSF fighters had collected hundreds of bodies from the streets of El-Fasher, burying some in mass graves and burning others — allegedly in an effort to destroy evidence of atrocities. Satellite images analyzed by the Colorado-based firm Vantor and the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab appeared to confirm the disposal and burning of bodies near El-Fasher’s Saudi hospital last week. The U.N. and aid agencies continue to warn of worsening humanitarian conditions across Sudan, as violence spreads into new regions and civilian casualties rise.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said he intends to order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States to help counter Russia’s ongoing aerial attacks, which have caused rolling blackouts across the country ahead of winter. Acknowledging the high cost and long production time of the systems, Zelenskyy suggested that European countries could temporarily provide their Patriots to Ukraine while awaiting replacements, stressing that “we would not like to wait.” Russia’s combined missile and drone strikes have targeted Ukraine’s power grid, coinciding with Moscow’s push to capture the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine recently received additional Patriots from Germany, though the total number of systems in the country remains unclear. Air defenses are still stretched across Ukraine, leaving the nation vulnerable to winter energy disruptions. NATO allies continue to coordinate large weapons shipments to Ukraine, with European nations and Canada buying much of the equipment from the U.S. Unlike the previous Biden administration, the current Trump administration is not providing arms to Kyiv. Russia has increasingly refined its strikes on energy infrastructure, using hundreds of drones—some with cameras for precise targeting—to overwhelm Ukraine’s defenses, often attacking regional substations and switchyards instead of centralized grids. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Monday that the attacks have forced scheduled blackouts across most regions and urged citizens to conserve electricity, especially during morning and evening peak hours. Meanwhile, fighting continues around Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, where Zelenskyy said Russia has positioned 170,000 troops for a renewed offensive. Reports from the Institute for the Study of War indicate a recent relative lull but warn of intensified Russian attacks in the coming days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said he intends to order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States to help counter Russia’s ongoing aerial attacks, which have caused rolling blackouts across the country ahead of winter. Acknowledging the high cost and long production time of the systems, Zelenskyy suggested that European countries could temporarily provide their Patriots to Ukraine while awaiting replacements, stressing that “we would not like to wait.” Russia’s combined missile and drone strikes have targeted Ukraine’s power grid, coinciding with Moscow’s push to capture the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine recently received additional Patriots from Germany, though the total number of systems in the country remains unclear. Air defenses are still stretched across Ukraine, leaving the nation vulnerable to winter energy disruptions. NATO allies continue to coordinate large weapons shipments to Ukraine, with European nations and Canada buying much of the equipment from the U.S. Unlike the previous Biden administration, the current Trump administration is not providing arms to Kyiv. Russia has increasingly refined its strikes on energy infrastructure, using hundreds of drones—some with cameras for precise targeting—to overwhelm Ukraine’s defenses, often attacking regional substations and switchyards instead of centralized grids. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Monday that the attacks have forced scheduled blackouts across most regions and urged citizens to conserve electricity, especially during morning and evening peak hours. Meanwhile, fighting continues around Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, where Zelenskyy said Russia has positioned 170,000 troops for a renewed offensive. Reports from the Institute for the Study of War indicate a recent relative lull but warn of intensified Russian attacks in the coming days.  

Israel on Monday returned the remains of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, marking a step forward in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as a top White House envoy met Israeli leaders to discuss the next phase of the fragile agreement. The return came after Palestinian militants handed over a hostage on Sunday. With the latest exchange, only four hostage remains remain in Gaza. Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Monday, according to a photo released by Netanyahu’s office. The talks focused on advancing the next stage of the ceasefire, which involves establishing a governing body in Gaza and deploying an international stabilization force. The status of these plans remains unclear. The Gaza Health Ministry said the Red Cross facilitated the handover, bringing the total Palestinian remains returned to 315. Under the exchange agreement, Israel has been releasing 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage returned. Only 91 of the bodies have been identified so far due to limited forensic resources in Gaza. The latest handover included the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza in 2014, ending a long-standing campaign by his family to bring him home. Goldin was killed shortly after a ceasefire in that year’s conflict, and his remains were the only ones in Gaza predating the current war. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel left around 1,200 people dead, mostly civilians, and 251 kidnapped. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Palestinian deaths in the conflict have risen to 69,176. Details of the ceasefire’s second phase—including disarming Hamas, postwar governance of Gaza, and deployment of an international security force—have yet to be finalized. Kushner is reportedly negotiating safe passage for 150-200 trapped Hamas fighters in exchange for surrendering their weapons following Goldin’s remains’ return. Hamas has not commented on these potential exchanges.    

Vaishnavi Srinivasagopalan, a skilled Indian IT professional who has worked in both India and the U.S., has been looking for work in China. Beijing's new K-visa program targeting science and technology workers could turn that dream into a reality. The K-visa rolled out by Beijing last month is part of China’s widening effort to catch up with the U.S. in the race for global talent and cutting edge technology. It coincides with uncertainties over the U.S.'s H-1B program under tightened immigrations policies implemented by President Donald Trump. “(The) K-visa for China (is) an equivalent to the H-1B for the U.S.,” said Srinivasagopalan, who is intrigued by China’s working environment and culture after her father worked at a Chinese university a few years back. “It is a good option for people like me to work abroad.” The K-visa supplements China's existing visa schemes including the R-visa for foreign professionals, but with loosened requirements, such as not requiring an applicant to have a job offer before applying. Stricter U.S. policies toward foreign students and scholars under Trump, including the raising of fees for the H-1B visa for foreign skilled workers to $100,000 for new applicants, are leading some non-American professionals and students to consider going elsewhere. “Students studying in the U.S. hoped for an (H-1B) visa, but currently this is an issue,” said Bikash Kali Das, an Indian masters student of international relations at Sichuan University in China. China wants more foreign tech professionals China is striking while the iron is hot. The ruling Communist Party has made global leadership in advanced technologies a top priority, paying massive government subsidies to support research and development of areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics. “Beijing perceives the tightening of immigration policies in the U.S. as an opportunity to position itself globally as welcoming foreign talent and investment more broadly,” said Barbara Kelemen, associate director and head of Asia at security intelligence firm Dragonfly. Unemployment among Chinese graduates remains high, and competition is intense for jobs in scientific and technical fields. But there is a skills gap China's leadership is eager to fill. For decades, China has been losing top talent to developed countries as many stayed and worked in the U.S. and Europe after they finished studies there. The brain drain has not fully reversed. Many Chinese parents still see Western education as advanced and are eager to send their children abroad, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore. Still, in recent years, a growing number of professionals including AI experts, scientists and engineers have moved to China from the U.S., including Chinese-Americans. Fei Su, a chip architect at Intel, and Ming Zhou, a leading engineer at U.S.-based software firm Altair, were among those who have taken teaching jobs in China this year. Many skilled workers in India and Southeast Asia have already expressed interest about the K-visa, said Edward Hu, a Shanghai-based immigration director at the consultancy Newland Chase. Questions about extra competition from foreign workers With the jobless rate for Chinese aged 16-24 excluding students at nearly 18%, the campaign to attract more foreign professionals is raising questions. “The current job market is already under fierce competition,” said Zhou Xinying, a 24-year-old postgraduate student in behavioral science at eastern China's Zhejiang University. While foreign professionals could help “bring about new technologies” and different international perspectives, Zhou said, “some Chinese young job seekers may feel pressure due to the introduction of the K-visa policy.” Kyle Huang, a 26-year-old software engineer based in the southern city of Guangzhou, said his peers in the science and technology fields fear the new visa scheme “might threaten local job opportunities”. A recent commentary published by a state-backed news outlet, the Shanghai Observer, downplayed such concerns, saying that bringing in such foreign professionals will benefit the economy. As China advances in areas such as AI and cutting-edge semiconductors, there is a “gap and mismatch” between qualified jobseekers and the demand for skilled workers, it said. “The more complex the global environment, the more China will open its arms,” it said. “Beijing will need to emphasize how select foreign talent can create, not take, local jobs,” said Michael Feller, chief strategist at consultancy Geopolitical Strategy. “But even Washington has shown that this is politically a hard argument to make, despite decades of evidence.” China's disadvantages even with the new visas Recruitment and immigration specialists say foreign workers face various hurdles in China. One is the language barrier. The ruling Communist Party's internet censorship, known as the “Great Firewall,” is another drawback. A country of about 1.4 billion, China had only an estimated 711,000 foreign workers residing in the country as of 2023. The U.S. still leads in research and has the advantage of using English widely. There's also still a relatively clearer pathway to residency for many, said David Stepat, country director for Singapore at the consultancy Dezan Shira & Associates. Nikhil Swaminathan, an Indian H1-B visa holder working for a U.S. non-profit organization after finishing graduate school there, is interested in China’s K-visa but skeptical. “I would’ve considered it. China’s a great place to work in tech, if not for the difficult relationship between India and China,” he said. Given a choice, many jobseekers still are likely to aim for jobs in leading global companies outside China. “The U.S. is probably more at risk of losing would-be H-1B applicants to other Western economies, including the UK and European Union, than to China,” said Feller at Geopolitical Strategy. "The U.S. may be sabotaging itself, but it’s doing so from a far more competitive position in terms of its attractiveness to talent,” Feller said. “China will need to do far more than offer convenient visa pathways to attract the best.”  

The head of the BBC resigned Sunday after criticism of the broadcaster’s editing of a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump. The BBC said that Director-General Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness both announced their resignations on Sunday. Britain’s public broadcaster has been criticized for editing a speech Trump made on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington. Critics said that the way the speech was edited for a BBC documentary was misleading and cut out a section where Trump said that he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. In a letter to staff, Davie said quitting the job after five years “is entirely my decision.” “Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility,” Davie said. He said that he was “working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.” Turness said that the controversy about the Trump documentary “has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC — an institution that I love. As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me.” Pressure on the broadcaster’s top executives has been growing since the Daily Telegraph newspaper published parts of a dossier complied by Michael Prescott, who had been hired to advise the BBC on standards and guidelines. As well as the Trump edit, it criticized the BBC’s coverage of transgender issues and raised concerns of anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s Arabic service.

The death toll in Gaza has climbed to over 69,000 since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza health authorities said Saturday, as Israel and Palestinian militants carried out another exchange of remains under the fragile ceasefire agreement. The latest increase in deaths comes as more bodies are recovered and identified across the war-ravaged territory since the truce took effect on Oct. 10. The toll also includes Palestinians killed in recent Israeli strikes that, according to Israel, targeted remaining militant positions. Hospital officials in Gaza confirmed that Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Saturday, a day after militants handed over the remains of an Israeli hostage identified as Lior Rudaeff, who was born in Argentina, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The exchange of remains forms a key part of the ceasefire’s initial stage, which requires Hamas to repatriate all hostage remains. Families and supporters again rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening demanding the return of all hostages. The truce aims to de-escalate what has become the deadliest and most destructive conflict between Israel and Hamas. The war began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers launched two attacks on Palestinian farmers and residents in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, amid a surge of settler violence during this year’s olive harvest season. ‘I Have Not Lost Hope’Under the current arrangement, Israel releases the remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage returned. Ahmed Dheir, head of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said that the remains of 300 Palestinians have now been handed back, with 89 identified so far. “We lack the necessary resources and DNA testing capacity to identify them all,” Dheir said, adding that unidentified remains are being buried in groups. Families anxiously inspected body bags in hopes of finding missing loved ones. “Close it, it’s not him,” one family murmured after looking inside. “I come here every day. I haven’t lost hope. I’m still waiting for him,” said the mother of a missing boy, who withheld her name. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 69,169 people have been killed since the war began. The ministry, run by the Hamas administration but staffed by professional medics, maintains detailed casualty records that independent experts generally consider credible. Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, another 284 people were added to the death toll after verification. Over the past three days, 10 bodies were brought to Gaza hospitals — nine recovered from rubble and one newly killed — the ministry said, adding that 241 people have died since the ceasefire began. Many remain missing. Israel’s military said Saturday that its troops killed two militants who approached soldiers, one in northern Gaza and another in the south. Settler Violence in the West BankPalestinian health officials said 11 people, including journalists, medics, international activists, and farmers, were injured when Israeli settlers attacked the West Bank town of Beita. Rights groups say violence by settlers has reached unprecedented levels during this year’s olive harvest. The UN humanitarian office reported that October saw more Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank than in any month since recordkeeping began in 2006 — over 260 incidents in total. Longtime activist Jonathan Pollak told the Associated Press that he was harvesting olives when dozens of masked settlers armed with clubs attacked, chasing people and throwing stones. Pollak said he was hit in the head and hospitalized. He witnessed five settlers assaulting a journalist and her security guard, beating her and denting her helmet. A Reuters spokesperson confirmed that two of its journalists were attacked by men wielding sticks and rocks despite identifying themselves as members of the press. Both were injured, and Reuters called on Israeli authorities to investigate and hold the perpetrators accountable. The Israeli military said it intervened to disperse a “confrontation between Israeli civilians and Palestinians during an uncoordinated olive harvest” and confirmed that several Palestinians were injured. Rights groups have long said arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. According to data cited by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper in 2022, only 3.8% of settler violence cases led to charges, with most closed without action. Separately, Palestinian paramedics reported another settler attack in the nearby village of Burin, where the Palestinian Red Crescent said four international activists and a 57-year-old man were injured. Israel’s military said soldiers responded after rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle, and that Israeli civilians then threw stones at Palestinian harvesters. Both Israeli and Palestinian civilians were injured, it said.

A boat believed to be carrying around 300 migrants from Myanmar capsized in the Indian Ocean last week near the maritime border between Thailand and Malaysia, leaving at least one person dead, 10 rescued, and many still missing, officials said Sunday. Authorities said the exact location and time of the sinking remain unclear. Malaysian officials suspect the vessel overturned in Thai waters, noting that human smuggling syndicates are increasingly using dangerous sea routes to traffic migrants across borders. Police confirmed that several of the rescued passengers are Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority group from Myanmar. First Admiral Romli Mustafa of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said preliminary findings suggest the boat departed from Buthidaung, a town in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, and went down three days ago. Search and rescue operations began Saturday after several survivors were spotted drifting near Malaysia’s northern resort island of Langkawi. The body of a woman, believed to be from Myanmar, was also recovered from the sea, he said. “So far, 10 people have been rescued, including a Bangladeshi man and several Myanmar nationals,” Romli said, adding that more victims may still be found as the operation continues. Kedah State Police Chief Adzli Abu Shah told Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama that the vessel likely sank in Thai waters before survivors drifted toward Malaysian territory. Earlier this year, in January, Malaysian authorities turned back two boats carrying nearly 300 suspected Rohingya refugees attempting to enter the country illegally. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, has long been a preferred destination for Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Although Malaysia has previously accepted Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, the government has sought to restrict new arrivals amid fears of mass migration by sea. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 117,670 registered Rohingya currently live in Malaysia, accounting for nearly 59 percent of the country’s total refugee population.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for an official visit, during which Washington aims to enlist Damascus in the global coalition against ISIL, also known as ISIS, state media reported. Al-Sharaa’s arrival coincided with Syria’s Ministry of Interior announcing a “large-scale security operation” targeting ISIL cells across the country. The operations, carried out in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and the Damascus countryside, involved 61 raids that led to at least 71 arrests and the seizure of explosives and weapons, according to the ministry. Syrian state media described the campaign as part of “ongoing national efforts to combat terrorism and protect public safety.” Al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last year, is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Analysts noted this is the first visit by a Syrian president to the US since the country’s independence in 1946. The Syrian leader, who had previously met Trump in Riyadh in May, was removed from a US “terrorist” sanctions list on Friday. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier that al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement to join the US-led international alliance against ISIL. Washington is also preparing to establish a military presence at a Damascus airbase to facilitate a security pact being brokered between Syria and Israel. Al-Sharaa is anticipated to seek international funds to aid Syria’s reconstruction after 13 years of civil war, with the World Bank estimating the cost could reach at least $216 billion. Once a leader of Syria’s al-Qaeda offshoot, al-Sharaa’s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), broke away from the network a decade ago and later clashed with ISIL. The group was delisted as a terrorist organization by the US in July. Al-Sharaa’s Washington visit follows his historic address to the UN General Assembly in September, marking his first visit to US soil in decades. On Thursday, the UN Security Council voted to lift sanctions against him.   With inputs from AL Zazeera  

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Istanbul have ended without any agreement, as both sides blamed each other for the breakdown of negotiations aimed at easing border tensions and maintaining a fragile ceasefire, officials said Saturday. Tensions between the two countries have intensified in recent weeks following deadly cross-border clashes that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. The fighting erupted after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Afghanistan’s Taliban government alleged were drone strikes carried out by Pakistan and vowed retaliation. The violence subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19, which remains fragile. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban government, blamed Islamabad for the failure of the talks, writing on X that “the irresponsible and non-cooperative attitude of the Pakistani delegation resulted in no outcome, despite the Islamic Emirate’s good intentions and the efforts of the mediators.” Mujahid reiterated that Afghanistan “will not allow its soil to be used against any other country, nor tolerate actions that undermine its sovereignty or security.” Talks collapse without progress The two-day talks in Istanbul, mediated by Turkey and Qatar, marked the third round of peace negotiations — one of the most significant diplomatic efforts between the two neighbors since the Taliban took power in 2021. Despite intense back-channel discussions, officials said talks stalled late Friday without any tangible progress. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News that the “talks are over” and the Pakistani delegation was returning home “with no plan for future meetings.” He added that the ceasefire would hold “as long as it is not violated from the Afghan side.” Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for a surge in cross-border attacks since 2021. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries. Renewed clashes despite ceasefire The breakdown in talks came a day after Afghan officials reported that four civilians were killed and five others injured in cross-border shelling even as negotiations were underway. Asif said the Afghan delegation arrived “without any program” and refused to sign a written agreement, offering only verbal assurances. “They said they would honor a verbal agreement, but there is no room for that,” he added. “There is no plan or hope for a fourth round of talks. Negotiations have entered an indefinite pause.” Earlier this month, Pakistan’s military claimed to have carried out airstrikes on TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of militants. Afghan officials denied the claim, saying civilians were among the dead, and reported that Afghan forces retaliated by striking Pakistani military positions, killing 58 soldiers. Pakistan acknowledged the loss of 23 troops in the fighting. Border closures and deportations Following the escalation, Pakistan shut all border crossings with Afghanistan on October 12, reopening the main Torkham crossing only last week to allow stranded Afghan refugees to return home. The closure has severely disrupted trade and transit, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded on both sides of the frontier — one of South and Central Asia’s busiest economic arteries. At the same time, Pakistan has intensified a nationwide campaign to deport undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans. Since 2023, authorities say over one million Afghan nationals have been repatriated. Pakistan has also seen a sharp rise in militant attacks, many claimed by the TTP, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Although separate from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, the TTP is closely linked to it and has grown increasingly active since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021.   Source: AP