NAIROBI: Iran’s president has begun a rare visit to Africa as his country, which is under heavy US economic sanctions, seeks to deepen partnerships around the world.

President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Kenya on Wednesday is the first to the African continent by an Iranian leader in more than a decade. He is also expected to visit Uganda and Zimbabwe and meet with the presidents there.

BATABO, Syria: Syrians in the country’s last rebel enclave expressed alarm on Wednesday after the UN Security Council failed to renew an aid delivery mechanism to the area, imperilling critical humanitarian assistance.

The UN largely delivers relief to northwest Syria via neighboring Turkiye through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing, but the deal to do so expired on Monday.

Russia on Tuesday vetoed a nine-month extension of the agreement, and then failed to muster enough votes to adopt just a six-month extension, during a vote at UN headquarters in New York.

JUBA: Sudan’s pro-democracy movement has faced innumerable challenges and setbacks since the Sudanese Armed Forces and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces plunged the nation into a violent power struggle in April, triggering a major humanitarian emergency.

Driven by a desire for peace, representative governance and social justice, pro-democracy activists have nevertheless remained committed to Sudan’s transformation, making use of the same grassroots networks that helped overthrow long-time ruler Omar Bashir in 2019.

LONDON: The UK government on Wednesday announced sanctions on businesses that it said were associated with the Sudanese military groups on both sides of the ongoing conflict in the east African country.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was imposing the sanctions on firms “which are fueling the devastating conflict in Sudan by providing funding and arms to the warring militias.”

LONDON: Senior officials from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees have visited the northern West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp in the wake of a recent deadly Israeli offensive there.

The two-day Israeli military operation, the most devastating in more than 20 years, left at least 12 people dead, including four children, and 140 injured. Approximately 900 homes were damaged, with many becoming uninhabitable.