SUDAN DEATHS MOUNT AS ARMY CHIEF RULES OUT TALKS

Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital on Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival Generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramzan. Over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted on Saturday between Sudan Army and the Rapid Support Forces. Mr. Burhan dismissed any prospects for negotiations with Mr. Daglo, telling Al Jazeera he sees no option but “decisive military” action.

The Sudanese army said 177 Egyptian soldiers were evacuated from Meroe to Egypt. The RSF said it handed over another 27 Egyptian soldiers to the Sudanese Red Cross.

SPACEX STARSHIP: ELON MUSK'S BIG ROCKET EXPLODES ON TEST FLIGHT

Elon Musk's SpaceX company's mammoth new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its maiden flight.

No-one was hurt in the uncrewed test that lifted off from Texas' east coast on Thursday morning local time.

After two to three minutes into the flight, the rocket - the biggest ever developed - started to tumble out of control and was soon destroyed by onboard charges.

Mr Musk has said his company will try again in a couple of months.

SpaceX engineers still class Thursday's mission as a success. They like to "test early and often" and are not afraid to break things. They will have gathered a mass of data to work towards the next flight. A second Starship is almost ready to take flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses rocket launches in the US, said it would oversee a mishap investigation. A spokesman said this was standard practice when a vehicle was lost in flight.

UKRAINE WILL BE PART OF ALLIANCE ONE DAY: NATO CHIEF ON 1ST VISIT

Kyiv : Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg defiantly declared on Thursday that Ukraine deserves to join the military alliance and pledged continuing support for the country on his first visit to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion just over a year ago.

Ukrain President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Stoltenberg, who has been instrumental in marshaling support from Nato’s members, to push for even more from them, including warplanes, artillery and armored equipment.

The Kremlin has given various justifications for going to war, but repeated on Thursday that preventing Ukraine from joining Nato was a key goal behind its invasion, arguing that Kyiv’s membership in the alliance would pose an existential threat to Russia.

“Let me be clear, Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” Stoltenberg told a press conference. “Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato. ”

He said he and Zelenskyy discussed a Nato support programme. “This will help you transition from Sovietera equipment and doctrines to Nato standards and ensure full interoperability with the alliance,” Stoltenberg said. “Nato stands withyou today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes. ”

He noted Thursday’s announcement by Denmark and the Netherlands that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least another 14 refurbished Leopard 2 battletanks from early 2024. .

Meanwhile, the Ukraine Space Agency said a bright flash of light in the night sky over the country the previous day was probably a meteorite entering the earth’s atmosphere.

KHAN’S PARTY LEADER IS POK’S NEW ‘PREMIER’

Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, a lawmaker from former PM Imran Khan’s party was elected as the “Prime Minister” of PoK on Thursday. The top post fell vacant on April 11 after Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan was disqualified by the region’s high court over maligning the judiciary.

Mr. Haq got the trust of all 48 members present in the House as all major parties, including PML-Nawaz, rallied behind him.

GOVT WORKERS’ STRIKE IN CANADA SNAGS IMMIGRATION PROCESSING

Over 1. 5 lakh Canadian public sector employees, affiliated to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, have started a strike on April 19 — one of the largest strike’s in the country’s history. This has fully or partially disrupted most services provided by the Canadian government, including immigration services provided by its immigration unit The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has stated that Canadian employers and foreign nationals should expect delays in: application processing; inperson appointments or events such as citizenship ceremonies. Delays in response from IRCC are to be expected.

The strike could also result in longer wait times at Canadian ports of entry, including airports and land crossings. Services offered by non-government organisations such as visa application centres outside Canada will be available.

At present, Canada based immigration attorneys are not sure of how long the strike is expected to last. Negotiations on pay hikes and other benefits failed before the deadline set by the union.

S KOREA A STALWART PARTNER, WILL COORDINATE WITH IT ON MORE SUPPORT TO UKRAINE: US

The US will continue to coordinate closely with South Korea on more support for Ukraine, calling its key Asian ally “a stalwart partner” in defending Ukraine's sovereignty, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country might go beyond humanitarian or financial aid for Ukraine under certain circumstances, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time. A key US ally, South Korea has so far tried to avoid antagonising Russia due to its companies operating there and Moscow’s influence over North Korea.

WORLD COULD FACE THE HEAT THIS YEAR AS EL NINO RETURNS

Brussels : The world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of the El Nino weather phenomenon, climate scientists say. Climate models suggest that after three years of the La Nina weather pattern in Pacific Ocean, which lowers global temperatures, the world will experience a return to El Nino, the warmer counterpart, laterthis year. During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surfaceocean temperatures.

COCAINE SMUGGLING SUBMARINE REVEALS EUROPE'S DRUG CRISIS

I'm about to climb into the first "narco-sub" known to have brought cocaine from South America to Europe.

It's 20 metres (65 ft) long, carbon fibre and - remarkably - homemade.

After clambering on top, I lift up the wonky manhole cover and descend into the hull where three men survived for 27 long days and nights, as they voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean just under the surface of the crashing waves.

It's cramped, claustrophobic and incredibly primitive.

The sunlight tries to creep in from faint cracks in the walls. There are a red steering wheel, a couple of basic dials and a rusted key still wedged in the ignition.

You can understand why one prospective skipper took one look at the vessel and concluded it was a death trap.

The heat and noise would have been intense as the engine in the back of the sub burned through the 20,000 litres of fuel stored onboard.

The crew of two Ecuadorean cousins and a former Spanish boxer set out from the Brazilian rainforest and first travelled along the Amazon river.

They had energy bars, cans of sardines and plastic bags they used for toilet facilities.

That was about all they had. Apart, of course, from three tonnes of cocaine worth more than $150m (£121m).

But this was not a lucrative, covert mission neatly accomplished.

IRS AGENT ALLEGES HUNTER BIDEN PROBE IS BEING MISHANDLED

WASHINGTON: An IRS special agent is seeking whistleblower protection to disclose information about alleged mishandling of an investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Mark Lytle, attorney for the whistleblower, said that his client has information whether he made a false statement in connection with a gun purchase.