UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a plea for "maximum restraint following" Iran's attacks against Israel. A UN Security Council emergency meeting convened at 4 p.m. local time (2000 GMT/UTC) in New York, after Israel's ambassador to the UN appealed for a rapid condemnation of Iran's attack overnight.  "The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate," Gutteres said while opening the session.  "Neither the region nor the world can afford more war," Guterres said. He also warned all UN members that any retaliation with force would be illegal under international law. Sunday's Security Council meeting was not considering any draft resolution or motion, it was a first call to discuss the situation, starting roughly 24 hours after Iran's attack was launched. It adjourned once all named speakers had contributed.   Ambassadors from various other UN members — including Russia, China, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Syria, the UK, France, Algeria and more — all contributed to the meeting in New York late on Sunday.  This concludes our weekend updates on Iran's aerial attack against Israel.  Iranian ambassador claims Tehran had 'no choice' Iran's ambassador repeated Tehran's claim that it was responding in "self-defense" after the April 1 explosion at its Damascus consulate in Syria, for which Iran blamed Israel.  "The Security Council... failed in its duty to maintain international peace and security," after that explosion, Amir Saeid Iravani said during Sunday's session.  Therefore, he said the Islamic Republic "had no choice" but to react, and described the reaction as "necessary and proportionate."  He claimed his country did not "seek escalation or war," but also warned it would respond to any "threat or aggression."  "If the US initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests, Iran will use its inherent right to respond proportionately," he said. Iran must 'pay a heavy price,' Israeli ambassador tells Security Council Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, accused Iran of violating international law with the attack. Erdan called on the 15-member council to condemn Iran, reimpose sanctions and designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terror organization. "The snooze button is no longer an option. The only option is to condemn Iran and utilize every means necessary to make them pay a heavy price for their horrible  crimes," Erdan told the council. Erdan also played a video on a tablet that he said showed Israel's interception of Iranian drones above Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sites. "Here, you can look at it," he gestured with the tablet and told the Iranian ambassador to cast his eyes over the footage. White House says US would not join attack on Iran The White House has ruled out any participation by the US in a possible Israeli retaliation against Iran. "We're not looking for a wider war with Iran," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that the United States does not "want to see this escalate." According to a White House official, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "think carefully" about his response. Kirby said Netanyahu was "well aware" of Biden's position following a call between the two leaders soon after Iran launched the attack. US forces said they shot down some 70 drones and between four and six ballistic missiles during Iran's overnight attack.      

EU official Thierry Breton said regulators are looking into Apple's termination of a competing app store by Fortnite creator Epic Games. The new Digital Markets Act EU regulation could crack down on Apple's practices. The EU on Thursday said it would look into an ongoing dispute between tech giant Apple and Epic Games, the developer of the popular Fortnite video game franchise.  Epic Games has accused Apple of shutting down its efforts to establish its own game store on iOS devices in Europe. The developer says this breaches the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) EU regulation, which came into force on Thursday.  "Under the DMA, there is no room for threats by gatekeepers to silence developers, European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton wrote on X. "I have asked our services to look into Apple's termination of Epic's developer account as a matter of priority."   The European Commission, in a separate statement earlier in the day, also asked Apple to elaborate on how its actions towards Epic comply with DMA regulations.  Apple has claimed that Epic breached contractual obligations by setting up its own app store. The tech giant says that due to a earlier court decision, "Apple has the right to terminate 'any or all of Epic Games' wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates and/or other entities under Epic Games' control at any time and at Apple's sole discretion."   Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney told journalists Wednesday that there needs to be "swift action" regarding Apple's alleged violation of the DMA.  EU cracking down on digital 'gatekeepers' The DMA will put Apple and other big tech companies under growing scrutiny in the coming months. The regulation, designed by the EU to ensure "fair and open digital markets," targets six corporations — Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok developer ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft.  The European Commission said these gatekeepers "will not be allowed to use unfair practices towards the business users and customers who depend on them to gain an undue advantage. This includes tracking users withouth consent or preventing users from uninstalling any pre-installed app."   The EU says the rules will ensure "more and better services" and "fairer prices," among other benefits. Violators could face massive fines if they break the rules. Apple has said the DMA regulation opens up iOS users to security risks in Europe. If European users download apps from outside the IOS system, Apple contends, it will be more likely that they be targeted by malware, scams or illicit services like drugs.

Reacting to the massive cellular outage across the United States, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has warned that the situation can be even more precarious in case China launches a cyberattack while 'invading' Taiwan. "I don't know the cause of the ATT outage But I do know it will be 100 times worse when China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a Taiwan invasion And it won't be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank," Rubio posted on X. This comes after a massive outage was reported after ATT's network went down for many of its customers across the country, leaving customers unable to place calls, text or access the internet. On Thursday morning (local time), more than 74,000 ATT customers reported outages on digital-service tracking site DownDetector, with service disruptions beginning around 4 am ET (local time), as reported by CNN. Although Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported some network outages, those appeared far less widespread. These two firms said their networks were unaffected by ATT's service outage and customers reporting outages may have been unable to reach customers who use ATT. ATT acknowledged that it had a widespread outage but did not provide a reason for the system failure. "Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them," ATT said in a statement. "We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored. "By late morning, ATT said most of its network was back online. "Our network teams took immediate action and so far, three-quarters of our network has been restored," the company said. "We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers."ATT provided no official reason for the outage, but the issue appears to be related to how cellular services hand off calls from one network to the next, a process known as 'peering', CNN reported, citing an industry source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. However, there is no indication that Thursday's outage was the result of a cyberattack or other malicious activity, the industry source said. Notably, China (People's Republic of China) considers the self-ruled territory of Taiwan as part of its territory and claims there is only "one China". China has increased military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including near-daily incursions into the country's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) and sending military ships near its maritime borders, according to CNN. Especially after former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, China has ramped up its flow of military jets over the self-ruled territory. Over time, Beijing has repeatedly said that Taiwan "would be reunified" with China. In this year's New Year Address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose."Amid concerns over a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, US President Joe Biden said that Washington would "intervene militarily" if Beijing attempts to take Taipei by force, CNN reported. But it is pertinent to note that under the "One China" policy, the US also acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the self-governing island of 23 million.   Source: ANI

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina today (Jan 22) issued a note of caution against the hoarders and market manipulators of essential commodities, saying they would face the music for this unholy job. "If anyone hoards any goods from bad-intention, we'll have to take instant action against them through mobile courts and if needed they will be sent to jail," she told an introductory speech while chairing a meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee in her official Ganabhaban residence this evening. Sheikh Hasina said, "It is inevitable to find out who are manipulators behind this price hike". She added, "It's not only necessary to find out them, but also take instant actions against them. We'll do it in future". The premier urged the countrymen to remain vigilant so that none can play games with the (prices of) food items by hoarding and black marketeering. "There is no meaning to play games with the food items of people," she said.

In what may come as another setback in the already strained relationship between Canada and China, the Canadian government has published a list of 85 Chinese research institutions that “may pose” a threat to sensitive research and national security. Besides the 85 Chinese institutions, the list also includes six Russian and twelve Iranian organizations alleged to have some connections to “military, national defense or state security entities.” Global News reported that the list was published on the afternoon of January 17.  According to the Ottawa administration, the listing is part of an effort to protect Canadian research and development against economic espionage and theft in critical industrial sectors, such as advanced weapons, aerospace and space technology, and quantum science and technology.     François-Philippe Champagne, the federal industry minister, in a statement that “While its excellence and collaborative nature defines Canadian-led research, its openness can make it a target for foreign influence, increasing the potential risks for research and development efforts to be misappropriated to the detriment of national security.” The Federal government, however, stopped short of giving more specific information. Intriguingly, the federal authorities claimed during a technical briefing the same day that they were unsure of the extent to which Canadian research involved participants from overseas institutions. Speaking anonymously, one source informed reporters that “in defining the list, there would be an understanding of risk factors and how they relate to Canadian institutions but also to international institutions.” Additionally, officials could not estimate the cost of the new regulations for Canadian research institutes. But they did point out that there was a price for sensitive research being “exfiltrated” by outside parties without making a specific reference to China.   Champagne stated to a House of Commons committee in November last year that the government would not target any particular nation or business regarding the listing. However, it is evident from the list’s high concentration of Chinese groups that Canadian intelligence services regard to be the biggest threat. For instance, many organizations, such as the National University of Defence Technology, People’s Public Security University of China, and Rocket Force Command College, are directly affiliated with the Chinese military.     The development came when the bilateral relationship between the two countries spiraled, with sporadic incidents of military confrontations in the Indo-Pacific. Most of 2023 saw diplomatic tussles exacerbated by Canada’s accusations that China was meddling with its elections. The list was published just days after the two sides affirmed that they wished to maintain consistent communication to support what Beijing referred to as the “current difficult situation” in their bilateral relations.    China’s foreign ministry quoted Wang Yi last week saying, “The fundamental reason why China-Canada relations have fallen to a low point in recent years is that there has been a serious deviation in Canada’s perception of China.” Wang Yi was reportedly speaking to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.    Several Countries In The West Are Wary Of China Given the widening rift between China and its rivals in the west led by the United States, such instances are hardly uncommon. Last June, when the Dutch government announced that it was contemplating screening foreign students planning to study in technical fields for possible security risks, it was seen as an attempt at restricting Chinese students.   At the time, the Dutch government clarified that the measure would apply to all students in the European Union and not just Chinese academics. However, the decision followed a Dutch intelligence assessment that Dutch universities had become an “attractive target” for spying, with China being the most significant threat. In a more recent incident, a report in the German publication Der Spiegel noted that security officials in Bavaria were advised to be wary of the large influx of Chinese students. The officials were most concerned about the grants from the China Scholarship Council (CSC), a state-run organization. Under the initiative, over 5,000 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students have been sent to Germany. Last year, the education minister of Germany demanded that student exchange policies with China be revised, noting the heightened risk of scientific espionage posed by Chinese students receiving full state scholarships and coming to study in Germany.   “China is becoming more and more competitive and is a systemic rival in the domain of science and research,” Bettina Stark-Watzinger said in an interview at the time. Western officials and analysts have frequently mentioned a secret service statute implemented in China in 2017 as a cause of concern. The statute allegedly mandated that “any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work, according to the law.”   It gives the Chinese government the power to order any citizen or company operating in China to cooperate with the intelligence services. Essentially, it is an unrestrained license to spy. Western officials have maintained that several Chinese expats, visiting scholars, students, and businesses contribute to the Chinese espionage network by transmitting information back to their country of origin. China’s principal adversary and rival, the United States, was among the first to address these concerns. In September 2020, more than 1,000 Chinese citizens had their visas revoked by the US under a presidential order that barred admission to researchers and students judged security threats.   The acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said that Washington was blocking visas “for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China’s military fusion strategy to prevent them from stealing and otherwise appropriating sensitive research.” On every such occasion that has occurred over the last few years, China has decried these decisions as an unwarranted targeting of its citizens and a violation of their human rights. The Canadian list, thus, could intensify the already escalating tensions between Beijing and Ottawa.  

Kim Jong Un says he will accelerate the country's nuclear buildup, warning of an "overwhelming counteraction" if provoked by the United States. North Korea's latest missile had a potential range that could cover the US. North Korea's leader threatened "more offensive actions" against military threats after supervising the third test of its most advanced missile to date, the country's state media reported on Tuesday. The Hwasong-18 ICBM  is a developmental, solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile designed to hit targets in the mainland United States. What did the North Korean leader say? Kim warned that the test showed how North Korea could respond if Washington were to make "a wrong decision against it." He said the launch sent "a clear signal to the hostile forces, who have fanned up their reckless military confrontation hysteria" against his country, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Kim underlined  the need to "never overlook all the reckless and irresponsible military threats of the enemies and to strongly counter them with more offensive actions." KCNA added that Kim had presented "some new important tasks for accelerating the development of the DPRK's [North Korea's] nuclear strategic forces," although the agency did not elaborate. What do we know about the missile test? KCNA said that Kim, accompanied by his daughter, had watched the launch at a site east of the capital, Pyongyang. The missile reached an altitude of 6,518 kilometers (4,050 miles), flying some 1,000 kilometers in distance, the agency said. The defense ministries of Japan and South Korea gave similar figures about the flight, which lasted 73 minutes. Both South Korea and Japan said data showed the missile had the range to hit anywhere in the United States. Both countries, along with the US, condemned the launch as a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions.   The missile accurately hit its intended target, an empty patch of sea, KCNA added. Tokyo said the missile landed in the sea west of the northern island of Hokkaido, outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the regime in Pyongyang would "come to realize provocative actions will only bring greater pain to itself." The test came a day after a nuclear-powered US submarine arrived in the South Korean port of Busan. It also followed a US-South Korean warning that any nuclear attack from the North would spell "the end of the Kim regime."   Pyongyang has carried out a record-breaking number of tests of banned weapons this year. Since North Korea first conducted a nuclear test in 2006, the UN Security Council has adopted a string of resolutions demanding that North Korea halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Gina Raimondo urged lawmakers, Silicon Valley and US allies to stop the Asian superpower from accessing advanced chips and other top technologies The commerce secretary cited Nvidia, which recently developed a product that performs just below the limit set by her department for export to China US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Saturday urged lawmakers, Silicon Valley and US allies to stop China from getting semiconductors and cutting-edge technologies key to national security. Speaking at an annual national defence forum in Simi Valley, California, Raimondo called Beijing “the biggest threat we’ve ever had” and stressed “China is not our friend.” The world’s top two economies are locked in a fierce commercial and geopolitical rivalry, in which her department plays a leading role. In October, Raimondo unveiled a series of restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, including those used in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), to prevent their use by Beijing for its military. “I know there are CEOs of chip companies in this audience who were a little cranky with me when I did that, because you’re losing revenue. Such is life, protecting our national security matters more than short term revenue.” “Newsflash: democracy is good for your businesses. Rule of law here and around the world is good for your businesses,” she said. Raimondo noted that Nvidia, maker of the most sophisticated chips needed to develop the latest generation of AI, had developed a product that performs just below the limit set by her department for export to China. “That’s what industry does,” she acknowledged, but added, “That’s not productive.” “Every day China wakes up trying to figure out how to do an end run around our export controls … which means every minute of every day, we have to wake up tightening those controls and being more serious about enforcement with our allies,” she said. Raimondo stressed that her department needs better funding to effectively carry out its mission. “I have a US$200 million budget. It’s like the cost of a few fighter jets. Come on,” she said. “Let’s go fund this operation like it needs to be funded so we can do it, we need to do to protect America.” “America leads the world in artificial intelligence … America leads the world in advanced semiconductor design,” Raimondo said. “That’s because of our private sector. No way are we going to let [China] catch up.”   Source: South China Morning Post

The governor of the US state of Hawaii warned that the death toll from the devastating wildfires in Maui could drastically rise as responders comb the wreckage for human remains. "We are prepared for many tragic stories," Governor Josh Green told "CBS Mornings" in a recorded interview that was aired Monday. Twenty cadaver dogs and dozens of searchers are making their way through devastated blocks of the historic town of Lahaina. "They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it's probably going to take 10 days. It's impossible to guess, really," he said. This means the death toll, currently estimated at at least 96 people, could double or even triple. As cellphone service has slowly been restored, residents have been able to reconnect with family and friends. The number of people still missing has been reduced from more than 2,000 to around 1,300, said Green. Full devastation in Lahaina More than 2,700 buildings were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through the town, according to official estimates, causing $5.5 billion (€5.04 billion) in damage. Lahaina, which served as the Hawaiian kingdom's capital in the early 19th century, was home to around 12,000 residents. It had a bustling tourist street packed with shops and restaurants. Now, "there's nothing to see except full devastation," said Green, who has visited the town multiple times. Difficulties identifying remains Meanwhile, police are asking people with missing relatives to provide DNA samples to speed up the process of identifying the human remains. The intensity of the fire and the extent of the destruction is making identification process difficult. "The remains we're finding are from a fire that melted metal," said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. "When we pick up the remains... they fall apart." The wildfire in Maui is the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to nonprofit research group the National Fire Protection Association.

China's defense minister said Beijing is open to a military dialogue with the US. But he stressed that China will not tolerate any provocations when it comes to Taiwan. China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu said Sunday that Beijing is open to a dialogue with the US military over their fast-deteriorating relationship, but warned against "NATO-like" alliances in the Asia-Pacific, saying that it could plunge the region into conflict. Confrontation between China and the US will be an "unbearable disaster for the world," Li said speaking at Asia's top defense summit currently taking place in Singapore. He pointed out that the relationship between the two nations affects global strategic stability and that the "world is big enough for China and the US to grow together." Li's comments at Shangri-La Dialogue come a day after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized China for declining an official invitation for a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the summit. Austin slammed Beijing for the lack of military communication saying, "the more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict." Meanwhile, Li said that China will not tolerate any provocations when it comes to Taiwan. "China will not tolerate attempts by Taiwan independence forces, external forces to separate from China," he said at the summit. Relations between the US and China are at an all time low over a number of issues, including alleged attempts at espionage, trade tensions, restrictions on semiconductor chip exports and the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the most contentious and sensitive subjects remain the future of Taiwan and the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.  Thinly veiled warnings for US Although Li spoke of seeking dialogue over confrontation with the US, the Chinese defense minister took thinly veiled digs at Washington, saying some countries were intensifying an arms race and interfering in the internal affairs of others. "A Cold War mentality is now resurgent, greatly increasing security risks," he said. "Mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony," Li said. "In essence, attempts to push for NATO-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific is a way of kidnapping regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and confrontations, which will only plunge the Asia-Pacific into a whirlpool of disputes and conflicts," Li Shangfu told the security gathering. Upcoming talks in China A senior US State Department official is set to travel to China for talks next week. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink will discuss "key issues in the bilateral relationship" during his visit to China, the State Department said in a statement. He will be joined by Sarah Beran, senior director for China and Taiwan Affairs at the White House National Security Council. Speaking on the sidelines of the summit in Singapore, two Chinese military officers, on condition of anonymity, said that Beijing wanted clear signs of a less confrontational approach from Washington — including dropping sanctions against Defense Minister Li — before military-to-military talks could resume. Tensions in Taiwan Strait Late Saturday night, the Chinese military rebuked the US and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after the two nations staged a rare joint sailing through the controversial Taiwan Strait. The US Navy said its guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canada's HMCS Montreal conducted a "routine" transit of the strait on Saturday "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." "Chung-Hoon and Montreal's bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the US Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement. While it is usual for US warships to pass the straitonce a month, doing so with an ally has further irked Beijing. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said the two ships sailed in a northerly direction and that it had observed nothing unusual. 

One of the warring parties in Sudan has captured a lab with various pathogens, including cholera bacteria, the WHO has warned. A three-day cease-fire brokered by the US is mostly holding.  The World Health Organization (WHO) said Khartoum residents were at risk due to one of the fighting factions in Sudan capturing a laboratory which is holding various pathogens. The UN body did not say which of the two sides involved in the current conflict was occupying the facility. The lab is storing cholera bacteria and other potentially dangerous items. Technicians had been unable to access the National Public Health Laboratory to secure the materials, the WHO's Nima Saeed Abid told reporters in Geneva via video link from Sudan. "This is the main concern: no accessibility to the lab technicians to go to the lab and safely contain the biological material and substances available," he said, speaking of a "huge biological risk." Fighting in Sudan between armed forces loyal to de facto leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries supporting his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out on April 15. At least 459 people have been killed, according to WHO figures, and hospitals and essential services have been paralyzed. The intense fighting has forced the UN's humanitarian office (OCHA) to scale back some of its activities in parts of the country, and two other UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Program, have suspended work after some of their staff were killed. Sudan truce holds overnight despite sporadic gunfire in Khartoum Following the announcement of the US-brokered cease-fire agreement late on Monday, the night passed without much incident. There were, however, reports of sporadic gunfire in the capital, Khartoum. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of breaking the terms of the cease-fire by flying its aircraft over the city, AFP reported. The regular army has carried out numerous airstrikes over the past 10 days. According to the UN, at least 3,700 have been wounded since fighting broke out between the RSF and the military. UK announces evacuation of citizens The British government on Tuesday announced it will be initiating the evacuation of its citizens from Sudan. This comes after Sudan's opposing factions agreed on a temporary cease-fire lasting for 72 hours. "The government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Twitter. According to the British government, military flights will be departing from an airfield located outside of Khartoum. These flights will be available only to individuals with British passports, with priority given to family groups accompanied by children, senior citizens and individuals with medical conditions. On Sunday, Britain airlifted diplomats out of Sudan, but the move has sparked criticism that ordinary UK citizens had been left behind.  Switzerland looking for evacuation opportunities Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Tuesday that they are closely monitoring the situation in Sudan to identify any opportunities to evacuate their citizens who are still in the country. However, he also admitted it might not be possible to evacuate those individuals who also hold Sudanese nationality. Switzerland has already closed its embassy in Sudan and successfully evacuated its staff and their families during a brief cease-fire. They arrived in Bern early on Tuesday morning. Speaking at the Bern airport, Cassis explained there are "windows of opportunity" to evacuate those who wish to leave the country and are allowed to do so. He also mentioned that Switzerland is working with other Western nations on possible further repatriation. The majority of the roughly 100 Swiss nationals who remain in Sudan are joint nationals with Sudanese passports, according to the foreign minister. France evacuates 538 people French President Emmanuel Macron said France has evacuated 538 people from Sudan, after the cease-fire came into force. Of those people, 209 were French citizens, he added. Macron also said the injuries sustained by a French soldier during the evacuation were no longer life-threatening. The French Foreign Ministry had earlier announced it had closed its embassy in Khartoum "until further notice." Maersk suspends Sudan bookings The container shipping company, A.P. Moller-Maersk, has announced it has suspended all new bookings of goods for Sudan due to the ongoing violent clashes in the country. Maersk further stated that it is keeping a close watch on the situation and exploring ways to maintain the stability of its supply chain services in Sudan. "Given the current situation, we have temporarily halted new bookings until the situation improves," the Danish shipping giant said in its statement. Cyprus offers to assist evacuations Authorities in Cyprus announced they have activated a rescue mechanism to evacuate third-country nationals from Sudan. "The Republic of Cyprus intends to offer facilities to friendly countries for the repatriation of their nationals through Cyprus," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Cyprus officials have offered assistance in similar crises before — most notably when tens of thousands had to be evacuated from Lebanon in 2006.