KHARTOUM, 05 September 2022, (TON): Sudanese authorities put the death toll from torrential rains and flash floods at 112 since June.

In a statement, the National Council for Civil Defense said “115 people were injured in addition to the collapse of 34,944 homes and the partial damage of 49,096 others.”

Last month, Sudanese authorities declared a state of emergency in six states hardest-hit by the floods Nile State, White Nile, West Kordofan, South Kordofan, South Darfur and Kassala.

Last week, the United Nations said “nearly 250,000 Sudanese people have been affected by the floods and heavy rains in the country since June.”

SANAA, 05 September 2022, (TON): A Syrian military helicopter crashed during a training mission due to a technical failure northeast of the city of Hama.

Its crew were killed, the Syrian state news agency reported, citing a military source.

CAIRO, 05 September 2022, (TON): The Egyptian and American navies have carried out a joint exercise.

Egyptian military spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said “the training comes within the framework of the plan of the General Command of the Armed Forces to raise the level of training and exchange experiences with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries.”

Last month, the Egyptian Navy carried out a joint training exercise with US and Spanish naval vessels.

BEIJING, 05 September 2022, (TON): As relief efforts in flood-hit areas pick up pace, more countries, international agencies, charities and private corporations have pledged aid for the people who have been displaced.

The Chinese government has announced providing additional flood relief items worth RMB 300 million.

China International Development Cooperation Agency Chairman Luo Zhaohui said “at this difficult time when Pakistan is suffering from major floods, China shares the difficulties of Pakistan, and we are ready to support our iron brothers within our capacity.”

Australia has also announced $2m in humanitarian assistance for the flood-affected people.

The announcement was made by Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins during his visit to Benazir Income Support Program headquarter.

KENNEDY CENTER, 05 September 2022, (TON): Nasa scrapped a second attempt to get its new 30-story rocket off the ground and send its uncrewed test capsule towards the Moon after engineers detected a fuel leak.

With millions around the globe and hundreds of thousands on nearby beaches waiting for the historic launch of the massive Space Launch System, a leak near the base of the rocket was found as ultra-cold liquid hydrogen was being pumped in.

“The launch director waived off today’s Artemis I launch,” Nasa said in a statement. “Multiple troubleshooting efforts to address the area of the leak did not fix the issue.”

Though the area around the launch site was closed to the public, an estimated 400,000 people had gathered nearby to see and hear the most powerful vehicle that Nasa has ever launched climb into space.

JERUSALEM, 05 September 2022, (TON): His office said “Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has nominated Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi as the country’s next army chief.”

The nomination of Halevi, who serves as deputy to outgoing Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi, will be discussed by an advisory committee in the coming days before the government gives its approval, Gantz’s office said.

Halevi is due to take up his new position in February next year, the Defense Ministry said, after Kohavi’s term ends.

Defense Ministry said in a statement “Gantz considered Halevi the most suitable officer for the position due to his extensive operational experience in a variety of theaters of operation and his commanding abilities and attitude to various military issues.”

WASHINGTON, 05 September 2022, (TON): The US State Department has appr­oved a potential $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles, with China threatening to take counter measures.

The Pentagon announced the package in the wake of China’s aggressive military drills around Taiwan following a visit to the island last month by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to travel to Taipei in years.

Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency said “sale includes Side­winder missiles, which can be used for air-to-air and surface-attack missions, at a cost of some $85.6 million, Har­poon anti-ship missiles at an estimated $355 million cost and support for Taiwan’s surveillance radar programme for an estimated $665.4 million.”

KYIV, 05 September 2022, (TON): A critical nuclear power plant in Ukraine again lost external power, international energy officials said on Saturday, heightening concerns as the energy battle between Moscow and the West ramped up in recent days amid the ongoing war.

International Atomic Energy Agency said “Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant the largest in Europe saw its last remaining main external power line cut off even as a reserve line was able to continue supplying electricity to the grid.”

The plant, controlled by Moscow since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in late February, has become a focal point of the conflict, with each side blaming the other for nearby shelling.

LONDON, 05 September 2022, (TON): Nearly 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday, the UK government said Sunday, as growing numbers of arrivals have exacerbated tensions between Britain and France.

The defense ministry said 960 migrants were detected making the dangerous crossing in 20 boats.

This came after 1,295 migrants were spotted making the crossing on August 22, setting a new record for a single day.

The issue has caused a major political headache for the UK government, which promised tighter border controls after leaving the European Union.

Tensions have risen between London and Paris, with the UK government accusing France of not doing enough to stop the crossings.

ATHENS, 05 September 2022, (TON): The migration minister said “Greece has blocked over 150,000 undocumented migrants on its land and maritime border so far this year.”

Notis Mitarachi told Eleftheros Typos “the entry of 154,102 irregular migrants was averted since the start of the year. Around 50,000 attempted to invade Greece in August alone.”

Border control is a top priority for the conservative Greek government that came to power in 2019, and will seek reelection next year.

Last month, the government announced plans to extend a 40 km long wall along the Greek-Turkish border at Evros by another 80 kilometers as part of efforts to control the flow of migrants.