India’s financial capital and one of its largest cities has experienced its wettest May in more than a century, with the unusually early arrival of the monsoon season causing a ferocious weekend downpour that turned roads into rivers and flooded a newly inaugurated underground train station.

Mumbai, a city of more than 12 million, has recorded more than 400 millimeters of rainfall this month so far, according to data from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), with much of the downpour arriving late last weekend.

The deluge caused chaos and delays across transport networks, including at the newly inaugurated Worli Metro Station.

Video published by local media outlets showed travelers wading knee-deep in flood water, water gushing down a station staircase, and water leaking heavily from the ceiling onto a train platform.

India’s $4 trillion economy is heavily dependent on the monsoon, which brings rains that farmers depend on to support the country’s agricultural sector, which employs nearly half of the country’s 1.4 billion people.

The rains, which usually arrive in June and last through September, are needed to grow crops, irrigate farmland and replenish India’s reservoirs. But this year’s early arrival has caused havoc across Mumbai, India’s finance capital and home to its vaunted Bollywood film industry, flooding roads and submerging cars.

Some experts say that global warming is increasing the variability of India’s monsoon rains faster than previously projected.

The onset of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai on May 26 is the earliest advancement over the city since 1950, Nair said.

Each year the monsoon causes chaos across Mumbai, particularly for commuters travelling on its hectic, overcrowded public transport system.

Last year in May, heavy rains caused a huge billboard to collapse, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Worli Metro station just earlier this month, part of his ambitious plan to modernize India’s aging transport network and transform the country’s infrastructure to achieve his goal of turning it into a developed nation by 2047.

Further rains are forecast for the region this week, the IMD said, potentially causing further flooding.

The southern state of Kerala over the weekend also saw an unusually early arrival of the monsoon, bringing some respite after experiencing days of an unrelenting heatwave.

Indian capital New Delhi last week also experienced widespread rain, lightning, and thunderstorms, causing a canopy at the city’s airport to collapse from waterlogging.

India’s defense minister has approved a framework for building the country’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, the defense ministry said on Tuesday, amid a new arms race with Pakistan weeks after a military conflict between the neighbors.

Indian state-run Aeronautical Development Agency, which is executing the program, will shortly invite initial interest from defense firms for developing a prototype of the warplane, envisaged as a twin-engine 5th generation fighter, the ministry said.

The project is crucial for the Indian Air Force, whose squadrons of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet aircraft have fallen to 31 from an approved strength of 42 at a time when rival China is expanding its air force rapidly. Pakistan has one of China’s most advanced warplanes, the J-10, in its arsenal.

Militaries of nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan faced-off in four days of fighting this month, which saw use of fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery by both sides before a ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump.

It was the first time both sides utilized drones at scale and the South Asian powers are now locked in a drones arms race, according to Reuters’ interviews with 15 people, including security officials, industry executives and analysts in the two countries.

India will partner with a domestic firm for the stealth fighter program, and companies can bid independently or as a joint venture, the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that the bids would be open for both private and state-owned firms.

In March, an Indian defense committee had recommended including the private sector in military aircraft manufacturing to shore up the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and reduce the burden on state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which makes most of India’s military aircraft.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has previously criticized Hindustan Aeronautics for slow delivery of light combat Tejas aircraft, a 4.5 generation fighter, which the firm blamed on slow delivery of engines from General Electric GE.N due to supply chain issues faced by the US firm.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier released during a ceasefire-hostage deal has said one of her biggest fears during captivity were strikes carried out by Israel.

Na’ama Levy, one of five IDF female soldiers released in January, made the comments during a weekly rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square on Sunday demanding the return of hostages.

“They (strikes) come unexpectedly. At first you hear the whistles, you pray that it won’t fall on us, and then – the explosions, a noise so loud that it paralyzes the body, and the ground shakes,” Levy told a crowd of thousands.

“Every time, I was sure that this was the end of me. It was one of the scariest things I experienced there and that’s also what endangered me more than anything,” she continued, describing an incident where a strike caused the house she was in to partially collapse.

“That was my reality. It’s their reality now,” she said, referring to those still in captivity.

“Even now, at this very moment, there are hostages who hear those whistles and explosions, they’re there trembling with fear. They have nowhere to run, only to pray and cling to the walls with a terrible feeling of helplessness.”

The comments from Levy come as the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza intensify their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as Israel comes under growing pressure to end the war in Gaza.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu said that defeating Israel’s enemies is the “supreme objective” and more important than securing the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza – drawing backlash from representatives of hostage families.

Levy urged for the return of all Israeli hostages, saying there will be “no victory” otherwise.

“There’s no way in (Israel) they really understand what we’re going through and are still leaving us in Gaza.”

In the early months of the war, another Israeli hostage expressed similar fears of being killed by Israeli strikes, Israeli media outlet Ynet reported, based on audio it said was leaked from a meeting between released hostages, their families, and Netanyahu.

The fear was that “it would not be Hamas, but Israel, that would kill us, and then they would say Hamas killed you,” said the hostage, who was released in one of the first deals.

Levy’s comments on Sunday also came after Netanyahu appointed a new chief for the country’s Shin Bet security agency on Friday, Maj. Gen David Zini, who has reportedly voiced opposition to hostage deals. The families of hostages have blasted the choice.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News, Zini said in meetings of IDF general staff: “I oppose hostage deals. This is a forever war.” The report does not provide a specific date for Zini’s comments. Channel 12 says it was a position he repeated often over the past year.

“If the report is accurate, these are shocking statements, worthy of unequivocal condemnation, especially coming from someone who is expected to hold the fate of the hostages in his hands,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement at the time.

In his previous position as the head of the Training Command and General Staff Corps in the IDF, Zini had little influence on hostage negotiations. But as head of the Shin Bet, he could have a significant role considering the agency’s participation in previous rounds of indirect negotiations with Hamas.

“Appointing a Shin Bet chief who prioritizes (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s war over the return of the hostages is a sin upon a crime and an injustice to the entire people of Israel – a blow to the value of solidarity and the sacred duty to leave no one behind,” the forum said.

In recent weeks, Israel has come under growing pressure to end the war in Gaza as the enclave faces widespread starvation amid a severe shortage of humanitarian aid.

The United Kingdom has paused trade talks and sanctioned extremist settlers in the West Bank. Canada and France have threatened sanctions. And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement with the country. In the words of one Israeli minister, their patience has worn thin over Israel’s decision to expand the war.

The kidnapping of Levy emerged as one of the first to make headlines as the Hamas-led October 7 attack unfolded.

Video released by Hamas showed Levy, who was aged 19 at the time, being dragged by her hair at gunpoint with her hands bound.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office moved swiftly on Monday to defuse attention around a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face away as they deplaned in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour.

The short clip shows the aircraft door opening with Macron appearing in the doorway. Seconds later, both of Brigitte Macron’s hands reach from the side and presses against the president’s face in what looks like a sudden shove.

Macron appears momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure and waves to the press outside.

As the couple descend the steps, Macron offers Brigitte his arm, which she does not take, opting instead to hold the railing.

The Élysée initially denied the incident on the plane, before later moving to downplay its significance.

It was a “moment of togetherness,” according to an Élysée source.

“No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,” the source added, saying pro-Russian trolls were quick to spin the moment into controversy.

Macron has been at the forefront of efforts to agree a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as “fake news” a viral claim – amplified by Kremlin officials – that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: “This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.”

The Kremlin’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.

Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, identified by the United States government as a key member of the “Los Chapitos” criminal organization, died during an operation aimed at capturing him in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, the country’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch said Saturday.

The operation against Figueroa Benitez, known by the nickname “El Perris,” took place in Navolato, 32 kilometers (19 miles) from Culiacán, the state’s capital, according to local media.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was offering up to $1 million for Figueroa Benitez, who was wanted for alleged federal crimes, including conspiracy to import and traffic fentanyl, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and money laundering conspiracy.

In 2019, the city of Culiacán was the scene of a violent episode known as the “Culiacanazo,” which involved violent armed clashes following the temporary capture of Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Ovidio was later released by Mexican authorities, arguing that it was to “save lives.”

The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza blasted the newly-picked head of the Shin Bet security agency after he reportedly voiced opposition to hostage deals.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News, Maj. Gen. David Zini said in meetings of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) general staff: “I oppose hostage deals. This is a forever war.” The report does not provide a specific date for the Zini’s comments. Channel 12 says it was a position he repeated often over the past year.

“If the report is accurate, these are shocking statements, worthy of unequivocal condemnation, especially coming from someone who is expected to hold the fate of the hostages in his hands,” said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in a statement on Friday.

In his current position as the head of the Training Command and General Staff Corps in the IDF, Zini has little influence on hostage negotiations and his personal beliefs are largely irrelevant to the process. But if confirmed as head of the Shin Bet, Zini could have a significant role considering the agency’s participation in previous rounds of indirect negotiations with Hamas.

“Appointing a Shin Bet chief who prioritizes (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s war over the return of the hostages is a sin upon a crime and an injustice to the entire people of Israel – a blow to the value of solidarity and the sacred duty to leave no one behind,” the forum said.

When asked for comment, the IDF said it “does not on comment on content discussed in General Staff deliberations.”

Zini’s career in the military has mostly been as a field officer with little experience in intelligence, which is a core aspect of the Shin Bet, officially called the Israel Security Agency.

Ruby Chen, the father of Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, whose body is still held in Gaza, said on social media that “Netanyahu appoints to key positions people who lack the relevant skills in order to control the system.”

Netanyahu announced Zini’s nomination on Thursday, one day after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that he had a conflict of interest in firing the previous Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, and could not appoint a replacement.

In its decision, the court said the firing “was made when the Prime Minister had a conflict of interest in light of the investigations into the affairs of his associates; that the decision was made without a factual foundation; and without a proper hearing being held for the Shin Bet head.”

On Thursday, the Attorney General said: “The Prime Minister acted contrary to legal guidance, there is serious concern that he acted when he is in a conflict of interest, and the appointment process is flawed.”

But Netanyahu proceeded with the appointment anyway. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Friday defending the decision. “This is an urgent security necessity, and any delay harms the security of the state and the safety of our soldiers,” it said. Netanyahu said on Friday that he has known Zini for years.

The choice of Zini as an active-duty general was also unprecedented, prompting the IDF’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to issue a statement saying that Zini would retire “in the upcoming days” before he can take up the civilian Shin Bet post.

The pick appeared to surprise the country’s top general, who emphasized that “any discourse conducted by IDF soldiers with the political echelon must be approved by the Chief of General Staff.”

After 19 months of pounding Gaza, Israel is now under growing pressure from unlikely quarters – some of its closest Western allies.

Their patience has worn thin over Israel’s decision to expand the war and, in the words of one Israeli minister, “conquer” the territory – a move paired with plans to forcibly displace Gaza’s entire population to the south and block all humanitarian aid for 11 weeks.

The United Kingdom has paused trade talks and sanctioned extremist settlers in the West Bank. Canada and France have threatened sanctions. And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement with the country.

Aid groups have warned that the situation in Gaza is becoming catastrophic, with the United Nations’ humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher last week calling on the world to “act decisively to prevent genocide.”

Dozens of babies have died of malnutrition, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and more than 53,000 people – or 4% of the entire population – have been killed since Israel launched its war following the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas and its allies.

The fact that some of Israel’s closest allies are now pushing back more vocally marks a major shift in attitudes toward the country.

The agreement, which covers various forms of cooperation between the two parties, including the free movement of goods and scientific collaboration, has been in place for 25 years. “The mere fact that this is being discussed seriously today is a sign of not just the increasing frustration, and I think also, let’s be quite clear, anger, in some European capitals over Israeli actions in Gaza,” said Lovatt.

The punitive steps threatened by the EU and other allies are designed in part to sway the domestic debate inside Israel, where society is already extremely divided over the war.

The government, propped up by hardliners from far-right parties, is determined to keep fighting in Gaza. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against the war each week, demanding the government agrees a ceasefire deal to release all the hostages still held in the strip.

In an opinion poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster earlier this month, 61% of those surveyed favored ending the war for a deal that secures the hostage release, while only 25% supported the expanded military operation.

That notwithstanding, Arie Reich, a legal scholar at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University who specializes in international trade and EU law, said that external pressure on Netanyahu’s government may not have the desired effect.

“When foreign countries try to interfere in internal matters of another country, especially things that are very dear to them, such as their national security, it usually works as a boomerang, and it actually causes the people to support the government even more,” he said.

“There is a wide consensus in Israel that we want to release our hostages, and that we do not want to go back to where we were on October 6. We don’t want to have this threat of Hamas lingering over us,” Reich said.

But he added that the moves by some of Israel’s allies have made it clear that the “window of using military force is starting to close.”

“And maybe, if it goes on longer than that, I think it’s going to be very hard to maintain normal relations with many countries in the West,” he said.

Israel has so far brushed aside the threats from its Western allies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused them of “offering a huge prize” to the October 7 attackers, while Israel’s foreign ministry said that “external pressure will not divert Israel from its path in the fight for its existence and security against enemies seeking its destruction.”

This determination to continue may be due to Netanyahu believing that he can, for now at least, rely on the United States for support.

And while the moves are diplomatically symbolic, critics expect little to change on the ground for Palestinians.

Short of a total arms embargo and a full suspension of economic relations, Israel is unlikely to change its ways, he said, arguing that Canada, France and the UK had been “complicit” in Israel’s actions in Gaza by providing it with “military, intelligence, economic, and diplomatic support.”

All three countries have longstanding agreements with Israel that include defense and security cooperation, although the detail of what exactly these contain is unclear.

The UK and France have suspended some arms licenses to Israel over the situation in Gaza but have continued to export military equipment worth tens of millions of dollars to Israel. Canada has said that no export permits on military goods to Israel have been issued since January 8, 2024.

Israel’s most powerful backer stands by it

As Israel’s most powerful ally, the US has the most sway over Netanyahu and his government. And while some in the Trump administration have criticized Israel over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, there has been no indication the US would take any punitive actions against it.

It isn’t, however, a “foregone conclusion that the US will continue to always unequivocally back Israel,” Lovatt said.

“While I don’t see a rupture in relations, clearly, the arrival of the second Trump administration has created an interesting dynamic, given the influence of what I would call the ‘America Firsters,’ those in the MAGA world who want to put the US first in everything, and that has, to a certain extent, also applied to Israel,” he said.

The US has moved out of step with Israel on number of issues in recent weeks.

It has struck a ceasefire deal with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels without first informing Israel; unilaterally negotiated with Hamas the release of US citizen Edan Alexander from Gaza; and, according to a Reuters report, has dropped its demand for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel as a condition for US investment and potential US arms deals.

Addressing Israel’s criticism over the deal with the Houthis, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israeli media that the US “isn’t required to get permission from Israel” to get an agreement that protects its ships.

“Netanyahu has positioned himself as a master of the US political game, and as someone who’s best placed to manage and maintain tight Israel relations and to keep any US presidential administration on side. I think seeing some daylight between the Trump administration and the Israeli government clearly puts pressure on Netanyahu,” Lovatt said.

There are signs that some in Israel are worried about the consequences of its actions in Gaza. The leader of Israel’s opposition left-wing Democrats party, retired Israeli general Yair Golan, warned on Tuesday that Israel is “on its way to becoming a pariah state.”

The impact of the pressure from the allies was on display on Sunday, when the Israeli military announced it would allow a “basic amount of food” to enter Gaza as it launched its new offensive in the strip, which Israel says is intended to pressure Hamas to release the hostages held there.

Netanyahu conceded on Monday that if “a situation of famine” arose in Gaza, Israel “simply won’t receive international support.”

In a statement posted to Telegram, he added that even US senators “who have been staunch, unconditional supporters of Israel for decades” had told him that “images of mass starvation” in Gaza would cost Israel their support.

‘More of a threat’

Even if the US won’t use its leverage to force Israel to change its strategy in Gaza in a more significant way, it doesn’t mean Europe can’t put pressure on Israel on its own, experts say.

The European Union is Israel’s biggest trading partner, accounting for roughly a third of its trade in goods.

A full suspension of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel is unlikely, as it would require unanimous agreement of all 27 EU member states and several have already indicated they would not support it – including Hungary, a staunch supporter of Israel.

Reich said that under the terms of the agreement, both the EU and Israel can terminate it for whatever reason, or even without giving a reason.

“The thing is that within the EU, that would require consensus … and that would be very, very hard, because there are many countries, many (EU) member states that will not go along with this,” he said.

“So I think it’s more of a threat to put pressure (on Israel) and maybe they could manage some temporary suspension of some provisions, but to terminate it, I don’t think it can happen,” he added.

Public support for the country runs deep in many of the bloc’s member states, which makes it difficult for some European governments to push for harsher sanctions against Israel.

And, Lovatt said, many European countries are also aware of the fact that they may need Israel’s help in the future.

“Especially in a situation where European countries are increasingly fearful of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but also the threat that Russia represents the rest of Europe, and (they) see Israel as an important source of weapons and technology,” he said.

While terminating the association agreement would require unanimity, it would only take a majority of EU states to force through a partial suspension of the agreement.

Even that could be painful for Israel because it could lead to higher tariffs on Israeli products or prevent Israel from taking part in coveted EU projects such as the Horizon Europe program, with more than $100 billion in funding available for research and innovation.

The EU has in the past used its power to put pressure on countries over human rights abuses – often for issues Lovatt says are a lot less serious than the current situation in Gaza.

“The bottom line is that until now, the EU has treated Israel with a degree of exceptionalism by not taking anywhere near the sort of steps that it has taken in other situations of human rights abuses or territorial annexation,” Lovatt said.

The local French authority for
the Alpes-Maritimes region said on Saturday that part of the
area was suffering a major electricity outage, including the
town of Cannes which is currently hosting its annual film
festival.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A Norwegian man managed to sleep through an enormous container ship running aground on his front lawn.

Johan Helberg, who lives in Byneset, on the Trondheim Fjord, was woken by his neighbor on Thursday morning asking if he had noticed a boat outside, TV2 Norway reported.

When he looked out his door, he saw a 135-meter-long (443-foot) container ship parked up in his front yard.

“If the ship had hit the rocky outcrop right next to it, it would have lifted up and hit the house hard. It only missed by a few meters,” Helberg told TV2.

His neighbor, Jostein Jørgensen, who lives about 40 meters (131 feet) from the beach, told TV2 he was woken around 5 a.m. by the sound of a boat approaching.

“When I looked out the window, I saw a boat speeding toward the shore,” he told the local TV network, adding that he ran outside and shouted to raise the alarm.

Jørgensen said the boat, the NCL Salten, got closer and closer until it ran aground about eight meters (26 feet) from the wall of his neighbor’s house.

“He was lying asleep and surprised he had a visitor,” Jørgensen told TV2.

The vessel was reportedly bound for Orkanger, at the southern end of the fjord, and had 16 people aboard when it ran aground.

Bente Hetland, managing director of the shipping company NCL, called it a “serious incident” and said the company was “grateful that nobody was injured in the grounding.”

“At present time, we do not know what caused the incident and are awaiting the conclusion of the ongoing investigation by the relevant authorities,” Hetland said in a statement. “We are currently assessing the damage to the ship.”

A tugboat was initially sent to try to pull the vessel free, to no avail.

On Thursday evening, a salvage company tried to mount an attempt to refloat the ship at high tide, but it was later decided it was not possible, the Norwegian Coastal Administration said in a statement.

It said geotechnical investigations were now needed before another attempt could be made.

While there have been no signs of oil leaking from the vessel, the authority said it had an oil response vessel on standby to respond, if needed.

(Reuters) – The United States said on Thursday it would impose sanctions on Sudan after determining that its government used chemical weapons in 2024 during the army’s conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a charge the army denied.

Measures against Sudan will include limits on US exports and US government lines of credit and will take effect around June 6, after Congress was notified on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

“The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC,” Bruce said, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty banning the use of such weapons.

In a statement, Sudan rejected the move, and described the allegations as false.

“This interference, which lacks any moral or legal basis, deprives Washington of what is left of its credibility and closes the door to any influence in Sudan,” government spokesperson Khalid al-Eisir said on Friday.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF, unleashing waves of ethnic violence, creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and plunging several areas into famine. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and about 13 million displaced.

Washington in January imposed sanctions on army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict.

The US has also determined members of the RSF and allied militias committed genocide and imposed sanctions on some of the group’s leadership, including RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The New York Times reported in January, citing four senior US officials, that the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons at least twice during the conflict, deploying the weapons in remote areas of the country.

Two officials briefed on the matter said the chemical weapons appeared to use chlorine gas, which can cause lasting damage to human tissue, the New York Times reported at the time.

Bruce’s statement said the US had formally determined on April 24 under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 that the government of Sudan used chemical weapons last year, but did not specify what weapons were used, precisely when or where.

“The United States remains fully committed to hold to account those responsible for contributing to chemical weapons proliferation,” Bruce said.

“The intention here is to distract from the recent campaign in Congress against the UAE,” a Sudanese diplomatic source said.

The source said the US could have gone to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to investigate the claims and neglected to do so.

Sudan’s government is aligned with the army.

It cut diplomatic relations with the UAE this month, saying the Gulf power was aiding the RSF with supplies of advanced weaponry in the devastating conflict that broke out following disagreements over the integration of the two forces.

The UAE has denied the allegations and says it supports humanitarian and peace efforts.

US congressional Democrats sought last Thursday to block arms sales to the United Arab Emirates over its alleged involvement in the war.

Sudan said this week that the United Arab Emirates was responsible for an attack on Port Sudan this month, accusing the Gulf state for the first time of direct military intervention in the war.

The UAE denied the allegations in a statement and said it condemned the attack.