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The head of Sudan’s army has told Sky News his troops will “definitely” defeat an attacking paramilitary group, but he is open to negotiations.

At least 97 civilians and 45 soldiers have been killed with a total of 942 injured since the clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted at the weekend, according to activist group the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors.

Tensions have escalated since a power pact between the two sides crumbled and the resulting violence has seen members of the public caught in the crossfire, with the fighting spreading from the capital Khartoum to other parts of the country.

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Who is behind the Sudan violence?

Speaking to Sky News, army chief and de facto leader Abdel Fattah al Burhan said he was open to mediation as “every war ends at the negotiation table even if the opponent is defeated”.

He added: “Even if there is surrender, there is still negotiation.”

Asked if his troops will defeat the RSF, Mr al Burhan said: “Definitely. God willing.”

He was speaking from the military headquarters compound in the presidential guesthouse. He said the area within the compound was “fully secure” and “we are well”.

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But he said there were “stray” shells being fired by the RSF who are “escalating” the situation in “nearby commercial and residential areas”.

He added: “We are holding back because we don’t want too many civilian losses in residential areas.”

Witnesses said bombardments and strikes from fighter jets rocked Khartoum, including near the military headquarters, and in Bahri, across the Nile River near another base.

The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss the Sudan violence on Monday, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the fighting, calling on both sides to stop hostilities and start talking.

“I urge all those with influence over the situation to use it in the cause of peace; to support efforts to end the violence, restore order, and return to the path of transition,” he said.

The humanitarian situation in the country was “already precarious” but it is now “catastrophic”, the UN chief added.

The RSF is a former militia group which had been due to merge with the army and its leaders shared power in a ruling military council.

Mr al Burhan heads the council while RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is his deputy. Both sides said they made gains on Monday.

Read more:
Explained – Why violence has erupted in Sudan
Before-and-after images show impact of deadly clashes

FILE - Sudan's Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan speaks following the signature of an initial deal aimed at ending a deep crisis caused by last year's military coup, in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 5, 2022.
Pic:AP
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Abdel Fattah al Burhan in 2022. Pic: AP

The RSF claimed it had captured an airport and military bases, while the army said it was in control of its headquarters despite what it called “limited clashes” in the area.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr al Burhan claimed his forces have “full control of all RSF bases in the 18 states and all of our airfields”.

“All the airfields of the armed forces are under the control of the armed forces.”

The RSF has posted videos showing its soldiers in Merowe airport, between Khartoum and the border with Egypt, and in a base in a southern district of the capital and in part of a military headquarters in the city centre.

The army has regained control of the main television station, which briefly went off air after gunfire was heard during a live broadcast.

The station started showing videos of the army destroying RSF vehicles, a day after the RSF said it had taken over the building.

Egypt is the most important backer of Sudan’s armed forces, while Hemedti has cultivated links with several foreign powers including the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

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Benjamin Netanyahu to meet Donald Trump next week amid calls for Gaza ceasefire

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Benjamin Netanyahu to meet Donald Trump next week amid calls for Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.

The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.

On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”

At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with US President Donald Trump. Pic: Reuters
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Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with Donald Trump during a previous meeting. Pic: Reuters

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.

The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.

An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.

She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.

Read more from Sky News:
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The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.

An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.

Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.

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Brutal murder on ‘date’ exposes robbery gang suspected of targeting dozens of women in South Africa

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Brutal murder on 'date' exposes robbery gang suspected of targeting dozens of women in South Africa

Thirty-year-old Olorato Mongale made sure to take all the measures necessary for a safe first date in South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg.

She had agreed to meet ‘John’ in the daytime. She sent her friends her phone location after leaving her house and promptly texted them “on the road” at 2.47pm.

They replied “enjoy!”, hoping she would find love.

An hour later, their friend had gone silent and her phone location was showing up in dangerous areas of the city.

A search party of seven friends set off to trace Olorato’s digital footsteps.

Olorato Mongale
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It’s believed Olorato’s killers were part of a gang robbing young women at gunpoint

“It didn’t make sense. Where is she? Why is she missing?” says Karabo Mokoena, as we drove to the locations involved in their search.

“Every place we went to looked dodgier and dodgier. It made me panic – I was very scared.”

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After finding her bag on a pile of bricks off the side of a main road, they filed a missing person report at a police station.

“I thought there was no way we were not going to find her. We did end up finding her but not in the way we would have hoped,” says Karabo.

Olorato’s body had been dumped at the dirt entrance of a random house less than 100m from where her friends were searching into the night.

Her face was swollen and her eyes black-blue from violent impact. Her top was ripped open to expose her breasts.

Police told Sky News that her post-mortem showed signs of blunt force trauma. She was likely beaten to death.

Red gate where Olorato Mongale's body was found
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Olorato’s body was dumped outside this gate – she was likely beaten to death

“It was like I was dreaming, seeing her body like that with those bruises and blood everywhere,” says Olorato’s mother, Keabetswe Poppy Mongale, describing the moment she had to identify her only child at the morgue.

“I don’t think what I saw will ever go away,” she adds.

“It was very painful. I don’t wish that on any parent because my beautiful little girl looked different because someone chose to do that to her.”

Olorato Mongale's mother
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Olorato’s mother says the image of her daughter in the morgue will never go away

CCTV from the driveway of Olorato’s building shows the last time she was seen alive, leaving her home to meet ‘John’.

In the video, she walks towards a white Volkswagen Polo and hesitates as she reaches the left back door. John had come with a friend.

Four days after Olorato was killed, police found the car in a different province with traces of her blood splattered across the back seat.

CCTV of car and Olorato Mongale
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CCTV showed Olorato walking to a car for what she thought was a date

VW Polo used by killers
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One suspect was shot dead but the second man is still on the run

Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makanya – ‘John’ – was shot dead by police in KwaZulu-Natal shortly after they found the vehicle.

The second man in the car, Bongani Mthimkhulu, is still on the run.

The two men have since been identified as part of a dangerous criminal syndicate that lure young women out on dates and rob them at gunpoint.

“Within the four days, the investigating officers received 94 calls from women who were raising concerns and identifying the suspects as those they once met,” South African Police Service deputy national commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili told Sky News.

“It was unfortunate about Olorato, but others were released after being robbed.”

Olorato Mongale
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Olorato’s friends say she ‘ticked all the boxes when it came to being careful’

A 24-year-old student who survived an armed robbery at the hands of Olorato’s suspected killers says she was happy to see Philangenkosi killed but she’s still scared for her life.

“As women, we are not even safe anymore – we can’t even walk freely,” she says.

“The moment you leave your house you wonder if you will make it back alive. I don’t feel comfortable walking around the street. I leave the house and then turn back.

“Even when I’m home, I still don’t feel safe and always want to keep myself locked indoors,” she says with a shaky voice – choosing to remain anonymous.

After meeting other victims of the syndicate, she was shocked to hear details of almost identical abductions.

“This other girl was surprised because we went through the exact same situation. They also approached her with the same tactic – let me take you out to lunch to get to know you – only for her to be robbed.”

Graphic on femicide in South Africa
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South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world – an average 15 women are killed a day, many by their intimate partners.

According to police statistics, more than 5,500 women were murdered in South Africa last year. An increase of 33.8% compared with the previous year.

“South Africa has six times the average rate of femicide – hundreds of women have already been killed since Olorato’s murder,” says Cameron Kasambala from Women for Change.

The advocacy group raises awareness of rising cases of femicide and gender-based violence across South Africa.

Cameron Kasambala
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Campaigner Cameron Kasambala says many femicide cases take a long time to be resolved

In the hours after her murder, Olorato’s friends contacted Women for Change to share her missing poster after receiving little immediate help from the local police station.

“I think her friends were the real heroes in that moment,” says Cameron.

“Two police stations that were 10 minutes apart, one finds a body and one has a missing case, don’t make a connection for hours. It’s not the most reassuring police work. And if the friends had not come forward, how long would it have taken?

“Unfortunately, Olorato’s case is an exception. Most cases are not handled that quickly.”

Read more from Sky News:
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Olorato Mongale
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Olorato’s friends say she would be ‘proud to know that her name has not gone in vain’

Olorato’s friends are still contending with the violence of her death – what it means for their daily lives and how they navigate their safety as women in South Africa.

“It is difficult to process and difficult to believe. This is somebody who ticked all the boxes when it came to being careful – being meticulous, checking her surroundings and leaving clues,” says Olorato’s friend, Koketso Sejosengoe.

“It shows it can happen to anybody no matter how safe you are. It is happening to the average girl. They are being targeted. These men know what they are doing and who they are looking for.”

“In the purest sense, Olorato wanted women to be safe and wanted women to be protected,” adds Koketso.

“I think she would be very proud to know that her name has not gone in vain and that her death is standing for something – that there will be change that comes with this.”

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European heatwave leaves Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in sweltering 40C heat

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European heatwave leaves Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in sweltering 40C heat

Major heatwaves across southern Europe have left Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece in sweltering conditions of more than 40C (104F).

Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert for extreme heat and risk of wildfires on Sunday, with temperatures in Lisbon expected to exceed 42C (107F).

In parts of southern Spain, temperatures are well above average, with 42C also expected in Seville and other cities.

The country’s meteorological service says June is likely to be the hottest Spain has experienced since records began.

In several Italian regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia, and Umbria, outdoor work was banned during peak hours of sun on Sunday, with trade unions pushing for the measures to be extended and rolled out nationwide.

Twenty-one out of 27 cities were under the highest possible heat alert, including Rome, Milan, and Naples.

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What’s actually happening underneath your sunburn

Greece has already been plagued by wildfires this summer, with one breaking out south of Athens on Thursday, and several on the island of Chios last Sunday.

Near Athens, authorities deployed 130 firefighters, 12 helicopters, and 12 planes, with 40 people evacuated from the highest-risk areas.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of unintentional arson after wildfires spread across brush and pastureland for three days on Chios.

Flames rise above Thymari, near Athens after wildfires broke out on Friday. Pic: Reuters
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Flames rise above Thymari, near Athens, after wildfires broke out on Friday. Pic: Reuters

Tourists battle scorching temperatures at the Parthenon in Greece on Friday. Pic: Reuters
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Tourists battle scorching temperatures at the Parthenon in Greece on Friday. Pic: Reuters

Scientists link increasing frequencies of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires, and storms to climate change.

In France and Germany, at least three people died amid stormy conditions.

A ridge of high pressure above central and western Europe is driving the scorching conditions, says Sky News meteorologist Chris England.

Hotter-than-normal sea temperatures, dry land, and surface winds are also partly to blame, he added.

Tourists in Retiro Park in Madrid on Saturday. Pic: AP
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Tourists in Retiro Park in Madrid on Saturday. Pic: AP

Locals fan themselves in Lisbon on Saturday. Pic: AP
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Locals fan themselves in Lisbon on Saturday. Pic: AP

UK heatwave also likely

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UK heatwaves explained

The UK is halfway through a four-day amber heat health alert, with temperatures expected to peak in the mid-30s (86F) on Tuesday.

Heat health alerts are not public weather warnings – but are instead designed to prepare health and social care bodies for the potential impact on their infrastructure and vulnerable groups.

Heatwave thresholds are likely to be met on Monday and Tuesday, which vary between 28C (82F) in the south of England and 25C (77F) across the rest of the country.

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