Heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group in southern Khartoum - images emerge of fire at fuel depots near a weapons manufacturing company. The battle between the two has intensified in southern Khartoum, where rapid support forces claim to be inside a weapons factory in the area of Yarmouk.

Khartoum

Fighting has broken out across Sudan between the country's armed forces and Russian-backed paramilitary group RSF.

Sudan Civil War

Sudan civil war: Weapons factory, fuel depot on fire

We begin in Sudan, where there's heavy fighting between the army and paramilitary rapid support forces. The battle between the two has intensified in southern Khartoum, where rapid support forces claim to be inside a weapons factory in the area of Yarmouk. Let's go live to Heba Morgan, who joins us now from Omdurman. Can you just bring us up to date with the latest, exactly where this huge fire has broken out? Well, the fire broke out at a warehouse near a weapons manufacturing company that belongs to the Sudanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the capital, Khartoum. That's where there's been intense fighting on Tuesday, and a fighting that's continued in the early hours of Wednesday and still continues at this moment. The rapid support forces claims that it is now in control of that weapons manufacturing company, the biggest in the country that manufactures all the weapons for the Sudanese Armed Forces. We spoke to army sources and asked them what the situation was on the ground, and they say that fighting is still very much ongoing. Residents say that they can hear loud explosions, they can hear heavy artillery around the areas near the factory that manufactures the weapons for the Sudanese army. They also say that they can hear the fighter jets flying overhead and that there's been airstrikes launched around that area. So fighting is still ongoing. The rapid support forces say that they are in control of that manufacturing company, but people are really concerned because, again, this is a weapons manufacturing company. Any kind of activity, especially fighting around it, and it lies in the middle of a residential area, residents will be caught up in the middle in this fighting between the rapid support forces and the Sudanese army as they try to gain control of this manufacturing company. We've just been watching some of the live pictures of this fire. It really is huge. Can you just tell us a little bit about the impact that it could potentially have on the civilians that are still nearby? Well, it's a warehouse that contains fuel and gas and is adjacent to a weapons manufacturing company. People who live in that area who we spoke to say that there's been loud explosions about two hours ago, that the area around the warehouse and the company is now out of power and that there is no water and their concerns because there are fuel in that area, because there's gas in that area that is resulting in this fire and to continue for the past few hours. And because it's near a weapons factory, there are concerns that there will be large explosions. Now, many people who spoke to say that they've already left the area because they're concerned about what might happen, about a potential explosion at the warehouse, at the company that could lead to a massive destruction in the southern part of the capital. But there are residents who say they cannot leave. They say that they've got older elderly people behind that living with them, that they can't leave behind. They say that the situation is very hard at the moment. It's quite hot because of the flames and the heat that is coming out of the fire. They say that they're unable to move and there's no water. Civil Defense Services, which usually can and deploy firefighters, is not working because of the ongoing fighting between the rapid support forces and the Sudanese army. So there are concerns that in the next few hours, if the fire is not contained, it will eventually engulf residential homes in the area. And should it reach the weapons manufacturing company, there will be a major explosion that could destroy hundreds and hundreds of homes in the southern part of the capital. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Thank you so much. That is Heba Morgan for us in Omdurman.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "reiterated his clear position" on a possible invasion of the Gaza border city of Rafah, the White House said.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel-Gaza War

Biden tells Netanyahu U.S. doesn't support Rafah assault

Ukraine's top general says his troops have been forced to retreat as fighting on the country's eastern front intensified. Kyiv's forces have fallen back to new positions in at least three places along the front, west of the Donetsk region.

Donetsk

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine troops retreating on eastern front

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on an unannounced visit, to meet senior officials to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Shanghai

Elon Musk makes surprise visit to China

Hamas's armed wing released video of two men held hostage in Gaza who are seen alive and urging Israeli authorities to strike a deal for the release of all the remaining captives.

Rafah

Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages

Defence Minister Richard Marles has revealed a fresh aid package to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, including $30 million in funding for drones. It marks more than one billion dollars in funding from Australia since the war began.

Lviv

Australia announces $100m in Ukraine aid

Tens of thousands of people have marched across the country calling for an end to violence against women. The Prime Minister addressed the crowd in Canberra where he called the issue a 'national crisis'.

Canberra

Prime Minister joins rally calling for end to gendered violence

Israeli protesters have shut down streets in Tel Aviv demanding the release of hostages and the political end of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Anger has been growing inside Israel as the Gaza war drags on for more than 200 days.

Thousands block Tel Aviv streets in protest

After weeks of delays, negotiations, and distractions, Israel appears to be gearing up for its ground invasion in southern Gaza. Dozens of Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles have been seen near Rafah, Gaza’s last 'safe zone'.

Israel 'gearing up' for Rafah ground offensive

Ohio police released video of a Black man who died at a local hospital after repeatedly telling officers "I can't breathe" as they pinned him to the floor of a bar and handcuffed him, evoking memories of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Canton

'I can't breathe' man tells Ohio cops before death

Witnesses in Gaza reported fresh Israeli strikes overnight around Rafah. It comes as Hamas says it is considering an Israeli ceasefire proposal, after a delegation from Egypt arrived in Israel to resume stalled negotiations.

Sderot

Gaza hit by fresh strikes amid ceasefire talks

The US military has started building a large floating pier off Gaza's coast to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, the defence department has said. Ships will deliver aid from Cyprus to the pier where it will be loaded onto trucks to transfer across Gaza.

Jerusalem

US begins building floating base to boost aid

King Charles will return to his public duties next week for the first time since his February cancer diagnosis, visiting a cancer treatment centre. There fears his Australian trip will be delayed, while he continues treatment for his own cancer battle.

Windsor

King Charles resuming public duties but Australian trip in limbo

Demonstrations have taken place across the country after a spate of domestic violence deaths, including Molly Ticehurst. Protestors held signs saying ‘no more’ calling for immediate action against male-inflicted violence.

Council of the City of Sydney

Thousands rally across Australia against domestic violence

The Russian and Turkish flags were lowered to mark the closure of a center set up to monitor a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, as Russian peacekeepers ended a multi-year deployment in the strategic South Caucasus region.

Baku

Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire center closes as Russia withdraws

Britain's King Charles will return to public duties next week for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer as he makes good progress following treatment and a period of recuperation, Buckingham Palace said.

London

King Charles to resume public duties after cancer diagnosis

Students blocked access to Paris' prestigious Sciences Po university over the war in Gaza on Friday (April 26), demanding the institution condemn Israel's actions, in a protest that echoed similar demonstrations on U.S. campuses.

Paris

Pro-Palestinian protesters still occupying Sciences Po campus

The number of people killed in floods in Kenya due to heavier than usual rainfall since the start of the monsoon in March has risen to 70, a government spokesperson said Friday. Kenya and other countries in East Africa, a region highly vulnerable to climate change, have been pounded by heavier than usual rainfall in recent weeks, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern.

Nairobi

Climate Crisis

Kenya flood death toll since March climbs to 70

An Australian journalist has been named as a key figure in Donald Trump's criminal trial. Dylan Howard, the former editor of the National Enquirer in the U.S. accused of buying and burying negative stories as part of a deal to help him become President.

New York

U.S. Presidential Election

The Australian journalist caught up in Trump trial

A surging domestic economy and rising inflation will see the Reserve Bank change its mind and increase interest rates as many as three times this year, analysts have warned.

Reserve Bank set to raise interest rates, expert predicts

The Prime Minister has labelled the security guard murdered during the Bondi stabbing attack a 'national hero' during his funeral today. Mourners gathering at the Baitul Huda Mosque in Marsden Park, Sydney to honour Faraz Tahir.

Marsden Park

Mourners farewell Bondi security guard Faraz Tahir

After a crucial hearing, U.S. Supreme Court justices are weighing arguments for and against Donald Trump's claims of presidential immunity from 2020 election interference charges, but a ruling will take time.

Washington

U.S. Supreme Court weighs arguments on Trump immunity case

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned after New York’s highest court ruled the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against him that were not part of the case.

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned

Palestinians have begun evacuating Rafah as Israel steps up airstrikes. Israel plans to go forward with a ground operation in the southern Gaza city despite warnings from allies that it could cause mass casualties.

Israel steps up airstrikes on Rafah ahead of ground operation

After weeks of delays, Haiti is due to swear in a presidential transition council. Gang violence has devastated the economy and social services are on the brink of collapse. Gang leaders say talks over Haiti's political future must include them.

Port-au-Prince

Haiti interim transition council to be sworn in

Israeli forces are carrying out "offensive action" across southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said without specifying whether ground troops had crossed the border. He also claimed that "half of Hezbollah's commanders in southern Lebanon have been eliminated" in months of violence.

Beirut

Israel says forces carrying out 'offensive action' in south Lebanon

In a deal facilitated by Qatar, Russia and Ukraine will exchange nearly 50 displaced children due to Moscow's invasion, announced Maria Lvova-Belova, the Kremlin's children's rights commissioner, in Doha.

Doha

Russia and Ukraine to exchange dozens of displaced children

Rudy Giuliani, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, is among 18 people charged in Arizona with illegally seeking to claim the state's 2020 electoral votes for the then-U.S. president.

Phoenix

Giuliani indicted in election vote-rigging case

Dozens of whales have died after 160 became beached during a mass stranding event in WA's south-west. Community members turned out this morning to the mouth of Toby Inlet at Geographe Bay near Dunsborough, where dozens of pilot whales were stuck in shallow water.

Geographe

Mass whale stranding in southwest WA

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has completed a two-day trek of the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, alongside PNG Prime Minister James Marape in commemoration of ANZAC Day

Kokoda

Australian Prime Minister's Kokoda pilgrimage

Five teenagers have appeared in court, after being arrested in connection with the stabbing of the Bishop in the Wakely church stabbing. Counter-terrorism police are continuing searches in south-west Sydney and Goulburn.

SEE THE FULL STORY

Sudan Civil War