The mission found “indicators of a genocidal path” in a report released in February. The new report builds on the earlier findings by providing additional evidence on sexual violence, forced disappearances, detention and mass killings.

“The patterns we documented in El Fasher – including encirclement, attacks on civilian infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian access, and widespread abuses against civilians – serve as a stark warning,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. 

“The international community must heed these lessons and act to prevent further catastrophe.”

Cost of war

Two years into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces of the military government (SAF) and the RSF, the conflict has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced at least 14 million more.

With 33.7 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and access to people in need severely restricted, the UN considers Sudan the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

The Human Rights Council-appointed investigators warned that the RSF is currently deploying tactics used in El Fasher around El Obeid, where its forces have encircled the city, attacking critical infrastructure and restricting access to essential services.

Following a 6 July resolution adopted by the UN’s Human Rights Council, the mission will investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law and humanitarian law in El Obeid.

Alarm grows

El Obeid, the capital of the North Kordofan state, is currently under SAF control, but the city has faced “siege-like conditions” for 18 months, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on 3 July.

The situation in El Obeid could deteriorate even further, as attacks on critical infrastructure such as power stations have caused blackouts, disrupted water supplies and hampered hospitals’ ability to operate.

In three weeks in June, the UN verified 15 drone strikes killing at least 45 civilians El Obeid and the surrounding area.

In response to the situation in El Obeid, Mr. Türk called for a range of measures to prevent further atrocities and a repeat of El Fasher, including urgent Security Council action, a pause in hostilities to allow humanitarian aid and cooperation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Lessons from El Fasher

As they took control of El Fasher in October after an 18-month siege, RSF forces carried out door-to-door executions, identity-based targeting, aerial drone bombardments and indiscriminate shootings, killing more than 6,000 people in three days.

Before the RSF took the city, it spent months systematically cutting off civilians’ access to food, water, medical supplies and humanitarian assistance, according to the Fact-Finding Mission’s February report.

The mission noted that the UN repeatedly warned about the risk of atrocities in El Fasher before the city fell, but that those warnings were not heeded.

Now, investigators are raising the alarm over El Obeid to encourage prompt action to prevent further casualties.

“At a moment when serious concerns are being raised about the risks facing civilians in El Obeid, the findings from El Fasher underscore the need for urgent protection measures before more lives are lost,” expert mission member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo said.

“The international community still has a window of opportunity to prevent further atrocity crimes,” expert mission member Mona Rishmawi said. “El Obeid must not become the next crime scene.”

At least nine people have been killed and 27 injured after an Iranian missile hit a residential neighbourhood in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, emergency services say.

The BBC’s Hugo Bachega reported from scene and described seeing a collapsed building.

The attack comes as Iran launched strikes across the Middle East in response to a massive and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel.

Read more on this story here.

AFP

Reuters

EPA

ABU DHABI: In a dynamic landscape where innovation is paramount, Abu Dhabi is staking its claim. As the emirate navigates the shifting tides of the knowledge economy, the video game industry is emerging as a transformative force, proving to be a powerful catalyst for progress and innovation.

With the potential to redefine entertainment, education, and technology, gaming presents a unique opportunity for Abu Dhabi to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and digitized world.

To put it bluntly, gaming is the future and Abu Dhabi has a major role to play in making this future a reality. By staying ahead of the curve, we will attract global talent to the emirate whilst creating new career paths for aspiring local talent to realize their dreams.

Next phase of the knowledge economy

As the global gaming industry became mainstream, Abu Dhabi was right there beside it. This growth dates to Ubisoft’s arrival in the UAE capital in 2010. As data began to show the speed at which the Middle East’s gaming market was growing, more companies took advantage of this growth by settling in Abu Dhabi.

The industry is now thriving and growing at pace, with highly skilled jobs being created that encompass the latest trends in game development technology such as AI, machine learning and game analytics.

Each year, we push the boundaries of learning and development even further. We have started 2025 strong by hosting Global Game Jam, the world’s largest game jam event, which takes place simultaneously around the globe. One of the locations this year was Berklee in Manarat Al Saadiyat hosted by Abu Dhabi Gaming, where game developers and enthusiast had 48 hours to develop and showcase their projects in a safe and welcoming environment.

Every initiative matters, as Abu Dhabi leads the way in driving forward the growth of the knowledge-based economy.

With revenues forecast to rise from $455 billion in 2024 to $625 billion by 2028, the global gaming industry continues to grow at a healthy rate, with the UAE and its legions of tech-savvy gamers now accounting for 30 percent of revenue in the MENA region.

Recognizing the creative potential of the gaming industry at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), we’ve actively pursued strategies to leverage its power. This involved adopting a comprehensive approach with three key pillars: developing the local talent pipeline and creating a second home for the global talent pool; bringing a healthy mix of game developers to Abu Dhabi and supporting the local home-grown development studios; engaging with the esports and gaming community across the globe.

We can point to immense progress on all three of the strategy’s pillars.

Talent development

Establishing a robust talent development pipeline stands as one of our top priorities, and we are making significant strides in this regard. Our initial move involved forging more than a decade-long partnership with Unity Technologies to enhance the skill set of our workforce. With its Middle East and Africa headquarters based in Abu Dhabi, San Francisco’s Unity is a leader in the industry, powering 80 percent of mobile games globally. Undertaking Unity training enhances employability prospects significantly and helps keep early-career talent in Abu Dhabi.

Bringing game developers to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is now home to more than 80 video game companies, the largest such community in the region. These companies and organizations, such as MY.Games, Sperasoft and Ninjas In Pyjamas, are drawn to Abu Dhabi by its reputation for delivering results. Last year, leading esports company NIP Group entered into a five-year term gaming subsidy agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi, with an aim to elevate its presence in the region.

Facilitating this growth is Abu Dhabi Gaming, serving as a vital connector within our community. Through initiatives like internship events, Abu Dhabi Gaming matches students with companies, streamlining the process for founders who can conduct multiple interviews in a single evening.

In the words of the late Steve Jobs, “Real artists ship.”, as in, deliver their products. Innovation has the potential to yield incredible results, but action is essential to realize its full potential – and Abu Dhabi Gaming is our channel for action in gaming.

Esports

Esports events pack arenas and have huge global viewership – over 540 million people worldwide by the latest estimates. At the local level, these big-tent events activate the gaming community by creating occasions that draw gamers together – which then paves the way for the success of further community gatherings such as Gaming4Good and the Yas Gaming Festival.

Increasingly, Abu Dhabi-based esports teams are making their mark on the global stage. Take, for example, Nigma Galaxy, a mainly Arab Dota 2 team that clinched a world championship title ahead of setting up their HQ in Abu Dhabi. With a support team comprising of a psychologist, strategist and analysts, they exemplify the professionalism in esports. Additionally, local talent like Amjad Al Shalabi, also known as AngryBird, emerged victorious at the 2023 EVO (Street Fighter) world championship in Las Vegas. We are also seeing a surge in the number of esports academies across the emirate to bring rising local stars to the forefront of competitive gaming.

Recognizing the growth opportunities the emirate has to offer, more teams are establishing themselves in Abu Dhabi: the emirate is poised to become a leading regional hub for esports, fostering heightened competition levels as teams train local gamers, and a burgeoning fan base as tournaments highlight local venues.

The future is ours

DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is for Abu Dhabi Gaming to be a key player on the global stage. We believe it is important to tell more stories about the region through gaming, akin to how Dynasty Warriors presents Chinese imperial history. This is starting to happen. For instance, Ubisoft’s team collaborated with multiple museums and historians covering Islamic art, architecture and history to ensure the authenticity of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s portrayal of medieval Baghdad, highlighting its historical significance as a center of science and mathematics during that period.

In years to come we will witness more local success stories in game development. These energies are bubbling up at companies like Kashkool Games. Founded by three Emirati brothers, they have been working on their game called Sheba: A New Dawn for years and are now under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Gaming. The game was successfully published last year, and they are already working on their second title with an increased focus in showcasing Emirati culture and preserving heritage.

AI is also an essential consideration as we move forward. AI and machine learning can transform games so that every time you play, the game is different. The monster around the corner this time won’t be the same monster as last time. Speech can be crafted so that every interaction is unique for every player. Developing games using AI technology is a skillset that needs to be leveraged and one for which the demand is only going to grow.

The opportunity in front of us is endless. Here in Abu Dhabi we are harnessing the power of creation, welcoming the dreamers and creating a world class ecosystem for the gaming industry.

The IDF has carried out hundreds of strikes in Lebanon in the past one and a half weeks in an effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s leadership and ability to launch rockets, missiles and drones into Israel – something the Iran-backed group has done on an almost daily basis since Hamas, its Palestinian ally, launched a deadly raid into southern Israel almost a year ago, triggering the Gaza war.

Tens of thousands have died in fighting since, mainly Palestinians in Gaza, and dozens of strikes have targeted Beirut in recent days. And in Lebanon more than 2,000 people have died, according to the health ministry.

On the second floor of the Bachoura high-rise block, below several apartments, was a medical facility run by the Islamic Health Committee (IHC), which is affiliated with Hezbollah.

The group has a very extensive network of services that spans into supermarkets and schools. It provides medical care to people living in areas with a strong Hezbollah presence, who rely on its centres for treatment, medication and paramedics.

The missile hit one of these centres shortly after midnight.

The Hezbollah stronghold of Dahieh has been hit by Israeli airstrikes targeting Beirut.

BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega visited the site of a building that was hit on Monday.

Israel has claimed the residential area is used to store weapons, but Hezbollah has denied this.

Israel has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon for days, but Sunday’s strike on Kola was the first to hit the heart of the capital Beirut.

Four people were killed and a further four were injured in the attack, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – a Palestinian militant group – said three of its leaders were among those killed.

The group has not been involved in the cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, but is believed to have participated in the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

The BBC’s Carine Torbey reports from the scene.

Read more – What we know about the PFLP

The BBC has visited the scene of an Israeli air strike that killed nine civilians, including two children, a pregnant woman and her unborn child in a village in southern Lebanon.

Correspondent Orla Guerin was told by rescue workers, relatives, and the mayor that all were civilians and members of one extended family.

The village of Shebaa, which is Sunni, is almost on the border with Israel. It is not a stronghold of Hezbollah, a Shia armed group, which Israel says was the target of the strike.

Nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday, local officials say.