Sudan workers suffer as Western powers throw around cash

France24, 4/15–On the third anniversary of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), international donors gathered in Berlin on Wednesday, pledging $1.3 billion in aid. The conference, however, underscored the diplomatic paralysis surrounding the conflict: neither warring party was invited, and Khartoum denounced the meeting as “surprising and unacceptable”...On the ground, the scale of suffering contrasts starkly with the limited international attention. More than 33 million people now require assistance, while nearly half the population faces acute food insecurity. Over 4.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries, including more than one million to Chad alone. 

U.S. sends thugs to Cuba to demand surrender

New York Times, 4/18– The Trump administration sent a senior delegation to Cuba last week to discuss a deal to address the humanitarian crisis on the island … officials warned in the meeting that Cuba’s government had a small window before the humanitarian crisis on the island deepened … Cuba has been in an economic free fall ever since the United States cut off oil shipments to the island from Venezuela and Mexico in January…“It’s called a new dawn for Cuba,” Mr. Trump said …The U.S. delegation … proposed bringing Starlink satellite internet to the island and allowing free connectivity. It also urged the Cuban regime to make economic changes to attract foreign capital, grow the private sector and transition to a market-based economy. 

Israeli military begins turning Lebanon into Gaza

Al Jazeera, 4/18–Israeli forces say they have established a so-called “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to an Israeli military measure in the besieged Gaza Strip…Since a “ceasefire” in Gaza took effect in October, Israel’s so-called “yellow line” has divided the Palestinian territory into separate zones, with an eastern area controlled by the Israeli military and a western area where Palestinians face fewer restrictions on their movement … Israeli troops routinely fire on anyone approaching the line, and they have demolished hundreds of homes in the zone under their control. 

U.S. troops run out of food (in addition to missiles)    

Yahoo News, 4/17–U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East during the Iran war are facing scarce food supplies, forcing some to ration their meager meals and endure prolonged hunger, according to a new report. Alarmed by these conditions, family members have reportedly spent significant sums sending care packages to help nourish their loved ones. But U.S. Postal Service deliveries to the region have been suspended, leaving boxes stuffed with home-cooked meals and protein bars stranded in limbo... A photo taken aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier, shows an equally unappetizing meal: a tiny clump of carrots, a hamburger and a thin slab of meat.

China moves to split Taiwan from U.S.

DW, 4/10–”The world today is far from peaceful, making peace more precious,” China’s President Xi Jinping emphasized in opening remarks at a meeting with Cheng Li-wun, the chair of Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) party…Both Xi and Cheng reiterated their opposition to Taiwan independence, though neither explicitly mentioned unification…The KMT is Taiwan’s main opposition party and has traditionally advocated closer ties with China while opposing formal Taiwan independence…Despite the peace rhetoric, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported detecting 15 aircraft sorties and 24 naval vessels operating around Taiwan since Cheng departed for China on Wednesday. 

Retirement benefits not keeping up with military budget

USAToday, 4/11–The clock is ticking faster toward the depletion of Social Security’s trust fund that helps fund benefits for about 70 million Americans. The Congressional Budget Office said this month it expected the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund − one of the two funds used to pay Social Security benefits − would run dry in 2032, a year earlier than expected. CBO, which provides budgetary analysis to Congress, estimated last year that the trust fund would be emptied in 2033…When the fund is depleted, Social Security recipients could see an average 28% cut to monthly retirement and survivor benefits, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said.