World news briefs: Musk ‘under surveillance for two years’

Hunger crisis worsens in Sudan amid funding cuts

Geneva — Several areas south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are at risk of famine, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday, with need on the ground outstripping resources amidst a funding shortfall.

“The level of hunger and destitution and desperation that was found (is) severe and confirmed the risk of famine in those areas,” Laurent Bukera, WFP country director in Sudan, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Port Sudan. Reuters

Uribe remains in critical condition after shooting

Bogota — Colombian senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, remains in critical condition but is stable after being shot in Bogota on Saturday, the hospital treating him said on Tuesday.

Uribe, 39, is a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and was shot in the head as he was addressing a campaign event in a public park in the capital. The Santa Fe Foundation hospital said he remained in the ICU.

The shooting, which was captured on video, has shaken Colombia, evoking the political violence of previous decades. Leftist President Gustavo Petro has ordered additional security for opposition leaders in response to more threats. Reuters

Elon Musk ‘under surveillance for two years’

Washington — Several US government agencies tracked foreign nationals’ visits to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proprieties amid concerns over possible attempts to influence him, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The investigation, which tracked the foreigners in 2022 and 2023, included the department of homeland security and the justice department, according to the report. It focused on people visiting the tech billionaire from countries in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the Journal said. Reuters

Iran executes nine IS suspects

Dubai — Iran executed nine people it said were members of the Islamic State, state media reported on Tuesday, after their arrest in early 2018 during clashes in which three members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed.

The nine detainees, whose nationalities were not given, were accused of “moharebeh”, which is an Islamic term meaning waging war against God, an armed uprising and possession of weapons of war.

State media said they were part of a team of several Islamic State fighters tracked by Revolutionary Guards after they crossed Iran’s western border in view of carrying out attacks on Iranian territory. Reuters

Pakistan budget ramps up defence spending

Islamabad —Pakistan announced its federal budget for fiscal year 2025/26 on Tuesday, shrinking overall spending by 7% to 17.57-trillion rupees ($62bn) but raising defence expenditure by a steep 20% after a deadly conflict with old enemy India last month.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government presented a budget that allocated 2.55-trillion rupees ($9bn) for defence spending in 2026, up from 2.12-trillion rupees this fiscal year. It projected a deficit of 3.9% against a targeted 5.9% deficit in 2024/25. Inflation was projected at 7.5% and growth at 4.2%.

Pakistan is seeking to spur growth while finding resources for the sharp hike in defence expenditure in the aftermath of the worst fighting with old foe India in nearly three decades. Reuters

Britain, allies to sanction far-right Israeli ministers

London — Britain and other international allies are set to formally sanction two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in response to the war in Gaza, the Times reported on Tuesday. Reuters

Sudan accuses Libyan commander of border attack

Cairo — The Sudanese army on Tuesday accused forces under eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar of attacking Sudanese border posts, the first time it has accused its northwestern neighbour of direct involvement in its two-year war. 

The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has drawn in multiple countries, while international attempts at bringing about peace have so far failed.

Early in the war Sudan had accused eastern Libya’s Haftar of supporting the RSF via weapons deliveries. It also has long accused Haftar’s ally, the United Arab Emirates  of supporting the RSF, including via direct drone strikes last month. The UAE denies those allegations. Egypt, which has also backed Haftar, has long supported the Sudanese army. Reuters