ANALYSIS

Sudan's forgotten war: three years on, humanitarian catastrophe has no end in sight

Three years into a war that has displaced 11 million people and killed tens of thousands, Sudan’s conflict remains deadlocked, with civilians trapped in a cycle of violence and deprivation and no viable path to peace.

Issued on: 15/04/2026 
FRANCE24

By: Mehdi BOUZOUINA

In this file photo, smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. AP

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”.

It followed similar gatherings in Paris and London that failed to yield progress in a pattern that reflects deeper structural obstacles.

“The Sudanese authorities do not accept the idea of placing the RSF on an equal footing in negotiations,” says Christropher Tounsel, associate professor of history at the University of Washington. “For Khartoum, engaging in that format risks legitimising a paramilitary force it considers illegitimate.”

He added that Sudan’s army has remained consistent in its demands that RSF fighters withdraw from territories they control, a precondition that has effectively stalled ceasefire efforts.

For Lucie Revilla, a researcher at France’s CNRS, the stance also reflects a broader dynamic. “The SAF wants to impose itself as the central actor in any negotiation, one you cannot bypass, and they try to monopolise any future solution,” she says.
‘The greatest humanitarian crisis of our time’

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. The United Nations has appealed for $1.6 billion to support refugees across the region.

Beyond access constraints, humanitarian agencies face a chronic funding shortfall.

While the money raised will provide short-term relief, the scale of needs far exceeds current commitments.

“This is a multi-billion-dollar crisis over years,” Tounsel estimates. “We are talking about displaced populations, children out of school, entire regions devastated.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the situation as “the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, which is not very often in the public eye”.

Violence has intensified in recent months. The United Nations says hundreds of civilians have been killed in drone strikes since January.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said the third anniversary marked a "tragic milestone" and called for an end to the "nightmare".

WATCH MOREUN warns of ongoing fatal drone strikes on civilians in Sudan's Kordofan

“Both sides are committed to military victory,” says Eric Reeves, a Sudan researcher at Smith College and founder of the NGO Team ZamZam, whch operates at the Chad-Sudan border. “And the level of equipment and sophistication has risen, this is increasingly a drone war, often conducted indiscriminately, especially by the RSF.”

In areas such as South Kordofan, now emerging as a central battleground, civilians face an impossible choice. “Where do you go?” Reeves said. “In many places, there is simply no safe direction left.”
Aid workers targeted

For humanitarian organisations, access is shrinking as needs surge.

“Many people have been displaced again and again,” underlines Laetitia Bader of Human Rights Watch for the Horn of Africa on FRANCE 24. “This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it is a crisis of atrocities, with a complete disregard for civilian lives.”

© France 24
01:48

Aid delivery is hampered not only by insecurity but also by deliberate obstruction. Both sides have used sieges and blockades to cut off supplies, particularly in Darfur.

WATCH MORE The fall of El-Fasher: A turning point in Sudan's brutal civil war?

“Food is being used as a weapon of war,” adds Reeves. “You restrict access, force a town to surrender and only then allow aid to flow.”

Humanitarian groups themselves have become targets. “They attack aid agencies because they want to loot supplies for their own troops,” Tounsel argues.

The consequences are stark. CARE reports that community kitchens across the country are “closing or reducing meal provision by 50 percent or more”, for instance “only providing one meal a day”.

Revilla says the targeting of civil society predates the current war. “Doctors have been assassinated. Associations dismantled. For years, NGOs have had to rely on Sudanese staff operating in extremely dangerous conditions,” she continues.
Underfunded

Diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, the so-called "Quad", have repeatedly stalled.

Analysts point to conflicting agendas among external powers. The UAE, in particular, has been accused of backing the RSF.

“They are reluctant to see a democratically led state emerge in Sudan,” says professor Revilla. “Maintaining influence appears to be the priority.”

Reeves is more blunt: “Behind all of this is the UAE, which sees the RSF as a military instrument in Africa. Without serious pressure on Abu Dhabi, it is hard to see the trajectory changing.”

Berlin hosts Sudan conference amid brutal, forgotten war

Jens Thurau

DW April 14, 2026

The war in Sudan has been raging for the past three years, and a ceasefire is nowhere in sight. Participants at a conference of donors in Berlin hope at least to ease the suffering of the people caught in the middle.



Millions of people in Sudan are dependent on foreign aid

Image: Rian Cope/AFP


Over the past three years, the most severe humanitarian catastrophe in the world has been unfolding in Sudan — largely unnoticed by the global community.

Rival factions of the country's ruling military are engaged in bitter fighting, with around 150,000 people lost in the conflict so far. Approximately 12 million Sudanese have been forced to flee, nearly a quarter of the country's population. Meanwhile, more than 33 million people within the country — about two-thirds of the population — are dependent on aid.

The subject of the conference that got underway in Berlin this Wednesday is the plight of the people of this East African nation. Representatives from the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and the African Union — which comprises 55 countries on the continent — gathered at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Their main goal was to secure additional funds to support the Sudanese population and to ensure that the conflict is not overshadowed by the many other global crises.

Sudan's civil war — the limits of humanitarian aid  52:04

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, a diplomat from Djibouti and chairperson of the African Union, held a brief meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday to discuss Sudan.

"Over 20 million people there are currently facing starvation. That is nearly half the country's population," said Merz. "Germany is one of the largest providers of humanitarian aid. That is why we also support all efforts by the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to secure a ceasefire there."

Focus on financial pledges for Sudan

But Merz is also well aware that the chances of a ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are exceedingly slim. Notably, representatives of the two conflicting parties were not even present in Berlin. A year ago, a similar conference held in London ended without results, as did the one in Paris in 2024. That is why financial pledges for the starving population have become the main focus of the conference in Berlin.

While Ali Youssouf also highlighted the urgent need for a ceasefire in Sudan, he noted that it is currently even more important to draw greater global attention to the suffering of the people living there.

"When the whole world is focusing on Iran and Ukraine and other crises, I think it is very much appreciated that Germany puts this agenda on the table, so that we do not lose sight of the suffering of the people of Sudan," he said.

Donations from donor countries are declining

In 2024, global donor countries collectively donated $2.07 billion (€1.91 billion) to supply the people of Sudan with basic necessities. By 2025, that figure had dropped to just $1.77 billion, which experts have estimated covered only about 40% of actual needs.

One reason for the sharp decline has been the significant cuts to aid by US President Donald Trump, as well as a shift among wealthy Western nations toward focusing more on the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.

At the Sudan conference in London last year, pledges totaling around €1 billion were secured. According to German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, a similar amount of aid can be expected in Berlin this week.

€20 million more in support from Germany

German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan plans to increase German aid for those in need by €20 million, focusing primarily on women.

In a press release issued before the conference, the minister wrote: "While many men are absent due to the war, women are taking care of their families and providing for them. Germany's development cooperation supports the Sudanese population, as well as refugees in host communities in neighboring countries, thereby laying the groundwork for a peaceful future in Sudan."

In total, all German funding for Sudan now amounts to €232 million.

But Sudan is far from a peaceful future. Experts fear the conflict could soon spread to neighboring countries such as Chad. Conditions within Sudan itself are unspeakable.

At the conference, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper pointed out that rape has repeatedly been used as a weapon of war — almost on an industrial scale, she emphasized.

Cooper announced that the UK would provide funding for Sudan amounting to the equivalent of around €168 million for 2026.

Fighting to end suffering in Africa's conflict zones  30:00

Drones from abroad exacerbating conflict

Three and a half years ago, Volker Türk began to serve as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Speaking to DW at the Berlin conference, the Austrian lawyer said the situation in Sudan is being further fueled by large-scale arms shipments to the warring parties from many countries.

"Not a single weapon is being produced in Sudan. The most modern weapons systems are now coming into Sudan; we've just seen this with drones. Since the beginning of the year, my office has documented 700 civilian deaths resulting from drone attacks," he said.

So why is this brutal conflict still so often ignored? Thorsten Klose-Zuber, head of the German nongovernmental organization Help–Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, told the Catholic News Agency on Wednesday that this is partly because so few refugees from the country have made it to Europe.

According to the UN refugee agency, only about 14,000 refugees from Sudan were counted in Europe in 2025. This is significantly fewer than, for example, from Syria. Public awareness is correspondingly low, despite all the appeals made at conferences such as the one in Berlin.

This article was originally written in German.

Jens Thurau Jens Thurau is a senior political correspondent covering Germany's environment and climate policies.@JensThurau

India walked away from its bid to host COP33 — here's why

Murali Krishnan in New Delhi

DW April 14, 2026

India has quietly abandoned its bid to host the UN's top-tier climate conference COP33, marking a shift from PM Narendra Modi's pledge in 2023. Experts and analysts explore what's behind the decision.

India has walked back on the pledge Modi made at COP28 in Dubai 

[FILE: December 2023]Image: Mahmoud Khaled/Reuters


When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the stage at the Dubai climate summit in December 2023, he pledged that India would host the climate conference. It was a moment of ambition, a signal that India was ready to lead, particularly as a self-declared voice of the Global South.

The bid to be host from the UN's Asia-Pacific Group was supported by the BRICS group of Brazil, China, India and South Africa in July 2025.

But just 18 months later, India quietly withdrew in a four-paragraph letter dated April 2, according to Climate Home News, which first broke the story.

The annual Conference of the Parties or COP is the United Nations climate summit where 198 parties — 197 countries plus the European Union — gather to measure progress and negotiate responses to climate change. Hosting the conference confers status, agenda-setting power, diplomatic visibility and a platform to shape the global conversation.

A weakened climate consensus

Experts and policy analysts say that India's withdrawal reflects a shift in global priorities, with COP wielding less status than previously amid global instability and the pull of priorities at home. In recent years, the global climate consensus has weakened. The Paris Agreement, the 2015 global pact under which countries set voluntary national targets to limit global warming, has been under increasing strain, particularly with the Trump administration withdrawing the US from the agreement for the second time.

Ten years on: Has the Paris climate deal delivered?  02:44

"One of the key reasons for India's withdrawal appears to be the steadily declining relevance of COP in driving meaningful global climate action," said Chandra Bhushan, head of the Delhi-based International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology.

"The complete erosion of trust among countries at the Belem summit in Brazil, where several nations reneged on previously agreed commitments, seems to have been the tipping point," added Bhushan.

There was low attendance and little high-level political engagement at the summit, including the US, which notably sent no high-level attendees.

Bhushan points out that India has demonstrated its willingness to engage in climate multilateralism: it recently updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the years 2031-35 — the name for countries' climate action plans under the Paris Agreement: India has pledged to cut the emissions intensity of its economy by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035, ensure that 60% of its installed power capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources, and create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through increased forest and tree cover.

But there is now a growing consensus within the country that domestic climate action will be central to achieving sustainable development. "This approach is likely to continue until more favourable conditions emerge for genuine and effective multilateral cooperation,” Bhushan explained.

In this environment, hosting a summit carries diminishing returns. While the symbolic value remains, the ability to extract meaningful outcomes or even global attention has become less certain.

India is still committing to renewables energies at home [FILE: October 2024]Image: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo/File/picture alliance

Carrying the financial burden

Abinash Mohanty, global sector head of climate change and sustainability of IPE Global, an international development organisation, views India's withdrawal as pragmatic.

"First, the global system is falling short. Developed countries promised $100 billion (€ 91.4 billion) per year by 2020 in climate finance, but have repeatedly under-delivered. Even newer pledges, like $300 billion (€273 billion) annually by 2035, cover only a fraction of what developing countries need. At the same time, the US has weakened trust by exiting the Paris Agreement twice,” Mohanty told DW.

For countries like India, which have consistently emphasised equity and climate finance, the imbalance becomes harder to ignore, according to Mohanty.

In Mohanty's estimate, India has delivered at home by crossing 50% non-fossil installed capacity, reaching 200GW of installed renewable energy capacity and cutting emissions intensity by over a third since 2005, largely using its own resources rather than external funding.

"Hosting COP33 would come at a cost. It would mean spending significant money and political capital to support a global process that, from India's perspective, has not delivered fairly for the Global South," argues Mohanty.

"Instead, India is shifting strategy, focusing on platforms it can shape more directly, like the International Solar Alliance and similar coalitions," he added.

How coal mining is displacing millions  12:34

Avoiding scrutiny

Hosting COP33 would have placed India at the centre of the next global stocktake cycle. This is the mechanism under the Paris framework that assesses collective progress on emissions reductions and climate goals.

For India, this would mean intensified scrutiny of its coal dependence, emissions trajectory, and timelines for transition. While India has made significant strides in implementing renewable energy, it is still the world's second-largest consumer and producer of coal.

Jayanta Basu, a Kolkata-based environment and climate correspondent, told DW, "As host, India would have faced pressure to show stronger climate action on future targets, timelines for cutting emissions, and its reliance on coal — especially with a global review of progress coming up under the Paris Agreement," he said.

Basu suggests that India's government is recalibrating its priorities ahead of the 2029 general elections. "With multiple demands on the system, the government may have chosen to focus on domestic priorities and other big events instead," Basu said.

Additionally, hosting the conference could amplify pressure from countries and climate advocates alike, potentially constraining policy flexibility at home, which could be bad timing ahead of the elections. "The heightened scrutiny will be not just of India's domestic energy choices but also of India's engagement with dissenting and activist voices, non-state actors, and civil society,” said Lavanya Rajamani, Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Oxford.

Despite significant strides, India is still the world's 2nd largest producer and consumer of coal [FILE: November 2025]Image: Avijit Ghosh/REUTERS

A missed opportunity?

"I would characterize the global climate consensus as 'biding its time' rather than weakening," Rajamani told DW.

"India's withdrawal is more likely driven by domestic factors, but it comes at a time when international attention is sufficiently diverted that the decision will have fewer political and reputational consequences," said Rajamani. "It is, however, a missed opportunity for India to assume a leadership role in this space," she added.

For now, India appears to be choosing its performances on the world stage more carefully.

Edited by: Kate Martyr

Murali Krishnan Journalist based in New Delhi, focusing on Indian politics, society and business

Fire at Domestic Refinery Worsens Australia's Fuel Supply Crisis

By Charles Kennedy - Apr 16, 2026

Australia's fuel crisis in the wake of the Iran war just took a turn for the worse after a fire broke out at one of the only two refineries in the country.

Viva Energy’s Corio oil refinery in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, caught fire late on Wednesday, after reports of explosions. The fire was extinguished on Thursday morning local time after burning for about 13 hours.

The Corio refinery, one of Australia’s two remaining processing plants, supplies more than 50% of the fuel in the state of Victoria and 10% of Australia’s fuel. The refinery can process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day, manufacturing gasoline, diesel, LPG, jet fuel, avgas, and Low Aromatic Fuel.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the “large and intense” blaze at the refinery.

According to FRV, an “equipment failure” was the reason for the blaze, while the fire was fueled by a “significant leak of liquid hydrocarbons and gases.”

Local authorities later said the leak was caused by the mechanical failure of a piece of equipment. Investigation into all the events that led to the large fire was still ongoing as of Thursday afternoon Melbourne time.

The fire impacted the production of gasoline, Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Thursday afternoon, adding that jet fuel and diesel production continues at reduced levels as a precaution at this point.

“My message to Australians is that this is one part of the supply chain, we continue to make very good progress internationally” to procure fuel, Bowen said and warned against panic-buying.

Australia has moved to protect consumers from soaring fuel prices as a result of the war. Last month, the government halved the fuel excise on gasoline and diesel for three months in a bid to alleviate financial stress from spiking fuel prices.

The Federal Government on Thursday said it had secured approximately 100 million liters of additional diesel, with two shipments coming from Brunei and South Korea. This is the first of the expected shipments of fuel secured under the Government’s new Strategic Reserve powers.

“These cargoes are additional to existing contracted supply, are required to remain in Australia and will be directed to the industries and regions which need them the most,” Bowen said in a statement.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

Fire at one of Australia's two oil refineries to hit fuel output

16.04.2026, DPA

Photo: Jay Kogler/AAP/dpa

By Daniel Georgakos, dpa

A major fire at one of Australia's two operational oil refineries was extinguished on Thursday after burning overnight, the fire service said, but concerns remained over possible disruption to petrol supplies.

Firefighters responded late on Wednesday after reports of explosions and flames at Viva Energy's refinery in Geelong, some 70 kilometres west of Melbourne, Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement.

The fire at the MOGAS, or motor gasoline, unit was brought under control around 13 hours later, the fire service said. No injuries were reported.

Viva Energy says the refinery in Geelong, one of two remaining refineries in Australia, supplies over 50% of the fuel used in the state of Victoria and 10% of Australia's total fuel needs. The refinery can process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

It comes as Australia is already facing pressure on fuel supplies linked to the war in the Middle East.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen told public broadcaster ABC on Thursday morning that the main impact appeared to be on petrol production, while diesel and jet fuel were still being produced at reduced levels as a safety precaution.

"I'm sure petrol production will continue, but it may be impacted for some time obviously," the minister said, calling the fire "not great timing."

Incident Controller Anthony Pearce later told a press conference that the exact cause of the blaze was still being investigated, but confirmed there was a gas leak.

"There was a leak of gas from a mechanical component in the system," he said.

"The gas has then appeared to have ignited, but the details of the investigation will come to light in days to come."

Authorities said there had been no immediate danger to the public, though residents in the area were advised to keep their windows closed as a precaution. The full extent of the damage and any longer-term impact remain unclear.

• Viva Energy on operations in Geelong
• Fire Rescue Victoria
• Bowen remarks
• Press conference

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

Firefighters battle huge blaze at Australian oil refinery

Kate Hairsine

DW with AFP, Reuters

15/04/2026

The fire is burning out of control at the Geelong oil refinery, one of only two in Australia.

The Viva Energy facility near Geelong, seen here in April 2026, is one of only two refineries in AustraliaImage: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa/picture alliance

Firefighters are battling a major fire at one of Australia's two operating oil refineries.

The fire broke out just after 11 p.m. local time (1300 GMT/UTC) on Wednesday at the Viva Energy Group's refinery near Geelong in the Australian state of Victoria.

Fire Rescue Victoria said it responded after multiple reports of explosions and flames at the refinery in the industrial suburb of Corio.

"The fire is not yet under control although is currently contained to the plant," Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement early Thursday local time.

It said the blaze involved "liquid fuels and gases."

It has told people in Geelong and the surrounding area to stay indoors, close ‌windows and doors and turn off heating and cooling systems.

Some 300,000 people live in the port city, ‌which is about an hour's drive from Melbourne.

All refinery staff were accounted for, Fire Rescue Victoria said, and there were no reported injuries.

Ronnie Hayden told Australia's national broadcaster ABC that about 100 staff members were working at the time. All of them escaped unhurt, he said.

The Country Fire Authority downgraded its threat alert on Thursday morning, saying that "the fire is still being fought by firefighters, but there is no threat to the public."

Geelong's Mayor Stretch Kontelj told ABC Radio Melbourne that the fire was "unprecedented" and would burn for some hours yet.

Australia has only two operational oil refineries

The Viva Energy refinery in Geelong one of two remaining refineries in Australia.

It supplies more than 50% of Victoria's and 10% of Australia's fuel, ⁠according to the refinery's website.

The refinery can process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day, the  website says.

Australia has faced fuel security concerns since the Iran war all but closed the Strait of Hormuz.

It imports 90% of its refined fuel needs.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen told Australia's Nine News that the fire would mainly impact petrol production.

"At this point, production of jet fuel and diesel is continuing at the refinery at reduced levels for safety reasons as a precaution," he told the broadcaster on Thursday morning local time.

It appears to be an accident, he said, adding that there would be an investigation into the incident.

The Geelong refinery supplies a large proportion of jet fuel to Melbourne's Tullamarine airport.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

INDIA

At least 19 people died in Vedanta power plant blast

The death toll due to a boiler blast at Vedanta's power plant in central India has risen to 19, a police officer said on Wednesday, noting 17 others were injured.

"The death toll in the power plant blast has reached 19 whereas 17 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals," district police chief Praful Thakur told the AFP news agency.

The incident took place on Tuesday ​at ‌Singhitarai, in the central ⁠Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, said he was "distressed by the extremely tragic accident."

"A high-level investigation into this incident has been initiated... We will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this matter," he said in a statement.

France’s lawmakers pass bill on restitution of artworks looted during colonial era

Copyright AP Photo/Michel Euler, File

By Anushka Roy

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

France’s National Assembly has unanimously passed a bill to return cultural property looted from the country’s former colonial empire.

Lawmakers in France’s National Assembly unanimously voted in favour of a bill on Monday that facilitates the return of artworks and artefacts looted from former French colonies. The French Senate had approved the draft legislation in January

Recent requests for the restitution of artefacts have been submitted to France from countries like Algeria, Mali, and Benin.

The bill aims to simplify the return of cultural property taken illegally from France’s former colonies, particularly focusing on items taken between 1815 and 1972 - the year UNESCO’s convention for the protection of cultural heritage came into force.

The long-awaited restitution legislation has been passed nearly a decade after President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to return cultural property taken from African countries.

“African heritage cannot solely exist in private collections and European museums,” the French President said in a November 2017 speech in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. “Within five years I want the conditions to exist for temporary or permanent returns of African heritage to Africa.”

The new bill requires a state to make a request for the return of items and commit to protecting and displaying them to the public. The request will then be assessed and approved by a committee, based on evidence that the items had been acquired illegitimately or through force. Military items, public archives, and shares of archeological digs are excluded.

While the vote on the restitution bill was unanimous, members debated the scope of the bill - particularly the dates it applies to.

Earlier this year, France returned the sacred Djidji Ayôkwé drum to Ivory Coast. The sacred drum was taken by colonial troops in 1916.

What can China’s next generation of robots do?

Copyright AP Photo

By Roselyne Min with AP

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

At Hong Kong’s InnoEx fair, Chinese firms showcased humanoid robots that box, guide tours, dance on stage and promise emotional support and learning.

Chinese companies are showcasing more than 100 humanoid robots at a technology fair in Hong Kong, demonstrating machines that can box, dance and interact with visitors using synthetic skin and artificial intelligence.

The InnoEx tech fair opened on Sunday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, running until Wednesday as part of the city's Business of Innovation and Technology Week.

Among the exhibitors are four of the world's five best-selling humanoid robot manufacturers in 2025 — AgiBot, EngineAI, UBTech and Unitree — according to technology research group Omdia.

Hangzhou-based robotics firm Unitree drew crowds with its G1 robot, which boxes with visitors wearing gloves and a full outfit.

At the Shenzhen DX Intech Technology stand, visitors reached out to touch the robots' faces, feeling their soft synthetic skin.

The company said some of its robots were already in use in museums and government venues across mainland China, guiding visitors and leading tours.

Related

• More than 70 robot teams gear up for China's second humanoid half-marathon

Novautek presented a more conventional, robot-like design, with a screen-based face.

The company said it envisioned a future in which robots would be programmed with distinct personalities and could provide emotional support and teaching skills.

When asked where it learned its knowledge, one robot replied, "My knowledge comes from a big omniscient brain inside me, like a comprehensive encyclopaedia”.

“I also keep learning and evolving through large model technology to answer various questions," the robot added.

Crowds cheered as Shenzhen-based EngineAI demonstrated its PM01 robot flipping, rolling and dancing on stage.

The company said it has plans to open two factories in China this year to scale up mass production.

EngineAI said that people may one day prefer interacting with robots to humans.

“(The robots will make) the human to believe 'I prefer to talk to the robot, than a salesperson,’” said Robert Chan from the company’s global strategy office.

“A salesperson is biased, the salesperson will convince me to make a decision for his advantage, will hide certain information,'" Chan added.

Related

• China showcases humanoid martial arts robots: Should Europe be worried?

Heavy investment to compete with US

Chan said Beijing benefited from strengths such as low-cost engineering. He also pointed to a culture of knowledge exchange between companies, in contrast to Europe and the US, where firms tend to guard their technology more closely.

Robotics is becoming part of a wider technological rivalry between China and the United States, with growing national security implications.

Official data show that China had more than 140 humanoid robot manufacturers and over 330 models in 2025.

Accelerating the development of technologies such as humanoid robots is a priority in Beijing’s latest five-year plan, which has pledged to “target the frontiers of science and technology”.

Norwegian effectively cured of HIV after transplant from brother


By AFP

April 13, 2026


The stem cell transplant that can 'cure' HIV is only an option for patients who also have blood cancer - Copyright AFP/File MARCO BERTORELLO

Daniel Lawler

A Norwegian man has been effectively cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from his brother, doctors announced on Monday.

The patient’s brother happened to carry a rare, virus-blocking genetic mutation.

The 63-year-old man, dubbed the “Oslo patient”, is the latest in around 10 people worldwide who have gone into long-term remission from HIV after receiving a transplant to treat unrelated blood cancer.

The high-risk procedure normally requires a donor to have a specific mutation of their CCR5 gene, which blocks HIV from entering the body’s cells.

Only around one percent of people in northern Europe have the necessary mutation.

The Oslo patient, who had been living with HIV since 2006, was diagnosed with a fatal blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome in 2017.

His doctors searched for a donor who would help treat both. When they couldn’t find one, they chose the man’s elder brother.

However, on the day of the transplant in 2020, the doctors were stunned to discover that the brother carried the CCR5 mutation.

“We had no idea… That was amazing,” doctor Anders Eivind Myhre of the Oslo University Hospital told AFP.



– ‘Winning the lottery twice’ –



The patient said “it was like winning the lottery twice”, added Myhre, who was also the lead author of a study describing the case in Nature Microbiology.

Two years after the transplant, the patient stopped taking the anti-retroviral drugs which had been reducing the level of HIV in his body.

The researchers found no trace of the virus in samples of the man’s blood, gut and bone marrow.

“For all practical purposes, we are quite certain that he is cured,” Myhre said.

Now the Oslo patient, whose name was not revealed, is “having a great time” and has more energy than he knows what to do with, Myhre said.

The painful and potentially dangerous transplant procedure is for people who have both HIV and deadly blood cancer so is not a feasible option for the millions of people living with the virus across the world.

However, researchers believe that studying these rare cases will reveal more about how HIV works in the hope of finding a cure for all patients.





– ‘No longer a patient’ –

The Oslo patient is the first person to receive a transplant from a family member.

The patient’s immune system had been “completely replaced” by the donor’s, sqaid study co-author Marius Troseid of the University of Oslo.

It was the first time this had been observed in a cured patient’s bone marrow and gut, he told AFP.

Even before the researchers found out the brother had a CCR5 mutation, they had some hope that the Oslo patient’s HIV could be cured.

That is because in 2024 it was revealed that the so-called “next Berlin patient” entered long-term remission despite receiving a transplant that did not have two copies of the mutated gene.

The original Berlin patient, Timothy Ray Brown, was the first person declared cured of HIV back in 2008. Patients in London, New York, Geneva, Duesseldorf and elsewhere followed.

Given the Oslo patient’s robust health, Troseid suggested that his nickname was no longer suitable.

“The Oslo patient is perhaps no longer a patient. At least he doesn’t feel like it,” Troseid said.

German pilots’ union announces further strikes at Lufthansa this week

Copyright Photo by Dennis Gecaj on Unsplash

By Fakhriya M. Suleiman

Updated 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

The latest round of strike action continues a recent trend of travel disruptions at Germany’s busiest hubs, throwing passenger journeys into uncertainty.

German commercial pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has called on its members at Lufthansa group airlines to continue staging strike action after a two-day demonstration earlier this week.

Set to begin on Thursday 16 April at 12:01 am local time and end on Friday 17 April at 11:59 pm local time, the latest round of action calls for arbitration to resolve the pension dispute.

Also, all Eurowings GmbH flights departing from German airports on 16 April between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm will be impacted, VC announced in its press release, saying that the situation remains “unchanged”.

“There is absolutely no movement on the part of the employers,” said Andreas Pinheiro, President of VC. “Neither Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo have made an offer regarding company pension schemes, nor has Lufthansa CityLine made a viable offer for a new collective bargaining agreement on remuneration, nor has Eurowings made any offer regarding company pension schemes.”

He also said that arbitration would be a means to resolve the dispute with the support of an independent third party and avoid further escalation.

This comes after initial strike action that took place on 12 and 13 April.

The walkout, announced with less than two days' notice, was projected to put at least 80% of flights from Frankfurt and Munich hubs in jeopardy, potentially leaving more than 50,000 travellers in limbo, Air Traveler Club reported.

VC, which represents at least 10,000 pilots across various German airlines, added that its grievance is rooted in Lufthansa's reluctance to settle several wage disputes, including over pensions.

How has Lufthansa responded?

With negotiations collapsing, the Cologne-based carrier now faces the fallout, including replacing scheduled flights with services operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group or partner airlines.

In an updated statement, Lufthansa said that passengers impacted by the action would be informed via email on 14 April.

As per the latest rebooking and refund policy, passengers with tickets from Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti, issued on or before 13 April, and booked on Lufthansa-operated flights, including Lufthansa CityLine on 13-16 April can rebook for free to another Lufthansa Group flight from before 23 April. There is also the option to request a refund.

Lufthansa will also offer Deutsche Bahn train tickets for passengers on cancelled flights with no alternative options.

“We sincerely regret the disruption caused by the strike announced at short notice by the union Vereinigung Cockpit and thank you for your understanding,” the carrier said.

Weekend awash with disruptions

The upcoming strike action comes on the heels of ten of thousands of passengers across Germany experiencing travel disruptions.

Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation (UFO), a union representing cabin crew professionals in Germany, called on crew members of Lufthansa CityLine GmbH to strike on Friday 10 April.

The day-long strike grounded flights across Frankfurt and Munich, with The Independent reporting approximately 580 Frankfurt flight cancellations, affecting as many as 72,000 travellers.

Like their pilot counterparts, UFO’s grievances also lie in unresolved wage disputes – resorting to industrial action to achieve their demands.

“To this day, management consistently refuses to even enter into negotiations with us regarding our demands for a collectively agreed social plan, to address our demands, or even to submit a negotiable offer for such a plan,” the union said.

Lufthansa pilots strike as cabin crew call further stoppage

By AFP
April 13, 2026


The two strikes are set to disrupt's Lufthansa's operations for most of this week - Copyright AFP Alexandra BEIER

Hundreds of Lufthansa flights were cancelled Monday as pilots kicked off a two-day strike over pay and pensions, with cabin crew announcing they were staging yet another stoppage later this week.

On Monday, half of all long-distance flights and two-thirds of short-haul services were cancelled at Lufthansa, the group’s main airline, on the first day of the two-day industrial action by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union, the company said.

The VC pilots’ union said Monday afternoon that over 700 flights had been cancelled, adding in a statement that it was “ready for discussions at any time” so long as “realistic offers” were on the table.

Meanwhile cabin crew at Lufthansa also said on Monday that they plan to hit the airline with their own further two-day strike on Wednesday and Thursday.

The cabin crew stoppage will affect “all Lufthansa group departures from Frankfurt and Munich airports” for the whole of Wednesday and Thursday, according to the UFO union.

The two airports are the major hubs for the German airline.

Departures from Lufthansa’s Cityline subsidiaries at seven further airports are also part of the cabin crew strike call.

UFO cabin crew also walked out on Friday at both Lufthansa and CityLine in a dispute over working conditions.

The union’s top negotiator, Harry Jaeger, told AFP on Friday that the strike forced the aviation giant to cancel about 90 percent of flights by those two brands.

Lufthansa described Monday’s strike call “distressing”, saying it showed that the cabin crew union’s members are “completely indifferent to the fate of our passengers and the future of Lufthansa”.

But Jaeger said that the strike on Friday has already demonstrated “how determined they are to stand up for their working conditions”.

UFO contends that there has not been enough progress made on issues such as “avoiding overwork” and lengthening redundancy notice periods.

Pilots at Lufthansa have also gone on strike multiple times this year as part of their disputes with the company.

The most recent strike by pilots took place in mid-March, which grounded about half of the airline’s flights.

On February 12 almost 800 Lufthansa flights were cancelled, affecting around 100,000 passengers, when pilots and cabin crew staged a strike in a pensions dispute.

On Saturday, a Lufthansa spokesman had called the demands from the pilots’ union for higher pay and pensions “absurd and unfeasible”.

But the VC union’s president, Andreas Pinheiro, said the airline had “shown no tangible willingness to find a solution during several rounds of negotiations”.

“Although we deliberately refrained from any strike action during the Easter holidays, no serious proposal was made,” he added.