Briefly

SUDAN

Over 300 children killed or injured in war

More than 300 children have been killed or injured in the past six months in the war in Sudan, mostly from drone strikes, the United Nations children's agency said on Monday. The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023. The war is now concentrated in the Kordofan, Darfur and Blue Nile states, with drone warfare causing 60 percent of casualties, according to UNICEF. "Children are being caught in a relentless cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative in Sudan. The United Nations called on parties "to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, and take all possible measures to protect children from harm".

FRANCE

Jewelry worth millions stolen from museum

Burglars stole jewelry worth millions of euros from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early-morning raid on Sunday, just months after a stunning gem heist at the Louvre in Paris. A gang of masked thieves broke into the museum in Wingen-sur-Moder in northeastern France around 5:30 am, forcing a door open before heading for the jewelry room and smashing open six display cases, a source close to the investigation told Agence France-Presse. "Around 20 pieces of jewelry were stolen," the source said."The loss is currently being assessed but could amount to several million euros, likely close to 4 million ($4.56 million)." Another source close to the investigation said the stolen jewelry was crystal, without precious gems, and could not be melted down.

AGENCIES-XINHUA