Sudan Sees Hike in Diesel, Petrol Prices

People gather to get fuel at a petrol station in Khartoum, Sudan November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
People gather to get fuel at a petrol station in Khartoum, Sudan November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
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Sudan Sees Hike in Diesel, Petrol Prices

People gather to get fuel at a petrol station in Khartoum, Sudan November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
People gather to get fuel at a petrol station in Khartoum, Sudan November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Petrol and diesel prices in Sudan rose sharply on Friday following fuel subsidy reforms, which are part of a series of economic measures that have helped set the country on course for substantial debt relief.

Petrol prices rose by about 23% and diesel prices increased by more than 8% at fueling stations, a Reuters witness said.

The price of petrol at several stations in the capital Khartoum had risen to 150 Sudanese pounds ($0.4) from 122 pounds per litre, while the price of diesel had risen to 125 pounds from 115 pounds.

Sudan’s transitional government has gradually phased out most fuel subsidies amid widespread shortages.

In Khartoum, there are long queues for diesel, though the number of people waiting to buy petrol has eased in recent days. In many areas outside Khartoum shortages are still severe.

Sudan has been in economic crisis since before the overthrow of autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, leading to a lack of supplies of basic goods including fuel, bread and medicines.

In February, the central bank sharply devalued the currency, in a move that unlocked foreign aid and opened the way for billions of dollars in debt relief.



Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Starbucks workers have expanded their strike to four more US cities, including New York, the union representing over 10,000 baristas said late on Saturday.

The five-day strike, which began on Friday and initially closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, has added New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Workers United said in a statement. It did not say where the New Jersey walkout was occurring.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Talks between the coffee chain and the union hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.

The union is striking in 10 cities, also including Columbus, Denver and Pittsburgh, during the busy holiday season that may impact the company's Christmas sales.

Workers United warned on Friday that the strike could reach "hundreds of stores" by Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

Starbucks began negotiations with the union in April. It said this month it had conducted more than eight bargaining sessions, during which 30 agreements had been reached.

The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the United States, employing about 200,000 workers.