Click to see full-size image On the morning of April 11 th , Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir stepped down and consultations are under way to form a transitional council to control the country,  Reuters reported citing anonymous government sources  and a provincial minister. The minister of production and economic resources in North Darfur, Adel Mahjoub Hussein, told the Dubai-based al-Hadath TV that “there are consultations to form a military council to take over power after President Bashir stepped down.” In the early hours of the day, a state media said that the Sudanese army was to make “an important announcement.” “The Sudanese army will issue an important statement soon. Wait for it,” a television anchor said,  without giving further details. Protesters, who for the past 6 days have been taking part in a sit-in in front of the Army Headquarters in Khartoum began celebrating in the streets expecting the news that Bashir had stepped down. Al Jazeera Englis

 growing activity of the US and NATO in the Black Sea   NATO is preparing a package of measures to counter Russia in the Black Sea region. This package includes the deployment of NATO warships to the Black Sea to guarantee ‘passage’ of Ukrainian ships via the Kerch Strait, U.S. ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison stressed during a press briefing on April 2. Hutchison said that the prepared package “beefs up the surveillance, both air surveillance as well as more of the NATO country ships going into the Black Sea to assure that there is safe passage from Ukrainian vessels through the Kerch Straits, the Sea of Azov”. Earlier the US State Department announced that the Black Sea package is a response to the challenges the US and NATO face in the region, “not merely because of the Kerch Strait incident,” but because “Russia is threatening the alliance all along the eastern flank, not just in the north. The public ann