 Hello, you're watching The Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch, where we will bring you some of the top stories from around the world. Let's take a look at the headlines. 2 Communist Party leaders arrested in Sudan. U.S. approves $40 billion military package for Ukraine. U.N. expert highlights humanitarian suffering in Iran due to U.S. sanctions. Israel says no investigation necessary into Shireen Abu Akle's killing. Sudanese security forces on Thursday, May 19, arrested two Sudanese Communist Party leaders, Mohammad Mukhtar Al-Khatib and Salih Mahmood. Al-Khatib is the secretary general of the Sudanese Communist Party, while Mahmood is the member of the party's Politburo. The two leaders were arrested during massive anti-coup protests by thousands of Sudanese citizens in the capital Khartoum. They were reportedly returning from a visit to Juba in South Sudan to meet Sudanese rebel leaders. The arrest of Al-Khatib and Mahmood, who are leading figures of the anti-coup protests, took place despite a pledge by the military regime to not make any political protests. The military regime had also pledged to release all political detainees in order to facilitate peace talks with all the factions. Security forces raided the homes of Al-Khatib while Mahmood was arrested from the Khartoum airport. The two leaders were taken to an unknown location following their arrest. Thursday's protests were the latest in the long line of anti-establishment demonstrations taking place in the country since last year's military coup. Thousands of people in Khartoum and other parts of the country took part in the protests and chanted anti-coup slogans calling for the immediate return of civilian rule while reports noted a heavy deployment of the security forces at various ski points of the protest sites. The pro-democracy Central Committee of Sudan doctors reportedly said that the security forces fired tear gas in large quantities to quell protesters. According to medics, at least 95 protesters have been killed and hundreds of others injured by security forces in the ongoing protests. Sudan has been caught up in political turmoil since the October 2021 military coup led by General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan. Last year's coup spelled the end for the political transition deal agreed upon by the various factions after the 2019 overthrow of former leader Umar al-Bashir. The US Senate on Thursday, May 19, approved a military and economic aid package worth 40 billion US dollars to Ukraine. After the bill was passed in the Senate with 86 votes in favour and 11 against, it has now final congressional approval. The bill will now be sent to US President Joe Biden who is expected to sign it quickly into law. The $40 billion package is substantially more than the $33 billion that President Biden had asked from the Congress. The aid package provides money for military equipment, training, weapons, humanitarian relief as well as restocking of US military equipment. It also provides financing for other countries helping Ukraine in the war with Russia, including for things such as food programs and refugee assistance. The US government is also separately authorizing $100 million worth of military aid to Ukraine to supply it with 18 more Hawitsers, 18 transport vehicles and three more anti-artillery radars. On Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also announced an additional $18.4 billion in financial aid over the next three months for the Ukrainian economy, which is $3.4 billion more than the country requested. The latest aid package now brings the US total military assistance to Ukraine to about $54 billion in just the last two months. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been raging on since February this year with no signs of abating. The war in Ukraine has received rare bipartisan support in the US from both the main political parties. The US House of Representatives also passed the latest aid package with a vote of 368 to 57. However, this unchecked unrestrained spending has caused anger and controversy back home as the US economy continues to collapse in the midst of rising inflation. The easy passing of the bill is in stark contrast to the deadlock over a domestic bill meant to shore up COVID-19 assistance and relief. Another financial package worth $28 million minuscule in comparison to tackle the baby formula shortage in the US is also being opposed by Republican party lawmakers. Moving on to our third story, an independent UN expert has warned that the unilateral and arbitrary US sanctions on Iran are having a devastating impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the country. The UN special rapporteur has also termed the sanctions as illegal and in violation of international law. She called for the lifting of the sanctions calling it the best option. She has also urged countries holding Iran's frozen assets worth $120 billion in foreign banks to unfreeze them immediately in line with international law. Doohan singled out the United States and called upon it to observe the principles and norms of international law including with regard to the peaceful settlement of international disputes and to lift unilateral measures in particular on those areas affecting the human rights and the lives of all the people in Iran. The special rapporteur will present a report of her visit to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2022. The special rapporteur's 19-day visit to Iran began on May 7. During this visit, she visited the capital Tehran as well as the cities of Karaj and Isfahan. Her visit was the first by a UN human rights official in 17 years. She particularly noted the effects the sanctions are having on people belonging to the low-income sections of Iranian society as well as on those suffering from serious diseases and disabilities. This she attributed to the unavailability of medicines and medical equipment as a result of the sanctions. She further highlighted the adverse impact of the sanctions on women-led households, children and Afghan refugees as the government is forced to cut back on social welfare and assistance programs. The sanctions have also resulted in a drastic rise in the poverty, unemployment and inflation rates in the country. They have also hampered the country's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and together actually worsened the people's suffering. Reports noted that her visit also took place during sporadic protests in a number of provinces over the economic decline and rising prices of basic commodities. And finally, the Israeli military will not investigate the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akle. An Israeli defense forces statement said on Thursday, May 19. The statement says that since she was killed in an active combat situation, an immediate criminal investigation will not be launched. It however added that an operational inquiry would continue. Reports stated that the Israeli military police fears that investigating Israeli soldiers for the killing would lead to controversy and opposition from within Israeli society. Abu Akle's family responded to the news saying that they were expecting this from Israel and that is why they didn't want to Israel to participate in any investigation into the killing. In its statement, the family also urged the US and the broader international community to open a just and transparent investigation into the killing. It also called upon the international community to put an end to similar killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces. The decision not to investigate also goes against virtually universal calls from the international community, including the United Nations Security Council urging Israel to conduct an investigation into the killing. Israel's predominant ally, the United States, had also demanded a fair, transparent and comprehensive investigation. Shirin Abu Akle was shot dead on May 11 in the occupied West Bank of Jenin while covering an Israeli military raid. She along with other journalists at the scene were targeted by the Israeli forces despite veering and prominently displaying press fatigues. A number of other journalists had also sustained injuries as a result of the indiscriminate shooting. Israel at first had claimed that Shirin was killed by bullets fired by Palestinian gunmen. It was however forced to retract that claim after video footage emerged proving that explanation physically impossible. Israeli forces two days later also attacked Shirin's funeral and beat the Paul bearers carrying her coffin, almost leading to her coffin falling to the ground. The Israeli violence at her funeral sparked further anger and condemnation among Palestinians, as well as internationally with widespread calls for accountability and justice.