Sudan’s military ruler on Sunday lifted a nationwide wide state of emergency he declared when he seized power in a coup last October.
The decision by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan was made after a meeting earlier on Sunday of the Defence and Security Council, which recommended rescinding the state of emergency. This had given security forces and domestic intelligence agencies far-reaching powers.
The emergency measures allowed the military to arrest critics en masse, while security forces had widespread surveillance powers and could subject those arrested to lengthy pre-trial detention.
Gen Al Burhan also on Sunday approved the release of all detainees, except those held in connection with state security or criminal charges, according to a statement by the council.
The decisions are unlikely to appease the pro-democracy organisers and activists behind near-daily street protests against the military since the October 25 coup. They have consistently been demanding the end of military rule and retribution for the scores of protesters killed over the past seven months.
The latest deaths occurred on Saturday, when two protesters were shot dead by security forces during anti-military rallies in Khartoum. This brought the number of those killed by police and paramilitary forces to nearly 100 since October. Another 3,000 have been wounded.
“I am appalled by the violent death of two young protesters in Khartoum yesterday," Volker Perthes, the UN special representative in Sudan, tweeted on Sunday. "Once again: it is time for the violence to stop, time to end the state of emergency, time for a peaceful way out of the current crisis in Sudan."
His sentiment reflected the growing impatience of the international community over the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians in Sudan.
Gen Al Burhan has repeatedly promised to hold free elections in 2024. However, the opposition in Sudan contends that he is buying time to strengthen his hold on power, while seeking to co-opt some political parties, tribal chiefs and residents of “fringe” regions desperate for a patron in Khartoum. Marginalised communities have long hoped for a government that could set aside funds for the development of their areas, or give senior government positions to their leaders.
Sunday’s decisions also come at a time when the United States is ratcheting up pressure on Sudan's military rulers. The US is also advising companies not to do business in Sudan and threatening sanctions against leaders deemed to be obstructing the return of the country's democratic transition upended by the coup.
The US and other major bilateral and multinational donors have already suspended billions of dollars worth of aid and debt forgiveness to Sudan in response to last year’s coup.
The military also announced on Sunday that the Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera would be allowed to operate freely again in Sudan. The news channel had its licence withdrawn last year for what authorities at the time said was its biased coverage of anti-military protests.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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The specs
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Torque: 985Nm
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Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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War 2
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Kibsons%20Cares
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