Sudan's Cabinet voted on Tuesday to repeal a 1958 law mandating a boycott of Israel. It is the latest step Khartoum has taken towards establishing ties with Israel.
Last October, Sudan and Israel agreed to normalise relations in an accord sponsored by the US.
That came after accords were signed by the UAE, Bahrain and Israel in August last year.
The latest move by the Sudanese government removes one more obstacle, albeit largely academic, on the path to establishing full relations with Israel. The countries have already exchanged high-level visits.
The bill must still be presented to the country's ruling Sovereign Council for final approval before it is passed into law.
This process is likely to be a formality because as the council supported the drive to normalise ties with Israel.
"This is an important and necessary step towards the signing of a peace accord between the countries," Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said.
Sudan also opened its airspace to civilian Israeli aircraft and the two countries have been exploring ways to upgrade Sudan's military industries, as well as agricultural and industrial co-operation.
On Tuesday, Sudan reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause.
Sudan said it remained “committed to the principle of establishing a Palestinian state in the framework of a two-state solution".
The 1958 law prohibited diplomatic and business relations with Israel, while it also imposed a blanket ban on interacting withIsraeli artists, athletes or writers.
Some parts of Hollywood movies that made a direct mention of Jews or Israel were removed by censors.
Sudanese troops fought alongside Egyptian forces against Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Sudan also housed Egyptian fighters jets to protect them from Israeli air strikes after the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967.
After the conflict, Arab leaders met in Khartoum where they agreed on the terms that shaped Arab-Israeli relations for years: no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel.
More recently, Israel launched air strikes on Sudan to hit suspected smuggling routes that it was claimed were used to send arms to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
After Khartoum signed the accord to normalise ties with Israel, the US removed Sudan from the list of states that sponsor terrorism.
That allowed Sudan to again receive financial assistance and investment.
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
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2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi
4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Apolo Kid, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muahiri
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Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
