Egypt and Sudan are committed to resolving their dispute with Ethiopia over its giant Nile dam through dialogue, their prime ministers said after talks in Khartoum on Saturday.
"Negotiations are the only way to resolve the problems of the dam,” visiting Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli and his Sudanese counterpart Abdalla Hamdok said in a joint statement.
Downstream nations Egypt and Sudan view the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a threat to vital water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it crucial for its development.
Sudan has also expressed concern about the safety of the dam built on the Blue Nile close to its border with Ethiopia, and its effect on the functioning of its own dams.
The Egyptian and Sudanese premiers said they were "optimistic regarding the outcome of the negotiations" held under mediation by the African Union.
"It is important to reach an agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of all three nations," they said.
The talks were suspended earlier this month after Ethiopia insisted on linking them to renegotiating a deal on sharing the waters of the Blue Nile, which provides more than 80 per cent of the Nile River's water.
The talks are scheduled to resume Monday, according to Sudan's Irrigation Ministry.
Mr Madbouli was making his first official visit to Sudan since the formation of a transitional government in Khartoum in 2019.
Mr Hamdok’s office said the aim of the visit “is to improve co-operation between the two countries in various fields".
Mr Madbouli was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included his ministers of water and irrigation, electricity, health, and trade and industry.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.
Egypt fears the dam project could lead to water shortages and had threatened to withdraw from the latest round of discussions.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has described the dam as an existential threat, raising fears of a recourse to military action should the main source of water for more than 100 million Egyptians be affected.
Mr Madbouli was also expected to meet with Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, head of Sudan's ruling sovereign council, and Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the council's deputy chief, during his visit.
Pope Francis on Saturday called on Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to resolve their dispute over the dam through dialogue and to not let it lead to conflict.
"I invite all parties involved to continue on the path of dialogue so that the eternal river will continue to be a source of life, which unites and does not divide, which nurtures friendship, prosperity and fraternity and not enmity, misunderstanding and conflict," the pontiff said.
He was giving his Angelus message for Assumption Day, the most important Catholic feast dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
