Floodwaters in the southern Khartoum district of Al Kalaklah on Monday. Courtesy of Al Kalaklah Resistance Committee
Floodwaters in the southern Khartoum district of Al Kalaklah on Monday. Courtesy of Al Kalaklah Resistance Committee
Floodwaters in the southern Khartoum district of Al Kalaklah on Monday. Courtesy of Al Kalaklah Resistance Committee
Floodwaters in the southern Khartoum district of Al Kalaklah on Monday. Courtesy of Al Kalaklah Resistance Committee

Khartoum floods after White Nile bursts its banks


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

The White Nile burst its banks in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Monday, flooding homes and businesses in at least one district.

The streets of Kalakla in the south of the city were flooded.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the government urged residents to take precautions against potential flooding from the Blue Nile, which also flows past the city.

Days of heavy rainfall in the Ethiopian Highlands, the source of the river, and parts of Sudan caused both the White Nile and the Blue Nile to swell.

While Khartoum residents living close to the Blue Nile shored up their defences, it was the White Nile that flooded the city, largely because of its relatively weak embankments.

Residents of Sudan's Tuti Island, where the Blue Nile and White Nile merge, stand near floodwaters in 2020. AFP
Residents of Sudan's Tuti Island, where the Blue Nile and White Nile merge, stand near floodwaters in 2020. AFP

About 100 people died last year in flooding that destroyed thousands of homes across Sudan.

Last week, at least four people south and west of Khartoum died in accidents related to flooding and heavy rainfall.

The Blue Nile typically swells in July and August every year as a result of the rainfall on the Ethiopian Highlands.

Ethiopia is building a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile about 20 kilometres from the border with Sudan.

Addis Ababa believes the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will help lift tens of millions out of poverty.

But Egypt and Sudan have been putting pressure on Ethiopia to enter a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam to minimise its effect on their share of the Nile, and protect against flooding.

Ethiopia says guidelines should suffice.

A decade of negotiations over the dam has not yet yielded a deal, with the latest round of talks breaking down in April. It has not yet been announced when the discussions will resume.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Rainbow

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Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

MATCH INFO

Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')

Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')

Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

Updated: August 02, 2021, 7:18 PM`