SCIENTISTS have discovered the underground remnants of an ancient lake in Sudan’s arid Darfur region, offering hope of tapping a precious resource and easing water scarcity, which experts say is the root of much of the unrest in the region.

A top Egyptian envoy has called on Yasser Arafat to lead Middle East peace efforts as Palestinian leaders expressed concern about Israel’s threat to draw its own West Bank border if talks broke down.

An Egyptian envoy today urged the Palestinians to lead the way toward ending more than three years of violence with Israel, saying he was hopeful that Israel would respond favourably to such moves.