Russia is prepared to offer technical assistance to push forward the deadlocked negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over a disputed hydroelectric Nile dam being built by Addis Ababa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
Egypt fears the dam will cut its vital share of the Nile’s water, while Sudan says it wants Ethiopia to provide real-time data on the operation and filling of the dam, to avoid destructive floods and disruption of its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile.
The two nations have for years been pressing Ethiopia to enter a legally binding deal that covers mechanisms for handling persistent drought and resolving future disputes.
Ethiopia, which says the dam is key to its development, insists on guidelines, rather than a legally binding deal.
Speaking after talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry, Mr Lavrov made it clear that Moscow was prepared to offer technical expertise to help the three nations resolve outstanding issues but it would not mediate in the long-running dispute.
Only through dialogue between the three nations, he added, can the dispute be settled, with the role of third parties restricted to the creation of conditions to help the talks move forward.
“We will not play other roles and we were not invited to mediate,” Mr Lavrov said, arguing that the African Union was the most suitable party to mediate in the talks, which began 10 years ago but have yet to bear fruit.
“An African resolution reached through African efforts,” the veteran Russian minister said.
Speaking after his Russian guest, Mr Shukry disagreed, saying the African Union mediation was faltering because of what he called Ethiopia’s intransigence.
Russia, he added, had the ability and international standing to play an active role in the dispute and prevent Ethiopia from taking unilateral action.
During the latest round of negotiations held last week, Egypt and Sudan formally proposed the creation of a quartet comprising the United States, United Nations, the European Union and the African Union to mediate in the dispute.
Ethiopia rejected the proposal and said it intended to go ahead with a second and much larger filling of the dam in July, regardless of whether a deal was reached.
Egypt’s President El Sisi earlier told Mr Lavrov that failure to resolve the dispute over the dam, which is nearly 80 per cent complete, would “negatively impact on the security and stability of the entire region,” according to a presidential statement.
Mr El Sisi warned recently that all “options” were on the table if Egypt’s share of the Nile’s water was cut as a result of the dam.
No one, he said, should feel out of the reach of Egypt’s “capabilities,” an apparent reference to the use of military force, as a last resort, if Ethiopia continued what Cairo and Khartoum view as intransigence and time-wasting tactics.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will generate 6,000 megawatts on completion.
Ethiopia says the electricity will lift millions of its people from poverty and that a surplus will be available for export to neighbouring countries.
The dam is built on the Blue Nile less than 20 kilometres from the Sudanese border.
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AL%20BOOM
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
Rebel%20Moon%20-%20Part%20One%3A%20A%20Child%20of%20Fire
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Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
