A Russian serviceman guards an area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, south-eastern Ukraine, on May 1. AP
A Russian serviceman guards an area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, south-eastern Ukraine, on May 1. AP
A Russian serviceman guards an area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, south-eastern Ukraine, on May 1. AP
A Russian serviceman guards an area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, south-eastern Ukraine, on May 1. AP

Risks at Ukrainian nuclear plant increase 'every day'


Soraya Ebrahimi
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The mayor of the city that is home to Europe's largest nuclear plant on Sunday said the risk of disaster there is "increasing every day", after Ukraine and Russia exchanged blame for shelling around the complex.

Russian troops have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant in south-eastern Ukraine since March, and Kyiv has accused Moscow of basing hundreds of soldiers and storing weapons there.

The nuclear plant has come under fire repeatedly in the past week, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

"What is happening there is outright nuclear terrorism and it can end unpredictably at any moment," Dmytro Orlov, the Mayor of Energodar city, told AFP from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia.

Mr Orlov said there was mortar shelling on the plant "every day and night".

"The situation is hazardous and what causes the most concern is that there is no de-escalation process," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously accused Russia of nuclear "blackmail" and using the plant to "intimidate people in an extremely cynical way".

Mr Zelenskyy has said Russian troops were "hiding" behind the plant to stage bombings on the Ukrainian-controlled towns of Nikopol and Marganets.

But pro-Moscow officials in the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia blamed the shelling on Ukrainian forces.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant attacked - in pictures

Missiles fell "in the areas located on the banks of the Dnipro river and in the plant", said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Moscow-installed administration, without reporting any casualties or damage.

The river divides the areas occupied by Russia and those under Ukraine's control.

Mr Orlov said that over the past 24 hours, Energodar, which he left at the end of April, was shelled for the first time, leading to a dramatic increase in those hoping to flee.

Amid safety fears, he warned that in the "near future" there may not be enough personnel to manage the station.

Kyiv and Moscow have traded accusations over several rounds of shelling on the plant this month, with the strikes raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

In the village of Vyshchetarasivka, on the opposite bank of the Dnipro to the plant, resident Viktor Shabanin said the latest developments had left people "nervous".

"Often the wind blows in our direction. So the radiation will go immediately to us, and the radiation will go into the water," said Mr Shabanin, 57.

UN chief: 'Humanity one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation' - video

There were air raid sirens and distant strikes on Sunday but reported no new fighting around the plant, AFP reported.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting over the situation on Thursday and warned of a "grave" crisis unfolding in Zaporizhzhia.

The alarm has revived painful memories of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster — the world's worst nuclear accident — in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union, spreading radioactive dust and ash across Europe.

Anastasiya Rudenko, 63, believes her late husband, who worked to decontaminate the Chernobyl disaster zone, died of bladder cancer in 2014 because of radiation.

"We could have the same fate as the people of Chernobyl," Ms Rudenko told AFP.

"There's nothing good in what's going on and we don't know how it will end."

Backed by western allies, Ukraine has called for a demilitarised zone around the plant and demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces.

Russian troops trying to press their offensive near the Dnipro in the southern Kherson region are under pressure after strategically important bridges were damaged, a Ukrainian politician said on Sunday.

Regional legislator Sergiy Khlan said the pontoons the Russians were using could not fully meet their needs and that command centres were being moved as they were at risk of being cut off from supplies.

Ukraine crisis latest - in pictures

In his daily address on Sunday, Mr Zelenskyy backed the idea of a blanket ban by the EU on visas for all Russian travellers, currently being considered by the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency for the bloc.

"The discussion … is expanding every day," he said. "New states and new politicians are joining it. Ultimately, this should lead to appropriate decisions."

Mr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian Parliament would make a decision "in the near future" on extending martial law.

A major consequence of the war has been soaring food prices after a Russian naval blockade and Kyiv's mining of its ports prevented Ukrainian grain from being sold on global markets.

A landmark deal last month between Russia and Ukraine brokered by Turkey and the UN created safe corridors to allow key grain exports to resume.

Kyiv on Sunday said the first UN-chartered vessel carrying grain from Ukraine to relieve the global food crisis was loaded with 23,000 tonnes of wheat and ready to depart.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the MV Brave Commander, in the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi, will head to Africa with the cargo.

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

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Countries so far: 85

Flights: 149

Steps: 3.78 million

Calories: 220,000

Floors climbed: 2,000

Donations: GPB37,300

Prostate checks: 5

Blisters: 15

Bumps on the head: 2

Dog bites: 1

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The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

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0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

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Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

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Singapore

8.

Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

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Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Episode list:

Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery 

Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges 

Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic 

Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks 

Ep5: Travel and tourism 

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
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Director:Mike Mills

Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman

Rating: 4/5

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi  

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi 

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

SPECS

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THE DETAILS

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Combating coronavirus
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo 

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm 

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm 

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto 

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec 

Top speed: 232kph 

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Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

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RESULT

Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern:
 Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)    
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)

Sunday

Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)

Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

Persuasion
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Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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Updated: August 15, 2022, 3:34 AM