Col Ismael Wague, the junta's spokesman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which overthrew Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, speaks to the media after the meeting with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediators, in Bamako, Mali August 24, 2020. REUTERS
Col Ismael Wague, the junta's spokesman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which overthrew Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, speaks to the media after the meeting with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediators, in Bamako, Mali August 24, 2020. REUTERS
Col Ismael Wague, the junta's spokesman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which overthrew Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, speaks to the media after the meeting with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediators, in Bamako, Mali August 24, 2020. REUTERS
Col Ismael Wague, the junta's spokesman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which overthrew Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, speaks to the media after the meeting

Mali post-coup talks flounder on transition to civilian rule


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Talks between West African envoys and Mali's new military rulers failed to reach consensus on Monday on how the country should return to civilian rule after last week's coup.

Negotiators from both sides said ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita no longer wished to govern.

The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States initially demanded that he be returned to office.

On Tuesday, Mr Keita was overthrown in a military coup that shocked Mali's neighbours, who fear that a fragile state battling extremism and an economic slump could slide into chaos.

But many Malians welcomed his removal and thousands took the streets to protest against him before he was overthrown.

Deadlock on the key issue of civilian transition emerged on Monday after the junta denied that it wanted a three-year handover period overseen by a soldier, despite reports.

"There were discussions on both sides, given that at this stage nothing has been set down, nothing has been decided, and that as far as we are concerned the final architecture of the transition will be discussed and defined by us," said its spokesman, Col Ismael Wague.

The chief envoy of the West African bloc, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, said although there was some agreement, other issues needed addressing.

Mr Jonathan said the military rulers were told to "go and review" after hearing the bloc's opinion.

It sent negotiators to Bamako on Saturday to push for an "immediate return to constitutional order".

Talks began on Saturday and continued for the following two days.

On Sunday, a source in the West African bloc said the junta "wants a three-year transition to review the foundations of the Malian state".

"This transition will be directed by a body led by a soldier, who will also be head of state," the source said.

They said the government "will also be predominantly composed of soldiers".

This account was confirmed by a junta official, who told AFP: "The three-year transition would have a military president and a government mostly composed of soldiers."

But on Monday, Col Wague denied that the junta had approved any such plan.

"Any decision relating to the scale of the transition, the transition president, the formation of the government will be done among Malians" and be followed by "mass consultation", he said.

After taking power on August 18, the junta had pledged elections would be held within a "reasonable" time.

Many Malians took to social media on Monday to attack the idea of a three-year transition.

Negotiators will confer on Wednesday as to how to proceed, mindful of Mali's last coup in 2012, which led to a regional revolt that turned into an extremist insurgency.

Former Nigerian president and mediator for the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, Goodluck Jonathan, arrives to meet with Col. Assimi Goita, who has declared himself the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, at the Ministry of Defence in the capital Bamako, Mali Monday, August 24, 2020. AP
Former Nigerian president and mediator for the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, Goodluck Jonathan, arrives to meet with Col. Assimi Goita, who has declared himself the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, at the Ministry of Defence in the capital Bamako, Mali Monday, August 24, 2020. AP

They have already decided to close Mali's borders and issued threats of sanctions against the coup leaders, which the junta said on Monday that it would contest.

"It is the people who will suffer much more from sanctions," Col Wague said.

The bloc has already intervened in several crises in West Africa, including in Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Last week, thousands took to the streets of the Malian capital, Bamako, to celebrate the coup, which sparked global condemnation.

Mr Keita was elected in 2013 after running a campaign in which he portrayed himself as a unifying force in a fractured country.

He was re-elected for a second term in 2018 but failed to make progress against terrorists and an ailing economy.

An outcry over the results of long-delayed legislative elections in April has made him less popular, and in June a protest movement was born aimed at forcing him to resign.

Mr Keita, 75, told the envoys that he no longer wanted to return as president, both sides said.

"He was not forced to resign but he has resigned, and he is not interested in governance again," Mr Jonathan said on Monday.

"He wants a good transition so that the country will go back to a democratically elected government."

Col Wague said: "He said that for him it's over, he never wants to return to power again. He resigned voluntarily without pressure."

The coup leaders say they are holding 17 leaders at a barracks about 15 kilometres from the city after releasing two last week.

The%20specs
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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')

Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THURSDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 10am:

Lucrezia Stefanini v Elena Rybakina (6)

Aryna Sabalenka (4) v Polona Hercog

Sofia Kenin (1) v Zhaoxuan Yan

Kristina Mladenovic v Garbine Muguruza (5)

Sorana Cirstea v Karolina Pliskova (3)

Jessica Pegula v Elina Svitolina (2)

Court 1

Starting at 10am:

Sara Sorribes Tormo v Nadia Podoroska

Marketa Vondrousova v Su-Wei Hsieh

Elise Mertens (7) v Alize Cornet

Tamara Zidansek v Jennifer Brady (11)

Heather Watson v Jodie Burrage

Vera Zvonareva v Amandine Hesse

Court 2

Starting at 10am:

Arantxa Rus v Xiyu Wang

Maria Kostyuk v Lucie Hradecka

Karolina Muchova v Danka Kovinic

Cori Gauff v Ulrikke Eikeri

Mona Barthel v Anastasia Gasanova

Court 3

Starting at 10am:

Kateryna Bondarenko v Yafan Wang

Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Anna Bondar

Bianca Turati v Yaroslava Shvedova

Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The biog

Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India

Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes

Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island

Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

Wonka
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.

 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions