UN, Europe Union and African states call for calm in Mali


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The United Nations, European Union, African Union and the West African regional bloc Ecowas have called for calm in Mali after at least 11 civilians were killed in a security crackdown on anti-government protests.

The organisations "condemn the use of lethal force in the context of maintaining public order and invite all stakeholders to exercise restraint", their representatives in Mali said on Sunday.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, 75, is facing a mounting wave of protests triggered by the constitution court's decision to overturn the results of about 30 seats in the long-delayed parliamentary poll held in March and April, benefiting several members of the president's party. Mr Keita was already unpopular over the government's handling of the economy and failure to quell an extremist insurgency.

The protests in the capital, Bamako, and other cities turned violent at the weekend, leaving 11 people dead and 124 injured, a senior official at the emergency department of a major hospital in Bamako told Agence France-Presse.

The demonstrations are being driven by a disparate group of religious, political and civil society leaders who have come together under the umbrella of the June 5 Movement, or 5M. They have called for "civil disobedience", including non-payment of fines and blocking entry to state buildings.

The four-party front voiced support for proposals put forward by Ecowas, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States of which Mali is a member, including a "consensus government of national union" and fresh elections in constituencies where the court overturned the results.

Mali's European allies as well as its neighbours are deeply concerned at the escalating crisis, given the country's poverty, ethnic mix and strategic location at the heart of the Sahel region.

International and regional powers fear that political turmoil in Mali could undermine their military campaigns against extremist militant groups in the region. The United Nations has more than 13,000 peacekeeping soldiers in Mali.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly said a joint EU special operations force formed to back Mali's fight against extremists would arrive in the country on Wednesday.

About 100 French and Estonian troops will initially make up the force called Takuba, Ms Parly said on Sunday.

A second contingent of about 60 Czech soldiers will arrive in October, to be followed by about 150 Swedish troops in January 2021, she said.

"Italy has just indicated its wish to join us," she said.

The entire Sahel region is witnessing increasingly brazen attacks by extremist groups despite the beefing up of national armies and the deployment of 5,100 French anti-terrorism troops.

Extremist and inter-ethnic violence in Mali and neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso killed at least 4,000 people in 2019, according to the United Nations.

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End of free parking

- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18

- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued

- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket

- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200. 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

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

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4,872 matches 

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76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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Juvenile arthritis

Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
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In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

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hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

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  • Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack. 
World Series

Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)

* if needed

Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday

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RESULT

Wolves 1 (Traore 67')

Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')

Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5

Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')

Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

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The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

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