Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, said he hoped the Paris Olympic Games could bridge divides in the world. Victor Besa / The National
Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, said he hoped the Paris Olympic Games could bridge divides in the world. Victor Besa / The National
Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, said he hoped the Paris Olympic Games could bridge divides in the world. Victor Besa / The National
Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, said he hoped the Paris Olympic Games could bridge divides in the world. Victor Besa / The National

Paris Olympics a moment of hope for the world, says French ambassador to UAE


John Dennehy
  • English
  • Arabic

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games represent a moment of hope for the world, the country’s ambassador to the UAE has said.

With just days to go until the Games start, Nicolas Niemtchinow said he hoped everyone would come together for the event despite global tensions.

The ambassador said France was ready to host the Games and it was going to be a “magnificent” occasion.

“This is a very proud moment for my country,” Mr Niemtchinow told The National exclusively.

“And we will try to show the best of our country to the world.”

About 15 million people are expected in France during the Games that run from July 26 to August 11 amid tight security. The Paralympics take place after.

Eschewing a traditional stadium event, the Games start with a unique and spectacular waterborne opening ceremony along the River Seine against the backdrop of the iconic Paris skyline.

Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, with a torch inspired by the spirit of the Olympic torch. Victor Besa / The National
Nicolas Niemtchinow, French ambassador to the UAE, with a torch inspired by the spirit of the Olympic torch. Victor Besa / The National

“This is the biggest event we have ever organised,” he said. “It's really huge.”

Mr Niemtchinow said it was an honour to host the Games as they were important in bringing people together at a time when conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza were dividing people.

“I believe as a diplomat that sports create links between countries [and] between people,” he said.

“We need that immensely in this world, fractured by a resurgence of wars and rivalries.”

He pointed to the UN resolution proposed by France last year calling for an Olympic truce. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly last November.

“We need … those moments for celebrating together through peace … rather than to fight or to go to war.”

Paris has hosted two Olympics and the event comes a century after its last Games in 1924. They will be staged in 35 venues across Paris, France and overseas. Major venues include Eiffel Tower Stadium (beach volleyball); Stade de France (athletics); Roland Garros Stadium (boxing and tennis); and Teahupo'o in Tahiti (surfing).

Organisers of the Games say sustainability is crucial. They aim to cut the carbon footprint of previous Games from about 3.5 million tonnes of C02 to about 1.75m by chiefly using existing or temporary venues rather than building new ones.

“This is a symbol of our global commitment to reduce carbon emissions,” he said, adding the move was a “breakthrough” for the future of the event.

There has also been commentary in France about whether the city is prepared but the ambassador said France was ready.

“Now we are in the most tense period,” he said. “It's like the competition when you are on your starting block. When you are on the starting blocks you feel the tension. Then release and go.”

The River Seine has also come under the spotlight. The iconic waterway is the venue for opening ceremonies and some swimming events but heavy rain has led to some pollution with a €1.4 billion clean-up operation seeking to tackle it.

“The problem is that it was very rainy,” he said, adding it was important not to reduce the Games to one issue.

“Now we have to wait [for] the stabilisation of the river. We'll see. But the country is ready.”

Authorities said over the past few days an improvement in weather meant the quality in the Seine was good. French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera on Saturday swam in the river to allay any concerns.

The Games also come after President Emmanuel Macron’s snap election. Negotiations are continuing to try to form a government. Mr Niemtchinow said he cannot comment on internal politics aside from the fact the election does have an impact – “which one we don't know” – but it will not stop the Games.

“All the country is behind the Olympic Games.”

The French community in the UAE are also marking Bastille Day, the country's national day, that falls on July 14. About 30,000 French call the UAE home with more than 310,000 French tourists visiting the UAE every year.

“It is a very globalised community,” he said. “Very dynamic. Very active.”

Ties are strong across multiple fields such as culture, defence, energy, artificial intelligence, space and more, with the presence of Louvre Abu Dhabi and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi among the most prominent expressions of those warm relations. At least 600 French countries operate in the UAE with bilateral trade standing at more than €7billion a year.

“It's very good,” he said, when asked about current French-UAE relations. “It is very confident. It's very deep. It's very diversified. We are preparing together for the future.”

The Olympic flame arrived from Greece to Marseilles in May. From there, the torch has travelled across France and its territories overseas ahead of the opening ceremony.

Mr Niemtchinow said he wished the best for the French athletes and also the UAE who have a 14-strong squad competing. Omar Al Marzooqi, Emirati showjumping star and medallist at the Asian Games, attends Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.

“I wish Omar and all the Emirati team the very best,” he said.

“When the Olympic Games start, it will be magnificent. It's a unique moment. It's an extraordinary moment.

“I hope it will bring more hope and more peace to the world.”

Olympic Torch arrives in France – in pictures

  • French swimmer Florent Manaudou carries the Olympic flame as it arrives on Wednesday at Marseille port, France. Getty Images
    French swimmer Florent Manaudou carries the Olympic flame as it arrives on Wednesday at Marseille port, France. Getty Images
  • French rapper Julien 'Jul' Marie lights the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays cauldron at the Old Port in Marseille. AFP
    French rapper Julien 'Jul' Marie lights the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays cauldron at the Old Port in Marseille. AFP
  • Jul holds the Olympic Torch next to Manaudou during the arrival ceremony. AFP
    Jul holds the Olympic Torch next to Manaudou during the arrival ceremony. AFP
  • The Patrouille de France aerobatics team leave a tricolour trail of smoke as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, enters the Old Port in Marseille on Wednesday. AP
    The Patrouille de France aerobatics team leave a tricolour trail of smoke as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, enters the Old Port in Marseille on Wednesday. AP
  • Fireworks erupt at the Old Port during the arrival ceremony. AFP
    Fireworks erupt at the Old Port during the arrival ceremony. AFP
  • Fireworks follow in the wake of the French 19th century barque Belem as it arrives in the Old Port of Marseille with the Olympic Flame. AFP
    Fireworks follow in the wake of the French 19th century barque Belem as it arrives in the Old Port of Marseille with the Olympic Flame. AFP
  • The three-masted Belem enters the Old Port in Marseille, southern France. AP
    The three-masted Belem enters the Old Port in Marseille, southern France. AP
  • Crowds watch the Belem's arrival from Greece. AP
    Crowds watch the Belem's arrival from Greece. AP
  • The Belem enters the Old Port on Wednesday. AP
    The Belem enters the Old Port on Wednesday. AP
  • Crowds watch the welcoming ceremony for the Belem and the Olympic Flame in Marseille. AP
    Crowds watch the welcoming ceremony for the Belem and the Olympic Flame in Marseille. AP
  • French President Emmanuel Macron and Minister for Sports and Olympics Amelie Oudea-Castera meet Olympics federation officials and French sailing team managers in Marseille. AFP
    French President Emmanuel Macron and Minister for Sports and Olympics Amelie Oudea-Castera meet Olympics federation officials and French sailing team managers in Marseille. AFP
  • And here it is ... the flame remains lit! AFP
    And here it is ... the flame remains lit! AFP
  • The Olympic torch has arrived in France. Getty Images
    The Olympic torch has arrived in France. Getty Images
  • The Belem carried the Olympic flame into Marseille. AFP
    The Belem carried the Olympic flame into Marseille. AFP
  • The arrival was met with a parade of boats in the Mediterranean of France's southern coast. AFP
    The arrival was met with a parade of boats in the Mediterranean of France's southern coast. AFP
  • The nation is getting geared up to host the Olympic Games in summer. AFP
    The nation is getting geared up to host the Olympic Games in summer. AFP
  • It is now only 79 days until the opening ceremony takes place in Paris. AFP
    It is now only 79 days until the opening ceremony takes place in Paris. AFP
  • The torch will now complete its 12,000km journey by being carried through mainland France. AFP
    The torch will now complete its 12,000km journey by being carried through mainland France. AFP
  • Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Organising Committee, greets the French 19th-century three-masted Belem on its arrival. AFP
    Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Organising Committee, greets the French 19th-century three-masted Belem on its arrival. AFP
  • The Olympic 'Phryge' mascot makes an appearance. AFP
    The Olympic 'Phryge' mascot makes an appearance. AFP
  • A French flag is unfurled as the excitement builds. AFP
    A French flag is unfurled as the excitement builds. AFP
  • The Mucem museum offers an ideal vantage point from which to see the Belem sailing into Marseille. AP
    The Mucem museum offers an ideal vantage point from which to see the Belem sailing into Marseille. AP
  • France is now gripped with Olympic fever. AFP
    France is now gripped with Olympic fever. AFP
Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

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Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale
Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors

Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km

Price: from Dh199,900

On sale: now

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
​​​​​​​Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

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Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
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RESULT

Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City:
D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

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. 
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  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.
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'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

Company%20profile
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Updated: July 18, 2024, 5:43 AM