Yugoslav republic from joining nato and the European Union saying its name implies a claim over a greek province or socalled macedonia just or a place has more from athens. The central message of todays protest in athens has been that there should be no use on any terms of the word macedonia in the name eventually negotiated with the neighboring country the former yugoslav macedonia those talks that have now begun in the last two weeks between athens and the former yugoslav macedonian capital sculpey have started on the basis of the notion that there will be a compromise on the greek side the compromise is that the word macedonia would be included and on the former yugoslav macedonian sides the compromise is that that would would be qualified by Something Like northern or slow of so that it wouldnt be pure republic of macedonia which was the original position of that country and has been for the last twenty five years but the compromise basis on which those talks have now begun appears to have been thrown into doubt by the fact that twice now hundreds of thousands of greeks have rallied to say no to any use of that name on any terms the worry among greek people is that the use of the the use of the word macedonia with greek permission would imply a macedonian ethnicity next door individual people would be able to call themselves macedonians and that might then imply that they are the direct descendants of the ancient macedonians whom the greeks consider a part of their own National History and therefore that would eventually they say lead even to territorial claims but even if it doesnt lead to that the greeks resent the fact that a part of their history is being as they see it stolen and they say repeatedly we will not rent out our history we will not allow it to be copied or to be forged this is greek history that were talking about no other country should be able to lay claim to it they have no basis and so that position. Extremely difficult for the diplomats and politicians on the two sides including the Prime Ministers who throw their personal backing into these talks to continue ignoring this point of view was have a proposal they suggest to the two peoples will have to be russia for in poland and if two thirds majorities cannot be found in problem and they may have to go to referendum in the two countries therefore Public Opinion is extremely important on this if these talks fail then the former yugoslav macedonia will not receive greek permission to enter nato or to achieve a u. Membership both of which many observers believe vital for its survival and for its ultimate political orientation towards the west rather than falling prey to other influences the sound off between the Supreme Court and the president is continuing in the maldives president Abdoulaye Amin is refusing to comply with a court order to release Political Prisoners and reinstate twelve dissident lawmakers who were sacked for defecting from his party in maine has ordered the police and troops to resist any attempts to arrest him Security Forces have been deployed inside the National Parliament since march last year. Alessi people have been killed and dozens of others injured in a train crash in the usa to South Carolina amtrak train collided with a Freight Train overnight in what is the third fatal crash in two months three different opposition factions in syria say they were responsible for the downing of a russian warplanes overhead live province on saturday Russias Defense Ministry says the pilot ejected from the jet but was killed in a ground fight near the town of sorry. And you can have seen much more news on our web site plenty of content and video just click on aljazeera dot com those are your top stories stay with us aljazeera next up its struggle over the nile. The novel. The worlds longest river. A seven thousand kilometers a lifeline for almost four hundred million people. Flowing north the nile runs through ten countries. The highlands in the heart of africa to the shores of the mediterranean sea. A source of sustenance but also one of tension even potentially conflict. The nile is the key to a geopolitical rivalry in the region. At its heart is egypt. With suspicions about former enemies. And tensions with an age old civilization and reveal deep seated fears about water scarcity and losing control of the river nile. Alexandria egypts main city on the mediterranean. Here in march one thousand nine hundred three the founder of political zionism disembarked on a special mission. Theodore hurt souls goal was to secure a homeland for the jews. One year earlier he had petitioned for such a homeland to be allowed in palestine then part of the ottoman empire. The request was rejected by Sultan Abdul Hamid the second. So hurtful took a contingency plan to egypt. A country then under british occupation. Some british officials floated the idea and tercel even initially toyed with the idea of accepting a small temporary jewish. Entity zionist entity in northern sinai around l r e should the zionist said well its a step from there to palestine so it brings us closer to the homeland. The plan involved the first phase settlement in the sinai of some twenty thousand jewish immigrants to be followed by successive numbers to total one hundred thousand. There was plenty of space in the sinai desert but the area lacked one basic element of life water. Birdsell however proposed a remarkable solution to divert some of the nile waters to the desert region. Yeah this settlement was going to need water. Plan was for the water to be carried from a branch of the nile via pipelines under the su is can now as the water would then travel over one hundred fifty kilometers to the settle. The british high commissioner in egypt. Rejected a proposal. Egypt at that time was the main source of cotton for the british textile industry. Irrigation engineers warned that diverting the nile waters would damage egypts cotton production and therefore affect British Economic interests. The idea of a jewish homeland in the sinai was never implemented. But over seventy years later plans to divert the nile waters reemerged. In november one thousand nine hundred seventy seven egyptian president anwar sadat arrived at tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport. To visit mark the start of peace negotiations between so that and the israeli Prime Minister menachem begun. Israel was in a strong bargaining position occupying the sinai jerusalem the West Bank Gaza and the golan heights. So that wanted the arab land back but had fewer bargaining chips. He definitely wanted at the prince of peace but i think two things. I think to. Begin a very devious policy. The possible hit by time and that was the pressure. In the ongoing negotiations said that aware of israels water needs knew he held at least one strong card the river nile. In december one thousand nine hundred seventy nine the egyptian magazine october known to be a mouthpiece for sadat published a sensational report the headline on the front page read the nile to reach jerusalem. They article reported that sadat had ordered blueprints prepared for the construction of a canal to carry the nile waters to israel in exchange for a comprehensive Peace Agreement in the middle east. Where there were these dreams about you know egyptian israeli cooperation and peace will be prevailed in this region and you know peoples thought that. There are no limits or. Some people start thinking in these terms you know that there should be rules for Sinai Peninsula and also to israel. And the people of. The two countries made peace but any plan to divert the nile to israel never materialized. To this day many gyptian is believe the reported offer was more a negotiating ploy than a meaningful proposition. That. This was a good trick played by said that. He gave the israelis false hope in order to secure the signing of the peace accord what did he do but he never planned to implement the nile offered by the neck with us. But the nile waters were eventually diverted. In january one thousand nine hundred ninety seven so that successor Hosni Mubarak officially opened a tunnel carrying nile waters under the suez canal. The waters flowed into the socalled peace can now extending into the sinai some egyptians suspected israel might be the ultimate destination of the canal. At the inauguration ceremony mubarak seemed to address such suspicions. Parsley. At dinner. Had. Now how did it i am under much and i was up. Today the peace canal runs eighty kilometers eastwards into sinai. That allows for the irrigation and development of farmland reclaimed from the desert. The idea of diverting the nile to the sinai first proposed by theodore heard so is now a reality. Just one hundred fifteen kilometers from the end of the canal and across egypts International Border is the negev desert. Forming over half of israels total land area. The negev as a land thirsty for water. These railways of salt to manage their limited water sources and deny the need for the extension of the peace canal saying it would be surplus to requirement if youre talking about the elation that when the now in the. Solutions and we dont see that we are going to use this water in the future we solve our own poems in the negative in the cells and has no connection with the night. Faced with a water shortage and looking to reclaim the desert israel has needed to find innovative solutions. Israel is the world leader in efficient water use in agriculture more crop per drop using. Say drip irrigation other technologies that meeks and that acknowledges that are here are being utilized elsewhere in the. South America Africa wherever you go you will find Israeli Technology basically use in agriculture. Law that are now. Israels ambassador to kenya. Arrives to a warm welcome from local farmers in the village of garroting on the outskirts of nairobi hes clear on his assignment. And their idea the basic idea is to assist communities of farmers to achieve much more you much more crops with less labor with less water and even with less fertilizers and pesticides as. These Women Farmers are beneficiaries of this assistance. By passing on its know how and donating equipment israel is empowering local communities in africa and winning friends. Were so impressed me them because they identify the ends who go right down to see the needs of their people and so for us in this village we are very happy with them. But others in africa believe israels presence there particularly in upstream nile countries like kenya has more to do with politics than aid. Is that more society or israel is not a charity. The end it seeks to harm egypt there was nothing new in that the midst. Its the nature of israeli politics and if it didnt operate in that way. Then it would not be easy for. The since its establishment in one nine hundred forty eight surrounded by hostile arab neighbors israel has sought friends where it can. In Africa Israel built relations with newly independent known arab states. Egypt grew increasingly concerned about israels activities on the continent. They suspected the israelis of trying to politically outflank egypt by befriending countries that could influence the flow with egypts lifeline the river nile. I am. Historically the most important relationships israel built on the african continent well it uganda ethiopia kenya kenya. And its no coincidence that all of them are upstream countries where the nile originates and they did build relationships with other countries but the river nile was the major factor behind the formation of israeli policy and strategy. The. President asked her of the united arab republic arrives in style i got all the summit meeting in morocco neutralised african leaders. But israel faced tough competition for friends in africa. Egyptian president Jamal Abdel Nasser was also building allies of his own in the region. His struggle for independence and nonalignment resonated with many africans. In one thousand nine hundred sixty three egypt became one of the Founding Member states of the organization of african unity. Following the nine hundred sixty seven war the organization condemned israels occupation of parts of egypt and other arab countries and demanded the withdrawal of israeli troops from all occupied arab territories. The african view of israel is a small struggling country that pose no threat began to change. Israel was very weak at that point and clearly it couldnt do anything about it gyptian role in africa. Shortly after the arab israeli war in october one thousand nine hundred seventy three the majority of african countries severed relations with israel. Nasser successor anwar sadat failed to capitalize on africas strategic shift away from israel. So they didnt want to just follow in nassers footsteps he wanted to blaze his own trail. He chose to focus on building relations with the west and securing peace with israel he turned his back on the pan african policies nasser had pursued. Almost going to. The egypt once played a commanding role in africa but in the one nine hundred seventy s. Egypt neglected this role and who wouldnt this resulted in the bush drawl of egypts presence in africa countries there started to think egypt had abandoned them. Or barak followed a similar strategy to his predecessor. In one thousand nine hundred five an event took place that would set the seal on mubarak turning away from africa. In june of that year arriving in the ethiopian capital addis ababa to attend an african summit. Mubaraks motorcade was ambushed by islamist militants here on the airport road. Mubaraks bullet proof car saved his life his bodyguard shot dead the gun. Following this attack and for the rest of his term in office mubarak chose to send ministers or delegates to african summits rather than attending himself but egypts friends in the region believe this president ial absence was a strategic error allowing israel to once again gain a political foothold in africa. As a poet once said document our enemies do not break through our borders instead they crawled like ants through our weaknesses. By the one nine hundred ninety s. Many of the upstream nile basin countries had reestablished diplomatic relations with israel. And reopened their embassies in tel aviv. Am today israel is building on these relations here on the outskirts of tel aviv these trainees from africa are learning innovative agricultural techniques to take back to their countries. That are all in training is sponsored by the center for International Cooperation known as masha part of Israels Foreign Ministry you know. What we are focusing and most of our work is really in africa probably about forty percent of our resources and mostly towards Food Security guards had water related issues. Beyond Training Programs in israel. Also takes its aid overseas. Back in the kenyan village of karate. Women farmers grow Fresh Produce in a greenhouse donated by musharraf. That. The greenhouse which enables the woman to earn a living was officially donated to them by Israeli Foreign minister avigdor lieberman. Lieberman arrived in africa in september two thousand and nine at the head of a large entourage even suited five african states including three of the upstream nile basin countries kenya uganda and ethiopia. The minister came with a big economic delegation representatives of more than twenty of the Biggest Israeli Companies we had business seminars with business meetings and we see a very very big follow up in terms of business the. Opportunities for investment. Lieberman was the first Israeli Foreign minister to go on an african tour since the one nine hundred sixty s. The sight of lieberman making friends and doing deals in the nile upstream countries around concern in egypt. Egyptians were once again worried these rallies were meddling in their backyard in a region holding the source of the nile. The african countries lieberman visited dismissed egyptian suspicions stating the visit was strictly business. Not the dictating. Government foreign minister has a paid. Visit it came here not to talk about whether to reduce. What do they give to simply this is a government to government business and i think. But egyptian fears were not so easily a pieced. Liebermans visit coincided with a particularly tense point in egypts talks with the of the nile basin countries to reach a new agreement over managing the nile waters. Egyptian suspected israel was behind the renewed pressure egypt faced to make concessions. So. That they start the year israel has had a Clear Strategy since it was established so it focuses on having a presence in the upstream countries to create problems for egypt on the issue of water to encircle egypt and create internal difficulties what you are going to definitely because if egypt has a water crisis then it will have a development problem and a National Security issue it will not be able to guarantee a better life for egyptians and therefore it will be preoccupied with internal problems that is israels goal. For their part israelis reject such notions but they are plotting with african states to outmaneuver egypt. I think this is another one of those arab conspiracy theories which unfortunately there are so many of them going around sometimes in one i cant stop myself from what i read in an arab internet sites about all kind of conspiracies which are described as these releases people who. Come up scenarios that the craziest screenwriters in hollywood could even think about. In early two thousand and eleven egyptians took to the streets in open revolt. Against the govern