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30th June 201926th Shawwal ,1440

SUNDAY

National Consensus Initiative to Forward Transitional Period Arrangements Proposal to TMC and FFC

Daglo: Military Appearance in Khartoum is for Securing CitizensBy: Al-Sammani Awadallah

Khartoum-The Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), 1st. Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Da-glo, has affirmed that the military ap-pearance in Khartoum is to secure the citizens and not to harass them.Addressing a mass rally at Mayo area at Jebel Awlia Locality south of Khar-toum, The Deputy Chairman of TMC called on the youth s of the area to join the ranks of the police forces, the Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to protect the achievements of the homeland.1st. Lt. Gen. Daglo said the peaceful demonstration, which is called for by the Forces of Declaration of Freedom and Change for Sunday would find pro-tection from the TMC, affirming that the TMC isn t against peaceful demon-stration but it is against the infiltrators and saboteurs.He expressed hope that a competencies government that pleases all the Suda-nese people would by formed.Daglo described the current economic situation as alarming, threatening for-eign currency traders and greedy mer-chants of decisive actions. The TMC Deputy Chairman instructed the government of Khartoum State to go down to the field to meet the needs of the citizens and promised to provide and complete basic services at Mayo area south of Khartoum.He stressed that attention to the peo-ple’s living conditions is a priority for the Transitional Military Council.

By: Al-Sammani Awadallah

Khartoum The National Consensus Body has endorsed yesterday the transitional period arrangements before for-warding it to all political power besides the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) in the upcoming days.The chairman of the body, Prof. Mudathir Abdul Rahim El-Tayeb said that the main idea of the initiative is based on that the transitional period is a consensus period to transfer the power to an elected body.He affirmed that the fundamental goal is to draft a per-manent constitution which lay the foundation and protect the national vision to be endorsed by the elected parlia-ment besides organizing national forums to discuss the future of ruling system and the type of the democratic practices to achieve the aspiration of the people.He affirmed that the implementation of the transitional period programme requires dealing with the constitution-al vacuum and the formation of the sovereign council, the legislative and the cabinet by the end of the transitional period.Prof. El-Tayeb said that the document included the for-mation of an independent committee to investigate the

incidents of last 29th Ramadan and present the results of the inves-tigations to the public, besides the formation of anti-corruption com-mission and the forma-tion of the mechanism to achieve the social justice, pointing out that the document de-termined the missions of the sovereign council, the cabinet and the leg-islature.He added that the sev-eral renowned figures joined the initiative including the Lt. Gen. Abdul Magid Hamid Khalil who was the Vice President and Defence Minister during Nimeiri s regime, besides Prof. Ali Shummo, Prof. Mohammed Sulieman Abu Salih along with several national figures who pre-

sented initiatives.He called on all those who have initiatives to participate in a meeting which will be held on Monday at SUNA head office for more coordination and discussion.

TMC Praises SSWA Efforts, Confirms Commitment to Realize the Aspirations of the Sudanese Expatriates

By: Zuleikha Abdul Raziq

Khartoum - Deputy Chairman of the Social Committee of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), Major General Abu Bakr Sirajuddin praised the ef-forts of the Secretariat of the Sudanese Working Abroad (SSWA).Addressing the fourth forum organized by the Sudan Center for Migration and Development Studies on the role of expatri-ates in promoting social peace at home, Sirajuddin praised the

national roles that the Sudanese abroad have carried out towards the country, pointing to the good reputation gained by the Suda-nese expatriates. For his part, Ambassador Es-sam Awad Metwally, SSWA Secretary General expressed his thanks for the participation of the representative of the TMC in this event, which is considered evidence of the interest of the TMC to the expatriates, stress-ing the work of the SSWA with the social committee to achieve the ambitions and hopes of the expatriates, indicating to the

fourth monthly forum, saying that it is fully consistent with the great attention paid by the SSWA to the Sudanese expa-triates, noting that the Sudan Center for Migration and De-velopment Studies represents the intellectual and scientific reference of the Sudanese state in Migration and Development.Director of the Sudan Center for Migration Studies presented a paper on migration and the pro-cess of democratization and its challenges, pointing out some views on the concept of democ-racy, stressing the importance of

social peace and culture of peace and how to prevent conflict and how to make, preserve and build peace, proposing the need to de-velop a national migration poli-cy, a national migration strategy, peace-building and an opportu-nity for expatriates to participate in that.For their part, participants in the forum called for the importance of attention to expatriates and their issues, calling for the need for the state to adopt strategic programs to serve the expatriates and benefit from their scientific potentials and experiences.

Sudan Tribune

KHARTOUM - The Transitional Military Council (TMC) accepted the joint proposal made by the African Union and the Ethiopian envoys and called for talks to form the executive bodies.The nine-page proposal provides to form a sovereign council composed of 15 members. Seven to be desig-nated by the TMC and seven others by the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).The sides have to agree on an additional civilian mem-ber to ensure the principle of civilian majority in the council.The Transitional government will be formed of techno-crats selected by a prime minister who is designated by the FFC. The premier will select his ministers in con-sultation with the opposition, except for the defence and interior ministers who will be designated by the TMC.The draft agreement says the parties once they endorsed the proposal they will engage in talks on the outstand-

ing issues particularly the composition of the transition-al legislative council.In a short statement released by its spokesperson Shams al-Din Kabbashi, the TMC declared its acceptance of the joint proposal, after studying it for two days.“A number of observations emerged, but in general, it is considered a viable proposal to negotiate a final agree-ment leading to the formation of transitional govern-ment institutions,” he said.“The Military Council sincerely looks forward to the immediate start of a serious and sincere negotiation that ends with a national consensus,” he further added.The FFC had accepted the Ethiopian proposal which was similar to this with the difference that 67% of the legislative council members will be appointed by the opposition groups.After accepting to concede the ma-jority at the Sovereign Council to the opposition forces, the military council said it would not accept that the FFC control the parliament and want to renegotiate its percentage of 33%.

The coalition of the opposition forces did not yet issue a joint statement on the joint proposal as many of its factions refuse to make further concessions to the mili-tary council.However, the National Umma Party (NUP) of Sadiq al-Mahdi has issued a statement welcoming the joint proposal and vowed to work with its allies to adopt a common position.“We appeal to Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, leader of the SPLM-North, and Abdel-Wahid Mohamed al-Nur, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, to respond to this initia-tive,” further said the statement.Regarding the reservations made by some opposition groups towards the joint proposal, the NUP said it should be settled by the internal initiatives of the Su-danese mediators.“We will make specific proposals to help fill those gaps,” further stressed the statement.The opposition party, also, called on its partisans and supporters to take part in the first big demonstration the FFC plan to organize on 30 June.

Military Council Accepts AU-Ethiopian Proposal to Settle Sudan s Crisis

Al-Burhan Affirms Readiness to Hand over Power to Youth

By: Al-Sammai Awadallah

Khartoum Chairman of the Transitional Mili-tary Council, 1st Lt. Gen. Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan stressed on the importance of achieving justice and peace, affirming their support to the Sudanese peo-ple to resolve their problems.He added, while addressing a mass rally in Khar-toum that Sudan was witnessing exclusion in the past, but now they in the TMC are working for rais-ing the tolerance among the Sudanese.He affirmed the readiness of the TMC to hand the power to the youth considering that they led the revolution, pledging to work for building Sudan and handing over power to an elected government.He disclosed that the TMC, the FFC along with oth-er political forces to work to reach an agreemtn as soon as possible.

TMC Holds FFC Responsible for any Consequences Related to Security of Homeland and Citizens as Result of Today’s MarchBy: Al-Sammani Awadallah

Khartoum- The Transitional Military Council (TMC) has held the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) responsible of any consequences pertinent to the se-curity of the homeland and the citizens in its security and livelihood, or any damage caused to them by their declared march for Sunday (June 30th). The TMC, in a statement, also held the FFC responsible for any deaths or ob-struction to the movements of the peo-ple.The statement said since the victory of the revolution the citizens have followed

the Armed Forces’ siding with the peo-ple’s option and the full keenness of the Transitional Military Council to reach a consensual solution with the Forces of Freedom and Change in order to get the country out of its reality into a new real-ity in which the transitional government is formed and the Sudan prepares for a promising future, where the values ??of democracy, justice and peace are con-solidated. The statement affirmed that the Tran-sitional Military Council has done all it can to prevent sedition and maintain security and keep the national fabric cohesive, pointing out that the Forces of Freedom and Change declared the

march of Sunday, June 30 at a time when citizens expect the announcement of a final agreement after months of consti-tutional vacuum that the homeland can t bear more than that. The Council said that emanating from its national and his-toric responsibility and with its belief in the right of expression and demonstra-tion, but it draws the attention to the seriousness of the crisis that the country is experiencing, declaring that it holds the Forces of Freedom and Change fully responsible for any deaths or any dam-age or harm to the citizens or institutions of the state as result of blocking roads, public interest and people’s livelihood.

Breaking News

JEM Confirms Readiness to Cooperate with the TMC CommitteeBy / Baj News

Khartoum - Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), led by Jibril Ibrahim, announced its willingness to coordinate with the Sudan Lib-eration Movement led by Minawi to cooperate with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) Committee and the rest of the Sudanese crisis parties in the search for a comprehensive peace that addresses the roots of the crisis and ad-dresses conflicts in all areas of armed conflict.JEM Secretary of Negotiation and Peace, Ahmed Togud said that the meeting with the TMC Vice President, Mohamed Hamdan Da-glo “Himaidti” discussed engaging in compre-hensive political negotiations with the partici-pation of all parties of the armed conflict to end the fighting and the transition to the stage of peace and stability in Sudan, noting that the meeting was invited and arranged by Chadian President Idriss Deby, to bring together the del-egation of JEM and Sudan Liberation Move-ment led by Minawi, with TMC Vice-President in the capital N’Djamena, describing the meet-ing as transparent, clear and frank, where the two delegations discussed the current situation Sudan and the chances of stopping the war and achieve peace, noting the two movement del-egation welcome decision to release all prison-ers of movements.He said that the two delegations affirmed the importance of resuming the peace process in the near future and reiterated the declaration of cessation of hostilities to create climate and en-vironment conducive to the peace process and to engage in comprehensive political negotia-tions with the participation of all parties of the armed conflict to put an end to the fighting and transition to peace and stability in Sudan.

New SPS Project to Increase Market Access to Regional Agricultural Products HOME2

Sunday June 30, 2019

UN Security Council Pauses Darfur Troops Drawdown for 4 MonthsBy: Sudan Tribune

WASHINGTON - The United Nations Security Council Thursday has paused the withdrawal of Darfur hybrid peacekeeping force, UNAMID, for four months as a result of political and secu-rity uncertainties in prevailing Sudan.In a resolution adopted unanimous-ly on Thursday, the Security Council de-cided to “extend un-til 31 October 2019 the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Mission Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)”.In addition, the Council has decided that “UNAMID should continue to implement its mandate as set out in resolution 2429 (2018), and further decides to extend, temporarily and exceptionally, the period of drawdown for UNAMID s military personnel outlined in paragraph 5 of resolution 2429 (2018), in order to maintain the Mission s self-protec-tion capacities”.The resolution 2429 (2018), passed on Fri-day 13 July, provides to cut UNAMID troop strength from 8,735 to 4,050 personnel and to maintain its police strength at 2,500 per-sonnel.Further, the resolution provides that the mis-sion, during the 12 month period from 2018 to June 2019, had to shut down14 sites and to focus its efforts on 13 sites in the Greater Jebel Marra area. Also, its headquarters have to be transferred to Golo in Central Darfur.Also, by the end of June, the hybrid operation will conclude phase two of its reconfigura-tion which authorized a further reduction of troops from 11,395 to 8,735 military person-nel and reduced police ceilings from 2,888 to 2,500 police personnel.The 15-member body requests the secretary-general to provide the Council with an oral update 60 days on the situation on the ground.Also, the resolution requested the UN chief and the chairperson of the African Union Commission to submit a report assessing the

situation and recommendations on the appro-priate course of action regarding the draw-down of UNAMID, before 30 September 2019.The report should also include a joint UN-AU political strategy detailing options for a follow-on mechanism to UNAMID.The South African ambassador speaking on behalf of the African countries in the Council said they would have preferred a six-month technical rollover instead of the four months to ensure adequate time for the African Union and the United Nations to comprehensively assess and evaluate the situation.

Significance of Sudan as Africa s Miniature Typically: Al Mahdi

By Ahmed Ibrahim Ballal

Chairperson of national Umma party (NUP), Al Sadiq Al Mahdi, says that the sit- in at the army command headquarters is fiercely and violently ended, going further to describe the revolution as peaceful, non-racial, technically creational and socially consolidated, pointing out that the tran-sitional military council (TMC) has played a his-torical role in the downfall of the dictator-a move that facilitates to politically remove clogging. He goes to say that some do support TMC uncon-ditionally, while the others to describe it as the Ingath 2, commenting on the matter as to drag the country to a bottomless abyss, indicating that national interest necessitates adoption of reconcil-iatory stances to achieve this; preserve the gains of the revolution and at the same time to avoid dangers of confrontation.

The chairperson of NUP praises the decision of TMC to release detainees as something important, demanding that it is to issue an order to drop rules against the citizens politically, urging for the re-turn of the internet service to guarantee accessibil-ity to information.Al Mahdi warns that continuation of the coun-try without a government creates a big vacuum, stressing strategic plans to deal positively with the initiatives to strengthen the civilian transitional period in achieving peace and democratic trans-formation, noticing that there are four internation-al conferences that were held recently to discuss the incidents in Sudan-something that shows the significance of Sudan as Africa s miniature typi-cally. He concludes his remarks to say that the declara-tion of freedom and change forces (DFCF) is an amalgamation that is of much importance which is doing a nice job.

New SPS Project to Increase Market Access to Regional Agricultural Products Khartoum / khalda Elyass

Khartoum - Regional countries are set to increase market access for their agricultural products following the commencement of a new capacity building project to main-stream sanitary and phytosanitary stand-ards (SPS) priorities into national policies.The project is titled: ‘Mainstreaming SPS capacity building into the Comprehen-sive Africa Agriculture Development Pro-gramme (CAADP) and other National Policy Frameworks to Enhance Market Access . The project has a budget of US$ 464,075 out of which US$ 390,075 is pro-vided by the Standards and Trade Devel-opment Facility (STDF) a World Trade Or-ganization (WTO) agency.The project covers five countries that are members of the Common Market for East-ern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Ken-ya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Malawi. It is being implemented under the Prior-itizing SPS Investments for Market Access (P-IMA) framework, an initiative of the

STDF.Kenya is the second country after Uganda, to start implementing the project with the inception meeting and high-level stake-holder dialogue taking place yesterday fol-lowed by training on P-IMA from today to Thursday this week in Nairobi. The events bring together experts from the private sector, relevant public sector de-partments and institutions of government to build consensus on the most critical SPS priorities and investments.The P-IMA framework is an evidence-based approach to inform and improve SPS planning and decision-making processes. It helps to link SPS investments to public pol-icy goals including export growth, agricul-tural productivity, and poverty reduction.Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade Dr Chris Kiptoo, represented by the Assis-tant Director of External Trade Mrs. Helen Kenani, opened the meeting. In his state-ment, he said the variation of SPS capacity across COMESA countries and the conti-nent, undermine the region s capacity to trade with itself.

 The diversity of strengths and weaknesses on the continent demands greater collabo-ration between countries that belong to the same Free Trade Area (FTA), particularly the ACFTA that just came into force,  Dr Kiptoo said.He observed that compliance with SPS measures opens tremendous export oppor-tunities for producers and exporters, both at the intra-regional trade level and at the international level. For Kenya, he said, the subject of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards is a crucial element of trade poli-cy.Currently, intra COMESA trade remains low relative to other regions, at around 11% of total COMESA exports with the major-ity of traded products being of low added value.COMESA Director of Agriculture and Industry, Mr. Thierry Kalonji attribut-ed this to lack of industrial diversification, the existence of Non-Tariff Barriers such as health standards requirements, supply side constraints and cumbersome border meas-ures. Almost 70% of the reported NTBs in the region are constituted by Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs) and SPS meas-

ures,  he said.  If they are not addressed, our countries will find it difficult to take advantage of the mega trade agreements such as the tripartite and the continental free trade area. He cited the following as some of the SPS challenges that countries faced, which the new project seeks to ad-dress; varied TBT standards and regulatory frameworks across member States, absence of good regulatory practice and, low levels of compliance in the public and private sec-tors.With the majority of the 21 COMESA Member States heavily depend on agricul-ture, fisheries, and livestock, Mr. Kalonji said the production and trade of agricul-tural and fisheries produce is of high prior-ity, if only as a stepping stone to industri-alization.Ms. Roshan Khan of the STDF as well as representatives of Trade Mark East Africa and Kenya Association of Manufac-turers addressed the meeting.In the next three days, the stakeholders in Kenya will be trained on the implementa-tion and integration of the PIMA tool into national planning and investment process-es.

South Sudan Suspends all Oil Selling ContractsBy: Shadia Basheri

Khartoum Minister of Informa-tion of South Sudan said that his country has suspended all the selling contracts in order to boost the competition in its oil sector and pushing forward the prices.It is worth noting that most of South Sudan revenues come from oil.The Minister told the reporters after the meeting of the council of ministers that the President ordered suspending all oil sell-ing contracts, adding that the step was expected to increase the price of South Sudan oil.

Himaidti Vows to Provide Services and Improve Economic ConditionsBy / Najat Ahmed

Khartoum - Vice-President of the Transitional Mili-tary Council (TMC), Mohamed Hamdan Daglu, “Hamaidti” pledged to provide services and improve economic conditions, threatening dollar traders with accounting for their contribution to the rise in prices of the dollar.He said that the council wants a civilian government of qualified and independent, and that they are ready today before tomorrow for that, expressing his hope that the government will satisfy all the Sudanese peo-ple, declaring that the regular forces deployed in the street is to protect people and not assault them.On the June 30th marsh scheduled for tomorrow for the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), Hamaidti pointed to the existence of what he called infiltrators, but affirmed that they are not against peaceful marsh-es.

3 Sunday June 30, 2019HOMEINTERVIEW Towards a Sustainable Political

Transformation in Sudan (1)Chief of Joint Staffs Speaks out

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is committed to the slogan (One Army .. One Nation)

SAF is the main guarantor to cross this crucial stage in Sudan’s historyThe Sudanese Army Serves all the National Issues through Its

Regional and International PartnershipsIntroduction:

The Sudanese political arena wit-nessed dramatic developments since the 19th of December 2019. Those developments resulted to ousting the Salvation regime through the peaceful protests led by the youth.The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) was not isolated from the scene, so it continued monitoring the moves with open eyes and minds.In the appropriate moment SAF de-cided to align to the people’s desire towards change.SAF remained playing great roles in boosting the transitional period requirements through supporting the efforts of all the parties in reaching a compro-mise to achieve peace and stability in the country.Within its endeavours to provide its readers with the consequences of the current situation and the chal-lenges facing the transitional period including the recent coup attempt and bringing the figures of the ousted regime to trial, Sudan Vision recorded the interview conducted with the Chief of Joint Staffs, 1st Lt. Gen. (PSC) Abdul Hashim Abdul Mutalib Ahmed Babikir with by the SAF’s newspaper were he spoke out frankly and answered all the ques-tioned delivered to him..

Excerpts:

Q: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) remained the safe valve for Sudan and its renewed roles in all stages. Despite the political complications SAF preserve its pioneering role in protecting the nation. Your comments?A: First I mourn the martyrs of the revolution, the army, the Rapid Support Forces and other regular forces who sacrificed their lives for the sake of pre-serving the political and military goals to protect the nation and its territories.SFA’s accumulated experiences for decades quali-fied it to become one of the Sudanese state com-ponents to translate the slogan (One Army .. One Nation)

Q: The Sudanese army aligned to the will of the Su-danese people and their desire for change, and now the army is facing a challenge to accomplish the as-pired change which is supposed to end with handing the power to the people. What do you say?A: Yes, the army aligned to the desire of the peo-ple and this is a nature stance from this institution which did never disappoint its people. Accordingly the TMC is leading political steps with several par-ties on top of which is the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) besides other political forces on the arrangements of the transitional period. There are regional efforts from our brothers in the neighbour-ing countries to bridge the gap of differences and we hope that the parties to the negotiations strike a deal very soon.Q: There are several security obstacles and chal-

lenges facing the transitional period such as the coup attempts and chaos in some areas, your comment?A: Definitely, the security challenges are enormous in this critical stage; but we are working with the support of the security system to confront it. We af-firm that the army is the major grantor to cross this critical period to the safe shore.Q: Is it true that there are coup attempts from inside the army and that behind those attempts are certain ideologies?A: Despite the cohesion we mentioned, but there is acute polarization situation aiming at utilizing the army to serve certain agendas. Added to that the army was subject to criticizing from some media outlets to aiming at weakening it, but it will not achieve its goals.It goes without saying that the internal complica-tions in the political scene, such attempts are expect-ed but we affirm that gone are the times of military coups in the country. What was infiltrated recently about a coup is just an attempt by limited groups which is now under arrest.It is true that certain ideologies are always behind any coup like especially the leftists and the Islam-ists, but from our primary investigations we affirm

that the recent attempt did not reach the stage of coup.Q: One of the transitional period requirements is bringing the figures of the ousted regime to book, do you have any stance towards this issue?A: In this regard we look are what is the TMC do-ing as it mentioned in its first announcements that it will take the necessary measures towards the figures of the ousted regime. It already started arresting the figures of the ousted regime and starts its investiga-tions. We are confident that the TMC will continue the talks in complete transparency to achieve the slogan (Freedom – Justice –Peace)

Q: On the security challenges, the army is partici-pating with other components the role in confront-ing those challenges on top of those components is the Rapid Support Forces, would you please brief us

about this integrated roles?A: The security system main task is the protection and defence and other security work. Since long time the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the police forces, the Na-tional Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) are workin in complete harmony and coordination to support the revolution and its achievement.The RSF are regular forces with it act and regula-tions. It participated with the SAF in several fronts and contributed in preserving security in Darfur be-sides protecting the borders along with fighting the smuggling and human trafficking.Q: There are arguments on the reality of the inci-dents of sit-in area which claimed the lives of tens and hundreds of injuries, would you please clarify?A: We affirm that the orders were only to clean Co-lombia area from the negative aspects, but the op-eration expanded to include all the sit-in area. There is investigation by a neutral committee and we are waiting for the results. So I cannot comment in this stage to avoid affecting the course of the investiga-tion.

Q: Any other messages?A: First on the mail of the youth: You are the bright future of the nation and accordingly you should be given all possible chances to rearrange the political activities through contributing your visions and se-rious thinking in utilizing your energies.Second: To the Sudanese people: You should put the loyalty to the nation above the narrow partisan in-terests. You should be alert to confront the enemies of the nation.Thirdly: To SAF, RSF and other regular forces: You should be always stand-by and work jointly to pro-tect our nation.Last but not least we are proud of our youth who provided lessons to all and sacrificed the lives of martyrs for the sake of the nation. We salute the families of the martyrs and affirm the SAF will re-main committed to the nation.

RSF: Carrying Weapon by One Hand and Supporting the Community by OtherReport by Al-Sammani Awadallah

Khartoum- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has re-mained since their establishment living up to their du-ties of safeguarding the security and stability of the Sudan besides contributing to the development of the country and participation in all livelihood activities of the community as reflected in the effective participa-tion of RSF in the harvest operations of the agricultural produce in the various states of Sudan, particularly in Darfur.These forces have worked during the past period to maintain the prestige of the state and eliminate insecu-rity that occurs in some areas according to a strategic vision that is governed by the Armed Forces Act and the strict penal measures established by the law against any violations by its personnel, which made the mem-bers of these forces with a high degree of professional-ism and readiness to confront all attempts to undermine the security of the homeland and the citizen.Despite the baseless campaigns these forces had faced to distort their image, they have continued their duty towards the community and towards the state with effi-ciency and self-denial, especially as their commanders are considered as distinguished officers, a matter that

has enhanced the trust of the citizens in the RSF and expanded the circle of support to them to continue in their mission for preserving the security of the home-land and the citizens.The role of these forces was not confined to security aspects, but it extended to providing basic and devel-opmental services to the citizens throughout Sudan, especially in vital areas such as water, education and health.Observers see that the intensive deployment of the RSF in the streets of Khartoum prevented slide of Sudan in security chaos, especially after the leaders of the Mili-tary Council revealed plots to break the unity of the Sudanese social fabric. The presence of these forces has thwarted those schemes which were aimed at put-ting the Sudan in a hiatus of security chaos and bloody conflict, especially in light of the alarming spread of weapons in Sudanese society. The observers affirm that there has not been a single case against these forces, despite their spread in the various districts in the State of Khartoum to work for the insurance and preservation of the security of the citizens and their properties, where they continue to do their duty towards the citizen in a way that made him safe in his home and reassured of his property, a mat-

ter that increased the support by the citizens to RSF in car-rying out its national tasks in the various security aspects. The role of RSF was not limited to the security aspect, but also provided many hu-manitarian initiatives. They distributed free breakfast, free ambulance and various means of transportation to ease the burden on citizens and reduce the public trans-portation crisis. One of the commanders of RSF has affirmed that the heavy security deployment in Khartoum prevented at-tempts to break the social fabric in the country and instilling a kind of fear and questioning the eligibil-ity of these forces to carry out their duty towards the homeland and the citizen, pointing out that these forces have deterrent law in which two of the members of the forces were tried and dismissed from the service, and

the two were sentenced to eight years in prison and six years in prison.A number of citizens have stressed the great role played by the Rapid Support Forces in maintaining security and stability and in providing ba-sic and necessary services for the citizens, especially drink-ing water, maintenance of many schools and provision of seating to a large number of schools in different states besides free ambulance ser-vice and health centers, a matter that affirms the role of these forces in the national and humanitarian aspects.

The citizens noted the great role played by these forces in combating human traf-ficking and curbing this phenomenon despite the dif-ficulties they face in this regard, stressing that these forces worked to liberate many victims of human traf-ficking through their deployment and readiness.

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AFRICA IN FOCUS Edited by: Alula Berhe Kidani

Sunday, June 30, 2019

S. Africa’s First Carbon FarmAfrica .Com

Land restoration could attract large private investments in the fight against climate change over the coming decades, if Governments and the United Nations put the right incentives and conditions in place.When the goats on his farm had nothing more to eat, because the soil was eroded and most of the vegetation destroyed, South Af-rican farmer Pieter Kruger had to make one of the toughest decisions of his life. “I have always been a farmer,” he says, “but that moment in 2007, I knew that I could not go on. There was no more water. Zandvlakte is the last farm in our valley in the Bavianskloof, and our river had run dry before it reached my farm.” Pieter reluctantly gave up goat farming, and embarked on the Working for Water programme, a government pilot effort to restore degraded watersheds.Over the next three years, he and a team of over 100 workers planted 1,500 hectares of his farm with mil-lions of cuttings of an indigenous succulent tree, the spekboom (Por-tulacaria afra) which can grow well even in dry conditions.“I have never regretted that deci-sion”, says Pieter Kruger, “the trees are now well established, and in the big flood this year, we managed to keep runoff of water to penetrate the soil, improving ground water levels, instead of washing away our topsoil into the river.”Spekboom forests can act as ‘natu-ral water dams’: in mountainous areas, the trees can grow even on steep slopes, and when rare rainfall occurs in the semi-arid regions of the Eastern Cape, they suck up all the moisture quickly, and can store if for months. Spekboom forests can serve as grazing and browsing areas of last resort for wildlife and livestock, even when all else has withered in a drought.Spekboom trees also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere faster than most other trees in dry condi-tions. However, farmers are usually not paid for carbon storage, water security and other essential ecosys-tem services which well-managed

land provides for downstream wa-ter users, and for the global commu-nity. That could change, however, if Governments and the global com-munity set the right conditions.“Spekboom is an amazing plant. It can take root and regrow, just from simple cuttings from existing trees. It can quickly reform the soil be-cause it continuously sheds a lot of leaves, which help to build up soil organic carbon”, explains ecologist Anthony Mills, who has published extensively on the sub-tropical thicket ecosystem of South Africa, one of the country’s lesser known plant biomes.Spekboom is the dominant tree of the thicket ecosystem, a complex forest which creates its own mi-croclimate. Thicket forests used to cover up to 5 million hectares across the dry areas of the Eastern Cape, until about 200 years ago, when massive overgrazing by goats and sheep started, and turned much of this ecosystem into a mere shad-ow of its former biodiversity and natural splendour.“You can drive for four hours across degraded areas, which look like a savannah woodland, because all you see are some of the surviving jacket plum trees (Pappea capen-sis), which were originally part of the thicket ecosystem. The richness of this ecosystem is almost all gone today, but we could bring it back,” says Mills. “Today, more than 1.3 million hectares of severely de-graded thicket landscapes in the Eastern Cape Province are ready to be restored to their former ecologi-cal functionality, which can also in-crease their productive use for live-stock,” he adds.Scientists from Stellenbosch Uni-versity came upon the remarkable ability of spekboom to regrow in degraded areas almost by chance. In 1976, a farmer in the Kromport area of the Eastern Cape had planted cut-tings of the sturdy tree on a steep slope of about 200 by 100 metres behind a barn on his farm, because he was trying to find a way to stop annual floods that were threatening his livestock. He soon discovered that not only did spekboom rapidly establish itself in the degraded soil,

but it also stopped the floods very quickly after it had been planted.In the foreground, one of the 330 demonstration plots for thicket re-planting with spekboom (Portu-lacaria afra) across Eastern Cape. In the background, the few remaining jacket plum trees (Pappea capensis) on degraded land are an indicator of the former spekboom thicket eco-system, which could be replanted (Photo by Florian Fussstetter)“Some of the plants in this area are now over 40 years old, and we can see some of the original thicket eco-system reforming. Other plants are joining, and birds and wildlife are returning,” says Mills. Although the area is rather small, it has yielded valuable scientific information, in-cluding on the amount of carbon stored below ground, in the roots of the spekboom plant and in the soil.The discovery prompted the South African Government in 2007 to start what is arguably the largest ecologi-cal experiment in the world: they planted 330 plots of half a hectare (50 by 50 metres) with spekboom across the entire degraded area, almost 1,000 kilometres. Ten years after the plant-ing, the plots have yielded promising results. In almost all the plots which were planted in degraded thicket and which had their fences maintained, the replanting with cuttings from spekboom has been successful, un-der a variety of conditions and plant-ing techniques. The most important factor, according to scientists from Stellenbosch University and Nelson Mandela University, is that the graz-

ing pressure from goats must be re-duced for at least five years through fencing, and the cuttings need to be planted well and deep enough in the soil.“By finding a way to boost agricultur-al productivity, restore a lost ecosys-tem and store carbon quickly and at scale, we would have a real win-win for farmers and for the global com-munity”, says Tim Christophersen, Coordinator of the Freshwater, Land and Climate Branch at UN Environ-ment.The goal is to restore an area of thicket of over one million hectares, almost 200 times the size of Manhat-tan. There is potential to plant more than 2 billion tree cuttings across this immense landscape, providing work and income for thousands of people, for several years.“This might sound daunting but given the opportunities for combining the real, long-term restoration of these degraded lands with diversified eco-nomic benefits to the local economy, the potential is amazing,” says Tim Christophersen.The South African Government sees

thicket restoration as one of the low-hanging fruits for the achievement of national climate and biodiversity goals, and recognizes that private in-vestments are key. “We planted the pilot plots back in 2007 to attract pri-vate investors, by demonstrating that this can work,” says Dr. Christo Ma-rais, Chief Director at the Department of Environmental Affairs, which runs the Working for Water programme. “We have studied this thoroughly, and we believe there are big oppor-tunities for ecosystem restoration in-vestments across South Africa.”One of the next steps in scaling up the restoration could be to establish carbon and livestock farms, where several thousand hectares can be re-planted with spekboom, and where income from carbon is combined with other income streams and eco-nomic activity.“Farmers like to look over the fence, and see what their neighbour is do-ing,” says Pieter Kruger. “Having big demonstration plots on existing farms is important to spread the word that becoming a carbon farmer can pay off, both for restoring the land, and for making a decent return from the land,” he adds.Even though Pieter has not yet re-ceived any compensation for the car-bon he has sequestered on his farm, he remains optimistic. “We never give up,” he says. His Zandvlakte farm lies in the Bavianskloof, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, one of the most remote and beautiful areas of South Africa. Pieter and his fam-ily have also branched out into eco-tourism, where visitors can experi-ence the success of Pieter’s shift from conventional farming to restoring his land first-hand.“The global carbon market, includ-

ing for carbon offsets, for exam-ple from the aviation industry, is starting to boom again, after sev-eral years of uncertainty. If current trends persist, carbon credits might provide some income for farmers like Pieter,” says Mills. Carbon credits are compensations which nations, companies, or individuals, can buy to offset part of their emis-sions which cannot be otherwise reduced. Offsets are not a replace-ment for ambitious climate mitiga-tion action across all sectors. They can only provide a temporary solu-tion while we deeply de-carbonize our economies. Ecosystem carbon credits often also have many other benefits beyond carbon, such as bi-odiversity, water, or better income options for farmers.The carbon market is highly com-plex and volatile, and farmers should not only rely on carbon for their income. “We must try to blend different income streams for farm-ers, so that carbon credits are only one of several revenue streams. At the same time, the restoration of degraded lands will increase the value of the farmland in the long run and will improve resilience and ecosystem services for local com-munities, and for entire nations”, says Tim Christophersen. “We are running out of time for climate and biodiversity action, and large-scale opportunities like the thicket resto-ration in South Africa must be ur-gently explored. We would like to support the Government of South Africa and other partners, like Liv-ing Lands and Commonland, to realize the potential of the Eastern Cape thicket restoration, as we are moving into the UN Decade on Ec-osystem Restoration 2021-2030.”

Reuters

NAIROBI - The Kenyan government has signed agreements with oil major Total, Tullow Oil and Africa Oil Corp to de-velop a 60,000-80,000 barrels per day crude processing facility for oil discovered in the country’s northwest. The Petroleum and Mining Ministry said on Twitter on Tues-day that the heads of term agreements were for discoveries in Blocks 10 BB and 13T in South Lokichar Basin and the part-ners were now focusing on securing financing for an export crude oil pipeline. Tullow and Africa Oil first discovered crude oil in the Lokichar basin in 2012, which Tullow Oil estimates contains an estimat-ed 560 million barrels in proven and probable reserves. Tullow has said this would translate to 60,000 to 100,000 barrels per day of gross production. AdvertisementIn addition to the processing facility, a crude oil export pipeline from Lokichar to Lamu on Kenya’s coast was also part of the deal. “The infrastructure installed for the Foundation Stage will be utilized for the development of the remaining oil fields and fu-ture oil discoveries in the region, allowing the incremental de-velopment of these fields to be completed at a lower unit cost,” Tullow Kenya said in a statement. Tuesday’s deal is a major milestone on the way to a final in-vestment decision on Kenya’s first oil project, which Tullow aims to reach by the end of the year. It expects first full-scale oil production in 2022. It has put the price tag for its Kenyan upstream facilities at $1.8 billion and the pipeline at $1.1 billion. In February, the government said the crude oil deposits discov-ered so far in Kenya were insufficient to justify construction of a refinery.

Kenya Signs Milestone Crude Processing Deal with Oil Firms

By: Federico de Nardis

Africa is the continent with the youngest and fastest growing pop-ulation in the world, with some of the fastest growing economies in the world, but it is still not attract-ing significant advertising invest-ments.

Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 17% of the world’s population, but rep-resents only 2% of the world’s gross domestic product. In terms of advertising investment it repre-sents only 0, 47% of global invest-ments.This is mainly because Africa is made up of many different coun-tries with many different cultures and languages, unstable rules and regulatory environments, and a historic lack of data to help under-stand the marketplace.The Africa Media Index, which comprises data from 14 African countries, aims to provide consist-ent and reliable information which gives a clear understanding of the media landscape across Africa. The countries include Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Af-rica, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozam-bique, Botswana, Angola and Ethi-opia.The index, produced in collabora-tion with In On Africa (IOA), high-lights differences and similarities between the markets and provides a comparative view in terms of five specific dimensions, relevant to understanding a country’s me-

dia environment – Economy and Business, Media Landscape, Me-dia Consumers, Technology, and Governance and Legislation.South Africa tops each of the five categories and is first in the overall rankings. Ghana comes in second in the overall rankings, followed by Botswana. Mozambique is last in the overall rankings.The African media landscape is a whirlwind of change and activity, and its power can be harnessed by knowledgeable investors and ad-vertisers.

The Index Dimensions

The score and rankings assigned to each country are informed by statis-tical calculations that combine each country’s performance in the five di-mensions.Firstly, Economy & Business, vari-ous economic and business factors are weighed to achieve a country score that best reflects the status of economic performance.For Media Landscape a country score combines the availability of media and Internet penetration with its prevalence geographically, to re-flect how diverse and influential the media sector is in that country.The third dimension is a measure of a country’s Media Consumer popula-tion in terms of access to and inte-gration with local and international media.Technology’s availability and pen-etration is ascertained to quantify a country’s capacity to provide the necessary infrastructure for media

dissemination.Governance and legislation is a nu-meric representation of a country’s governing and legislative framework and its interaction with media con-sumers, commerce, technology and the media landscape.Improving conditions bode well for media industryAfrica as a whole is seeing improved economies and rising standards of living, which bode well for the con-sumer driven media industry. Nev-ertheless, the old cliché, that Africa is not one country, should be repeat-ed. There is no one-size fits all ap-proach.Each country differs from the oth-ers, even radically from its next-door neighbours, with governance, societal conditions and economies weighing heavily on the growth of its media industry, and each country presents opportunities and challenges.Sweeping change occurring in the media landscape, propelled by the digital revolution, is the only com-mon factor amongst the 14 markets. While mobile and Internet penetra-tion are both the triggers for econom-ic growth and diversification, Africa is probably the only Continent where all Media is still growing, even print media.One conclusion, however, stands out from the index: Africans are diverse as individuals but tend to have uniform tastes in what they wish to receive from their me-dia services. Enabled by the lat-est technology, investors can meet consumer needs and advertisers can tap into consumer desires.

Opinion: Sub-Saharan Africa’s Advertising Spend, 0.47% of Global Investments

5 Sunday June 30, 2019BUSINESS ECONOMY

Mohamed Abdalla

Economic Vision

Email: moabd31@yahoo.com

Oil Price Expectations Cut as US Crude Floods Market

Sudan Wins Rapporteur Seat at FEMCOM (COMESA)By: Neimat al Naiem

Khartoum-Sudanese Business women Secretariat SBWS at the Sudanese Employers Union SEU achieved regional success by win-ning the rapporteur seat at in the Board of Directors at the Federation of National Association of Women in Business in East and South Africa (FEMCOM).Seham Sharif Abd Allah the rep-resentative of the SBWS, in a statement to Sudan News Agency (SUNA), explained that Sudan was chose to this position in the meet-ings of the General Assembly of FEMCOM held recently in Mauri-tius with a participation 16 out of 19 representatives of the State mem-

bers in FEMCOM.She pointed out, that Mauritius the hosted country was elected the Presidency for FEMCOM and, Rwanda as deputy and Sudan as a Rapporteur.During the meetings of FEM-COM, participants honored Catharine Ashoia, the former Executive Director of FEM-COM, and received the new one.It worth mentioning that FEMCOM is a Common Market of East and South Africa(COMESA) institution ; which was established in 1993 in Zimbabwe with endorse-ment of the Authority (made up of Heads of States and Govern-ments of the COMESA. It aims to

create economic partnerships, and to form Commercial network be-tween the Business Women in the

member States of FEMCOM, to ac-tivate and promote the Commercial Business and investment.

Reuters

LONDON: Oil prices could stall as a slow-ing global economy squeezes demand and US crude floods the market, despite an ex-pected extension by OPEC and its allies of their output-cut-ting pact next week, a Reuters monthly poll showed on Friday.The survey of 42 economists and ana-lysts forecast Brent crude would aver-age $67.59 a barrel in 2019, a downward revision from the $68.84 estimate in May, and just above the $66.17 average for the global bench-mark so far this year. Currently, the oil market is more fo-cused on the demand side of the story amid rising trade tensions,  ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said.A decision by OPEC and other producers on whether to ex-tend their production curbs would  set the supply story  for the second half of 2019 and into 2020,Hynes added.Analysts forecast global de-mand to grow by 0.91.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, versusthe 1.21.4 million bpd forecast in May.OPEC and the International En-ergy Agency have also down-wardly revised their forecasts for demand growth, putting it at 1.14 million and 1.2 million bpd

respectively.All eyes will now be on a meet-ing of OPEC and allies including Russia on Monday and Tuesday to discuss an extension in order to support prices. Most analysts expect the so-called OPEC+ to extend the agreement, although some uncertainty remains over Moscow s continued coopera-tion. Oil prices could see some up-side if Russia agrees to comply, or if OPEC agrees to cut its quo-tas further,  said Oliver Allen, economist at Capital Econom-ics. A decision by OPEC ... to roll over its production cuts would probably put a floor under oil prices. 

Increasing production from the US could also keep prices under pressure, analysts said.  In the medium to long term, we believe that US supply growth will put a cap on oil prices and make it less probable to see prices over $70 per barrel in the absence of supply shocks,  said Adria Morron Salmeron, an economist at CaixaBank Re-search.However, analysts still expect prices to be broadly supported by supply issues, such as US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, and geopolitical risk around ten-sions between the US and Iran.After attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman widely blamed on but denied by Tehran and

the downing of a US drone by Iran, the standoff could escalate to disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the world s busiest oil supply route. While Saudi Arabia will like-ly seek to replace Iranian and Venezuelan barrels and amend the production schedule at the OPEC meeting, recent com-ments suggest it will only do so retroactively, once supply losses are apparent,  said Michael Haigh, head of commodity re-search at Societe Generale.US light crude is seen averag-ing $59.30 per barrel this year, compared with May s $60.62 forecast, and the $57.45 average so far this year.

Russia Agrees with Saudi Arabia to Extend OPEC Deal by 6-9 Months Reuters

OSAKA: Russia has agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend by six to nine months a deal with OPEC on reducing oil production, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.Putin, speaking after talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told a news confer-ence the deal would be extended in its current form and with the same volumes.The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, meet on July 1-2 to dis-cuss the deal that involves curbing oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd). The pact expires af-ter June 30. We will support the extension, both Russia and Saudi Arabia. As far as the length of the extension is concerned, we have yet to decide whether it will be six or nine months. Maybe it will be nine

months,  said Putin said, who met the crown prince on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan.A nine-month extension would mean the deal runs out in March 2020.Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of Russian

Direct Investment Fund who helped design the OPEC-Russia deal, said the pact in place since 2017 has already lifted Russian budget revenues by more than 7 trillion roubles ($110 billion). The strategic partnership within OPEC+ has led to the stabilization of oil mar-kets and allows both to reduce and increase pro-duction depending on the market demand conditions, which contributes to the predictability and growth of investments in the industry,  Dmitriev said.Benchmark Brent has climbed more than 25 per-

cent since the start of the 2019. But prices could stall as a slowing global economy squeezes de-mand and US crude floods the market, a Reuters poll of analysts found.

Sudan Civil Aviation AuthoritySudan Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has organ-ized two days training course, included 20 journalists, from different media institutes, the objective of the course is to share ideas, and to facilitate the mission of media in reporting news or events that concern civil aviation.SCAA shoulders the responsibility of protecting Su-dan economy, we know that journalists can t publish perfect news, reports, investigative reports or inter-views, without information, the message that sent by SCAA has provided media with huge data about avia-tion world as general and SCAA in particular, also it created a real partnership with media to play the role of providing good aviation services to passengers, in terms of security and safety.The two days program enabled reporters to discuss different issues, economic, security and even the administrative issues, that convinced trainees about Khartoum International Airport, which has met the International Aviation Organization s requirements, in both verification and safety, to occupy high rank, SCAA has been allocated 3,500,000 Euro to support monitoring, which contribute to accelerate Sudan economy. The monitoring unit combats smuggling, discloses economic crimes, prevent security penetra-tion and facilitate the daily operation, also it fights drug smugglers.Passengers must be educated by the security meas-ures while they were travelling, after the training course, media become able to deal with any news or events related to SCAA, as well as able to educate people, that security checks, don t against passengers, it means safe flight and punctuality.The importance of the course comes from the sensi-tivity of civil aviation, which becomes a target to hi-jackers, who use planes as a weapon to strike security sites, or use it as a tool to achieve political agenda.What I want say, is that, the course itself was applied the international standards, in terms of qualified train-ers, aids and course materials, before the course, our knowledge about aviation was so limited, but now, we manage to differentiate between, Khartoum Air-port and Civil Aviation Authority and its economic importance, alongside how reporters get information cover emergency cases.

Ghosn s Wife Steps up Call for G20 Leaders to Help Her Husband

Reuters

TOKYO: The wife of ousted Ni-ssan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has again called on world leaders, who have gathered in Japan for a G20 summit, to help raise the is-sue of her husband s treatment in the country where he is facing fi-nancial misconduct charges.Ghosn, who holds French, Leba-nese and Brazilian citizenship, has denied the charges and says he is the victim of a boardroom coup at Nissan Motor. While he has been released on bail, he re-mains restricted from contacting his wife.Carole called on leaders including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Ma-cron to hold Japanese Prime Min-ister Shinzo Abe accountable for what she has repeatedly called the country s  hostage justice system.  My husband s basic human rights have been violated. And all of this came about because a few people at Nissan were working to prevent a merger between Nissan and Renault which resulted in a corporate coup,  she said in a statement on Saturday.Her comments come a day after Ghosn abruptly canceled what would have been his first press conference since his arrest in To-kyo in November. His lawyers cit-ed concern that it could invite re-taliation by Japanese authorities.

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Sunday, June 30, 2019

No political process can reach its ends without the domination of positive at-mospheres besides the confidence of

each party that the other party is serious to co-operate to reach the aspired goals.The partnerships that lack confidence will not take long.Accordingly we urge the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) to exert all possible efforts to avail the conducive atmosphere and mend the communications paths in order to reach a point that might lead to bring Sudan out of its political crisis towards stable future for its generations.The negative statements are not required and the escalation will not serve the issue of the nation.The mediations are required in this stage till the TMC and the FFC come directly round the table of negotiations.It the two parties deal with each other accord-ing to the principle of (partners and not rivals), they will definitely strike a deal to end the stalemate and expedite building a successful partnership during the transitional period to confront all its obstacles.It is a good omen that the Deputy Chairman of the TMC, 1st Lt. Gen. Himeidti described the FFC as a major partner, added that the state-ments of TMC member, Lt. Gen. Yassir Al-Attah who praised the FFC and admitted that it led the revolution and directed its course to end the 30 years of dictatorship.The steps taken by the TMC in releasing the prisoners of war and admitting the role of the FFC in the change could be a starting point to other steps more serious to ease building con-fidence bridges gradually.Such initiative could be supported by speeding up of the investigations of the massacre of the sit-in area besides reducing the military troopís presence on the streets.The TMC and the FFC practiced the logger-head and did not reach any agreement, so we advise them to practice the reconciliation and exert all efforts to normalize the atmosphere and narrow the gaps besides distancing them-selves from escalation; by doing that they will definitely strike a deal.

Get Kids Talk to You!

Thank God that we arenít born stony; to put it plainly clear, born completely deaf; both ways, so that we couldnít converse in relaxation with those who are so dear and near to us; from a far or near. Life is to be felt like life only when you shout your head off with others. You talk and receive others. You are supposed to give and take. You usually share it a fifty ñfifty since you are supposed to divide the piece of pie among you and your partner converser. You listen and then turn a speaker to your partner. Sometimes you may miss the course of your con-versation in being gone stray, then you turn it chaos. Adults find many reasons to forgive you, but kids cannot forgive you for this ëfair playí. They donít tolerate being interrupted and not got listened to.Raising good children depends a lot on communicating with them. We show respect for our children by how we talk and listen to them. We need to com-municate effectively in order to teach them our values , help them in reason-ing about right and wrong , encourage their independence and provide them with guidance and control , and to let them know that we love and appreci-

ate them . It is important to spend time with kids individually. You have to take some walks and talks with them, and you have to have long conversations when you are doing the dishes. That is a good time for talking; your hands are busy. It is a lot easier to talk in a situa-tion like that than if somebody sits you down and says, ëNow letís have a talkí. A lot many guys mentioned that their trips to outside meals are great help to accelerate the talking machines of their kids. They help in turning them in non-stop games of chattering, and turn on their radios of talk. One father says he and his teenage son have some of their best conversations over a sandwich or a pizza after they have seen a movie or a play together. A mother says she con-nects with her teenage daughter when they go out to lunch together.Children almost always unfold issues of discussion themselves. The first on kidsí list is the issue of family matters, particularly when there is a problem in the family, such as money troubles, job pressures, and conflicts between parents, impending divorce, and death. Kids donít want to be in the dark, won-dering what the problem is. They want their parents to tell them, and they await the moment to talk it over. Sec-ond: Controversial issues such as: Is it ever right to tell a lie? Kids have lots

of questions like these and that of the chicken - egg problem type that they wish parents would talk to them about .They donít like it when parents say, ìYouíre too young for this,î or ìItís too hard to explain such a matter.î Third: Emotional issues, kids want their par-ents to talk about their feelings in an open and sincere way, they want to frankly hear the L-word; yes! They want to hear, ëI love you.í Fourth: Kids usually have the curiosity of the big whys; they always ask why- questions. For example, out of the blue, they could ask: Why has God created us? And they will be waiting a crystal clear convinc-ing answer. Fifth: Kids are highly to be hooked in current events; the issues of the hour, usually they ask about whatís in vogue, the so recent events; such as: Ozone layer, The Green House effect, the Global heating, earthquakes, what-sApp, the Internet, curfew, civil diso-bedience, sit-in, and the like. Sitting round dinner table is usually found a more convenient time for ne-gotiating family issues. If dinnertime has a ìsharing and caringî atmosphere, kids will often feel secure enough to bring up real problem they are fac-ing. Discussions like these give family members a chance to serve as real sup-port system for each other. They can give effective help to someone who has a problem and can go to others

for help when they have a problem of their own.An issue that is discussed at dinnertime might not, as a parent, be your cup of tea , nevertheless , keep it going on ;just for sympathy, because dinner is one of the few times that people are all together , and it is important that you need to use the time to really talk with each other . It is an opportunity to be in touch with kids. Kids, of course, are fasting of speech since their parents walk out to work, then the kids are so eager for their return at the end of the day. The kids thus, renew and charge their batteries, open their channels, and set the tunes to tell their fatigued parents all the detail of the day. Please, may I entreat you not to silence them! Or shut them up, to take a slumber. Be-lieve me! You will find ample time for that, but a minute missed in talking to your kids, or that they missed in talk-ing to you is really irretrievable! Life is all about talking to your kids and akin. Who else then deserve that!Hi! Have you ever thought of ìwhy Al-lah has created us with two ears and one mouth?î Just to listen double than we talk? Therefore, listen attentively to kids, once; twice, and thrice. They really want you to give them your ear, and not to turn a deaf ear. This is, in fact, a good learning approach .This is in my opinion.

The freedom and change or the lead-ers of the “revolution” have taken the whole nation as “hostages”! They have taken the people in their houses as “hostages”! They barricaded the streets and prevented even the sick people from going to the hospitals to get the medical treatment. We are not speak-ing about preventing the people to ex-change the congratulations of Eid. No! We are speaking about the “crime” of preventing the sick people from reach-ing their due hospitals. Some of those sick people fell dead at the “barricades

of the brave revolutionists”! The free-dom and change took the streets as hostages. When we speak about the freedom and change, we simply mean one “malicious” party and that is the “communist party”. This evil plotting and satanic procedures can come only from the communist’ evil minds. So the communists took the trains as hostages. They should pay for the crimes they have committed against this people of Sudan. But the time of punishment has not yet come. But it will sure come. But for the time being we want to speak about one precious value that the communists have taken as “hostage”! That is the educational

process. They know that the education is the most valuable thing in the life of the peoples. So they planned to stab the people of Sudan in this most precious thing they possess. They closed the ed-ucation establishments due to the chaos they have launched in Sudan. All the universities are now closed. The “mother” of the universities; “Khar-toum University” has been damaged beyond remedy! Even if the senate of the University of Khartoum decide to open it, they need months to rehabili-tate the facilities of the university to welcome the students. But the ugliest work the communists have done is that they have made a kind of “brain wash”

to the students. The students are now chanting the slogan saying that “No education in painful situation”. They havenít only closed the educational es-tablishment, but they want the students to support the closure! Now what shall we do? Shall we surrender to the com-munists and deprive our students from continuing their education? The an-swer is a big (NO). I see that the mili-tary council should immediately issue a decisive and irrevocable order to open all the educational establishments and in all levels, whether private or official. The government and the security or-ganizations should make sure that the order is fully implemented.

A few weeks ago, the Islamic Re-publicís ìSupreme Guideî Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described his regimeís decades-long conflict with the United States as a real-life re-enactment of the Tom and Jerry cartoons from Hol-lywood in which a crafty little mouse provokes the clumsy big cat into all manner of threatening gestures but always ends up emerging safe and sound. In Khameneiís bizarre depiction, the Islamic Republic is the little mouse (Jerry) and the United States the big cat (Tom). Why should Khamenei make a conflict that has done so much dam-age to Iran as a nation the subject of so frivolous a depiction is something beyond the scope of this article. No serious political leader would see a conflict with an adversary as no more than a childish game. But, we never ac-cused the Ayatollah of being a serious leader. Like Jerry, he is only interested in attracting attention by provocation and then dodging punishment, prolong-ing the life of his regime by a few more minutes, hours or even years. Khame-nei does not see the difference between the behavior of a cartoon mouse and a nation of 85 million real human beings. Jerry can be as provocative and playful as he wants because he does not need a job, a school, a hospital, a roof above his head, some food (cheese?) on his table, and a rule-based system to pro-tect his rights and dignity. Like all ide-ologues, fantasist to a fault, Khamenei has little time for reality.

But what is the reality?Khamenei says the sanctions imposed by the United States must be regarded as ìblessings in disguiseî because they preclude the quest for a modus vivendi between Tom and Jerry. ìThe sanctions have no effects but strengthen our re-sista nce,î he boasts. However, his lob-byists in the West, especially in the United States, know they cannot win any sympathy for the Islamic Repub-lic with so vacuous a claim. They have to persuade the Western public, or at least the bleeding-heart do-gooders and the useful idiots, that the sanctions imposed by the ìGreat Satanî are de-stroying the lives of ordinary Iranians without having any effect on the Kho-meinist leadership.The truth is that sanctions are affecting the lives of many ordinary Iranians in the context of what has morphed into an economic war. Contrary to claims by Khomeinist lob-byists in the West, Iran is not facing any shortage of food or medications, items not affected by sanctions. However, factories closing for lack of imported spare parts cause mass unemploy-ment while the plummeting value of the national currency fuels stagflation. Last week the government announced that more than 4800 projects have been slowed down or frozen for lack of funds. To maintain its current aver-age levels of expenditure, the Islamic Republic government would need to export 1.5 million barrels of crude oil a day. Since last March, however, ex-ports have never risen above 500,000 barrels a day.Sanctions have also led to some modi-fication of the regimeís behavior at

home and abroad. According to reli-able sources handouts to such groups as the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza have been cut by an average of 10 percent. This is certainly not enough to force any significant change of behavior by those groups but sends a signal that Tehranís traditional gener-osity may not be forever. The export of Jihadis to Syria has also dwindled to a trickle. This is partly due to the relative calming of the overall situation in that country and that Iranís presence has been reduced to enclaves in Deir az-Zour and Albukamal. Nev-ertheless, when it comes to hiring Pa-kistani and Afghan mercenaries, short-age of money must also be a factor.The regimeís cash-flow problem, part-ly caused by sanctions, has also led to virtual freezing of the controversial missile project at a range of 2000 kil-ometers.That sanctions are working could also be seen in other domains. This year the Islamic Republic did not organize its annual ìEnd of America;í and ìEnd of Israelî jamborees that usually attracted hundreds of professional America-haters, Trump-bashers and Holocaust deniers from all over the world d in-cluding the US itself. This year no in-ternational Holocaust cartoons compe-tition, held since 2006, was held while a TV serial depicting ìthe Great Satanís crimesî has been scrapped. A long-talked-of seminar of African-Americans to discuss the creation of a ìblack Muslim republicî in the United States was scrapped for lack of money. As far as we know, there was also no sign of Nation of Islam chief Louis

Farrakhan, an annual visitor, coming to extract contributions from the Islamic Republic. Interestingly, it seems that the fading star-spangled banners painted at the entrance of most public offices to be trampled under feet are no longer re-painted, undermining one of the Kho-meinist revolutionís most cherished rituals.In another register, shortage of mon-ey forced the mullahs to release over 65000 prisoners, more than a quarter of those jailed in the Islamic Republic. That meant that Iran lost its position as the world-number-one nation in a number of prisoners relative to popu-lation; it is now number-three after China and Turkey.Contrary to what Pat Buchanan in the US and Jeremy Corbyn in Britain say sanctions are working not by wrecking the lives of ordinary Iranians, who do suffer nevertheless, but by denying the mullahs the means to indulge in their deadly Tom-and-Jerry shenanigans.The question is whether, once again, we are going to witness a Groundhog Day rerun. Each time the US imposed sanctions; the mullahs took a bite of humble pie and briefly modified as-pects of their behavior as if playing a the Tom-and-Jerry script. However, once sanctions were eased, their Jerry lost no time to revert to its old tricks.The key question here is whether Trump, regarded by opponents to have an attention span no longer than a tweet, will want or be able, as a pa-tient Tom, to sit back and let time do its chastising work on the playful, pro-vocative and perverse Jerry that is the Khomeinist regime.

Open the Educational Establishments, Immediately

The ‘Cat-And-Mouse’ World of the Ayatollah

Email: zumma1888@gmail.com

Abdul Rahman AL-Zuma

I Witness

By: Alsir Sidahmed

Asaharq Al-Awsat

Amir Taheri

Dr. Kirya AhmedEmail: kiryafa7@gmail.com

CURRENT7 Sunday, June 30, 2019

How is Globalization Affecting the Role and Functions of the Nation State? (1)

By: Alula Berhe Kidani

Globalization, although not a new phenomenon, is unquestionably of paramount significance for all countries, developed or developing, rich or poor, large or small. What is globalization? How is globalization affecting the role and functions of the nation State? Is globalization «good» or «bad»? Is there a universal understanding of its potential or its costs? Can all societies benefit from globalization? Are all States adequately prepared to enable their people to seize the op-portunities of globalization while minimizing its negative effects? How should public admin-istration systems be redesigned in view of the changes occurring at the global level? Increased interdependence, which has been made possible in part by the advancements in information and communication technologies and the reduction of transportation costs, has provided people with new tools to support and disseminate the universal values of democracy, human rights, transparency, and alleviation of poverty. Information and communication tech-nologies are also contributing to the integration of the fastest growing developing countries in the global economy. It remains to be demon-strated, however, whether information tech-nology has the potential to allow countries to leapfrog stages of economic growth and to modernize.Despite the great opportunities that globaliza-tion presents, not all countries have been able to take full advantage of it. Experience has shown that some countries have fared much better than others, while some have not benefited at all.The regional perspectives show that while re-ducing the role of the State in the economic sphere and making public administration more efficient have, in many instances, brought about positive results, the retreat of the State from the social area and the weakening of state institu-tions have not allowed people to fully benefit from globalization for a number of reasons.States with weak institutions do not provide a stable and suitable environment to attract for-eign investment, promote entrepreneurial ca-pacity and favor economic exchanges; they do not create the conditions for the development of a vibrant civil society as they lack the capacity to address the persisting problems of poverty and inequality; they are unable to provide social safety nets to those who suffer as a consequence

of economic restructuring, thus preventing that all benefit from globalization.The lessons of the past also point to the basic fallacy of top-down, externally-induced, sup-ply-driven reforms, which have been overly in-fluenced by models not always pertinent to the needs of the recipient countries, taken insuffi-cient cognizance of cultural diversity and tend-ed to play down the role of the socio-economic environment in different countries and regions.In order to be successful, reforms must be «home-grown», broadly in tune with the preva-lent culture and «owned» by the people con-cerned. However, that transfers of skills and experience produce sustainable outcomes only when they correspond to an effective demand from the recipient country control of the proc-ess of adjustment, adaptation and reform. Also, Explore the question of how to make globalization work for all and how to reform the State, so that people can fully benefit from greater integration into the world economy. Ex-perience suggests that one of the main causes of the crises plaguing developing countries and the inability of some of them to integrate into the world economy is state capacity deficit. In fact, only countries that have in place an effec-tive public administration, solid political and economic institutions, adequate social policies (especially social safety nets) and a committed leadership can ensure that all sectors of society

benefit from globalization, including foreign direct investment, trade, and access to infor-mation technology. To fully integrate in the world economy, developing countries need to modernize their public sector and enhance their capacity for policy analysis, policy formulation and implementation. High priority should be given to capacity-building of three interrelated and complementary State dimensions: institu-tion-building; human resources development; and technological adequacy.The response to globalization resides on many levels. It revolves around the concept of an «intelligent, democratic State», which does not imply «big government» and is clearly anti-thetical to traditional «bureaucracy», qualified as rigid, paternalistic, intrusive and authoritar-ian. It is fully compatible with the emergence of free markets and a vibrant civil society, both of which are predicated on the existence and development of institutional frameworks maintain an enabling environment for private enterprise and other individual or collective creative pursuits. Intelligent democratic States, as chapter III and IV show, are doubly neces-sary: (a) on the national and subnational levels, to secure the rule of law, promote economic de-velopment, foster social welfare and ensure a more even-handed distribution of both the costs and benefits that flow from globalization; and (b) on the intergovernmental or supra-national

level, to secure peace and stability, and promote the rule of law in international relations. Related to this concept are the needs for stra-tegic responses to globalization. These include institution-building, reinforcement of social policies, and enhancement of professionalism and ethics. Strengthening state institutions and redefining the role of the State is paramount to development and to enabling people to seize the opportunities of globalization.With or without globalization, the State, es-pecially in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, has a very impor-tant role in financing or supplying basic social services, such as health, education and adequate infrastructure (hospitals, schools, roads, etc.). The State should focus on development and redistribution in order to empower people and to give them the instruments to live a dignified life. At the same time, the State should refrain from producing and providing goods and non-socialservices. The State could, in this respect, estab-lish clear rules and solid economic institutions that allow the market to function properly. In-terventions in the market should clearly be di-rected at correcting market failures in relation to sound political objectives.An intelligent democratic State and free markets go hand in hand. In fact, contrary to what may be the common belief, economic globalization (e.g., free trade) does not equal a laissez-faire government. Nevertheless, some political com-mentators take the position that globalization is incompatible with the Welfare State.Some urge the downsizing of government in order to meet the demands of international competition, while others decry the «race to the bottom» that globalization supposedly en-tails, and thus oppose globalization. Yet, logic and evidence suggest that these positions may not be correct for two reasons. First, interna-tional trade and investment, unlike oligopo-listic rivalry, is not a zero-sum game.In effect, trade benefits all countries because it enhances the choices of the consumer and the quality of products. All parties to volun-tary exchange gain. Second, the assumption that globalization reduces the size of govern-ment is not supported by evidence.The fact is that open («globalized») econo-mies have larger, not smaller, government expenditure. However, there might be other

reasons that explain the higher government expenditure, such as the level of overall de-velopment of a country. The majority of the «globalizers» actually registered increases in expenditure and tax revenue. Therefore, there is no evidence that globalization weakens the State. On the contrary, increased globaliza-tion goes hand in hand with higher expendi-ture. As such, globalization should not be used as an excuse to abandon the role of the government in meeting the basic needs of the citizens.While globalization has great potential, with-out appropriate domestic conditions the ad-justment costs may be too high for vulnerable groups in society. Both chapters also under-score that weak legitimization and a «demo-cratic deficit» coupled with ineffectiveness in policy development and implementation account to some extent for weak representa-tion in global fora, of the rights, needs and interests of a large part of humanity who live in developing countries. Though fully rec-ognizing the many limitations imposed by power politics coupled with vast disparities in knowledge and technology, power and wealth, the present Report argues that assisting de-veloping countries strengthen their capacity could help redress the imbalance which has adversely affected their active participation in global fora and in the world economy.In summary, this Report wants to emphasize the importance of the role which the State must assume in the face of globalization both at the national and international levels. As forceful-ly expressed by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan: the many «challenges that we confront today are beyond the reach of any State to meet on its own. At the national level, we must govern better, and at the inter-national level, we must learn to govern bet-ter together. Effective States are essential for both tasks and their capacity for both needs strengthening».In fact, «notwithstanding the institutional turmoil that is often associated with globali-zation, there exists no other entity that com-petes with or can substitute for the State. Suc-cessfully managing globalization, therefore, requires first and foremost that States act in a manner consistent with their dual role» ٌ that they are responsible towards their own society and the planet as a whole.

How should public administration systems be redesigned in view of the changes occurring at the global level?

By: Ingo Venzke

The centenary of the Treaty of Versailles should remind us how closely it connected the fragile promise of peace to the quest for social justice.

The Treaty of Versailles, which settled the scores after World War I, also set up the International Labour Organi-zation (ILO) to work towards social justice. The treaty as-serted that ‘universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice’. In the background was the Russian revolution of 1917—it was out of fear of communism that the ILO emerged.After the industrial revolution, transnational labour move-ments leaned towards strong forms of socialism, stoked fears of communist revolution and paved the way for the ILO. They placed emphasis on the power relations between labour and capital, and the inequitable distribution of gains between them.For them, the ILO was the bearer of the hope that their broad demands of social justice would be met in practice. In a truly innovative and still unique fashion, the ILO then included the representatives of workers in its tripartite structure, next to the representatives from government and employ-ers.Bottom of FormIn substantive terms, however, the ILO bracketed many of the more radical questions about how to organise the economy. The idea of social justice gradually shrank and the injustice of forms of domination and exploitation—let alone their transformation—fell from view.Today, the ILO’s public-relations tag continues to reflect this reductive understanding when it translates the ad-vancement of social justice into the promotion of decent work. Instead of the distribution of gains remaining cen-tral, the focus has been on the minimal protection of work-ers in an increasingly globalised economy which favours the haves over the have-nots.True, there has been increasing attention to high levels of inequality. And the idea of social justice is regaining its broader punch—directed at privilege rather than poverty and at power rather than protection. But a sense of why the Treaty of Versailles tied universal and lasting peace to so-cial justice is nowhere to be found. Tracing that sense over time might mitigate the risk that history repeats itself.

Nagging reminder

The spectre of communism was still haunting Europe after World War I. The ILO’s preamble claimed that ‘conditions

of labour exist, involving such injustice, hardship and pri-vation to a large number of people so as to produce unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the world is imper-illed’. Like other peace treaties, Versailles longed for the quiet prior to the war. But Soviet Russia was a nagging reminder that communism had cast its spell.The link between peace and social justice gradually wid-ened beyond a fixation with communism towards inter-state relations and rising fascism. John Maynard Keynes already argued in his The Economic Consequences of the Peace, published in 1919, that the economic subjugation of Germany would ‘sow the decay of the whole civilised life of Europe’. It was ever more apparent that social in-justice within and across countries provided a formidable breeding ground for fascism.Towards the end of World War II, allied policy once more aimed at shielding western Europe from Soviet influence, through economic reconstruction and a military bloc. But that is only part of the story. The vivid memory of eco-nomic crises in the 1920s and 30s, and the political op-portunity these provided for fascism in Europe as well as in Asia, pushed social justice to the centre of attention, for a moment even past military security.It is part of the forgotten foundations of the Bretton Woods institutions (the World Bank and the International Mon-etary Fund) that they originally had a mandate to work towards economic justice in inter-state relations. The so-called World Trade Charter once again closely linked peace and social justice—now with communism and fas-cism in mind.Fifty-three out of the 56 states at the time signed the char-ter on the closing day of the UN Conference on Trade and Employment in Havana, Cuba. The charter would have

set up the International Trade Organization (ITO), whose first article recognised that the creation of ‘conditions of stability and well-being … are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations’.It not only aimed at fair labour standards but also at more equitable economic relations generally, for instance through the regulation of primary commodities and in-dustry development. Against expectations, the ITO never came into existence to keep these ideas alive.Rather marginalised

The ILO was rather marginalised in that context. Part of its programme had been absorbed by the still-born ITO. The ILO still helped however to enshrine the aim of ‘promot[ing] social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom’ as one of the leading ends of the Unit-ed Nations. It affirmed its role with its 1944 Declaration of Philadelphia.Yet, while much praised as a counter-current to what Alain Supiot calls the ‘total market’, the declaration ac-tually showed great ambivalence: it affirmed that ‘labour is not a commodity’ and, at the same time, promoted higher levels production as well as consumption through greater volumes of trade. While it harboured fickle hopes for an equitable way of organising the economy, it foreshadowed a further reduction of what social justice would come to mean.Developments in the 1970s shaped the beliefs still preva-lent today: the contribution of trade to peace was reduced to growth through efficiency gains, and to the intertwin-ing of countries in a global division of labour. A concern for the relationship between labour and capital—and the distribution of power between them—was overtaken by

a preoccupation with growth through globalisation.In that context, the ILO continued to focus its work on worker protection and technical assistance, in a now largely decolonised world. In fact, it spearhead-ed the move towards an emphasis on basic needs, which was subsequently adopted by other institu-tions (notably the World Bank) and by human-rights discourses more generally.This was in sync with an essentially neoliberal out-look: human rights in general, and worker rights in particular, were scaled down to minimal protection. That focus has allowed the injustice of relations within and across societies to be sidelined entirely. The reasons why somebody is poor or needs protec-tion fell from view.Loaded with symbolism, in 1975 the ILO left its premises on the lake of Geneva to the secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (which developed into the World Trade Organization in

1995). The building which once proclaimed that labour is not a commodity now houses the organisation that fa-cilitates global production around the commodity of la-bour. The spirit of social justice has been left wandering in some despair.

Compelling reminders

The centenary of the Treaty of Versailles should not only evoke images of World War I. It should also prompt us to recover and reconsider venerable beliefs about the link between peace and social justice. The ILO disap-pointed the hopes of the labour movements at the time—that it would strengthen the position of labour in relation to capital. The organisation’s tripartite structure and its very existence nevertheless still serve as compelling re-minders of the widespread conviction that universal and lasting peace is only available if it is based on social justice.That belief came to the fore even more prominently in the institutional designs of the period after World War II. Postwar plans were shaped by the experience of fascism, adjacent to the continuing fear of communism. But con-cerns for social justice were again sidelined by arresting military, potentially nuclear, confrontation and then by the neoliberal fixation on efficiency gains in globalised production.Today, the implosive potential of inequality again captures attention and pushes old questions back on the agenda. Tracing how the Treaty of Versailles linked peace to so-cial justice may allow a recognition that what used to be known should not have to be learned anew.

Social Justice in the Treaty of Versailles: A Very Brief History

8INTERVIEWS

Sunday, June 30, 2019SCIENCE

Mexico Struggles to Understand, Solve, Seaweed Invasion

AP

MEXICO CITY: Mexico has spent $17 million to remove over a half-million tons of sargassum seaweed from its Caribbean beaches, and the problem doesn’t seem likely to end any time soon, experts told an international conference Thursday.The floating mats of algae seldom reached the famed beaches around Cancun until 2011, but they’re now severely affecting tourism, with visitors often facing stinking mounds of rotting seaweed at the waterline.Initial reports suggested the seaweed came from an area of the Atlantic off the northern coast of Brazil, near the mouth of the Amazon River. Increased nutrient flows from deforestation or fertilizer runoff could be feeding the algae bloom.But experts like oceanographer Donald R. Johnson said, “Do not blame the Brazilians.” Johnson said it appears that other causes contribute, like nutrient flows from the Congo River.Increased upwelling of nutrient-laden deeper ocean water in the tropical Atlantic and dust blowing in from Africa may also be playing a role, according to Johnson, a senior researcher at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.While it sometimes appears sargassum mats float west into the Caribbean, experts say the seaweed actually appears to be sloshing back and forth between the Caribbean and Africa.

It all has the local population — which depends of tourism — fed up.“Fighting sargassum is a chore every day,” said Cancun Mayor Mara Lezama. “You clean the beaches in the morning, and sometimes you clean them again in the afternoon or at night, and then you have to go back and clean it again.”Ricardo del Valle, a business owner in the seaside resort of Playa del Carmen, said, “We offer sun and sand, nothing else. That is what we’re selling. And right now we’re fooling our tourists.”Their anger increased this week when President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador visited the coast and downplayed the seriousness of the problem. He recently said he would not contract out the work of cleaning up sargassum — or gathering it before it reaches shore — but will put the Mexican Navy in charge of building collector boats and cleaning the sea.“I haven’t talked much about this, because I don’t see it as a very serious issue, as some claim it is,” Lopez Obrador said. “No, no, we’re going to solve it.”Sargassum is not just a problem for Mexico; it affects, to a greater or lesser degree, all the islands in the Caribbean.“We are seeing a major impact on our countries, economically, socially,” said June Soomer, the general secretary of the Association of Caribbean States, noting massive arrivals of seaweed “are now considered national emergencies” in some Caribbean counties like Barbados.

AFP

ZASAVICA, Serbia: White, dense and rich in flavor, Serbia’s one-of-a-kind donkey cheese is not only tasty but good for your health, says maker Slobodan Simic.There’s only one catch — at 1,000 euros ($1,130) a kilogram, it may well be the most expensive cheese in the world.Since 2012, Simic and his team of farmers have been milking a herd of more than 200 donkeys who live on a nature reserve northern Serbia called Zasavica.Their milk has similar properties to breastmilk and is touted by Simic as a cure for a range of ailments, including asthma and bronchitis.“A human baby can take this milk from the first day, without having it diluted,” he says, calling it a “wonder of nature.”While a lack of scientific studies make it difficult to assess its health properties, the milk is high in protein and has been recognized

by the UN as a good alternative for those with allergies to cow’s milk.But “what no one in the world does, and could never make, is the donkey cheese,” Simic says of his flagship product.Donkey milk has low levels of casein — a type of protein that acts as a binding agent in cheese-making.But a staff member at Zasavica discovered that portions of donkey milk could be mixed with some from goats in order to

craft the crumbly mounds of cheese.The mixture also helps make up for the fact that donkeys produce less than a liter of milk a day — a fraction of the 40 liters a cow can provide.The farm sells between six and 15 kilos of cheese a year, mainly to foreigners and tourists who visit, says Simic.They also produce donkey milk soap and liquor.For Simic, the business is also a way to protect the Balkan donkey,

an animal that has become less prevalent as machines take their place in agriculture.“We are maintaining the need for this animal and now there are more and more donkey farms, the demand for donkeys is higher... which is a very good thing for us and the region,” he says.The unique product made headlines in 2012 after false rumors spread that Serbia’s tennis star Novak Djokovic had bought up an annual supply — which he denied.

‘Wonder of Nature’: Serbia’s Ultra-Expensive Donkey Cheese

AFP

BERLIN: A bomb likely dating to World War II exploded in a field in western Germany leaving a huge crater but no injuries, police said Monday.The explosion left a 10-meter (33 feet) wide and four-meter deep hole after residents in Limburg, heard a loud noise and felt the earth shake at 0352 (0152 GMT) on Sunday morning.“The crater was examined on Monday by an explosive ordnance clearance service to find possible fragments,” a police spokesman told AFP.“The area was used for target practice during the Second World War,” he added.A bomb disposal service spokesman said it was “highly possible” WW II ordnance was involved.A local government spokesman in the nearby city of Darmstadt told German daily Bild it was believed the bomb had a chemical-based delayed timer which could have finally eroded.Nearly 75 years after the end of war, Germany remains littered with unexploded ordnance, a legacy of the Allied bombing campaign against Nazi Germany.Earlier this month, a 100-kilo (220-pound) US bomb from the war, discovered during building work near a shopping complex, was defused in central Berlin after the evacuation of around 3,000 people.According to experts, 10 percent of the millions of bombs dropped on Germany during the conflict did not explode.

AFP

CARPENTRAS, FRANCE: Temperatures in France surpassed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) Friday for the first time on record as Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave that has caused several deaths.With France, Spain, Italy and parts of central Europe hard hit by the record-breaking temperatures, officials pleaded with people to take precautions.France’s new record temperature of 45.9 degrees C (114.6 degrees F) was registered in Gallargues-le-Montueux, a village in the southern department of Gard near Montpellier, breaking successive records set earlier in the day, the Meteo-France weather service told AFP.This is the same area where the previous high of 44.1 degrees Celsius was set in August 2003. Records began at the turn of the 20th century.The weather service said the new high was comparable to August temperatures in California’s Death Valley.Earlier Friday, the mercury rose above 44 degrees C in the southeastern French town of Carpentras. The town was deserted, with cafe owners contemplating empty terraces which would normally be packed. “We have never seen this!” one exclaimed.The new record makes France just the seventh

European country to have recorded a plus 45-degree temperature, along with Bulgaria, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece and North Macedonia, Meteo France said.Two deaths linked to the heatwave were reported in Spain.A Spanish teenager felt dizzy while helping harvest wheat in the southern Andalusia region, took a dip in a swimming pool, and collapsed in convulsions.He was rushed to hospital in the town of Cordoba where he died, the regional government said.A 93-year-old man collapsed and died on the street in the northern Spanish city of Valladolid, police said, giving heatstroke as the cause of death.Heat-related deaths have also been reported in Italy, France and Germany, mainly among the elderly.France remains haunted by the memory of the devastating heatwave of August 2003 which exposed the shortcomings of emergency services at the height of the summer holidays.That year, nearly 15,000 people are estimated to have died because of the heat, many of them elderly people at home.“I want to appeal to the sense of responsibility of citizens — there are avoidable deaths in every heatwave,” said French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Scientists warn that global warming linked to human fossil fuel use could make such scorchers more frequent.Germany’s national weather service said the country experienced temperatures more than four degrees higher in June than the average, on one measure.French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn warned people tempted to plunge into cold water, both young and old, to do so only in designated public bathing areas, adding that four people have drowned since the beginning of the week.On Thursday, Buzyn lamented that despite a barrage of public health warnings on radio, TV and on public transport, some parents were still leaving their children in hot cars and joggers were out exercising in the midday heat.A six-year-old Syrian child was seriously injured north of Paris Thursday after being catapulted into the air by water gushing from an open fire hydrant and then crashing to the ground.The incident occurred in the multi-ethnic Saint-Denis neighborhood, where “uncapping” hydrants has long been used as a way to cool off.In the Italian city of Milan, a 72-year-old homeless man was found dead at the main train station Thursday after falling ill in the heatwave.

Mercury Tops 45C in France as Deadly Heatwave Roasts Europe

Suspected World War II Bomb Blasts Crater in German Field

GeekWire

Rocket Lab executed a picture-perfect first launch for Seattle’s Spaceflight Inc., putting BlackSky’s Global-3 Earth-observing satellite and six other small spacecraft into orbit from tis New Zealand launch pad.The Los Angeles-based launch company nicknamed today’s mission “Make It Rain,” in honor of Spaceflight and its allegedly drizzly home base.In contrast to the nickname, the weather was crystal-clear and sunny for liftoff at 4:30 p.m. June 29 New Zealand time (9:30 p.m. PT June 28) from Rocket Lab’s Launch

Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The launch had been delayed twice this week, just to make sure all systems were go, but today’s countdown was trouble-free.The ascent of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket looked trouble-free as well. After the first two stages did their job, the rocket’s kick stage entered what Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck called a “perfect transfer orbit” in preparation for satellite deployment.Less than an hour later, Beck said all of the payloads had been deployed. “Perfect flight,” he said in a tweet.Spaceflight concurred: “Everything looks great,” the company tweeted in reply.

Global-3 is the biggest satellite on the manifest. It’s the third satellite in a constellation that’s being put into orbit for BlackSky — which, like Spaceflight, is a subsidiary of Seattle-based Spaceflight Industries. BlackSky focuses on Earth observation and geospatial intelligence, while Spaceflight deals with launch logistics.Today’s launch represented the first result of a three-rocket rideshare deal that Spaceflight struck with Rocket Lab a year ago.In addition to Global-3, the payloads included two Prometheus satellites, built by Los Alamos National Laboratory for the U.S.

Special Operations Command. The demonstration satellites are about the size of a loaf of bread and are designed to transfer data in a store-and-forward mode as they circle the planet.Two of Swarm Technologies’ SpaceBEE communication satellites were also on board. Swarm got into trouble last year for deploying cracker-sized satellites in orbit without the required go-ahead from the Federal Communications Commission, but these satellites posed no such problem.The sixth satellite is ACRUX-1, an experimental spacecraft built by students in Australia’s Melbourne Space Program. The identity of the seventh satellite has not been disclosed.BlackSky is aiming to add at least five more satellites to its Global constellation by the end of this year, and plans to double its tally to at least 16 by the end of 2020. The Global satellites are being built in Tukwila, Wash., by LeoStella, a joint venture between Spaceflight Industries and Thales Alenia Space.Earlier this month, BlackSky announced a partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office to provide satellite imagery to the defense and intelligence communities. BlackSky is also offering commercial Earth imagery, with a business plan that focuses on providing time-sensitive satellite data at relatively low cost with low latency.Today marked the third launch of the year for Rocket Lab, and the seventh launch overall. Last year the company reported a $140 million investment round and began work on its second launch complex, located at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Virginia’s Wallops Island.

Rocket Lab launches Seven Small Satellites from New Zealand for Seattle’s Spaceflight

WORLD NEWS9 Sunday, June 30, 2019

AFPBENGHAZI: Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar has ordered his forces to attack Turkish ships and interests in the country, his spokesman said on Friday, accusing Turkey of backing his rivals in Libyaís conflict.ìOrders have been given to the air force to target Turkish ships and boats in Libyan territorial waters,î said General Ahmad Al-Mesmari, adding that ìTurkish strategic sites, companies and projects belonging to the Turkish state (in Libya) are con-sidered legitimate targets by the armed forces.îHaftarís self-styled Liby-an National Army, which holds eastern Libya and much of the countryís south, launched an offen-sive to take the capital in early April.Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising that top-pled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, with a multitude of militias vying for control of the oil-rich country.Haftar, a retired general who had taken part in the

revolt against Qaddafi, unleashed an offensive in May 2014 to purge Libya of Islamists he branded ìterrorists.îMesmari added ìall Turk-ish nationals on Libyan territory will be arrest-edî and ìall flights to and from Turkey will be banned.î He did not ex-plain how the flight ban could apply to areas not under Haftarís control.The spokesman ac-cused Turkey of helping Haftarís rivals ó the in-ternationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) ó seize the town of Gharyan, around 100 kilometers (around 60 miles) south-west of Tripoli.Haftar on Wednesday lost control of the city he had seized on April 2 and made his center of opera-tions.Both sides accuse each other of using foreign mercenaries and receiv-ing military support from foreign powers.Haftar has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt and accuses Turkey and Qatar of sup-porting the GNA.

ReutersRAMALLAH: A day after the Trump administration wrapped up an international conference meant to lay the economic foun-dations for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Palestinian premier said it was ìdivorced from reali-tyî and unlikely to evolve into a political plan.Washington billed the two-day workshop in Bahrain as the first stage of its broader blueprint to resolve the Middle East con-flict. US Gulf Arab allies said the economic initiative had promise if a political settlement is reached.But Palestinian Prime Minis-ter Mohammad Shtayyeh told Reuters on Thursday he felt the initiative ìwill not really mate-rialize and itís not going to go anywhere.îìBahrain was just simply a terri-ble exercise. I think itís an eco-nomic workshop that has been fully and totally divorced from reality,î he said in his office in the West Bank city of Ramal-lah. ì(It was) no more than an intellectual exercise.îThe Bahrain ìPeace to Prosper-itytî workshop called for a $50 billion investment fund to stim-ulate the Palestinian and neigh-boring Arab state economies, more than half to be spent in the Palestinian territories over 10 years. But Palestinian lead-ers boycotted the conference and are refusing to engage with the White House ó accusing it of pro-Israel bias after US Pres-ident Donald Trump recognized

Jerusalem as Israelís capital in 2017. The Palestinians demand East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.The political details of the long-delayed plan, which is spear-headed by Trumpís son-in-law Jared Kushner, remain a secret known only to a handful of people. Kushner and Trumpís Mideast envoy Jason Green-blatt say the political elements will be unveiled later, possibly after a second snap Israeli elec-tion set for September.But Palestinians fear the Trump team may abandon the ìtwo-state solution,î which envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel. ìWe havenít seen in the paper any reference

to (Israeli) occupation, to set-tlements, to Palestine, to two states, to 1967 borders, to Je-rusalem and so on,î Shtayyeh said. Of the Israelis, he said: ìThe debate in Israel today, itís very unfortunate that it is not between those who want to end occupation and those who want to maintain occupation. The de-bate in Israel today is between those who want to maintain the status quo and those who want to annex certain parts of the West Bank.îIsrael captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, territories where the Pales-tinians now seek statehood.Days before an Israeli election in April, Prime Minister Ben-

jamin Netanyahu pledged to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank if he won.Shtayyeh, a member of Pales-tinian President Mahmoud Ab-basís Fatah faction, was named in March to replace Rami Al-Hamdallah, who had spear-headed reconciliation efforts with Fatahís principal inter-nal rival, the Islamist Hamas, which rules Gaza.Few doubt the economist Shtayyehís grasp of financial issues facing the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercis-es limited self-rule in the West Bank. He formerly headed PECDAR, the Palestinian Eco-nomic Council for Develop-ment and Reconstruction.But he inherited a government

squeezed by steep US aid cuts, the crisis exacerbated by a po-litical dispute with Israel over the withholding of some 5 per-cent of the approximately $190 million monthly tax revenues that Israel transfers to the Pal-estinian Authority.The mounting financial pres-sures on the PA have sent its debt soaring to $3 billion, and led to a severe contraction in its estimated $13 billion GDP economy, according to the PAís top central banker.Shtayyeh said the fundamental economic problem was Israelís continuing occupation of the West Bank, which meant Pal-estinians ìdonít control our bor-ders, we donít control our entry points, our exit points, and we have no control of our land.îThe current financial crisis, he said, had been exacerbated by the tax dispute with Israel.Israel said the sum it is with-holding is to match stipends sent by the PA to families of Palestinian militants in Israeli jails, payments Israel says en-courage attacks.The PA has refused to accept any tax transfers until those funds are restored. The short-fall, Shtayyeh said, had con-tributed to the PA ó the largest employer in the Palestinian Ter-ritories ó having to cut its own civil servants salaries in half.He warned that this situation could soon weaken the PA se-curity forces that work closely with Israelís military in the West Bank.

APVIENNA: Senior officials from Iran and the remaining signatories to its 2015 nu-clear deal met Friday with the future of the accord under threat as Tehran was poised to surpass a uranium stockpile threshold.At the heart of the meeting is Iranís de-sire for Europe to deliver on promises of financial relief from US sanctions that are crippling the countryís economy. Iran insists it wants to save the agree-ment and has urged the Europeans to start buying Iranian oil or give Iran a credit line to keep the accord alive.There was no comment from partici-pants who arrived at a Vienna hotel to take part in the regular quarterly meet-ing of the accordís so-called joint com-mission, which brings together senior officials from Iran, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and the European Union. The main session of the meeting lasted about three hours.The agreement was aimed at curbing Iranís nuclear ambitions in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. The US withdrew from the accord last year and has imposed new sanctions on Iran in hopes of forcing Tehran into negotiating

a wider-ranging deal. President Donald Trump said on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Japan that ìthereís no rushî to ease current tensions with Iran. ìThereís absolutely no time pressure,î he added. ìI think that in the end, hope-fully, itís going to work out. If it does, great. And if doesnít, youíll be hearing

about it.î Iran recently quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium. It previously said it would surpass a 300-kilogram stockpile limit set by the ac-cord by Thursday, but an Iranian official said it was below the limit Wednesday and there would be no new assessment until ìafter the weekend.î It is currently

a holiday weekend in Iran.European countries are pressing for Iran to comply in full with the accord, though they have not specified what the conse-quences would be of failing to do so. But Iranian officials maintain that even if it surpasses the enrichment limit, it would not be breaching the deal, and say such a move could be reversed quickly.The Europeans also face a July 7 dead-line set by Tehran to offer long-promised relief from US sanctions, or Iran says it will also begin enriching its uranium closer to weapons-grade levels.Iranian state TV reported Thursday that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter urging European sig-natories to the accord to implement their commitments, saying Iranís next steps depend on that.Britain, France and Germany are final-izing a complicated barter-type system known as INSTEX to maintain trade with Iran and avoid US sanctions, as part of efforts to keep the nuclear deal afloat. It would help ensure trade between Iran and Europe by allowing buyers and sell-ers to exchange money without rely-ing on the usual cross-border financial transactions.

Iran, European Partners Meet with Nuclear Accord Threatened

Trade, Climate Change Threaten G20 Accord Iraq Condemns Attack on Bahraini Embassy

in BaghdadFrank KaneOSAKA: The opening day of the 2019 G20 summit of world leaders closed without the tur-bulence many had predicted, but there was still concern that tensions over trade and climate change could derail the new-found cordiality on day two.US President Donald Trump ó around whom many of the forecasts of antagonism had swirled ó seemed in lightheart-ed mood, and was even able to joke with his Russian counter-part Vladimir Putin about al-leged Russian meddling in US elections.There was an outbreak of cor-diality, too, between Trump and the Japanese Prime Min-ister, Shinzo Abe, with the lat-ter unveiling a list of Japanese investments in the US, as well as a jovial ìfamily photographî gathering in which Saudi Ara-bia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman figured promi-nently. The crown prince had a prominent position alongside Trump at the first discussion session between the leaders, focusing on data technology. Saudi Arabia joined other G20 countries in signing the ìOsaka declarationî calling for ìeffec-tive useî of data to promote

economic growth. A bilateral meeting was held Saturday be-tween the crown prince and the US leader to discuss the issue of Iran.The Saudi leader is due to have private meetings with several other G20 leaders at the event, people close to the Saudi del-egation said.Saudi Arabia is also preparing to take over the G20 baton from Japan after being awarded the right to stage the summit in Ri-

yadh next year.In a briefing af-ter the first day of the summit, the international spokesman for Japanís G20 presidency, Take-shi Osuga, said that progress had been made in closed-door sessions on trade. Leaders had agreed that trade disputes pre-sented a risk to the global econ-omy and recognized the need to reform the dispute-settlement mechanisms of the World Trade Organization.He said there had been ìno nota-

ble dissentî on climate change. ìThe sherpas (advisers to the leaders) are working hard at a good outcome document and weíll see it tomorrow,î Osuga added, referring to the end-of-summit communique that tradi-tionally closes the G20 and is intended to show the leadersí unity. But observers cautioned against reading too much into the first dayís gathering of the most powerful leaders in the world when many of the po-

tentially troublesome meetings are due to take place on Satur-day, including the long-awaited face-to-face between Trump and President Xi Jinping of China on the thorny subject of trade hostilities between the two biggest economies.There were hints of tensions below the surface in early com-ments by Xi and EU leaders.The Chinese president warned of the dangers of protectionism in world trade ó one of Trumpís most often used tactics ó which he said was endangering the global commercial system.ìAll this is destroying the glo-bal trade order. This also af-fects the common interests of our countries, and overshadows peace and stability worldwide,î he said. Chinese concern was echoed by the Japanese lead-er, who had been the target of barbed tweets by Trump over security.ìI harbor great concern about the current situation on global trade.The world is watching the direction at which we are go-ing. Now is the time we com-municate a strong message for the maintenance and strength-ening of a free, fair and non-discriminatory trading system,î Abe said.

Arab NewsBAGHDAD: Iraq on Friday condemned an ìattackî by protesters on the Bahraini Embassy that prompted Manama to recall its ambassador from Baghdad.Upset by Manamaís hosting of a US-led Middle East peace conference, at least 200 stormed the Bahraini Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday night to protest against Bahrainís participation in the US-led econom-ic ìdeal of the centuryî plan for Palestine. Around 54 people were reportedly arrested.Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdiís office issued a statement early on Friday that read: ìThe Iraqi gov-ernment will never tolerate such acts, and affirms its absolute rejection of any action threatening diplomatic missions.î Iraqi authorities deployed additional troops to disperse the protesters and secure the embassy, which sources said appeared to have been targeted by Kataíib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful pro-Ira-nian armed factions in Iraq.The protesters burned US and Bahraini flags outside the embassy in Mansour, western Baghdad, before en-tering the inner courtyard, taking down the Bahraini flag and replacing it with a Palestinian flag. The ges-ture seemingly symbolized their rejection of US Presi-dent Donald Trumpís recently unveiled economic plan to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.Bahraini capital Manama this week hosted a two-day ìPeace to Prosperityî workshop to discuss the plan, which was attended by Jared Kushner, Trumpís advis-er. Palestinian authorities rejected the proposal, which does not address the two-state solution, and refused to participate in the workshop.Although shots were heard ringing out in the vicinity of the embassy for about eight minutes, no casualties were immediately reported. Iraqi Interior Minister Yassin Al-Yassiri went to the embassy in an attempt to ìcalm the situationî and meet the Bahraini ambassador. Security was heightened in nearby areas. Saad Maan, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said Al-Yassiri had stressed that the security of embassies and diplomatic mis-sions is a red line that must not be crossed under any circumstances. He also revealed that the minister will appoint a committee to investigate the incident and the individuals responsible for ensuring the safety and se-curity of the embassy and its staff.

Palestinian PM Expects No Political Plan from US Bahrain Workshop

Libya’s Haftar Orders Forces to Attack Turkish Ships and Interests: Spokesman

Sunday, June 30, 201910 SDGs PLATFORM Edited by: Alula Berhe Kidani

Elsa Tsioumani, Ph.D. Thematic Expert on Biodiversity (Greece)

: A working group meet-ing on access and benefit-sharing of plant genetic re-sources made progress on a listing of crops and revising the agreement for exchange of material. The meeting was suspended to allow for additional deliberation before a Gov-erning Body in November 2019.The ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to En-hance the Functioning of the Multi-lateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of the Inter-national Treaty on Plant Genetic Re-sources for Food and Agriculture (IT-PGRFA) convened from 17-21 June 2019, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), in Rome, Italy.Delegates reached tentative compro-mise to amend Annex I of the Treaty (list of crops in the MLS), to include all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture under the manage-ment and control of parties and in the public domain, in ex situ condi-tions, while allowing for reasoned na-tional exemptions regarding a limited number of native species.Delegates also made significant progress on revising the Standard Ma-terial Transfer Agreement (SMTA) used for exchanges of material in the MLS, in order to enhance monetary benefit-sharing. The Working Group agreed on a package of measures, also known as the “growth plan,” includ-ing a series of procedural steps to al-low for simultaneous adoption of the revised SMTA and the amendment of Annex I, and a time period for ratifi-cation and entry into force of the new Annex I.Negotiations continued on the draft revised SMTA. The Working Group made significant progress in detail-ing the envisaged subscription sys-tem for access to MLS crops, while also providing for access to the MLS with no subscription, as an exception. Delegates addressed technical provi-sions, regarding, inter alia, dispute settlement, obligations of the recipi-ent of material in case of withdrawal from the SMTA, and transfers of plant genetic resources for food and agri-

culture that are still under develop-ment. The Working Group also dealt with historically controversial issues, such as the role of intellectual prop-erty rights and their relationship with benefit-sharing and farmers’ rights, mapping options for potential com-promise and packages to be presented to the Governing Body. Benefit-shar-ing from transfers of genetic sequence data (also addressed as digital se-quence information), and the specific rates for benefit-sharing payments are the main outstanding issues. As a re-sult, the meeting was suspended, to allow for additional time to finalize negotiations, following consultations at the national and regional level. The Working Group will reconvene for three days before the eighth session of the Treaty’s Governing Body (GB 8), which will take place from 11-16 November 2019, in Rome, Italy. GB 8 is expected to adopt the amended Annex I of the Treaty and the revised SMTA.The Working Group is composed of up to 30 representatives: up to five from Europe; up to five from Asia; up to five from Latin America and the Caribbean; up to three from the Near East; up to two from North America; and up to two from Southwest Pacific. Up to two representatives from each of the following groups may partici-pate as observers: civil society organ-izations; the seed industry; farmers’ organizations; and the CGIAR Con-sortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR Consor-tium). The Working Group was first established by the fifth session of the Governing Body (September 2013, Muscat, Oman) with a mandate to en-hance the Treaty’s MLS. It has since focused on the revision of the SMTA and elaboration of a subscription sys-tem for user-based payments to the MLS, and, more recently, on options for possible adaptation of the MLS coverage.

Consensus within Reach for Plant Treaty Working Group to Revise ABS System

SDG Platform

The SDG Lab, a multi-stake-holder initiative to support SDG actors based in Geneva, Swit-zerland, launched a toolkit that provides insight into the meth-ods, tools and techniques that can help deliver on the 2030 Agenda. The toolkit is intended to support users in localizing the SDGs, testing new tools, connecting with new stakehold-ers, incubating partnerships, co-creating solutions, and learning from other implementation suc-cesses and challenges.The SDG Lab toolkit titled, ‘Activating the 2030 Agenda,’ was launched on 25 June 2019. It consolidates 11 tools that have been tested since the Lab’s founding, which are grouped according to the Lab’s four ar-eas of work. Those areas are:

Connect, Amplify, Ask Ques-tions and Innovate.The tools outlined under ‘Con-nect’ seek to help create new opportunities for actors to co-create solutions and exchange information, experiences, and ideas for collaboration. The ‘Amplify’ section of the toolkit outlines ways to learn from

and build on each other’s prac-tice, and the ‘Ask Questions’ seeks to support users in ask-ing key questions that uncover new ways of thinking and new paths to action. The ‘Innovate’ section of the toolkit encour-ages experimentation with new approaches, formats and proc-esses, as well as risk-taking and

learning from failure.The toolkit provides an over-view of what each tool aims to achieve, why it should be con-sidered, how to implement it, a list of practical suggestions, and templates. It also contains a list of additional resources devel-oped by organizations within the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem – a multi-stakeholder initiative that mobilizes Geneva’s capac-ity, skills, experience and ideas to implement the SDGs. These additional resources are catego-rized as whether they relate to process, assessment, technol-ogy, human rights, and SDGs in general.The SDG Lab is led by the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG). The Lab was publicly launched on 1 June 2017, and is also a co-con-vener, with IISD, of the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem.

SDG Lab Launches Toolkit to Advance the 2030 Agenda

Nathalie Risse, Ph.D. Thematic Expert for 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Canada)

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has issued the first annual edi-tion of the ‘SDG Pulse,’ an on-line statistical publication that reports on developments relat-ing to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs based on analysis of several global indicators. The indicators include those relat-ed to SDGs 10, 16 and 17, which will be reviewed in depth during the July 2019 ses-sion of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).The SDG Pulse was launched on 25 June 2019, during UNCTAD’s annual Trade De-velopment Board meeting, convening in Geneva, Switzerland, from 25-28 June.Using a selected set of the official SDG indicators and complementary data and statistics, the online publication provides an update on the evolution of thematic is-sues related to the 2030 Agenda. The first edition considers multilateralism for trade and development, productive growth and structural transformation. It also discusses indicators related to SDGs 2 (zero hunger), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure),

10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (sustainable cities and communities), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (partner-ships for the Goals).Current estimates of GDP in many develop-ing countries are too low, thus overstating global economic inequality.For example, on Goal 16, the report reflects on SDG indicator 16.4.1 (Total value of inward and outward illicit financial flows), which is currently categorized in ‘Tier 3’ of the global indicator framework, meaning that the methodology for its measurement has not been agreed. SDG Pulse states that UNCTAD and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which are the possible “custodian agencies” for this indicator, are working together on: an agreed statistical framework for the measurement of illicit financial flows (IFFs); a unified concep-

tualization of IFFs; and a first set of statistical meas-urement methodologies to be tested in developing countries, where the ef-fects of IFFs on resources for development are most damaging. This work aims to provide the affected countries with detailed evidence to inform their policies to fight IFFs.The 2019 edition also dis-cusses some measurement issues regarding inequality, which is the theme of the

July 2019 session of the HLPF. The publi-cation notes that this issue is complex, and that depending on the variable selected or the time horizon analyzed, global inequal-ity may be said to be falling or rising. It also cautions against discussing economic ine-quality “in general,” as the quality of gross domestic product (GDP) estimates varies enormously, particularly in developing countries with large informal economies. It adds that current estimates of GDP in many developing countries are too low, thus over-stating global economic inequality.SDG Pulse also highlights UNCTAD’s tool-box for aligning technical cooperation with the SDGs. Per the publication, the toolbox features 28 technical cooperation projects, and in 2018, 249 projects were undertaken, accounting for USD43.7 million.

UNCTAD Releases First Annual Statistical Analysis of Selected SDGs

Catherine Benson Wahlén Thematic Expert for Human Devel-opment, Human Settlements and Sus-tainable Development (US)

The Group of 20 (G20) Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth adopted a framework for ac-tion on marine plastic litter. In a Com-munique, the G20 Environment Min-isters call for action to tackle marine plastic litter and microplastics, among other types of marine litter, and to ad-dress the adverse impacts on marine ecosystems, livelihoods, industries and human health. The Ministerial Meeting convened from 15-16 June 2019, in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, ahead of the G20 Summit in Osaka, from 28-29 June. Discussions ad-dressed energy innovation, energy security, energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear energy, fossil fuels, energy access and affordability, and adaptation and resilient infrastruc-ture, including ecosystem-based ap-proaches.The ‘G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter,’ builds on the G20 Action Plan on Marine Litter that was adopted at the G20 Summit in 2017, in Hamburg, Germany. The new action framework is anticipated to complement the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) work on marine litter and single-use plastics. The Implementation Frame-work aims to facilitate further actions on marine litter while taking into ac-count national policies, approaches and circumstances.To implement the action plan, the

G20 will promote a comprehensive life-cycle approach to “urgently and effectively” prevent and reduce plas-tic litter discharge into the ocean. The approach will focus on land-based sources in particular, and pursue ac-tion including environmentally sound waste management, clean up of ma-rine plastic litter, prevention and re-duction of plastic waste generation and littering. It will also promote sus-tainable consumption and production

(SCP), including resource efficiency, circular economy and sustainable ma-terials management. The action plan further promotes deployment of inno-vative solutions, in cooperation with existing international initiatives and fora, and international cooperation to enhance national capacities.In a Communique, the G20 Environ-ment Ministers recognize that such action contributes to the SDGs, par-ticularly SDG 12 (responsible con-

sumption and production). Ministers further recognize the importance of SDG 12 to addressing environmental challenges, managing resources sus-tainability and creating jobs, among other goals. The Communique high-lights the contribution of improving resource efficiency to marine litter, and supports a life-cycle approach to reduce waste discharge into the world’s oceans.The implementation framework out-

lines key actions to share informa-tion on relevant policies, plans and measures taken, or to be taken, in line with the G20’s 2017 Action Plan on Marine Litter on a voluntary basis. Information sharing actions aim to promote peer learning from best prac-tices and utilize opportunities to co-organize with relevant meetings, such as the G20 Resource Efficiency Dia-logue during the Japanese Presidency. The Government of Japan will sup-port the development of a portal site for efficient information sharing and updating.The G20 members also agree to en-gage in activities on marine litter be-yond the G20 to maximize synergies, particularly with UNEP. G20 mem-bers will place emphasis on regional cooperation with relevant regional initiatives and bodies, including Re-gional Seas Programs and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), and invite relevant interna-tional organizations to develop policy options and tools to support best prac-tices. The G20 encourages the devel-opment of global-scale monitoring of marine litter, using harmonized meth-odologies, and encourages scientific communities and experts to identify and estimate the sources, pathways and fate of plastic waste leakage.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, which is hosting the G20 summit, has identified reducing marine plastic waste as a key priority for Japan’s G20 Presidency. The G20 website notes that Japan, “as a nation surrounded by oceans, is seriously addressing this urgent issue,” and expresses support for ‘Plastics Smart’ initiatives includ-ing to separate and recycle waste.

G20 Environment Ministers Adopt Framework to Tackle Marine Litter

11HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Edited by: Alula Berhe Kidani

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Midyear Update: Returning Refugees Pressure Grows in a Pivotal Year

Mashreq 2.0: Boosting Growth and Creating Jobs through Digital Transformation

New Humanitarian

The pressure remains high on millions of vulnerable people to return to danger-ous homelands, with 2019 showing itself to be a pivotal year for the four largest refugee crises: Syrians, Afghans, South Sudanese, and Myanmarís Rohingya account for around half the worldís reg-istered refugees, not to mention millions more internally displaced people.

Whatís new:More and more Syrian refugees are heading home, in some cases under pressure from host governments, but given how widely the figures vary, we canít be sure exactly how many: While the UNís refugee agency, UNHCR, was able to verify 21,000 returns from Janu-ary through early April, Turkey said in late May that 329,000 people had re-turned to Afrin alone since the countryís forces took control of the Syrian-Kurd-ish enclave last year. Afghans continue to face pressure to re-turn on multiple fronts. The UN record-ed more than 220,000 returns this year from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan; UN agencies are planning for at least 680,000 by the end of 2019. The threat of deportation has eased in Pakistan but heightened in Iran, the source of the vast majority of recent returnees. In Europe, Afghan asylum seekers are increasingly seeing their claims rejected, and thou-sands each year are returned.The UNís envoy for South Sudan has said that half a million refugees and displaced people have gone home since last yearís fragile peace deal, and in Bangladesh nearly one million Ro-hingya refugees are still in limbo. The cramped refugee settlements have the population of a city, but Rohingya canít attend formal schooling or legally work. Bangladesh has not announced new re-patriation plans following two aborted attempts last year, but the government says the Rohingya must one day return home.

Why weíre watching:Even as some Syrians come back from internal displacement or exile, more than 330,000 people have just fled a government assault in the rebel-held northwest. Some returning refugees have reportedly met with arrest and in-terrogation, and others have found their homes destroyed and difficulty making a living.

Afghans are coming home to a country wracked by war and disaster. Civilian deaths from conflict are at a 10-year high, 132,000 people are newly dis-placed by fighting this year, and drought and floods have displaced even more.Not all south Sudanese are interested in going home: some have said that they are concerned about interrupting their childrenís education.In Myanmar, UN investigators say the government has done little to ensure that Rohingya will be safe should they choose to return. At the same time, con-flicts new and old continue to trap civil-ians while humanitarian access shrinks: the UN says 30,000 civilians have been displaced this year in Rakhine State as the military clashes with the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine rebel group.Keep in mind:Kenya is set to begin closing the Dadaab refugee camp, home to 211,000 mainly Somali refugees, at the end of August. The government flagged its intention to shutter the camp in 2016, claiming ñ without evidence ñ that it was a terrorist training ground. It has already stopped the registration of new arrivals, and cur-rent residents will be relocated to other

camps in Kenya or encouraged to return to war-torn SomaliaIn an effort to continue monitoring refu-geesí intentions and aspirations vis-‡-vis return andin turn inform interagency operational planning, between November 2018 and January 2019, UNHCRconducted its fith Refugee Perception and Intention Survey (RPIS) in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.Due to the operational context, Turkey did not take part in this RPIS exercise.In line with the results from the previous surveys, the fidings show that voluntary repatriation in safety and with dignity re-mains the preferred durable solution for Syrian refugees, with the majority con-tinuing to express their hope to return one day. Survey results indicate that as a regional average, 75 per cent of Syr-ian refugees in the four countries where the survey was conducted are hopeful to return to Syria one day. However, only a minority, 5.9 per cent, intend to return in the next 12 months.It is noteworthy that while the fidings of the RPIS report represent an aggre-gation of regional fidings, individual countries may have specifi variations.

For instance, those hoping to return to Syria one day reaches as high as 86 per cent in Lebanon and those planning to return within the next 12 months was only

2.1 per cent in Iraq.Further, when asked about the key driv-ers inflencing their decision-making on return, respondents mentioned security, access to basic services and shelter, mil-itary exemptions, and the need for job opportunities. These were essentially the top factors among all refugees sur-veyed regardless of their current return intentions. Importantly, these factors also indicate the areas where obstacles will need to be removed in order for refugeesí intentions to change.Also, 51 per cent of those undecided about their return plans reported that ìgo-and-seeî visits are an ìimportantî el-ement in order to make a fial decision.Finally, a number of refugees reported not having suffient information on their area of origin, including in relation to security, military exemptions and access to services and property, before return-ing. Therefore, ensuring safe, unhin-dered and regular humanitarian access

inside Syria will not only enable provi-sion of assistance, but is also essential in order to present reliable, objective and timely information to refugees so they can make informed decisions on their future.While the number of those who are un-decided about return is decreasing, the percentage ofSyrian refugees with no hope to return remains relatively steady. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy.Such a strategy seeks to:1) support host country resilience; 2) enable refugee self-reliance; 3) expand access to resettlement and other safe pathways to a third country, and; 4) plan for and support voluntary, safe, and dig-nifid return of refugees to Syria.Resettlement needs for Syrian refugees continue to far outpace the places pro-vided by resettlement countries. 2019 has unfortunately ñ so far ñ illustrated a continuation of this trend. The decrease in resettlement places for Syrian refu-gees began in 2017, which saw a drastic reduction of quotas available for Syr-ians. The main cause of this decrease was a global drop in the number of re-settlement places available, but also a shifting of resettlement opportunities to other (global) priority situations.As a result, only 28,046 Syrian refugees were submitted for resettlement from the region in 2018.This fiure is signifiantly lower than pre-vious years and a 63 per cent reduction from the all-time high of 76,693 sub-missions in 2016. While some Statesí individual quotas are still to be con-fimed, the outlook for 2019 forecasts a continued downward trend. Moreover, given that resettlement needs of Syrian refugees are currently projected at over 600,000 persons, refugees are now re-maining in countries of asylum for long-er, compounding their needs and result-ing in increased pressure on assistance programmes and vital services. Despite the sharp decrease in available resettle-ment places, and as wasreiterated in the co-chairs declara-tion of the Brussels III Conference on ìSupporting the future of Syria and the region,î it remains vital that resettlement is pursued and available as a durable solution ñ with efforts presently being made to expand the number of resettle-ment countries and continued advocacy for placements in existing resettlement countries.

By: Carlo Maria Rossotto

Outside the dominant paradigms that portray the re-gion in popular media, the Mashreq is the epicenter of the worldís fastest growing data transit market.The force of digitalization is driving the global economy, creating distinct groups of leaders and laggards. Through institutional reform that leverag-es the advantages of digitalization, the Mashreq can become a vital hub in international data networks. Furthermore, digital transformation can assuage pressing challenges. It can deliver higher transpar-ency, accelerate lackluster productivity and increase economic opportunities for all, especially the youth of this region. A new report, Mashreq 2.0, charts the roadmap for the region to capitalize on this rapidly emerging opportunity, and assesses the prospect of a digitally integrated regional market.Outside the dominant paradigms that portray the re-gion in popular media, the Mashreq is the epicenter of the worldís fastest growing data transit market. Data traffic growth within the region will increase at a precipitous 42% compounded annual growth rate from 2016 to 2021. Influenced by historically inter-twined geographic and cultural ties, MENA-Europe data exchange grows at over 50% per year.The Mashreqís potential in the digital economy is also evidenced by the many unicorns that have been incubated in the Arab region. Hallmark cases include Maktoub and Souk.com, born in Jordanís capital, Amman. These digital platforms indicate an evolution in consumer behavior, embracing digital consumption. Another example is Magnitt, an Iraqi startup now hosted in Dubai, which is a marketplace for investors that links 5,500 startup firms with in-vestors across the region.These examples signal a bright future for the region, but crucially, broadband internet infrastructure is not yet equipped with the capacity to realize this po-

tential. While mobile phones are ubiquitous in the Mashreq, broadband internet paints a different pic-ture. Mashreq countries have a similarly stark dis-parity between mobile and broadband penetration: Iraq has 95% mobile penetration but only 28% for broadband; Lebanon is less glaring, with 75% mo-bile penetration and 71% for broadband. Mobile ac-cess is also rather uneven in the region: The gender gap in mobile ownership is 11% in Iraq and 21% in Jordan, but only 2% in Egypt or Turkey. Creating a significant bottleneck, all countries in the Mashreq also have a lower fixed download speed than the global average of 55Mbps: Jordan is at 29 Mbps, Iraq at 13 Mbps, and Lebanon at 7Mbps. Mobile download speed is relatively better off: the global average is 25Mbps, and Lebanon is at 40Mbps, Jor-dan at 15Mbps and Iraq at 6Mbps. Even so, they fall behind best in class examples such as Romania, that has successfully introduced competition and market contestability to achieve 131Mbps (fixed download speed) and 34Mbps (mobile download speed). The

ability to absorb new communications technology is another source of disparity: 4G connectivity is only available to 25% of Iraqís population, though present in 95% of the population in Jordan and Lebanon. In-ternet Exchange Points (IXPs) also present a largely untapped opportunity.To provide Internet connectivity that can augment the data economy, significant investments in key ar-eas of the infrastructure value chain are necessary. In Iraq, it is estimated that a total of IQD 660.5 billion (US$558.8 million) will be needed to build a robust fixed network in areas afflicted by conflict.Investment in the îlast mileî broadband infrastruc-ture is also lagging more generally. Investments to bring high speed broadband access to 30% of the population of the Mashreq (about 13 million house-holds) through fiber access is estimated to be be-tween US$ 4 billion and US$ 5.2 billion. A large part of the investment needed for this fiber buildup can be provided by the private sector, through competi-tive entrants, or strategically using Private Private

Partnerships (PPPs). A good example is Jordanís planned PPP on the National Broadband Network (NBN), which may crowd in at least $100 million of additional private investment leveraging an existing government fiber network. Considering the signifi-cant potential in the region, unlocking such a high quantum of investment is not beyond possibility. In addition to ìlast mileî broadband infrastructure, im-proving IXPs in the region can strengthen regional data exchange networks, and unleash at least US $200 million in investment. Digital ecosystems can leverage high level of education in the region, in-cluding digital literacy, and a strategic geographic position as a central node in advanced service trade. Boosting broadband penetration alone by 10% would have a significant impact on GDP growth, estimated to be as high as 1.4%. This could give a significant boost to economic growth and trade integration in the region. However, this is only one piece of the puzzle.Where the Mashreqís regional and backbone broad-band infrastructure is extensive, it remains sub-opti-mally used, due to intricacies in the political economy context, and lack of credible rules and institutions. Institutional reform to increase contestability is es-sential. Compelling priorities include: a) deepen-ing competition to eliminate rents; b) strengthening regulatory institutions; c) creating regulatory incen-tives, including a Fiber Regulatory Package (FRP), to facilitate fiber investment; and d) ensuring uni-versal access to broadband through proactive use of the public sector, and fast-track a timetable towards frontier technologies such as 5G.Implementing these reforms would position the Mashreq to become a digital hub for the region, lev-eraging the full potential of the new digital economy for MENA, fully embracing innovation and entre-preneurship, creating opportunities for its technol-ogy savvy youth.

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Argentina Beats Venezuela, Faces Brazil in Copa AmÈrica Semi

APRIO DE JANEIRO: Argen-tina beat Venezuela 2-0 on Friday and will face Brazil in the Copa AmÈrica semi-finals.Lionel Messi failed to im-press against Venezuela but Argentina gave its most solid performance in four matchesBrazil and Argentina will face off on Tuesday at Belo Horizonteís Mineir„o Sta-dium. The Brazilians ad-vanced on Thursday after beating Paraguay on penal-ties after a goal less draw in Porto Alegre.Brazilian and Argentine fans at Maracan„ Stadium hinted at how intense the atmosphere will be on Tuesday. The Brazilians jokingly sang about Mes-siís lack of titles for his na-tional team, while Argen-tines poked fun by singing Diego Maradona is better than PelÈ.Striker Lautaro MartÌnez scored from a back heel kick after 10 minutes, de-flecting a shot by Sergio Ag¸ero from the edge of the box.Another blocked shot by Ag¸ero led to midfielder Giovani Lo Celso doubling the lead in the 74th.Lo Celso, who entered just a few minutes before, just pushed the ball into the empty net to seal Argenti-naís win in front of 50,000 fans.ìBrazil will be a very tough rival, and that isnít only because they will play at home,î Lautaro said.ìWe had an amazing first half. We are showing that in every match we give it all.îArgentina, back for the first time in the stadium where it lost the 2014 World Cup fi-nal 1-0 to Germany, was the only team trying to score in the beginning of the quar-terfinal and managed to do so when Lautaro converted its third clear chance.Venezuelaís first oppor-tunity came only after 40 minutes, with a header by defender Jhon Chancellor.The story of the match didnít change much in the second half, with a slower Argentina still enjoying the best chances.

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Exercise May Ease Inflammation Tied to Obesity

Healthy DayBicycling or other regular exercise may help reduce harmful inflam-mation in obese people, a new study suggests. Physical activity tames inflammation by changing blood characteristics, according to a team led by Dr. Michael De Li-sio, of the University of Ottawa in Canada. Chronic inflammation is behind many of the health problems as-sociated with obesity, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the re-searchers noted.Although inflammation is the body>s natural response to harm, it can become long term in someone who>s obese. Then it can cause damage to healthy tissue, De Lisio and his colleagues explained.The new findings were published June 19 in the Journal of Physiol-ogy. «This research is important because it helps us understand how and why exercise improves the

health of people with obesity,» De Lisio said in a journal news release. He>s a molecular exercise physi-ologist. The study included young obese adults who were otherwise healthy. The participants took part in a six-week exercise program that included three one-hour bicy-cling or treadmill-running sessions a week. Blood samples were taken from the participants at the start and the end of the study. The sam-ples showed that after six weeks of regular workouts, there was a de-cline in stem cells that create blood cells responsible for inflammation.The next step, the researchers said, is to determine if these blood changes improve the function of muscle and fat involved in energy consumption and storage among obese people. Another question is whether exercise has the same ef-fects on blood in people with other chronic conditions associated with increased inflammation.

BBCA baby girl found inside a plastic bag in the US has families across the world “waiting in line” to adopt the “miracle” child, an official says.The baby, nicknamed India, was found on 6 June in Georgia after residents heard her crying and called the police. Police shared heart-rending bodycam footage of an officer tearing open the plastic bag in which she was swad-dled.She was taken to hospital but doctors said she was unharmed and is now gaining weight.Three weeks on, baby India is said to be “smiling” and “thriving” in the cus-tody of child services.She will remain there until she a per-manent home is found for her. Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is yet to iden-tify the baby’s mother or relatives. In a Facebook post, it said it had “no new information to share regarding baby India”.But according to Tom Rawlings, the

director of Georgia’s Division of Fam-ily and Children Services, there is no shortage of families willing to adopt her. “We have people waiting in line to provide that child with a forever home,” Mr Rawlings told ABC’s Good Morning America.Image copyright Reuters Image cap-tion Residents called the police after hearing the baby crying in an area of woodland Since her dramatic rescue, which gen-erated headlines internationally, hun-dreds of families have been in touch of-fering to adopt her, Mr Rawlings said.He described her survival as one of the most “wonderful miracles I’ve seen in my life”. With her umbilical cord still attached, India was possibly just hours old when residents found her in an area of wood-land in Forsyth County, north of At-lanta.Forsyth County sheriff Ron Freeman said it was “divine intervention” that India was found in a good condition.

Chile Beats Colombia in Shootout to Reach Copa

AmÈrica Semis

‘Mona Lisa’ is on the Move in Great Louvre MakeoverAFPPARIS: The worldís most famous painting, the ìMona Lisa,î is to be moved so her room in the Louvre can be spruced up, the Paris museum said on Friday.Leonardo da Vinciís masterpiece will be car-ried less than ì100 pacesî to the adjoining Medici gallery during the night of July 16, the museumís director Jean-Luc Martinez told AFP.The fragile 500-year-old painting is very rarely handled, and will remain protected by bulletproof glass in its temporary home.The portrait of a Florentine noble will be returned to her spot in the States Room just before a blockbuster Leonardo exhibition opens at the worldís biggest museum in Oc-tober.The Louvre holds the largest collection of the Italian artistís work.Martinez said the move was part of an im-mense rolling renovation of the museum, which is struggling to cope with more than 10 million visitors a year.Tens of thousands of people each day pass through the room in which the painting is shown opposite Paolo Veroneseís giant can-vass, ìThe Wedding Feast at Cana.îIt has been sealed inside protective wooden shuttering while the work goes on.ìThe population of a townî passes every day through the room, said Martinez, which has-

nít been redecorated since the early 2000s.He said the ìMona Lisaî will stay in its origi-nal place for the Leonardo show ó which be-gins on October 24 ó as hanging it with the polymathís other works would have caused such bottlenecks that visitor numbers would have to be limited.ìWe could not deprive 15,000 people a day from seeing the ëMona Lisaí,î the director

insisted. The painting, thought to have been begun in the first years of the 16th century, has been moved very rarely since it was first housed in the Louvre in 1804.Indeed it hasnít left its walls in 45 years, and curators are strongly opposed to it doing so again, citing its fragility.The painting was done on a thin panel of poplar, which has buckled over time, reveal-

ing a thin slit.It last traveled in 1974 to Russia and Japan, having crossed the Atlantic in 1964 to be shown in the United States despite the fierce protests of the Louvreís curators.Franceís last culture minister, Francoise Nys-sen, had hinted that it might tour during the refurbishment work.Locals in Lens, a former mining town in the north of France which houses an outpost of the Louvre, campaigned for the ìMona Lisaî to be exhibited there.Football fans even unveiled a huge banner of her in the local teamís colors as part of their charm offensive.Her hometown Florence has also pleaded for the painting to be shown there.But the request was rejected. France may not have entirely forgotten that in 1911 an Ital-ian carpenter stole the canvass while work-ing at the Louvre, smuggling it out under his overalls.Vincenzo Perugia wanted to bring her back to her homeland, thinking mistakenly that she had been looted by Napoleon, like so many other Italian masterworks in the Lou-vreís vast collection.The painting resurfaced in Florence two years later.In fact, Leonardo had taken the painting with him to France and finished it there in 1516, three years before his death.

APSAO PAULO: Chile stayed on track to de-fend its Copa AmÈrica title by defeating Co-lombia 5-4 on penal-ties in the quarterfinals of the South American competition on Friday.Alexis S·nchez scored the decisive penalty kick to send the two-time defending champi-ons to the semifinals. It was 0-0 after regulation time, forcing the match to penalties.Chile will face either Uruguay or Peru, which meet Saturday in Salva-dor. Brazil and Argenti-na will play in the other semifinal.Chile advanced despite having two goals re-versed by video review at the Arena Corinthi-ans, one in each half.The Chileans are trying to become the first na-tion to win three straight Copa titles since Argen-tina in the late 1940s.William Tesillo missed for Colombia, which was seeking its second straight semifinal ap-pearance. The Colom-bian were also eliminat-ed by Chile in the last four of the 2016 Copa AmÈrica.

Baby Found in Plastic Bag has ‘People Waiting in L

ine’ to Adopt Her