Israeli spacecraft crashes during moon landing: mission control

By Stephen Weizman
Jerusalem (AFP)
April 11, 2019

Israel's attempt at a moon landing failed at the last minute on Thursday when the craft suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and apparently crashed onto the lunar surface.

"We didn't make it, but we definitely tried," project originator and major backer Morris Kahn said in a live videocast from mission control near Tel Aviv.

"I think that the achievement of getting to where we got is really tremendous, I think we can be proud," he said.

During the broadcast, control staff could be heard saying that engines meant to slow the craft's descent and allow a soft landing had failed and contact with it had been lost.

"We are on the moon but not in the way we wanted," one unidentified staffer said.

"We are the seventh country to orbit the moon and the fourth to reach the moon's surface," said another.

Only Russia, the United States and China have made the 384,000-kilometre (239,000-mile) journey and landed safely on the Moon.

"If at first you don't succeed, you try again," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the control room, where he had been watching along with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

"We reached the moon but we'd like to land more comfortably," he added. "That will be for the next attempt."

The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) unmanned spacecraft named Beresheet, which means "Genesis" in Hebrew, resembles a tall, oddly shaped table with round fuel tanks under the top.

Israeli NGO SpaceIL and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the project's two main partners, have described it as the "world's first spacecraft built in a non-governmental mission".

Khan, a philanthropist and chairman of SpaceIL, put up $40 million of the project's $100 million budget.

Other partners who joined later are from "the private sector, government and academia," according to the IAI website.

Just before the landing attempt Netanyahu said that he was thinking about initiating a national space project.

"I am seriously considering investing in a space program," he said in the webcast.

"It has national implications for Israel and implications for humanity."

The country's president, Reuven Rivlin, viewed the broadcast with 80 middle school space buffs at his official Jerusalem residence, his office said in a statement.

"We are full of admiration for the wonderful people who brought the spacecraft to the moon," he said after the crash. "True, not as we had hoped, but we will succeed in the end. This is a great achievement that we have not yet completed."

Although the journey is 384,000 kilometers, Beresheet will have traveled a total of 6.5 million kilometers due to a series of orbits.

It was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on February 22 with a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's private US-based SpaceX company.

Its speed has reached 10 kilometers per second, (36,000 kilometers per hour).

The one-way trip was to have included an attempt to measure the lunar magnetic field, which would have helped understanding of the moon's formation.

- Google prize -

The project began as part of the Google Lunar XPrize, which in 2010 offered $30 million in awards to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to come up with relatively low-cost moon missions.

Although the Google prize expired in March without a winner, Israel's team pledged to push forward.

The Israeli mission came amid renewed global interest in the moon, 50 years after American astronauts first walked on its surface.

China's Chang'e-4 made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon on January 3, after a probe sent by Beijing made a lunar landing elsewhere in 2013.

US President Donald Trump's administration announced in March it was speeding up plans to send American astronauts back to the moon, bringing forward the target date from 2028 to 2024.

India hopes to become the next lunar country in the spring with its Chandrayaan-2 mission. It aims to put a craft with a rover onto the moon's surface to collect data.

Japan plans to send a small lunar lander, called SLIM, to study a volcanic area around 2020-2021.

The United States remains the only country to have walked on the moon, with 12 astronauts having taken part in six missions between 1969 and 1972.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Israeli_spacecraft_crashes_during_moon_landing_mission_control_999.html.

US wants astronauts back on Moon within five years: Pence

Washington (AFP)
March 26, 2019

Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that the United States intends to send astronauts back to the Moon within five years, with a woman first in line to set foot on the lunar surface.

"It is the stated policy of this administration and the United States of America to return American astronauts to the Moon, within the next five years," Pence said in a speech in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts launched by American rockets from American soil," he said.

The first manned Moon mission in more than half a century had been scheduled for 2028.

But the program has encountered frustrating delays in the development of a new heavy rocket for the Moon missions, the SLS, whose first flight was recently pushed back to 2021.

In his speech, Pence criticized the "bureaucratic inertia" and "paralysis by analysis" that he said had resulted in the SLS delays, and called for a "new mindset" at the space agency.

He threatened to use commercial launch systems if NASA is not ready in time.

"If commercial rockets are the only way to get American astronauts to the Moon in the next five years, then commercial rockets it will be," he said.

"Urgency must be our watchword. Failure to achieve our goal to return an American astronaut to the Moon in the next five years is not an option."

NASA's chief, Jim Bridenstine, recently said a woman would undoubtedly be the first human to set foot on the Moon since 1972, the last time there was a manned mission to the Moon.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/US_wants_astronauts_back_on_Moon_within_five_years_Pence_999.html.

Returning Astronauts to the Moon: Lockheed Martin Finalizes Full-Scale Cislunar Habitat Prototype

Cape Canaveral FL (SPX)
Mar 15, 2019

For long-duration, deep space missions, astronauts will need a highly efficient and reconfigurable space, and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is researching and designing ways to support those missions.

Under a public-private partnership as a part of NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Phase II study contract, Lockheed Martin has completed the initial ground prototype for a cislunar habitat that would be compatible with NASA's Gateway architecture. This habitat will help NASA study and assess the critical capabilities needed to build a sustainable presence around the Moon and support pioneering human exploration in deep space.

The full-scale prototype, or Habitat Ground Test Article (HGTA), is built inside of a repurposed shuttle-era cargo container, called a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), at Kennedy Space Center. Using rapid prototyping and modern design tools like virtual and augmented reality, the team customized the interior making full use of the entire volume of the module to accommodate a variety of tasks like science missions and personal needs of future astronauts.

The team also studied how to apply the advanced, deep space capabilities that are already built in to NASA's Orion spacecraft. Through additional research and development funding, the NextSTEP team also applied mixed-reality technology to further refine the concept.

"Throughout the design and engineering process of this high-fidelity prototype, we have kept the diversity of missions top-of-mind," said Bill Pratt, Lockheed Martin Space NextSTEP program manager. "By building modularity in from the beginning, our design can support Lunar orbit and surface science missions along with commercial operations, all while accelerating the path to the Moon."

Over the past five months, the team used tools like virtual and augmented reality to simplify and streamline the build-up process. They also applied expertise from Lockheed Martin's heritage of operating autonomous interplanetary robotic missions, like OSIRIS-REx and InSight, to integrate reliable robotic capabilities in to the design.

"Getting back to the Moon, and eventually Mars, is no small feat, but our team are mission visionaries," said Pratt. "They have worked to apply lessons learned from our experience with deep space robotic missions to this first-of-its-kind spacecraft around the Moon."

The Lockheed Martin team will soon transition the prototype to the NASA NextSTEP team for assessment. During the week of March 25, a team of NASA astronauts will live and work inside the prototype, evaluating the layout and providing feedback.

The NASA test team will also validate the overall design and will be able to evaluate the standards and common interfaces, like the International Docking System Standard (IDSS), and how to apply those systems for long-term missions based at the Lunar Gateway. Once NASA testing has completed, Lockheed Martin will continue to optimize and study the prototype to prepare for other Lunar efforts.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Returning_Astronauts_to_the_Moon_Lockheed_Martin_Finalizes_Full_Scale_Cislunar_Habitat_Prototype_999.html.

Floating ideas for an airlock near the Moon

Paris (ESA)
Mar 14, 2019

Assembly of a new habitable structure near the Moon, known as the Gateway, is scheduled to begin in 2023. The international project will allow humans to explore farther than ever before and it brings new opportunities for European design in space.

In late 2018, ESA commissioned two consortia - one led by Airbus and the other by Thales Alenia Space - to undertake parallel studies into the design of a scientific airlock. Similarly to the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station, this airlock will allow scientific experiments to be transferred from the Gateway to and from outer space.

The scientific airlock forms one part of a European module called ESPRIT - a module that will also enable refuelling and provide telecommunications with the Moon and Earth.

Though it is still very early days for the ESPRIT development, ESA astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy and ESA astronaut trainer Herve Stevenin recently had the opportunity to get hands-on with one airlock concept in Marseille, France and see how this could work in space.

Working underwater

Designed and constructed by French company Comex for Airbus, the mockup of ESPRIT's interior was tested underwater to simulate the weightlessness of space.

The team, led by Peter Weiss, used 3D-printed models to represent the hardware that will be operated by astronauts in the Gateway. These included parts of the robotic arm to be developed for the Gateway by the Canadian Space Agency.

Comex diver Kathrin Nowack says the test's main objectives were to evaluate requirements for payload operations and determine the best positioning for two cameras that will allow operations to be viewed from Earth.

"We wanted to see whether the astronauts had enough space to install hardware onto the payload table, perform any necessary checks and then move them through the airlock tunnel to be exposed to space," she explains. "We also wanted to make sure the crew members had room to carry out maintenance or repair work inside the airlock and to identify where further crew interfaces - such as handrails - are required."

To ensure a truly representative study, Jean-Francois and Herve carried out the testing in neoprene suits while breathing through a long regulator hose connected to the surface.

ESA study manager Philippe Schoonejans says this was important to "mimic the environment of the Gateway in which astronauts will be floating around in regular clothing".

First impressions

Having spent 28 days in space over the course of three Shuttle missions, Philippe says Jean-Francois was well-suited to the testing. Herve has also logged seven hours in weightlessness while training astronauts during parabolic flights. These experiences enabled the pair to evaluate both the accessibility and the ergonomics of the module.

"Through the testing, we were able to confirm that this preliminary inner design would be compatible with tasks astronauts are expected to perform in weightlessness and identify the best place to put handrails to ensure optimal stability of the crew as they carry out payload handling and airlock operations," Herve says.

Philippe says the team was also impressed with the sheer size of expected payloads and robotic interfaces.

"While we had seen the dimensions of these components in the documents, seeing full-scale 3D-printed models allowed us to better understand just how incredibly large they are," Philippe says. "It's something we will need to consider throughout the process in terms of balancing mass and strength."

Forward to the Moon

So, what exactly are the next steps? Philippe says for Airbus and Comex this was a confirmation and fact-finding mission. They will now use the test results to refine their concept and streamline their design.

Thales Alenia Space will also continue to work on their airlock concept and ESA intends to issue a competitive request for proposal in the summer. At this stage both companies will be asked to present their concepts and costings for consideration ahead of ESA's next Ministerial Council in November.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Floating_ideas_for_an_airlock_near_the_Moon_999.html.

JAXA and Toyota to study joint lunar project

Tokyo, Japan (SPX)
Mar 14, 2019

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) have announced an to consider collaborating on international space exploration. As a first step, JAXA and Toyota have reached agreement to further cooperate on and accelerate their ongoing joint study*1 of a manned, pressurized rover*2 that employs fuel cell electric vehicle technologies.

Such a form of mobility is deemed necessary for human exploration activities on the lunar surface. Even with the limited amount of energy that can be transported to the moon, the pressurized rover would have a total lunar-surface cruising range of more than 10,000 km.

International space exploration, aiming to achieve sustainable prosperity for all of humankind by expanding the domain of human activity and giving rise to intellectual properties, has its sights set on the moon and Mars. To achieve the goals of such exploration, coordination between robotic missions, such as the recent successful touchdown by the asteroid probe Hayabusa2 on the asteroid Ryugu, and human missions, such as those involving humans using pressurized rovers to conduct activities on the moon, is essential. When it comes to challenging missions such as lunar or Martian exploration, various countries are competing in advancing their technologies, while also advancing their cooperative efforts.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said about the agreement between JAXA and Toyota: "At JAXA, we are pursuing international coordination and technological studies toward Japan's participation in international space exploration. We aim to contribute through leading Japanese technologies that can potentially generate spin-off benefits.

Having Toyota join us in the challenge of international space exploration greatly strengthens our confidence. Manned rovers with pressurized cabins are an element that will play an important role in full-fledged exploration and use of the lunar surface.

For this, we would like to concentrate our country's technological abilities and conduct technological studies. Through our joint studies going forward, we would like to put to use Toyota's excellent technological abilities related to mobility, and we look forward to the acceleration of our technological studies for the realization of a manned, pressurized rover."

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: "The automotive industry has long done business with the concepts of 'hometown' and 'home country' largely in mind. However, from now on, in responding to such matters as environmental issues of global scale, the concept of 'home planet', from which all of us come, will become a very important concept.

"Going beyond the frameworks of countries or regions, I believe that our industry, which is constantly thinking about the role it should fulfill, shares the same aspirations of international space exploration.

"Furthermore, cars are used in all of Earth's regions, and, in some regions, cars play active roles as partners for making sure that people come back alive. And I think that coming back alive is exactly what is needed in this project.

"I am extremely happy that, for this project, expectations have been placed on the thus-far developed durability and driving performance of Toyota vehicles and on our fuel cell environmental technologies."

Also, at a symposium held in Tokyo, JAXA Vice President Koichi Wakata and Toyota Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi held a talk session, excerpts from which are shown below.

JAXA Vice President Koichi Wakata in speaking about the announcement said, "At JAXA, we are studying various scenarios as well as technologies that will be applied to specific space missions. Manned, pressurized rovers will be an important element supporting human lunar exploration, which we envision will take place in the 2030s. We aim at launching such a rover into space in 2029.

"Lunar gravity is one-sixth of that on Earth. Meanwhile, the moon has a complex terrain with craters, cliffs, and hills. Moreover, it is exposed to radiation and temperature conditions that are much harsher than those on Earth, as well as an ultra-high vacuum environment.

"For wide ranging human exploration of the moon, a pressurized rover that can travel more than 10,000 km in such environments is a necessity. Toyota's 'space mobility' concept meets such mission requirements. Toyota and JAXA have been jointly studying the concept of a manned, pressurized rover since May of 2018.

"Thus far, our joint study, has examined a preliminary concept for a manned, pressurized rover system, and we have identified the technological issues that must be solved. Going forward, we want to utilize Toyota's and JAXA's technologies, human resources, and knowledge, among others, to continuously solve those issues.

"International space exploration is a challenge to conquer the unknown. To take up such a challenge, we believe it is important to gather our country's technological capabilities and engage as 'Team Japan'. Through our collaboration with Toyota as the starting point, we can further expand the resources of 'Team Japan' in the continued pursuit of international space exploration."

Toyota Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi further added, "As an engineer, there is no greater joy than being able to participate in such a lunar project by way of Toyota's car-making and, furthermore, by way of our technologies related to electrified vehicles, such as fuel cell batteries, and our technologies related to autonomous and automated driving. I am filled with great excitement.

"Fuel cells, which use clean power-generation methods, emit only water, and, because of their high energy density, they can provide a lot of energy, making them especially suited for the project being discussed with JAXA.

"Toyota believes that achieving a sustainable mobility society on Earth will involve the coexistence and widespread use of electrified vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. For electrification, fuel cell batteries represent an indispensable technology.

"Fuel cell electric vehicles have the ability to emit reduced amounts of harmful substances, such as particulate matter, that are found in the air they take in. As such, they are characterized by having so-called 'minus emissions'*3. We want to further improve on this characteristic.

"Contributing to Earth's environment cannot be achieved without the widespread use of electrified vehicles. As a full-line manufacturer of electrified vehicles, and aiming for the widespread use of such vehicles, Toyota?going beyond only making complete vehicles?wants to provide electrification to its customers in various forms, such as through systems and technologies.

"Our joint studies with JAXA are a part of this effort. Being allowed to be a member of 'Team Japan', we would like to take up the challenge of space."

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/JAXA_and_Toyota_Reach_Agreement_on_Consideration_Toward_International_Space_Exploration_999.html.

Japanese First Private Rocket MOMO Launched

Tokyo, Japan (Sputnik)
May 05, 2019

Japanese space company Interstellar Technologies successfully launched the country's first private rocket dubbed MOMO-3, the NHK broadcaster reported on Saturday.

The previous two launches, in July 2017 and in June 2018, failed.

The rocket safely reached an altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles), which was the aim of the launch, the broadcaster said.

The length of MOMO is 10 meters (32.8 feet), diameter is 50 centimeters (19.7 inches). It can carry surveillance devices weighing up to 20 kilograms (4 pounds). However, MOMO cannot put satellites into orbit, but the company plans to create a rocket capable of launching satellites and conduct the first launch by 2023.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Japanese_First_Private_Rocket_MOMO_Launched_999.html.

China plans to launch carrier rocket at sea

Beijing (XNA)
May 03, 2019

China plans to launch a Long March-11 carrier rocket at sea this year, which is expected to lower the cost of entering space.

The rocket has been named "CZ-11 WEY" under an agreement between the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Space Foundation and a Chinese automobile producer.

China's first seaborne rocket launch is scheduled for mid-2019 in the Yellow Sea, said Jin Xin, deputy chief commander of the rocket, at a press conference of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation earlier this year.

A seaborne launch has many advantages over a land launch. For instance, the launch site is flexible and falling rocket remains pose less danger. Using civilian ships to launch rockets at sea would lower launch costs and give it a commercial edge, said experts.

The seaborne launch technology will help China provide launch services for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Long March-11, with a length of 20.8 meters and a takeoff weight of about 57.6 tonnes, is the only rocket using solid propellants among China's new generation carrier rockets. It has a relatively simple structure and can be launched in a short time.

The rocket can carry a payload of up to 350 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km and 700 kg to a low-Earth orbit at 200 km. It is mainly used to carry small satellites, and can take multiple satellites into orbit at the same time.

The Long March-11, which made its maiden flight on Sept. 25, 2015, has so far sent 25 satellites into orbit in six launches with high reliability and good performance rates.

In addition, Chinese space experts are also developing the engine for a modified version of the Long March-11 rocket, which is expected to carry up to 1.5 tonnes of payloads to the sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_plans_to_launch_carrier_rocket_at_sea_999.html.

To get to the Moon in 2024, the rocket is just NASA's first headache

By Ivan Couronne
Colorado Springs (AFP)
April 11, 2019

In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Alan Campbell, a project manager for space systems at the famed Draper Laboratory that built the computer which took astronauts to the Moon 50 years ago, is waiting for news from NASA.

His firm has continued to specialize in the advanced technology required for space travel and is a natural candidate to help the US space agency in its quest to return to the Moon by 2024 -- once final requests for proposals go out.

"We don't know when those are going to be because NASA is all thrown into a loop right now," Campbell told AFP from Draper's booth at the 35th Space Symposium, which is being held in Colorado Springs.

"They're still trying to figure it out," he said. "We can't really work on their problems until they tell us, 'These are the problems we want people to work on.'"

It's a similar wait for hundreds of other companies, ranging from aerospace giants to the most specialized of sub-contractors, many of whom are at the annual space industry event.

Until March 26 of last year, American boots were set to return to the Moon in 2028 following the last such mission by Apollo 17 in 1972.

Last month though, the administration of President Donald Trump said it was speeding up that timetable by a full four years, throwing NASA into overdrive.

The first problem is linked to the super heavy rocket required for the lunar mission, the skyscraper-sized Space Launch System (SLS).

Boeing, the prime contractor, is years behind and isn't certain it will be ready for its first test flight, without humans, in 2020.

At its booth, the US aerospace giant had relegated a model of the SLS to a corner.

- Europeans await anxiously -

The Orion capsule that will transport the astronauts, built by competitor Lockheed Martin, should be ready, program manager Michael Hawes assures AFP, and it will be delivered in January to the Kennedy Space Center.

Lockheed Martin has proudly displayed a lifesize model of the Orion outside the conference hall.

But walking on the Moon will require more than a rocket and a capsule: NASA wants to assemble a mini-station in lunar orbit, called the Gateway, where the astronauts will make a stop-over before their descent to the lunar surface.

Sierra Nevada Corporation envisions an inflatable space habitat to house the astronauts while in moon-orbit.

At this stage, the company does not know when NASA wants it delivered.

Kimberly Schwandt, a spokeswoman for the company, is unperturbed. "Whatever NASA decides for the timetable, we are ready and willing," she said at the company's booth.

Europeans are also here in large numbers and ready to pitch in with a communications module.

"Technically, we know that we can do it," said Johann-Dietrich Worner, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA). "And we hope that we can do it in time.

"It depends a little bit also on the calendar of the Americans," Worner said.

The heads of European space agencies attending the symposium told NASA chief Jim Bridenstine they need a plan to be finalized before the fall because the ESA budget will be approved in November.

"I'd be happy to make a trip out to Europe in order to give their political leadership the assurances necessary," said Bridenstine, aware that Trump's abrupt shift in the Moon timetable was done without consultation with international partners.

- Loosen NASA bureaucracy -

The most urgent priority, according to industry executives, is for NASA to come up with the full requirements for the lander that would take the astronauts from the Gateway to the Moon.

Some of the more experienced firms caution that it may already be too late to build one in keeping with the accelerated timetable.

"We need to be bending metal next year, which means tooling already has to be in house," said Rob Chambers, director of Human Space Exploration Strategy at Lockheed Martin Space. "And I hope somebody ordered a bunch of aluminium."

Others warned that NASA will need to loosen its legendary bureaucracy to move things ahead.

Lookheed Martin's Hawes, the Orion program manager, pointed to the development of the capsule to illustrate the point.

"Just to give you an example, on the Orion program we have 400 regularly scheduled meetings a week between the NASA team and the Lockheed Martin team," Hawes said. "Does that speak urgency to you?"

Another issue is spacesuits.

"If you're going to do something on the Moon, you need spacesuits," said The Aerospace Corporation's Dean Eppler, who has spent 20 years testing prototypes.

The current calendar calls for delivery of a new spacesuit prototype to NASA in 2023 -- for testing.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/To_get_to_the_Moon_in_2024_the_rocket_is_just_NASAs_first_headache_999.html.

Rocket fuel that's cleaner, safer and still full of energy

Montreal, Canada (SPX)
Apr 08, 2019

Research published this week in Science Advances shows that it may be possible to create rocket fuel that is much cleaner and safer than the hypergolic fuels that are commonly used today. And still just as effective.

The new fuels use simple chemical "triggers" to unlock the energy of one of the hottest new materials, a class of porous solids known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. MOFs are made up of clusters of metal ions and an organic molecule called a linker.

Satellites and space stations that remain in orbit for a considerable amount of time rely on hypergols, fuels that are so energetic they will immediately ignite in the presence of an oxidizer (since there is no oxygen to support combustion beyond the Earth's atmosphere).

The hypergolic fuels that are currently mainly in use depend on hydrazine, a highly toxic and dangerously unstable chemical compound made up of a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms.

Hydrazine-based fuels are so carcinogenic that people who work with it need to get suited up as though they were preparing for space travel themselves. Despite precautions, around 12,000 tons of hydrazine fuels end up being released into the atmosphere every year by the aerospace industry.

"This is a new, cleaner approach to making highly combustible fuels, that are not only significantly safer than those currently in use, but they also respond or combust very quickly, which is an essential quality in rocket fuel," says Tomislav Frisci.

He is a professor in the Chemistry Department at McGill, and co-senior author on the paper along with former McGill researcher Robin D. Rogers.

"Although we are still in the early stages of working with these materials in the lab, these results open up the possibility of developing a class of new, clean and highly tunable hypergolic fuels for the aerospace industry," says the first author, Hatem Titi, a post-doctoral fellow who works in Frisci's lab.

Friscis is interested in commercializing this technology, and will work with McGill and Acsynam, an existing spin-off company from his laboratory, to make this happen.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rocket_fuel_thats_cleaner_safer_and_still_full_of_energy_999.html.

China's commercial carrier rocket to make maiden flight in H1

Beijing (XNA)
Mar 08, 2019

China's first carrier rocket for commercial use is scheduled to make its maiden flight in the first half of 2019, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT).

The rocket, named Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1), is the first member of the Dragon series commercial carrier rockets family to be produced by CALVT, as China accelerates the development of commercial space industry.

China's current carrier rockets all belong to the Long March family.

CALVT launched the design and development of the small-scale, solid-propellant rocket in Feb. 2018. The SD-1, with a total length of 19.5 meters, a diameter of 1.2 meter, and a takeoff weight of about 23.1 tonnes, is capable of sending over 150 kg payloads to the solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

Since the rocket is designed especially for commercial use, its cost for sending payloads per unit into orbit is lower than that of similar rockets in the international market, according to CALVT.

It takes only six months to produce one such rocket, and 24 hours to prepare for the launch. It can be used for launching either single satellite or multiple satellites at a time.

"In addition to the Smart Dragon solid-propellant carrier rockets, CALVT will also develop liquid-propellant commercial rockets, which will have a higher carrying capacity," said Tang Yagang, president of the China Rocket Co. Ltd., affiliated to CALVT.

"Innovation technologies will be introduced to promote the development of commercial space industry in China and to meet market demand."

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinas_commercial_carrier_rocket_to_make_maiden_flight_in_H1_999.html.

Illinois Native Uses Experience On Farm To Build Deep Space Rocket

by Tracy McMahan for MSFC News
Huntsville AL (SPX)
Mar 08, 2019

Milking cows and baling hay might have more to do with rocket science than you think.

Growing up on a working dairy farm in rural Breese, Illinois, NASA engineer Julie Bassler watched planes fly overhead as she worked in the fields.

"As a child, the closest I ever got to seeing big cities was watching the airplanes that flew over our farm headed to their destinations," Bassler said. "I would think, 'I want to do that,' and so my first dream was to be an airline pilot."

When Bassler left the farm for college, she took her work ethic that she learned from her parents with her. After two years studying engineering at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Bassler focused on aerospace engineering at Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology in St. Louis, Missouri, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1988. She went on to earn a master's degree in physical science-space science from the University of Houston in Texas in 1992.

"I remember sitting at my house in between classes the day the space shuttle Challenger accident happened. Watching the news coverage that day made a huge impact on me. I knew I wanted to be part of the team at NASA to get back to flight," Bassler said.

Today, as the manager of the stages office for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Bassler has surpassed her wildest dreams. She and her team are responsible for all facets of the SLS core stage, the world's largest rocket stage being built today, and Exploration Upper Stage, the advanced rocket stage that will make it possible to send even larger cargos to the Moon, Mars and even farther from Earth.

Bassler relates a lot of the work she does at NASA with the work she did on her family's farm.

"It takes a team to get everything done on a farm. When someone needs help, you jump in to plow the field for them or let them borrow the equipment they need to do it. We all work together until the job is done. We work hard, but we play hard, too. We celebrate when it rains because that means the crops will grow and we get to relax and enjoy the day," she said.

When it comes to building America's most powerful rocket, team members help each other out and don't stop until the job is done. Moments of celebration and relaxation are necessary, too. Bassler said she leaves room in her schedule to talk to her team and to allow them to "speak their truths."

"Everyone here knows they're not in this alone," she said. "We are all part of the NASA family and the work is hard, but it is worth the end goal."

There's more to building a rocket than manufacturing the flight hardware, and Bassler's team oversees the refurbishing and activation of test stands, ground support systems and transportation equipment for the rocket's structural test articles. Bassler and her team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, also work with teams across the nation to test and build the rocket. The core stage is being built at the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and will be shipped to the Stennis Space Center near Bay St Louis, Mississippi for a first time integrated hot fire test, called green run. After this major test, the core stage will be shipped and launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

When completed, the SLS rocket will send the Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon, about 280,000 miles from Earth. This is farther from Earth than any spacecraft built for humans has ever traveled.

Bassler's personal experience spans the areas of human spaceflight, robotic missions, science payloads and technology development. Her career has prepared her for the everyday decisions she makes for SLS. She has received numerous honors and awards, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, Exceptional Achievement Medal, Space Flight Awareness Award, Silver Achievement Medal, and multiple special service and group achievement awards.

She and her husband Brad have four children and live in New Market, Alabama. Her brother runs her family's farm in Breese.

Now, as Bassler looks overhead at the planes flying over her New Market home, she says to herself, "We will fly higher than even those big-city planes in the sky."

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Illinois_Native_Uses_Experience_On_Farm_To_Build_Deep_Space_Rocket_999.html.

Frustration grows among migrants in Mexico as support fades

April 21, 2019

MAPASTEPEC, Mexico (AP) — Madison Mendoza, her feet aching and her face burned by the sun, wept as she said she had nothing to feed her 2-year-old son who she'd brought with her on the long trek toward the United States.

Mendoza, 22, said an aunt in Honduras had convinced her to join the migrant caravan, which she did two weeks ago in the capital of Tegucigalpa. The aunt said she'd have no problems, that people along the route in Mexico would help as they did for a large caravan that moved through the area in October.

But this time, the help did not come. The outpouring of aid that once greeted Central American migrants as they trekked in caravans through southern Mexico has been drying up. Hungrier, advancing slowly or not at all, and hounded by unhelpful local officials, frustration is growing among the 5,000 to 8,000 migrants in the southern state of Chiapas.

"What causes me pain is that the baby asks me for food and there are days when I can't provide it," said Mendoza, who fled Honduras with almost no money because she feared for her life after receiving threats from the father of her son. "I thought that with the baby, people would help me on road."

Members of the caravan in October received food and shelter from town governments, churches and passers-by. Drivers of trucks stopped to give them a lift. Little of that is happening this time. And local officials who once gave them temporary permits to work in Mexico, now seem to snare them in red tape. Truckers and drivers have been told they will be fined if caught transporting migrants without proper documentation.

Mendoza bathed her son, José, under a stream of water in Escuintla, a Mexican town 95 miles (150 kilometers) north of the Guatemalan border. It was the first time she has been able to bath the child since they left Tegucigalpa.

"I don't even have a peso," she said, teary-eyed. Many migrants are collecting mangos and fruits from trees along the route and sharing food among themselves. Some 1,300 migrants spent the night in Escuintla and were heading north to the town of Mapastepec, Chiapas. Mendoza and José arrived in Mapastepec on Saturday. They joined thousands of stranded migrants waiting to see if local authorities provide them with a temporary permit or visa to work in Mexico or whether they would continue their trip to the U.S. border.

Heyman Vázquez, a parish priest in Huixtla, a community along the caravan's route, said local support for the Central American migrants has dried up because of an anti-migrant discourse that blames them for crime and insecurity.

"It is due to the campaign of discrimination and xenophobia created through social networks and the media that blames migrants for the insecurity in Chiapas," he said. Oscar Pérez, who sells cooked pork in Ulapa, a village along the way, said people have become tired of supporting the migrants because of reports that "they've become aggressive." He acknowledged, however, that he doesn't know of anyone who has been attacked by a migrant.

The frustration felt by the migrants is affecting Geovani Villanueva, who has spent 25 days along with several hundred other migrants at a sports complex in Mapastepec waiting for a permit that would let him legally and safely travel north with his wife, two small children and four other relatives.

"I think it's a strategy by the government to wear us out," said Villanueva, 51. The latest caravan is heading north during Holy Week in Latin America, when many activists organize processions to dramatize the hardships and needs of migrants. Caravans became a popular way of making the trek because the migrants find safety in numbers and save money by not hiring smugglers.

Mexico is under pressure from the Trump administration to thwart them from reaching the U.S. border. In April, President Donald Trump threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border before changing course and threatening tariffs on automobiles produced in Mexico if that country does not stop the flow of Central American migrants.

U.S. border facilities have been overwhelmed by the number of migrant families. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced recently that 53,000 parents and children were apprehended at the border in March.

Nancy Valladares, who is from the city of Progreso in Honduras, is part of the caravan that reached Mapastepec. She is traveling with her husband and two daughters in baby carriages. She said the family hoped to reach the U.S. and find help for her 2-year-old daughter Belen, who she says was born with microcephaly due to a Zika infection, and cannot walk or talk.

Valladares complained that they weren't able to find anyone to give them a ride, and when her family and scores of other migrants climbed on to a truck-trailer in Escuintla, federal police forced them to get down and walk.

Tired and angry, many migrants no longer want to talk to reporters. Villanueva, who owned several small stores back in Honduras, said he left his homeland because gangs had threatened to kill him after he refused to pay extortion.

He said he left to save his life and one thing is clear to him: there is no turning back.

AP journalist María Verza contributed to this report from Mexico City.

Pentagon expects China to add international military bases

Washington (AFP)
May 2, 2019

The US Defense Department expects China to add military bases around the world to protect its investments in its ambitious One Belt One Road global infrastructure program, according to an official report released Thursday.

Beijing currently has just one overseas military base, in Djibouti, but is believed planning others, including possibly Pakistan, as it seeks to project itself as a global superpower.

"China's advancement of projects such as the 'One Belt, One Road' Initiative (OBOR) will probably drive military overseas basing through a perceived need to provide security for OBOR projects," the Pentagon said in its annual report to Congress on Chinese military and security developments.

"China will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said.

That effort could be constrained by other countries' wariness of hosting a full-time presence of the People's Liberation Army, the report noted.

But target locations for military basing could include the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the western Pacific.

China has already established well-armed outposts on contested atolls it build up in the South China Sea.

Last year, there were reportedly discussions on a base in the Wakhan corridor of northwest Afghanistan.

In addition, The Washington Post recently identified an outpost hosting many Chinese troops in eastern Tajikistan, near the strategic junction of the Wakhan Corridor, China, and Pakistan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sought to project the country's power beyond its immediate "back yard" in East and Southeast Asia.

This includes strengthening the country's presence in international institutions, acquiring top-flight technology and establishing a strong economic presence worldwide.

It also includes projecting the country's military force on land, sea and in space, the report notes.

"China's leaders are leveraging China's growing economic, diplomatic, and military clout to establish regional preeminence and expand the country's international influence," the report said.

Beijing in particular increasingly see the United States as becoming more confrontational in an effort to contain China's expanding power, it said.

Beijing meanwhile has taken note of a growing suspicion in many countries of the One Belt One Road program, and has toned down its aggressive rhetoric in response.

Nevertheless, the Pentagon said Beijing's leadership has not altered its fundamental strategic goals.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pentagon_expects_China_to_add_international_military_bases_999.html.

Bernie Sanders introduces 'Medicare For All' universal healthcare plan

By Nicholas Sakelaris and Danielle Haynes
APRIL 10, 2019

April 10 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday introduced his vision for universal healthcare, called Medicare for All -- a package that aims to cover all Americans and de-emphasize private insurance companies.

The Vermont senator's long-promised healthcare package includes a variety of changes, including greater care for the disabled, expanding the same coverage that's presently available to Americans over the age of 64.

In unveiling the proposal, Sanders painted a picture of a dysfunctional system he said is focused on profits and greed rather than what's best for the patient. He said the United States spends almost two times as much per capita on healthcare as any other nation while the average life expectancy of its citizens declines.

"Healthcare is a human right. Not a privilege," he said.

An analysis by Gallup this month found Americans borrowed $88 billion last year to pay for medical care.

So far, Sanders' Medicare for All Act of 2019 is supported by a number of lawmakers and more than 50 national organizations. It has more than a dozen co-sponsors in the Senate, including Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand -- all of whom are also vying with Sanders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

The sweeping healthcare proposal, which expands on Sanders' initial version two years ago, presents a threat to the private insurance market in the United States because it directs all healthcare costs to be covered by the government. More than 150 million Americans are presently covered by employer-offered private insurance and Medicare Advantage, and millions more buy plans through the Affordable Care Act.

Under Sanders' plan, all Americans would be insured by a government-run plan that would cover everything, including dental and vision. Private insurers would only be able to provide certain benefits that aren't covered by the proposed law.

Sanders, who says 70 percent of Americans support his plan, contends private insurance companies are motivated almost entirely by profits, rather than patient care.

"This is a struggle for the heart and soul of who we are as American people," Sanders said Wednesday. "The American people are increasingly clear: They want a healthcare system that guarantees healthcare to all Americans as a right."

Sen. Jeff Markley, D-Ore., said a seamless, single-payer system would allow every American to go to the doctor and fill prescriptions.

"How about we pay less than other countries and get more outcomes," he said. "We need every American off the couch and in the battlefield."

Sanders' town hall meeting Wednesday included a nurse and doctor who gave real-life examples of frustration medical professionals experience when dealing with private insurance companies.

While Sanders' proposal has energized many, it's also generated concern among others over how much it would cost to maintain. Sanders' plan Wednesday does not specify a price tag, but some analysts have said it could rise up to $30 trillion over 10 years.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement after Sanders' town hall, saying the price tag for such a plan would "cripple our economy and future generations with unprecedented debt."

Sen. Sanders issued a document Wednesday proposing ways to cover costs, including progressive taxes on American workers, more taxes for the wealthy and fees for large financial institutions.

Sanders' proposal differs a bit from the Obama-era ACA, which has received steady criticisms since it was enacted nearly a decade ago. President Donald Trump has unsuccessfully attempted to repeal the entire ACA since he took office more than two years ago, and he has succeeded at rescinding some provisions. Trump for months has repeatedly promised a forthcoming Republican healthcare initiative, but it hasn't yet been introduced in Congress. A previous GOP effort, the American Health Care Act, failed to pass the Senate in 2017.

The White House said the Trump administration is working on "realistic solutions" on healthcare.

"From the Green New Deal to Medicare for None, it's ironic that so many Democrats are choosing to pivot to socialism just as Republican policies are helping create an incredible economic moment for the American people," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said of Sanders' plan.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/10/Bernie-Sanders-introduces-Medicare-For-All-universal-healthcare-plan/8721554894605/.

US to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorist group: WSJ

Washington (AFP)
April 5, 2019

The United States will designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, an unprecedented move that would ramp up pressure on the elite force, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The newspaper, quoting unnamed officials, said President Donald Trump's administration would announce the long-mulled decision as soon as Monday and that concerned defense officials were bracing for the impact.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp was formed after the 1979 Islamic revolution with a mission to defend the clerical regime, in contrast to more traditional military units that protect borders.

The Revolutionary Guards have amassed strong power within Iran, including with significant economic interests.

The Guards' prized unit is the Quds Force, named for the Arabic word for Jerusalem, which supports forces allied with Iran around the region including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The Trump administration has already imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran after withdrawing last year from an international agreement under which Tehran drastically scaled back its nuclear program.

A foreign terrorist designation would make any activities of the group toxic for the United States, with any transactions involving US institutions or individuals subject to punishment.

The Wall Street Journal said that the Pentagon and the CIA had reservations about the move, saying it would increase risks for US troops without doing much more to damage the Iranian economy...

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_to_declare_Irans_Revolutionary_Guards_as_terrorist_group_WSJ_999.html.

US Planning Five Hypersonic Test Programs in Marshall Islands

Washington (Sputnik)
Apr 04, 2019

The US armed forces are planning five test programs on hypersonic weapons systems in the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean, Army Space and Missile Command chief Lieutenant General James Dickinson said in congressional testimony on Wednesday.

"There are currently five active hypersonic test programs in various stages of planning at RTS [the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defence Test Site]," Dickinson told the House Armed Services Strategic Subcommittee.

The RTS is located at the US Army garrison on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

"Because of the geographic remoteness and available complex sensor suite, RTS has seen a significant upswing in hypersonic systems test planning," he said.

RTS also provides critical testing support to both offensive and defensive missile testing requirements for programs such as Ground-Based Mid-course Defence GMD and US Air Force strategic ballistic missile systems, Dickinson said.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/US_Planning_Five_Hypersonic_Test_Programs_in_Marshall_Islands_999.html.

F-35s for Turkey on hold as U.S. approves sales for Australia, Norway

By Allen Cone
APRIL 2, 2019

April 2 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin was awarded a $151.3 million contract to sell 15 F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Australia and six to Norway.

The contract for the 21 planes comes in the wake of the United States halting delivery of equipment related to the F-35 jet to Turkey because of the nation's decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile system. As a NATO partner in the development of the fighter jet, Turkey makes parts of the fuselage, landing gear and cockpit displays and was expecting the first of the $90 million jets to arrive in November.

The sale to Australia and Norway, which was a modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition, was announced Monday by the Defense Department.

Work is expected to be completed in December 2022 in U.S. and foreign plants. Thirty-percent will be performed in the company's headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas; 25 percent in El Segundo, Calif.; 20 percent in Warton, United Kingdom; 10 percent in Orlando, Fla.; and 5 percent each on Nashua, N.H.; Nagoya, Japan, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Australia will pay $108.2 million and Norway $43.1 million under a cooperative agreement. The international partner funds in the full amount will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Australia received its first F-35s last December, and Norway received them in November 2017.

Australia and Norway are among six NATO countries that have received the planes, including the United States, Britain, Italy and the Netherlands. Two other nations that also participated in the aircraft's development -- Canada, Denmark and Turkey -- are scheduled to receive the F-35.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/04/02/F-35s-for-Turkey-on-hold-as-US-approves-sales-for-Australia-Norway/3891554217447/.

Rabbi leads US evangelicals in visit to Muslim Azerbaijan

March 07, 2019

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A group of evangelical pastors from the U.S. visited the predominantly Muslim Shiite nation of Azerbaijan to promote interfaith dialogue and highlight cooperation with Israel, with pastors saying Thursday the visit has already challenged their views about the potential for coexistence in America's polarized landscape.

New York-based Rabbi Marc Schneier, who led the evangelical delegation, told The Associated Press from the capital of Baku that this was the first ever Christian evangelical delegation to visit Azerbaijan.

Most of Azerbaijan's population of 10 million are Shiite but it's also home to Sunnis, Christians and around 30,000 Jews, said the rabbi. The country shares borders with both Iran and Russia. The group, which included 12 U.S. pastors, met President Ilham Aliyev, the foreign minister, Muslim sheikhs, local church leaders, and Israel's ambassador.

Schneier said Aliyev announced during the delegation's visit that the country's first-ever Jewish cultural center would be built in Baku with Kosher dining options and a hotel to accommodate Jewish guests.

The delegation also visited a Jewish school where children sang Hebrew songs for Israel. "I literally had to pinch— I had to pinch myself," Schneier said. "Here I am in a Muslim majority country being welcomed into a Jewish school with all these Jewish children singing Israeli songs. It's just a phenomenon that one would be able to experience anything like that."

Schneier heads the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding based in New York and founded The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York. He is at the forefront of building ties between Jews and Muslims in the U.S. and the Middle East. Through greater interreligious dialogue, he's pushed for closer relations between Muslim leaders and the state of Israel.

Last year, there were visits by U.S. evangelicals to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates— two countries seeking to strengthen ties with the Trump administration through his evangelical base of supporters. The outreach is happening as Gulf Arab states simultaneously take their once-private outreach to Israel more public and work to isolate Iran.

Unlike Arab Gulf states, Azerbaijan already has diplomatic relations with Israel, its national carrier flies direct to Tel Aviv and its president hosted Israel's prime minister in 2016. Pastor Adam Mesa, who leads the Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamonga, California, said it was his first time in a Muslim majority country. He was encouraged to take part in the trip because of Azerbaijan's supportive Israeli stance and interreligious efforts.

For many U.S. evangelicals, support for Israel is at the very core of their faith. Most believe that before Jesus can return, Jews have to go back to the Holy Land. They also believe the return of the Messiah will follow the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, also the site of Islam's sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

"There's been this polarization in our country that we're supposed to be separatists from one another and we're supposed to not interact with one another," Mesa said. "It's incredible that a Muslim majority country is the one that has to actually lead the charge on religious dialogue and community and solidarity."

He said his talks in Azerbaijan with Catholics, Jews and Muslim sheikhs held no friction, resentment or prejudging. "I think we really need to bring that attitude back to America," he said. "I really want to emphasize that to my church and other political leaders."

Pastor Calvin Battle, who leads Destiny Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, described the visit as "absolutely incredible." It was also his first time visiting a Muslim country and his first time in a dialogue with sheikhs and learning "how similar" the Abrahamic faiths are.

"I have to admit it's kind of impaired my ignorances concerning the area and the region and what I came in with, presuppositions concerning the people," he said. More than just promoting inter-religious tolerance, Azerbaijan too sees political currency in its outreach with Christians and Jews.

"From a political point of view, listen there is no question you know that Azerbaijan is looking to strengthen its relationship with the U.S. administration, with the United States Congress. Israel is very much a conduit to that," Schneier said.

Azerbaijan's president has maintained close ties with the West, helping protect its energy and security interests and to counterbalance Russia's influence in the strategic Caspian region. At the same time, Aliyev's government has long faced criticism in the West for alleged human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.

Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov contributed from Moscow.

US says closing consulate in Jerusalem no policy shift

March 04, 2019

JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States has officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the U.S. Embassy to Israel.

For decades, the consulate functioned as a de facto embassy to the Palestinians. Now, that outreach will be handled by a Palestinian affairs unit, under the command of the embassy. The symbolic shift hands authority over U.S. diplomatic channels with the West Bank and Gaza to ambassador David Friedman, a longtime supporter and fundraiser for the West Bank settler movement and fierce critic of the Palestinian leadership.

The announcement from the State Department came early Monday in Jerusalem, the merger effective that day. "This decision was driven by our global efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our diplomatic engagements and operations," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. "It does not signal a change of U.S. policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip."

In a farewell video addressed to the consulate's Palestinian partners, Consul General Karen Sasahara, who is leaving her post as the unofficial U.S. ambassador to the Palestinians and will not be replaced, maintains that new Palestinian unit at the embassy will carry forward the mission of the consulate, "in support of the strengthening of American-Palestinian ties, to boost economic opportunities for the Palestinians and facilitate cultural and educational exchanges."

When first announced by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in October, the move infuriated Palestinians, fueling their suspicions that the U.S. was recognizing Israeli control over east Jerusalem and the West Bank, territories that Palestinians seek for a future state.

Palestinian official Saeb Erekat called the move "the final nail in the coffin" for the U.S. role in peacemaking. The downgrade is just the latest in a string of divisive decisions by the Trump administration that have backed Israel and alienated the Palestinians, who say they have lost faith in the U.S. administration's role as a neutral arbiter in peace process.

Last year the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocated its embassy there, upending U.S. policy toward one of the most explosive issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians in turn cut off most ties with the administration.

The administration also has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, including assistance to hospitals and peace-building programs. It has cut funding to the U.N. agency that provides aid to Palestinians classified as refugees. Last fall, it shut down the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington.

The Trump administration has cited the reluctance of Palestinian leaders to enter peace negotiations with Israel as the reason for such punitive measures, although the U.S. has yet to present its much-anticipated but still mysterious "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, announced last month that the U.S. would unveil the deal after Israeli elections in April. The Palestinian Authority has preemptively rejected the plan, accusing the U.S. of bias toward Israel.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Former Congolese vice president seeks compensation from ICC

March 11, 2019

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A former vice president of Congo who was acquitted on appeal at the International Criminal Court of crimes in Central African Republic is seeking millions of euros (dollars) in compensation.

Lawyers for Jean-Pierre Bemba released a lengthy written application Monday in which they ask judges at the global court to award Bemba a total of nearly 69 million euros ($77 million). The sum includes compensation for a decade he spent in jail and also covers legal costs and losses to his assets, which were frozen by the court.

Appeals judges last year overturned Bemba's 2016 convictions as a military commander on two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes for a campaign of murder, rape and pillaging by his troops in Central African Republic from 2002-2003.

Nigeria: Buhari Sworn-in For Second Term as President

29 May 2019

By Ayodeji Adegboyega

President Muhammadu Buhari has been inaugurated for a second term in office.

The inauguration was done at the Eagle Square in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

Wednesday’s inauguration was low-key with many foreign leaders and former Nigerian presidents absent.

The government had earlier announced that the event would be low-key as major parts of the event had been rescheduled for June 12, which has been declared Democracy Day.

Mr Buhari won the February presidential election, defeating dozens of other candidates, including his main challenger Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to the electoral commission, Mr Buhari polled 55.6 per cent of the votes (15,191,847) to defeat Mr Abubakar who polled 41.2 per cent (11,262,978).

Mr Abubakar is challenging the result of the election in court.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: https://allafrica.com/stories/201905290434.html.

Recruitment of new soldiers threatens South Sudan's peace

February 21, 2019

YAMBIO, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan's rival armed groups are forcefully recruiting civilians, including child soldiers, violating a fragile peace deal signed five months ago. The evidence from numerous accounts that opposing sides are adding fighters to their ranks is a worrying sign that threatens the country's peace, say officials.

In Yambio, near the border with Congo, all sides met recently to try to resolve their differences and strengthen the peace agreement. However, the meeting quickly turned tense as the government and opposition accused each other of recruiting new fighters, including child soldiers. The meeting highlighted the need for all fighters to be integrated into a single, unified national army, said observers.

The reports of new recruitment come from all sides. In Twic state 1,200 men were forced into the government army, according to a letter sent from community leaders to the governor in January and seen by The Associated Press.

In Upper Nile state opposition-leader Riek Machar is recruiting troops to "balance his number of forces with the government," said a high-ranking opposition member who spoke with Machar and who insisted on anonymity for his safety.

And in Western Equatoria state, another group, the National Salvation Front, is allegedly recruiting former combatants pushing them to take up arms again or hand over their weapons if they refuse, said Johnson Niwamanya, team leader for the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, the body charged with documenting violations and overseeing the implementation of the peace agreement.

South Sudan is slowly emerging from the five-year civil war that killed almost 400,000 people and displaced millions. A peace deal signed on September 12 in neighboring Sudan has been marked by delays, missed deadlines and violations.

The latest wave of recruitment shows the fragility of the peace, as all sides are boosting the size of their forces, said an expert. "In South Sudan, manpower is political power. Politicians use peace deals to grow their own armed ranks," said Alan Boswell senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

Officially, the government and both opposition parties deny that any recruitment is taking place. "We are not expecting war for us to recruit," said the government's deputy army spokesman Santo Domic Chol.

In addition are accusations of the continued use of child soldiers. An estimated 19,000 children are associated with armed groups in South Sudan, according to the U.N., giving the country one of the highest numbers of child soldiers in the world.

James Nando, an opposition commander in Western Equatoria who is accused of having child soldiers, told AP that he is merely caring for "orphans." While the parties say they are committed to peace, fighting continues across South Sudan, especially in the hard-hit Equatoria region.

Last week the United Nations refugee agency said 13,000 people had fled renewed violence in parts of the country after clashes erupted at the end of January between South Sudan's army and the rebel group, the National Salvation Front.

Speaking to the parties in Yambio, chairman of the ceasefire-monitoring group Desta Abiche urged both sides to speed implementation of the peace deal. By May, opposition leader Machar is supposed to return to the country to once again serve as First Vice President and all armed groups are expected to be separately housed, then trained and unified into one national army. So far there are no barracks where the forces are meant to be housed.

"We need to kick everything up because of time," said Abiche to both sides. "There are three months left to take full responsibility. Peace is possible because it's you who can make peace," but he warned: "It is also you who can cause the peace to fail."

Sierra Leone bans industrial fishing for a month

Freetown (AFP)
April 1, 2019

Sierra Leone has banned industrial fishing in its territorial waters for a month from Monday in a move to try to shore up stocks that was applauded by environmental activists.

The government also decreed an April 1-30 halt to exports by major fishing companies "to protect our fish stock from depletion", said a statement from the fisheries ministry.

"All industrial fishing companies should stock their fish in cold rooms ... during the period of closure," Minister of Fisheries Emma Kowa Jalloh told AFP.

The West African states of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone lost about $2.3 billion (more than 2.1 billion euros) a year from 2010 to 2016 due to illegal and undeclared fishing, according to the Greenpeace environmental group.

Sierra Leone National Fishermen Consortium chairman Alpha Sheku Kamara accused China and Korea of destroying stocks.

"We are happy that the government has declared fishing period closure after series of complaints," he told AFP at the bustling Tombo fishing community outside the capital Freetown.

"Industrial fishing boats from China and Korea are destroying our nets and also depleting the fish stock," he said.

"We are calling on the government to effectively enforce the ban with surveillance."

Many coastal communities in Sierra Leone depend on fishing for food and their livelihood, said Steve Trent, executive director at Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).

"We applaud the ban but the long answer is for legal, equitable and sustainable fishing industry management to be introduced."

"We are working towards helping Sierra Leone with surveillance boats and regulatory framework for sustainable fishing methods," Trent said.

"Illegal fishing accounts for about 30 percent of catches by industrial foreign fleets in Sierra Leone, according to the 2017 Sea Around Us project at the University of British Columbia, the University of California at Berkeley and five other organizations.

It found that in the past decade industrial foreign vessels have increased illegal activities off Sierra Leone either on their own or by enticing small-scale fishers into illicit partnerships.

Reduced monitoring and surveillance resulting from the withdrawal of development aid encouraged unlicensed operations, researchers said, noting an estimated 42,000 tonnes caught by illegal fishing in 2015.

A representative of a large Chinese fishing company in Sierra Leone declined to comment to AFP.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Sierra_Leone_bans_industrial_fishing_for_a_month_999.html.

School building collapses in Nigeria with scores said inside

March 13, 2019

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — A three-story building collapsed in Nigeria on Wednesday with scores of school children thought to be inside, setting off frantic rescue efforts in the country's crowded commercial capital. An emergency management official said more than 40 people had been found but it was not yet clear how many died.

Associated Press video showed rescuers carrying several dust-covered, stunned-looking children from the rubble, to cheers from hundreds of people who rushed to the scene. But the crowd quieted as others were pulled out and slung over people's shoulders, unmoving.

The children were hurried through the crowd to ambulances. One man pressed his hands to a passing survivor's head in blessing. Rescue efforts unfolded in the densely populated neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital and a city of some 20 million people. More equipment was brought in as nightfall approached.

As many as 100 children had been in the primary school on the building's top floor, some witnesses said. More than 40 people had been found "but for now I am not in a position to give the number of dead," Shina Tiamiyu, general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear why the building collapsed. Such disasters are all too common in Nigeria, where new construction often goes up without regulatory oversight and floors are added to already unstable buildings.

Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode said buildings in the neighborhood, Ita Faji, should have undergone integrity tests but landlords resisted. Hundreds of people stood in narrow streets and on rooftops of rusted, corrugated metal, watching rescue efforts. A yellow excavator scooped at the ruins of rebar and dust. Later it nosed at concrete slabs.

With emotions high, a number of shirtless men jumped in to offer assistance, hacksaws and mallets in hand. Some were barefoot. Some were bare-handed. One held a water bottle in his teeth. The collapse came as President Muhammadu Buhari, newly elected to a second term, tries to improve groaning, inefficient infrastructure in Africa's most populous nation.

"Nigeria's infrastructure is generally less than half the size than in the average sub-Saharan Africa country and only a fraction of that in emerging market economies," the International Monetary Fund has noted.

"The perceived quality of the infrastructure is low." There was no immediate comment from Buhari's office. Instead, as the rescue work continued, the president's personal assistant posted on Twitter a photo of a gleaming new terminal at the airport in the capital, Abuja.

Nigerian president's lead widens as vote results continue

February 26, 2019

KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's election lead grew on Tuesday during a second day of announcing state-by-state election results in Africa's largest democracy. The death toll in vote-related violence rose to 53 as an extremist attack was found to be worse than first reported.

Buhari led by more 1 million votes as he seeks a second term, urging Nigerians to give him time to build on the foundation of his first term hurt by a rare recession and widespread insecurity. Buhari had won 10 of Nigeria's 36 states by mid-afternoon while top challenger Atiku Abubakar, a billionaire former vice president, won seven states, most in the largely Christian south, and the capital's territory.

The process could continue into Wednesday in a race once described as too close to call. Abubakar's party has alleged manipulation of results after Saturday's vote. The ruling party rejects the claim, calling it an attempt to discredit the election, which some observers have called a step back from the widely praised 2015 vote.

In Kano, Nigeria's second-largest state and the heart of the country's Muslim north, the local results were declared at 4 a.m., with Buhari winning. "Well, we thank God that at least we finished this safely, without any hitches," the state electoral commissioner, Riskuwa Shehu, told The Associated Press.

Within minutes, he would join security agents in carrying the results to the capital, Abuja, where they would get in line to announce them for a national audience. Turnout appeared to be lower, Shehu said. He pointed to a number of factors, including the fear of possible violence after heated campaigning. The "disappointment" of a weeklong postponement likely played a role, he said.

Election observers say the vote was hurt by the surprise postponement and significant delays in the opening of polling stations. While they called the process generally peaceful, at least 53 people were killed, analysis unit SBM Intelligence said Tuesday.

The toll rose because an attack claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province extremist group in the northeast was deadlier than first thought, with at least 17 people killed, head of research Cheta Nwanze told AP.

Nigerians now wonder whether Buhari or Abubakar will follow through on pledges to accept a loss, or challenge the results. A former United States ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, says the troubled election has given them grounds to go to the courts. That route could take months.

"Alhamdulillah," said 36-year-old Umar Ibrahim, who bantered with clients about politics at his tiny shop in Kano. "Up to now they say Buhari is leading, far. He is a good elder." Grace Eje, a 25-year-old domestic worker, held out hope for Abubakar, saying Nigeria needed someone new after Buhari. "No money, no work, no help from him," she said of the president, grimacing.

Nigeria's some 190 million people say they pray for peace. They were surprised in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan conceded before official results were announced giving victory to Buhari, a former military dictator who pulled off the first defeat of an incumbent by the opposition in the country's history.

Many worry that such a concession appears unlikely this time. "Jonathan set the benchmark on how electoral outcomes should be handled," Chris Kwaja, a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace, told The Associated Press. "Accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship. This is a critical vehicle for democratic consolidation. So far, it is unclear what the candidates will do."

For the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of overall votes as well as at least 25 percent of the vote in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states. If that isn't achieved, the election moves to a runoff.

The YIAGA Africa project, which deployed more than 3,900 observers, projected that no runoff election will be needed and that a "clear winner" would emerge. It was not yet clear how many of Nigeria's estimated 73 million eligible voters turned out. YIAGA estimated turnout at between 36 percent and 40 percent, down from 44 percent in 2015. That would continue the trend of recent elections.

Some polling units still open in Nigeria, day after voting

February 24, 2019

KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Some polling stations remained open across Nigeria Sunday as votes were being counted in most of the country following Saturday's presidential election that is widely seen as a tight race between the president and a former vice president.

Although voting was peaceful in most areas of Nigeria Saturday, there were a few outbreaks of violence in the vast West African country and many reports of delays that compelled electoral officials to reopen polling stations Sunday.

Many polling stations remained open after dark to allow people waiting in line to vote. Because of the delays voting was still taking place Sunday "in several places" across Nigeria, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, a spokesman for the electoral commission, told The Associated Press. He gave no more details, but local media reports cited voting lines in the states of Plateau, Jigawa and Nasarawa.

More than 72 million people were eligible to vote. President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler who won election in 2015, is seeking his second term against more than 70 candidates. His main rival is Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and billionaire businessman.

Many Nigerians, appalled that their country recently became the world leader in the number of people living in extreme poverty, said the election will be decided by economic issues. Nigeria suffered a rare, months-long recession under Buhari when global oil prices crashed, with unemployment growing significantly to 23 percent and inflation in the double digits.

Abubakar's party is alleging "deliberate" voter suppression in areas where Buhari's party is known to be unpopular. One of the largest domestic observer groups, Watching the Vote, told reporters on Sunday that Nigeria had missed its chance to improve on the 2015 election. Logistical problems caused 59 percent of the polling stations it monitored to open late, and misconduct at some stations hurt people's ability to vote. The issues, however, didn't necessarily undermine the election's credibility, spokesman Hussaini Abdu said.

In the northern city of Kano tempers flared at one collation center where unaccredited Abubakar supporters alleged that ballots from a couple of polling units hadn't been counted. Amid shouting, security personnel pushed them out of the courtyard's metal door.

A ruling party supervisor, Joy Bako, watched in exasperation before they engaged her in a heated argument. "It was free and fair," she said. "Nobody was arguing. I'm surprised at all this noise." Observers and workers at the collation center, and others who had visited multiple centers, reported a peaceful process in an area where voters were expected to largely support Buhari.

Even an opposition supporter, Abubakar Ali, paused from the ruckus to acknowledge that "everything was going clear." But a lot of people did not come out to vote as compared to the last time, he said.

Godwin Ugbala, who spent the election as an agent for one of the country's dozens of small political parties, reported a smooth voting day and added his voice to the frustration with Buhari. "This one failed us in so many ways," Ugbala said. "No business. Everything is tired."

He voted for Buhari in 2015 but said the president had "betrayed" the people by not following up on his promises. Nigeria's presidential election was held a week late, after the electoral commission said it needed more time to organize the logistics of holding a credible election

Observers said the postponement, blamed on logistical challenges, could favor Buhari, with some Nigerians saying they didn't have the resources to travel a second time to their place of registration. It's unclear when a winner will be announced, but some observers say it could be Tuesday or Wednesday.

Muhumuza reported from Yola, Nigeria.

Counting starts in Nigeria's delayed poll marked by violence

February 23, 2019

DAURA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria began counting votes in a presidential election on Saturday marked by an extremist attack and other killings, late-opening polling stations and a surprise loss for top challenger Atiku Abubakar in his hometown.

Voting in Africa's largest democracy took place a week after a painful election delay. Final results are expected on Tuesday. Observers and security forces gave scattered reports of torched ballot boxes, soldiers firing on suspected vote-snatchers and people illegally selling their votes for as little as 500 naira ($1.38).

President Muhammadu Buhari, who seeks a second term after largely failing to deliver on fighting insecurity and corruption, was first in line at his polling station in his northern hometown of Daura. After cheekily peering at his wife's ballot, he told reporters he was ready to congratulate himself on victory. He refused to say whether he would accept a loss.

Billionaire former vice president Abubakar, who had told reporters that "I look forward to a successful transition," was embarrassed by his 186-167 loss to the president at his polling station under a tree in Yola. A large crowd of Buhari supporters exploded in cheers at the news.

Observers had said the election was too close to call. Election day began with multiple blasts in Maiduguri, the capital of northeastern Borno state. Security forces at first denied an attack but eventually acknowledged that extremists had "attempted to infiltrate" the city by launching artillery fire. One soldier was killed and four were wounded, a security official said, insisting on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The attacks, claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province, frightened some voters away from the polls. "I feared for my life," resident Haruna Isa said. He stayed home and wished the candidates luck.

Asmau Hassan said she lost her voting card in the chaos after one explosion struck her displacement camp. She wanted to vote for Buhari but said "I have just turned into an onlooker now." Authorities confirmed another attack on a military base in Geidam in northeastern Yobe state, saying it prevented the governor from voting.

In Rivers state in Nigeria's restive south, the army said it killed six people it described as "political hoodlums" after troops were ambushed at a road barricade in Abonnema. Spokesman Sagir Musa said a lieutenant also was killed in the shootout.

Several other election-related deaths were reported. Police in Rivers state said a former aide to the governor was shot dead along with his brother. The Nation newspaper reported three people killed in Lagos, Africa's largest city, when thugs attacked a polling booth and burned ballot boxes.

A coalition of civic groups said multiple polling units had not opened more than four hours after the official start. Delays were reported in parts of the south and in the north-central state of Nasarawa as well as in Lagos.

Many of Nigeria's more than 72 million people eligible to vote pressed on, some walking for hours along roads deserted by traffic restrictions. Raphael Dele in Yola said he walked over 10 kilometers (6 miles) to his polling station "because there is no room for excuses."

Many Nigerians, appalled that their country recently became the world leader in the number of people living in extreme poverty, said the election will be decided by economic issues. Nigeria suffered a rare, months-long recession under Buhari when global oil prices crashed, with unemployment growing significantly to 23 percent and inflation in the double digits.

Some on Saturday noted a lower turnout than four years ago, when many Nigerians hoped that Buhari, a former military dictator, would tame multiple security crises. "Really this time, there were not many people from what I observed," said Habiba Bello, a political party agent who attended vote-counting in Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city. A nearby station showed just 102 voters out of the nearly 400 expected.

In the dusty schoolyard, party agents recited aloud in unison as polling officials held ballot papers aloft one by one. "I'm feeling fine now!" declared Nura Abba, there for the ruling party. An electoral commission presiding officer, Kabiru al-Haji Musa, showed another station's presidential results, scrawled in ballpoint pen. Buhari received 88 votes. Abubakar had eight.

Elsewhere, votes were counted by the light of mobile phones after sundown. The ruling party warned of possible violence "in the wee hours" as ballots were compiled in poorly defended locations such as schools.

Observers said the delay of the election from last week, blamed on logistical challenges, could favor Buhari, with some Nigerians saying they didn't have the resources to travel a second time to their place of registration.

Some also warned the delay could hurt the election's credibility. "Unless Atiku is declared the winner, many will still believe that (the electoral commission) colluded with the government to rig him out," said Jideofor Adibe, associate professor of political science at Nasarawa State University.

Some voters, however, dismissed concerns about having to wait. "This election means so much to me. It means the future of Nigeria. The future of my children unborn. And the future of my entire family," voter Blessing Chemfas said.

Muhumuza reported from Yola, Nigeria. Abdulrahim reported from Maiduguri, Nigeria. Associated Press writers Cara Anna in Kano, Nigeria, Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria, Hilary Uguru in Oleh, Nigeria, and photographer Jerome Delay in Kaduna, Nigeria contributed.

Ocean changes affected deadly duo of Mozambique cyclones

April 26, 2019

BERLIN (AP) — Warming waters and rising sea levels are affecting Indian Ocean cyclones such as those that have wrought havoc in Mozambique in recent weeks, making them potentially more deadly. But experts caution it is premature to say whether the unprecedented double-whammy of storms to hit the southern African nation is a consequence of climate change, and whether these cyclones will become more common.

Cyclone Idai, which swamped large parts of central Mozambique last month, killed over 600 people and displaced thousands. Cyclone Kenneth made landfall Thursday evening in the north of the country where no such storm has been recorded since satellite observations began in the 1970s.

"There is no record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique in the same season," said Clare Nullis, a spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization. "It is difficult to pronounce on one event like Idai, or even two like Idai and Kenneth. The statistical size of the sample is just too small," she said. "But one thing is sure: The vulnerability of coastal areas will become worse with the sea-level rise induced by global warming."

Inland areas, too, are at risk because storms are getting wetter. Kenneth, which has weakened to a tropical depression, is expected to bring heavy rainfall to already saturated soil and dams at the end of the rainy season.

"While attention is often given to wind speed, we know from experience that it is rainfall — and subsequent flooding and landslides — that can be even more dangerous from a humanitarian perspective," said Antonio Carabante, an emergency relief delegate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"This was certainly the case for Cyclone Idai," Carabante said, adding that many affected areas are prone to flooding and landslides even with normal levels of rainfall. "And this is far from a normal situation."

Such conditions can be particularly devastating for developing countries like Mozambique and neighboring Malawi and Zimbabwe, all hit by Cyclone Idai, where food stores can be quickly depleted in a disaster and the health care system struggles to cope with a sudden disease outbreak like cholera.

"Cyclone Kenneth may require a major new humanitarian operation at the same time that the ongoing Cyclone Idai response targeting 3 million people in three countries remains critically underfunded," said the U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator, Mark Lowcock, who described the situation as a "climate-related disaster."

Abubakr Salih Babiker, a meteorologist at the Nairobi-based Intergovernmental Authority on Development, said there are indications that tropical cyclones are becoming more common off East Africa as rising sea surface temperatures are a key ingredient for cyclones to form.

"There's a pattern here," he said, citing recent violent storms from Somalia in the Horn of Africa down to Mozambique. "What used to be rare is not rare anymore." And just as warmer seas are helping spark cyclones, hotter air is feeding the resulting rainfall, Salih Babiker said. "If the air is warmer, it has more ability to hold moisture."

The World Meteorological Organization said this year's cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean has been exceptionally intense, with 15 storms including nine intense cyclones. It is now tied with the record season of 1993-1994.

Nullis said the agency is sending an expert delegation to Mozambique to discuss with the government how to improve its resilience to extreme weather. Long and narrow with a 2,400-kilometer (1,500-mile) Indian Ocean coastline, the country is one of the world's most vulnerable to global warming.

Macron in Kenya, 1st French leader there since independence

March 13, 2019

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will be in Kenya today in the first visit by a French leader since the East African nation's independence in 1963. This is the latest stop in Macron's Africa tour, followed by Ethiopia and Djibouti, focusing on investment and security in a region of increasing strategic importance.

The French leader is attending a U.N. environmental meeting and One Planet Summit in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Macron's office says that Kenya is the only African nation to reach the goal of making renewable energy 75 percent of its energy mix.

The office also notes the ongoing threat to Kenya from extremism. Al-Shabab is in neighboring Somalia. French business leaders are also traveling with Macron. Kenya is East Africa's commercial hub.