The News Review:

- Bank Group And Partners Organize Regional Consultations On Climate…
- Africans at Euro 2008
- Gambia: Football Fanaticism
- Excitement in France over Obama victory
- West Africa’s music enchants the West
- Preview: 2010 W’Cup qualifiers

Bank Group And Partners Organize Regional Consultations On Climate…
AllAfrica.com – Jun 6, 2008
He urged the country to take up the challenge of maintaining and developing its soil managing its coastal regions as well as protecting its environment and ensuring sustainable development. The joint consultation enabled Bank Group infrastructure specialist John Sande Kanyarubona and Principal Environmentalist Hany Shalaby to present the institution’s strategy on climate change. The World Bank’s strategy was presented by its Africa Region Natural Resources and Environment Division Chief Marjorie-Anne Broomhead as well as Lead Specialist and World Bank strategy coordinator Aziz Bouzaher. Besides the three challenges – energy security and access cushioning the adverse effects of climate change as well as climate change risk management and adaptation – participants indicated that reducing greenhouse gas emissions was not a priority given that relatively to other regions of the world Africa had a low rate of greenhouse gas emissions. They however agreed that energy security and long term climate risk management and adaptation constituted strategic priorities which needed to be implemented in their respective countries. Participants also hailed the joint consultations and called on both institutions to harmonize their strategies in order to make them complementary; to reflect national and sub-regional strategies in their climate change strategies; to actively promote the « Knowledge Bank » aspect develop and consider local knowledge research and development set up an early alert as well as rain and climate information system as provided for in the ClimDevAfrica programme jointly undertaken by the African Union the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank Group; and to set up an innovative financial mechanism for African countries. The event brought together many government officials members of the diplomatic corps representatives of the twelve West African countries as well as bilateral and multilateral development partners… " He said the overall issue from Dakar to Djibouti where the creation of a greenbelt has been planned or from Casablanca to Cape Town is to provide an African response to climate change. Also speaking during the occasion the Bank Group’s resident representative in Senegal Mohamed H’Midouche highlighted the impact of climate change and the extreme weather conditions such as floods droughts and storms that retard economic growth in some African countries adding that those greatly affected by climate change were the poor given that their meager resources are the most affected and they are the least equipped to deal with climate change risks. He pointed out that severe droughts torrential rains floods and cyclones were signs which clearly proved that climate change was a reality and it will not be reversed over the next decades. He urged development institutions to take concrete measures to ensure that the operations they are financing produce the desired results. The World Bank Director of Operations in Senegal Madani Tall for his part said that the AfDB-World Bank consultation proved that climate change had a real impact on the continent which according to experts is the region hardest hit by greenhouse gas emissions. He pointed out that Senegal whose economy also depended on a large agricultural sector and coastal urban development constituted a good example of an African country that was vulnerable to climate change. He urged the country to take up the challenge of maintaining and developing its soil managing its coastal regions as well as protecting its environment and ensuring sustainable development.

Africans at Euro 2008
BBC News – Jun 6, 2008
France unsurprisingly as a former colonial power with a long tradition of using African-born talent has by far the biggest Afro-contingent. Patrick Vieira and Patrice Evra could have played for Senegal Claude Makelele and Steve Mandanda were born in Kinshasa Sidney Govou is the son of a former Benin international and Lassana Diarra has roots in Mali. The list doesn’t end there as both Samir Nasri and rising star Karim Benzema are of Algerian origin. Nasri has been nicknamed the ‘new Zidane’ as the greatest of France’s players of African origin grew up like him in the south of France in an Algerian family. The latest addition to the French squad is Bafetimbi Gomis who hesitated between France and Senegal before scoring a double on his debut for the Blues last month. Other countries have players with African links too.

Gambia: Football Fanaticism
AllAfrica.com – Jun 6, 2008
But that would be of course for the long-term solution. For now though as we await the arrival of the Senegalese team the security outfit could be instrumental in ensuring that peace prevails. Remember that Senegal and The Gambia compose of just the same people. Re: Alleged homosexuals leave The GambiaIn our Wednesday edition we ran a lead story captioned SPANISH GAYS CHARGED To appear in court today. The Point newspaper on Thursday reported that the Spanish gays were "arrested and detained for nearly four days without charge contrary to media reports that they are being charged with an attempt to commit ‘unnatural offence’ and were to appear in court on Wednesday". From these two version of reports one could deduce conflicting facts. We do not owe The Point any explanation as to how we got our facts but we must state the facts for the sake of our wider readership.

Excitement in France over Obama victory
International Herald Tribune – Jun 6, 2008
” President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded several high-profile jobs in his administration to people of African origin. Justice Minister Rachida Dati is the daughter of North African immigrants as is Fadela Amara in charge of France's suburbs. Rama Yade junior minister for human rights was born in Senegal. But none of the 577 members of the National Assembly are from France's first- or second-generation immigrant population. Sarkozy has also quietly abandoned a campaign pledge to introduce affirmative action for ethnic minorities. According to Constance Borde vice president of Democrats Abroad in France and one of the party's superdelegates French minorities need the kind of affirmative action their American counterparts have had. “If you open up your education system” Borde told the packed auditorium at the Institut d'Études Politiques on Tuesday “you too can have an Obama.
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West Africa’s music enchants the West
Christian Science Monitor – Jun 6, 2008
addParam(“play” “false”); myFlashObject. In recent years the aural riches of Mali Niger Senegal and Gambia have been gaining currency in America and Europe through several ambassadors. Take Niger’s Etran Finatawa for example. When the six-person band came to the United States in April they weren’t sure what sort of reception to expect given their exoticism. Half the band are Tuaregs who resemble Saharan astronauts in bright blue turbans; the others are Wodaabe tribesmen whose traditional dress consists of face paint patterned tunic and towering headdress feather. But when audiences heard the syncopated clapping hand drums and tribal chants that swirl around the centrifugal force of the guitarist’s bluesy melodies the response was ecstatic.
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Preview: 2010 W’Cup qualifiers
BBC News – Jun 6, 2008
Ghana were impressive 3-0 victors over Libya in Kumasi and the threat from opponents Lesotho has been diluted because their national stadium is unavailable and the Group 5 fixture switched to neighbouring South Africa. Morocco travel south to Mauritania in Group 8 Guinea jet across Africa to Kenya in Group 2. Senegal visit neighbours Gambia in Group 6 and Mali travel east to face Chad in Group 10. Angola and Togo shock qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup are also travelling with the Palancas Negras confronting Niger in Group 3 while the Hawks meet Swaziland in Group 11.