California capable of meeting ambitious emissions target: report

California, the most populous U.S. state, will be able to achieve its energy target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 as required by an executive order, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The report, titled "California's Energy Future -- The View to 2050," was released amid growing scepticism about the state's gas emission plan, particularly at a time when the state's population is expected to surge from 37 million to 55 million and the demand for energy is expected to double.

Despite those daunting numbers, California can achieve its target, though not without bold policy and behavioral changes as well as some scientific innovation, said the report.

The report was co-written by scientists from several institutions such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California (UC), Davis, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology and the Electric Power Research Institute.

It draws a series of energy system "portraits" showing how California can meet its ambitious emissions targets using a combination of measures and energy sources that may include electrification, enhanced efficiency, nuclear energy, renewable energy sources, grid modernization, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

The first 60 percent in emissions reductions can be realized with currently available technology, the report finds.

"California can achieve emissions roughly 60 percent below 1990 levels with technology we largely know about today if such technology is rapidly deployed at rates that are aggressive but feasible," the report says.

The remaining 20 percent reduction in emissions will have to come from advancements in several technologies still in development, which may include artificial photosynthesis, fusion energy, more efficient and sustainable biofuels, hydrogen fuel, more effective CCS and advanced batteries for both vehicles and grid storage, according to the report.

Berkeley Lab scientists are actively pursuing research in all of these areas, the report says.

If no measures are taken, emissions will likely double by 2050 relative to 1990 levels, but with efficiency alone --including more efficient buildings, industrial facilities and vehicles -- emissions could be held to 20 percent over 1990 levels, says the report.

To achieve its goal, California will need a very different electricity system that is better able to balance supply and demand while integrating more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, which are intermittent, the report notes.

Reducing emissions will require efforts on both the supply and demand side of the energy equation. Faster development of California's diverse array of renewable energy resources -- wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro and offshore marine energy -- will be needed to ensure an adequate supply of clean electricity, the report says.

It is calculated that wind power, for example, would have to grow at 7.5 percent annually and solar at 12 percent annually.

The report also considered the impact on land use from scaling up such operations; it estimated that 1.3 percent of the state's land area would have to be devoted exclusively to renewables.

On the demand side, the report recommends aggressive efficiency measures, such as retrofitting 1.8 percent of all buildings every year starting now.

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U.S. economic confidence spikes, but could prove temporary

Gallup's economic confidence index this week reached its highest level since mid-February, continuing along a positive trend that started in the week after the death of top terrorist Osama bin Laden earlier this month.

Still, confidence could wane if consumer sentiment is not reinforced by additional positive economic reports, Gallup reported on Tuesday.

Indeed, the U.S. economy is by no means out of the danger zone, and a number of factors could thwart confidence: The U.S. and global economies seem to be slowing, according to a number of economic reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been down for three weeks in a row and jobless claims continue to run above 400,000, suggesting that job growth is insufficient to put a dent in the U.S. unemployment rate.

The battle over raising the U.S. federal debt limit seems to be heating up as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warns of dire financial consequences if Congress does not act. Moreover, there exists a feeling of deja vu as the European debt situation has surfaced once more, as it did about this time a year ago, Gallup said.

The recent heightening in economic confidence may also be the continuation of a "halo effect" from the bin Laden news, reinforced by a surprisingly quick decline in gas prices. So if this spike in confidence turns out to be transitory, these gains could dissipate quickly in the weeks ahead, according to the renowned survey company.

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Clashes continue in parts of Cote d'Ivoire though overall security situation improving: UN spokesman

Although overall security situation is improving in Cote d'Ivoire, clashes continue in parts of the West African country, where more than 1,000 civilians were killed since the November 2010 presidential polls, a UN spokesman said here Tuesday.

"The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA) says that while the general security situation continues to improve in most of Cote d'Ivoire, clashes continue to be reported in some neighborhoods of Abidjan and in the western part of the country," Martin Nesirky told a daily news briefing.

"Tensions also persist in the southwest, where weeks of fighting have uprooted people and prevented aid agencies from delivering life-saving assistance, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)," Nesirky said.

"The volatile security situation has already stopped an immunization campaign to halt the spread of a form of polio which has not been reported in the country in more than a decade," he said.

Alassane Ouattara has been inaugurated as president of Cote d' Ivoire after months of violence and political turmoil in the country. Ouattara won the presidential elections but was prevented from taking office after strongman Laurent Gbagbo refused to surrender power. Gbagbo was arrested on April 11.

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Israeli lawmakers react differently to Netanyahu's Congress speech

Some members of Israeli Knesset parliament on Tuesday evening praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, while others condemned it as "nothing new."

Gidon Sa'ar, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud faction, hailed the address.

"There's no statesmen in Israel or the world who could present the case for Israel as strongly as Netanyahu could," he was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying.

Many members of Knesset (MKs) from the opposition criticized the prime minister's speech. "Netanyahu didn't say anything new," said Shaul Mofaz with the Kadima party. "He has no plan, he is leading us to a conflict with the world in September," Mofaz said, referring to the Palestinian initiative to bring the statehood issue to the UN four months later.

"Netanyahu's speech to the Congress was an election commercial . .. an attempt by Netanyahu to present a false impression that he is willing to enter negotiations," said Kadima's MK Yoel Hasson.

Concerning the U.S. Congress members' general applause for Netanyahu's speech, Zehave Gal-On from the left-wing Meretz party said "they cheer in Congress while in the Middle East the catastrophe goes on."

"Even Netanyahu knows that there is no such thing as peace that is not based on 1967 borders and dividing Jerusalem. (His views) reject peace and will lead Israel to international isolation," Gal- On said, according the Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu told U.S. Congress earlier Tuesday that he is ready to make "painful compromises" for peace. However, he rebuffed the idea of Israeli withdrawal to pre-1967 borders, which the U.S. President Barack Obama and the Palestinians have demanded.

The prime minister reiterated in his speech Israel's stands on further peace talks, including undivided Jerusalem, military presence along Jordan river, and demilitarization of Palestinian state.

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Microsoft unveils new version of mobile operating system

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday officially unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system, touting new features that differentiate itself from competitors.

The major new update of Microsoft's Windows phone software, codenamed Mango, includes hundreds of new features that will deliver smarter and easier communications, applications and Internet experiences, the company said.

For example, the new software can integrate a user's text message, email, Facebook and Twitter chats, Windows Live Messenger in one, easy-to-access location, allowing the user to switch between them within the same conversation.

There is also a feature that can connect applications already on a Windows phone, or new applications available to download, with search results and users' other activities in a way that Microsoft said is deeper than any other platform.

Mango will use a mobile version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 browser, and will leverage built-in phone capabilities like location awareness, camera and microphone to offer more relevant search results and local information and suggestions.

"Mango builds on the work that we did in Windows Phone 7 and extends a lot of key scenarios around communications, apps, and Internet experiences -- with even more capability and a deeper level of integration," Greg Sullivan, senior product manager of mobile communications at Microsoft, said in a statement.

Microsoft said Mango will be offered for free to all eligible Windows phone customers when it's available in the fall.

The company on Tuesday also announced new partnerships with Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE in its latest efforts to bring more Windows phone handsets to the market.

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Oil bounces after Goldman raises prices forecast

 Crude prices bounced on Tuesday after Goldman Sach raised its forecasts for London Brent crude.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery bounced 1.89 U.S. dollars, or 1.93 percent to settle at 99.59 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude for July delivery also gained and last traded above 112 dollars a barrel.

Goldman Sachs on Tuesday raised its year-end forecast for London Brent crude to 120 dollars a barrel from 105 dollars a barrel and its one-year estimates to 130 dollars a barrel from 107 dollars. The bank also estimated the prices of London Brent will reach 140 dollars a barrel at the end of 2012, citing the loss of Libya's crude production would lead to a tightening supply-demand relation.

Morgan Stanley also increased its forecast for average Brent crude this year by 20 percent to 120 dollars a barrel and by 24 percent for 2012 to 130 dollars a barrel.

Their forecasts were echoed by JP Morgan Chase & Co. who estimated on Monday that London Brent would touch 130 dollars a barrel in the third quarter of 2011, citing "compelling evidence the global economy will bounce back from temporary setbacks."

And the weakening dollar also helped push oil higher. On Tuesday, the euro rebounded about 0.5 percent after a sharp drop on the previous trading session. The dollar fell about 0.4 percent against a basket of currencies.

However, the investors still remained concerned about the European debt crisis, slowing U.S. economic growth and the demand from emerging markets, which resulted in a choppy trading day. The U.S. benchmark seesawed between 96.61 dollars to 100.09 dollars a barrel.

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Bill Gates calls for helping small farmers in developing world

 Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation, on Tuesday called on U.S. and global leaders to help the small farmers in the developing world.

"I came here today to join those calling on the U.S. and other countries to fund agricultural development for poor farming families," Gates said at a symposium joined by USAID administrator Rajiv Shah and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, urging the United States to play a pivotal role in this regard.

Gates noted in his speech that three-quarters of the world's poorest people rely on small plots of land for their food and income.

Helping these small farmers grow and sell more so they can become self-sufficient is the most effective way to reduce hunger and poverty, he said, citing examples of progress already happening in Africa and South Asia.

He also urged the United States, which has only met part of its commitment on global agricultural development, to fulfill its pledges made in the past.

"We need the G20 nations to make good on their commitments to small farmers," he said. "But it's hard for us to urge them forward if we scale back."

During a roundtable discussion with the press prior to his speech, Gates told Xinhua that his foundation is cooperating with the research institutes from China, the Philippines and other countries which have developed "deep understanding" on new rice varieties.

He said these new rice varieties can contribute a lot in terms of increasing agricultural productivity in other developing countries.

According to information provided by the Gates Foundation, it has several major agricultural cooperation projects in China, such as the one on Green Super Rice with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The Gates foundation said that to date it has committed 1.7 billion U.S. dollars to agricultural development.

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Sudanese president says north Sudan not to allow double nationality

 Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Tuesday that north Sudan would not allow double nationality, and southerners who want to reside in north Sudan must get residence permission after July 9, 2011, when south Sudan will be officially independent.

"After July 9, there will be a temporary period for the southerners to adjust their status and after that they will be deported to the south," al-Bashir said when addressing a celebration of Sudanese teachers in Khartoum Tuesday.

"There will be no double nationality. He who wants to reside in north Sudan must obtain legal residence permission, otherwise, he will be deported to the south," he added.

In the meantime, the Sudanese president acknowledged that north Sudan has closed its borders with south Sudan in the past period, which halted the movement of commodities between north and south Sudan.

The Sudanese president's statements came at a time when tension is escalating between north and south Sudan due to the recent developments in the country's disputed oil-rich area of Abyei.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has recently taken control of Abyei in response to an attack by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) against a SAF convoy which resulted in the deaths of 22 of its soldiers.

A referendum on Abyei was supposed to be held on Jan. 9, 2011, coincident with the south Sudan referendum, but it was postponed in the wake of a difference between the NCP and the SPLM over who have the right to vote in the referendum.

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Italy confident of Greece's austerity measures: FM

Italy has "full confidence" in Greece' s bid to achieve the result of austerity needed to satisfy international lenders and the financial markets, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Tuesday.

During a meeting with his Greek counterpart Dimitris Droutsas in Rome, Frattini said Italy was ready to help stabilize the Greek economy and do all it could to assist economic recovery in its Mediterranean neighbor.

Droutsas said the Greek government's determination to enact a three-year plan for economic reforms was approved Monday.

Droustas also stressed the full commitment of Greek Prime Minister G. Papandreu and of the Greek government to pursue and implement the three-year (2012-2015) plan of reforms aimed at the stabilization of the Greek economy.

Frattini also expressed Italy's willingness to cooperate for the success of Greece's stabilization and recovery plans.

The two ministers discussed at length how to further develop their bilateral economic relations in specific areas such as energy and telecommunications as well as the participation of Italian companies in the Greek privatization program.

According to a statement issued by the Italian Foreign Ministry, Italy and Greece are committed to continue their cooperation on strategic energy projects, such as ITGI and South Stream.

The two ministers agreed to further consolidate the cooperation between the two governments on immigration, with the aim to strengthen the effectiveness of European policy in view of the next European Council.

Frattini and Droutsas also discussed in depth the Libyan crisis and its prospects, the statement said

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Hitler stripped of honorary citizenship of Austrian city

The city government of Amstetten, a small Austrian city of the State of Lower Austria, decided on Tuesday to strip the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler of his honorary citizenship.

Herbert Katzengruber, mayor of Amstetten said that an " absolute majority" in the City Council meeting earlier on the day decided to strip the honorary citizenship of Hitler.

It is reported that the Nazi leader visited Amstetten in 1938. A year later, the city government of Amstetten decided to grant Hitler of honorary citizenship. After the end of World War II, it was forgotten by the people in the city but was under discussion once again after 1996.

Mayor Katzengruber said that the local people has been discussing for many years on whether to remove Hitler's honorary citizenship.

Some people held that the honorary citizenship would lapse automatically after one's death. Therefore, Hitler has no longer been an honorary citizen of the city.

However, others argued that the city government should take some measures on this issue.

The city of Amstetten, about 130 km away from Vienna, capital of Austria, is the central city of Mostviertler area of Lower Austria. It has a resident population of 23,000.

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Costa Rica police seizes 560 kilograms of cocaine

Costa Rica's police has seized 560 kilograms of cocaine aboard a livestock truck, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Police said the seizure was carried out late Monday in La Cruz village in the province of Guanacaste located some 190 kilometers northwest of the capital San Jose.

The drug load was found hidden within a bundle of hay in the truck, which was driven by a Costa Rican national and was headed toward the border with Nicaragua at the time the police intervened. The driver also carried 2,100 U.S. dollars in cash and two cell phones.

This is the second load of drug seized in Costa Rica in less than seven days, and follows the seizure last week of 378 kilograms of cocaine that was hidden in a double bottom of a truck in Miramar de Puntarenas, some 80 kilometers west of San Jose.

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Tornadoes kill four in Oklahoma City

At least four people were killed and many others injured after a string of tornadoes and thunderstorms Tuesday hit central Oklahoma, authorities said.

The storms, which eventually rolled through Calumet and Edmond, north of Oklahoma City, killed four and caused numerous injuries, said an official of Canadian County Emergency Management Director.

The County Sheriff said that a large tornado near El Reno, a city in Canadian County, destroyed residences and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of Oklahoma City.

Sirens were raised about 20 minutes before the storms pushed through. The National Weather Service warned residents and I-44 highway drivers to take precautionary action, saying "this is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation."

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said residents should take tornado warnings and reports "very seriously."

Another tornado was seen at Chickasha, about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It later reached Newcastle, closing in on Moore and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City.

The Storm Prediction Center said the high-risk area for severe storms includes southern Kansas, most of Oklahoma and southward into Texas.

The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday killed at least 122 people, making it the deadliest single tornado in the United States since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.

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16 injured as explosive-laden vehicle rams into police station in Peshawar, Pakistan

At least 16 people including policemen and one child were injured as an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a police station early Wednesday morning in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar, reported local English TV channel Express.

According to the report, the entire building of a CID (Center of Investigation Department) police station located on the University road of the city was leveled to ground after being hit by an explosive-laden vehicle at about 4:40 a.m. local time Wednesday morning.

Many people were feared buried under the building after explosion and 16 people so far pulled out by the rescue team have been shifted to nearby hospital. At least four of the injured people are in critical condition, said hospital sources.

The blast, which occurred in the heart of the city, was so huge that even people living at the outskirts of the city can hear the blast, said an eyewitness.

Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation into the case is underway. No group has claimed the responsibility for the blast yet.

Wednesday morning's incident in Peshawar is the latest terrorist attack in Pakistan. Following the killing of the al- Qaida chief Osama bin Laden by the U.S. forces in Pakistan early this month, a series of terrorist attacks have been launched by Pakistan Taliban in the country, most of which are targeting at the army and police.

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U.S. expert says world think tanks grow in number and impact

The proliferation of think tanks across the globe has exponentially increased the potential for international communication, information gathering and new, creative policy analysis, says an American expert.

The number and overall impact of policy research organizations have been growing and spreading as there are over 6,480 think tanks operating in 169 countries, a great increase from ten years ago, James G. McGann, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and director of Think Tanks and Foreign Policy Program at the University of Pennsylvania, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He said North America and Western Europe still dominate the scene with 57 percent of think tanks, but other regions are catching up. The Middle East and North Africa and Africa as a whole have seen the least activity, with a current level of five percent and eight percent of the world's think tanks, respectively.

He said the growth in numbers and influence of independent public policy research organizations --"think tanks" as they are commonly called -- has been noted by a growing number of scholars, donors and practitioners in the United States and abroad.

Regional and global intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and NATO have recently come to recognize the significant role think tanks play in the policymaking process, he added.

While more think tanks are appearing around the globe, individual think tanks themselves are simultaneously globalizing. Individual think tanks are executing global expansion strategies, in which a think tank establishes multiple physical operational centers, either in different domestic locations or in countries outside of its headquarters, said McGann.

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Chinese Ministry of Justice issues certificates to 159 Hong Kong public notaries

The Ministry of Justice on Tuesday certified 159 Hong Kong lawyers as public notaries, authorizing them to continue acting as agents for legal affairs in mainland areas for Hong Kong residents and firms.

The ministry has commissioned 374 public notaries since the system was launched in 1981, who have contributed to the harmonious development and common prosperity of Hong Kong and mainland areas, Minister of Justice Wu Aiying said.

The commissioned public notaries have notarized more than 1 million documents since 1992, Wu added.

At a symposium marking the 30th anniversary of the system, State Councilor Liu Yandong said the system settled the question of using legal documents in both mainland areas and Hong Kong which have different legal systems and thereby safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of parties concerned.

Facts have shown that the central government's decision on the commissioned public notary system is correct and practice of the system is successful, Liu said.

She called on the commissioned public notaries to safeguard the prosperity and stability of the country and Hong Kong and serve the economic and social development in mainland areas and Hong Kong.

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Yangtze River dolphins under threat from lingering drought

The survival of finless porpoises, a highly-endangered freshwater dolphin in China's Yangtze River, is under threat from lingering drought as the river's water level keeps dropping, experts warned Tuesday.

The drought in central China, lasting for about 200 days, has lowered the water level to 27.38 meters in the Swan Island National Nature Reserve in Shishou City, Hubei Province, said Wang Ding, a dolphin expert at the Hydrobiology Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"The level is three meters lower than last year, the lowest level over the past decades. Finless porpoises cannot survive if the level continues to drop," Wang said.

The river section for some 30 dolphins to live has been reduced to ten kilometers long from 21 km in normal days, Wang said.

"If the activity area is reduced, they might be stranded on the bank and will die if they can not swim back," he said.

The lowering of the water also endangered aquatic plants, which might decrease the number of fish to cause food shortage for the dolphins, he said.

Finless porpoise, one of the six porpoise species and a protected mammal in China, is known locally as the "jiang zhu" (river pig). The gray, smoothly shaped dolphin only live in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, as well as in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake.

The dolphin population is only 1,000, even fewer than that of giant panda, and is decreasing at a rate of 6.4 percent annually, Wang said.

Five finless porpoises were found in the Swan Island National Nature Reserve in the 1990s, and now the population has exceeded 30.

Extreme weather and human activities are the main threats to the species, Wang said.

"Some farmers pump water from the reserve to relieve the drought these days," he said. Local government was alerted and has banned the pumping.

Wang added that the situation of finless porpoises in Poyang Lake was not good, either, as the drought had shrunk the area of the lake to one-tenth its usual size, which brought unprecedented threats to the species.

"The river should be at least three meters deep for finless porpoises to swim. But once the protected areas suffer low water level, they have to move to the main course of the river where ship propellers are a top killer," he said.

Once the dolphin is injured by the propeller, polluted river water will cause a high mortality, he said.

In the past decade, at least five rare animal species have become extinct and another five species, including the white-flag dolphin, have not been seen for years, said Cao Wenxuan, fish biologist and academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Fishing was banned in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the spring of 2002 to protect the environment and the ban was expanded to the entire river in 2003, which largely improved the environment in the river.

However, Wang Ding feared that the drought and the fishing will threaten finless porpoises even more after the three-month fishing ban expires at the end of June.

"The next ten years will be critical to the protection of finless porpoises. If we fail, the species will be the next white-flag dolphin," he said.

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Nadal wins tough opening match at French Open

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain met strong challenges from American John Isner and needed to play five sets to go through the first round in the men'singles at the French Open on Tuesday.

The five-time French Open title winner and also the defending champion fought four hours before finally edged out the American giant 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4.

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Goalkeeper coach of Argentina's River Plate resigns

 Ubaldo Fillol, the coach for goalkeepers of the Argentine soccer club River Plate resigned his post on Tuesday following a public fallout after an incident with goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo.

"I do not forgive these kinds of attitudes," Fillol said in his blog. Fillol, 60 years old, was referring to the attitude of Carrizo who on Sunday made a mistake during a match against San Lorenzo club which resulted in a 1-1 tie.

At the end of the match against San Lorenzo, Carrizo refused to shake hands with Fillol, who had been waiting for Carrizo to express his support for him.

"I want to make it clear that I do not want to be in the place of the victim and I want everybody to understand this," said Fillol, adding: "About what happened on Sunday and which was witnessed on TV, I feel very hurt, more hurt than I ever could have imagined about this surprising attitude from this person."

Sunday's error was the second error last week for the River Plate team that suffered self score, which gave the Boca Juniors team an additional goal advantage to end at 0-2.

On Monday, Carrizo openly apologized to Fillol.

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Pirlo joins Juventus on three-year contract

Former AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo joined Turin giants Juventus on a three-year deal on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Italian international had been released from newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan on a mutual acceptance.

"Andrea Pirlo is now officially a Juventus player," read a club statement. "The club has reached an agreement with the midfielder.

"The contract signed is from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2014."

Juventus also added that the 32-year-old has already taken the necessary tests and stated: "This morning, Andrea Pirlo underwent the usual medical check-up for Juventus."

"The midfielder underwent tests and analyses at Fornaca di Sessant clinic, Isokinetic centre and Sports Medicine Centre in Torino."

The contract enables Pirlo to play for Italy's big three clubs Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

Pirlo underwent medical tests on Tuesday in Turin before the announcement of confirming the transfer from AC Milan.

Pirlo had went through remarkable 10 seasons with AC Milan, playing more than 400 games. The 2006 world champion won a second scudetto in the past season after helping the Rossoneri lift two Champions League trophies in 2003 and 2007.

He joined Juventus at no cost because his contract with Milan had expired.

Juventus have reportedly offered him a three-year contract worth 3.5 million euros (4.9 million dollars) per year.

After a disappointing season closed Sunday in seventh position, without qualifying for any continental tournament, Juventus have already chosen their former midfielder Antonio Conte as new coach.

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Sudan says committed to peace despite fight in Abyei

The Sudanese government on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to the landmark peace agreement despite fighting in the disputed border region of Abyei.

Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Sudanese Ambassador to Kenya Kamel Ismail Saeed said there is political commitment from both sides of the parties to the pace accord who have vowed never again to return to war. "We are committed to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which we still uphold to the latter and spirit. What is happening in Abyei is unfortunate that will not distract us from implementation the CPA," Saeed told journalists in Nairobi.

On Thursday, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused the south Sudan army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), for attacking its convoy which was withdrawing from Abyei in implementation of the Kadugli security agreement.

Southern Sudan will formally secede from the rest of the country on July 9 as a result of a separate referendum.

The tensions have been exacerbated by the controversy over a referendum that would give residents of Abyei a chance to decide whether to remain part of the north or join southern Sudan, which voted in January to secede.

Speaking to journalists in Nairobi, the Sudanese envoy blamed the southern Sudan for provoking SAF, an integrated force which comprises of equal north-south soldiers and who are deployed to bring peace in the area. "Both sides have deployed their forces in Abyei but unfortunately Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement continues to provoke the northern forces within the integrated forces who are supposed to be integrated to work together as one force," Saeed said. "This provocation has happened in several cases and several times and despite all these attacks, Sudanese armed forces tried to restrain from any reactions and usually report the case to the appropriate parties," he said.

Saeed said during the last period, there were 24 cases of violations of the CPA by southern Sudan soldiers in the Abyei area which have been recorded and forwarded to the relevant authorities for action.

The Sudanese envoy said at least 14 SAF soldiers were killed, 11 injured and five were still missing while 6 military vehicles were set ablaze as a result of this attack which he described it as a serious breach of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.

"Despite SAF's reaction to defend itself, the Sudanese government would like to reaffirm its known position that it is fully committed to the CPA both in letter and spirit. Any despite between the two parties should be resolved through peaceful means, " he said.

Saeed called on the international community, especially Kenya which hosted the protracted negotiations that culminated into the signing of the landmark peace accord in Nairobi in 2005, to remain actively engaged in the last phases of the CPA implementation in order to witness the peaceful establishment of a nascent country on July 9. "I hope the issue of Abyei will be resolved quickly to allow the peaceful secession of south Sudan. We will be very happy to see an independent, stable and peaceful country that will benefit both of us since there are so many things that we still share in common," Saeed said.

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