WASHINGTON — The U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will strive to strengthen and reinterpret U.S. partnerships in Africa during a weeklong trip that marks the Biden administration’s latest and most visible outreach as it moves to offset China’s growing influence.

Harris intends to travel to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, focusing on economic development, climate change, food security, and a growing young population. She is set to arrive in Ghana’s capital, Accra, on Sunday. Doug Emhoff, her husband, is accompanying her.

“For far too long, the United States’ foreign policy establishment has treated Africa as an after-school project rather than part of the core curriculum,” said Michelle Gavin, an Africa expert at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former United States ambassador to Botswana. “I see a concerted effort now to change that mindset.” However, it takes time.”

Harris will be widely followed across Africa as the first person of color and the first woman to serve as America’s vice president. Harris was reared in California even though her mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica.

“Everyone is excited about Kamala Harris,” said Idayat Hassan, director of Abuja, Nigeria’s Centre for Democracy and Development. “You can be whatever you want — that’s what she represents to many of us.”

A lecture in Accra and a visit to Cape Coast Castle, where enslaved Africans were once put onto ships bound for America, will highlight Harris’ trip. Harris also intends to meet with authorities in each country she visits and to lay a wreath in memory of the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital.

Harris will be widely followed across Africa as the first person of color and the first woman to serve as America’s vice president.

Her schedule also includes a few non-traditional sites designed to emphasize the exciting future of a continent with a median age of only 19.

Harris intends to visit a recording studio in Accra, meet with female entrepreneurs, and visit a tech accelerator in Dar es Salaam. Harris is scheduled to meet with corporate and charity leaders in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, to discuss boosting access to digital and financial systems.

Emhoff’s events have a similar focus. During his visit to Ghana, he intends to hold a town hall meeting with performers from a local television show, attend a girls’ basketball clinic, and tour a women-run chocolate company.

According to administration sources, the goal is to promote Africa as a site for investment rather than just aid packages, a subject that Harris underlined in December during a U.S.-Africa meeting in Washington.

“Because of your energy, ambition, and ability to turn seemingly intractable problems into opportunities,” she remarked, “I am an optimist about what lies ahead for Africa and, by extension, for the world.” “Simply put, your ability to see what could be, unburdened by what has been.”

Harris will spend three nights in Ghana, two nights in Tanzania, and one in Zambia before returning to Washington on April 2.

“It’s trip to support reformers,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, co-director of the Brookings Institution’s Africa Security Initiative. “All three countries have faced significant challenges and changed dramatically.”

Tanzania’s first female president has loosened restrictions on opposition parties and rallies.

Ghana is facing a debt crisis and excessive inflation, dragging down an economy that was once among the best in the region. It is particularly concerned about instability caused by Islamist extremists and Russian mercenaries operating in countries north of Ghana.

Tanzania’s first female president has loosened restrictions on opposition parties and rallies. Zambia has implemented its reforms, such as decriminalizing presidential slander. However, democratic development in both areas is thought to be fragile.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and First Lady Jill Biden have traveled to Africa. President Joe Biden is set to leave office later this year.

Harris will visit Zambia for the first time since childhood when her maternal grandpa worked there. He was a civil servant from India who assisted with refugee relocation after Zambia gained independence from Britain.

“Grandpa was one of my favorite people in the world and one of the earliest and most lasting influences in my life,” Harris writes in her book.

The December U.S.-Africa meeting was the first since President Obama hosted one in 2014. Although Washington’s approach to Africa has had some historic successes, such as President George W. Bush’s HIV/AIDS effort, which has saved millions of lives, there have also been times of neglect.

“There’s a lot of skepticism and doubt about American staying power,” said Daniel Russel, a former State Department official who now works at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “They’re used to American promises that fizzle out and don’t amount to much.”

In stark contrast, China has led far-reaching infrastructure projects and increased telecom activities throughout the region.

According to John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, African leaders are “beginning to realize that China is not their friend.”

“China’s interests in the region are purely selfish, in contrast to the U.S.,” he remarked. “We are truly committed to assisting our African friends in dealing with many challenges.”

Senior administration officials have been careful not to characterize Harris’ visit as another step in a geopolitical contest, which might alienate African leaders weary of choosing sides between global heavyweights.

They are now waiting to see what Harris and the U.S. have to give over the next week.

“Because of her profile, she has a very good reputation in Africa,” said Rama Yade, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. “However, beyond that, public opinion in the three countries will develop expectations very quickly.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Thomas Nashe, a 16th-century British poet and playwright, undoubtedly anticipated spring in his own vibrant, singsong manner:

The flowers kiss our feet; the fields breathe sweetly.
Young couples encounter each other, elderly women sit,
These melodies welcome our ears in every street: cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, and witta-woo!
The beautiful season of spring!

Lovely spring, indeed. This is the season to take in the advancing daylight, hear the chirping of birds, smell the blooming flowers, and feel the sun’s rising heat.

All of them point to the impending spring equinox in 2023. The Northern Hemisphere’s official first spring day symbolizes rebirth, a period of tradition, and a peaceful balance between day and night.

Some people prefer to have everything planned up to the minute of Spring.

According to EarthSky, the spring equinox will occur on March 20 at precisely 21:24 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). The way that works at various locations throughout the world is as follows (all times are converted to Daylight Saving Time):

Hawaii’s Honolulu: 11:24 a.m.
• Victoria, Canada, and San Francisco, California: 2:24 p.m.
• Guadalajara, Mexico, and Santa Fe, New Mexico: 3:24 p.m.
• Kingston, Jamaica, and Minneapolis, Minnesota: 4:24 p.m.
• Charleston, South Carolina, and Montreal, Canada: 5:24 p.m.
6:24 p.m. Halifax (Canada).

Here are some more locations to visit when crossing the Atlantic:

• 9:24 p.m. in Dublin (Ireland) and Accra (Ghana).
• 10:24 p.m. in Paris (France) and Algiers (Algeria).
• Alexandria, Egypt and Helsinki, Finland: 11:24 p.m.

For time zones east of those mentioned above, the equinox occurs on March 21 on Tuesday. A few more locations

• Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Istanbul (Turkey): 12:24 a.m.
• 1:24 a.m. in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
2:54 a.m. • Mumbai (India).
• Hanoi (Vietnam) and Bangkok (Thailand): 4:24 a.m.
Singapore time is 5:24 a.m.
• Osaka (Japan) and Seoul (South Korea): 6:24 a.m.

For a list of significant cities, click here. You can also use this link to find exactly when the spring equinox occurs where you live.

People in the Northern Hemisphere anticipate longer days, blooming flowers, and increased greenery. However, for those who live south of the equator, the equinox signals the beginning of fall.

Therefore now is the time for South Africans, Aussies, and Chileans to anticipate the cooler fall weather.

None of this truly matters to people living near the equator (in cities like Singapore or Quito, Ecuador). Year-round, they experience around 12 hours of sun and darkness.

The same concept is conveyed if “vernal equinox” is ever used.

The Latin word “equinoxium,” which means “equality between day and night,” is where the word “equinox” originates. Vernal, which is Latin for “spring,” also denotes.

An ideal line connecting the North and South Poles forms the axis around which the Earth revolves. It is called the axis, which rotates to give us day and night.

Yet, according to NASA, the axis tilts at a 23.5-degree angle. As a result, for half of the year’s orbit around the sun, one hemisphere of the planet will receive more sunlight than the other. This variation in sunshine initiates the seasons.

Between late June and late December, the effect is at its strongest. These are the solstices, and particularly close to the poles, they have the greatest changes between day and night. (This explains why it is so gloomy for such a long period each day in the winter in regions like Scandinavia and Alaska.)

Yet, you’ve probably noticed that the days have been getting longer and the nights shorter in the Northern Hemisphere since the winter solstice three months ago in December. We have now reached the spring equinox!

Future solar exposure will favor the Northern Hemisphere over the Southern Hemisphere. Because of this, the temperature rises as we approach the summer solstice in June.

The “almost” equal hours of day and night are caused by the complicated method used to calculate sunrise

On the equinox, you get a little bit more daylight than darkness, though how much more varies on where in the world you are.

How is that possible when there should be 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness?

According to the US National Weather Service, the “almost” equal hours of day and night are caused by the complicated method used to calculate sunrise and the refraction of sunlight in our atmosphere.

The sun “appears above the horizon when the real position of the sun is below the horizon” due to these light beams being bent. Higher latitudes have longer days than the equator because the sun rises and sets more slowly as you move nearer the poles.

We had that truly equal day/night divide a few days before the spring equinox. It’s known as the equinox.

According to the website EarthSky, the equinoxes—spring or autumn—are excellent times to get your bearings if you enjoy watching the night sky. Just twice a year, on the equinoxes, does everyone on the Earth experience the sun rising in the east and setting in the west?

It is “a terrific day for finding east and west from your yard or another preferred place for studying the sky,” according to EarthSky. Just step outside at dusk or dawn and pay attention to where the sun appears in well-known locations.

Another interesting fact is that the sun sets faster in both hemispheres during equinoxes than during solstices. The cause? According to EarthSky, the setting sun strikes the horizon at the sharpest angle possible to the planet.

When the Earth’s tilt is the greatest, the sun sets more slowly during solstices

When the Earth’s tilt is the greatest, the sun sets more slowly during solstices. The impact also intensifies as you move further from the equator. Because of this, during the days leading up to the summer solstice, the sun never sets at all in the Arctic Circle.

People have gathered in England at the enigmatic Stonehenge for centuries to observe solstices and equinoxes. If you prefer small crowds, the equinoxes normally draw fewer people than the solstices. English Heritage arranges the festivities.

The Mayan location of Chichén Itzá in Mexico has unique connections to the equinox. On the equinoxes, a shadow tracing the outline of a snake of light (Kukulcán) descends the steps of the majestic pyramid known as El Castillo at the location.

Nevertheless, other ancient locations participate in the custom as well.

The annual Daffodil Day celebration will occur at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. While supplies last, market visitors will receive a complimentary bunch of daffodils.

The annual Cimburijada, or “Festival of Scrambled Eggs,” takes place in Zenica, a Bosnia and Herzegovina northwest of Sarajevo, on the first spring day.

Every culture in the globe observes the equinox. To name a few:

The Persian New Year is called Nowruz. It also goes by the names Nauryz, Navruz, or Nowrouz and means “new day.”

It doesn’t just happen to fall on the first day of spring. The Iranian calendar is a solar calendar, which means that time is established by Earth’s rotation around the sun by astronomical observations. Hence, the vernal equinox always marks the beginning of the year.

It’s a celebration of fresh starts, ushering in prosperity and the future while letting go of the past. Families use this time to buy new clothes, thoroughly clean their closets, and organize their houses.

According to VisitBeijing.com, trying to stand an egg upright during the spring equinox is a well-liked game in China. The practice is claimed to have originated thousands of years ago, and it is said that anyone who can make an egg stand would be lucky. And native spring veggies are eaten by people all around China.

Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday in Japan (on Tuesday, March 21, this year). Although Japan has undergone extensive modernization, its citizens still follow ancient customs like visiting family cemeteries and hosting reunions to celebrate the spring equinox.

SOURCE – (CNN)

According to a new study, climate warming targeted the critical thickness of the Arctic sea ice in two abrupt huge gobbles rather than gradually.

According to the study that underlines the significance of two large “regime shifts” that altered the character of the Arctic, sea ice swiftly lost more than half its thickness a little more than 15 years ago, becoming weaker, more susceptible to melting, and less likely to return.

Both 2005 and 2007 saw those significant bites. Before, it was challenging to leave the Arctic due to the older and misshaped sea ice. This allowed the arctic region to serve as the globe’s air conditioner during hotter summers. Yet as the ice in the Arctic gets younger, thinner, and easier to push out, it puts that vital cooling mechanism at greater risk, according to the study’s principal author.

Until 2007, 19% of the Arctic sea ice was at least 13 feet (4 meters) thick, making it taller than most elephants. Today, only 9.3% of the ice is at least that thick. The study published in Wednesday’s issue of Nature also found that the average ice age had decreased by more than a third, from 4.3 years to 2.7 years.

“The long-term impact of climate change on the Arctic sea ice” was cited.

A sea ice expert at the Norwegian Arctic sea Institute named Hiroshi Sumata is the study’s principal author. “Ice is considerably more vulnerable than before because it’s thinner; it may quickly melt,” he added. He asserted that all life forms in the Arctic depend on thicker sea ice.

The finding demonstrates “how the Arctic sea ice environment has experienced a fundamental transition,” according to Walt Meier, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center who wasn’t involved in the study. The reason the sea ice has yet to recover from those significant decreases is explained in this research.

Because satellites can easily assess the extent of Arctic sea ice, which is easier to measure than volume, previous studies focused more on that aspect of the ice’s distribution. Sumata overcame the difficulties of measuring from space by concentrating his observations on that ground-based choke point, where Greenland ultimately pushes 90% of the ice out of the Arctic through the Fram Strait.

He discovered that the first ice was becoming thinner and more uniform as it became younger, making it simpler to push across the Fram Strait. According to Sumatra, younger, sleeker ice is easier to force out of the Arctic than older, thicker ice because it lacks the odd edges and shapes that make thicker ice more difficult to force out.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center’s Mark Serreze, who was not involved in the study, noted that although scientists were already aware that sea ice was becoming thinner and less extensive, this “flushing” is crucial.

This cycle of warmer water made it more difficult for arctic sea ice to develop, survive, and thicken.

In an email, Serreze explained that because of these flushing episodes, the Arctic Ocean’s ice had had less time to develop and is more resistant to melting off. Yet because the Arctic is rapidly rising, it’s probably too late to hold out hope that the Arctic Ocean will recover.

According to Sumata, the periods of warm, expansive, ice-free open water in the Arctic in 2005 and 2007 likely exceeded those of previous summers. The dark ocean absorbs the sun’s heat and warms up while the white ice reflects it, a phenomenon known as ice-albedo feedback. According to him, this cycle of warmer water made it more difficult for arctic sea ice to develop, survive, and thicken.

Once the water has absorbed that heat, it isn’t easy to cool off. So, more significant warming shifts could occur in the future, making the ice thinner and weaker, but scientists warned against expecting quick cooling shifts that will cure the planet.

Sumata and Serreze predict that those unexpected warm leaps will occur shortly and are astonished that they haven’t yet. In 20 to 30 years, according to recent predictions, areas of the Arctic sea Ocean will be free of ice during the summer.

Even to regions hundreds of kilometers away that don’t freeze up, the thickness of the sea ice and the general health of the Arctic are vital, according to Sumatra.

The north and south poles act as the planet’s air conditioning system and radiator. Therefore it will impact the entire planet, according to Sumatra. And what we saw suggests that the air conditioner isn’t functioning properly.

SOURCE – (AP)