Advances in Floral Senescence: Molecular Mechanisms and Ethylene Regulation: Recent advancements in understanding floral Senescence

Abstract Floral senescence, the process by which flowers age and eventually die, is a critical factor affecting flower longevity and quality, especially in the high-value floriculture industry. This review synthesizes recent advancements in understanding the complex molecular and hormonal mechanisms that govern floral senescence, with a particular focus on the role of ethylene. Ethylene is a key regulator of floral aging, orchestrating the process through intricate genetic and signaling networks. It influences key transcription factors, such as Ethylene Response Factors (ERFs), and senescence-associated genes (SAGs), which collectively drive the aging process. The review begins by outlining the growth of the floriculture industry and the significance of floral senescence, detailing the physiological and molecular changes that occur during this phase. It explores the roles of various plant hormones—including ethylene, cytokinins, polyamines, and abscisic acid—in modulating senescence and their implications for flower quality. Key advancements in ethylene research are highlighted, including its biosynthesis, signaling pathways, and interactions with other hormonal and genetic regulators. The review also discusses the impact of ethylene on gene expression patterns and the technological interventions developed to manage its effects, such as ethylene inhibitors and genetic engineering approaches. By integrating insights into ethylene's role and its interaction with other hormonal pathways, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of floral senescence and its implications for flower preservation. The advancements outlined provide new opportunities for extending flower longevity and optimizing agricultural practices, with potential benefits for both ornamental and crop species. Future research directions are proposed to address existing knowledge gaps and enhance plant health and productivity. &nbsp

THE EFFICIENCY OF THE HOUSE OF FEDERATION TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION OF THE WOLKAITE PEOPLES IDENTITY RECOGNITION AND GEOGRAPHIC RESTORATION

This article looks at the identity recognition and geographic restoration question of Wolkaite people as Amharan. No studies of these people have been conducted on the question of identity recognition and geographic restoration. This study is, therefore, intended to investigate challenges faced in their response to identity recognition and geographical restoration. Hence, a qualitative research approach focusing on phenomenological design was employed. The respondents of the study were thirty-five, selected through a purposive sampling technique. Relevant and reliable data were gathered through structured questionnaires, in-depth informant interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and secondary sources. The article's main objective is to investigate why theWolkaite people's identity recognition and geographic restoration quest have not been responded to based on the FDRE constitutional framework. The findings of the study revealed that the main challenges to the issue of Wolkaite people's quest for the implementation of their constitutional rights were denied due to a lack of committed, efficient, and independent institutions being involved. This implies that the law and its practice are not matched in terms of the Wolkaite identity recognition. Therefore, to avoid the limitations of these institutions, reforming as well as empowering them at all levels would be a fruitful and productive solution to the question of identity matters

DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE PRACTICE ON THE RIGHT TO SELL OF RURAL HOUSES IN ETHIOPIA: EVIDENCE FROM THE AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

In Ethiopia, rural landholders as well as practitioners are left with uncertainty regarding the right and freedom to sell properties they produced on their landholding for dwelling purposes and the like. The message conveyed by the FDRE Constitution and rural land legislations in this respect has not been clearly understood and applied. This paper aims to investigate the real content of the legal provisions and the practice concerning the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia by providing empirical evidence from Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). The research applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative method was used to analyze data collected through focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews. 5 FGDs were conducted with a total of 85 rural land-holders in each of the five selected weredas, and with nine judges selected from the Bahir Dar Area High Court and the Supreme Court of ANRS. To analyze relevant laws, I applied doctrinal analysis. I also applied the comparative law method to compare the Ethiopian land transfer regime with that of China and Vietnam. The quantitative method was applied to present data collected through a questionnaire. A questionnaire survey was applied to collect information from two groups of respondents: 50 rural land administration and use staff in the selected five woredas (districts) and a total of 30 Judges working in courts representing the five selected woredas. The data obtained was presented by a simple statistical tool using figures, tables, and percentages. The study has found that the law does not prevent the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia, as is the case in Vietnam and China. However, the study showed that the law has been understood by both the people and experts to prohibit the practice of sale of rural houses. The study suggests that a clearer and more complete legislative coverage, as well as an active and better-oriented staff in land administration and use offices and courts, should be ensured to enforce existing land policy properly

THE ROLE OF LEGISLATION ON URBAN LAND REGISTRATION ENFORCEMENT IN ETHIOPIA: THE CASE OF AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

The Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) has undertaken urban land registration through the financial loan grant, primarily from the World Bank, since the early 2000s. However, the coverage of land registration practice remains low. This paper begins the journey of exploring the mechanisms by which legislative and other institutional processes could play a better role in the success of land registration systems. Such a study inquiring into the causal relationship between legislation and land registration enforcement is unprecedented in Ethiopia. The paper utilizes project documents and mainstream secondary literature to construct a conceptual framework. It applies qualitative research methods of data analysis with a case study approach. Descriptive, exploratory, and analytical research analysis were employed. The research explores processes, activities, and events in the form of narration. The paper concludes that gaps in the legislation development on land registration and land management have negatively contributed to the lowperformance of urban land registration in Ethiopia. The paper suggests that taking a few steps to fill the gaps in the current legislative framework could enhance the contribution of legislative development for improved land management in urban centers of Amhara region, with implications for the whole country

PRODUCT LIABILITY UNDER UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON CONTRACTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SALE OF GOODS (CISG) AND ETHIOPIAN LAW

This article explores product liability by analyzing its treatment under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and Ethiopian law, specifically focusing on claims related to property damage and personal injuries caused bydefective products. The study begins by outlining the theoretical frameworks of product liability to underscore its complexity and significance. A crucial distinction is made between the two legal frameworks: while the CISG addresses claims for property damage, it does not encompass personal injury claims, thereby creating gaps in consumer protection. The methodology employed in this analysis includes a descriptive approach, which allows for a thorough examination of each legal framework, alongside a comparative study to highlight differences and similarities between the CISG and Ethiopian law. The findings indicate that Ethiopian law provides a more comprehensive basis for addressing both types of harm, in contrast to the limited scope of the CISG. This limitation suggests a need for reform. The study advocates amending the CISG to explicitly cover personal injury claims, enhancing Ethiopia's product liability framework, and improving legal awareness among relevant stakeholders. Ultimately, this article aims to clarify legal ambiguities and strengthen product liability protections, thus benefiting businesses, consumers, and the global marketplace

RE-THINKING IMPRISONMENT AS AN APPROACH TO SENTENCING UNDER THE NIGERIAN AND ETHIOPIAN SYSTEMS: LESSONS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The imprisonment of offenders in prisons or correctional centres as an approach to punishment in the criminal justice system, especially for petty or minor offences, has been questioned across the world with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which calls for social distancing. The questions revolve around the sustainability of imprisonment as a preventive/deterrent approach in view of the fact that prisons or correctional centres havebecome hubs of infections. This is largely due to the fact that in most African countries, there is a high level of congestion, inadequate institutional facilities/services and failure of the courts to effectively discharge their functions. In Nigeria and Ethiopia, for example, there are regulatory frameworks which encourage the use of community service sentencing and compulsory labour as alternative approaches to imprisonment. However, the extent of enforcement, effectiveness and adequacy of these regulatory frameworks in Nigeria and Ethiopia largely remain questionable. Using doctrinal and non-doctrinal methods, this paper critically investigates the effectiveness, adequacy and level of enforcement of community service sentencing and compulsory labour as alternative approaches to imprisonment in both jurisdictions with a view to exposing the flaws in both criminal justice regimes. This is inspired by the widely established flaws of imprisonment as a sentencing approach because of increasing global pandemics such as COVID-19. This paper reveals that the current state of the criminal justice system in Nigeria and Ethiopia is ineffective. The findings show that imprisonment, adopted as a major approach to punishment and sentencing, has not in any way reduced the rate of crimes. This imprisonment approach has also been revealed to be nonviable as the same cannot be sustained in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overallrecommendations are calls for strengthening the community service sentencing in Nigeria and reform of the Ethiopian Criminal Code to include community service sentencing as a noncustodial measure in reducing prison congestion during outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic

AN APPRAISAL OF THE LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE ALMAJIRI CHILDREN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF NIGERIA

This paper examined the legal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Almajiri children in the Northern part of Nigeria, with consideration of the current serious socio-economic and political challenges ravaging the peaceful existence of the region. The varying threats of insurgency, banditry, cattle rustling, ethno-religious crisis, and kidnapping that have substantially wrecked the Northern part of Nigeria in recent times make the Almajiri children a soft target to this novel pandemic. Factors such as overpopulation, paucity of funds, inadequate human andmaterial resources, and large-scale widespread ignorance in the region predispose Almajiri children to the devastating impact of COVID-19 regulations. It was observed that the current structural formation of the Almajiri system, which has blown out of proportion across the Northern states in Nigeria, is a serious concern that requires meticulous planning and a viable mechanism to avert a devastating catastrophe in the region. This paper is analytical and based on the survey of relevant available literature and verifiable reports. This paper thus asserts that the current overwhelming socio-economic and political quagmire in which the Northern part of Nigeria has degenerated makes the Almajiri children negatively affected by the COVID-19 regulations. This paper finally concludes that the cross-repatriation of the Almajiri children to their respective states of origin is not only a breach of their Constitutional rights as citizens of Nigeria but also an ill-conceived approach anathema to the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BY SOCIAL COURTS IN ETHIOPIA: NORMATIVE AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Social courts have been grassroots judicial institutions for a long time, playing their role in ensuring justice concerning petty matters. Despite debates on their constitutionality, social courts are still operating as the judicial wing of the lower administrative unit. Theadministration of justice by a social court is one of the under-researched issues. To fill this gap, this study employed a combination of normative and empirical methods to examine the effectiveness of social courts and the challenges they faced. Normative approaches were used to comparatively study regional social court laws, while empirical approaches were employed to examine practices and challenges of social courts in the administration of justice. As the findings of the study revealed, despite its contribution to access to justice, the administration of justice by the social court is subject to multifaceted challenges attributable to the incompetence of judges, jurisdictional ambiguity, and lack of access to necessary facilities that negate its effectiveness and question its very existence. To overcome these challenges, this article recommends a comprehensive reform that includes revisiting the laws and implementing capacity-building programs. The study also calls for a nationwide study of the administration of justice by the social court to fill gaps and facilitate the transfer of good practices

AN APPRAISAL ON THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN ETHIOPIA

Human rights defenders (HRDs) play a role in the solidification of democracy and the realization of fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals; they are crucial for the firming-up of democratic institutions. However, as they challenge the incumbent and the dominant non-state actors, HRDs are frequently victims of state and non-state actors. Subsequently, they need strong protection and attention from the government and the international community. Governments need to provide them with adequate protection and adopt robust means of doing this. Governments also need to recognize the work of HRDs as an opportunity rather than a threat to the incumbent, it is essential to allow them to perform their activities effectively and safely. This paper analyses the pertinentlegal frameworks designed for the protection or otherwise of HRDs in Ethiopia. However, it doesn't address their institutional issues and all their rights, rather, it concerns freedom of expression, the right to assembly and demonstration, and the right to association. In doing so, the current legislative reform measure and its fruits areinvestigated instead of the rights of HRDs. Major legal documents, including international, regional, and domestic legal instruments, are critically investigated. The findings reveal that the legal protection of HRDs before the reform measure was terrifying and targeted HRDs. Most of the legal documents were draconian and had a chillingeffect on the work of HRDS in Ethiopia. After 2018, due to the legal and institutional reforms in the country, the protection of the rights of HRDs seems very promising. However, there are still legal gaps needing critical revision for their better protection in Ethiopia

THE GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE DAM –– FILLING AND ANNUAL OPERATION: ISSUES OF LEGALITY AND EQUITABILITY

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) first stage filling that retained 18.5 BCM of water of the Blue Nile River in a year's filling plan of 2020 and 2021 has escalated disputes among riparians of the Blue Nile sub-Basin, especially between Ethiopia and Egypt. The dispute attracted international attention owing to Egypt’s hegemonic tactics in securitizing the issue by referring it to the UN Security Council (UNSC). Egypt disparages the filling as ‘unilateral’ and detrimental to its survival, while Ethiopia firmly stands on realizing equitable and reasonable utilization of its chief river via the GERD filling. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to analyze the legality and equitability of the GERD filling and annual operation in the milieu of the international water law regime as well as the Declaration of Principles on the GERD (DoP). It also interrogates the validity of accusations and claims of downstream states in their submissions to the UNSC, especially Egypt’s, against the filling from the perspectives of the international water law regime. In doing so, the article argues that the GERD’s filling and operation are clear reflections of Ethiopia’s recognized and undeniable right to equitable and reasonable utilization in the Nile River Basin. In this regard, the article also argues that Egypt’s past unilateral water developments that established its existing uses in the Nile and its current antagonistic position against the GERD at its filling and successive operational stages are construed as acts causing significant harm to Ethiopia’s right to equitably use the Nile. Further, as a concluding remark, the article forwards suggestions for policymakers and negotiators to consider in the way forward to galvanize Ethiopia’s interest in the GERD and beyond in future GERD negotiations