africa
China’s “One Belt One Road” initiative clearly reads as an audacious vision for transforming the political and economic landscapes of Eurasia and Africa over the coming decades via a network of infrastructure partnerships across the energy, telecommunications, logistics, law, IT, and transportation sectors.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a ¥600 million grant-in-aid pledge to Zimbabwe on Monday to help bring more Japanese companies back to the former agricultural powerhouse amid an aggressive foray by China. [...] also said Japan would maintain close consultation with Zimbabwe to counter the severe food shortages there.
Ulusoy said Turkey has been very proactive in promoting longstanding cultural ties with Ethiopia through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
With instruments made of bamboo, plant-based face paints, and skirts woven from local fauna, groups at Guinea Bissau's Carnival dance competition displayed the biodiversity of their country […]"I think when you protect your culture, you are protecting the environment [...] There's a strong connection between the environment and the culture of this country" [...] said Rita Le, a spokeswoman for the carnival committee
Through the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, he is donating $1,000,000 to the non-profit Nature Conservancy, according to Tech Times. In this venture, Leonardo DiCaprio will be helping to provide funds for a project that will protect the oceans surrounding Seychelles, a small African nation.

In this week's roundup, culture maintains its central role in public diplomacy
Radio is helping Ethiopian farmers make the best of a bad situation as they deal with the effects of the worst drought in decades, writes Kevin Perkins of Canadian development organization Farm Radio International (FRI).
With an eye on Africa’s youthful population, economic growth and swelling middle-class, the United States has embarked on its first education trade mission to the continent, with 25 universities and colleges. Student recruitment and building partnerships with universities are the goals of the visits to South Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.