africa

The third Transform Africa Summit Transform Africa Summit opens today today at the Kigali Convection Centre, attracting about 3,000 delegates. [...] This year's summit's focus is on 'smart cities' with an aim to ensure African capitals embrace technology to effectively deliver services.

In remarks during the occasion, the Ambassador Thit Linn Ohn of the Union of Myanmar stressed that his country was pleased to establish diplomatic relations with Liberia, Africa’s oldest independent Republic. He believes that the event marks the beginning of building closer ties between the two countries especially in the areas of trade, agriculture and people to people exchanges.

A new generation of African photographers are redreaming the medium again. Look, for example, at the Africans among the 25 young shooting stars chosen for the short list of the sixth prize for contemporary African photography – the CAP Prize – which awards depictions of life on the continent and the diaspora. [...] The themes are personal and political, and there’s a fierce social justice edge in the work of many of the finalists, which includes two South Africans: Tsoku Maela and Lebohang Kganye.

The more people go hungry at home the more likely they are to migrate, according to the United Nations as the world grapples with four potential famines simultaneously for the first time in recent history. If governments want to curb global migration flows, they should tackle the hunger crises that are displacing so many people from their homes, the United Nations' food aid agency said on Friday.

The Ugandan ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) has partnered with Stanbic Bank to conduct financial training for Ugandan diplomats as the country positions all missions for commercial diplomacy. [...] Under commercial diplomacy, Mugoya said, missions abroad are expected to deliver tangible financial benefits in terms of direct foreign investments. - 

“Project Zimbabwe explores other aspects of life related to Zimbabwe such as fashion, film, arts and culture, allowing people to see and experience the amazing sounds and talents from Zimbabwe. This is done by featuring events, interviews and reviews,” he said

Philibert Browne, editor of Liberia’s Hot Pepper newspaper, says China is winning admiration. In Liberia, it has built roads — ones of not obviously inferior quality — and a spanking new campus at the University of Liberia, replete with friendship tower and Chinese-style gate. “You can see what they are spending their money on but you can’t see what the Americans are spending on,” Mr Browne says. “You don’t put capacity building on your meal table. Slowly but surely, the Chinese are winning in Africa.”

Scottish police officers are to take their expertise on tackling violence against women and children into the scene of one of the world’s most brutal civil wars of recent times. Police Scotland will team up with the United Nations-backed specialists on gender-based violence and child abuse in the Rwandan capital of Kigali to develop policing techniques and better protect victims. 

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