China has committed $75bn (£48bn) on aid and development projects in Africa in the past decade, according to research which reveals the scale of what some have called Beijing's escalating soft power "charm offensive" to secure political and economic clout on the continent.

As you all know, World Press Freedom Day is approaching next Friday, May 3rd. You might remember that last year, we launched our first Free the Press campaign to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, where we highlighted cases of journalists on humanrights.gov, profiling those targeted by governments as a result of their free expression. We're going to continue that practice again this year.

Battered by a French-led military campaign in Mali, al-Qaida's North African arm is trying something new to stay relevant: Twitter. The PR campaign by the terror network seeks to tap into social grievances and champion mainstream causes such as unemployment, all in bid to reverse decline and win new followers.

Mashaba, who is an aspirant Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, says people here view UDC as the only alternative instrument of change and believes he will win the elections because people, especially the youth, are ready for change. "Never in the history of this town have I seen its citizens so enthusiastic about their role in nation building and politics," he says. "They are driven by a desire to work as a collective."

Countries from all over the world have converged at the second annual Nation Branding and Investment Expo in Netherlands, as the Brand Kenya Board coordinates initiatives for marketing the country in order to maximize its efficiency and maintain a good image. The expo allows Brand Kenya to position the country optimally in terms of investment, credit worthiness, tourism and international relations.

Cultural exchanges between Chinese and African artists have borne creative fruit. For two years, Chinese and African artists have been visiting each other's countries as part of a program initiated by the Ministry of Culture. Li Qiang, a Nanjing-based landscape artist, says South Africa inspired him so much he was in a "creative trance".

South Africa's ambassadors should ensure they present the country in a positive light, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday. "In this era of globalisation, since information flows like fire and can easily be misinterpreted, our diplomacy cannot afford to neglect public opinion," Zuma said at the heads of mission conference in Pretoria on Thursday, according to a copy of his speech. He referred to the killing of 13 South African soldiers in the Central African Republic during fighting with rebels near Bangui on March 23.

Turkey has emerged as a generous donor for humanitarian crises across the world over the past five years, especially in the context of Africa. In 2011, while official development assistance (ODA) fell in 16 DAC countries, Turkey's net ODA increased by over 38%. Following the 'Turkey – Africa Co-operation summit' in Istanbul in August 2008, the African Union declared Turkey a 'strategic partner' and in May 2010, Istanbul was the venue for the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).