With the theme “Maternal infant and child health and the development of Africa” the forth coming 15th Afican Union (AU) summit scheduled for 25th to 27th July in Kampala Uganda is meant to find solutions to reduce on the high maternal deaths in Africa. Uganda has been chosen as the host for the 15th African Union summit because of her effort and contribution towards the fight for peace and stability on the continent. Uganda sent troops to Somalia to contribute to the peace in that region and she a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

As South Africa hosts the 2010 World Cup what does the competition, football and sport in general have to contribute to development? As the spotlight shines on South Africa there is intense media scrutiny - and more than a little hype. At the same time development organisations globally are using the competition as an opportunity to promote their programmes and campaigns.

Public hearings for a new constitution continue to be blighted by the endless persecution of people taking part, or those known to be aligned to the MDC. There were reports that 3 MDC activists were abducted by state security agents in Chief Svosve’s area in Mashonaland East province. Eye witnesses say Rodreck Shamu, Temba Masimara and another person identified only as Makunyadze, were abducted by a group of armed men driving a white double-cab CAM truck. Worryingly for the MDC the whereabouts of the activists remains unknown. The party says the three were targeted because they had been instrumental in mobilising MDC supporters in the area to participate in the outreach meeting

The Joint Operations Command (JOC), a state security organization only accountable to Robert Mugabe, is spearheading ZANU PF’s campaign to foist the Kariba draft on the people of Zimbabwe. Since the constitutional outreach programme started on Monday SW Radio Africa has been inundated with reports of soldiers roaming towns and districts intimidating people to toe the ZANU PF line.

Experts in renewable energy have met in Accra, Ghana to discuss how policy-makers can support the harvesting of abundant renewable energy and thus open the door for sustainable African development. The workshop organized by the World Future Council Foundation, in Hamburg, Germany, in cooperation with the Energy Commission of Ghana brought together representatives from utilities, regulators, industry and civil society from ten African countries who are determined to expand their cooperation under the umbrella of the African Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA).

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun a scheme to boost about 70,000 smallholder farmers in Ethiopia by buying the food they produce to use in the agency’s operations in the Horn of Africa country. Through the Purchase for Progress initiative, which is financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WFP plans to buy an estimated 126,000 tons of food from local farmers over the next five years.

As the people of the small African nation of Burundi get set to cast their votes in Monday’s presidential election, an independent United Nations expert today warned of potential violence and human rights violations, citing a number of recent worrisome developments.

The winner of Guinea's hugely significant upcoming presidential election should urgently focus on rebuilding the rule of law and holding human rights abusers to account, Human Rights Watch has said. The first round of voting is scheduled for June 27, 2010.

A court in Kenya has ruled that prisoners will be allowed to vote in a referendum on a new constitution. It is the first time that prisoners in the East Africa nation have been given the right to vote. The ruling applies only to voting in August's referendum, but correspondents say it may lead to further concessions for future elections.

Madagascar 50th Independence Day Anniversary is on June 26th and the festivities are already underway . In spite of a star-studded line-up of international entertainers, the atmosphere is not exactly festive because of the political uncertainty and the economic hardship that has resulted from the 18 month-long crisis

An ethnic Hutu opposition candidate who hoped to run for president in Rwanda has been denied the right to appear on the ballot because of charges of denying the country’s genocide, party officials said today. Victoire Ingabire returned to Rwanda in January after 16 years, a return she says she made because the country needs an open discussion to promote reconciliation.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reshuffled cabinet ministers, dropping four and re-assigning several others to new portfolios. The changes affected only ministers from his party, which formed a coalition government with President Robert Mugabe last year to end years of bitter wrangling.

International business leaders, mostly heads of leading multinational firms, are meeting in Nairobi to discuss new strategies of increasing their business dealings within Africa. The meeting of some 40 senior international and regional business leaders, convened by the Economist Corporate Network's, a division of the leading Economist Magazine, opened this week. The first Africa Business Group meeting in Nairobi focused on changing market dynamics in East Africa.

The United Nations is prepared to support Niger to organise free and transparent elections next year, a UN delegation to the country said. Mr. Abderahamane Niang, who has just led a UN mission to Niger to evaluate its electoral needs, met with all the political stakeholders during the visit.

The UN and humanitarian partners are very concerned at the increasingly insecure environment in Darfur in which the humanitarian community serves the people of Sudan. The steady deterioration of security conditions, particularly in the past two months, is not only affecting the population but directly targets the humanitarian community.

This latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines Cameroon’s situation after 28 years under President Paul Biya. The ruling party is weakened by intense internal rivalries over control of resources and positioning for the post-Biya period. Having done away with the constitutional limitation on the number of presidential terms, Biya, who is at the same time feared and opposed within his own party, is deliberately maintaining uncertainty over whether he will stand again.

Kenya Homeless Street Soccer Association (KHSSA) is glad to take this opportunity to invite member organizations to the grand finals of our selection tournament for Kenya national street soccer team to the Homeless World Cup 2010 in Rio, Brazil from 19th -26th of September, 2010 at the Jericho Sports Ground on the 20th June, 2010 from 10am to 2pm.

As the World Cup focuses attention on South Africa, J. Mogwe is unimpressed by Fifa and the international media’s presentation of the global soccer event, the first ever to be held in Africa, as a turning point in the destiny of the country and of the continent, that will transform the lives of ordinary people for the better.

The recent arrest of two Dutch women for ‘ambush marketing’ at South Africa’s World Cup Soccer City stadium has revealed the legislative influence Fifa has exerted on its host, writes Alex Free. Pointing out that Fifa has acquired the nickname ‘Thiefa’ among some quarters, Free takes a look at who is really doing the ‘ambushing’.

‘Girls these days are experiencing a very different kind of childhood’, according to Professor Relebohile Moletsane, director of the Gender Development Unit at the Human Sciences Research Council.

The theme 'girlhood' is explored in