Somalia’s President, Adbullahi Yusuf, dissolved the Government’s “bloated” Cabinet, saying it had failed to deliver during its two-year tenure. Only the prime minister remained. Ali Mohamed Gedi (prime minister) is to appoint a new 31-minister cabinet within a week after consulting parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan and the president.

Efforts to Fight HIV/AIDS

The Eastern Cape Provincial AIDS Council, SA Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (SABCOHA), the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and inWEnt have signed an agreement to unite and strengthen efforts to fight HIV and AIDS in the province.

The agreement is set to develop a capacity development initiative funded by the German government to create mechanisms and resources to deliver capacity development in three sectors across the province. The sectors include construction, agriculture and the automotive industry.

A Boost in Education

The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization, has mobilized a contribution of $1m to kick off a global Teacher Training Initiative in Sub Saharan Africa. Tanzania will be among the first ten countries to benefit from UNESCO’s initiative. The initiative is aimed at redirecting policies, improving institutional capacity, improving teacher quality and stemming the teacher shortage in order to achieve education for all by 2015.

Grant for Water Development

The Japanese government has signed an agreement with the Malawi government to give the country a grant of K437 million for water development in the capital city-Lilongwe. During the signing ceremony, Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe said that the grant would enable government to construct 296 boreholes in the city. “Access to safe drinking water will help to improve the health status of the people as it will reduce the risk of illness resulting from drinking unsafe water,” Gondwe said. Two hundred and thirty four villages in two traditional areas of Khongoni and Kalolo in the city will benefit from the grant.

ICT in Schools

A consortium led by Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) has launched three digital inclusion programs in schools around Kampala, Uganda. As part of the 50x15 Initiative, AMD is collaborating with the Ugandan Government, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and 13 additional organizations as part of the company's commitment to connect 50 percent of the world's population to the Internet by the year 2015. Led by African Heads of State and the African Union, NEPAD's e-Schools Programme is aimed at equipping all African schools with ICT tools to ensure African youth graduate with the skills necessary to fully participate in the information society and knowledge economy.

Mr. Andrew Ngone, Regional Trade Development Advisor

THE Commonwealth Secretariat has named a technical advisor to speed up the implementation of development programmes to support regional integration within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Mr. Andrew Ngone will take up the position of Regional Trade Development Advisor at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, for the next two years. Ngone will prepare a series of concept papers on trade, industry, services and gender for the 2007 Work Programme, guided by the mandates of COMESA's Council of Ministers. He will also be involved in the development of a strategy for regional trade and tourism promotion.

Nigeria Recovers £1 Million

The Federal Government of Nigeria has recovered over £1 million from the former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D. S. P. Alamieyeseigha. The money which was retrieved by the London Police will be invested in projects for the benefit of people of Bayelsa State. Addressing members of the British Parliament in Abuja, President Olusegun Obasanjo explained that he had already discussed with the Bayelsa State governor on investing the loot on visible projects in the state.

Journalists Explore the Possibility of Building Networks

African and European journalists are holding a two day conference in Nairobi to explore the possibility of building networks that can lead to shared opportunities and better understanding of issues.  The conference will bring together journalists from 25 countries to discuss challenges facing Africa’s news media.

Tanzanians to Participate in Mombasa International Show

A team of thirty Tanzanians will exhibit their products at this year’s Mombasa International Show. The Tanzania’s Trade and Industry minister Mr. Nazir Karamagi will accompany the exhibitors and will be the chief guest on the fourth day of the event. This is an annual event organized by the Agriculture Society of Kenya (ASK).

Youth Market Day

An event to promote youth entrepreneurship was held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) grounds. Coordinated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs in collaboration with Grassroots Alliance for Community Education (GRACE-Africa) the initiative had the theme Unleashing the Potential of Young Entrepreneurs. The event provided a forum for the youth to market their products and services as well as showcase their talents. Kenyan youth who range from 15-30 years-old comprise more than 30 percent of the population.

Floods Kill Over 200 People

Flash floods swept through eastern Ethiopia town killing over 200 people while 300 others are missing. The Dechatu River burst its banks and flooded Dire Dawa town, drowning many or burying them in sandy debris as they slept. The surge destroyed at least 220 homes in the town located in Ethiopia’s lowlands, 525Km east of the capital Addis Ababa.

Consider Using Troops from Muslim Nations, Abdoulaye Wade Urges Sudan

Senegal’s President, Abdoulaye Wade, has urged Sudan to consider using troops from Muslim nations to quell fighting in its Darfur region. This would be an alternative to the UN force that Sudan has rejected. The Africa Union has about 1, 560 troops policing the region.